Finally, Sith's gaze settled on Shahansen. Upon receiving that look, Shahansen immediately began speaking.
Pointing at the map, Shahansen displayed the excellent qualities of an Inquisitor.
"Currently, the entire Ustalii is primarily divided into three factions. The Tyranid Swarm occupies the eastern hemisphere, the Greenskins the western hemisphere."
"Our forces hold the North Polar Forge Region. Relying on the polar space elevator, we continuously receive reinforcements from other star systems."
"Additionally, although surface facilities are completely overrun, thanks to the Adeptus Mechanicus's developed underground transport network, we still control sixty percent of Ustalii's production capacity."
Hearing this, Sith's eyes lifted slightly. The situation was actually far better than he had imagined.
Not only was there an unimpeded external supply line, but the planet's production capacity was also largely preserved.
Just as a look of relaxation appeared on Sith's face, he glanced around at the others, only to see nothing but seriousness on their faces.
Sith was taken aback. After all, even for an Apocalypse-level conflict, this situation was leagues better than Alert Star.
Seeing this, Sith grew puzzled. He didn't ask, but instead bent his head to study the map again. Soon, above the North Pole, far out in orbit away from the planet, he found another, unfamiliar force.
Sith pointed directly at it, his gaze sweeping questioningly:
"Who is this?"
The crowd looked at each other. No one answered. Even Fanros looked confused, clearly indicating this was not an enemy present before.
Shahansen's face fell. After a moment, he spoke in a low voice:
"It's the Chaos Traitors, led by Abaddon."
Chaos Traitors? Abaddon?
How is this old acquaintance everywhere?!
Sith was stunned. He hadn't expected that upon coming to Octarius, this Abaddon would also show up!
After a moment of stunned silence, Sith quickly wanted to ask more about Abaddon. But the brightly lit hall suddenly plunged into complete darkness in an instant. Even the ceaseless, thunderous roar of the Forge World's gears rapidly faded into dead silence.
Those around instantly looked around in shock, especially the Fabricator-General. Facing the phenomenon of all machinery across the entire planet simultaneously shutting down, his eyes held undisguised terror.
Only when the ceiling of the hall was slowly opened by countless Servitors using sheer manpower, allowing outside light to stream in, could the crowd look up at the sky. Directly above them was a ship, bizarrely twisted in form, as if countless derelict vessels had been chaotically fused together—a satellite-sized behemoth.
Around the ship gathered a massive Chaos Fleet. Seizing the moment of the Imperium's mechanical paralysis, these fleets were releasing a torrent of drop pods towards specific areas.
"What is that thing?"
Staring at the bizarre giant ship, veteran Inquisitors like Shahansen also wore looks of confusion. Sith glanced at it, then lowered his head, his face showing only the resigned exasperation that the galaxy was truly one giant cesspool.
Because it wasn't just Abaddon who had come. Born from the Warp, representing 'Malefic Machinery', and on the verge of ascending to a status equal to the Chaos Gods / The Four Gods, the demigod Vashtorr had arrived as well!
And that bizarre amalgamated hulk was Vashtorr's masterpiece, a super-warship of immense combat power and volume: the harbinger ark!
Only a Warp conceptual entity like Vashtorr could paralyze all machinery across an entire planet.
Even now, as the crowd looked up, the colossal harbinger ark was deploying large numbers of elite decapitation forces against the Imperial defenders, who were left with only rifles to fight with.
However, those below frantically preparing to engage on the ground did not encounter an unimpeded Chaos assault. Instead, the sky suddenly reverberated with the thunder of anti-aircraft fire.
The Chaos forces, landing with reckless abandon, hadn't expected ground-based anti-air defenses. Instantly, the completely exposed drop pods transformed into massive fireworks displays across the sky.
Everyone in the fortress was momentarily stunned. Sith, watching this artillery fire, temporarily set aside his exasperation with the galactic cesspool and turned to those beside him:
"Everyone, stay calm. Work to restore the paralyzed machinery as quickly as possible. Until then, our anti-aircraft fire will continue to provide suppression."
The crowd grew even more puzzled upon hearing this, wondering where the artillery fire was coming from. Only Fanros and a few others gradually began to realize, their expressions growing increasingly awkward.
Seeing the crowd's questions, Sith felt even more exasperated that they needed him to spell it out.
After internally shouting 'For the Imperium!' three times, Sith pointed directly at the artillery fire overhead:
"Vashtorr the half-god paralyzed Imperial machinery. What's that got to do with us Greenskins?"
...
Leaving aside the speechless astonishment of the humans on the ground at Sith's explanation, inside the harbinger ark overhead...
Abaddon, initially brimming with confidence, faced a stream of successive reports. The towering spikes on his bald scalp seemed to bristle as his frown deepened:
"What do you mean you're facing Imperial counterattacks, but the counterattacking forces are Greenskins wearing Imperial helmets?"
"And the artillery fire! I told you to attack the Imperium! Why are you flying straight into Greenskin gun barrels?"
"What? It's not that you went to Greenskin territory, but that the Imperial battlements are packed with fucking Greenskins?!"
Abaddon muttered over the reports. After gradually digesting this information, he stood dumbfounded for a full dozen seconds before suddenly looking up, glaring at the 'Vashtorr the half-god' before him, a huge question mark practically visible on his bald head:
"Greenskins..."
"When did they join the Imperial faction?!"
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