Chapter 1110: Warning: Do Not Touch Lightly

As K-77 and K-78 fell one after another, the triangular defensive line formed by the three planets had been shattered.

Inside the underground Command Center, the holographic tactical map was a sea of blood red.

The symbols representing the Star Alliance forces had already covered 73% of the planet's surface; Nazar's fleet had been wiped out in orbit, and although the ground troops were still resisting, the defensive line was collapsing at a speed visible to the naked eye.

"Commander, the third eastern defensive line has fallen, and the entire 114th Regiment of the garrison has been killed in action."

"The western 'Eagle Gorge' fortress has been breached by the Xiuluo Holy Star Alliance's walking mechs, and the garrison is retreating... no, it is routing."

"The orbital observation station sent its final signal: the Star Alliance fleet has completed a total encirclement of K-79, and all jump points have been blockaded."

Bad news arrived one after another.

Nazar's three eyes all opened, but they no longer held their former sharp radiance, leaving only deep exhaustion.

The Adjutant Laina walked to his side.

"Commander, we still have three hidden assault ships that can escort you in a breakout. As long as we enter the asteroid belt, there is a possibility..."

"Escape to where?"

Nazar interrupted her, his voice hoarse.

"Return to the Core World, tell the Council I lost K-79, squandered an entire sub-fleet and over a million garrison troops, and then accept judgment like a coward?"

"At least stay alive, Commander. While there is life, there is opportunity..."

"Opportunity?"

Nazar laughed.

"Laina, do you know? Since I was a child, I wanted to be a Commander, wanted to prove the Expansionist Faction was right, and wanted to open up new territory for the Feng Qi Xing Alliance.

I thought that as long as I was brave enough and smart enough, I could win victory. But now..."

Nazar pointed at the hologram.

"What are we facing? It is not another interstellar civilization, it is some kind of... existence beyond our understanding.

Those Primarchs, those Space Marines, those Knight Mechs—this is not war, this is crushing, the cleansing of a lower civilization by a higher one."

Laina was in Silence.

She could not refute him, because the battles of the past few days had already proven all of this.

The Xiuluo Holy Star Alliance's forces destroyed all resistance with incredible efficiency; they were cold, precise, and ruthless, as if they were machines of war.

"Then, at least give the soldiers a choice."

Laina finally said.

"Let them decide whether to fight to the death, or... surrender."

Nazar shook his head.

"The Star Alliance does not accept the surrender of Fengqi Military forces; that is their policy. All captured military personnel are either executed or sent to prisoner-of-war camps to await 're-education'—which is essentially death, just slower."

Nazar took a deep breath, stood up, and straightened his dust-covered Commander's uniform.

"Transmit my final order: all units still capable of fighting are to decide for themselves whether to fight or leave. No one who chooses to retreat will be held responsible.

All non-essential personnel in the Command Center are to evacuate immediately and head to the deep shelters; if they can survive, perhaps they will have a chance to see the day the war ends."

"Commander, what about you?"

Nazar did not answer, only drawing his sidearm from his waist and checking the Energy Battery.

Full.

"Laina, you go. Take those who are willing to go. This is my final order as Commander."

Laina stood at attention, saluted—a standard Fengqi military salute—and then turned and left.

Nazar stood alone in the Command Center.

The operators around him evacuated one after another, screens shut down one by one, and lights extinguished lamp by lamp.

In the end, only the central hologram remained running, displaying the final battle situation of K-79.

Nazar pulled up the communication channel, not the encrypted military channel, but the public broadcast frequency.

"All Fengqi warriors still fighting, I am Nazar, Commander of K-79. I order you: lay down your weapons and seek a way to live.

This is not a surrender. Live on, tell those who come after what happened today, tell them what we faced, tell them... the Feng Qi Xing Alliance once fought."

He closed the broadcast.

Nazar whispered to himself.

"Father, Mother, I am sorry. I have let you down."

Then he raised his gun, aiming it below his Third Eye.

But before Nazar could pull the trigger, the door to the Command Center was blown open.

It was not the Star Alliance's forces, but his own soldiers, about thirty of them, all wounded, covered in dust and blood.

"Commander, we are not leaving."

The sergeant in the lead said.

"We volunteer to stay and fight to the end."

Nazar looked at them for a long time, then lowered his gun and said,

"Then let us at least make the Xiuluo Holy Star Alliance remember that the Fengqi warriors fought until the very last moment."

The group reactivated some of the defensive systems and sealed all passages leading to the Command Center.

Three hours later, the Xiuluo Holy Star Alliance's forces breached the final defensive line.

A mixed force of Warhounds and Blood Angels flooded into the Command Center.

But the battle still lasted for seventeen seconds.

Not a single Fengqi warrior retreated, and not a single one surrendered.

They swung every blade until the last man fell.

Nasar was the last one.

He emptied his sidearm's Energy Battery, wounded two War Hound warriors with his command blade, and was finally pierced through the chest by a Chainsword.

In the moment he fell, Nasar saw the enemies charging in, those deep red and blue-white giants, those cold and efficient killing machines.

Then, darkness devoured him.

The day after the battle ended, the former Fengqi Command Center on K-78 Planet had now become the Star Alliance frontline headquarters.

Sanguinius and Angron met in a rearranged Meeting Room.

The Star Alliance's Double-Headed Eagle flag was already hanging on the wall; the symbol of the Human had replaced the mark of the Alien.

"Casualty report."

Angron did not exchange pleasantries and went straight to the point.

Sanguinius pulled up the data.

"K-77 front: 39 Blood Angels killed in action, 217 wounded. Auxiliary forces lost approximately three thousand. Enemy estimated forty million annihilated, fifteen thousand captured."

"K-78 front: 47 War Hounds killed in action, 89 wounded. One Tailin Knight Mech lost, several damaged. Enemy approximately 15 million annihilated, three thousand captured."

"K-79 front: Joint forces total 124 killed in action, 305 wounded. Enemy... almost no prisoners; the vast majority of the garrison fought to the end."

Angron nodded.

"As expected. Nasar was of the Expansionist Faction, young and hot-headed; he would rather die in battle than surrender."

Sanguinius summarized.

"This war, the exchange ratio is astonishing."

"But the cost still exists."

Angron said.

"Every Space Marine is precious, and every Knight Mech requires years to build.

More importantly, we have exposed our tactics and capabilities; the Feng Qi Xing Alliance will be prepared next time."

Sanguinius agreed.

"So we must maintain the momentum of the offensive and continue to push toward the Core World before they reorganize their defenses."

The two walked to the massive star map.

A portion of the star map of the Bode Star System unfolded, showing the purple region of the Feng Qi Xing Alliance, occupying one-quarter of the volume of this part of the map.

Their current position was on the southern edge, having just torn open a gap.

Angron pointed to an area on the star map.

"This is the gateway to the core defensive circle of Fengqi; take this, and we can directly threaten their Core World."

"Need more troops. Fighting on three fronts is not a small drain."

Angron pondered.

"Horus is making smooth progress in the northern theater.

Lion's Dark Angels are clearing flank threats, and can turn to the main offensive direction after completion.

But the ideal situation is..."

"Mortarion recovers and joins."

Sanguinius finished the sentence.

"His Dusk Raiders excel at protracted warfare and wars of attrition, which is exactly what is needed to break through solid defensive lines."

"Father says Mortarion is still in recovery; the damage caused by that incident was more severe than expected."

Angron paused, "Regarding that powerful psychic reaction, does Magnus have any further findings?"

Sanguinius shook his head.

"Magnus's research is still ongoing, but the preliminary conclusion is: it is a type of reality structure anomaly that may lead to brief connections between realities."

"Dangerous power."

Angron evaluated.

"But if we could master it..."

"Father warned not to touch it lightly."

Sanguinius said solemnly.

"Reality structure is not a toy; once destroyed, it could cause irreparable consequences."