The hum of machinery echoed through the Silver Hammer's transport deck.
Squads of the Silver Skulls Chapter chosen for ground combat jogged into their designated positions, performing final weapon checks.
Thunderhawk gunships, covered in heavy armor, had already activated their engines, waiting to ferry them to the surface.
Servitor-thralls, their ribs hollowed out and fitted with servo-mechanisms, moved slowly between the vehicles, their steel-boned, exposed hydraulic arms placing shells, power packs, and fuel pumps in their designated spots.
Chapter serfs bustled back and forth, bringing equipment, honors, weapons and ammunition to the ready Primaris Space Marines.
A Chapter Chaplain moved along the rows of prepared warriors, leading them in chanting the Chapter's combat rituals and affixing litanies of hate to their war gear.
Cherubim and silver-plated servo-skulls hovered above the warriors' heads, carrying censers that emitted thick smoke, shrouding the entire transport deck in a haze.
Chapter Master Argentius and the Librarian stood before the observation platform, watching the final preparations.
A serf, clad in Chapter robes, approached and respectfully said,
"Captain Ither reports that the Imperial Fleet has successfully gained control of low orbit and is ready for planetary assault at any time."
"It seems you will have the war you desire, Chapter Master.", the Librarian said.
"Words like that make me feel like a bloodthirsty Space Wolf." Argentius looked at the Chapter Librarian, a smile appearing on his resolute face, clearly joking with the Librarian.
"I follow the will of the Primarch, fighting for humanity and the Emperor. War is merely a means we employ, not a tool for our own pleasure."
"Ten thousand years of war have long since caused us to lose sight of our original purpose. The Emperor created us for peace, yet many brothers have become irrevocably lost in war. This is undoubtedly a great tragedy.", the Librarian smiled faintly, his tone not without a hint of mockery.
"The Primarch will change all of this.", Argentius said, "We are changing, and humanity is changing, even if it's only a little for the Imperium, it's already a good start. Our mission is to assist the Primarch, to continue expanding these changes. One day, the Emperor's dream will surely be realized."
"Let's hope so.", the Librarian said, taking out an Emperor's Tarot card, simple and unadorned.
Argentius took it, looking at the card face. It was a card of a jester, mocking the audience and making them laugh.
"The Fool of Fate.", the Librarian said.
"What does that mean?", Argentius frowned slightly, "Are you referring to the fate of humanity or this campaign?"
"I don't know. When I divined, I thought too much, causing the result to be skewed. Perhaps it represents neither, or perhaps it represents both. Prophecy is full of uncertainty, and the Fool is the most complex card in the Emperor's Tarot, representing mockery and playfulness. Until the performance ends, no one knows whose face is beneath the jester's mask."
"You should focus on predicting this campaign, not thinking about other things." Argentius placed the Emperor's Tarot card, polished from crystal, back into the Librarian's hand.
"Chapter Master, the prayers are finished.", the Chaplain's voice echoed through the Chapter channel.
"Alright, the conversation about divination is over now."
With that, Argentius no longer paid attention to the Librarian, walking directly to the observation platform railing, facing the Chapter brothers about to deploy for combat.
He pressed the vox-caster to amplify his voice.
"Brothers.", Argentius 's voice resounded throughout the transport deck, "Once again, we shall fight in the name of the Lord of Ultramar and the Emperor."
"In ten minutes, the fleet will enter planetary orbit, and we will make a planetary assault, facing those damned greenskins head-on. Let us add another victory to the Chapter's record."
The other warriors responded to Argentius over the vox.
They shouted slogans, filled with high morale.
"For the Emperor."
"For Guilliman."
"..."
Argentius watched them, a faint smile on his face. He pressed the rune button on his power fist, and a ceramic-alloy thermal shield slid down to cover his helmet.
"Final checks, then prepare for planetary assault."
Argentius ordered the cogitator in his armor to confirm basic information such as servo systems, weapons and ammunition, and jump pack fuel.
He waited until all the prompt runes on his helmet display turned green.
He strode towards a gunship emitting a low hum.
The other warriors followed closely, entering different gunships.
After confirming that everyone was ready, Argentius activated the squad combat mode, sharing their data with each other.
At the same time, he distributed the previously planned strategic arrangements to each squad.
Flight paths and war maps appeared in the warriors' minds and before their eyes.
"Confirm your objectives, brothers.", Argentius said through the vox channel.
"Confirmed."
"Confirmed."
The voices of each squad came one after another through the vox channel.
"Then let's have a good fight. Begin the planetary assault."
Argentius gave the order.
The gunship pilots pressed the start button, and a slight vibration traveled through the metal hull to everyone.
Energy was fed into the propulsion system, and dazzling flames erupted from the thruster nozzles. The immense thrust propelled the massive gunship transport, slowly moving out of the transport deck.
Accompanied by urgent sounds and flashing lights, the massive hangar doors were slowly opened.
Stormraven gunships were the first to streak out. They needed to suppress the ork anti-air fire for the Primaris Space Marines and conduct a bombing run to weaken the ork resistance.
The square Thunderhawk gunships followed closely, rushing towards the planet that had been invaded and polluted by the orks.
At the mining site.
"Useless runts.", the ork warrior Uf poked the human lying on the ground with his hammer, grumbling in dissatisfaction.
Another runt was dead. The boss would definitely smash him if he knew.
They needed a lot of runts to dig things up and then give them to the Mekboyz. The Mekboyz would turn those things into scrap metal and build all sorts of good stuff.
So, they couldn't kill all the runts.
Otherwise, they would have to dig things up themselves.
Uf didn't want to dig things up. Digging didn't get you those fancy scrap metal and parts, and you wouldn't get those shiny teeth, and it wouldn't make you greener, bigger, and stronger.
Orks only got bigger, greener, and stronger on the battlefield.
Uf touched the modified big shoota at his waist, contemplating the possibility of shooting his boss dead with one shot.
His modified big shoota was a good one, alright.
That big shoota was so big, so thick, so firm.
The caliber was so large that you could shove a Grot in and then blast it out with a bang.
It could make all enemies cry like Grots.
Uf held his iron hammer and hit the fallen runt's head a few times. Even though it bled, it didn't wake him up, so he gave up on the idea of trying to save him.
ork medicine was very simple. If someone was unconscious, you just hit them awake.
If they didn't wake up, then they were dead.
Uf often used this method to save those fallen Grots. With one hammer blow, two or three out of ten would always jump up.
He considered himself a pretty good medic.
Uf grabbed the runt's corpse and casually threw it into his mouth, chewing.
It tasted a little worse than a Squig.
Uf chewed the runt's corpse, striding towards the fortress. To avoid being killed by his boss, he decided to kill the boss first.
"WAAAGH, I reckon I'm the boss now."