A full-scale void war erupted in Sintila's orbit.
When the rebels detected the approaching fleet, they initially thought a rival faction was here to get a piece of the action. After all, the Imperial Navy in the Calixis Sector was essentially dead in the water, completely incapable of mounting a counter-offensive.
Their current directive was simple: grab all the loot—wealth and population—and make a killing from the chaos. The Emperor's light was fading in Calixis, and Imperial rule was quickly becoming history. But no matter who held the reins, the ancient law of the void remained: might makes right.
It wasn't until their scout patrols were blown to smithereens that the rebels realized this was a genuine Loyalist counter-attack. They scrambled quickly, organizing a defense before the Imperial fleet could reach high orbit. To keep the assets safe, Daniel kept the lightly armored freight barges well clear of the fighting, instructing them to wait out the void engagement.
The Imperial Glory spearheaded the attack, plunging the two forces into a maelstrom of destruction. Volleys of energy cannons crisscrossed the void, causing the enemy void shields to shimmer and crack under the intense beam fire. The noise of ordnance and macro-artillery was a deafening roar, and missile contrails painted streaks of death and destruction across the black.
The Imperial Glory carved through the enemy formation like a hot knife through butter. Its fixed batteries poured fire onto the foe like a flash flood, accompanied by continuous flashes and explosions.
"In the name of the Omnissiah, hit it! Hit it! Hit it!" Blood Dove shouted repeatedly, pumping up his comrades. "Listen up, aces—today's the day we make a name for ourselves."
"Total enemy destruction. Don't worry about coming home; just worry about the body count."
"Die hard, spill your blood in the void, all for the Omnissiah!"
The flight deck was a beehive of activity. Shipwrights and Mechanicus priests furiously ran pre-flight checks on the roaring Fury Interceptors. Engines screamed and threw dazzling arcs of light that washed out the massive launch deck. Hatches slammed shut, safety pins were pulled from warheads, and fuel lines were rapidly disconnected from the howling engines. Once clear, the monstrous fighters launched like birds of prey, rocketing off the catapult tracks at perfect intervals.
The void was already a deadly hail of beams, shells, and ordnance. Blood Dove piloted his Fury Interceptor alongside his wingmen, escorting two massive Starhawk Bombers. The Fury Interceptor—a core asset of the Imperial Navy—was usually deployed to intercept enemy fighters and missiles. The Starhawk, however, was the heavy hitter, armed with plasma bombs and armor-piercing missiles capable of gutting a cruiser.
Blood Dove, hardwired to his interceptor's sensors via a neural bundle, grinned when a small, soft target drifted into range. "Time to hunt."
Five fighters, coated in sensor-absorbing stealth material, glided like ghosts. Their target was a converted civilian cargo vessel—too small to possess a Warp Drive and relegated to inter-system trade.
The armed ship's antiquated auspex was a day late and a dollar short, detecting the interceptors only after they were in attack range. It spewed a harmless barrage of bullets that Blood Dove and his wingmen easily juked. "Unleash hell!" Blood Dove screamed. Ten plasma missile trails streaked toward the cargo ship. It attempted an emergency dodge, but it was way too late. The missiles cored the vessel, causing an instant explosion. Seconds later, its reactor went critical and blew the ship to kingdom come.
Kill +1. Blood Dove pumped his fist. Weaving through the explosion's debris to rejoin the escort formation, he quickly typed in the regional chat:
Blood Dove: "Looks like we're running away with the MVP for the Battle of Sintila."
Rigby: "You're talking trash! You're just flexing because we're stuck on the ship."
September 9th: "Your lead won't last. Once we hit the ground, we'll catch up in a hurry."
Blood Dove: "I doubt it. I hope there are enough enemies left for you. After we finish the orbital bombardment, and the squadron has run a few ground sweeps, then it might be your turn."
"I genuinely hope you find some scraps in the ruins we level, so your whole deployment wasn't a bust."
"..."
The regional chat channel sent the Emperor's Hammer and Horses Legion into a tailspin. Orbital bombardment and ground-strafing fighters meant the surviving traitors would have to be split between them and the Titan-driving players—how many points would be left? The Titans had vastly superior firepower; their kill efficiency was not even close!
"We need to get on a ship, ASAP, or we're dead in the water on points," Rigby stated, voicing the consensus.
"But we're a million miles away," Warmaster replied, looking troubled at the enemy vessels thousands of kilometers away.
He knew they had to board, but charging that distance was pure suicide. The other members could only sigh—there was no immediate boarding opportunity.
Back on the Imperial Glory's bridge:
"All ships fire!" Sha ordered. "Simultaneous torpedo launch, 16,000-meter spread. Lock down that frigate and launch a full salvo. Macro-cannons reload for follow-up fire."
Daniel stood calmly, surveying the whole void engagement. The enemy had impressive numbers, but the fleet was mostly cobbled-together armed civilian vessels and pirate ships. There were few genuine warships, giving the Loyalists the upper hand.
"That battlecruiser is going to be ours." Daniel fixed his eyes on the Exemplary Holy Fist—a ship currently engaging the Imperial Glory. He needed more warships; capturing this one would be a game-changer for his void forces.
"Arale."
"Master, your command?"
"Edit the mission parameters. Instruct the players to find a way to capture the Exemplary Holy Fist battlecruiser."
"Affirmative, Master. Arale will get right on it."
Just as many of the Emperor's Hammer Chapter members were second-guessing their decision to become Astartes, the database refreshed with a new assignment.
Mission: Board and Seize the Exemplary Holy Fist Battlecruiser
The Exemplary Holy Fist Battlecruiser is a valuable asset of the Emperor's servants, stolen by shameful traitors to harm the Imperium. Reclaim this vessel!
Basic Rewards: 4,000,000 Contribution Points, 50,000 Honor Points, 70,000 War Points.
Commission Rewards: Additional rewards scaled to the condition of the recovered warship.
Note: This mission requires Chapter acceptance. The Atomal Department of Internal Affairs provides a financial guarantee for all necessary vehicle and boarding weapon acquisition. Complete the mission diligently; successful players receive the full reward, and all losses are covered by the Imperium. Failure to complete the mission requires repayment of all guaranteed funds.
"Four million Contribution Points, fifty thousand Honor, seventy thousand War Points—holy smokes, that's a haul! I'm taking it, I'm taking it!" Warmaster was lightning-fast and accepted the quest immediately.
"Hold up—did you see the fine print?" Turtle asked, spotting the warning. "If you fail, you have to pay it all back!"
"I totally missed that. But still—this is money in the bank," Yuji exclaimed, ecstatic. "As long as we succeed, all our expenses are reimbursed! Blood Dove and those guys have to buy their own fighters, but we get a loan with full coverage! We're playing with house money!"
"The brass is certainly upping the ante with these new terms," WrongHammer observed, surprised.
"We have to seize the day! Head straight for the landing deck, and we jump the minute the Imperial Glory is close enough!"
"..."
The Emperor's Hammer Chapter members scrambled to the deck, strapping into Kestus Assault Boats—also known as 'Fist' boats, the standard boarding vehicle for Astartes. They were incredibly fast and durable, due to heavy armor and powerful reactors. While lacking heavy ordnance, they were equipped with a massive forward-mounted Melta Gun designed to punch through a ship's hull.
"Hmm, not quite milking it enough," Daniel mused, having overheard the players' excitement via Arale.
"Sha." Daniel pointed to the Exemplary Holy Fist on the star map. "Get us dangerously close to that battlecruiser and find a way to disable its shields, even if only briefly. Give the Saints their window."
"Understood," Sha nodded.
As the Imperial Glory and the Exemplary Holy Fist scraped past each other, a devastating broadside salvo blew out the rebel ship's shields.
Immediately, the waiting Assault Boats roared from the launch bay, speeding toward the shield gap. The enemy's point-defense turrets and escort fighters immediately scrambled to intercept, with Blood Dove and his wingmen covering the boarding craft.
One Assault Boat took a direct hit. A panicked shout of "Oh, crap!" echoed on the comm line, followed by instant silence. The boat carrying Turtle and WrongHammer was turned into a fiery spectacle—wiped out before they even reached the action. Two more Assault Boats were destroyed moments later.
The surviving Assault Boats reached the target, clinging to the hull like iron filings to a magnet. The Melta Guns on their bows unleashed dazzling, focused beams of light, burning holes through the thick hull just large enough for the Astartes to squeeze through.
"Finally, we're on! Time to pay them back for my buddies!" Warmaster shouted, activating his weapon in a rush of excitement.
"Kill! Maim! Burn! Tear! Rip!"
"Let's paint the walls red!"
"Feel the wrath of the God-Emperor, you worthless fools! Your time is up!"
The successful boarding players cheered as they breached the vessel. They poured into the ship, falling upon the astonished rebels like a pack of starved wolves.