Warhammer: Hail to the Void Lords!.

Chapter 1020, October 19, 2009: 'Recruitment Propaganda'

As the morning sunlight transforms into a golden waterfall, cascading down the magnificent, glittering streets of Sintira's Upper Nest, all things in this hive city awaken from their slumber.

Nestled in soft velvet bedding, the nobles stretched lazily, beginning another day of their comfortable and leisurely lives.

The rich aroma of Ricardo coffee and the fragrance of desserts permeate the streets and alleys, intertwining with the cold metallic rust of the industrial area to create a unique atmosphere exclusive to the upper echelons of Sintira City.

Gentlemen, dressed in respectable and gorgeous Rococo-style retro attire, sat leisurely in the booths of an elegant street-side café.

They savored expensive Calicus-style hot drinks while flipping through the morning newspapers provided by the salon, browsing the latest sector news and the ever-flowing fashion trends.

On a magnificent golden tower in the throne room, Captain Dortlp of the cuirassiers meticulously directed his squires to polish his gleaming breastplate, carefully removing every battle scar and wear left from the bloody battle on Minerva.

"Good morning, esteemed citizens of the Empire. Welcome to today's morning news. I am your host, Julieno."

As usual, a famous female host with heavy makeup, elegant demeanor, and sexy voice appeared on the giant holographic screen of the Cintira Building on time.

"Today, we have important news that deserves the attention of all citizens."

The God-Emperor's guardians of the cosmos, the sharp swords of the void—His Holy Imperial Navy—will today, for the first time, publicly recruit members for its orbital landing force from all citizens of the Empire.

As soon as these words were spoken, time seemed to stand still.

The gentlemen sitting in the coffee salon put down their coffee cups without prior arrangement; on the street, the workers operating the cleaning machines paused their work; the clerks behind the shop counters and the window knockers diligently wiping the windows of the distinguished guests all turned their attention to the holographic screen closest to them.

Captain Dortmund, perched atop the tower, couldn't help but glance sideways at the enormous public screen outside the window.

"Wait, did I hear that right?" a well-dressed gentleman muttered to himself. "The Imperial Navy... is recruiting for orbital landing forces? I always thought the noble navy never touched the ground."

"Open recruitment to all citizens of the Empire... Does this mean that non-nobles can now join the army? And even the Imperial Navy?"

"A gentleman at the next table remarked in surprise. He was undoubtedly a wealthy propertied man, belonging to the petit bourgeoisie of Sintira society, but he did not have the blood of nobility flowing in his veins."

"So what if it is? If this were truly a good job, it would have been snatched up by the real noblemen long ago. Would it even be your turn?" another gentleman at the opposite table sneered.

He pulled a delicate pocket watch from his vest pocket, checked the time, and said, "Oh dear, I have to go now. The Profit Point Exchange is about to open, I need to check today's market."

"Today, we are honored to have a special guest with us. He is Lord Horatio Cochrane, the Supreme Lord of the legendary Gothic Fleet."

This lord's lineage can be traced back to the famous Gothic Wars legend, Admiral Spyr, who contributed to the Emperor's victories in numerous military campaigns and was thus ennobled as a lord by the Imperial Ministry of the Interior. He is now enjoying great prominence and fame in the Misty Starfield.

As the commander tasked with forming this entirely new unit, we have a few questions for His Excellency to answer.

The beautiful female host looked at the dashing young senior naval officer on the screen and asked with a smile, "We all know that in Sintira, military service was once the supreme privilege of the aristocratic class."

Even now that civilians have access to military service, it was only after a fierce and bloody struggle that this was achieved.

But the Imperial Navy doesn't seem to have experienced such turmoil. What exactly led you to make the decision to open recruitment to all Imperial citizens?

"Courage, loyalty, and determination are never divided by class."

Horatio, dressed in his naval officer's uniform, calmly gazed at the camera in front of him.

His gaze was profound, piercing through the cold lens, engaging in a silent dialogue with every viewer watching on the screen.

"The Imperial Navy welcomes all those who are determined to spread the great will of the Divine Emperor and fight for the great cause of mankind to join the army."

Together we will fight against the dark forces that devour planets, the ferocious aliens, and... anything that dares to touch humanity.

The scene suddenly shifts to a well-produced recruitment video.

As the stirring military music began, a male voice speaking Sintila, whose pronunciation sounded remarkably like Old French, started the narration in a solemn tone.

'When darkness is about to engulf the whole world...'

The setting sun cast a soft glow on the silver-gray fuselages of the Imperial Navy fighters and interceptors, as darkness was swallowing the earth.

Immediately afterwards, rows of pure white armored vehicles appeared in the picture, ready to go.

'The light of our courage will illuminate the path ahead...'

The engines started, and one plane after another drove onto the runway, ready for takeoff.

The chariot's tires began to tumble across the vast desert meadow, kicking up clouds of sand and dust.

Suddenly, a terrifying burst of gunfire erupted, startling the Sintira people who had long been accustomed to a peaceful life.

The green-skinned "rat-a-tat-tat" machine gun fired bullets that flew everywhere, and the heavy bullets hit the armor of the white tank, making a series of crisp "clanging" sounds.

The traitor Severus's laser beam struck the sturdy armor, leaving only red-hot metal marks.

The enemy's heavy artillery exploded on the ground, leaving huge craters.

But none of this could stop the 13th Airborne Dragoon Brigade's desperate charge.

The eight-wheeled armored vehicle ignores any obstacles; its independent suspension system allows it to easily roll over craters and climb steep slopes.

Nothing can stop their advance.

The Imperial Navy Air Fleet roared across the sky.

First came the violent explosion of the air-to-ground missile, which made the entire sky tremble.

Immediately following was a thrilling head-on laser sweep with the enemy aircraft.

Flames of fire exploded and burst across the dark night sky above Minerva. Imperial fighters and interceptors, like vengeful angels of the sky, clashed fiercely with the Dark Eldar's Raptor fighters, the Orcs' Daka fighters, and the Severus rebels' Aquila interceptors and their captured Thunder fighters above the clouds.

Under the cover of fighter planes, the Predator bomber squadrons of the 588th and 587th Air Regiments dropped plasma bombs emitting a ghostly blue fluorescence from an altitude of 10,000 meters under the cover of night.

The bombs, trailing long contrails, hurtled down, exploding into deadly yet dazzling plasma flowers on the enemy's positions.

Even though the enemy has taken our land, the city has fallen into a deathly silence…

On the dragon rider chariots, under the cover of the air force, all weapons were firing wildly at the enemies of the God Emperor who were invading human lands, launching the fiercest counterattack against the ferocious aliens and the despicable traitors.

Once they reached their designated positions, the rear ramps of the tanks slammed down heavily.

Countless soldiers of the railborne landing force, dressed in white uniforms and blue armor, leaped nimbly and with high morale from the stern compartment, and together with their vehicles, launched an assault on the enemy-occupied defensive line.

Our courage and faith will burn brightly... unwavering, indomitable, and indestructible!

On the way to the front, people were constantly being shot down by enemy bullets and lasers, their blood staining the sand beneath their feet.

Every sacrifice, every act of resistance, strengthens our belief in loyalty…

Squads of combat nuns, armed with sturdy shields and bolt carriers, jumped off the silver "Rhinoceros" troop carriers of the Holy Rose Sisters. They quickly formed a defensive line, covering their medical nuns behind them, and rushed onto the battlefield to rescue the fallen wounded.

Loyalty will prevail... and hope will never perish!

Far behind, the artillery battery of the Krieg Death Legion Training Corps was slowly turning their massive earth-shaking cannons, locking their targets firmly onto the enemy's artillery positions.

The fire from the cannon barrels shot straight into the sky in the darkness, unleashing a barrage of punitive shells that sent flames soaring from the distant enemy's artillery positions.

This legacy represents not only power, but also supreme honor…

Stupid!
A crisp sound of a saber being drawn from its sheath.

On the screen, a female officer wearing a square cap, holding aloft a battered Sky Eagle military flag and wielding a sharp, energy-powered saber, suddenly appeared on the flank of the enemy's defensive line.

'It shines in every raised human flag, and is embodied in every step taken in the charge…'

The dragoons drew their sabers and, with loud shouts, launched a resolute charge.

Alongside them were the heavier Imperial armored vehicles from the Third Cavalry Corps—the Lemanrus main battle tanks.

The enemy hurriedly adjusted the logging guns and heavy firepower on their positions, and unleashed a barrage of fire at the cavalry charging from the flank.

The charging cavalry suffered heavy casualties; bullets whizzed past the female colonel, and a laser beam even pierced the military flag in her hand, leaving a charred hole in it.

Our mission is crystal clear—to protect the unarmed.

In the scene, passengers stranded in Minerva due to the war are wrapped in foil life blankets provided by the Imperial Navy.

The elderly, women, and children huddled together tightly, the light of distant artillery fire reflected in their fearful eyes.

The resisting enemies soon paid a bloody price for their defiance.

The colonel's military flag twirled nimbly in the air before piercing a lumberjack's throat like a spear, striking him precisely in the throat and knocking him from his firing position into the trench.

The other dragoons that followed threw bundles of attack grenades into the trench. The violent shockwaves blasted the traitor Severus inside into a state of chaos.

The engines of the Leman Rus main battle tank roared as its massive, tens-of-tons-weight body crushed the entire trench, terrifying the rebel soldiers crouching inside, who could only cower and cower with their heads in their hands.

The heavy-explosive muskets on both sides of the tank were efficiently clearing out the remaining traitors in the trenches, using their blood to wash away their sins.

Those traitors who tried to escape were easily beheaded by the dragon riders who swept past like a whirlwind, their sabers flashing in the distance.

Terrified heads rolled onto the sand, and headless corpses, spitting blood, fell heavily to the ground.

'To deter those tyrannical invaders who covet the Divine Emperor's Vast Universe;'

The scene suddenly switched to the Minerva's orbit.

A light cruiser is engaged in a fierce firefight with a large cruiser that is several times its size.

With each shot fired by the large cruiser, countless fragments of shattered armor flew into the air from the sides of the light cruiser.

But she was fearless and, relying on her superior maneuverability, relentlessly attacked the weakest point of the large cruiser—the engine.

boom!
An engine, along with its afterburner, was destroyed, turning into a charred wreckage that was propelled into the distant void.

The large cruiser attempted to escape, but was precisely hit by several torpedoes just before entering subspace.

A tiny escort ship fearlessly charged down from its high-altitude orbit and launched its last two torpedoes at that colossal behemoth.

The bridge of the cruiser emitted an extremely dazzling flash in the silent void, instantly turning into countless burning fragments.

On the ground, the female colonel jumped off her warhorse, her face stained with blood. With a single sword stroke, she severed the banner of the rebellious duke and planted the already tattered Sky Eagle Army flag in her hand fiercely on the corpses of the enemy flag bearers who had been killed, letting it flutter in the cold wind.

The officers and soldiers of the orbital landing force, who had fought valiantly, raised their weapons high and cheered loudly at the triumphant flash in the sky.

The fleet on orbit eventually conquered the enormous void whale.

'And to maintain our unshakeable and powerful military dominance over the entire galaxy.'

(End of this chapter)