Chapter 1351: Chengjia Star Beyond Expectations

The soldier beside them did not answer.

The image on the screen switched to the Krieg Trench.

A Krieg soldier's Laser Gun ran dry, the Tyranid was already face-to-face, and he drew his Entrenching Tool.

Three Hormagaunts surrounded him, Scything Talons waving.

He stabbed through the throat of one Hormagaunt and had his abdomen torn open by another, but he did not fall, hacking his Entrenching Tool into the chest of the second.

The third Hormagaunt's Scything Talons split his skull open.

"Lunatic."

The soldier in the wheelchair said in a low voice.

The soldier beside them said.

"He is a true warrior."

In front of another screen, a group of soldiers was watching the battle of the Dusk Raiders.

A Tyranid Warrior's Bonesword split the Power Armor of a Dusk Raider warrior, and that warrior stabbed his Chainsword into the Tyranid Warrior's abdomen before falling.

His comrade rushed up, blasted the Tyranid Warrior's head with a Bolter to kill it, then dragged his wounded comrade back.

"Their Space Marines have also suffered heavy losses."

A soldier said.

Another soldier shook his head.

"No matter how great the losses, they did not retreat."

On the surface of Kalini Star, engineering troops were reinforcing the defensive lines day and night.

Chengjia Star was the first barrier; if Chengjia Star fell, Kalini Star would be the first line of defense for the Octavia Sector.

Trenches, bunkers, gun emplacements, and minefields—all defensive fortifications were being built at maximum speed.

The engineer Wusi stood on a high ground, overlooking the construction site.

His two eyes were bloodshot, and the Data Pad in his hand displayed the progress of the defensive line.

"The bunkers for the third defensive line will still take six hours to complete."

The deputy reported.

Wusi frowned.

"Six hours is too long; the Zerg will not wait. Have the workers work overtime, three shifts."

The deputy said.

"The workers have already been working for thirty hours straight; their physical strength has reached its limit."

Wusi looked at him.

"Then swap them out. There are still reserve teams in the rear; let them go up."

The Adjutant relayed the order.

Wusi looked at the ocean of red closing in on the Holographic Star Map.

The battle on Chengjia Star was still continuing, and the Xiuluo Saint's defensive line had not collapsed, but no one knew how long it could hold.

If Chengjia Star fell, the Zerg vanguard would arrive at Kalini Star within twenty-four hours.

Kalini Star Defense Command Center, Meeting Room.

Dakai Shimo sat at one end of the long table, opposite the Kalini Star defense Commander, General Weisi.

The two held the same military rank, but Dakai Shimo had deeper seniority, and Weisi maintained sufficient respect for him.

"General Dakai Shimo, how long will your troops need to recover their combat effectiveness?"

Weisi asked.

Dakai Shimo said.

"After replenishing ammunition and fuel, the fleet can return to combat within a week. The ground troops need at least two weeks; there are too many wounded, and many soldiers need time to recover from their trauma."

Weisi was silent for a second.

"The battle on Chengjia Star is still continuing, the Xiuluo Saint's second fleet has arrived, and the third batch of the Dark Angels Legion is on the way. If they can hold Chengjia Star, we will have more time."

Dakai Shimo looked at Chengjia Star on the Holographic Star Map.

"Can they hold it?"

Weisi pulled up the surveillance footage of Chengjia Star.

"I don't know."

Weisi said.

Dakai Shimo was silent for a long time.

"General Weisi, if Chengjia Star falls, how long can our defensive lines hold?"

Weisi pointed to the defensive line markings on the star map.

"The first defensive line can hold for two days. The second defensive line can hold for one day. The third defensive line... if the Xiuluo Saint's fleet is still supporting from orbit, perhaps it can hold until reinforcements arrive."

Dakai Shimo asked.

"What if the Xiuluo Saint's fleet is scattered?"

Weisi looked at him.

"Then we will have no choice but to abandon this sector."

Silence fell in the Meeting Room.

Dakai Shimo stood up.

"I am going to check on the soldiers."

Temporary medical station in the third district of Kalini Star, wounded soldiers' camp.

Thousands of wounded soldiers lay here, the sounds of wailing and groaning rising and falling in succession.

Dakai Shimo walked into the infirmary, the bloodstains on his uniform causing the nurses to glance sideways.

An elderly military doctor came up to meet him and saluted.

"General, why have you come? It is not clean here; you need to rest."

Dakai Shimo raised a hand to stop him.

"I have come to see my soldiers."

He walked into the depths of the infirmary and saw a young soldier lying on a hospital bed.

His legs had been amputated below the knees, and thick bandages were wrapped around the stumps.

Dakai Shimo sat down by his bedside.

"Soldier, what is your name?"

The young soldier turned his head to look at him, a flash of surprise in his eyes.

"General... my name is Saiwu."

Dakai Shimo nodded.

"Saiwu, in which battle were you wounded?"

Saiwu said.

"Aelius Sector, the third planet, the final battle; a Zerg crawled out from underground and bit off my legs."

Dakai Shimo was in Silence for a second.

"Are you afraid?"

Saiwu said.

"Afraid, afraid that I would never come back; now that I am back, my legs are gone."

Dakai Shimo said.

"It is good to be alive."

Saiwu's eyes grew moist.

"General, we held for forty days. So many brothers died; was it worth it?"

Dakai Shimo looked at him.

"If we had not held, more than just these people would have died. The entire sector would have been Devoured by the Zerg; we held for forty days so the rear had time to set up defenses and the reinforcements of the Xiuluo Saint could arrive."

Saiwu closed his eyes.

"General, those Humans... the Xiuluo Saint... are they not afraid of death?"

Dakai Shimo said.

"They have their own Faith, their own Emperor."

Saiwu stopped speaking.

Dakai Shimo stood up and patted his shoulder.

"Rest well and recover."

In the orbit of Kalini Star, the fleet of Canaan was redeploying.

The remaining warships were docked in the orbital Shipyard, and Engineering Robots were repairing the hulls and replacing damaged armor.

Ammunition ships were docking, loading Rune Bullets and Missiles into the ammunition bays.

The Fleet Commander was an officer named Weitelasi, whose ship had survived the battle in the Aelius Sector, its hull covered in marks from Zerg biological acid corrosion.

"The port-side armor needs to be completely replaced."

The engineer reported.

"The corrosion is too severe; it will rupture if it takes another attack."

Weitelasi nodded.

"Use spare armor. If that is not enough, strip it from other ships."

The engineer asked.

"Sir, if Chengjia Star falls, are we going to fight the Zerg here?"

Weitelasi looked at him.

"What else? Retreat to the next sector? Retreat again? Retreat to where? Behind us is the Capital Star."

The engineer lowered his head and continued working.

Weitelasi stood on the Bridge, looking out the window at the gray-blue Kalini Star.

"Xiuluo Saint, you must hold on."