Warhammer 40K in a box

Chapter 243 Interception Operation
As soon as the Cairn-class tomb ship left the ground, the monitoring array deployed by the Imperial Navy in orbit around the planet Donetsk III issued a shrill alarm.

Dozens of auspicious arrays locked onto this behemoth at the same time, and the red mark representing the enemy ship on the tactical display screen almost broke the entire holographic projection interface.

“By the Holy Emperor!” The tactical officer of the Mariupol Hammer, the flagship of the naval fleet, gasped. “The size of this alien warship… exceeds any model recorded in our database!”

Admiral Astarte von Kraus, Lord of the Fleet, stood on the bridge command platform, his scarred face looking particularly hideous under the flashing alarm lights.

His sharp eyes swept across the tactical hologram and he immediately realized the seriousness of the situation - the Necron warship that was taking off was at least thirty kilometers long, equivalent to the size of three Imperial battleships connected end to end.

"The entire fleet is immediately in combat!" General Klaus' voice boomed like thunder across the fleet's communication channel. "All battleships are immediately adjusting their orbits and concentrating their firepower on that alien warship! Prioritize attacking its propulsion system!"

In fact, before receiving the official order from the planetary governor Chen Xi, this battle-hardened naval commander had already issued the attack order.

He knew only too well the consequences of such a super battleship breaking through orbital defenses—the entire galaxy's Imperial fleet could be destroyed by a single ship.

"General, according to the energy readings, the strength of this alien warship's void shield is far beyond imagination!" The adjutant read the readings on the sensor array nearby, and the man was trembling with fear: "Our macro artillery array may be..."

"Shut up!" General Klaus interrupted harshly. "The Emperor's warriors never fear a strong enemy! Order the cruiser formation to advance and form a crossfire network! The destroyer and frigate formations should maintain maneuverability, aim at its engine nozzles, and wait for the opportunity to launch torpedoes!"

As a series of orders were issued, the Imperial fleet in orbit began to reorganize its formation like a swarm of awakened bees.

The plasma engines of dozens of warships spewed out dazzling blue flames, and the macro-cannon array slowly rotated, aiming at the huge monster that was breaking through the atmosphere.

Although every naval officer knew that even if the entire Imperial fleet in orbit around Donetsk III was assembled, it would probably be difficult to sink this Necron super battleship.

In space warfare, mass itself is the most terrifying weapon.

A giant ship tens of kilometers long, its structural strength alone is enough to withstand continuous bombardment from conventional firepower, not to mention that it is also equipped with the technological wizardry of the Necrons that makes people call it magic.

"The first round of salvo is ready!" the weapons officer reported loudly.

"Open fire!" With General Klaus's order, dozens of dazzling energy beams streaked through the dark space.

The shells fired from the macro cannons drew deadly trajectories in the vacuum, the torpedo arrays spewed out swarms of seeds of destruction, and the spears of light slashed down like swords...

All this firepower, enough to destroy a city, was poured onto the climbing tomb ship.

The flames of the explosion bloomed on the surface of the alien warship, but were quickly absorbed by some kind of green energy field.

There wasn't even a noticeable scar on the eerily living metal hull of the Necron vessel.

"Second round of reloading! No ceasefire!" General Klaus roared, and at the same time received a communication request from the surface of the planet - it was an official order from Governor Chen Xi, requiring the fleet to prevent the tomb ship from taking off at all costs.

The general pulled up a ferocious smile: "Tell the Governor that the Imperial Navy never fails in its mission! Attention, entire fleet, all warships move forward to combat distance! For the Emperor!" As this destined to be brutal space battle began, every Imperial warship rushed towards the invincible alien monster like a moth to a flame.

They knew that the hope of victory was slim, but the creed of the Imperial Navy was to fight the enemy to the death!
On the ground, Chen Xi looked up at the huge monster that was gradually rising into the sky. Although the Imperial Navy's artillery had woven a dense fire network around it, the alien warship still broke through the atmosphere with an unstoppable momentum.

He narrowed his eyes, his fingers unconsciously clenching, his knuckles turning white from the effort. The navy had tried its best, but it was clear that the fleet alone could not stop it.

"Advisor!" Chen Xi turned his head sharply, his voice low and cold, "Take over the Mechanicus, all three!"

The staff officer did not dare to delay and immediately activated the communication array. A holographic projection flashed in front of Chen Xi, and the images of the three mechanical priests emerged one by one - the Great Sage of Mars, Caul, the representative of the Griya Forge World, Christen, and Tonya of the Mariupol Forge World.

Chen Xi didn't waste time on small talk and got straight to the point: "The Imperial Navy may not be able to stop that alien warship. I need the Mechanicus to shoot it down!"

He glanced sharply at the three of them, a cold smile playing on his lips as he made an offer the Mechanicus couldn't refuse: "Whoever can sink it will have priority in excavating it, but if it's ultimately sunk by the navy... the Inquisition will take over."

This sentence was like a precisely dropped bomb, instantly triggering reactions from all three parties.

Cawl's mechanical prosthetic eyes flashed crimson, and he said without hesitation, "My Forge Ark will join the battle immediately."

His voice had the characteristic hum of machinery, but the fervor in it was unmistakable – nothing drove the Mechanicus madder than a fully-fledged Necron warship.

Christen nodded slightly, his expression solemn in the holographic projection: "The Glia Fleet will fight for the Empire."

Although the Forge World of Gria did not send a Forge Ark, their warships carrying the Titan Legion are still a force that cannot be underestimated.

Tonya's projection flickered slightly. She was silent for a moment, but quickly made a decision: "Mariupol Forge World will also be involved in the battle."

Her voice was calm, but Chen Xi could hear the suppressed excitement in it.

In fact, Tonya had no room to refuse at all - not participating in the war would not only offend Chen Xi and the imperial high-level officials, but would also miss the excellent opportunity to obtain undead technology.

After all, the necromancy technology artifact she got from Chen Xi last time had already driven the entire Mariupol Forge World into madness.

Those technical priests studied those alien devices day and night, even at the cost of internal fighting.

And now, a complete tomb ship? This is simply a holy relic bestowed by the Omnissiah!

The reason they didn't express anything special was simply because they were waiting for a good price, and it was due to the unnecessary reserve and arrogance of certain factions of the Mechanicus.

(End of this chapter)