Chapter 1348: Bloody Battle of Chengjia Star (2)

In the orbit of Chengjia Star, the war never ceased.

The fleet of the Dusk Raiders Legion, one hundred cruisers and six hundred destroyers led by the "Silence", was locked in combat with the Tyranid bio-fleet.

The number of Zerg bio-ships was so vast that the light spots on the Xiuluosheng Fleet's sensor screens overlapped into a single mass, making them impossible to count.

On the bridge of the "Silence", Acting Captain Valuokesi stood before the holographic star map, his two eyes fixed on that dense patch of red light spots.

Lord Mortarion was commanding on the ground, and he had full authority over the fleet.

His task was to maintain harassment, distract the Zerg, and prevent them from deploying more Spore Cysts to the ground.

"Port side, twelve destroyers, attack the tail of bio-ship number three."

Valuokesi gave the order.

Twelve gray destroyers broke away from the formation and cut into the flank of the Zerg fleet.

They were fast, heavily armed, and highly maneuverable.

The tentacles of the bio-ship attempted to intercept, but were blown apart by the assault ships' gunfire.

The destroyer group closed in on the flank of that bio-ship and used torpedoes to attack its weak carapace.

The chitinous shell shattered, insect blood gushed out, and the bio-ship's body began to tilt.

But the Zerg's counterattack was equally fierce.

Another bio-ship's bio-cannon aimed at the destroyer group, and three streams of bio-plasma shot over, trailing green exhaust.

Two destroyers were hit before they could dodge; their hull armor was corroded and penetrated, the fire of the explosions blooming silently in the starry sky as fragments scattered everywhere.

The survivors continued their attack until they had completely destroyed that bio-ship before breaking away.

"Sir, our warship losses have already exceeded five percent."

The Adjutant reported.

Valuokesi did not look away.

"Continue. As long as we can still fight, do not stop. Lord Mortarion needs time on the ground; for every bio-ship we hold back, there is one less batch of Spore Cysts on the surface."

The fleet continued to grapple with the Zerg fleet, gunfire weaving into a web in the starry sky, and the corpses of the Zerg mixed with the fragments of the Xiuluosheng warships, floating in the vacuum.

On the periphery of Chengjia Star's orbit, several scout ships of the Canaan Star Alliance hovered at a safe distance.

Their task was to observe the battle and report back to the rear.

The captain was the Adjutant to General Bulake, a middle-aged Canaanite named Saiwei.

"Sir, the Xiuluo Saint's fleet... the losses are heavy."

The observer's voice was somewhat strained.

Saiwei stared at the sensor screen.

Xiuluosheng warships were being hit by Zerg bio-ships one after another; some exploded, some tilted, and some were torn apart by tentacles.

But the remaining ships did not retreat, did not pull back, and did not even slow down.

They continued to attack, using their remaining gunfire to tear wounds into the swarm.

"Their ground troops are even more terrifying," another officer said. "Look at the ground battlefield."

Saiwei pulled up the ground surveillance footage.

On the first defensive line, Krieg soldiers fired from the trenches without any superfluous movements.

People fell beside them constantly, but those behind immediately filled in, plugging every gap.

There was no panic, no screaming, and not even a single person looked back.

The second fleet was still on the way, the third was the Dark Angels Legion; just how many troops did these Humans... have?

"Their soldiers are not afraid of death."

The observer said in a low voice.

Saiwei shook his head.

"It is not that they are not afraid of death; it is that they do not care."

He was silent for a long time.

"Notify the rear: the combat effectiveness of the Xiuluosheng Fleet far exceeds expectations. Their soldiers do not take a single step back in front of the Zerg; our fifty thousand men... let alone providing support, they aren't even qualified to serve as their reserve force."

The Communications Officer relayed the message.

Saiwei continued to stare at the screen.

On the ground, that golden figure, the Adeptus Custodes Nuochaqigan, appeared once again at the most dangerous position on the defensive line, his spear sweeping through the swarm as Zerg corpses piled up at his feet.

The Canaanites were silent.

They had once thought the Xiuluosheng Fleet only relied on their technological and equipment advantages.

Now they saw that those Humans, on a battlefield where flesh and blood flew, were colder, tougher, and more invincible than any Alien.

In the center of the first defensive line, the Death Korps of Krieg never stopped firing.

Their breathing masks emitted a continuous hissing sound.

A Krieg soldier's laser gun energy pack ran empty.

He crouched down, took a new energy pack from the ammunition box, and swapped it quickly.

The moment he crouched, a Termagant leaped over the edge of the trench, its scything talon slashing toward his back.

The comrade next to him did not hesitate at all and threw himself directly onto it.

The bayonet stabbed into the Termagant's throat; the Termagant struggled, and its scything talon sliced a gash into the Krieg soldier's side, his gray uniform soaked through with blood.

He made no sound, only continuing to stab with the bayonet—one stab, two stabs, three stabs.

He stood up, pressed his hand against the wound at his waist, and returned to his firing position.

The wounded Krieg soldier continued to fire.

His movements were a bit slower than before, but there was no pause.

After 147 was killed in action, the new regimental commander's codename was 188.

He stood at the high point of the trench, his respirator intact, his two eyes scanning the entire section of the defensive line.

Every few minutes, he would issue brief orders into the Communication Device: "Third Company, advance five meters. Seventh Company, there is a gap on the left flank, fill it."

The Kriegers executed the orders like precision machines.

The Commissars shuttled through the trenches, their tall peaked caps particularly conspicuous in the firelight.

Kriegers do not need speeches to boost morale; they only need to stop those hot-headed soldiers from charging the Aliens with a Bayonet.