Tau Enclave.
Driving off the wide boulevard, Cain's mine-protected vehicle crushed a few bushes and a trash can, entering a small road leading to the industrial area.
The low rumble of 155mm truck-mounted cannons became clearer, each whistle overhead signaling a new explosion, silencing the streets in its wake.
The crisp, pleasant sound of 240mm "Tulips" meant that with each shot, a Tau building or defensive position was utterly reduced to ashes.
Every 20 minutes, the "thunder" of the 800mm railgun could be heard, randomly making a section of the Tau enclave completely disappear.
However, once urban warfare began, the Imperial Army's offensive weakened, as in open field battles, the Imperial Army had leveraged the advantage of "air-ground coordination and steel torrents" across open plains and hills.
But in street fighting, the Tau, with each Soldier equipped with a mech, posed a challenge even for the battle-hardened Imperial Soldiers, given the fundamental equipment disparity.
Originally, the Soldiers intended to push through, even if it meant sacrificing their lives, to win this battle, feeling honored to fight under Li Feng, a friend of the emperor.
When Li Feng annihilated the Tau fleet in just six minutes, the Army's mindset was already one of fierce determination; even if they had to bite, they would chew through the Tau's armor and fortifications to secure another victory for Li Feng.
Thus, in the open field battles, the Army went wild, and under the offensive of ground aviation and armored units, a large number of Tau were annihilated or captured, although many Soldiers expressed curiosity about the "uncommon sight" of taking prisoners.
However, after entering urban street fighting, the offensive showed signs of fatigue. Li Feng did not intend for his Soldiers to be used as cannon fodder, but rather instructed them to slowly engage the Tau, preserve themselves, and if they encountered an unassailable position or one that looked difficult to attack, to simply call for artillery and airstrikes.
The main force for street fighting was entrusted to the "Angels of the Emperor," the Astartes Space Marine. The main forces for liberating the enclave were the Carcharodons and the Ultramarines.
Huron's Claws of the Stars were still, under Li Feng's orders, thoroughly and systematically searching for Gretchin again, as it was said Li Feng had his own plans for this planet.
Meanwhile, Li Feng had dispatched diplomats to negotiate with the Tau, believing that the Tau had already lost the war and it was time for them to be carved up at the table.
However, because the negotiation area was within the Tau enclave's war zone, they lost contact after some time. Thus, Commissar Cain was once again forced to "volunteer" to find the diplomatic team.
After the vehicle passed several sharp turns, the architectural style gradually shifted to heavy industrial, with walls covered in grime, showcasing the alien style's decay and ruin.
Looking at the deserted streets, Cain felt a sense of relief. His mission had not yet begun, and the forces of traitors and xenos had already been largely wiped out.
Just then, Yugen slowed down the vehicle. Cain noticed a Planetary Defence Force officer raising his hand, standing in front of the armored vehicle. Under the cover of towering factory walls, the street was eerily silent, with only the uniformed officer appearing somewhat uneasy.
"Political Commissar, do you hear the gunfire?"
As the engine stopped, Cain realized Yugen was right. He had initially thought it was an echo of gunfire from the highlands, but listening closely, the cannon fire was indeed coming from the Planetary Defence Force's front line ahead.
Cain got out of the car, glaring at the officer: "What's happening?"
The other man's expression was clearly flustered: "We received orders from above to defend this area, but there are many enemies. Did you bring reinforcements?"
Cain asked, puzzled: "What are you doing?"
"I don't know either, sir. We were transferred from the barracks last night, only told to hold this place to the death."
The officer's voice was filled with panic, his eyes darting around. Cain cursed his bad luck internally; this path was a dead end.
"Are you the commanding officer here?" Cain asked. The officer nodded, a flicker of struggle in his eyes.
Cain said sternly: "Then report the situation. When did they arrive, how many did they bring, what can you tell me?"
The officer tremblingly pointed to a warehouse building: "They are all inside."
Suddenly, a Laser Gun beam shot out from the warehouse window, hitting the side of the Salamanders. Cain grabbed the officer, pushing him to safety, while Yugen reacted swiftly, operating the heavy bolter on the roof to unleash a barrage on the window, pulverizing the sniper.
"Thank you, Yugen."
Cain nodded, then turned to the officer: "Are the diplomats all in there?"
"They entered before dawn. Initially, we weren't the main force; the diplomats were picked up by the main force with tanks and VTOL aircraft 30 minutes ago. But the Inquisitor is still here, so we were left behind, ordered not to let anyone in or out."
The officer replied, and Cain knew this had happened hours ago.
Cain pressed on: "How many people did they bring?"
The officer thought for a moment: "I saw six, one of whom was a Psyker."
Hearing the Inquisitor's name, Cain frowned, because the Inquisitor's presence here meant they had already set their sights on this place.
"How many enemies are there?"
Cain pressed, and the officer shook his head slightly, looking around nervously.
"They are everywhere, dozens of them..."
The officer whispered, but no sooner had he spoken than a Laser Gun shot hit his shoulder, and he cried out, falling to the ground.
Cain quickly checked his wound; the Laser Gun's high temperature had cauterized it, at least preventing excessive blood loss. Cain looked back at the street, noticing movement behind some boxes, and calmly pointed: "Friend or foe?"
The officer groaned: "I don't know! Everyone in uniform is ours..."
Cain pulled him behind a trash can: "Keep your head down, and you'll be safe."
Then, Cain climbed back into the vehicle, feeling safer inside the armored car.
At this moment, Brocklaw's voice came through the comms: "Political Commissar, are you alright? Receiving strange messages from your channel."
Cain checked the flamethrower's loaded status, ready to fire at any moment: "It seems the Planetary Defence Force failed to protect them well. When will your men arrive?"
Brocklaw's echo came with intense Laser Gun fire: "Resistance is weak, but it will take some time."
"No need to rush."
Cain replied. The rebels' firepower was weak, and the vehicle's armor was sufficient against light weapons fire. Suddenly, several Laser Gun shots came from behind the boxes again, confirming the rebels' position.
Yugen directly pulled the trigger of the heavy bolter machine gun on the roof, and the bolter round exploded the rebels behind the box. Screams echoed in the open space, and Cain precisely used the bolter machine gun to kill them one by one. The bolter round ignited the oil drums, instantly setting the entire area ablaze with a towering fire, like a terrifying fireworks display.
Cain was instantly stunned! The people he needed to save were still inside! Yet he had directly or indirectly burned down the entire warehouse. Several PDF Soldiers immediately rushed to put out the fire.
Cain frowned slightly. Although there was a clear discrepancy between the urgent needs of the diplomats and the Inquisitor and the actual situation, rushing into that raging inferno would be suicide.
If those PDF Soldiers were willing to take the risk, let them go, but in Cain's opinion, the diplomats, the Inquisitor, and his team were already destined to report directly to the Emperor. And praying was perhaps the only thing Cain could do for them.
However, suddenly, a chilling thought surfaced in his mind. He had started this fire. If the Inquisition blamed him for failing to rescue them, or even for standing by and watching, his fate would be dire.
This moment of hesitation lasted less than a second, but it seemed to stretch into eternity. Finally, Cain made up his mind.
"Yugen, charge in!"
Yugen, as always, executed the order without the slightest hesitation. The vehicle immediately accelerated sharply, rushing towards the burning warehouse.
"There! Those warehouse doors!"
Cain pointed ahead, and Yugen, already aware, immediately aimed the heavy bolter with precision at the door, blasting it into fragments. The vehicle sped into the warehouse, cutting through layers of smoke, as flames and thick smoke engulfed everything visible.
Laser beams began to strike the armored vehicle's front deck, indicating the enemy's position. Yugen was about to retaliate but was stopped by Cain in time.
Cain said: "Wait, be careful not to accidentally hit the Inquisitor."
Yugen then changed tactics, maneuvering the side of the armored vehicle to ram, forcefully knocking over a pile of boxes, followed by a scream that confirmed the enemy's position.
In the thick smoke, the increasingly intense firelight within the warehouse cast bright orange-red hues, and the floor began to burn. Cain was about to order Yugen to retreat when he suddenly saw several figures rushing towards them.
He quickly instructed Yugen to stop the vehicle. Five figures, illuminated by the flames, rushed towards the Salamanders, closely followed by several pursuers. Cain immediately recognized the Rogue Trader Aurelius, who, while running, fired his Bolter Pistol backward, felling several pursuers, but the remaining enemies continued to fire.
Now Cain confirmed that the Rogue Trader was indeed the "Inquisitor."
One of the tall figures was the Governor's bodyguard, whom Cain recognized from a Governor's gathering. However, as the bodyguard returned fire, a Laser Gun beam accurately struck the back of his head, and his massive body crashed to the ground.
Aurelius hesitated at the sight, but even from Cain's perspective, it was clear the bodyguard had died before falling.
"Yugen, cover them getting into the vehicle!" Cain ordered decisively, his gaze fixed on Aurelius and his team. He knew that at this moment, he had to go all out to get the Inquisitor and his team out of this hellish trap.
Cain saw that the "Inquisitor's" entourage was still in distress, and disregarding his own visibility as a target, he climbed onto the armored vehicle and operated the heavy bolter.
Not every Salamanders armored vehicle was equipped with this weapon, but Cain always insisted on having it, and this time it fortunately came in handy.
Standing on the vehicle, he was able to fire over the heads of Aurelius's team, returning fire at the pursuers. Although he took down many enemies, more replaced them, pursuing relentlessly.
He glimpsed Aurelius's Scrivener sprinting ahead, the old man's white beard fluttering in the wind, moving with extreme agility, like Colonel Sanders racing Usain Bolt. A previous Laser Gun shot had hit his thigh, but he was still able to run, which made Cain realize the Scrivener's lower limbs were cybernetically enhanced.
Behind Aurelius, two women were also fleeing. The green-clad Psyker, leaning on a staff, had a chest wound, her clothes covered in blood, yet she continued to babble incoherently. The other woman, dressed in a completely black cloak, supported her, the cloak so dark it seemed to absorb the surrounding light, blurring her outline.
Cain swept the enemies with fire while trying to cover the fleeing entourage. Each time an enemy fell, a new one replaced them, their steps chillingly precise, making Cain feel a sense of familiarity, but he had no time to ponder it.
He leaned out, grabbed the Scrivener's hand, and pulled him into the vehicle, surprisingly finding that the man's fingers were also cybernetically enhanced.
"Thank you very much."
The Scrivener entered the vehicle, his gaze curiously surveying his surroundings, muttering to himself: "An all-terrain mine-protected vehicle designed by a friend of the emperor, Mars-made... truly excellent equipment."
Cain had no time to respond, turning to Yugen and shouting: "Yugen, go save that woman!"
He noticed Aurelius had been shot in the shoulder, his pistol fallen to the ground, clearly unable to hold on, so he quickly jumped out of the vehicle, drawing his Laser Gun to provide cover.
Aurelius looked at him with slight confusion: "Commissar Cain?"
It wasn't until Cain removed his gas mask that he recognized his rescuer. The surrounding flames were scorching, and Cain suddenly realized the vehicle was carrying a heavy flamethrower and fuel tanks, but there was no time to worry about that now.
"I heard you needed a ride."
Cain said these heroic words as he helped Aurelius up and fired tentatively in the direction of the enemies.
Yugen had done his best to help Raquel and her companion into the vehicle, but the female Psyker seemed extremely afraid of Yugen, constantly struggling to break free from her companion's grasp.
"He's nothing! Nothing!"
She shrieked, her voice shrill, then suddenly convulsed and fainted, foam at the corners of her mouth. Cain had no choice but to motion for the Scrivener to help her into the vehicle. The Scrivener easily lifted her, and Cain also quickly climbed back into the vehicle, sitting next to the black-clad woman.
"Yugen, drive fast!" Cain shouted.
Yugen did not hesitate, accelerating the vehicle to its maximum. The all-terrain vehicle surged forward, smashing through the previous warehouse doors, sparks flying, and directly burst back onto the street.
After leaving the furnace-hot warehouse, Cain breathed a sigh of relief, slumping into his seat, his heart pounding, still unable to process the recent adventure. The warehouse collapsed behind them with a roar, dust and flames rising.
Cain calmed down and shouted into the comms: "Command, returning to base. I've met up with the Inquisitor's team. The diplomatic corps said they went with the main force. We are safe... for now."
The black-clad woman beside him lowered her hood, revealing the face Cain had longed for: golden hair, blue eyes. She was even more beautiful now than he remembered. That slightly hoarse voice, which he had last heard singing melancholic ballads at the Governors Mansion, still stirred Cain's heart.
"Amberly?" Cain could barely believe it.
Amberly Vail, with a playful smile, scrutinized Cain's shocked expression. The large Inquisition rosette hung on her chest, and she said sweetly:
"Thank you, Political Commissar."
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