Chapter 1170: Surrounded

In the middle section of the rift, the Krieg soldiers received different orders.

79 stood on a half-collapsed bunker, looking at the soldiers around him who were still able to stand.

Less than a hundred men left, the only soldiers remaining at this position of his.

"Distribute all ammunition collectively. Prepare for combat."

The soldiers began to move.

Checking weapons, distributing ammunition, and laying the final landmines and booby traps.

The rift suddenly became abnormally quiet, even the sound of artillery fire temporarily ceased.

The wind blew from the mouth of the valley, carrying the smell of gunpowder smoke and blood.

79 looked up at the sky.

He remembered the conscription ceremony, remembered the words of the instructor.

"You were born to die on a strange land, for the Emperor, for Humanity."

Now, the time had come.

"Enemy ground forces detected advancing! Two company scale, accompanied by heavy vehicles."

"Wait for them to get close."

79 said.

"Everyone, hold steady."

He raised his Lucius Pattern 98 Lasgun.

The gun body was damaged in many places, and the energy battery had only three shots of capacity left.

As the Fengqi troops advanced, 79 gave the order.

"Fire!"

In orbit, on the bridge of the "Enterprise".

Kalivento looked at the tactical screen; the real-time images transmitted back by the ground sensors showed: those Xiuluosheng soldiers had not retreated.

Even knowing that orbital bombardment was imminent, they were still firing, still resisting.

"Are they crazy? Why don't they run? Why?"

Craig stood beside him, his voice heavy.

"Perhaps for them, there are things more important than life, sir."

"What could be more important than life? Honor? Faith? These ethereal concepts?"

"To them, perhaps not ethereal."

Craig pointed to a close-up on the screen, an image captured by a reconnaissance drone.

A Krieg soldier, half of his body scorched, was still propping himself up on the ground with one hand, while the other hand gripped a laser gun, firing at the approaching Fengqi troops.

Not until he was struck in the head by an energy beam did he fall.

"Even through the eyepieces of the gas mask, one could see that... calmness. He was not afraid of death. Or rather, he had accepted death."

Kalivento felt a chill.

This was awe for something incomprehensible.

Fengqi culture also valued courage and sacrifice, but that was usually a calculated choice: using the death of the few to trade for the life of the many, using the death of warriors to trade for the life of civilians.

But this... this attitude of fighting purely for faith, refusing to retreat even when knowing death was certain, exceeded his scope of understanding.

"General, main battery charging complete. Bombardment can begin."

The Weapon Officer reported.

Kalivento's hand raised, ready to issue the order. But that hand stopped in mid-air.

His ground troops had already advanced to within less than two hundred meters of the enemy position.

A saturation bombardment would wipe them out together.

Those soldiers, those soldiers who followed his orders to drop onto this planet, they believed the Commander would lead them to victory, would let them go home alive as much as possible.

And now, he was going to bury them along with his own honor on this rock planet.

Just at this moment.

"Sir, detected ship signals approaching us. It's reinforcements from the Xiuluo Holy Star Alliance!"

"The Xiuluosheng Fleet! Approaching rapidly!"

"Confirming ship models: three cruisers, eight light cruisers, sixteen destroyers... and, my god, that is the Primarch Guilliman's 'Xiuluosheng Glory'!"

"Xiuluosheng Glory". Guilliman's flagship.

Kalivento felt his three eyes stinging simultaneously, and he growled.

"All ships, immediately cease ground bombardment, turn to meet the enemy! Form a defensive formation, break out toward the direction of the main fleet!"

"General, our airborne troops are still down there..."

"I know!"

Kalivento interrupted the Deputy Commander.

"But they can only rely on themselves now. If we lose orbital control, everyone will die here."

The order was transmitted, but it was too late.

The Xiuluosheng Fleet had completed the encirclement from three directions. Cruisers in the front, light cruisers covering the flanks, destroyers and frigates filling the gaps, forming a massive, tightening net.

And at the center of the net was the Fengqi Seventh Star Sector detachment.

The first volley came from the macro-cannon array of the "Xiuluosheng Glory".

Three destroyers disintegrated in the first round of strikes.

Their shields shattered like soap bubbles, their hulls were torn apart, and the air, fire, and debris from within gushed out.

"Left flank Destroyer formation lost!!"

"Shields overloaded! All units, shields overloaded!"

Kalivento gripped the edge of the tactical table tightly; he looked at the Holographic Star Map, trying to find a breakthrough, any breakthrough.

But the encirclement of Xiuluosheng was airtight, with every possible direction for a breakout blocked.

"General, a communication request from Guilliman has been received... it is an open broadcast."

Kalivento was stunned for a moment.

"Put it through."

The holographic image flickered, then stabilized.

Appearing on the screen was not Guilliman himself, but his Adjutant, Deximus.

Even in the holographic projection, this Space Marine radiated a cold aura, his blue Power Armor decorated with the emblem of the Ultramarines.

"Alien Commander Kalivento of the Fengqi Seventh Star Sector detachment, you have been surrounded. Your orbital control has been stripped away. Your ground forces will be annihilated under the strikes of our Titans and Space Marines. You have one chance to surrender."

Kalivento's Third Eye flickered violently.

"Does the Xiuluo Holy Star Alliance also accept surrender?"

"We accept wise choices."

Deximus said.

"But the choice is yours. You have ten minutes to consider. After ten minutes, if we have not received a surrender signal, the main battery of the 'Xiuluosheng Glory' will target your flagship. It is over, alien. Do not let more lives be buried for your mistakes."

The communication cut off.

The Bridge was deathly silent.

"Commander..."

Deputy Commander Craig began, but was stopped by Kalivento raising his hand.

"Calculate our remaining combat strength."

Kalivento's voice was surprisingly calm.

"How many ships can still fight? What are the ammunition reserves? What is the status of the shield generators?"

"Thirty-nine ships... no, thirty-eight ships, one Cruiser just lost contact. Ammunition reserves are at an average of 37%, shields... the shield strength of most ships is below 40%, and the flagship is only at 62%."

"And the enemy?"

Craig swallowed.

"Almost no damage. Their formation is intact, their firepower is abundant, and... more energy signals are detected approaching. It is the second fleet, expected to arrive on the battlefield in fifteen minutes."

Kalivento closed his eyes.

"If we break out, what is the success rate?"

The tactical officer pulled up the simulation data.

"The success rate for a breakout in any direction is less than 3.7%. And even if we succeed, we will lose at least 80% of our ships. Commander... it is impossible."

Kalivento felt a sudden sense of despair.