Warhammer 40K in a box

Chapter 240: Tianshi withdraws from the battle

When Chen Xi found Anatoly, the company commander was kneeling on one knee, whispering a eulogy in front of five mutilated corpses.

Although seven people died, two of them were no longer alive.

This is a huge loss for the chapter. The death of a battle brother is already a loss, and now even the gene seed cannot be recovered. This is an unacceptable blow to any chapter.

This means that the inheritance of a brother has been cut off, which is an irreparable and huge loss to the chapter.

The power armor's servo system emitted a slight hum, and Captain Anatoly's heavy breathing was clearly audible through the breathing grille of his helmet.

"...May your souls return to the Emperor's arms and find eternal rest beneath the Golden Throne." Anatoly's voice was steady and low, as if he was just praying normally.

He slowly stood up and turned to face Chen Xi, the eyepiece on his visor emitting a calm blue light.

Despite the loss of seven precious battle-brothers, Anatoly showed remarkable restraint.

As a veteran who had experienced countless fierce battles, he had long learned to bury his sorrow deep under the iron will brought about by gene seed transformation.

Only the most astute observers could notice the subtle metallic friction in his joints as he clenched his power fists, and the way his back stood straighter than usual - these subtle changes revealed his true emotions.

"Captain Anatoly," Chen Xi said softly, "I'm sorry for your loss."

Anatoly nodded slightly, his voice coming through his helmet: "Death is the fate of warriors. They died in the Emperor's Crusade. This is a glorious end."

His tone was calm, almost indifferent, but Chen Xi knew that beneath this body of steel, beating was still a human heart that would ache for the sacrifice of its comrades.

The Space Marines around stood in silence, their expressions also hidden behind their cold visors.

Anatoly turned to face his soldiers, his voice suddenly rising: "Remember their names! Remember their sacrifice! Now, return to your posts!"

Following the captain's order, the Space Marines saluted in unison and quickly dispersed.

Anatoly then turned to Chen Xi and took off his helmet, revealing his scarred but unusually calm face.

There was indeed sadness in his eyes, but this emotion was firmly locked behind the warrior's fortitude, and not a trace of it was revealed.

"Inquisitor Chen Xi." Anatoly offered Chen Xi the Sky Eagle salute. His voice carried a metallic quality through the power armor's speakers. "The Celestial Lions will likely need to withdraw from the battle formation for a while. We've lost nearly half our personnel and need to recuperate. I must also request reinforcements from the Chapter's homeworld."

Anatoly's expression remained calm as he said this.

But Chen Xi knew that for any Space Marine captain, voluntarily requesting to withdraw from the battle sequence was an unbearable decision.

Many chapters would rather fight to the last soldier than retreat on the battlefield - that would be regarded as a betrayal of the Emperor and a shame that can never be washed away.

However, Anatoly chose to temporarily withdraw the warriors from the battle to rest and at the same time request support from the Chapter Headquarters. They were not deserting the battlefield, but they had indeed suffered heavy losses. The temporary rest and replenishment of troops was to enable them to continue to serve the Emperor in the future.

Chen Xi gazed at the battered captain before him and nodded slowly, "You may withdraw from the battle formation for rest and recuperation. In fact, even if you choose to leave the expeditionary force, there is nothing wrong with that. The Tianshi Regiment has already made contributions to this expedition far beyond expectations."

His eyes swept over the Space Marines who were preparing their equipment in the distance.

"I will arrange for other regiments to take over your mission," Chen Xi said solemnly to Anatoly, his attitude friendly but not condescending. "You can temporarily retreat to Rostov II for repairs. As the planetary governor, I officially authorize you to recruit new soldiers on this planet to replace the casualties."

This promise is not exclusive to the Celestial Lions.

In fact, all Space Marine Chapters withdrawn from the front lines due to combat damage received the same preferential treatment.

Although the population base of Rostov II is not large, it can still be used to replenish the losses of the regiment.

Although some chapters are not accustomed to recruiting on non-home planets or conscription worlds, this is not unacceptable for some ship-based chapters.

Especially for the regiment that suffered heavy losses and was in urgent need of new recruits, Chen Xi's promise was like timely help to them.

For Chen Xi, this was just the cost of some "renewable resources", but for these regiments, it was a big help in maintaining the survival of the regiments.

More importantly, Archmagos Cawl also brought his "Primaris Upgrade Package" - although he did not directly perform Primaris Space Marine transformation surgery on these chapters, he provided a large number of new models of weapons and equipment as supplements.

From new models of bolters to new dreadnoughts, from incendiary weapons to new anti-gravity vehicles, the assistance Cawl provided was comprehensive.

In the makeshift armory on Rostov II, Cawl's mechanical slaves were busy assembling new bolters, MKX power armor, and various tactical accessories.

These advanced equipment will be distributed first to the regiments that have suffered the most serious losses to help them recover their combat effectiveness as soon as possible.

Of course, Cawl's generosity wasn't pure charity—the alien technology he'd gained during the expedition had already benefited him immensely, and the combat test data from these regiments on the new equipment was invaluable research material.

"You can stay and recuperate on Rostov II," Chen Xi continued, "and you can not only replenish your troops but also receive equipment support from the Mechanicus. I hope that when you return to the front lines, you will be able to fight in full condition."

Anatoly remained silent, but it was obvious that he was deeply moved by Chen Xi's generosity and kindness.

"Of course, during this time you can also concentrate on thinking about my previous proposal. Take my advice, don't confront the Inquisition head-on. You are just a battle group and don't have the capital to confront the Inquisition head-on." Chen Xi persuaded Anatoly earnestly.

Although there are chapters like the Space Wolves that killed the Inquisition's Inquisitors and showed no respect for the Inquisition, the Space Wolves are a founding chapter and their Primarch is only missing, not dead.

Even if the Inquisition wants to deal with the Wolves, it has to consider whether it can afford the cost of an all-out war with a fledgling wargroup.

(End of this chapter)