Warhammer 40 Spring: Loyalty of the Multiverse

Chapter 60 Naval Warfare in Space
"How much longer until the reinforcements arrive?" In the command center aboard the flagship Nidhogg, Tiberius once again inquired about the follow-up time of the Imperial reinforcements.

"According to the last reply, there are three more Terra days at 16:32:42," the fleet member replied, while continuing to operate the system, urging the supporting fleet to respond as quickly as possible.

"Zero the timer!"

As soon as the words were spoken, a mechanical clock above a huge armored glass aquarium in the command room was once again set to 00:00:00.

Then, with a click, the second hand spun and vibrated. Suddenly, the water in the entire aquarium surged. In the shadows formed by the endless waves, a huge fish tail fin flashed by, causing the entire bridge to tremble.

Upon seeing this scene, the think tank director, known as "Maori Language" (Pale Wanderer), who had been observing closely from the sidelines, suddenly widened his eyes.

Tiberius also noticed the think tank director's unusual behavior. "How is it?"

"The energy of the warp is elusive, yet the Emperor's great light shines here for some reason! But behind the sunlight, endless evil is frantically growing. The vast light is shrinking little by little! Green raindrops fall from the writhing black sky. Slender dancers tease clumsy iron puppets."

"Coordinates! *****, requesting orbital support! Request approved!" A roar suddenly rang out from the ship's contemplative array. Following the crew's movement, the ship shuddered violently.

"Haven't the Ministry of Justice and the Cult of Mechanics been secretly watching us all along?" Tiberius suddenly said something unrelated to the operation.

Just as everyone was still wondering, he suddenly spoke up again, "Tell them to stop hiding and come out immediately. If they dare to refuse, then we'll take strong measures."

Although the Shark Chapter is loyal to the Empire, their extreme fighting style has led the Inquisition to classify them as a high-risk loyalist faction. Coupled with their conflict with the Mechanicus, they are frequently subjected to covert surveillance by agents from the Ministry of Justice and the Mechanicus.

As he spoke, he began equipping his power gauntlets, "Hunger" and "Thirst." These were Chaos Relics stolen from the Chaos Chapter "Ash Claws." After purification, they became his exclusive weapons!

Now, the war on the ground has reached a point where he has no choice but to take action.

Maori silently put down the "Abyssal Codex" in his hand and followed. But he had only taken two steps when Tiberos, who had stopped, waved him off. "Brother, you should stay here! The Emperor's orders need you to receive and issue them. This is an unparalleled honor; the Emperor's holy words must be recorded by loyal warriors!"

Maori opened his mouth, a hint of worry on his face, which was beginning to show signs of shark scales. This war was likely to escalate to an apocalyptic scale.

As the orbital bombardment ended, endless smoke and dust billowed up. A vast expanse of seabed was instantly evaporated from the Demon's Ocean.

Just as Tiberius stepped out of the command room, a piercing alarm instantly blared throughout every corner of the ship.

At the same time, piercing alarm bells rang throughout the entire fleet.

The fleet began moving according to the usual exercise plan. The Forge Ark began retreating to the fleet's protection center.

Subspace disturbance alarms blared simultaneously on the bridges of both flagships. "Coordinates *******, distance 2000 million kilometers!" the sensors on the flagship of the Shark Eater Squadron, the USS Nidhogg, began to shout at the top of their lungs. Meanwhile, the massive, chainsaw-like cutting blade on the flagship's battlecruiser bow gleamed sharply in space. Tiberius turned and returned to the command center the instant he heard the alarm.

Upon hearing the report, they immediately realized that the enemy had arrived!
"By the Emperor! It's the fleet of the Astral Knights!?"

On the bridge of the Storm, the flagship of the Astral Knights, the fallen former Chapter Master Delehan tapped the metal throne armrest with his finger adorned with a ring of a ram's horn and a demon's head. The ship's original metallic exterior had transformed into a chaotic construct of metal and flesh. The eagle statue that once adorned the prow had been replaced by a chaotic eight-pointed star that devoured the stars.

"Activate the entropy engine and drag those white sharks into the subspace!"

The Man-Eating Shark Fleet swiftly transitioned from an airborne orbital ground support formation to a space naval combat formation. Three Firestorm-class strike cruisers formed a triangular array and advanced with lightning speed. The Astartes crew inside wore resolute expressions, armed to the teeth. Terminator armor, incendiary weapons, and even molten metal bombs were all brought out and fitted onto their bodies.

Meanwhile, the Predator-class frigates surrounding its fleet formation scattered instantly, like a school of fish struck by a predator. Their refitted, denser torpedo launchers immediately emitted white mist. In a flash, the rail torpedoes on the warheads of the eight Predator-class frigates, their warheads engraved with neurotoxin runes, wove a deadly space fishing net in space.

Simultaneously, a blindingly dark purple-black energy disc suddenly flashed on the Storm of the Astral Knights Chapter opposite them, instantly tearing space around the ship and turning it into a rift in warp space. Two Heretic-class frigates shot out rapidly from the rift.

The distance between the two sides closed rapidly, and the cannons and light spears of each ship were fully prepared at this moment.

Within minutes, the two sides came into contact with each other's firing range. The flashes of light from the cannons illuminated the starry sky for a fleeting moment!
The ship's cannons unleashed nauseating green beams of energy capable of easily melting most of a ship's surface metal armor into a foul-smelling, acidic, yellowish pus. Meanwhile, the main guns of another Star Knights warship, the battleship Ragnarok, began charging. The demonic chains binding the cannon barrels emitted a chilling roar in the silent, ethereal space. This was a Soul Forge weapon smuggled from the Eye of Terror; besides requiring soul feeding and regular blood sacrifices for maintenance, each shell consumed the souls of 100 mortals.

The moment they spotted each other, both fleets unleashed their full firepower and rapidly closed in, preparing to cripple the other in one strike!

Because they all share the same goal: the planet below!

"Sharks swarm, tear apart!" The Tiberos Chapter Commander's deafening roar, echoing through every compartment of the ship via the intercom, came as the enemy entered firing range. The next instant, all the plasma torpedo tubes on the Nidhogg opened, and neurotoxin warheads exploded against the Storm's shields, releasing pale green toxic fumes.

Taking advantage of the situation, three Firestorm-class ships broke into the outer perimeter of the enemy lines and released a swarm of genetically modified live sharks—these terrifying biological weapons had sharp mouths full of fangs that could open and close in a vacuum. They crawled into the hull of the Storm through the breaches and gaps in various parts of the warships, clearing the way for the subsequent landing forces or stirring up a bloodbath first.

The cannon fire from various parts of the ship would penetrate the enemy ships before these sharks could reach them.

This tactic proved highly effective in crippling the enemy flagship during the Silent Abyss campaign, securing a crucial victory for the campaign.

The Soul Furnace triple-mounted railgun of the Ragnarok emitted a dark red glow, three beams flashing across the dark space before instantly striking the Firestorm-class cruiser Bloodfin, disabling its void shield in an instant. Simultaneously, the remaining energy struck the ship's hull. A subspace rift opened at the point of impact, instantly releasing a visible ripple that corroded away the affected armor. The ripple then spread rapidly in all directions.

……

(End of this chapter)