Standard Terran Calendar 41
In the void, numerous ships gathered, their ornate and castellated forms moving slowly in the silent darkness, as if preparing for an epic assembly.
Cathedrals stood amidst the complex superstructures of the ships, appearing as if they had been directly excavated from the ground and carved into the warships, their magnificent spires tracing clear paths through the stars.
Soon after, the meticulously carved arrow-shaped prows began to turn, forming a majestic and imposing formation, all simultaneously facing the direction of darkness.
Torches burned, starkly out of place in the surrounding vacuum, as Plasma flames erupted from the thousands of meters of gunmetal-colored hull, leaving a faint orange wake in space.
Such signals were only used before the outbreak of conflict, spewing flames without regard for consumption, emitting scorching heat as a message to the enemy—
"We bring the light of destruction."
Leading the fleet was a colossal vessel with a dark green armed prow, seemingly carved from the shadows of the fleet's steel jungle, like a dagger thrust by a silent killer, slow yet inescapable and irresistible to the enemy.
However, the ship's decoration was somewhat disappointing.
The ship's only embellishment was its inherently militaristic quality; large sections of text were etched in human-height characters on its pear-shaped prow: the battles fought, the worlds reached, the enemies vanquished.
There were two specific decorations: a golden double-headed eagle on the uppermost bridge and a symbol made of massive nickel-iron, two crossed longswords.
More ships followed, gradually forming a spear-shaped battle array with her at the forefront.
To signify the unwavering resolve of the Space Marine, the builders proudly carved a colossal name onto the hull of this warship: storm.
The storm's bridge was a solemn place, like an ancient temple lost beneath the waves, with finely carved walls and pillars extending towards the vaulted ceiling, illuminated by the faint glow of the ancient ship's energy shields. The rocky walls and aged deck resonated with the sudden drops in pitch of the transitional chanting, while buzzing cherubs flew overhead, swinging automatic censers.
Red-robed Adeptus Mechanicus Priests chanted loudly, their experienced composure joining the high gothic monophonic hymns, their prayers greatly soothing the increasingly agitated machine spirits.
"...Astral Knights, as Astartes, we walk a path of hardship and dedication. As your Chapter Master, I have demanded much from you in the past, and often made these demands, in protecting the Emperor's domain...
But this statement has never been as true as it is now!
The world engine has carved a path of destruction through this Star Zone; it must be stopped! No weapon can harm it, no teleportation can penetrate it, but we can! We can tear out the heart of this beast and stop its atrocities!"
Chapter Master Amurad was giving his final pre-battle speech, with Chapter Priest Massayak standing beside him. Banners bearing the crossed-swords shield emblem gently swayed above everyone's heads, as artificial air currents flowed through the steel beam framework. Even the low hum from the surrounding servo-skulls was drowned out by the immense noise from outside.
Under the golden gaze of the Imperial Aquila, 772 warriors in silver armor stood in neat formation in the Hall of Glory, listening to the Chapter Master's proclamation, unmoving like marble statues.
Despite the deck beneath their feet, the surrounding walls, and even every weld joint and every screw, groaning in pain.
They stood on the Battle Barge, the storm, a warship laden with legends.
It began construction 4,000 years ago in the shipyards of Forge World Ryza. Only six ships of its class were ever built across the entire Imperium, and now only three remain sailing among the stars.
Although their blueprints and construction secrets are long lost to the dust of history, every Ryza-class vessel is renowned for its incredibly sturdy prow design. They were built to navigate through space mines and complex asteroid belts, allowing the Ryza-class to withstand impacts that other ships could not.
Some tech-Priests even believe that, in terms of sheer robustness, the Ryza-class is no less formidable than the Queen of Glory-class.
It was precisely this characteristic that led Chapter Master Amurad, in his argument with Ultramarines Seventh Company Captain Venetillus, to propose his plan—a truly insane plan.
The storm would directly ram the world engine, piercing its seemingly impenetrable denial field like a sharp nail tearing through tough hide.
Subsequently, all Astral Knights would board the world engine for a final, desperate struggle.
This was a near-suicidal plan, yet it wasn't merely a case of heroic idealism; this weapon had threatened everyone...
One standard Terra month ago, the world engine's appearance in the Veda sub-system was entirely unexpected by the Imperium.
It is still uncertain whether the world engine is a Tomb World propelled by alien technology or merely a planetary-scale warship constructed in the darkness between the stars.
After the world engine's Gauss projectile cannons scorched two agricultural worlds in the Veda sub-system, speculations about its origin were cast aside; its destruction became the sole consideration.
Under a rare display of Terran efficiency, a massive fleet and no fewer than fifteen Space Marine Chapters, including venerable Space Marine Chapters such as the Ultramarines, Astral Knights, Invaders, and Aurora Chapter, gathered in the Veda system.
They launched a concentrated assault on the world engine, which was conducting a bloody harvest between planets. Yet, even humanity's most powerful weapons could not breach the world engine's energy shields. Despite more than ten assault attempts and over twenty attempts to overwhelm the enemy with courage and firepower, they only suffered countless sunken and damaged warships and millions of casualties.
Worse still, boarding actions seemed impossible. Landing pods and assault craft could not penetrate the world engine's shields, and even teleportation beams had their frequencies disrupted upon projection onto its surface. After the Invaders Chapter lost two entire teams of Terminators due to this reason, any similar attempts were prohibited.
In such circumstances, Ultramarines Seventh Company Captain Venetillus ordered all forces to retreat, a decision that would expose the Hive City World of Wavencost to the scythe of the Space Undead—a planet inhabited by 2.1 billion lives.
Astral Knights Chapter Master Amurad engaged in a heated debate with him, ultimately deciding on this extreme plan, the cost of which would likely be an entire Chapter.
All Astral Knights knew what this plan meant, and no one expressed any dissent. This was their destiny. From the moment they underwent their transformation, from the moment they donned this power armor symbolizing supreme honor, sacrifice became the ultimate destiny for all Space Marine.
They are the extension of the Immortal Will, the Emperor's Angels of Death, the walking ultimate retribution, the last steadfast shield between humanity and the eternal dark galaxy.
The Emperor's will, like a torch, illuminates and banishes all evil.
"...The Emperor's will, like a torch, illuminates and banishes all evil."
Sergeant Soshian Alexey, of the Fourth Combat Squad, Sixth Company of the Chapter, repeatedly murmured the prayer most deeply etched in his memory. Other battle brothers in the communication channel were doing similar things.
He was considered a New Recruits, having only left the scout company thirty years ago.
Thirty years, for a mortal, might be half a lifetime, but for a Space Marine, it is merely the blink of an hourglass.
Intense tremors penetrated the magnetic locks of his boots. The warship, which had been remarkably stable during navigation, now pitched like a small sampan struggling in a surging tide.
Soshian didn't need to see it to know that the storm had engaged the enemy in a fire fight.
He could discern the distinct impacts, such as the sound of a laser cannon striking the deck, which differed from a laser array, and the roar of a macro-cannon, like a volcanic eruption, each accompanied by painful vibrations.
Soon after, a sound like a grinding machine emerged.
This was the sound of massive firepower hitting unshielded armor. At this moment, the storm's posture was like a hunter closing in on its prey, delivering a brutal blow to the ribs.
If not for the storm's exceptionally robust prow structure, it might have already disintegrated under the enemy's concentrated fire, but this was merely a matter of time.
Through his helmet, Soshian could smell death emanating from everything around him, including the cold machinery, mixed with the chemical stench characteristic of burning conduits and melting metal.
Servants were screaming and scurrying beneath the deck. They might not possess such noble ideals, but as the saying goes—
Sacrifice is the bedrock of the Imperium.
Regardless of their will, this was destined to happen; the Emperor would use his currency at the right time and in the right place.
The world engine seemed like a good place for it.
However, before that, before everything was about to end, Soshian's long-dormant mortal thoughts stirred once more.
Like most dying individuals, there was always something, like a ghost, attempting to make these great warriors feel the true pain of death again.
That something was called memory...