This time, Axis's fleet was extremely small, with just a single Gloriana-class battleship, a Vengeance-class vessel, a Dauntless-class cruiser, four Sword-class escorts, and a massive supply ship.
Aside from the accompanying mortal navy personnel and sailors, there were fewer than 1,500 Space Marines in total.
With such limited forces, all but the Gloriana-class battleship could basically be ignored.
However, the true strength of this fleet was not the Imperial Navy vessels, but Axis himself.
After several days traveling through the Warp, Axis and his party arrived at a star system located several light years away.
"Commander, the target star system has two planets within the habitable zone. One has already been converted into an agri-world.
"The other is a hive world. The agri-world is critically important, with several Imperial worlds in the surrounding systems relying on it for food supplies.
"According to orders from the Departmento Munitorum, we can abandon the hive world if necessary, but the agri-world must be retaken at all costs. This is a logistics issue that affects multiple star systems," reported the mortal commander standing before Axis.
"Alright. Since we're here, let's finish the fighting within a day. I intend to take back both worlds.
"Your task is simple: just scout out the enemy's situation for me," Axis replied.
He relished the chance to stretch his muscles again.
The mortal commanders around him nodded.
They already had a sense of Axis's power.
After the last battle, everyone had fully realized how terrifying this figure before them truly was.
He was a one-man exterminatus.
The Emperor's wrath incarnate.
"Lord Axis! Our radar system has detected the Rangda fleet," announced a mortal officer from the observation deck.
"Report the enemy's status. How many ships do they have, and where are they located?" Axis asked as he walked onto the bridge, hands clasped behind his back.
The void before him was still pitch-black.
Even though they had entered the target star system, distances within a single system were measured in astronomical units.
To the naked eye, only a blurry pinpoint of starlight could be seen.
"My lord, we've detected the enemy fleet, twelve astronomical units away. There are more than two hundred Rangda warships," the officer monitoring the radar screen reported.
Axis felt slightly disappointed at the number.
Previously, he had faced thousands of Rangda warships. Just two hundred was barely enough have him stretch his body a little.
"What's the situation with the two Imperial worlds? Have either of them fallen?" he asked.
"The local defense forces are all concentrated on the agri-world, which is currently locked in a stalemate. The xenos are carrying out a landing operation there.
"As for the hive world, our observations suggest it has already completely fallen. All human residents have either been enslaved or killed," the naval intelligence officer replied.
"Hm. May their souls return—uh, may they return to the Emperor's embrace," Axis said, sounding slightly embarrassed.
Damn, he had almost slipped up and said "return to the Golden Throne."
The old man wasn't sitting on it just yet.
A missionary from Monarchia standing nearby was stunned for a moment, then his expression turned to delight as he immediately began taking notes.
Lord Axis was right!
All Imperial subjects, after death, should return to the embrace of the great God-Emperor.
Truly, this was the embodiment of the Emperor's wrath, his envoy!
Even his words were so profound and exquisite.
"Lord Axis is right. Let us mourn these poor Imperial citizens, they will return to the Emperor's embrace. All those abominable xenos who dared defile the noble blood of humanity will be judged by Lord Axis wrath!" the missionary proclaimed.
The naval crew aboard the ship immediately held a moment of silence.
This missionary had recently become a favorite around Axis, earning much of his appreciation.
After all, they all worshipped the Emperor, and many in the Imperium regarded the Emperor as a god anyway.
Even the Space Marines wore devout expressions.
After Axis had single-handedly wiped out a Rangda fleet outside the system in the last war, his power could no longer be explained by science.
It seemed only the power of a god could account for it.
After all, this wasn't even psychic might.
"I'll go clear out the Rangda fleet in space first and bring the Emperor's wrath down on them, reducing them to nothing but cosmic dust.
"All of you will help the local defense forces keep the xenos contained in a certain area.
"Once I've dealt with the fleet in orbit, I'll take care of those vile xenos on the ground," Axis said.
First, he would wipe out the Rangda fleet in space, then move on to clean up the ground forces.
"All members of the 14th Company are ready to fight for the Wolf Lord!" Axis's wolves immediately shouted in unison.
"You'll go in as the vanguard. Get ready for a drop and be the first into ground combat!" Axis ordered.
"Lord Axis, we're picking up a high-energy signal, it's a Rangda warship?" Just as Axis was about to head out, a naval officer monitoring the radar suddenly noticed something unusual.
"What is it?" Axis asked.
"We've detected the signatures of an enormous vessel, as large as a moon! It's far bigger than our Gloriana-class battleship.
"According to intelligence from the First Rangda War, this is one of their War-Moons." The officer's fingers flew across the console, and the machine-spirit of the Gloriana-class battleship quickly pulled up a dossier.
The Rangda war moon was indeed, the size of a small moon, with a diameter of about 2,000 kilometers, just a bit smaller than Luna.
What appeared before Axis was a war fortress on the scale of the Death Star from Star Wars.
Looking at the massive moon shaped ship before him, Axis couldn't help but smile.
"Lord Axis, this is a Planetary-class weapon, extremely powerful, with firepower far surpassing our Gloriana-class battleship.
"During the First Rangda War, even when the First Legion rammed one of their own Gloriana-class battleships into it, they still couldn't completely destroy it.
"It has extremely strong defenses and attack power, with not only void shields, but also a powerful energy weapons known was shadow‑blasters."
The naval officer explained, pulling up precious data from the First Rangda War.
This intelligence had all been uploaded in advance by Lion El'Jonson, a friendly gift from the First Legion.
"So what? Before the great God-Emperor and before Lord Axis, even this war moon is just a big hunk of junk.
"Lord Axis will soon turn it to dust," the missionary from Monarchia said at once.
"Hahaha! You, what's-your-name, you're absolutely right," Axis said, patting the missionary on the shoulder.
This kid really knew how to flatter, and his skills were first-rate.
But up to now, Axis still hadn't remembered his name.
"Lord Axis, my name is Gers! Just call me Gers," the missionary bowed, trembling with excitement at the thought of soon witnessing another miracle of the great God-Emperor.
"You—whatever your name is—the people on the agri-world are probably terrified of the xenos. After the war, I need you to go calm the population down. Got it?" Axis said.
He'd heard so much flattery his ears were getting calloused.
Best to send this guy off to another planet for a while!
Axis still didn't remember it the man's name.
"Lord Axis, your words are as the God-Emperor's will to me. I'll carry out your orders without fail. I'll go prepare right away!" Gers replied eagerly, running off.
Soon, Axis and his team's ship approached the Rangda mothership. They weren't yet in weapons range, and everyone on board was tense.
"Don't worry, I've got this," Axis reassured the navy crew, then left with Kasha.
"Be careful," Kasha said as she walked alongside him.
Even with the Imperium's current technology, building such battle fortress, in the scale the Rangda had, was impossible.
If it weren't for Axis, this war might have required her father, the Emperor himself, to take the field.
"Haha! What's there to worry about? Even if it was the size of a planet, I could just blow it up from a distance. Honestly, I'm looking forward to smashing that giant hunk of metal."
Axis patted Kasha on the shoulder, kissed her on the cheek, and quickly suited up.
"Go on then, give me a fireworks show worth remembering!" Kasha said, hugging him over the clunky armour, "Also, don't forget to catch some important captives."
"Of course! Do you think I'd forget that!" Axis replied. He had, indeed, forgotten.
Kasha raised her staff with a knowing look and teleported Axis outside the Rangda war-moon.
Staring at the massive fortress, Axis grinned wickedly and flared up with golden energy.
He went Super Saiyan and, under the stunned gaze of the Rangda fleet commander, hurled himself at their starship.
What is that thing?
That was all the Rangda commander could think.
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have a great day/night!
also, don't forget to throw them powerstones! it's a bonus chapter every 200ps