Chapter 976: The Fall of Ka Lun Star

On the surface of Ka Lun Star, the orbital defense battery cluster in the northern mountain range.

Kete leaned behind an alloy bunker, the barrel of the energy rifle in his hands terrifyingly hot.

From time to time, drop pods slammed into various parts of the ridge, their hatches opening to let out those red giants who brought destruction.

Further away, several other orbital batteries had already turned into burning ruins.

"Kete! Three o'clock direction! Another squad is coming up!"

A young Fengqi soldier nearby shouted with a trembling voice.

Kete leaned out, the energy rifle in his hands spraying blue energy beams, striking the boarding shield of the leading Blood Angels, sparking a burst of fire.

The opponent did not pause; the bolter rang out, and a gunner behind a nearby bunker was blown into fragments.

These Blood Angels Space Marines were not advancing quickly, but they were unstoppable.

They used bolters and chainswords to purify every firing point, crushing any resistance that attempted to approach.

The energy rifles of the Fengqi soldiers struck their power armor, sparking a burst of fire, and the laser cannons could only leave a charred hole on the Blood Angels Space Marines.

Yet every counterattack from the opponent inevitably brought death.

"Retreat! Retreat to the second line of defense!"

The battery's garrison commander roared on the communication channel, but his voice was soon drowned out by a violent explosion; the command post had been wiped out by the enemy's precise firepower.

The defensive line collapsed.

The surviving Fengqi soldiers began to retreat, some discarding their heavy weapons, just wanting to run a little faster.

Kete followed the retreating crowd, stumbling as he ran toward the core area inside the battery.

The corridor was covered in corpses, some torn apart by bolters, others split in two by melee weapons.

The auto-defense turrets were violently dismantled, and the energy conduits were severed.

They tried to organize a new resistance in the internal corridor, but it was useless.

The Blood Angels squad knew the structure of the battery like the back of their hand and could always appear in the most lethal positions.

Despair shrouded the hearts of every survivor.

They had once believed in the "Guardian," believed in the power of the Star Alliance, but reality had shattered their faith to pieces.

In front of these true war machines, they, as ordinary soldiers, did not even have the qualification to delay time.

When Kete and his last few companions were forced to the final gate outside the main energy core room, there was nowhere left to retreat.

Outside the heavy gate, rhythmic footsteps could be heard.

"Fight... fight them to the death!"

A soldier shouted hysterically, raising the vibration blade in his hand.

Kete looked at him and shook his head bitterly.

Fight to the death? With what?

Just then, a red dot suddenly lit up in the center of the gate, then rapidly expanded and melted!

Boom!

Molten metal droplets splashed, and a huge hole appeared on the gate.

Through the hole, one could see the scarlet figures outside.

Several cylindrical hand grenades were thrown in.

"Hand grenade!"

Too late.

Blinding white light swallowed all senses, followed by a violent shockwave.

Kete only felt an irresistible force lift him up and slam him heavily against the wall behind him, his consciousness instantly falling into boundless darkness.

In his final perception, he seemed to hear the explosion caused by the destruction of the energy core.

Ka Lun Star, underground command fortress core.

Deep in the command center hundreds of meters underground, the atmosphere at this moment was colder than the war fire outside.

On the tactical screen, the light dots representing the surface defense forces were rapidly extinguishing; finally, the entire screen was covered by the red representing the fall, leaving only the isolated light dot where they were, still flickering.

Colonel Walton slumped in his chair, Colonel Geluke smashed his fist against the control console again and again until his fist was bloody and mangled, yet he felt no pain.

Colonel Liara closed her eyes; her psionic perception could clearly "see" the massacre happening on the surface.

They had failed.

Completely and utterly failed.

The "Swarm" tactic had been proven a joke, and Norn's frontal decisive battle had sent the main force of the Sixth Star Sector into the grave.

And now, Ka Lun Star had fallen completely in less than 12 standard hours.

Geluke said in a hoarse voice.

"We... we still have one last resort... activate the core bomb! Even if we die, we must drag these Alien scums along with us..."

"Enough! Geluke!"

Walton raised his head and sternly interrupted him.

"What is the point of doing that, other than destroying this world and killing the soldiers who might still be alive on it? We fight to protect the Star Alliance, not to destroy it!"

"Then what can we do now?! Wait here to die?!"

Geluke roared.

Liara slowly opened her eyes and said with a trembling voice.

"Waiting... the final judgment... has... arrived."

Her words had just fallen when a massive psionic power penetrated hundreds of meters of strata and layers of energy shielding, descending upon this deep underground command center!

The lights flickered, and all electronic equipment screens were covered with chaotic static.

Walton, Geluke, Liara, and all the staff officers and personnel within the Command Center froze at this moment.

They felt their souls gripped by an invisible giant hand, unable to think, unable to breathe.

They "saw" a perfect figure shrouded in endless radiance with wings on his back; his gaze pierced through layers of obstacles and landed upon them.

There was not a shred of emotion in that gaze, only absolute indifference.

"Heretic Commander."

A voice that resonated directly in the depths of their souls pronounced their fate.

"Your crimes end here."

The next moment, the light in the eyes of Walton, Geluke, Liara, and everyone inside the Command Center extinguished.

Their thoughts, consciousness, and souls evaporated before that power.

Thump, thump...

One body after another collapsed to the ground, having lost all signs of life.

The Command Center fell into a deathly silence.

Far away in orbit, Sanguinius withdrew his extended psychic perception.

To him, eliminating a few Alien commanders hidden deep underground was no different in essence from purifying a battery.

This was merely another necessary step in completing the purification Task.

Sanguinius turned and gave the order.

"Notify all units to accelerate the clearing of remaining enemies. Prepare the next phase of the operation plan."