Atharion brought his thunder hammer down in a crack of caged lightning, the weapon crushing through the Nob's skull and detonating its spine in a burst of gore. The greenskin collapsed at his feet, twitching once before going still.
"What do you mean there's a xenos infestation?" he demanded, voice hard even over the roar of battle.
Around him, the assault raged. Dark Knights advanced in disciplined wedges, bolters barking as Auxilia units secured firing lines behind them. Orks poured from crude bunkers and cleft rock emplacements. The mountain fortress loomed above it all—if it fell, Atharion will able to secure the main battlefield as artillery pieces can be place on it and overlook the whole area.
The Librarian strode at Atharion's flank, force staff crackling as arcs of psychic lightning leapt from its head, ripping through a cluster of charging Orks and leaving smoking corpses behind.
"Yes, my lord," the Librarian replied, his voice strained but controlled. "The astropathic choir of Camelarion forced through an emergency transmission. Fragmented. Censored. But the meaning is clear."
He raised his staff again, crushing an Ork flat with a psychic shockwave before continuing.
"A multi-world infestation and according to Fabricator-General Nine, the xenos went unalerted as their leader is capable in infecting normal human, resulting the changing of their gene-code, resulting them become a gestation host that gives birth to a hybrid organism carrying both human genetic material and xenos gene-code."
Atharion already didn't listen to what the Librarian is saying when he hear that the supposed xenos is capable in changing a human gene-code.
'Genestealer.' he realized grimly.
He thrust his thunder hammer forward and unleashed a storm of caged lightning. The psychic discharge ripped across the slope, vaporising a knot of Ork Boyz and flipping a warbuggy end over end before it detonated against the rocks. The mountain shook as if recoiling from his wrath.
"That's what I missed," Atharion muttered, more to himself than anyone else.
He turned sharply toward the Librarian, cutting him off mid-sentence.
"How bad is it?" Atharion demanded. "Are the uprisings contained? Are the xenos suppressed?"
The Librarian grimaced as he parried a charging Ork Nob with a psychic barrier, then drove his force staff through its chest.
"Yes—for now," he replied. "According to the last confirmed data, Regent Xaxir has deployed the Sixth and Tenth Companies across the sectors. Tempestus forces are active. Inquisitor Eisenhorn confirmed the xenos strain, and Inquisitor Castil has already led a decapitation strike against a xenos."
He paused, voice lowering.
"The Alpha was captured alive. Aboard a Mechanicus vessel. Fabricator-General Nine is dissecting it as we speak."
Atharion is relief with such information. While there still the possiblities that the other worlds have already infected by the Genestealer, most possibly come from the huge colonize ships arrive in Camelarion during its founding. At the very least, those that stay back home have reliace the existence of the xenos and research upon them already begun, meaning that they will begin to root out those still hide with the information and new equipments for such matters.
Yes, Nine and his team still need time and testing for the equipment they develop, but in the end, it will still benefit, not only for Atharion, but also for the rest of the Imperium.
"That's good to know." Atharion said, raising his plasma pistol and firing. The incandescent bolt immediatly kill the 'Ard Boyz charging at him.
He took a step forward as Dark Knights surged past him, driving the Orks back toward their inner redoubts.
"But tell me," Atharion continued, his voice sharpening, "was there any delay in the transmission? Knowing the Warp, I doubt that message reached us the moment it was sent."
"Yes, my lord," the Librarian replied. "Significant delay. According to my codiciers' reconstruction, the transmission was sent approximately three standard Terran months prior to its reception here."
Atharion sigh. There's nothing that he can do, with the Crusade for Octarius already begin, it's impossible that he can just leave just like that. While many of them will understand him, it's will just be a waste to accomplise such little and leave.
"Inform Saqir," Atharion said at last, his tone resolute. "He is to disengage from the Crusade and return to Camelarion immediately."
The Librarian inclined his head, already preparing to send a psychic message to his codiciers so that they can let the Astropath to inform the Lord Sergeant Saqir of the 10th company, which is currently leading about twenty six scout squads, fighting and provide recon for the Crusade.
Since the Crusade begin, they already successfully reclaiming approximatlly sixty-four worlds. This partially due to the Orks lack of super-heavy walkers to challenge the Titans of both Legio Argentum Fulgur and Legio Praesagius, resulting many of those worlds that have heavy pressence of the Orks simply got decimated when the Titans are deployed.
When Titans can't be deploy, the Crusade are capable of deploying large numbers of tanks of the Auxilia to the battlefield and also large number of artillery that capable to almost leveling any Orks position.
As the ground combat progress as plan, the void battle fared even better. As Atharion have brought a large fleet with him, resulting him capable to almost win any void battle when the Orks doesnt have overwhelming numbers. Even when they have that advantages, the 4th company that stay in the battle barges and strike cruisers will simply find a chance to either board the command ship or those posed the most threats to fleet using the boarding torpedoes or the Kharybdis Assault Claw that Atharion have recommission. And if there's no window for such action, they will simply teleport the Terminator squads to deal with the Orks.
For those under the First War Host of Chapter Master Agrippan, the situation is almost the same.
Due to the Second War Host have a large force and fleet, while also advancing on the front that have larger Orks presence. This resulting in other than weaker Ork forces, with fewer Orks reinforcement arrive to face them, as all of them are attracted by Atharion and his larger force.
After another two hours of fighting, the world Atharion had battled over for two days was finally secured. The Ork Mekboss was vaporized by a Warhound Titan's plasma blastgun, instantly shattering the tribe's cohesion. What remained was a disorganized horde, which the Auxilia could handle without Astartes support.
With the battle won, Atharion ordered the main forces to begin withdrawal. Units regrouped and embarked onto dropships which will return to the transports waiting in high orbit, preparing for the next battle.
Upon returning to the Eternal Vigilance, Atharion went straight to the Strategium. Numerous reports awaited his attention, and a full briefing with the officers of the Second War Host had to be convened before the fleet could commit to its next Warp jump.
As he entered the chamber, it was already alive with activity. Officers of the Auxilia, senior fleet captains, and representatives from the Chapters stood around the hololithic tactical table, their voices overlapping as they discussed battle outcomes, casualty reports, and projections for the next front. The air was heavy with incense, data-chimes, and the low hum of active cogitators.
All conversation began to still as Atharion approached the table.
"We have finished the battle for C2-O-47." Atharion begin as the tactical table display the image of said planet. "With the Warboss kill, the rest of the Orks can be easily dealt by the Auxilia."
"High Colonel Lannes." He then turn towards one of the officers. "You will be task will leading the 7th Division and clean out all the Orks. Commodore Hood will lead his squadron and assit you in your mission."
Both men snapped to attention at once.
"Your will, Lord Atharion."
Atharion inclined his head in acknowledgment.
"Good. With this engagement concluded, we must decide our next advance."
At his gesture, the tactical table zoomed outward. The current system dimmed as surrounding space came into view, revealing two neighboring systems, each linked by stable warp routes.
"According to the datas that we get from the Administratum, the system on the left contain four worlds, with the only habitable world being a hive world before their destruction. While the other system only contain two worlds, while both are habitable, both are designated as a feral world."
Atharion stop for a bit so that those present can process what he just said.
"Thanks to reconnaissance conducted by the Mantis Warriors, we know that of these two systems, the first has been confirmed to host a significant Ork presence. The second system shows similar activity, but the Orks on those worlds are markedly more technologically regressed, for reasons as yet unknown."
Atharion's gaze hardened as the hololith highlighted a final route beyond both systems.
"Both systems lie along the approach to our ultimate objective, a stable warp route leading to Heilbronn, the sub-sector capital."
The display shifted again. A secondary line flared to life, branching from the second system and extending into deeper voidspace.
"However," Atharion continued, his voice cold, "the second system also possesses an additional warp route. It leads to another system where reconnaissance has confirmed the assembly of a large Ork warfleet."
Murmurs rippled through the chamber.
"Their exact numbers remain unverified," Atharion said, letting the silence stretch, "but I believe all of you understand who their intended target is."
"Lord," a Commodore spoke up at once. "I advise that we advance on the second system first and destroy the second Ork warfleet before proceeding toward Heilbronn."
He keyed a sequence into the cogitator linked to the tactical table. The hololithic display shifted, zooming in on the Heilbronn system.
"According to early reconnaissance," the Commodore continued, "we have already confirmed the presence of a substantial Ork fleet assembling around Heilbronn itself. If we do not eliminate the second warfleet before advancing, we risk being engaged by two Ork fleets simultaneously."
"Indeed," Admiral Rexus Hood added, turning toward Atharion. "While I am confident we could face two Ork warfleets at once, the losses we would suffer would be unacceptable and would severely compromise our ability to continue the Crusade."
He entered his own commands into the cogitator. The hololith changed again, now displaying a full roster of vessels assigned to the Second War Host, each marked with status indicators.
"Though we have dominated most void engagements, we have not been unscathed," Hood said grimly. "We have lost one Mars-class battlecruiser, four Lunar-class cruisers, five Dauntless-class light cruisers, six Gladius-class frigates, and four Nova-class frigates."
He paused, letting the numbers sink in.
"The remaining vessels have all sustained varying degrees of damage. While emergency repairs have been conducted, I strongly recommend that we destory the second warfleet first before advancing onto Heilbronn."
The chamber erupted into low murmurs as the assembled commanders began to confer among themselves. Some voiced firm agreement, recognizing the strategic necessity of eliminating a potential flanking force. Others argued just as strongly against it, warning that engaging another Ork warfleet would further bleed the fleet and leave them too weakened to press the assault on Heilbronn afterward.
They could wait for the First War Host to arrive and combine their strength.
But few truly wished to.
To delay would mean surrendering momentum—and worse, sharing the glory of conquering the most critical world of the Crusade's current phase.
As the debate continued, a new rune flared to life on the tactical display. An unexpected development—though, in truth, one long anticipated.
Angels of Wrath, Fire Hawks and Lamenters have finally arrived. With them, another battlefleet of two Emperor-class battleships, four Mars-class battlecruiser, ten Luna-class cruisers, and forty Sword-class frigates arrived with them.
Other than the three Chapters, the Lamenters also brought a 'friend' with them.
The Black Dragons.
Black Dragons are a Chapter also founded in the 21st Founding, just like the Lamenters. As many of the Chapters of that Founding are looked upon with suspicion, many of them have forged closer relationships with each other due to the same fate they share.
Their Ossmodula zygote has mutated, producing bony crests on their heads and blades from the forearm and elbow. These forearm blades can be retracted into the Claw's arm and then extended at will. The most extreme mutations also cause rampant growth in the rest of the Marine's skeleton; some Dragon Claws,a separate unit where all those who have the same mutation are gathered, stand more than three metres tall and must wear custom power armour to fit their gargantuan frames.
If Atharion can steer them towards the right path, and not let their Apothecaries deliberately encourage these growths—wishing to create more of the valued Dragon Claws.
The Black Dragons arrived with three companies, the Angels of Wrath arrived with five companies, the Fire Hawks with eight companies, and the Lamenters with four companies. The Chapters also brought another four battle barges and ten strike cruisers, which further strengthened the war host's void fleet.
With these newly arrived reinforcements, the council finally reached the same conclusion.
The Second War Host will advance towards the second system, then destroy the Orks' second warfleet when it inevitably attacks them.
After finishing off that warfleet, they will advance towards the final battle.
Heilbronn.