Warhammer: In the Name of Ashes.

Chapter 606: War on the Gothic Starry Sky () Pesma, the Brewing of the Demonic Tide

After 80 hours of day and night travel, the Purifiers led by Turab took a shuttle and then transferred to the battle barge prepared by the Imperial Fist after leaving the starport of Blackstone Fortress.

The Imperial Fists who were stationed in Blackstone Fortress also used their own channels to convey orders to the troops who obeyed them.

On the battlefields along the way, both the Imperial Navy and the Astra Militarum used counterattacks to prop up the barriers before the Purifier force's warships arrived;

And amid the silent sacrifices of countless people, the Gray Knights led by Turab finally arrived at the temporary command hub in orbit by starlight after two planetary rotation cycles of Pesma.

In the command hall in the Star Fortress, the star's light has lost its temperature after a long distance, and is shining coldly on the crowd through the huge portholes.

The planetary governors and generals of the local defense forces in scarlet military uniforms stood on the periphery of the crowd, while the center of the crowd was occupied by a patch of defense gray belonging to the Astra Militarum.

In the center of the hall, on a square-sized holographic sand table, landforms that have been scaled down hundreds of times depict continents and oceans. On the dividing line marked by bright green and dim blue are countless mountains, rivers, farmland, and mines. fields...and thousands of dense highlights.

Every place there is a shrinking human settlement. And all of this is ultimately composed of a huge urban agglomeration centered on several towering hive cities.

boom!

The steam gate was opened violently, causing everyone to become subconsciously quiet. As far as the eye could see, two local judges from Pesma were walking at the front of the team amid the rapid collision of metal pendants on their robes.

Behind them was a special group of Emperor's Angels painted in the original color of steel.

"Another team is here!" The local planetary governor's expression remained unchanged, but his heart felt a little heavier.

He and his subordinates did not recognize the identities of the Gray Knights, but the meaning behind the arrival of Astartes warriors from two different chapters in their fief was equally heavy for him.

"It's them."

The Major General of the Astra Militarum in the center of the crowd lowered his head slightly, avoiding Turab's gaze as he walked around.

The iconic primary color of steel on the opponent's power armor, as well as the Tribunal mark contrasting with the iron-gray color of the breastplate, allowed the general, who also came from Blackstone Fortress to take over the battlefield, to immediately recognize his identity. .

And unlike everyone present who was intimidated by the majesty of the Tribunal and did not dare to greet the judges, he just subconsciously glanced at the Laurel Crusader helmet on Turab's head and knew that Pesma at this moment, Once again, the owner was quietly changed.

Talos raised his head from his meditation and looked at the oncoming giant.

Turab, who was a full head taller than him, had no interest in taking off his helmet in full view of everyone. He just nodded slightly to him and stood beside him openly.

Talos, who was already prepared for Turab's arrival, did not say any more nonsense and directly expanded the tactical sandbox at hand again to an angle that both of them could see.

The plain behind the mid-ocean ridge of the main body of the first continent and the seaward plain of the second continent;

The mineral industrial area of ​​the third continental plate, the main bedrock plain of the fourth continent...

The dots of red and the signs indicating the cleaning process did not make Tulabo feel at all relaxed.

Because in the center of the entire map, the disease emblem stretched across the largest man-made ocean, he felt the urgency of time more and more when his eyes touched the industrial systems of several hive cities around him.

At the same time, as the supreme leader of the Purifiers, he also arrived at Pesma and resumed remote communication with the legion. He continued to receive alerts from other planets on his personal terminal.

This clearly indicated a fact to him and the entire Gray Knights - when the plague was included in the Death Guard's weapon list, it was not just Pesma who had to tighten his nerves.

And this is indeed the case. When the Death Guard's second offensive was launched, along with the abscesses parasitic on the battleships were thrown into space, not only Calvin, but also all the psykers in the Gothic galaxy could See the nearly substantial power of decay surging in the subspace.

That is an omen, and it is also the power of decay originating from Nurgle's Garden, cheering for another reincarnation of life that conforms to their "aesthetics"!

As a result, more psychics or those who were "lucky" to awaken their psychic physique at this moment, all entered Nurgle's field of vision on this night.

Only a few legitimate psykers, or those who had received the empire's orthodox education and had established basic spiritual defenses based on faith, were lucky enough to escape this disaster.

What gives the Empire a headache is that the former is a source of danger that has not yet erupted. Most of them are illegal psychics active outside the scope of the Empire's management. Although Pesma's planetary government had already conducted an emergency evacuation, the upper-level command structure was evacuated in a short period of time and moved to this star fort.

However, the hive capital rulers at the lower level, as the real executive level, are showing a more or less suspicious state under the background that they cannot leave their posts.

Some of the areas where the orbital prevention and control system has confirmed that disease seeds have landed have been included in the scope of preparations for attack by Talos.

"What measures have been taken?" Turab looked at Talos, and his mind was spinning the possible response plans that he might prepare next.

Two teams of Gray Knights, having received orders from the psychic link in his mind's telegram, were riding frigates and approaching the orbits of those mission areas.

As the person in charge of all Purifiers, he needs to assess the potential pollution level of the entire Pesma based on Talos' previous defense measures in order to prepare for the next deployment of troops.

"Martial law, the Ministry of Justice troops are on high alert; they are systematically sorting out the middle and lower hives, and while re-confirming each passage and key resource points, they are establishing defenses at the edge of the actual control area of ​​the bottom hive.

All inquisitors on duty have been dispatched, and the Storm Guards are supervising the specific execution progress of each nest city;

Wormwood agents have been dispatched and are conducting further supervision and inspection of the upper levels of all planets, including those within the Anglican Diocese! "

Talos is also an old man who has cooperated with the Inquisition for a long time, and he has used the power in his hands to the extreme.

Turab raised his arms and nodded slightly while listening to the orders given by the former. But both he and Talos knew very well that these methods alone were still not enough to resist the infection from the evil god.

In fact, these routine precautions are the best they can do.

The pollution from Nurgle always appears in places that ordinary people cannot predict.

"Well done, I have nothing more to add."

Turab's words made Talos feel relaxed, which in itself was an affirmation of his ability.

"Be prepared for the worst." He said to the leader of the Purifiers, who was also one of the rare high-ranking officers in the entire Gray Knights Legion who had a clear title of champion.

In his eyes, everything he could do has been accomplished. The battlefield further down really belongs to the supernatural realm, where he has to fight face to face with those demons.

In this field, the person in front of him is the responder sent by the original body. The responsibility for the safety of the entire planet and even the Gothic galaxy will soon fall on this champion swordsman.

"Understood!" Tulab nodded and immediately looked at the adjutant behind him.

In the psychic link, an order to "use small teams as units, patrol the entire planet in warships, and be ready to intervene at any time and launch orbital strike operations" was completed at the moment their eyes met.

At the same time, the other Gray Knights who were left on standby in the staging area were also caught off guard by the surrounding crowd, and walked towards the various connections of the Star Castle in unison but with different purposes.

"I will watch your back!" Turab took his weapon from the adjutant's hand and assured Talos.

He also looked beyond Talos and looked at the starry sky in the distance.

"But pure defense is never a long-term solution, and a real counterattack needs to wait for that adult's preparation."

Update.