Warhammer 40K in a box

Chapter 242: Cairn-class Tomb Ship
Although the pace of the expeditionary force's attack did slow down a lot due to many factors such as troop losses, the Mechanicus' battlefield archaeological work, and the stubborn resistance of the Necrons.

But with the unyielding will and firm belief of the soldiers of the Human Empire, the iron torrent of the expeditionary force finally broke through numerous obstacles and headed straight for the last stronghold of the Necrons on the planet Donetsk III - a tomb complex of astonishing scale.

This is a shocking super-large building complex, with the main structure having a diameter of at least tens of kilometers. Even though most of the main structure is buried deep underground, the towering black stone towers and magnificent tomb buildings cast huge shadows on the surface of the planet.

It is more like a complete city than a simple tomb.

In other words, it is an eternal city built for the dead.

An intricate network of passages extends underground like a spider web. The surface of the huge pyramid-shaped building is engraved with ancient necromancy characters, flashing with strange green light.

However, this architectural style is indeed in line with the cultural characteristics of the Necrons.

After all, their predecessor, the Necrontyr civilization, was a peculiar race that built their cities like tombs because of their short lifespan.

This pitiful race suffered from toxic radiation due to the abnormal activity of their home star. They had to build their entire city like a huge catacomb to block the deadly radiation from the star.

Over time, this survival need gradually evolved into a unique cultural tradition, and death and eternal sleep became the core themes of their art, architecture and even philosophy.

However, it is meaningless to verify this ancient history now.

The once glorious Necrontyr civilization had been literally "eaten up" by the Star Gods they foolishly worshipped during the War in Heaven over 60 million years ago. Their flesh and blood were devoured, their souls torn apart, leaving only cold metal shells.

The Necrons now active in the Milky Way are nothing but the pathetic remnants of that ancient civilization, vengeful spirits imprisoned in metal bodies, and cursed ones who can never truly rest in peace.

Moreover, compared with the tomb culture of the Necrons, Chen Xi always felt that the tomb in front of him was a little strange.

"Is the fleet in orbit in place?" Chen Xi asked the staff officer beside him. This was the expeditionary force's last battle on this planet, and Chen Xi hoped for a beautiful ending.

"The Navy Lord General replied that the fleet is in place." The staff officer responsible for coordinating with the navy quickly replied.

"Have the naval fleet keep a close watch. They don't need to participate in the orbital bombardment. Keep a close eye on Mandeville Point and the surrounding areas of the galaxy to prevent sudden Necron reinforcements from appearing." Chen Xi gave the order.

The two previous sneak attacks by the Necron fleet on the Rostov II made Chen Xi very sensitive to this group of elusive Necron warships.

Although the Necron Dynasty has shown no signs of full awakening so far, Chen Xi still has to be careful about whether conquering one of their core worlds will wake up the entire dynasty.

The fleet is to prevent the other side from sending warships for reinforcement.

As for the battle on the surface of the planet, Chen Xi is not afraid if the only thing is to deliver reinforcements through the portal.

The expeditionary force had assembled millions of troops, with the Astra Militarum alone numbering in the hundreds of thousands. The Necrons wouldn't necessarily be able to defeat them all in a short period of time. "Prepare the Titan Legion, the Super-Heavy Tank Group, and the Imperial Knights for an attack. These three forces will lead the charge, with the Astra Militarum armored units following closely behind!" Chen Xi issued his battle orders: "All forces, attack!"

As Chen Xi's order was issued, the expeditionary force's war machine started up.

The battle roar of the Titan Legion resounded through the sky, and the huge war engines took heavy steps, and the earth trembled under their feet.

The three Warlord-class Titans opened fire first. The scorching beams of the volcanic cannons tore through the air and bombarded the outer shield of the Necromancer's tomb, causing a dazzling energy ripple.

The armored clusters of the Knights followed closely behind, their ion shields flickering under the bombardment of the Necromancer's Gauss weapons, and the Knights responded with thunderous artillery fire, blasting the Necromancer warriors who emerged from the tombs into pieces.

The armored forces of the Astra Militarum advanced like a torrent of steel, the main guns of the Baneblade super-heavy tanks and Leman Russ tanks fired at the same time, and the shells rained down on the entrance of the Necromancer's Tomb.

The infantry relied on armored cover and used laser guns and plasma weapons to suppress the undead warriors emerging from the depths of the tomb.

However, the Necrons' counterattack was equally fierce - the tomb's defensive turrets were activated, and green Gauss rays swept across the battlefield. Several tanks were decomposed into molecular dust in an instant, and some unfortunate soldiers turned into scattered ashes before they could even scream.

Just as the expeditionary force's offensive was gradually deepening, the entire tomb suddenly shook violently.

"What's going on?!" Chen Xi asked sternly, as a noisy alarm sounded from the battlefield communication channel.

"Your Excellency, the Inquisitor, the tomb is moving!" a Tech-Priest reported in horror. "Its base is breaking away from the surface!"

Chen Xi's eyes were fixed on the center of the battlefield - the huge undead building complex was slowly rising, the ground was cracking, and countless rubble and dust were sliding down from its bottom like a waterfall.

The outer shell of the tomb began to deform, and the previously silent giant structure was unfolding, revealing the propulsion array and weapon platform hidden within.

"Damn it!" Chen Xi gritted his teeth, "This isn't an ordinary tomb, it's a Cairn-class tomb ship!"

The Necrons' final tomb on the Donetsk III was not a tomb complex or a tomb city, but a battleship-level cairn-class tomb ship buried deep underground!

Due to the long years or the Necrons' own concealment, only part of the battleship is exposed on the surface, making it look like a tomb city.

But in reality, this is a Necron battleship buried deep underground, with a long axis alone exceeding forty kilometers, even larger than the Imperial Navy's battleships currently in orbit!
Looking at the huge crescent-shaped battleship rising from the ground in front of him, and the troops that fell to the ground because of the tomb ship's launch, Chen Xi felt like his teeth were about to break. He really didn't expect that the Necrons had this trick up their sleeve!
"Deploy the fleet into battle and stop it!" His voice echoed across the communication channel. "We can't let this Tomb Ship escape, otherwise our previous sacrifices will be meaningless!"

Following his orders, the fleet in orbit quickly joined the battle, and attacks from macro cannons and light spears began to fall from the sky, hitting the huge Undead warship.

(End of this chapter)