Emperor's Bane

Chapter 1009 Opening the Furnace

"If there is any strategically important location on this battlefield, it is definitely Dumont d'Or."

"Whoever occupies that place will be the winner of the war."

"And whoever wins this war will win the entire Minerva region and even the solar system."

"Then the Milky Way will belong to him."

This is the first lesson every soldier who has just arrived in Minerva will learn on this land.

The officers, senior soldiers, or comrades who arrived earlier who were responsible for welcoming them would instill this principle in their minds while helping them settle in.

Until they were convinced of it and willingly sacrificed themselves for this ideal on the battlefield.

Whether it's Shadowmoon Wolf or Imperial Fist, both sides in the war are doing this.

Hundreds of thousands of Astartes warriors, and a hundred times that number of mortal auxiliary troops, as well as the Mechanicus members who came to fulfill the Iron Covenant, the naval officers and soldiers bleeding and fighting in the void thousands of miles away, the Titans and knights who chose to pledge allegiance to one side, and even the civilians who seemed to have nothing to do with the war.

Around the furnace known as Minerva, everyone intimately connected to the war was taught the same lessons by various means, until they spread like a virus.

Until every warrior who came to Minerva began to be irresistibly captivated by it.

Whether mortal or Astartes.

It is still the original gene.

They all wanted to know what kind of steel grave awaited them on the battlefield.
……

"Du Oumont Castle".

"We call it the Throat Cutting Fortress."

"It is the core and cornerstone of the Imperial Fist and the Terran army on the entire Minerva front."

"It is also the most important fortress in the world."

In the makeshift frontline command post, a detailed bird's-eye view of the planet occupied an entire wall, and in front of it stood two figures gleaming with pearly white light, both of them Shadowmoon Wolves.

The tall and imposing First Company Commander, Abaddon.

And Malochist, the Twisted One, who, despite his hunched figure, exudes a fearsome aura.

As Horus's most trusted right-hand man in the Sun Wars, Abaddon and Malohrist didn't have many opportunities to meet: the former was always sent by the Wolf God to tackle the toughest challenges, while the latter had to work harder for Horus in the shadows.

But today, the importance of the fortress world of Minerva is enough for Horus to pour all his war resources into this once-obscure civilization.

Because Dorn, who was opposite him, was doing the same thing.

Today, the two Primarchs who hold supreme power over war are like two seemingly calm gamblers with veins bulging on their foreheads, completely disregarding the last vestiges of rationality in their hearts, numbly and fanatically pushing as many chips as possible onto the meat grinder called war.

Abaddon and Malohrist are not only two powerful assets in the hands of their Primarch, but also the ones who will squander those assets on his behalf.

How could one not feel flattered and overwhelmed by such a responsibility?
How could people not be on high alert?
Therefore, when Abaddon handed over command of the war in the Harken system to Cyyanus, who came to take over, and led the Gastalins to Minerva in a hurry, Malohrist didn't even give him any time to rest before eagerly pulling him into the command post.

He needed to explain to the first company commander the current situation and precautions on the Minerva battlefield.

At the same time, it is also necessary to enable him to adapt to this battlefield, which is used by the two Primarchs to fight each other, as soon as possible.

For Abaddon, this was not easy.

Nevertheless, he frowned, trying to absorb every bit of nourishment from the Twisted One's words.

If he didn't do that, he would most likely become the next Little Horus: the war of the sun has already taken away too many named Shadowmoon Wolves, and the First Company Commander didn't want his name to be next.

"If we want to take Cutthroat Fortress, we must first mention the existence of something called the Sun Barrier."

The Twisted One waved his hand, and the view in front of them changed to a complete map of Minerva taken from near-Earth orbit. Even though its scale was exaggerated, it was still clear that this once civilized world had been transformed into a complete interstellar fortress by the Imperial Fists.

The gray-white color, symbolizing steel and cement, almost completely covered the surface of Minerva, leaving no gaps.

But what truly catches the eye is the colossal structure that occupies the center of the entire overhead view—a permanent fortress complex that covers almost one-tenth of the surface of Miwa: hundreds of fortresses and giant gun emplacements, countless underground supply depots and storage facilities, void elevators and space docks directly connected to the orbital fleet, and combat space stations exclusively for the use of the Mechanicus…

In short, everything needed for a fortress can be clearly seen on this bird's-eye view of the planet.

"This is the solar barrier."

Even the cold-blooded Twisted Ones couldn't help but marvel at the beauty of the steel before them.

"When Rogdorn realized that war between the Holy Terra and the Warmasters was inevitable, he saw Minerva as the last line of defense between Terra and the Warmasters, and he spared no expense to arm it as much as possible."

“Over the past few decades, the vast majority of the population of the entire Minerva world has been forcibly relocated, and now it is almost entirely filled with combatants, logistics personnel, and a small number of military family members who can join the fight: 82 percent of the current population are threats that could pose a life-threatening danger to our soldiers on the battlefield.”

"In addition, Rogdorn also built one of the largest fortress projects in history on Minerva."

"As I just said, this massive fortress complex called the Sun Wall occupies almost one-tenth of the surface area of ​​Minerva. It can be said to be the only core of the entire Minerva front: the Imperial Fist has plundered everything else on this land. Outside the high walls of the Sun Wall, there are no valuable targets or resources on the ground of Minerva."

"This also presented us with difficulties: the consumption of supplies at the front lines in Minerva far exceeded expectations."

Abaddon paid no heed to the Twisters' complaints about logistics; he was concerned with something else entirely.

"In other words, if our army can breach the Solar Barrier, then the Imperial Fist will have lost completely?"

Abaddon turned his head and asked.

"You can understand that."

The Twisted One nodded.

"But you'd better not assume that."

"The Solar Bulwark alone is more terrifying than any other fortified world."

"The entire fortress complex was constructed using the best materials that the Terra Highlords could find in the galaxy. The construction units were entirely designated by Dorn himself, and at least 20,000 Imperial Fists supervised the entire construction process. After completion, the Terra Guard personally tested the defenses here: it is said that they were reinforced until Dorn himself was satisfied."

"Dorn's satisfaction: Think about how valuable it is."

"And if you still don't understand: I can give you a real-life example."

A flicker of pain crossed the Twisted One's face.

"Before you arrived here, we deployed a whole unit of Deathstrike missile vehicles to conduct a saturation bombardment of a core fortress on the outermost edge of the Solar Barrier for several hours: we haven't used so many Vortex warheads since the Great Expedition."

"How is the result?"

Abaddon raised an eyebrow: he certainly knew the concept of a death-direction missile.

If they're lucky, one of their attacks can wipe out an entire Astartes company: that's no exaggeration.

"how to say……"

The Twisted One sighed.

"We successfully destroyed the fortress, but only the surface part; we still have no way to deal with what's underground."

"As a price, all the Death Strike missile vehicles and Vortex missiles whose coordinates were exposed were destroyed by the Imperial Fist."

"A full complement?"

"Yes."

"Hiss... Horus will be heartbroken."

Abaddon gasped.

The Twisted One simply nodded.

"And there are at least several thousand such core and semi-core fortresses in the Solar Barrier."

"But even so, they are only a tiny, insignificant part of the solar barrier."

"Through identification and observation, we can determine that the underground part of the Solar Barrier is at least three times the size of the surface, and its intricate geographical structure even extends to the Earth's core. Even an extermination order cannot completely destroy it: the Imperial Fist simply built several hives underground, storing enough ammunition and supplies for at least twenty years."

"And in the sky, not to mention that our fleet is still fighting for air superiority with the Imperial Fist: the thousands of anti-air lasers surrounding the Solar Barrier alone, and the countless anti-air firepower platforms, are enough to cause any naval fleet that rashly intrudes to collapse and disintegrate on the spot."

"Moreover, these turrets are buried deep underground, and they are covered by an exaggeratedly thick void shield. Even risky orbital bombardment has no effect on them."

"We have already lost two battleships because of this."

"Try shelling?"

"Yes, but when it hits the Void Shield, there isn't even the most basic reaction: this is a technique I've never seen before."

Malohrist rubbed his temples.

"But compared to these external defenses, what's most troublesome are the people hiding inside this fortress."

"Let's not even mention the at least 100,000 Imperial Fists."

"One hundred thousand?"

Abaddon almost screamed.

"Didn't they only have 20,000 when the war started?"

"That's how it started."

The Twisted One shook his head somewhat innocently.

"But Omega's riots in Holy Terra did not delay us as much time as we wanted."

"After resolving the situation, Dorn has gradually transferred the main forces of the Seventh Legion to Minerva."

"The only good news is that, perhaps to guard against any further problems on Holy Terra, they did not send everyone over at once, but rather in batches: the vast majority of the fleet has already arrived, and the last large fleet, with Dorn personally in charge, is expected to arrive in Minerva in two to three Terra standard days."

"At that time, there will be an army of 100,000." The Twisted One paused, allowing Abaddon time to process the information.

"In addition, the number of mortal auxiliary troops stationed here is impossible to estimate: the underground space that Dorn built under the Sunwall is the size of several hives. Even if we mobilize all our informants, we cannot figure out exactly how many mortal troops are stationed here. However, it is certain that there are no shortage of elite troops among them."

“Lucifer’s Blackguard, Cardandar’s Guard, Tupolov’s Lancers, Paradin’s Sentinels, Anatol’s Soulcallers, Antioch’s Thousand-Man Night March, Kodsh’s Cavalry, the Golden Heiglar, and the Kimilin War Legion: almost every one of them is an old centurion that can be traced back to the War of Unification.”

(The Old Hundred-Man Corps: refers to one hundred ordinary soldiers formed by the empire during the unification wars.)
"Ah, I've heard of it."

Abaddon nodded.

"But if I may be so bold, Malhohurst, I don't think these old Hundreds are a threat to us."

"Quite the opposite."

"I think they are actually the breakthrough point."

"why?"

The Twisted One looked somewhat curious.

"Because I've seen them before."

Abaddon raised his head slightly, his memory drifting back to the distant Great Crusade.

"I must admit that these veteran centurions achieved unimaginable honors in the early stages of the unification war and the Great Crusade, and even we must respect them. But mortals and warriors of Akka are ultimately different: both are veterans of Terra, but veterans of Terra who are Astartes warriors can still be active in various legions, while mortal veterans of Terra have long since left the stage of history."

"Do you know what this means?"

"This means that the veterans of the unification war who once won the glory of the Old Hundred-Man Corps are not the same group as the ordinary people in front of us who bear the title of the Old Hundred-Man Corps."

"Moreover, I have personally witnessed the treatment of these veteran centurions during the Great Crusade while working alongside the Primarch."

At this point, Abaddon smiled.

“Some of the old centurions were allowed to remain on a conquered world during the Great Crusade and multiply there, producing new warriors. But such armies are rarely recruited by Terra; they are mostly accepted by Primarchs closer to their territory, just as we have no shortage of old centurions.”

"Those who can be recruited by Terra are the old centurions who have been constantly on expeditions during the Great Crusade and have never obtained their own home world. Although these armies obey Terra, they can only replenish their forces very hastily during the Great Crusade, recruiting soldiers haphazardly from the conquered barbarians: this fundamentally weakens their fighting power as a mortal legion."

"In other words, compared to their former illustrious reputation, these guys in front of us are nothing but pale reflections."

"But even so, we cannot be careless: after all, they are the troops that Dorn could choose."

Malohrist shook his head.

"However, I must admit, Ezekiel, there are some positive aspects to your assessment of the Hundreds."

"Especially what you just said."

"They are the breakthrough point: that's absolutely right."

"How to say?"

I'll tell you in a secret.

The Twisted One lowered his voice.

As Horus's claw in the shadows, he naturally knows more about certain unspeakable secrets.

"Our informants within the Terran army, especially the high-ranking ones, the vast majority of whom come from these old centurions: the information they provide us is often the most lethal, including the internal structure and troop deployment of the Solar Bulwark."

"This is indeed beyond my expectations."

Abaddon seemed thoughtful.

"Why did they do that?"

"You don't actually think that every member of the Centurion team will receive fair treatment from the Emperor, do you?"

The Twisted One chuckled.

"In fact, some of the old centurions were just conscripts forcibly recruited by the Lord of Man from his defeated opponents during the Terra unification war. They were not even allowed to replenish their ranks during the Great Crusade, and even if they suffered heavy casualties, they did not receive any more supplies. Therefore, their attitude towards the Emperor and Terra is quite predictable."

"It is obvious that their glorious history and impressive titles have made the high lords ready to forget their past."

"But hatred is something that lasts longer than people imagine."

"Ah...that's amazing."

Abaddon glanced at the map in front of him.

"So what does this have to do with me?"

"Of course it does."

The Twisted One pointed to a spot on the bird's-eye view.

"Do you see where it is?"

Abaddon nodded.

"Throat-Cutting Fortress?"

“That’s right, just like I said, this is the very core of the entire Sunwall, and also Dorn’s designated command post.”

"At the same time, it is the central hub of the Sun Barrier's extensive underground network, the information distribution center for handling communications throughout the fortress, the location of almost all the legion's central command headquarters, and also connects to the Imperial Fist Navy's fortress in near-Earth orbit."

"Not to mention the largest ammunition depots, food depots, and underground hives on the entire Minerva, which are used to garrison troops, cultivate food, and develop industry, all of which are concentrated beneath this central fortress: and not far behind it is the core power hub of the Void Shield that supports the entire Minerva."

"It can be said that if this place is captured, the entire Solar Barrier will lose at least half of its life."

"What about the other half?"

"there."

The Twisted One pointed to a spot slightly behind.

"The highest point on the entire planet Minerva."

"At the same time, it is also the true core of the entire Solar Barrier fortress complex in terms of terrain."

"Graba Mountains".

"And its highest peak, Mount Holm, is the power core of the entire Minerva Void Shield."

"It is also the second strategic objective after Cutthroat Fortress."

"There's another thing I want to remind you of."

"The Imperial Fist's fortress was built in an extremely ingenious way."

"If you want to attack Mount Holm by land, the only reliable land route is Cutthroat Fortress."

"So, in order to take down Holm Mountain, we must first capture Cutthroat Fortress?"

"Yes."

"Is this why the Primarch sent me here?"

"Do not."

The Twisted One shook his head.

Then his finger moved across the bird's-eye view.

He started from the very back, the highest and most towering Mount Holm, and continued downwards, passing the Dumont Fortress, the vital point of the entire battlefield, and then continued down an almost straight line to the bottom of the map: a giant fortress located in the central area of ​​the entire Sunwall, but relatively closer to the front line.

"Your destination is here."

"Vox Fortress".

"It is the third strategic objective of the entire Minerva region."

"why?"

"Because under Dorn's design, it is the only location of a stable road passage leading to Du O'Mont, also known as Cutthroat Fortress."

"If we want to attack Mount Holm and shut down the Void Shield over Minerva, we must first capture Dumont Castle."

"And if we want to take this throat-cutting fortress, we must first take Vox Fortress."

"And that is why the Primarch specifically transferred you from the Harken front, Azekel."

"With the assistance of secret weapons."

"You and your Gastalin must capture Vox Fortress before Dorne himself arrives in Minerva."

"...Secret weapon?"

"What secret weapon?"

"Listen clearly."

He gestured for Abaddon to bend down and come closer, and Malohrst spoke to him, enunciating each word clearly.

------

"Of the three gates of Vox Fortress, the fortress commander and his team are on the left side."

"He is a member of the Old Hundred Men's Team."

"At the same time: they are also our people."

(End of this chapter)