Chapter 252

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Protagonist:

Lin En

Lena

"How long will repairs take?" Lin En asked, this being the question he cared about most right now.

"At least two months." Alderman sighed, a look of despair on his face.

"And that's still the most optimistic estimate; we're severely lacking in manpower and materials right now."

"The current engineering teams total fewer than two thousand people, and there are only several tens of thousands of Servitors."

"They can't even keep up with clearing the Ruins, let alone repairing such a complex system."

"We need at least twenty thousand professional engineers, one million Servitors, two million tons of Steel, and all sorts of precision electronic components and Pipes."

"Unless Brevis can immediately dispatch a professional maintenance Fleet, bringing enough Supplies, otherwise..."

He didn't continue, but the meaning was already obvious.

Without reinforcements, Kal II's Energy and Defense systems would never be repaired.

Lin En rubbed his temples, feeling a headache.

This was exactly the problem he was most worried about.

Although Kal II had been taken down, it was now a thousand-hole-ridden, utterly defenseless mess.

Without a complete Defense system and stable Energy supply, once Dolido's Green Skin Army began to counterattack, their defensive difficulty went without saying.

On Dolido Agricultural World, there were over a billion Green Skins; as soon as Lianggenna gave the order,

they could organize an army of tens of millions, swarming over to kill them.

By then, relying only on the small force currently left on Kal II, they would be hard-pressed to resist.

"I've already sent a messenger Fleet back to Brevis to report good news and request reinforcements."

Lin En said, "But you also know that during this period, affected by Warp Turbulence, navigation is full of uncertainty."

"At the earliest, it will take a week for reinforcements to arrive."

There was one thing Lin En didn't say: the bureaucratic system's lethally low administrative efficiency.

Once you left the grassroots Genestealer operations, efficiency would plummet off a cliff based on a factor of five, and a simple matter could be delayed half a day.

"A week?!" Alderman's eyes widened, but then he sighed again.

Everyone knew the efficiency of the Imperial Administration System, and Alderman soon accepted reality.

"Don't worry, I'll leave most of the Fleet and Ground Forces behind." Lin En interrupted him, his tone conveying a reassuring steadiness.

"Peak Obsidian, along with most of the Escort Ships and Destroyers, will stay behind; five million Ground Forces will be stationed at all key nodes."

"Before reinforcements arrive, I will ensure Kal II's safety."

"Your task now is to lead the engineering teams, do your best, and repair part of the Energy and Life Support systems in the Core area first; repair as much as you can."

"As for the Defense system, first fix the Port's anti-air cannons, at least enough to intercept the Green Skins' Landing Craft."

"Yes... Adult." Alderman nodded, though still Worried, but there was no other way.

He put away the blueprints, saluted Lin En, turned and left in a hurry to arrange the repair work.

Only Lin En remained on the Bridge.

He walked to the window and gazed into Space once more.

In the dazzling Space, the Expedition Fleet's Warships hovered silently, like Steel sentinels.

The Warships' Void Shields flickered in the Darkness, giving an inexplicable sense of Safety.

But Lin En knew how fragile this sense of Safety was.

He had to stabilize the situation on Kal II within a week and wait for Brevis's reinforcements.

But Fate always liked to play the cruelest joke at the most critical moment.

On the second morning after the messenger Fleet set out.

A piercing Alarm suddenly sounded throughout the Fleet.

"Alarm! Alarm! Unidentified Target detected, approaching rapidly, distance to Kal II less than ten thousand li!"

"Radar temporarily unable to identify Target identity; the other side isn't responding to our Communication requests!"

"All Warships enter Level One Combat Readiness! Repeat, all Warships enter Level One Combat Readiness!"

The originally calm Fleet instantly became busy.

The Warships' Engines started up one after another, Cannon Mouths turning toward the direction of the Unidentified Target.

Fighters took off from the Cargo Hold, forming a Battle Formation in front of the Fleet.

Lin En rushed to Peak Obsidian's Bridge at the first opportunity.

"What's going on?" Lin En asked in a deep voice.

"Adult, look." The Radar Officer pointed to a light on the screen.

"An hour ago, this Target suddenly jumped out of the Warp and is heading toward us at extremely high speed."

"We've tried contacting them multiple times, but received no response."

Lin En stared at the light on the screen, his brows tightly furrowed.

Dolido's Green Skins?

Impossible; Green Skin Warships couldn't possibly be that fast, nor would their scale be so small.

Chaos Fleet?

It doesn't seem like it either; Chaos warships are usually accompanied by intense Warp energy fluctuations, but this target's energy reaction isn't that violent.

Just then, the Communications Officer suddenly shouted: "Lord Lin En, they've responded!"

"They say they're from the Brewis Governor's Office and have urgent military intelligence to report to you!"

"Brewis Governor's Office?" Lin En was stunned, his heart skipping a beat.

A ship from Brevis? Could his home have been stolen?

"Order them to dock immediately at Pier Three and send a company of soldiers to escort them here to see me," Lin En said.

Ten minutes later, a young official dressed in black formal wear, pale-faced and soaked through, was brought to the Bridge by soldiers.

He had clearly run all the way, panting, his forehead covered in cold sweat.

His formal wear was slashed in several places, and his face had abrasions; he looked utterly disheveled.

"Lin... Lord Lin En!" the young official said urgently, not even catching his breath as he grabbed Lin En's arm.

"Terrible news! The Tithe Collection Fleet, the Tithe Collection Fleet is about to arrive at Brevis!"

"Tithe?" Lin En's brow furrowed again into a deep frown.

"Yes, Lord Lin En!" the young official nodded vigorously, speaking as fast as a machine gun.

"When I set out, they were less than three days' journey from Brevis!"

"Now, they're probably about to enter Brevis's planetary orbit. Chief Administrator Kaite ordered me to notify you at any cost, immediately."

"He wants you to hurry back and take charge of the overall situation; if you're late, it'll be too late!"

"To save time, we conducted Warp Travel at any cost. The hull was severely damaged; fortunately, the Emperor protected us, allowing us to arrive here safely."

They had risked their lives to get here.

Lin En held his forehead and let out a helpless sigh.

This is Warhammer 40K: you not only have to face all kinds of powerful enemies.

You must also always guard against this corrupt and cruel Human Empire.

You fight to the death on the Front Line, narrowly escaping death, finally capturing a key Place, waiting for the Empire's reinforcements and supplies.

You think you'll receive the Empire's recognition and rewards.

But what you wait for is probably not reinforcements.

What you wait for will only be the Empire's Tithe.