Chapter 144: The Powerful Gloriana-class Battleship

Necromunda system.

Many Void Ships leaped out like slender black sharks, with swarms of smaller vessels following around several Capital Ships—frigates, vanguard scout ships, fleet liaison ships, and gunships.

Shadow of Sovereignty sat at the center, while Jingjie destroyers, repair ships, liaison ships, and shuttles spread out rapidly, maneuvering through the shadows it cast and around its magnificent hull, like plankton around a giant whale.

Fourth Legion frigates, painted with the Legion emblem on one side and a skull on the other, moved out first; their Machine Spirits hungered to hunt first, and behind them were the Chapter's Capital Ships.

Swarms of black warships spread out, forming an assault formation with firepower angles covering every direction.

Shadow of Sovereignty, Bridge.

Commander Diana Polin, authorized to command the space battle of Necromunda, looked toward Ninglu.

"My Primarch, ready."

"Attack."

Diana's gaze returned to the console; all screens were filled with signals.

"Execute, Artillery Supervisor."

The Commander's voice was forceful; she stared intently at the screen directly in front, watching this Gloriana-class warship's first attack.

The officer, whose head was more than half replaced with brass, pulled a control lever sharply, then spun his chair to look forward.

The prow lances of Shadow of Sovereignty fired in unison, the dazzling flash piercing the engine of the targeted, flame-spewing enemy ship.

The target exploded with a roar, a chain reaction tearing it into fragments one after another.

The explosion immediately spread to the fuel tanks, and the enemy ship was lifted by the blast, rolling uncontrollably in the void.

The blonde female Commander clenched her fists; even though she had commanded dozens of space battles of varying scales, she could not help but feel Shock at the immense firepower of Shadow of Sovereignty.

With a single attack, the prow lances shredded a Cruiser-class enemy ship that lacked Void Shield protection.

"Lance charging."

"Turn, port turn three-three-eight, inclination one, ahead."

The output power of the real-space engines on the right side of Shadow of Sovereignty surged explosively, and the black void behemoth drew an arc in the void, its starboard batteries aiming at the warships charging from the Spider Alliance.

"Lock target."

"Fire."

The starboard batteries arranged neatly along the side of Shadow of Sovereignty roared in unison, spitting a dense barrage into the dark void.

Numerous enemy ships encountered devastating Macro Cannon strikes, and explosions rose and fell like the tide.

"Enemy ship destroyed!"

"Enemy ship destroyed!"

"..."

The gunners' reports could not hide their pride and joy; their artillery was so powerful.

"Turn, starboard one-four-two, inclination three."

Even while turning at Rapid speed, Shadow of Sovereignty remained composed, as if the enemy ships charging at it were merely annoying insects.

The enemy's artillery fire was blocked by the shimmering Void Shields, like moths to a flame, flashing and then vanishing.

Macro Cannon barrages struck the enemy ships directly, blooming like fireworks in the Necromunda void.

The warship commanders of the Spider Alliance, their mechanically augmented brains filled with damage reports.

The scan data left the tech-nobles in Shock; the enemy's firepower exceeded their imagination.

Their warships were like prey encountering a terrifying giant spider.

The Spider Alliance's command network fell into chaos; they had never encountered such a powerful enemy, never imagined there could be such a massive, powerful Void Ship.

Compared to that void behemoth, their warships were like cyber-toys.

The tech-nobles reached different conclusions because the data captured by their respective cyber-engines differed.

Some tech-nobles believed they should retreat immediately and establish a defensive line relying on Necromunda's orbital defense facilities.

Other tech-nobles concluded from the cyber-readings that orbital defenses could not resist the black giant ship, and that they must go through the Portals to other systems, gather all warships, and launch a desperate attack on the enemy ship.

The Spider Alliance's warships scattered in different directions like spiders sliding on a mirror.

The warships retreating to orbit were not intercepted, while those heading toward the Portals collided with the Fourth Legion's assault group.

All the screens in front of Diana were filled with signals; the fleets of both sides were spread out in the vast void, the molten, withered bones of destroyed starships radiating dazzling firelight.

Black escort ships with damaged engines erupted in blue-white flames, passing between the magnificent Cruisers like lit firecrackers.

Larger frigates and destroyers activated their shimmering Void Shields, smashing through the scattered debris and charging into the Spider Alliance's warships.

Lance weapons spat crystalline, lethal energy, and broadside weapons unleashed dense barrages.

After surveying the overall situation, the female Commander spoke to report to the Primarch.

"My lord, the battle is proceeding exactly as anticipated; the enemy ships have been blocked outside the blockade line, and the Capital Ships are deployed in front of each Portal."

"As of now, four Capital Ships have arrived at strategic points A, C, and D, completing their deployment at the designated positions."

After the Eleventh Legion transitioned to the Necromunda system, the Master of the Forge personally directed the scanners to scan the Portals of the entire system.

The Spider Alliance had established a total of thirteen Portals in the Necromunda system, concentrated in five areas, centered on the star in an approximate pentagram shape.

Combined with Ninglu's knowledge of the Spider Alliance, it could be confirmed that the five areas led to five other systems respectively.

This was consistent with the situation deduced based on genetic intelligence during the previous war council.

The Eleventh Legion's warships launched their attacks according to the previous war plan, and progress was currently smooth.

The progress of the other five Chapters was even smoother; the space forces of the other five systems were inferior to the Spider Star in both warship numbers and firepower.

Each Chapter's fleet, following the Primarch's orders, charged straight at the Portals, and the enemy ships blocking their path were destroyed with overwhelming force.

Void Hunter, under the command of Sanchez, completed its hunt with swiftness.

The ancient Relic-class Warship blasted the fragile system fleets into smithereens before they could launch a counterattack.

After the Capital Ships of the five Chapters completed their deployment at the Portals, the frigates and destroyers began to hunt down the remaining enemy fleets.

The war was progressing smoothly; before the enemy could decide to fight to the death, they had already lost their Portal, and the Teleportation Jammer researched by Rosicky Cech, carried by each warship, did not even have the chance to be activated.

On the Shadow of Sovereignty, Ninglu tapped his fingers lightly against the back of the Command Throne.

"Proceed to the nearest uncontrolled sector."

"As you command, my lord."

"Yinjing Farseer, target Strategic Point E, full power ahead."

Diana's eyes were fixed on the holographic projection, watching the trail the Shadow of Sovereignty carved through the void.

The female captain was also monitoring the entire battle situation; she had experienced several space battles of similar scale and found managing this situation exceptionally easy, especially since she was now commanding a powerful warship.

Diana's blue-green eyes took in all the information flickering across the screens.

Suddenly, her pupils constricted; she discovered a fleet that had bypassed the battlefield, suddenly emerging from the asteroid belt around the star and heading toward Strategic Point B.

The female captain's brain spun rapidly; she realized that no fleet could complete an interception.

(End of this chapter)