Warhammer: Hail to the Void Lords!.

Chapter 791 08.790: "Hero's Course"

"Your Excellency Lieutenant Colonel, you..." The assistant captain stared blankly at Lieutenant Colonel Kretschmer's abnormal behavior and was speechless for a moment.

Otto Kretschmer, a heroic attack ship captain who has also won numerous awards in expeditions and is currently the commander of the Imperial Navy's First Attack Squadron, is known to all his naval colleagues for his rock-hard calmness and his ability to stay calm in the face of adversity.

After all, only a hunter with enough patience and extreme calmness can be competent for the dangerous job he is in.

However, at this moment, the face of this lieutenant colonel, who was known for his calmness, was clearly filled with a mixture of shock and some indescribable excitement. He even temporarily put aside the ongoing teaching and went straight to the owner of the voice.

A tall and burly figure slowly appeared at the entrance of the gangway leading to the upper deck on the side of the bridge, and finally stopped in front of a fence carved from thick black marble.

The man stood as tall as a gun, looking down from above, his majestic gaze slowly sweeping over everything below - the childish cadets, the slightly awkward captain, and Lieutenant Colonel Kretschmer who was walking quickly towards him.

The majestic and profound power that naturally emanated from him, without the need for any words or emblems to prove it, was enough to show his status as the former supreme leader of this legendary battleship.

The star medal on his chest sparkled brightly in the dim light of the bridge, it was the glory earned through countless bloody battles.

"Long time no see, Lieutenant Colonel Kretschmer."

The man's voice sounded again, with a barely perceptible smile, and his eyes fell on his subordinate who was walking quickly towards him.

The corners of his mouth lifted slightly, outlining a meaningful arc. In that smile, there was both the relief of reunion after a long separation, and a hint of understanding that everything was known.

"I am back."

These four short words, like a huge rock thrown into a calm lake, caused a silent uproar in the command bridge of the Epic.

The air seemed to stagnate at this moment, and the low hum of the engine and the sound of the instruments seemed to weaken. Everyone's eyes were focused on the tall figure, waiting, or rather, in awe of what was going to happen next.

Lieutenant Colonel Otto Kretschmer's legs suddenly came together, making a crisp sound of boot heels colliding. He held his military cap tightly under his ribs with his left arm, touched his chest with his right hand, and bowed deeply to the towering figure on the command throne platform. His movements were impeccable.

The visitor was wearing a set of carefully crafted, new power armor with majestic lines. The various medals hanging in the medal slots on his chest silently told of his long history of fighting on the battlefield.

The void blue cape behind him danced in the wind. On it, a blue planet pierced precisely by a dagger was printed with gold plating technology - that was the battle emblem of the Hell Vanguard, symbolizing the proud global strike capability within 24-mark Terra time.

The winged rudder emblem of the Imperial Navy engraved on the shoulder armor was made of silver fine gold, and the inner layer was cleverly fixed to the shoulders of the cloak. With his subtle movements, the wings seemed to be ready to take off.

The expressions on the students' faces quickly changed from initial curiosity to complete surprise.

In their still naive understanding, Lieutenant Colonel Otto Kretschmer was a standard imperial soldier with an almost 'emotionless' will and forged of iron.

Normally, nothing could stir up a ripple on his face, and no one would dare to joke with him. However, this iron-blooded instructor, at this moment, saluted the man in front of him with such a humble attitude.

The students lowered their voices, but still could not hide their astonishment and speculation among each other. The buzz of discussion quietly spread in a corner of the bridge. They were all quietly trying to figure out who this man was, with an extremely tall stature and an aura that was almost close to that of the legendary Astartes.

Seeing this scene, the naval captain, who had been unaware of the situation, suddenly woke up as if struck by an electric current, and his face turned red.

He took a deep breath and shouted with all his strength:
"Everyone! Salute Lord Horatio Cochrane!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the trainees who were still whispering were shocked by the powerful command, and silence instantly returned to the corner of the bridge.

Of course, this did not come from their well-trained discipline in daily life, but from a more primitive and stronger impact - a tremor from the depths of the soul.

The thrill was so intense that it was like witnessing with one's own eyes a character that only existed in heroic epics descend to the mortal world. The unbelievable impact would make mortals instinctively hold their breath.

In their imaginations, such a world-famous figure should have been sitting in a bright and comfortable office in the Ministry of the Navy, planning strategies, or giving orders to those equally powerful figures in the heavily guarded building of the Ministry of the Interior, or he should have been personally piloting a fearless warship across the boundless sea of ​​stars, creating a new immortal myth amidst gunfire and glory.

No matter what, they could not connect the legendary figure before them with the simple training ground of Zhongsi Academy and the teaching warship quietly docked in the dock.

"Greetings to our Lord Lord Cochrane!" After a moment's silence, the students straightened their still tender chests as if they had practiced it thousands of times, pounded their chests with their right fists, and transformed their left hands into wings to protect them, solemnly and respectfully performing the Imperial Sky Eagle salute to Horatio.

The movements may still be a little immature, but they are already the most standard postures they can perform.

"Greetings to you as well, cadets." Horatio's voice softened, but remained firm. "Did you all pay attention to Lieutenant Colonel Kretschmer's class?"

The young naval cadets looked at each other, with a hint of nervousness on their faces as they were being subjected to a surprise inspection.

"Of course! Sir!" A brave student responded loudly first, breaking the silence.

Immediately, the other students seemed to be ignited with enthusiasm, and they echoed one after another, their voices converging into an enthusiastic torrent: "We all listened carefully!"

"The Epic is a great warship. I was standing right here a year ago."

Horatio walked slowly towards the captain's throne made of jet-black gold, symbolizing supreme command, and finally stopped at a shorter marble fence in front of the throne.

He stretched out his hand and gently stroked the cold stone surface of the guardrail. His eyes were deep, as if he could penetrate time and space and see the dangerous years behind enemy lines.

"Directly in front of me is my former helmsman, an experienced and respectable old warrant officer. Over there is the combat command desk of my former first lieutenant, Archie Cuthbert Collingwood. He is responsible for accurately conveying my orders to every corner of the ship and ensuring that all instructions are implemented to the letter."

He turned slightly and pointed to the other side. "Then there is the observation tower that is slightly higher than the deck. The third observation mirror from the left was once Captain Louise's post. Thanks to her sharp Cadian purple eyes, we can always accurately lock the target position that needs to be hit in the first place.

Not far from you, at the gangway entrance, is the combat duty post of Military Supervisor Farida Hood."

The children followed Horatio's gaze to the locations that were pointed out one by one, and the excitement and excitement on their faces became increasingly difficult to suppress.

Especially when they heard the last name "Hood", many students from Abyss Port breathed faster.

The reputation of the Hood Family in Abyss Port is known to everyone. Even the hard laborers living in the lowest nest and working on the factory assembly line day after day have heard about the Hood Family's magnificent achievements countless times in the factory's endlessly looped radio broadcasts.

"That day."

Horatio's voice lowered, with a hint of nostalgia and relief, "All the officers and men on the ship worked together to steer the Epic, quietly passing under the shadow of the enemy's capital ship's huge belly.

It was a gamble. We took the huge risk of being instantly crushed by the gates between the hulls, or being detected by the enemy ships because of being too close. With our almost superb ship-driving skills, we shuttled through the gaps in the enemy ship's radar network like a silent shadow, successfully breaking through the layers of blockades and reaching the target area in the center of the dock. "

Soon, the atmosphere became quiet and everyone was listening to his story.

"Right there." Horatio raised his arm, his long index finger pointing steadily at the observation porthole on the side of the bridge.

The students looked in the direction he pointed, and outside the window they saw a large training ground and a tall heroic sculpture that was visually rippled by the warm stellar sunlight.

Clearly, the place outside was just the training ground they passed by every day, but for some reason, it caused everyone to exclaim in surprise.

At that moment, Horatio's eyes became distant and sharp, everything around him seemed to have faded away, and his soul had returned to the thrilling "Drumbeat Operation" raid battlefield.

"Our target is like the most tempting main course in a feast, quietly waiting for us. Our four torpedoes have long been ready to go, like hungry beasts showing their fangs, eager to tear the throat of their prey and drink its hot blood."

The students were completely attracted by Horatio's magnetic voice and vivid narration. They held their breath, their eyes sparkling with excitement and yearning, and their cheeks flushed slightly with excitement.

This unique "class" is a thousand times more interesting than any academic course they usually attend in the classroom that is filled with boring naval regulations and theoretical knowledge.

"We lurked like ghosts under the signal blind spot of a large cargo ship, seized the fleeting opportunity, and launched a deadly salvo of torpedoes at the command center of the heavily guarded enemy ship.

After we succeeded, we immediately turned around and disengaged at maximum tactical speed, and at the same time, we fired the remaining torpedoes at the key support structures and energy nodes around the entire starport."

“The gigantic alien megastructure began to fall apart, and the hundreds of meters long orange-yellow alien metal structure broke and collapsed in a series of explosions, making a deafening noise.

It was the most terrifying moment in my life. The whole world seemed to be shaking and collapsing under our feet, and we were the initiators of this destruction. "

"We steered our warships, flexibly shuttling between the collapsed starport structure and the burning wreckage of the enemy flagship. Finally, under the astonished gaze of the enemy, we disappeared into the deep space like ghosts."

When Horatio finished speaking, there was silence in the bridge. The cadets were all stunned. Many of them subconsciously opened their mouths wide and were unable to close them for a long time, as if they had even forgotten to breathe.

"Farewell, young recruits of the Gothic Fleet. Humanity needs your blood and sacrifice."

Horatio's eyes became gentle again. He smiled as he scanned the young faces full of admiration, "Listen carefully to Lieutenant Colonel Krezimer's lecture. This respectable lieutenant colonel with strong execution ability was once the most capable deputy squadron leader under my command.

In that "Drumbeat Operation", if it weren't for the First Attack Squadron under his command fighting bloody battles on the periphery, we would have cleared the threat on our flank and provided critical fire cover and support.

Without the E-47 and its heroic commander, Lieutenant Commander Prien, who at the most critical moment sacrificed himself to attract the enemy's main force, we would never have been able to complete the mission so successfully and perfectly. "

The cadets all turned their gazes toward their instructor, Lieutenant Colonel Kretschmer, with a new look that was a mixture of shock and admiration.

They never imagined that this usually serious and stern teacher was actually a close comrade-in-arms and superior who had fought side by side and experienced life and death with the imperial hero who was like a god in the propaganda of the Ministry of the Interior.

"Learn it as quickly as you can, memorize it, and then apply what you have learned. It may save your life at the most critical moment."

"Yes! Sir! We will definitely study hard under Lieutenant Colonel Kretschmer!" The cadets responded loudly in unison, humbly lowering their usually held high heads, their voices filled with unprecedented determination and enthusiasm.

After hearing the legend and witnessing the style of the hero who only existed on the radio.

The students were filled with unprecedented admiration, and the previous boredom of the course was swept away, replaced by burning enthusiasm and desire.

After all, for these young people with dreams, what could be a more tempting and challenging goal than becoming a hero like Lord Horatio Cochrane, the imperial heroic captain in the Second Damocles Gulf Expedition?
Lieutenant Colonel Kretschmer stared at his commander's tall and straight back as he walked away until he disappeared into the shadow of the gangway.

He slowly raised his right hand, clenched it into a fist, and solemnly pressed it on the left side of his chest over his heart. He felt the cold metal of the Imperial Sky Eagle emblem. He held his head high, his eyes deep, and thousands of thoughts were surging under his resolute face.

"Yes, sir, I will never let you down." Lieutenant Colonel Kretschmer said solemnly to the departing figure.

(End of this chapter)