The Legion warriors departed with reluctance, leaving the command hall instantly submerged in silence.
"Are you sure about this?" Harlan handed over the Ring of Chaos. Though he voiced the question, little anxiety showed in his eyes. Having followed Blazkowicz for so long, he understood the true depth of the man's capabilities better than anyone.
"No need to worry." Blazkowicz accepted the chaotic artifact with an easy expression, a sudden flash of light in his palm dividing it into two. "Keep this safe."
Handing one half of the eight-pointed star beacon to Harlan, Blazkowicz added solemnly: "Whether I can return safely depends entirely on this."
"I will secure it well." Harlan accepted it carefully, turning to depart with a grave expression.
Following the commander's orders, vast numbers of extermination weapons were unloaded from the transport vessels and brought to a semi-activated state, loaded directly into the launch arrays of the Blackstone Fortress. A single such weapon could easily eradicate an entire world, yet they were being massed here without regard for cost, all for a single, desperate gamble to destroy the Rangdan World Engine.
"Please secure your safety." Having received the operational parameters, the Lion transmitted a brief dispatch. He forewent the use of a holographic link, fearing the absolute gravity of his features might betray a momentary vulnerability and alert his brother to his unease.
The Firstborn did not block the mad, reckless initiative. The Lion knew better than anyone that to achieve a strategic victory here, they had to make a daring attempt. Had he conceived the operational plan himself, he would have executed it with equal boldness; no one could deter a Primarch from an intentional tactical undertaking.
[PLEASE ARRANGE A BANQUET IN THE COMMAND HALL TO CELEBRATE YET ANOTHER OF MY VICTORIES.]
High Gothic characters materialized on the monitor. The corner of the Lion's mouth twitched upward slightly before flattening; he could almost see the confidence and composure on his brother's face through the text. Shaking his head slightly, he spoke into the command matrix: "Open the docks. Receive the allied fleet."
The staging bays of both Blackstone Fortresses cycled open in synchronization, releasing the transport craft as personnel and materiel transferred from one fortress to the other.
"Overlord, the human fortress is exhibiting anomalous behavior."
Inside the World Engine, the artificial intelligence delivered its loyal report, the holographic image magnifying steadily to bring the human fortress into sharp focus.
The Creator narrowed its gaze. The human fortress was dispersing its fleet, executing a total transfer of resources. Analyzing the situation for a few seconds, it realized the circumstances were highly unusual and resolved to treat the human vessel with due seriousness: "Activate the defensive platforms."
"Do not waste firepower. Amass energy and standby; once the humans enter optimal firing range, execute phased salvos. Forcing the enemy to withdraw remains the primary objective."
The AI bowed: "By your command, Creator."
The Creator gave a slow nod of its massive head, casting one final look at the human asset before turning back to oversee the final assembly of the neutron star. The human fortress was practically a candle flickering in the wind; the moment the World Engine achieved full activation, it could obliterate it in an instant.
Footsteps echoed through the vast, empty halls of the vacant Blackstone Fortress. Blazkowicz, fully clad in his Archon armor, strode to the control console with a grave expression, monitoring the influx of tactical data.
"Fleet evacuation complete. Initializing attitude adjustment."
An intelligence projection materialized at his side, manipulating the automated interfaces to realign the Blackstone Fortress's posture.
The two Blackstone Fortresses formed a linear three-point axis with the central core of the World Engine, aligning in an arrowhead formation to launch a lethal charge toward the dormant leviathan.
Seeing the fortress ahead completely obscure his forward view while maintaining synchronized rotation, the Lion roared his command: "Drop shields! Funnel all vortex cannon output into the allied vessel!"
With the Primarch's mandate, the atmosphere within the command hall spiked with tension. The Dark Angels stared intently at the view-ports and tactical projections, their hands tightening instinctively around their guardian spears. They were deeply anxious, watching their genetic sire court absolute peril in isolation.
The voice of the automated intelligence was cold and definitive: "Shields lowered. Channeling energy to the allied fortress via the vortex arrays."
The ultra-heavy vortex cannons of the rear fortress aligned perfectly in the void. As its warp shields dropped, a purple lance of energy illuminated the universe once more!
"Inbound Warp energy detected. Fortress power systems are entering overload parameters."
At this critical juncture, the Blackstone intelligence blared a rapid warning, reporting the vessel's status at maximum operational speed. Beyond the viewport lenses, the black exterior hull crackled with purple lightning as the sheer velocity of the energy transfer pushed the colossal frame forward.
"Routing energy flow from the central core into the forward axis emitters."
A blinding lance of light flared from the midsection of the fortress as the inbound Warp energy was directed along the central axis, feeding directly into the forward firing arrays. Blazkowicz gripped the manual control console, the interface array trembling beneath his hands as the massive capital ship shuddered under the immense build-up of raw energy.
[STABILIZING POSTURE. RELEASING PROPULSION ANCHORS.]
A crushing sensation of acceleration slammed into his back. Beyond the crystalline lenses of the pyramid, the stellar background blurred into a hyper-accelerated streak.
"The fortress is accelerating... 10% lightspeed... 20% lightspeed..."
Driven by the AI's data stream, the colossal structure surged forward, trailing a massive column of purple energy. The power of the Warp warped the local laws of physics, pushing the short-range acceleration to an astonishing 40% lightspeed!
The Archon armor's stabilization field flared to counter the extreme G-force. Streams of tactical data cascaded before Blazkowicz's eyes. Moving with blinding speed, he threw the console controls forward, concentrating the vessel's shields entirely into a forward 180° arc.
A warp shield materialized over the forward section of the Blackstone Fortress, blazing with an unbelievable purple luminescence. Under relentless acceleration, this ultra-massive object rapidly neared 60% lightspeed!
"Arm the vortex cannons," Blazkowiczcommanded, perfectly calm as the anchoring magnetic clamps of his combat boots deployed, embedding themselves deep into the blackstone floor plates.
A perfect three-point line!
Remaining well outside the effective range of the Rangdan defensive platforms, the Dark Angels' Blackstone Fortress channeled its absolute energy reserve into Blazkowicz's vessel, propelling it forward at an terrifying velocity. The fortress was now supercharged with power, sustaining its warp shields at maximum capacity while boosting its central axis cannons far beyond standard operational thresholds.
The Blackstone Fortress had transformed into a purple comet, plunging through the void without a hint of hesitation, illuminating the dark starscape.
The automated systems of the World Engine flagged an immediate update: "The human fortress is closing rapidly. Plotting trajectory; clear line-of-fire established for defensive arrays."
In an instant, the dark void seemed to come alive. Countless heavy defensive arrays massed energy, pivoting to track the approach of the purple comet, their barrels glowing with absolute destructive potential.
"The human fortress is approaching at extreme velocity. Deceleration is anticipated in four minutes."
Listening to the clinical report, the Creator returned to its command console, the folds across its brow tightening as its psychic signature radiated an immense impatience. These human pests insisted on causing distractions to divert its attention, attempting to stall the core integration of the World Engine with their futile resistance.
Peering through the opening of the central axis, it watched the human fortress expand rapidly across the viewing sensors.
"Run calculations," the Creator ordered the intelligence system, keeping its gaze fixed on the purple comet. "If the human fortress maintains a direct ramming trajectory, can it breach our defensive shielding?"
As a Rangdan Overlord, the Creator adhered strictly to scientific rationalism, operating with absolute rigor. Seeing the comet's rapid approach, it immediately deduced the possibility of an orbital strike.
A holographic display flickered to life, presenting countless predictive outcomes. The data was definitive: the statistical probability of a successful ramming strike was one in hundreds of millions. Even if the human fortress connected with the World Engine's shields, the vessel would be torn to splinters. If it carried boarding parties internally, no flesh-and-blood soldier could survive the kinetic shock of the hull fracturing.
Meanwhile, the secondary fortress remained too far in the rear. Even in the one-in-a-million scenario where the primary hull managed to rupture the shield, reinforcements would arrive far too slowly to present a viable tactical threat.
"Tedious," the Creator sighed, shaking its head. In the depths of its mind, it had hoped the human offensive might offer a genuine technical surprise, allowing it to further validate the supreme design of the World Engine. It had waited, only to be met with disappointment.
Time ticked away second by second. Thousands of energy beams erupted into the void, carrying searing heat as they converged upon the human fortress. The high-energy weapons slammed into the forward warp shield, kicking up minor ripples as the barrier's luminosity flared continuously.
"Creator!" The AI's voice spiked sharply, the tactical display shifting to project a hazardous scenario: "The human fortress is not decelerating!"
"Based on current velocity calculations, the human fortress will impact our position in three minutes."
"Do not panic," the Creator remained entirely unmoved, its calm absolute as its tentacles shifted rapidly across the virtual interface. "Deactivate the firing sequences for the left sector of the defensive platforms. Maximize power output for the right sector; chamber solid-mass kinetic rounds and execute precision firing solutions."
"A direct frontal impact is sub-optimal for them and drains an immense amount of shield energy. Use high-mass kinetic barrages to push the human fortress off its frontal axis, forcing it to strike the shield at an oblique angle. The curvature of the shield will deflect the majority of the kinetic force."
The command parameters were broadcast instantly. The defensive platforms of the left sector responded immediately, ceasing their fire. The weapons systems of the right sector opened up completely, macro-cannons and lance batteries firing in unison to slam against the forward warp shield.
[PORT HULL ENGAGING MASSIVE DEFENSIVE SALVOS. MACRO-CANNON IMPACT DEVIATION WITHIN 100 METERS. FORTRESS HAS BEEN PUSHED 2° DOWNWARD AND TO THE RIGHT.]
Blazkowicz monitored the text readout as the port side of the Blackstone Fortress sustained a punishing bombardment. Within a single second, his mind calculated the Rangdan Overlord's strategic intent, and he issued a decisive command: "Accelerate ship rotation to stabilize the hull! Engage physical thrusters to correct our vector; calculate enemy firing density and counter the kinetic drift!"