Warhammer: Hail to the Void Lords!.

Chapter 859, 08.858: "A Trapped Beast's Desperate Struggle"

"Attention all crew members, in the name of the Emperor and the Captain, this ship is issuing an 'armor call.' All sailors are requested to proceed to the nearest armory to collect their light weapons. Repeat, all crew members, please take note..."

The cold, electronic sound echoed like a death knell in every corner of the warship.

Different models of servo skulls, like ghosts, drifted around in the corridor flashing red warning lights.

Some of them play solemn and inspiring battle hymns through built-in sound arrays; others spray blessed holy water from sprayers on their chins; still others emit a soothing, sacred aroma composed of nanoparticles, attempting to dispel the "plague" of "fear" that is quietly spreading in the air.

Armed sailors, armed with loaded shotguns or laser carbines, stood like cold statues on either side of each armory, their icy gazes watching over order on the ship.

In the cabins near the Ministry of Justice's post, bailiffs in black armor were already engaged in maintaining order on the ship. The blue arcs of electricity flashed from their batons from time to time, enough to terrify any ill-intentioned person.

"Quick! Quick! Quick! Everyone, keep order and collect your weapons!" A military supervisory committee member stood atop a mountain of weapon crates, shouting in his hoarse voice as he oversaw the distribution and registration of the weapons.

Under the blood-red emergency lights, the crew members lined up to receive the weapons they would use to protect their lives in front of the nearest weapons depot.

The Swift Eagle didn't have those unruly contractors on board, so her "armed summoning" process seemed much more reassuring.

Thanks to Horatio's superior material support for his crew, which far exceeded the standards of the Imperial Navy, he was not worried that the call to arms would trigger a bloody mutiny like it had on the HMS Indulgence.

The entire weapon requisition process was efficient and orderly.

One after another, the Averus-class barges, like diligent worker bees, took off from the cargo ships responsible for transporting military equipment at the rear and precisely docked at the still functional side docking platforms of the Swift Eagle.

Crates filled with weapons and ammunition, painted in dark blue, were unloaded from the barge's cargo hold and then transported by heavy-duty cranes or industrial forklifts to the adjacent bulkheads and neatly stacked.

These weapons were originally prepared for the subsequent preparation of naval amphibious landing forces, and mainly consisted of Bess-type laser carbines equipped with detachable bayonets.

This was well-maintained stockpiled weaponry that Horatio had directly sourced from his own naval infantry depot. Its power was not significantly different from the standard laser guns used by the Astronautical Army. It was enough to penetrate the thin, ornate armor of the Eldar Conspiracy members, but whether it would actually hit them was another matter entirely.

The Dark Eldar are known for their superhuman agility and inhuman reaction speed, but their maneuverability and evasiveness will be greatly limited in the narrow, winding, and labyrinthine corridors inside the warship.

As long as the firepower is concentrated enough, it can effectively cause casualties.

Navy boarding personnel are deploying towable terracotta breastworks and automatic fire control lines at every important intersection and compartment junction.

They mounted heavy bomb guns and plasma cannons behind the breastwork, their dark muzzles pointing in every possible direction of attack.

From ordinary sailor squads to elite boarding crews, all professional soldiers were issued additional heavy or special weapons with greater power.

Any compartment with a commanding position and complex terrain, such as a hangar or energy compartment, is additionally equipped with several "Tarantula" automated defense turrets or stationary weapon platforms controlled by servo servants.

At this moment, everyone understands one thing: if the Swift Eagle and these cargo ships cannot reach the Whirlwind Line, then all the weapons stored on board will become meaningless.

"Wow, Dad, look! They issued such good guns!" Old Joe's youngest son, carrying a huge pile of weapons, firearms, and protective gear that almost overwhelmed him, stumbled up to his father. His eyes shone like stars. "A rifle, a pistol, and a sword! Look at this sword, it's gleaming and can even be stuck in the gun! And... and this time they even issued a full set of bulletproof armor! The kind that armed sailors wear! We've never seen such good equipment even back in Zhongchao!"

Old Man Qiao sat down on a thick pipe, lit a crumpled cigarette with his cheap promethium lighter that he had brought from the lower nest and used for more than ten years, took a deep drag, and then slowly exhaled.

He squinted at his youngest son, whose face was flushed with excitement, but there was not a trace of joy on his face.

But he still managed a smile and encouraged, "Put it on, let me see what you look like dressed like a soldier."

As a seasoned veteran who had been in the underworld of the lower-level city for two or three decades, he knew better than anyone that when a gang leader started handing out good guns to his men, it meant only one thing—the gang was at the brink of life and death, and if they failed, everyone would be fed to the mutated ditch rats.

There's a saying in the lower nests: "Every gift that fate bestows has a price already marked on it."

A little while later, his eldest son also came over.

His face still bore the scrapes from his narrow escape from the broken connecting corridor. "Weapons are still being brought in continuously from the docking station," he said, skillfully removing his oil-stained protective suit, putting on heavy breastplates, shoulder pads, and knee pads, then putting the suit back on and zipping it up. "Some escort ships have also sent their armed forces to help reinforce the flagship's defenses."

I saw many of our ship's armed sailors have switched to the kind of fully enclosed heavy armor that boarding squads wear. Dad, this situation... is really serious.”

He turned around and helped his underling fasten the double-sided breastplate from behind, then carefully adjusted the protective gear to the most suitable position.

The youngest son imitated the armed sailors standing guard with great seriousness, straightening his back and holding a laser carbine that was almost as tall as him. Even with the armor tightened to its maximum, it still looked too big on him, making him look like a child who had secretly put on his soldier father's gear and was imitating an adult.

With a silly smile on his face, he gave his father and older brother a crooked military salute.

Because of the large movement, the oversized helmet on his head slid off with a "clatter," covering half of his face.

On the command bridge.

"The enemy fleet is approaching, at a distance of 8,000 kilometers, with a relative proximity rate of +1.2."

Horatio could already see through the main porthole those terrifying shadows, like giant sea monsters, looming in the darkness.

This is a speed that is neither fast nor slow.

If the Dark Eldar wanted to go even faster, with their unfathomable technology, they could easily raise the approach rate to 2.0 or even higher.

But they didn't. They deliberately mimicked the speed of human fleets, forming a huge, crescent-shaped encirclement, creating a highly intimidating formation.

Needless to say, these cunning aliens are once again employing their most proficient tactic: breaking down the enemy's psychological defenses.

However, the enormous, mountain-like black ark did indeed stir up an uncontrollable panic among the escort fleet.

Anyone who sees this behemoth cannot help but feel an indescribable chill from the bottom of their heart.

"Reporting to you, Captain."

The voice of the armed forces captain came through the communicator: "After roll call, all 18900 armed sailors and 8100 naval boarding personnel on board the ship are in position."

Three hundred of them suffered minor injuries and illnesses during the voyage, but were still capable of fighting.

Approximately 50,000 sailors are receiving their weapons and equipment in an orderly manner and are being armed to the highest level.

Several other friendly ships reinforced our armed forces, totaling about two thousand men.

In addition, we have deployed bailiffs from the Ministry of Justice and grenadiers from the Krieg Death Legion to various key positions in mixed formation.

"I understand."

Chief Technology Officer, Father Latti.

"I am here, my lord." With just Horatio's summons, a holographic image of the graceful and beautiful mechanical priestess immediately appeared on the platform of the command throne.

How much armed force do you have available?

"A standard-sized apostolic guard of five hundred men. But they have quite a few strange little toys."

The goddess Fu Yingying smiled, her voice as melodious as music tuned by the most precise instruments, "Of course, there are also some 'big treasures'. Well, not many, but enough to defend the core areas and key nodes of the ships."

(End of this chapter)