Warhammer: Hail to the Void Lords!.

Chapter 857, 08.856: 'A glorious death in battle is the ladder to the golden throne.'

On the flagship's command platform, the atmosphere was as heavy as solidified lead.

The officers and staff of the operations department were arguing in hushed tones around the huge holographic sand table, trying to find a glimmer of hope in their despair.

But every plan seemed pale and powerless in the face of such an overwhelming disparity in troop strength.

It seems there is no chance of winning this battle head-on.

Almost no race would be so extravagant as to use a battleship-sized behemoth for raiding and plundering.

But the "Son of Thorns" is different.

Those who were kicked out of Comoros have gone mad.

In their quest to reclaim that dark city, they resorted to any means necessary, risking everything and betting their entire fortune on the gamble of the 'Severus Incident,' all to ensure the success of their evil plan within the Whirlwind Line.

Horatio vaguely recalled this long-forgotten history in his mind.

In the book "Only War" that I had read in my previous life, the "Sons of Thorns" almost successfully intercepted all the fleets heading to the Whirlwind Line, which ultimately led to the complete collapse of the battle there, turning it into a bloody mess.

Can I break free from the predetermined fate recorded in official history and become the sole, successful exception?

No, I must do it myself!

Even if everything right now is a crazy gamble.

If not strong enough reinforcements arrive in time, Task Force RX-0371 will inevitably suffer the same fate as Task Force RX-0375.

He didn't want to spend the rest of his life in the dark city of Comoros, eking out a miserable existence as a slave to those twisted monsters; nor did he want to suffer those unimaginable, perverse humiliations that took pleasure in torturing the soul.

"No, this plan won't work!" Louise's voice was decisive and loud. She wiped a newly drafted battle plan off the holographic platform. "Our warships can't hold out for that long. This blocking line is too short and too fragile! We'll be breached in less than 15 minutes. Redo it!"

As she spoke, she personally began to redraw the defense line on the sand table.

"First Captain, if even this doesn't work, we're truly out of options!" A staff officer's voice carried a hint of despair.

Faced with the morale of the officers and soldiers in the operations department almost collapsing, Horatio's calm voice rang out on the bridge like a stabilizing force: "Ladies and gentlemen, please remember that the combat characteristics of the Dark Eldar are fundamentally different from any other enemy. What they want are living slaves."

Upon hearing this, the previously noisy operations department instantly fell silent.

The officers were initially confused, but soon, a look of sudden realization appeared on everyone's face.

"In other words, we don't necessarily have to rely on the sturdiness of our ships to withstand the attack in the air."

A flash of understanding crossed Louise's eyes, and she immediately grasped the captain's intention: "For Ducali, there is still plenty of time; they don't need to destroy our ships directly."

They will certainly choose to board our ships and turn us into abandoned ships floating in the void. After completely crushing our resistance, they will take the survivors to slave ships and transport them back to their lair.

“The First Captain is right,” Horatio added, his voice carrying a cold decisiveness. “We don’t need to worry that the enemy will simply choose to completely destroy our warships.”

What they need are slaves—a large number of high-quality slaves. Therefore, how to deal with the upcoming, inevitably extremely fierce, boarding battle is our top priority right now.

"So... as the flagship, we might have to bear the brunt of that enemy battleship's... boarding alone?" A young officer's voice gradually shifted from realization to disbelief and shock.

“Yes,” Horatio said frankly, his gaze sweeping over every officer present. “The Swift Skyhawk will be the primary target for enemy boarding attempts.”

We cannot expect escort ships to withstand that level of attack.

We are the flagship, the most powerful warship in the entire fleet, and this is the responsibility we should bear.

Moreover, the Ducalis will undoubtedly have their eyes on us from the very beginning of the battle. Whether we like it or not, we cannot escape our fate of fighting to the death with the enemy in the corridors, in the cargo holds, and on the bridge.

The officers looked at each other, and a heavy silence fell over them.

The silence was broken by the captain of the armed forces, whose booming voice shattered the silence.

"Fellow soldiers, don't forget that the 'Swift Eagle' has inherited the glorious legacy of His Excellency Thomas Cochrane and His Excellency Edward Perug!"

His Excellency Thomas Cochrane eliminated most of the contract workers on board and instead adopted a more efficient automatic ammunition hoist, which freed up many cabins in the middle of the warship and converted them into barracks.

Many of the officers and men on our ship inherited their skills from the decorated battlecruiser HMS Indulgence. We possess the most extensive anti-boarding and shipboard combat experience in the entire fleet!

"Not to mention, we also have thousands of tough bailiffs from the Ministry of Justice, 4,500 fearless officers and soldiers from the Krieg Death Legion Training Corps, and the fighting nuns of the Holy Rose Sisters as reinforcements!" the armed forces adjutant added.

“That’s right! Thinking about it this way, since it’s a home-field defense operation, we still have the ability to resist the enemy battleships boarding for a certain period of time! If an ‘armed call’ mobilization order is issued, at least… at least three to four days, we might be able to hold out!” Another officer’s eyes rekindled with hope.

"Three to four days...that's enough. No matter how long it takes, it's pointless if no reinforcements arrive."

"The Armed Forces Command shall immediately take stock of the number of professional troops available for combat on the entire ship and begin deploying defensive measures at all key checkpoints immediately."

The entire ship is now in 'armed call' status. Open all armories and distribute weapons and ammunition to all crew members.

Everyone must prepare to defend this warship; our survival hinges on this moment.

"Yes, Captain!"

"Louise, turn on the ship's sound array broadcast. I'm going to give a pre-battle mobilization speech."

"Ship-wide sonic boom is now activated!"

"All officers and men of the ship, I am your captain."

Horatio's deep and magnetic voice resonated throughout every corner of the warship via the ship's acoustic array system.

The crew members busy at their posts, the armed sailors standing guard with their chests straight along the key passageways, the bailiffs from the Ministry of Justice wiping their riot shotguns with holy oil, and the Krieg Death Legion grenadiers wearing gas masks who were on duty with the sailors on board all raised their heads and turned their gazes toward the sound array that was making the noise.

"Today, the Lord of mankind is watching over us!"

Today, we must prove to all the brutal aliens who dare to covet the Emperor's assets that Imperial officers and soldiers, regardless of their branch of service or rank, will never waver in fulfilling their sacred duties!
Remember your identities and responsibilities! Defend this warship to which you swore to dedicate your lives! Protect the Emperor's assets!

In the name of my captain, I hereby issue a 'call to arms'!
Every member of this warship must summon all your courage and fight to the death against the approaching enemy!
The Divine Emperor blesses every loyal warrior! Death will be the ladder to our ascent to the Golden Throne! Death is the beginning of our service to the Lord of Mankind!

"For the God Emperor! We will live and die with the warships!"

At that moment, all the crew members on board erupted in a deafening roar filled with a sense of desperation and determination.

The officers on the bridge drew their powered swords, gleaming with energy, from their waists and swore their resolve to their captain.

No one knew what terrifying enemy they would face next, but the captain's words reminded them that dying gloriously in battle was the ladder to the Golden Throne.

"Enemy fighter jets approaching!" Just then, a hurried shout, like cold water poured into boiling oil, instantly interrupted the frenzied atmosphere on the bridge.

Commander Bird detected an unusual movement rapidly approaching from the void on his tactical screen.

"This is 'Skyhawk One'! We are being pursued by a group of enemy 'Raptor' fighter jets! Requesting immediate support!" A female voice burst out from the electronic noise and rang out in front of the Thinker array in the operations department.

(End of this chapter)