Chapter 1356: Horus

Behind the third line of defense, Mortarion's temporary command post.

When Lion arrived on the surface, Mortarion and Vulkan were already waiting there.

Vulkan opened his mouth to ask.

"Those Canaanites on Kalini Star, not a single one was evacuated?"

Lion looked at him.

"None. Not a single person left that planet. Before the Miezheling was executed, the Dark Angels blockaded the orbit; every ship, every escape pod, every signal attempting to flee was destroyed. The surface of Kalini Star melted completely within an hour, the atmosphere was stripped away, the crust shattered, and twelve hours later the planet disintegrated entirely. No one survived."

Mortarion spoke. "How many Zerg bio-ships are left in orbit?"

Lion said.

"The Dark Angels destroyed about two-thirds after arriving. The remaining bio-ships no longer pose a threat; my Destroyer squadrons are currently in pursuit. Furthermore, the bio-ship fleets coming from the Tyranid side are beginning to show signs of retreat."

Mortarion nodded.

"The Zerg on the ground have lost space support, and the density of their offensive has dropped significantly. The Dusk Raiders and Salamanders are organizing a counterattack; your men have arrived at the Eastern Defense Line. Are you going to the front line as well?"

Lion said.

"No, the Dark Angels' battlefield is in space; the ground mopping-up will be completed by you. After the orbit is cleared, I will anchor the fleet in orbit of Chengjia Star to stand by."

Mortarion raised his hand and said.

"Your fleet standing by in orbit is enough. The Zerg on the ground can be handled by the Salamanders and the Dusk Raiders."

At the same time, on the edge of the Viridian Sector.

Horus's fleet was locked in a struggle with the main fleet of the Tyranids.

On the bridge of the Loyal Soul, Horus stood before the holographic star map.

Red light dots were densely packed, covering the entire screen.

The number of Zerg bio-ships had already exceeded the limit that the sensors could accurately count, and each bio-ship was surrounded by dozens of guard-level Zerg creatures.

The Luna Wolves' Destroyer squadrons had rotated three times, the ammunition consumption figures for the Iron Warriors were climbing rapidly, and casualty reports from the front line were accumulating quickly.

Dunba walked over.

"Father, the Iron Warriors' fleet reports that ammunition reserves are at thirty percent and require resupply. The Luna Wolves have lost over forty Destroyers."

Horus did not look away.

"Where is Magnus?"

Dunba pointed to a light dot on the star map.

"Here. He is using a psychic storm to attack the neural nodes of the Zerg bio-ships. Since the battle began, he has destroyed at least a hundred large bio-ships single-handedly. The Thousand Sons' psychic strikes have lowered the Zerg's coordination ability by several levels."

Horus pressed the communication device.

"Magnus, report."

Magnus's holographic projection appeared in the center of the bridge.

His red hair was particularly striking under the starship's lights, and his Power Armor was covered in radioactive dust left over from space combat.

"Horus, the density of the Zerg bio-ships is still increasing. I am using psychic storms to continuously attack their neural nodes, but there are too many. For every bio-ship destroyed, ten more are moving in to fill the gap. I can still hold on, but the warriors of the Thousand Sons need to rotate. We cannot maintain high-intensity psychic output indefinitely; they are not machines."

Horus said.

"The Iron Warriors' supply ships are on the way. How much rest time do you need?"

Magnus said.

"The warriors of the Thousand Sons have reached their soul limit; exceeding the critical point will result in damage."

Dunba spoke up.

"My lord, the Iron Warriors' fleet has sent a communication. Their ammunition supplies have arrived, but the transport ships were attacked by Zerg bio-ships while unloading, losing one-third of the supplies. The fleet at the front needs to continue fighting, and the rear supply lines need to be reinforced, otherwise subsequent ammunition will be even tighter."

Horus's brow furrowed.

"Where are Sanguinius and Corax?"

Dunba pulled up the star map.

"Lord Sanguinius is on the left flank; his Blood Angels are locked in combat with elite Zerg units. Lord Corax is on the rear right flank; the Raven Guard's ships are scouting for weak points in the Zerg fleet. He sent word that there is a massive bio-ship on the rear left side of the Zerg fleet, five times larger than a standard bio-ship, suspected to be a temporary Insect Hive node. Destroying it might temporarily disrupt the Zerg's coordination."

Horus pressed the communication device.

"Corax, send me the location. Sanguinius, can the left flank spare any forces?"

Sanguinius's voice came through the communication device.

"The Aliens on the left flank are still pushing out; I cannot move. But if you need to assault the rear of the swarm, I can have a company of Blood Angels assist you."

Corax said.

"I don't need the Blood Angels. The Raven Guard can cut in from the flank, but I need fire support from the Iron Warriors. Their ship firepower can suppress the Zerg bio-ships' counterattacks and open a path for the assault fleet."

Horus looked at the star map.

"Pharox, can the Iron Warriors' fleet cover Corax?"

On the Iron Warriors' flagship, Pharox's voice came through.

"The Iron Warriors' fleet can manage one more round of high-intensity volley fire, but we cannot sustain output before ammunition resupply. The cover window is at most fifteen minutes; the attack must be completed within fifteen minutes."

Corax said.

"Fifteen minutes is enough. The Raven Guard Destroyer squadrons can complete the breakthrough, attack, and withdrawal within ten minutes.

But the breakthrough point must be on the rear left of the swarm; that is the Zerg fleet's coordination node, where defensive density is lowest.

I need the Iron Warriors to create fire suppression directly in front of the swarm to draw the Zerg's attention."

Horus gave the order.

"Iron Warriors, fire suppression directly in front of the Zerg. Corax, Raven Guard Destroyer squadrons, move out. Sanguinius, continue to pin down the left flank. Magnus, use psychic storms to cover the assault fleet and interfere with the Zerg fleet's perception so they cannot accurately track the Raven Guard's movements."

Several replies came through the communication device simultaneously.

"Understood."