Warhammer: Hail to the Void Lords!.

Chapter 955, page 08.954: 'Red and Blue Internal Strife'

As the first rays of dawn pierced the thin clouds of Minerva, casting a false golden hue upon this war-torn land, the clamor of war temporarily subsided.

The green waves came like a landslide and a tsunami, and receded just as quickly as the tide, leaving behind countless twisted metal fragments and dismembered corpses among the vast sand dunes, turning the Golden Sands into a scene depicting hell.

Just then, a melodious military tune broke the deathly silence that followed the battle.

The Sintira flintlock regiment, accompanied by the melody, marched with somewhat disordered yet still arrogant steps, joining the battle that had already been decided.

Rather than soldiers coming to fight, they were more like a ceremonial guard attending a grand celebration parade.

Their magnificent uniforms gleamed in the morning light, creating an absurd and jarring contrast with the surrounding ruins and blood-red sand.

As a reserve force, the carbine cavalrymen, standing in neat rows behind General Nansutti, the commander of the Imperial Guards, sat upright on their warhorses, full of vigor.

They wore heavy, copper-plated armor, which reflected the cold morning light.

These knights, who were also of noble birth, frowned as they looked at the belated "friendly forces." Their heads, which were already arrogant enough to look down on others, were held up even higher.

These spoiled young men from the capital of Sintira clearly lacked any sense of crisis being on the battlefield.

Of course, anyone would "praise" them for choosing the perfect time to appear—after the toughest battle was over.

You might find it hard to say that the aliens known as "Greenskins" have any sophisticated organizational tactics, but when they come like a tsunami, overwhelming the lines with their primal brutality and leaving behind a trail of torn Imperial soldiers' corpses, you can truly understand their terror.

boom! Bang bang bang!
In the distance, the artillery positions of the Sintira flintlock regiment opened fire again.

The muffled cannon fire made the cavalrymen's horses neigh restlessly, some pawing the ground impatiently and snorting out white steam.

Countless whistling shells streaked across the sky, leaving black trails as they fell to the distant earth, each impact causing the ground to tremble.

Captain Horatio felt the whistling sound of shells whizzing overhead, his brow furrowing deeply. He abruptly looked in the direction the shells were flying, then shouted:
"and many more!"

"What is it, Your Excellency?" Brigadier General Lana sheathed his power sword, which had just been slashing at greenskins and still had dried blood clinging to its blade, and asked, following Horatio's gaze.

"My men are still carrying out their infiltration mission in that area according to plan! I don't know if they've evacuated yet, stop the shelling immediately!" Horatio's voice was filled with suppressed rage.

Brigadier General Rana's expression turned grave. He immediately ordered the messenger beside him, "Tell them to cease fire! Immediately! Right now!"

The messenger immediately rode away on horseback, rushing towards the communications base station vehicle next to General Nansuti.

Then, Brigadier General Rana turned to Horatio, his voice heavy: "The current situation is extremely difficult for both the Star Force and the Navy."

I am aware of your mission.

Sintira is currently divided into two factions. If Your Excellency wishes to establish a landing force for the Imperial Navy, you will likely have to choose between the conservatives and the reformists within Sintira.

He paused, his gaze drifting to the distant horizon ravaged by artillery fire: "We'll discuss the specifics when we reach the monastery. I hope your men... are safe and sound."
-
When Horatio's Pegasus wheeled chariots rolled over the scorched earth and arrived at the Saint-Minnie Abbey, it was already a ruin.

Collapsed walls and broken statues filled every street and alley.

Survivors of the troops and garrison who had arrived earlier—mainly naval soldiers from the USS Swifthawk—were clearing the wreckage and moving the wounded.

Horatio leaned halfway out of the tank's command tower, gazing at the devastated scene before him.

This colossal monastery, which had stood for centuries against wind and sand erosion and frequent tectonic movements, was now vastly different from when he left. Much of its magnificent architecture had collapsed in the war. The once towering Gothic spires were now just jagged fragments, pointing forlornly at the gloomy sky.

His gaze was eventually drawn to a huge hole in the wall of the monastery's main hall. After examining it closely, he was speechless with astonishment.

It was a terrifyingly large circular gap; the explosion had turned the sand-colored walls black, and the stone at the edges had a glassy appearance, as if it had been melted and then solidified.

This level of destructive power is far beyond what any standard towed artillery of the Astronautical Army could achieve.

He couldn't help but wonder if those green-skinned men had gone mad and dismantled a shore-based heavy artillery piece, then used their unbelievable technology to transport it over.

But where did they get the high-strength materials science and anti-gravity engineering to support the movement of such a huge cannon?
The matter of the green-skinned man is indeed not something that can be understood through common sense.

"I'm sorry, I made you laugh." A clear and steady female voice interrupted his thoughts.

Jadvig rode a magnificent warhorse swiftly to Horatio's chariot, her face bearing a weariness and sorrow beyond her years.

“Don’t be sad, madam,” Horatio replied in the local way of addressing her. “Your brother’s decision was actually to protect you. He just removed you from your post, but you are still a colonel, only now you’ve gone from a colonel-level regimental commander to a colonel-level battalion commander.”

You bear too much burden on your shoulders, a burden that you shouldn't have to bear at your age.

But that's okay, war will make you stronger. I believe you can be tempered into steel in the flames of war and become an even better soldier.

“Thank you, High Principal, I…” Yadwiga’s words were interrupted by a heated argument.

She and Horatio turned their heads at the same time and saw Battalion Commander Poniatovsky and his Second Battalion of Dragoons confronting the remnants of the 17th Regiment of the Sintira Fusiliers.

The atmosphere was tense, with soldiers on both sides already raising their weapons. Even the most tactless person could sense the heavy smell of gunpowder in the air.

The soldiers from both sides formed a red and blue opposing force, their teeth interlocking, and they quickly grappled and shoved each other into a brawl.

"Stop! All of you, stop!"

Bang! A warning shot was fired.

Colonel DeVega drew the bolt pistol that Horatio had lent her during the battle from her waist and fired it into the air.

The fight stopped immediately when the deafening explosions echoed through the crowd.

"What's going on, Battalion Commander Citizen!" The angry female colonel immediately rode forward and demanded an explanation.

With his face flushed red with anger, Poniatovsky shoved away the flintlock gunner who was grabbing his collar, punched him to the ground, and then wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth.

He remained silent, his eyes still filled with murderous intent, as if he wanted to tear the flintlock gunner in front of him to shreds.

"Colonel Citizen, it's them! It was them that night! These guys were drunk and started the fight!" A dragoon, having straightened his uniform and slung his rifle over his shoulder, pointed at the group of bruised, ragged Sintira flintlock gunners and reported loudly.

"They're the ones who smashed Antoine to death with their rifle butts! I saw it with my own eyes! These murderers!" another dragoon roared, pointing at the flintlock gunner who was retreating in fear.

"Murderers! They must be punished!"

"They must be punished!!"

(End of this chapter)