Warhammer 40K in a box

Chapter 742 The Battle of Baal - Part 9

The battle was not entirely one-sided. Amid the relentless onslaught of the Zerg swarms, the coalition forces still managed to find and seize limited opportunities, inflicting heavy losses on the enemy.

At a breach in the eastern wall of Angel Keep, a swarm of Zerg Titans, resembling a moving mountain, was wreaking havoc and inflicting heavy casualties on the defending lines with its massive bio-cannons and crushing appendages. Fortresses crumbled and soldiers were reduced to mincemeat; conventional weapons were virtually ineffective against its thick bio-armor. Its presence posed a serious threat to the stability of the eastern defenses.

Faced with this immense threat, a meticulously planned joint counterattack was swiftly launched. Under Dante's personal command, the Blood Angels' Terminator squad surged out from their flank bunkers, using Storm Shields to fend off the attacks of the swarm of guardian insects surrounding the Titan, and concentrating their firepower on its relatively vulnerable leg joints with Melt Guns and Plasma Cannons in an attempt to limit its movement.

Meanwhile, the Dark Angels' Deathwing forces, led by Grandmaster Belial, launched a desperate assault from the other side. Their objective was clear—to draw the Titans' main firepower and create an opportunity for the final blow. The Deathwing Knights' heavy Terminator armor gleamed violently under the Titans' bio-barrage, but they pressed forward relentlessly, clearing their path with assault cannons and power weapons.

Just as the Titan's attention was firmly drawn to the attacks from both sides, the orbital strikes arrived. Despite the Imperial fleet being severely suppressed, the Unyielding Truth managed to seize a brief window of fire. A precisely calculated barrage of light spears, like divine retribution, descended from the sky, striking precisely the relatively weak back armor of the Executioner Titan, where its primary energy core was located.

A violent explosion erupted from within the Titan, a blinding green light instantly engulfing its massive body. The shockwave ripped away surrounding Zerg units, and the enormous debris collapsed like a landslide, crashing heavily to the ground and triggering a small earthquake.

At that moment, the fighting on the entire eastern front seemed to pause for a split second. Then, a deafening cheer erupted from the defending positions. The fall of this seemingly invincible behemoth greatly boosted the morale of the soldiers who had fought so hard. They saw that these seemingly invincible monsters were not unbeatable.
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Meanwhile, inside Angel Keep, in a complex area known as the "Echo Corridor," Chen Xi discovered a sizable Zerg swarm using the tactical map. They had breached the outer defenses along a relatively narrow waste transport pipeline and were attempting to infiltrate the energy distribution center. This enemy force was swift and had bypassed the main defensive lines, posing a significant threat.

Chen Xi did not immediately deploy his precious reserve forces for a frontal interception. He carefully studied the terrain and structure of the "Echo Corridor"—a complex area composed of multiple staggered passages and abandoned large storage rooms, resembling a maze.

He quickly issued a series of instructions:

"Order the Blood Angels tactical squad stationed in area B-7 to retreat to the 'Anvil' hall, feign cowardice, and lure the Zerg swarm in."

"Notify Ravenwing Squadron to dispatch two Storm Ravens to drop sonic bombs on the ventilation shaft above the Echo Corridor to create chaos and drive the swarm toward the designated area."

"Technical Priest, immediately activate all isolation gates in Zones C through E of the 'Echo Corridor' and close all side paths except those leading to the 'Silent Courtyard'."

The order was executed efficiently. The swarm of insectoid troops was indeed drawn by the bait, chasing the retreating Blood Angel squad into the "Silent Courtyard" that Chen Xi had set up. This was a relatively enclosed circular plaza, originally used for troop assembly, but now it had become an excellent slaughterhouse.

As the main force of the insect swarm poured into the courtyard, attempting to besiege the "rout" Holy Blood Angel squad, Chen Xi issued his final orders.

"Detonate."

The molten metal bombs, pre-planted on the courtyard's load-bearing pillars and key structures of the dome, were detonated simultaneously. The violent explosions not only inflicted heavy casualties on the Zerg forces within the courtyard but also triggered a small-scale collapse. Huge rocks and metal structures rained down from the sky, completely sealing off the courtyard's main exits and trapping the remaining Zerg units in this perilous situation.

Subsequently, the guards who had been lying in ambush in the surrounding high-rise passages unleashed heavy bombs, flamethrowers, and grenades at the trapped swarm of insects below, completely annihilating them.

Chen Xi's tactical maneuver, without utilizing strategic reserves, achieved a clean and efficient annihilation of a prominent enemy force at minimal cost through clever luring, terrain manipulation, and pre-placed explosives, eliminating a potentially significant threat. This once again proves that even under absolute disadvantage, precise tactics and battlefield insight can still effectively strike the enemy.

The victories of localized counterattacks and the success of ingenious tactics, like sparks in endless darkness, while unable to change the overall strategic disadvantage, proved that the Zerg swarm was not invincible, and that the will and wisdom of the defenders were still at play. This faint hope sustained every loyal warrior, enabling them to continue fighting in this desperate siege.
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On the bridge of the "Unyielding Truth," the voice of Lion King Leon Al Johnson broke the heavy silence of the strategic meeting. His gaze swept across the swarm of Zerg ships that almost completely enveloped Baal on the holographic star map, finally settling on the two points of light representing Angel Keep and "The Rock" Fortress.

“Defense will eventually be exhausted.” The Lion King’s voice was deep, yet it carried a sharp edge that cut through hesitation. “We need a decisive blow, not to passively wait to be devoured.”

He pulled up the tactical star map and drew a line between Angel Keep and the Zerg main force in orbit with his finger. "Angel Keep is our 'anvil'." He tapped the fortress's symbol heavily with his finger. "It must be strong enough to withstand the most violent hammer blows from the Zerg main force, firmly attracting and fixing their attention and their forces to the planet's surface."

His finger then moved to the symbols on the track that represented the "Stone" fortress and the remaining Dark Angel fleet.

“And ‘The Rock’ and our fleet will be ‘The Hammer’.” His voice carried an unwavering determination. “When the main Zerg force is firmly held back by Angel Keep, when their formation is at its densest due to their focus on ground slaughter, ‘The Hammer’ will crash down from orbit. We will abandon mobile defenses, concentrate all our forces, and launch a desperate orbital assault, striking directly at the Zerg’s command node and the area with the highest concentration of bio-ships in Baal orbit.”

He paused for a moment, allowing the enormous risks of the plan to settle in the minds of the attendees.

"This requires Dante and his warriors to endure unimaginable sacrifices and pressure on the 'Anvil,' firmly pinning the Zerg's main force to the ground. This requires our fleet to disregard casualties during the assault, penetrating layers of interception. This requires the most precise timing—too early, and the Zerg's main force won't be deeply entrenched; too late, and the 'Anvil' may have already been shattered. If any link goes wrong, we will not only lose Angel Castle, but also the 'Stone' and our fleet, utterly losing this war."
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In the holographic projection, Dante's golden mask revealed no expression, but his hand resting on the armrest of his throne tightened slightly. He fully understood what the plan meant. Angelburg and his offspring would become bait and sacrifices, drawing the full fury of the swarm and creating that fleeting window for the fatal strike in orbit.

“Angel Castle can be the 'anvil',” Dante’s voice came through the mask, carrying an almost cold calm. “The Blood Angels know how to hold firm, and they know how to sacrifice. As long as the plan has a chance of success, we are willing to take on this role.” He didn’t ask about the plan’s success rate, because that was meaningless. This was the only gamble that could possibly turn the tide of the battle in this desperate situation.

Leona stood beside the Lion King, silently gazing at the star map. Her perception allowed her to more intuitively understand the perilous nature of the plan, but she also saw within it the only glimmer of hope. She nodded slightly in agreement.

Chen Xi quickly gathered data and conducted simulations. "Based on the Zerg's current behavior patterns and troop distribution, if Angel Castle can attract and contain more than 70% of its ground units and corresponding orbital attention, the probability of a successful attack... exists. However, the window of opportunity is extremely narrow, perhaps less than 30 minutes. We need a clear signal to launch the attack."

"The signal is the moment when the outer defenses of Angel Keep completely collapse, and the main force of the Zerg swarm pours into the fortress for the final urban warfare," Lion King said in a deep voice. "At that time, the Zerg's deployment on the ground will reach its peak, and the attention of its orbital creatures will be drawn to the hunt on the ground, causing their formation to become relatively concentrated. That will be our only chance."
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The plan was finalized and began to be implemented with the highest priority.

At Angel Keep, Dante issued new orders. The defensive strategy was slightly adjusted, no longer aiming to completely prevent the Zerg swarm from breaking through, but shifting to a staggered resistance. The main Zerg force was systematically lured into the complex alleyways and pre-designated kill zones around the fortress, preparing for a brutal urban warfare where space was traded for time and lives for chance. All the defenders understood that their sacrifices would be given new strategic significance, but this did not lessen the ferocity of the battle in the slightest.

On orbit, the Unyielding Truth, the Rock Fortress, and all the remaining Dark Angel ships began to quietly assemble, concealed in the shadows of Baal's backlit side. The severely damaged ships were grouped together, while those still operational underwent final emergency repairs and resupply. High Master Azrael and High Master Samuel Ravenwing began to refine the assault route and tactics, meticulously rehearsing every detail to maximize destructive power within the limited window of opportunity.

Chen Xi was responsible for coordinating the synchronization between the "Anvil" and the "Hammer." He needed to accurately judge the critical point at which Angel Keep's defenses would collapse and transmit the signal to the orbital fleet in a timely manner. Any error could lead to catastrophic consequences—either the fleet would attack too early and fail to severely damage the Zerg's main force, or it would attack too late, by which time Angel Keep would have completely fallen, and the fleet would face the entire Zerg orbital force alone.

The entire coalition army, like a perfectly coordinated machine, began its final preparations for this desperate gamble. A tragic yet resolute atmosphere permeated the air. Everyone knew that this was either the beginning of a desperate counterattack, or the final chapter for both the coalition and Baal. Sacrifice was placed on the scales, solely for the sake of that slim glimmer of victory.
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Operation Anvil was launched. This was not a simple retreat or retreat, but a proactive and risky strategic deception. The Allied Command needed to convince the Hive Will that Angel Keep's defenses were at their limit and victory was within reach, thereby inducing them to commit more of their main forces, especially the more threatening Titan-class units and heavy bio-ships that had not yet been deployed, to the final siege of Angel Keep.

After the order was given, the defensive situation around Angel Castle underwent a subtle but dangerous change.

In the northern region known as the "Iron Gate," the defenders' orderly retreat gradually degenerated into a feigned rout. The Blood Angels fought their way out, abandoning some unimportant equipment and wrecked vehicles, and their firepower density showed a noticeably abnormal decrease. They abandoned a section of the sturdy outer wall that they could have held, allowing the swarm of insects to flood into the ruined streets behind it.

This weakness was immediately exploited by the Zerg swarm. Like beasts drawn by the scent of blood, more Zerg units were mobilized, attempting to expand their gains from this "weak point." They swarmed in, unknowingly entering the "slaughterhouse" district pre-planned by the Allied forces, filled with traps and crossfire points. However, to maintain the decoy's realism, the defenders did not immediately activate all the traps, but continued their "retreat," convincing the Zerg swarm that they were making a substantial breakthrough.

On a section of the eastern wall, the defenders even "unexpectedly" thwarted a small-scale counterattack. A Blood Angels tactical squad, after repelling an attack, failed to completely seal a side gate during their hasty retreat, allowing a small group of elite Zerg units to break into the wall. Although this infiltrated squad was quickly annihilated by the Deathwing Terminators lying in ambush inside, this "mistake" undoubtedly sent a signal to the Hive Will—the defenders' lines of defense were beginning to show weaknesses and become chaotic.
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However, those who play with fire will be burned themselves. Deliberately revealing a weakness means placing oneself in extreme danger.

On the southern front, the pressure reached a critical point. To create the illusion that the entire defense line was crumbling, the defenders in this area—primarily composed of the Seven Legions of Blood Angels and a large number of Astral Army troops—endured an attack intensity far exceeding expectations. The Zerg swarm seemed to have identified this as the true breach, committing massive numbers of troops and several Destroyers.

The originally planned "orderly retreat" nearly turned into a full-blown collapse several times due to the frenzied onslaught of the Zerg swarm. Vast stretches of the Astragalus army's positions were submerged, and soldiers engaged in close-quarters hand-to-hand combat with the Xenomorphs, resulting in a rapid increase in casualties. The warriors of the Seventh Company of the Holy Blood Angels were forced to launch repeated localized counter-attacks, using chainsaw swords and power gauntlets to forcefully push back the breaching Zerg tide in order to stabilize the front line.

(End of this chapter)