Warmaster, leading the bridge assault, had been deliberately slow-walking the final capture. He was playing it smart, worried that a sudden, premature victory would prompt the rebels to detonate the seized main reactor and the ammunition depot.
The moment he got the word—all clear—from Yuji and Sam that the key systems were secured, he gave the order to go for the throat. Several Astartes squads surged forward, unleashing a hailstorm of fire and furiously hacking with their chainswords. Warmaster led the charge, a towering figure at the very front.
—CRASH!
The final interior defense line was blown wide open. Several rebel soldiers in heavy blast armor were tossed aside like rag dolls in the explosion.
—BOOM!
The heavy blast door leading directly to the Bridge was peeled open by another Melta Bomb. The last remaining defenders on the Bridge immediately sprang up from behind consoles and makeshift barricades, opening fire on the charging players.
"Shoot! Shoot! Take them out!" the Captain screamed, frantically ordering his guards to keep fighting and hold the line.
But faced with Warmaster and his troops, their so-called resistance was nothing more than a last gasp. After another brutal, bloody slaughter, every soldier who dared raise a weapon was cut down.
The Bridge was a scene of carnage: blood and broken flesh coated the decking, and shattered control consoles sparked wildly. The Captain of the Exemplary Holy Fist was knocked out of the fight with a Bolter round to the head from Warmaster.
"That's enough! We surrender!" an officer shouted, his voice trembling. The surviving crew, paralyzed by the players' relentless killing spree, stood motionless.
"You oathbreakers..." A blond man snarled, condemning the surrendering officer.
Warmaster immediately surged forward and snatched the blond man out of the group.
"I will never submit to the servants of the Corpse King!" the man shouted defiantly, despite visibly shaking with fear.
"I don't need you to surrender," Warmaster said, cold as ice. "I just need you to go to hell." He drove his sword straight into the enemy's chest. Bright red blood spurted out, staining the Bridge floor and nearby machinery crimson.
"Anyone else want to resist?" Warmaster drew his sword, tossed the corpse aside, and surveyed the terrified survivors.
Silence. Not a single person dared to move or speak.
"Good. Since nobody wants to play hero, you are now under my command," Warmaster announced. "You're going to turn those guns around and fire everything you have at those other traitors."
"If you deliver the goods—meaning enough kills—I might put in a good word with the Guide to spare your necks."
Warmaster's offer provided a thin ray of hope for the captives. They immediately began clearing the corpses and rushing back to their stations.
The heavy guns of the Exemplary Holy Fist swiftly turned, and under Warmaster's direct command, the battleship began savagely attacking its former allies. This betrayal caught the rebel ships flat-footed, and they were quickly dismantled one after another.
The capture of a major warship by boarding was a catastrophic body blow to the rebel fleet's morale. And when the Imperial Glory finished off yet another rebel flagship, the opposition's resolve completely fell apart. After losing several more vessels in quick succession, the remaining rebel ships cut their losses and beat a hasty retreat.
"Are we losing?" Scar watched in disbelief as the Imperial fleet gained a massive advantage, hunting down their warships and armed traders.
"Boss, we need to get out of Dodge!" his crewmen shouted.
"Yes, yes, we have to run!" Scar nodded, snapping out of his daze.
This battle was a lost cause. This Imperial Navy fleet was too powerful. Especially the lead battleship—it wasn't just heavily armed, it was fast on its feet, cutting through their ships like a lion among sheep. So terrifying, so terrifying!
"I can't stick around here. I need to run."
"We've already made a pile of cash this trip, anyway."
"Tell the boys to retreat. We're done for the day," Scar screamed.
The very next second, the auspex display flashed red. Threat warnings blared across all screens and holographic panels.
"The Exemplary Holy Fist is coming up behind us!" a pirate gasped, face pale. "Is it coming for us?"
"Hail them! Hail them! Tell them we surrender! We surrender!" Scar yelled.
On the Bridge of the Exemplary Holy Fist, Warmaster stood on the command platform, mimicking the Guide and surveying the Bridge with a sense of pure swagger.
"This is so sick!" Rigby murmured, trying to act calm while buzzing with excitement.
"Sir, the pirate ship ahead is hailing us. They say they want to surrender," a communications officer reported to Warmaster.
"Surrender?" Warmaster curled his lip into a cruel smile. "We're not running a motel here."
"Besides, a turncoat pirate like you is trying to play both sides of the fence. We're not interested."
"Pass the order: Charge the Lances. Let them feel the Emperor's wrath."
"Understood." The communications officer nodded and stepped back.
Inside the pirate ship, "Boss, we're locked!" The pirate at the auspex looked terrified.
"Did you call them?" Scar was in full-blown panic mode.
"Called, but no answer," the comms man shouted.
"Keep calling! Keep calling! Tell them we'll do anything if they accept our surrender!"
The next second, the Lance of Light fired, instantly skewering Scar's ship. The pirate vessel exploded, blossoming into a blinding fireball in the void.
+1 kill for the Emperor's Hammer.
On the war score rankings, the Emperor's Hammer Chapter's score surged again. They now held a massive lead, doubling the score of the 'Eagle Nine Sky Group' (Blood Dove, Milk Dragon, and the other players).
Within the regional channel:
Blood Dove: "Are you kidding me?! We were fighting tooth and nail out here, and you guys just show up and clean house? There goes my MVP!"
Rigby: "(╬◣д◢) This is unbelievable! These damn rebels didn't even have a ground fortress. How are we supposed to catch up on war score?"
Warmaster: "It's just an MVP. No big deal. If you want it, put in the work and take it."
Milk Dragon: "Master Versailles!"
Rigby: "I'm buying a battleship when I get back. I can't take this disrespect anymore. I'll take out a loan, I'll sell everything I own—I want an Emperor-class battleship."
Warmaster: "Well, I just happened to capture one. I'd rather flip it to you cheap than exchange it for points."
Blood Dove: "Is that for real?"
Warmaster: "Since you asked that, it has to be a lie. A battleship? Are you serious? I'm counting on this thing to keep racking up war points!"
Blood Dove: "Mmm..."
On the bridge of the Imperial Glory, Inquisitor Kaidin stared at the fleeing rebel warships, his jaw practically on the floor.
"Is... is the void war over?"
They had just been bracing for a desperate fight. How did the whole thing feel so easy, like cutting down weeds? The rebels were completely defeated.
If Daniel knew Kaidin's thoughts, he'd likely mentally call the Imperial High Command in the Calixis Sector "pigs" again. Their side was riddled with traitors, had zero clear command authority, and was full of officials lining their own pockets by reselling navy supplies. Under those conditions, victory was impossible. In this battle, the Loyalist fleet followed only Daniel's will, which allowed them to easily crush the motley crew of rebels.
"Praise be to the God-Emperor," Cardinal Ignatus prayed. "This is all due to the Saint's guidance."
"Saint, maybe we can send those armed barges out now to mop up the fleeing rebels," Kaidin suggested, walking over to Daniel.
Before Daniel could respond, Cardinal Ignatus interjected. "The Saint is in command of the battle. We should not rock the boat."
"This is a no-brainer! If we can get the armed cargo ships to attack now, we can inflict heavy damage on more enemies!" Kaidin said, excitedly looking at Daniel with anticipation.
"Those are cargo barges. They're carrying vital war supplies and our troops. If they are destroyed, we lose everything needed to retake and rebuild the Hive World of Sintila," Daniel countered, shaking his head. He rejected Kaidin's proposal and demanded that neither the Inquisitor nor any other General interfere in the void war again.
Following the resounding victory in the void, the Imperial fleet easily recaptured the space stations and defense platforms orbiting Sintila.
Next came the ground war. Daniel ordered the fleet to commence orbital bombardment to soften up the ground-based rebels. Intensive artillery fire rained down repeatedly on the designated drop zones. Fleet sensors worked non-stop, pinpointing rebel strongpoints and assembly areas. Immediately afterward, flight squadrons were dispatched one after another, bombing ground targets and securing total air supremacy.
When Thornas Colin first heard the Loyalists were counter-attacking, he thought they were asking for trouble. Even if their fleet stationed at Sintila wasn't A-list, it was still a formidable force of nearly 300 mixed warships and armed vessels, comprising hired pirates and naval forces who had defected to the Colin family.
But who could have predicted such a disastrous defeat in the void? Their fleet was scattered and routed. Their escape routes were completely blocked—they were trapped on the ground.
"We have to hang tough and wait for backup," Sonas reassured the rebel leaders. "As soon as the Colin family launches their own counter-attack, everything will be back to normal."
On the bridge of the Imperial Glory, Daniel slid his hand across the projected map, which displayed the entire situation on Sintila. The once-glorious Hive City was now a wasteland of ruins. After several rounds of orbital bombardment, the firepower of the ground rebels was significantly depleted, and they were out of the running for air supremacy.
"Arale, send the landing mission to all participating Saints. Also, have Faraday lead the troops to attack."
The cheerful voice of the AI came through. "Will do, Master!"
...
A crisp prompt sounded, and the ground assault mission popped up on all players' data pads. Rigby and the others were so excited they were practically in tears.
"Finally! It's our turn. That was a rough wait."
"I'm ticked off! When will the persecution of Titan players ever end?!"
"Let's get this show on the road!"