Warhammer: Hail to the Void Lords!.

Chapter 1003, 08.1002: 'Waiting in the Void'

"This is 'Fontainebleau'. The rebel commander has fled and his location is unknown. Requesting the commander to execute 'Plan D'."

A calm female voice, mixed with slight electrical noise, came from the main sound array on the bridge and clearly entered Horatio's ears.

He stood in the center of the bridge of the flagship "Swift Eagle," with the magnificent yet dangerous arc of the planet visible through the huge armored crystal porthole in front of him.

"Reporting, Captain!" A young lieutenant strode forward, stood at attention, and saluted. "E-99 towed diviner has detected the movement of a large enemy fleet, which is approaching the planet's gravitational field!"

That was Ensign David Betty von Ravensberg, the fleet liaison officer, relaying information from the forward sentry ship. Compared to his awkward and flustered days as a candidate officer, he finally looked more like a soldier after becoming an ensign.

"This should be the enemy's 'Duke's Pride' large cruiser and her escort fleet," Captain Louise's voice came through.

She stood beside the virtual sand table, trying her best to maintain a soldier's upright posture, but her crisp uniform could no longer completely cover her protruding belly.

With one hand supporting her waist, she quickly adjusted the Void Star Chart sand table on the sand table with the other.

The accountant, Yin Shuyao, carefully assisted her in giving instructions. For this still somewhat inexperienced young girl, the idea of ​​men and women uniting and giving birth to a new life filled her with both longing and curiosity, but also made her too shy to talk about it.

Now, as Horatio's capable assistants are dispatched to different war zones to carry out missions, she quickly takes on all sorts of complicated tasks entrusted to her by Horatio, and Horatio now calls her name subconsciously.

“You’re sweating a lot, Captain Louise. Would you like some water?” Seeing the fine beads of sweat on the captain’s forehead, she quickly took out a handkerchief from her service bag and handed it to her, and then got her a glass of purified water from the water dispenser next to her.

"Thank you, Accountant, you're so kind." Captain Louise managed a gentle smile amidst her tense staff work, took the water glass, and drank it all in one gulp.

Then, she once again focused all her attention on the void sand table made of light and shadow.

"Telegraph attack ship E-99 to maintain continuous monitoring. Report immediately once the enemy flagship's identity is confirmed," Horatio ordered David Beatty, his gaze never leaving the twilight line separating day and night outside the porthole.

"Yes, sir! Attack ship E-99, this is the Swift Skyhawk. Maintain vigilance and report immediately upon confirmation..."

Horatio took a deep breath, feeling the ship's slight tremors. Around him, the entire fleet's warships had formed a deadly single line.

They were close enough to the planet's orbit that the bottom of the ship was only five thousand meters above the gravity well's maximum height.

This is an extremely dangerous position. If the ship is not steered carefully, it will be captured by gravity, irrevocably dragged into the planet's atmosphere, and then turn into a giant meteor that crashes into the earth.

However, risks and opportunities coexist.

Five thousand meters higher than the gravity well, it can maintain a certain safe distance while making the most of the light and shadow formed by the planet's rotation to approach the enemy silently under the extreme concealment that warships can achieve.

Countless war histories have proven that the "Horizon Assault" is a tactic that requires exceptional skill and daring.

The captain and helmsman must know their warship inside and out, and their command and control must be so precise that they can launch a deadly attack that is as sudden and unexpected as a divine spear.

“Louise.” He turned to his current vice-captain, his tone gentle yet decisive. “Once the fighting begins, go to the infirmary. For your and the baby’s safety, I will have to temporarily strap you to the medical bed with soft straps to prevent any accidents caused by the ship’s immense inertia during combat and impacts. Shuyao will take good care of you.”

“Please take good care of yourself, Horatio.” Louise nodded gently, a hint of worry in her eyes. “Archie is not by your side, Harvey is currently missing, and Ledos and Fideo are in important positions and cannot get away.”

From now on, you'll have to rely on yourself for the rest of the battle. I'm sorry, I can't assist you from the bridge.

“It’s alright.” Horatio’s gaze returned to the magnificent twilight line on the planet’s horizon, his eyes gleaming with determination. “Let the enemy come at me.”
-
In the world of Machine Soul, deep within that invisible ocean composed of data streams and logic chains, the Star Speaker girl, Melon, is quietly asleep in a nutrient solution tank.

Sending messages across star sectors requires mental energy that is unimaginable to mortals, so she must spend a considerable amount of time each day in the absolute silence of the nutrient solution tank, enjoying undisturbed and highly efficient rest.

But at this moment, although Mei Lun's face was calm, her heart was in turmoil.

The rapidly fluctuating curves projected onto the monitor screen from the neural nodes connected to her head clearly indicated that she was experiencing a dream, a terrible nightmare.

"Run! The demon is coming!"

She returned to the magnificent Celestial Cathedral.

Behind her, crimson Khorne vampires chased after the screaming crowd.

The terrified and panicked people desperately ran toward the imperial troops guarding the Altar of Saint Gilles.

She clung to her father's strong arms, watching in horror as the dark red demon behind her wielded a longsword engulfed in hellfire, felling one fleeing person after another.

A vampire with a long, pointed head and skin patterned like dried blood suddenly met her unusual heterochromatic eyes with eyes burning with hatred. The malevolent gaze made her tremble, and she buried her face in her father's broad shoulder, the world plunging into darkness. "Send the child there!"

"quick!"

"The devil is coming!"

In the darkness, Mei Lun felt as if he were being pushed forward by countless hands, like a small boat on a stormy sea, helpless and lost.

Her world was stained red with blood.

Until a pair of strong, powerful arms took her in, held her tightly in their embrace, and turned and rushed away.

Then the red faded into the distance, turning black again.

She felt herself approaching a warm golden light.

"boom!"

The dark world suddenly shattered, transforming into a chaotic scene of vibrant colors and bizarre shapes.

Green, purple, red, and blue, like an overturned paint tube, are mixed together in a mottled and disjointed way.

Tentacles covered in eyes, blisters oozing pus, wounds dripping blood... countless filthy hallucinations flashed before her eyes.

In her dream, she covered her head, suffering the torment and agony of the evil whispers from the depths of the subspace.

suddenly!

A pure golden light, like a hurricane purifying everything, instantly dispelled the colorful filth.

An angel descended beside her.

He exuded a reassuring warmth, and with his strong, large hand, he gently took her cold little hand in his.

"Guide him, okay?"

The angel said to her that the voice was like the tolling of church bells, solemn and merciful.

"Help him find those fragments... Humanity needs him."

“Fragments…” Mei Lun seemed to recall some key information buried deep in her memory, and she suddenly opened her eyes.

She found herself floating in the world of machine spirits.

Before my eyes, a young girl dressed in red and blue, exuding a mature air, is sitting in the void, as if leaning on an invisible "throne".

She gracefully tiptoed, scrutinizing her with a critical gaze.

"Hello, Xiaoshi..." Mei Lun seemed to still be recovering from the nightmare she had just experienced, and she greeted him weakly.

"Having another nightmare?" The ethereal voice of the Machine Soul Girl came from all directions. She stood up lightly, her bare feet lightly touching the sea of ​​data, and silently walked towards the Star Speaker Girl.

"I...I think I forgot something very important, but just now, I remembered it again..." Mei Lun rubbed his throbbing head and stretched with all his might.

"Da da."

There were soft footsteps.

The machine-spirited girl glanced toward the direction from which the sound came.

he came.

"Little Poem." Horatio, who had entered the world of the Machine Soul through a neural plug, called out to the Machine Soul girl. His image was solid and clear there.

"Now, it's time for us to work together." His gaze locked onto the girl's data-driven eyes, filled with trust and fighting spirit. "The Void War has begun. Let those traitorous captains and their long-decayed warship souls see who the best partners are!"

(End of this chapter)