Aboard the Star Walker
Julius, his 4 Pillars, and his personal guard – 4,400 Spartans in imperial beskar armor, their weapons reminiscent of Custodes gear but with energy lances and beskar shields – marched in a heavy, rhythmic cadence towards the vast teleportation platform, primed for combat.
Julius turned to his troops, his voice carrying effortlessly. "I want everyone to exercise caution on this mission. The creatures we are about to face are unlike anything you have fought before. Keep your hearts and your wills unshakable, and we will prevail."
His gaze then shifted to Vision. "I want a battalion of cloned Sisters of Silence for the combat, and well-equipped."
Vision gave a slight bow."It will be done as you command, Lord Commander. I will relay the message to the Mother Superior of the Fortress of the Void."
Julius gave a sharp nod before turning towards the shimmering platform.
The teleporter activated with a hum of pure energy. Space tore open in a blaze of blue-white light, and Julius, his Pillars, and his Spartans materialized on the scarred ground of Dakora-7.
On Dakora-7
Sporadic gunfire still crackled. Julius's plan was unfolding exactly as intended: the Irons Skulls advanced like a wall of steel and fire, forcing the troops of the Ouroboros to pull back and give them the field. It was a deliberate test of the new colossi's combat power.
And the result was terrifying. The Irons Skulls advanced without fear, relentlessly. Nothing seemed able to stop them. Their push was supported by an arsenal of autonomous Terran war machines:
· HK-Aerials, capable of patrolling, identifying, and eliminating targets with lasers or heavy machine guns.
· HK-Tanks, assault vehicles and ground artillery with heavy armor, equipped with plasma cannons or lasers, operating without a crew.
Enhanced by Terran technology, these machines had become instruments of destruction of dreadful efficiency.
Julius observed the scene, immobile amidst his command staff and personal guard. He watched the Irons Skulls smash enemy defenses to pieces, one by one. Even when a desperate enemy soldier, by a lucky shot, managed to lightly damage an Iron Skull's armor, a repair drone dispatched from the flagship quickly arrived to patch the breach.
For now, everything was under control. The demonstration of force was overwhelming.
But Julius, his face hard beneath his helmet, knew this was merely the eye of the storm. It was only the calm before the tempest. The enemy they faced would not just take the punishment. It would strike back. And its counterattack would be far more violent.