Inside the Devastator's hangar:
Boom—Boom—!!
With the Thunderstrike assault boat crashing through like a wild beast, it swept through the hangar, and high-energy, high-temperature thermite beams struck the walls and decks, turning what was once a spacious area into a scene of utter destruction.
The air was filled with the acrid scent of molten metal as the hangar's structure began to crumble. Sheets of metal were violently cracked open, and the intense shaking caused the deck, and the entire ship, to tremble violently.
Within seconds, the pressure in the hangar drastically shifted.
The Thunderstrike assault boat used its thermite cannon to blast open a large hole in the wall, and a massive void appeared—darkness and vacuum surged in, as if the giant jaws of death were opening, consuming everything in its path.
As the hangar's pressure imbalance worsened, a powerful "pull" force swept through.
"Ahh!!"
Screams of terror filled the air as Shock Troopers, ground crew, and pilots were suddenly torn away by the force of the air, their bodies helpless against the immense pressure, sucked toward the void.
Some unlucky ones were immediately swept into the air, their feet leaving the ground as they floated like weightless meteors, drifting aimlessly in the vacuum.
More terrifying still, several hangar equipment and small parts were pulled out with the same force, tumbling uncontrollably through the air, crashing into everything they came into contact with, creating a cacophony of sharp metallic crashes.
Bang~!
Just as the Thunderstrike assault boat's ejector systems deployed foam-like substances that expanded rapidly, sealing the cracks and creating an airtight barrier, the hole torn through the hangar by the assault boat was finally sealed, stopping the pressure imbalance.
As the hangar stabilized, those who had been sucked into the air crashed to the cold metal deck with sickening thuds.
Thud—Thud—!!
Most of the ground crew were groaning in agony, clutching at their painful arms or thighs, their cries echoing throughout the hangar.
The crew wasn't equipped with heavy armor, so many had suffered broken bones from the falls, which caused their desperate screams. Some were even unconscious from blood loss or the severity of the impact.
The few fortunate Shock Troopers and pilots, although they were left dazed and disoriented, with some feeling as though they had been crushed by a heavy tank, had their protective gear, and in theory, they would recover quickly.
However, with the Thunderstrike boat's entrance came not just chaos but a complete "crushing" of any resistance.
The Blood Ravens' Thousand Sons would not give the enemy a single moment to recover.
At this moment, the Thunderstrike assault boat was firmly planted in the center of the hangar, its heavy metal body still radiating heat from its high-speed flight and collision.
As the Blood Ravens pilot unlocked the door's hydraulic lock, the change in pressure caused white gas to gush out, and the thick alloy door slid open with a low rumble.
Thud, thud!
Then came the slow, rhythmic sound of heavy footsteps—magnetic boots of the Blood Ravens' warriors, successfully making contact with the ship's hangar deck.
Accompanied by the flashing red warning lights and the blaring alarms, these footsteps echoed through the still-recovering Shock Troopers and pilots' ears.
Panicked gazes turned toward the source of the sound, and soon, the figures of the Blood Ravens appeared before them.
Seven massive warriors, clad in dark red power armor, with their eyes glowing an eerie green beneath their helmet's visor, like the flames of the underworld—cold, merciless, like the silent heralds of "Death."
The Imperial soldiers, already disoriented from the chaos, were now gripped by overwhelming fear. Their palms trembled, and they instinctively tightened their grips on their weapons.
!!
A Shock Trooper captain, wearing an orange armband, was momentarily stunned by the sight. After a brief moment of shock, he forcibly suppressed his trembling and raised his weapon, shouting with a hoarse voice:
"Enemy attack!!"
But—
Crack—!!
A blinding arc of blue lightning suddenly sliced through the hangar air, like thunder splitting the night. The brilliant light illuminated the surrounding space in an instant!
Before the Shock Trooper captain could finish his warning, a twisting, writhing bolt of psychic lightning struck, heading straight for his chest!
"Ahhh—!!"
The dazzling psychic power was unleashed by Gabriel Angelo, the Blood Ravens' leader himself.
The blue-white electric arc immediately engulfed the captain, his body convulsing violently as he was torn apart by the electric surge. He was flung backward, crashing into a nearby Titan-class fighter.
But the destructive power of the psychic lightning didn't end there.
"Ahh!!"
"Ugh!!"
The lightning seemed to live, spreading rapidly, its deadly arc leaping from one unlucky soldier to the next, consuming them in a chain reaction!
Several nearby Shock Troopers were instantly caught in the high-energy arc. Their bodies spasmed and twisted uncontrollably, their screams blending with the crackling sound of the electricity, echoing throughout the hangar.
Within moments, an entire defensive squad was down, their bodies twitching and unresponsive, some even emitting faint wisps of smoke.
Gabriel Angelo retracted his left hand, watching the lingering arcs of energy dissipate from his palm. His helmet's visor, glowing with a ghostly light, scanned the fallen Imperial soldiers before issuing a cold, metallic command:
"Proceed with the plan."
.
At the command, five Blood Ravens' guards and a squad champion nodded in perfect unison, their intentions clear without needing further words.
They began their operations in pairs.
The first group of five guards moved swiftly, their task set: advance directly to the Devastator's engine core, to destroy or cripple the ship's firepower and propulsion systems as quickly as possible.
With supernatural speed, they moved through the ship's hallways, their power armor gleaming as they carried high-energy explosive devices and rapidly vanished down the corridors.
The mission for these five was not only to disable the enemy's main weapon systems but also to ensure that the Devastator's power systems were completely incapacitated, preventing any chance of recovery should the Empire attempt a counterattack.
The second group, led by the squad champion, remained behind in the hangar. Their task was to secure the Thunderstrike boat's safety and ensure that the retreat path for the team wasn't cut off.
The true nature of this raid was a feint—though it appeared to be a direct strike against the Devastator, the real goal was to draw attention, buying time for the Silver Gull convoy, which carried Lyon, Chiru, and others, to infiltrate the Death Star.
In truth, clearing the Devastator of all enemies in such a short time was impossible. But by destroying the critical systems and causing confusion in their defense, they could severely weaken the enemy's ability to respond, setting the stage for the next phase of the operation.
The strategy, "make chaos and exploit it," was their main approach.
The five guards were not just masters of psychic powers but also skilled warriors, embodying the deadly combination of destruction and precision.
Thus, this squad could unleash havoc within the enemy ship, disrupting their tactical layout and fully executing the strategy of "make chaos and exploit it."
The squad champion, with a chainsword in his right hand and an electric power claw in his left, calmly stood by the Thunderstrike boat.
The golden olive branch decoration on his helmet glimmered faintly under the cold hangar lights, symbolizing his honor and combat achievements.
It was not just a decoration but a warrior's badge, proving that Apollo Diomedes had earned his reputation across many "friendly exchanges" between legions.
However, Diomedes' true strength was not just in his imposing appearance or terrifying gear—it lay in his exceptional combat skills.
In Blood Ravens' internal simulation wars, he had repeatedly defeated all challengers with pure swordsmanship.
He had even defeated his own commander, Gabriel, in a one-on-one duel.
While Diomedes could best Gabriel in a duel, the truth remained that Gabriel's overall power still outweighed his.
As for Gabriel, he was not in the hangar but was steadily walking toward the bridge access.
With each heavy step, the floor resonated with the sound of his boots.
Gabriel's right hand tightly gripped his iconic power hammer, "Shatterer," a weapon engraved with countless battle honors. The faint light it emitted in the dim corridor illuminated his path.
His left hand crackled with blue psychic arcs, an external manifestation of his immense psychic power.
Despite lacking the ability to perceive the "Force" like other sensitive individuals in this universe, Gabriel still sensed an ominous dark presence closing in on the hangar.
This darkness was deep, ferocious, and unsettling—twisting the air around him and lowering the temperature of the entire region.
Gabriel furrowed his brow, his gaze hardened.
As the leader of the Blood Ravens, he knew his duty:
To ensure the success of the feint, while also protecting his brothers from this approaching unknown force.
Thus, he prepared to confront the darkness head-on, no matter what it was.
Gabriel had already moved far from the hangar, traversing through several dim corridors, arriving at a relatively spacious transit area inside the Devastator.
Large support beams lined the area, and the control panels embedded in the walls flickered with weak red warning lights.
However, the air here seemed to thicken, and anyone else would feel a suffocating sensation that was unbearable.
Gabriel stopped, his right hand tightening around his weapon.
Shatterer emanated a faint blue glow as its power rippled with a low hum, like a sleeping beast awakening, ready to tear apart anything that dared approach.
The red warning lights on the walls flickered erratically before finally going out.
The corridor's lights also began to flicker and extinguish one by one.
Darkness slowly consumed the light, as if some invisible force was swallowing the sources of illumination, dragging the entire area into an abyssal void.
Gabriel stood at the border of light and darkness, where the unknown collided with the present.
The darkness was beyond normal perception—it wasn't just a simple energy field but something akin to an abyssal gaze, choking the space, turning everything into a deathly, oppressive stillness.
His superhuman vision, honed on countless battlefields, could usually detect the slightest movement, but now, the end of the corridor was engulfed in total emptiness, as if it had ceased to exist as part of the ship.
It was as if the corridor had become a rift to some unknown realm, where anything that crossed it would be utterly consumed.
Still, Gabriel remained calm.
As a commander who had fought through countless deadly situations, his resolve in the face of adversity never wavered.
He had already deduced that the approaching darkness was none other than the force behind the galaxy's most powerful "Force" user—Darth Vader.
The executor of the dark side, and one of the Emperor's most trusted lieutenants, was slowly drawing nearer.
Gabriel, in the silent depths of the ship, would soon face this dark force in a confrontation that could not be avoided.
Hoo...
The sound of heavy, mechanical breathing soon echoed from the end of the corridor toward Gabriel.
Under his helmet, Gabriel's eyes narrowed, trying to spot the source of the sound. At the same time, he raised his left hand, ready to release a psychic pulse to test the enemy's presence.
"Ugh!"
Just as Gabriel began to channel the psychic energy in his hand, his throat was gripped by an invisible force, and he experienced an intense choking sensation, unlike anything he had felt since becoming an Astartes.
Before he could react—
In the next moment—
Gabriel, towering at three meters tall, was suddenly lifted by a massive force and slammed into the wall of the transit area.
------------------
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I Am Hades, The Supreme GOD of the Underworld! (Chapter 570)
Reborn as Humanity's Emperor Across the Multiverse (Chapter 660)
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