Bang! Bang!
The Macro cannon's flames illuminated the dark void.
A terrifying shriek accompanied a shell as it slammed directly into the target's stern engine, instantly tearing off massive debris from the hull. The light of an ion engine flickered twice before dying out.
"The enemy ship is attempting to flee! We've destroyed part of their engine!"
"The enemy ship has deployed its Void Shield!"
"Power reduced to half speed! Continue firing! Laser Cannon, open fire and overload their Void Shield!"
In the void, dense Laser Gun fire intertwined, beams striking the Void Shield and creating ripple-like, colorful undulations.
The freighter's Void Shield was ultimately no match for a military Void Shield. As the four Laser Cannons continuously fired for three minutes, a strange humming sound, similar to the heavy horn of a ship, reached Horatio's ears.
He knew this was the sound of the enemy ship's Void Shield overloading.
"Seize the moment the two ships cross and turn, and use the Macro cannon to completely destroy their engines!"
Lieutenant Stirling leaned against the hatchway, quietly watching the black-haired youth, wearing a bicorne hat, command the warship in void combat like a true Captain.
This was excellent practice; every qualified Imperial Navy Naval Officer had to know how to command a warship in battle, as there were too many uncertainties during combat. Captains dying in action was commonplace, and Lieutenants had to take over the command sequence promptly.
The warship gracefully circled behind the enemy ship. In that instant, the Macro cannon fired again, two shells completely destroying the entire ship's electrical system.
"Deploy the boarding pods!"
The 'cargo bay' in the middle of the Q ship opened, revealing the pre-prepared Shark Assault Boats.
At Horatio's command, the Shark Assault Boats swiftly surged towards the enemy ship's bridge and midship.
Bang! With a violent explosion and a fierce tremor, the Shark Assault Boat's front-mounted melta-penetrator stream pierced through the hull. The boarding ramp lowered, and the Hellspawns immediately opened fire on everything that moved inside.
Horatio only wanted the ship's command personnel for interrogation; everyone else was to be killed without mercy.
Louise commanded the Hellspawns squad to assault the bridge, but unexpectedly, the enemy ship's crew had exceptionally good weapons, even a bit too good.
A melta beam shot towards her, but luckily, she reacted quickly, dodging behind a compartment.
That was a melta weapon capable of piercing carapace armor; by all accounts, how could crew members be equipped with such a thing?
She used her Aom Shield Helmet to quickly analyze the last scene she had just captured. After zooming in on the image, she saw the eight-pointed star of Chaos tattooed on a crew member's neck.
"+ All personnel, attention! The enemy are Chaos cultists and possess high-threat weapons. +"
Horatio also heard Louise's report, but it was within his expectations.
From their initial attitude during the first contact, he had already guessed their identity.
Even though these degenerates had weapons capable of piercing carapace armor, their training level was far inferior to the Hellspawns. Many were shot dead before they could even raise their guns.
These elite Imperial Navy warriors took control of the ship's compartments and bridge within five minutes. Familiar with ship structures, they cleared the warship faster than Childer of Loyaltys, perfectly meeting the expected efficiency for which the unit was established.
Louise personally captured their Captain and First Officer, escorting them back to the ship at gunpoint.
"+ We found a large quantity of melta bombs, Lucius Lasguns, various types of military firearms and ammunition, and even… a Hellhound light tank in the cargo hold. +"
"They want to start a war, don't they…" Horatio was surprised by the report.
Suddenly, he sensed something through the Q ship's machine soul.
"Multiple fast targets are approaching our ship!" the Augur operator shouted.
"+ Louise, order the Hellspawns to return to the ship immediately! +" Horatio told Louise.
"+ Understood! All personnel, return to your boats immediately! Move, move, move! +"
The Shark Assault Boats began to slowly withdraw from the hull.
During this time, the mothership could not activate its Void Shield, otherwise these Shark Assault Boats would shatter upon impact with the Void Shield.
"Detecting enemy gunfire emanating from the plasma cloud!"
Horatio bit his lower lip.
"What to do? Should I activate the Void Shield, or wait for the Hellspawns to return to the ship?"
Lieutenant Stirling watched Horatio, who was deep in hesitation, with a calm expression, observing how he would react.
Of course, this was typically a trolley problem; most Imperial Navy Naval Officers had to make a difficult choice.
"+ Report return-to-ship time! +"
"Shell impact in 20 seconds! Estimated impact point: ship's stern!"
"+ The last boat is expected to arrive within 30 seconds! +"
"Accelerate forward! Full speed ahead!" Horatio commanded.
A bead of cold sweat trickled down Horatio's cheek.
"Engine thrust is at maximum!" the propulsion department trainee shouted.
"God Emperor, charge!" Horatio shouted to the machine soul.
The promethium in the power core surged like a tidal wave, and the plasma engine erupted with immense light.
Horatio felt a sudden jolt backward; almost all standing trainees stumbled and fell to the deck during the massive acceleration.
Facing the mothership's sudden turn, the Shark Assault Boats accelerated to maximum, chasing after it.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Two shells grazed the assault boats and struck the stern of the 'Blind Anna' that the Q ship had crippled. The Q ship was unscathed.
It was at this moment, through the explosion's fire, that Horatio saw the identity of the attackers—void slavers.
These individuals were a type of pirate; they not only plundered resources but also raided undefended Imperial worlds, kidnapping populations to sell to anyone willing to pay their price, whether it be Drukhari / Dark Aeldari, Orks, depraved nobles, or the Chaos Gods / The Four Gods.
They had been silently tracking the 'Blind Anna' for a long time, using the cover of the plasma cloud, coveting the 'treasure' on board. Even upon seeing the Imperial Navy's Q ship, which had bared its fangs, they dared to take the risk in the face of immense profit.
The slaver ship was an armed merchant vessel, accompanied by three armed fast attack craft and a Ravager-class merchant raider.
Their individual firepower was not comparable to the Q ship, but once these hyenas swarmed, it would be a pyrrhic victory.
"One against five…"
"You are very fortunate; you made the correct decision. But for the coming challenge, Sergeant Major Horatio, can you handle it?"
Lieutenant Stirling suddenly asked, his tone serious, "This won't be an easy fight."
"I can," Horatio responded calmly.
"All Shark Boats recovered!"
Horatio took a deep breath and shouted, "Activate the Void Shield! Send out a request for reinforcement signal."
Another horn-like hum, and the Void Shield fully deployed, covering the entire ship.
"Reinforcement signal sent, but no response yet!"
Horatio frowned.
This was a battle that could not be lost; once defeated, everyone would become slaves, sent to the most terrifying nightmare realms.
"Sergeant Louise reporting!" A breathless Louise, as soon as she returned to the ship, immediately rushed to the bridge.
"Louise, immediately arrange the anti-boarding plan." Horatio looked at her and nodded solemnly.
Louise's eyes were filled with determination. She nodded knowingly and immediately went straight to the display console, beginning to arrange the deployment of the armed forces on the warship.
When this Q ship set sail, it carried 30 Hellspawns, 1000 trained Voidsmen-at-Arms led by three experienced Voidsmen-at-Arms Officers. In addition, there were several thousand ordinary Sailors, and several thousand shackled indentured servants, with 3000 sealed firearms locked in the spare armory.
The indentured servants were all criminals, earning reduced sentences by serving the Imperial Navy; no one dared to gamble on their loyalty.
The ordinary Sailors lacked shooting training and were unskilled; they could be given guns, but only as a last resort for conscription.
Horatio did not know how many pirates the enemy had, perhaps thousands, perhaps tens of thousands.
But he knew that despite being outnumbered, he held an advantage in personnel, armaments, gunnery, and defense.
Horatio took a deep breath.
So, at present, there was only one strategy.