From Titan Corporation to the Empire of Man

Chapter 687 "This is not something a human pilot, or rather, a human crew member, could endure!"

Man-eating shark.

These six "giants" in training uniforms are clearly veteran elites from the Man-Eating Shark Company.

Lyon then walked steadily to the conference table, his gaze sweeping over the Astartes.

The man-eating sharks have cold, sharp eyes; they are clearly genetically enhanced apex predators.

The oldest one, whose collar insignia on his training uniform bore numerous kill marks, slightly raised his head, revealing a horrible scar running from his forehead to his chin on his bronze face.

“Agent Kennedy,” the man-eating shark’s voice was deep, like the rumble before an earthquake, “we’ve received a mission briefing.”

The holographic table lit up at the right moment, projecting a strategic situation map of the entire 18th solar system.

Lyon noticed that the number of red dots representing the UED fleet had nearly doubled and was gathering from lunar orbit toward Earth.

“The situation is more serious than expected.” Lyon placed his palm on the authentication panel. “UED has activated full mobilization.”

As he finished speaking, the projected image switched to a blueprint of a giant warship—

It is over ten kilometers long and its bow is equipped with a giant main gun capable of destroying a planet.

This is the flagship of the UED fleet, the "Federal Glory", and its specifications and length are almost equivalent to the Imperial's main warships, namely the Imperial-class battleships.

However, the firepower of the Federation's Glory is only barely comparable to that of an ordinary Emperor-class ship. Most importantly, the UED only has this one giant ship.

At this moment, the sharks' eyes became even sharper.

"Where do they get their confidence to think they can confront our empire head-on?"

One of the man-eating sharks seemed incredulous, and for the first time, emotion flickered in its voice.

Lyon calmly replied, "So the Emperor and the Goddess of War sent you to accompany the Investigation Department on this mission."

The air in the conference room seemed to freeze because of those words.

The six Astartes stood up at the same time, their shadows casting a mountain-like oppressive shadow on the bulkhead.

"The veterans of the First Combat Platoon of the Man-Eating Sharks are ready at any time." The older Man-Eating Shark's voice carried a destructive promise, "Let the UED see what a true warrior is."

Lyon knew that when these angels of death descended upon Earth-18 and boarded the UED flagship, the war would enter a “completely new” phase.

Soon after;
Inside the large machinery compartment of the stealth-class warship, the low hum of the servo system echoed.

This large space is occupied by thirty-six steel "colossi" statues.

Each one is a fearsome, iron-clad Terminator armor.

The overhead lighting system casts a cold white light down, reflecting a metallic sheen onto the heavily forged armor surface.

"Power backpack output is stable, energy matrix calibration complete."

A technician reported that his mechanical prosthetic limbs moved nimbly across the joints of the Terminator armor, checking the operational status of each servo node.

Leon stood at the entrance to the cabin, the visual enhancement system of his nano combat suit projecting the scene before him clearly onto his retina.

Each of these Terminator armors weighs several tons, yet they exhibit astonishing agility under the control of the veteran shark pilot.

He noticed that one of the armors had a pattern of sharks tearing at a warship etched on its shoulder armor, a killing mark unique to veterans of the Man-Eating Shark Company.

"The air pressure seal test passed," the technician continued, "The shield generator is functioning normally."

Chris stepped out from behind Leon, his nanotech combat suit already switched to combat mode, the reinforced armor plates at his joints slightly bulging.

“Looks like they’re serious,” Chris said in a low voice, his gaze sweeping over the giants who were moving their armored joints.

Mike was adjusting his pulse rifle on the other end when he heard Chris's words and looked up:
"When have the Man-Eating Sharks ever faked anything? In the last battle, they wiped the entire Taldarim fortress off the map."

At that moment, with a series of synchronized hydraulic presses, the thirty-six veteran shark warriors simultaneously completed their final equipment checks.

Their movements were perfectly synchronized, a testament to years of combat experience. The Terminator armor's servo system emitted a deep hum, like a pack of beasts poised to pounce.

The lead veteran shark took a step forward.

His armor was more ancient than the others, yet it exuded a more dangerous aura.

The helmet has several claw marks etched on its side, each representing a life-or-death struggle against aliens and heretics.

The entire equipment room fell silent the moment he raised his massive, armored hand.

With a "click," the veteran's Terminator helmet completed its final sealing process.

The crimson visor on his visor lit up, and the shark teeth decorations, identical to those of Company Commander Tiberius, gleamed coldly under the lights. Although his physique was not as imposing as their company commander, who was comparable to the Primarch, the old soldier exuded no less murderous aura.

"Follow orders."

The veteran's voice, amplified by the armor's loudspeaker system, carried the distinctive resonance of metal: "This operation has two objectives."

The holographic projector in the equipment room automatically activated, displaying a 3D model of the UED flagship "Federal Glory".

The ten-kilometer-long steel behemoth slowly rotated in the projection, with the structure of the giant main gun on the bow highlighted.

"Primary objective: Seize control of the enemy flagship." The veteran's Terminator armor pointed to the projection. "Secondary objective: Capture the UED Military Committee's designated member alive."

The projection switched to detailed information on three UED officials, with each person's facial features magnified and marked.

One of the white-haired generals had a medal prominently displayed on his chest; it was the authentication key that could initiate the flagship's self-destruct program.

“Remember, we want them alive.” The veteran’s voice grew even deeper. “The Empire needs them to witness their own defeat and to break the UED’s morale with their surrender.”

"30 minutes until the operation begins."

The veteran continued, activating the tactical interface on the Terminator armor arm, "The first squad is responsible for boarding the assault boat and providing teleportation coordinates for the subsequent squads. The second to fourth squads will board the UED flagship directly after the coordinates are successfully marked and carry out the plunder plan."

The fifth and sixth squads were teleported directly to the UED headquarters building area to capture two target individuals and demonstrate to the UED what Astartes truly is.

Finally, there's the investigation department.

As he spoke, the veteran looked at Leon, Mike, Chris, and the others, and continued:

"As we begin our plunder of the UED flagship, all members of the Investigation Department are requested to take control of the flagship's bridge immediately."

As the veteran spoke, the movement routes of each combat squad were displayed on the holographic projection as streams of light of different colors.

Lyon noticed that their attack route perfectly avoided most of the flagship's defensive nodes, clearly indicating that it had been carefully planned and deployed.

"Finally, a reminder." The veteran shark's voice suddenly turned solemn. "This operation has received the double blessing of the Goddess of War and the Emperor. Let us use the blood of our enemies to add another chapter to the glory of the human empire."

Thirty-six Terminators simultaneously raised their melee weapons. Blue arcs of energy erupted from the heavy shields of several veterans, instantly filling the machine bay with the hum of plasma weapons charging and the roar of power claws activating. "For the Emperor! For the Goddess of War!"

The deafening battle roar caused the metal walls of the equipment bay to tremble slightly.

Lyon turned to look at his special forces soldiers.

Mike had already put on his fully enclosed tactical helmet, and Chris was checking the energy readings of his pulse pistol.

The same fighting spirit burned in everyone's eyes.

"Check the equipment," Leon ordered briefly, activating the concealment module of his nanosuit at the same time. "Remember, we are not the main characters, but we must not become a burden."

As the countdown ticked away, the atmosphere inside the equipment bay grew increasingly tense.

Technicians began a final "blessing" ceremony for the Terminator armor, with incense smoke made from pure flowers swirling inside the cabin.

As the countdown reached zero, a violent tremor suddenly resounded throughout the entire ship—[the ship was in a state of shock/tremor].
The Nimbus-class destroyers have reached the optimal launch position.

The warning lights on the top of the cabin began to flash, and the red light cast long shadows of everyone on the wall, like a legion of death about to set off.

"Attention, all crew!" the bridge announcement blared. "Assault craft ready. Best of luck."

The veteran shark slowly stood up, and every joint of the Terminator armor emitted a humming sound of anticipation.

He turned to his brothers and said only one last thing:
"The hunt begins."

Soon after;
Bathed in the blinding starlight, the silver-gray armor of the UED flagship "Federation's Radiance" gleamed coldly in the sunlight in the near-Earth orbit of the 18th Earth.

This ten-kilometer-long steel behemoth was surrounded by hundreds of ships of various types, like a whale shark surrounded by a school of fish, forming a tight defensive array.

Suddenly, a glaring red alert flashed on the tactical screen on the flagship's bridge.

"Unknown energy fluctuations detected! 3000 kilometers away!"

The radar operator's voice suddenly rose in volume.

On the holographic projection, the previously empty void suddenly distorted, and a jet-black warship slowly materialized—

The stealth-class ships deactivated their optical camouflage systems, appearing before the UED fleet like ghosts.

Her hull was covered with energy patterns, and her main gun array was flashing a dangerous blue light.

On the flagship's bridge, the white-haired general slowly rose from his command chair. His uniform was covered with medals, but the most eye-catching thing was the key badge on his chest that could initiate a self-destruct program.

A contemptuous sneer appeared on the old man's wrinkled face.

"Ha, no wonder there's a bunch of rats scurrying around on Earth." His voice was hoarse but full of authority. "So they came with a mobile rat nest."

The general walked slowly to the tactical holographic console, his thin fingers lightly tapping on the control panel: "Lock the target across the entire fleet and use pulse cannons to disable its power system."

As he spoke, a glint of greed flashed in his eyes, "I want this ship to be our trophy intact."

"Yes, sir!" the adjutant immediately relayed the order. "All ships, switch to capture mode, begin charging main guns!"

However, just as the UED fleet was adjusting its formation, the radar operator suddenly exclaimed, "The enemy has launched a raiding craft! Its speed is incredible! The enemy raiding craft is extremely fast!"

On the tactical screen, a scarlet dot of light was shooting out from the launch hatch of the stealth-class warship.

The Thunder Assault Ship resembles a sharp spear, its hull covered in the distinctive blue light of an energy shield.

The general waved his hand dismissively: "Prepare the air defense array, and riddle it with holes."

The moment the order was given, thousands of close-in weapon systems in the UED fleet opened fire simultaneously.

Dense barrages wove a web of death in the void, and the exhaust plumes of large-caliber shells traced countless orange-red trails in the vacuum.

However, the Thunder Raid Boat demonstrated astonishing maneuverability.

Like a ghost lurking in a hail of bullets, it makes sudden turns to evade attacks from angles that defy common sense. When attacked, its shield system emits a dazzling blue light, keeping most of the artillery fire at bay.

"How is this possible?!" The weapons officer stared in disbelief at the data screen. "Its acceleration has exceeded 20G! This is not something a human pilot, or any human crew member, can withstand!"

Upon hearing this, the general's expression finally changed: "It's just some kind of special damping system! He immediately mobilized all firepower!"

Just as the UED fleet was scrambling to adjust its attack mode, the main guns of the stealth-class ships suddenly opened fire.

Ri~咻——————! !

A beam of dark blue energy tore through the void and struck the front-line escort ship of the UED fleet with pinpoint accuracy.

The armor of the hit ship was easily pierced like paper, and the bursts of fire inside tore the entire ship in two.

"They're providing cover for the raiding craft!" the adjutant exclaimed. "General, should we prioritize engaging the mothership?"

The general stared intently at the tactical screen; the raiding boat was less than 500 kilometers from the flagship.

A flicker of unease crossed the old man's cloudy eyes: "Stop intercepting that raiding boat! Activate the flagship's defense matrix!"

The flagship's external armor plates slowly opened, revealing hidden defensive turrets.

These UED's latest plasma close-in weapon systems are theoretically capable of intercepting any conventional attack. However, just as the turret finished charging, the raiding boat on the tactical screen suddenly split into hundreds of small signal sources.

"It's a decoy!" the radar operator cried out in despair. "We've lost sight of the real target!"

The bridge was briefly thrown into chaos.

In that split second, the Thunder Raid Boat had broken through the last line of defense, piercing straight into the flagship's belly like a drawn sword.

"Collision warning! Starboard C area!" The damage control team's voice boomed in the communications channel.

boom.
The vibrations swept across the entire flagship.

The Thunder Raider's hot-melt cannons, combined with its reinforced ram, pierced through three layers of armor plates, firmly pinning itself to the flagship's hull.

Furthermore, the drill bits on both sides of the assault boat's engine room began to rotate at high speed. With the support of the energy field, the drill bits, made of special alloy, were penetrating the flagship's thick armor at a speed visible to the naked eye.

The general's face turned ashen: "Immediately send Marines to Sector C! Activate the internal defense system!"

He then turned to the communications officer, "Connect me to the Military Commission; we need it."

The old man's command came to an abrupt halt.

Because the tactical screen was already displaying live footage from the C area surveillance.

The footage shows six veteran Terminator-clad men swaggering out of the nose hatch of the Thunder Raid ship and successfully boarding their UED flagship.
(End of this chapter)