From Titan Corporation to the Empire of Man

Chapter 516 "Looking into the Darkness"

Hearing this, Magnus glanced behind him and ordered the Blood Raven crew members:
"Notify Gabriel and have them avoid direct fire with the enemy as much as possible, and withdraw from the range of the Death Star's firepower as soon as possible."

"Yes, father."

After receiving clear instructions, the Blood Raven communicator immediately contacted Gabriel Angelos in Scarif.

"Brother."

When Lorgar saw Magnus's gaze return to the jump space outside the observation window, he spoke at the right time:

"If possible, we should try to seize the Death Star and make it our own, turning it into our 'weapon of attack'.

With the Death Star, the subsequent unified war will become infinitely easier."

"I do."

Magnus nodded in agreement.

According to my father, in the "One-Seven" universe (Star Wars), whichever side owns the Death Star will directly become the overlord of the "One-Seven" galaxy.

Although this statement is somewhat absolute, the various civilizations and forces in the "One Seven" universe are almost unable to resist the super weapon that can destroy an entire planet with a single shot.

In other words, with the threat of the Death Star, the morale of the Galactic Empire would be severely damaged and the time required for the integrated war would be shortened.

"However, we must proceed with caution," Magnus continued, his voice low but unquestionable:
“The power of the Death Star is indeed terrifying, but its existence is not only a strategic advantage. Seizing it also means that the enemy will launch a desperate counterattack before it is lost.

If we attack rashly, we might fall into an enemy ambush.

Most importantly, the Death Star’s internal defense system is complex, and we need to fully evaluate our future actions.”

Koz, who had been silent, also nodded slightly and echoed in a slightly hoarse voice:

"Yes, brother. We must ensure that we seize the territory with lightning speed and consolidate it before the enemy notices."

"Hehe." Luo Jia chuckled, then looked at Koz and said:
"My dear brother, infiltration is your strong point, why don't you lead a group of Thousand Sons to try to capture the control center of the Death Star.

What do you think, brother?"

As he spoke, Lorgar shifted his gaze to Magnus again.

"."

Magnus did not respond directly.

Luo Jia's proposal was obviously based on an active pursuit of action. He not only cared about tactical victory, but also knew that such a crucial action could bring more merits to himself and his brother Curze.

And there was a gleam in Luojia's eyes, as if he had already planned how to use this opportunity to make himself and Koz more important in his father's eyes.

At this moment, Luo Jia raised his eyebrows slightly, as if waiting for Magnus' approval, expecting to get a positive response.

Koz remained silent, standing aside, and did not show the same eagerness as Luo Jia.

In fact, without the need for psychic perception or excessive speculation, Magnus could see at a glance that Lorgar had a strong sense of "utilitarianism" and a personality that liked to show off.

Magnus's eyes swept between the two men. He knew that Lorgar was eager to prove his worth through this action, while Curze was more concerned with stability and results.

And silence is a reflection of the two people’s personalities.

After a few seconds, Magnus finally spoke in a low voice:

"In that case, while the main force of the Blood Ravens is fighting the enemy, Curze will lead the Night Lords' Glory Guard to be fully responsible for infiltrating and raiding the Death Star.

As for Lorgar and your Honor Guard of the Word Bearers, you are responsible for capturing Darth Vader, and you must not make any mistakes and succeed in one fell swoop. Do you understand?"

There was no emotion in his words, but his intimidating tone made both Lorgar and Koze feel an unquestionable authority.

Obviously, Magnus was "warning" Luojia indirectly, or in other words, reminding him kindly not to show off too much, otherwise he would easily be targeted.

That's why Magnus asked Lorgar to try to capture the top combat power in the "One Seven" universe.

Success is a given.

If you fail
You must bear the corresponding punishment and consequences.

Although Magnus did not directly state the consequences, Lorga and Curze did not refute. Although they each had different goals, especially Lorga, Magnus' decision had been made and they would undoubtedly do their best.

Koz was the first to respond, his voice equally deep: "Understood, brother."

Although he said few words, his firmness and calmness were enough to make people feel his determination and absolute confidence in his own abilities.

Luo Jia's eyes flickered as he nodded and said, "Yes, brother."

"Ah."

Magnus still responded lightly, as if there was no fluctuation, even the ups and downs of emotions were difficult to detect, and then continued to focus on observing the jump space outside the window and feeling the force of this universe.

As for Lorgar and Curze, their relationship is like that of Guilliman and Sanguinius, Dorn and Vulkan, or Magnus and Horus. They are extremely good brothers.

After all, these two young Primarchs have lived under the protection of their father since childhood and enjoyed a unique growth environment.

Even though Coze was attacked by the Arach Zerg in his childhood and had to force his body to "develop prematurely" in order to deal with the deadly threat, in terms of age, Lorgar is still Coze's older brother.

The Main Universe Empire has not opened any space gates in the past five years, which has made the empire always focus on its internal stability and gradual expansion.

As a result, their father was able to focus on the growth of his two younger brothers during his relatively ample time. He not only gave them knowledge, but also focused on guiding them in shaping their morality and sense of responsibility.

They can polish themselves in peace and even enjoy more delicate emotional cultivation than most of their brothers.

Their father's love was given to them unconditionally every moment, and Dr. Alexia and Queen Tinas' careful instruction brought their wisdom and abilities to a new level.

Moreover, Athena, the goddess of war and wisdom, would sometimes personally guide their martial arts and strategic vision.

Not every Primarch can enjoy this kind of honor. At the same time, most Primarchs, including Magnus, are somewhat "envious" of Lorgar and Curze.

Of course, Magnus was fine, but he guessed that the one who was most unhappy was Mortarion. However, all the Primarchs were very tolerant of Lorgar and Curze.

After all, they are the two youngest brothers.

As for Luojia and Koz, their relationship becomes closer as they live, play, study and carry out their first actual combat together.

Luojia is always full of energy and "motivation", hoping to find his own position in various events, eager to prove himself through every victory and every battle;

Coze is more reserved and thoughtful. He values ​​careful consideration of every step and is not in a hurry to show himself, but he cannot tolerate any injustice.

Their personalities form a sharp contrast, but it is this contrast that makes their relationship more unbreakable.

Whenever Luojia tries to move forward and wants to show himself more, he will "take Koz with him". The two of them have been pushing each other forward in this way of mutual assistance.

This can explain why Luojia would take the initiative to help Koz "volunteer" in order to gain more military merits and glory.

As for the main forces of the Word Bearers and Night Lords, they are now temporarily stationed in the solar system of the main universe, forming a huge defensive force together with the Flame Lizards.

The number of adult Astartes in the two legions has exceeded 60,000.

If auxiliary troops and various related personnel are included, the overall number easily exceeds the eight million mark, demonstrating a military scale that cannot be underestimated.

However, compared with other legions that have been established for a long time and have accumulated profound foundation, the Word Bearers and the Night Lords are somewhat "a dwarf compared to a giant".

Those legions that have gone through years of baptism of blood and fire and tempered in countless wars have combat experience and tactical accumulation that these two newly established legions cannot match.

Moreover, my father also intended to limit the rapid development of the Word Bearers and the Night Lords, because the number of adult Astartes owned by the Empire was approaching saturation. If there were too many, it would only increase the consumption of resources and funds in all aspects.

Although such a strategy limits their growth rate, in Magnus's view, it is also a necessary step in the empire's long-term planning.

Short-term resource restraint is to ensure that the empire can maintain sustainable advantages in the long run.

At the same time, the situation in Scarif was also changing rapidly and dramatically.

The Death Star, as huge and cold as a celestial body, has completed its hyperspace voyage and "parked" within the gravitational range of Scarif.

If viewed from Scarif's surface, the Death Star would appear almost like a silent moon, hanging in the sky, casting a shadow over the earth.

Its presence is full of oppression, like a timed nuclear bomb, ready to explode with devastating power at any time.

The Galactic Empire fleet that came with the Death Star also arrived in Scarif's low-Earth orbit.

This fleet consists of five star destroyers and more than twenty other types of warships. Its number and combat power far exceed the response range of the Blood Raven and Investigation Department fleets.

Compared with the ships of the Imperial Fleet, the Blood Raven Fleet seemed extremely small and fragile. After all, at the moment they only had two Paris-class ships, a Diana V-type Stealth-class ship that could barely be considered a combat ship, and a captured Star Destroyer that had suffered multiple internal damages.

If we face the firepower coverage of the Galactic Empire fleet, the situation will be extremely unfavorable.

What's more, the Death Star alone is enough to pose a huge threat to the Blood Crow Fleet. Its long-range strike capability can destroy the entire planet in an instant, and its huge size makes it almost impossible for any ship trying to approach to escape, like a death warrant.

Although Gabriel Angelos believed that his brothers and ships in his own company had a certain ability to fight back, facing such a powerful enemy, any act of forced confrontation would be irrational, even suicidal.

So Gabriel took decisive emergency measures.

Long before the Death Star and the Galactic Empire's fleet arrived, he had made careful deployment and response plans based on the key information provided by the Intelligence Department.

Gabriel, who was well prepared, arranged a transport fleet in advance to bring the main force deployed to the surface and a group of prisoners back to the ship to avoid direct attacks from the Death Star's powerful firepower.

At the same time as the Death Star and the Galactic Empire fleet arrived at Scarif, Gabriel decisively chose to retreat and ordered the fleet to initiate short-distance jump navigation and quickly move away from Scarif's war zone.

Even without the Primarch's order, he would not confront the other party head-on, after all, the result would be disastrous.

He wanted to ensure that his brothers and all his subordinates would not pay a heavy price in vain in a battle where the enemy and us were far superior.

At this moment, there seemed to be an indescribable sense of oppression in the hangar of the Stealth-class ship.
Of course, this only applies to Cassian, Baze Mabius, Erso and his daughter and other members of the rebel army. They looked at each other, their expressions unable to hide their inner confusion and astonishment.

Although they had witnessed the "giant" Astartes when they were forced to follow into the jump space, they had never expected that the Blood Ravens would be able to break through Scarif's defenses and successfully take control of the situation in just over ten minutes.

For these rebels who had experienced many battles, what they saw before them was undoubtedly an unprecedented shock.

Especially when they saw through the shared screen that the Blood Crows were like a "human-shaped steel torrent", the shock in their hearts became even more profound.

The battle for orbital control and the dense barrage of bullets instantly destroyed the Galactic Empire's TIE fighter fleet, which made them hold their breath.

Every precise strike and every perfect coordination made Cassian and others deeply feel the powerful fighting power of the Blood Ravens, which was almost unmatched.

However, this shocking feeling did not last long. With the arrival of the Death Star and the Galactic Empire fleet, the atmosphere between them suddenly changed.

Obvious worries and concerns began to appear on the faces of these rebels.

Watching the Death Star approaching like the doomsday, and even feeling its pressure coming from the external portholes, they clearly realized that although the Blood Ravens showed excellent combat capabilities, they were still unable to face such a powerful enemy.
How to win remains unknown.

The Blood Crows' decision to temporarily avoid the attack and quickly conduct a tactical retreat caused different reactions from the rebel members.

Because this reminds Cassian and the others of their past battle experiences.

Whether fighting against the Empire or other hostile forces, the rebels' conventional strategy is often to fight for a while and then quickly retreat, looking for the next opportunity.

They originally thought that the Blood Ravens would be able to fight the Death Star with unmatched momentum and then miraculously win, but now they can't help but feel a little disappointed.

At the same time, they also clearly knew that retreat was the wise move, but there was still a long way to go to completely defeat the Galactic Empire.

"."

However, Chirrut Ingwe, who was blind and sitting in the corner of the hangar, remained calm from beginning to end.

He was neither excited about the victory of the Blood Ravens nor disappointed about their retreat. At this moment, he seemed to be looking directly at the "darkness" inside a Star Destroyer through the portholes and bulkheads.
(End of this chapter)