Warhammer: Black Emperor

Chapter 321 "The Light-Prayer"

“My lord,” Gabriel reported second, “through the dismantling of the Randan warships, we have gained a preliminary understanding of their methods for falsifying readings.”

"Although it cannot be applied immediately, it can significantly reduce the time required for recognition."

"Most of Ran Dan's weapons are related to psionic energy, and he needs more assistance from the think tank."

"Randan people have mature technology in personal energy shields, and through research, they have made some progress in miniaturization."

“Continue the research.” Ning Lu knew that researching alien technology would take time, but he was patient.

As long as the technology of Randan ships is mastered and an effective countermeasure is taken before the start of the Second Randan War in 862, the problem can be solved.

There were still 23 years to go.

“My lord, I am dissecting the Randan alien,” Mikel said third.

"These are alien creatures with wolf heads and human bodies, possessing great strength and agility; they serve as the main force of the ships..."

"..."

"I have uploaded the alien data to the Legion's tactical network and copied it to all lords and company commanders."

Ning Lu nodded slightly, and then said:
"I will capture the Randan aliens during ground operations and designate a separate area on the Ramirez."

"As I said before, the war with Randan will last for decades, and the Legion warriors should have a good understanding of the enemy."

Ninglu remembers that the future "Death Watch" was located in the Jericho border region of the Extreme Starfield, and possessed a Ramirez-class star fortress, the Watch Fortress Ellioch.

Inside Ellioch, members of the "Death Watch" kill squad undergo training and prepare for an upcoming mission.

Ellioch serves as a command center, storage facility, archive, and garrison, and is also home to various training facilities for the Astartes.

To create the most realistic training conditions possible, various unique environments were built within the massive dome of Starfortress, some of which housed life forms such as plants and animals from the world of the dead.

The kill squad even captured aliens and deployed them into the dome to simulate being hunted by the kill squad during exercises.

[After the war, the Ramirez should not be wasted; it can serve as both a training base and a research center for Randan.]
“My lord,” Artena Dunn then said, “to date, the expeditionary fleet has lost a total of fifty-four voidships, including thirteen capital ships.”

"Most of them were lost when they encountered the numerically superior Randan warships upon setting foot in the star system."

"The Randan warship has retreated into the range of the combat satellite and deployed drones for harassment."

“We have achieved a complete victory in the first phase of the war,” Nimrod said with a smile. “The objective of the second phase is to capture the four planets on the outer edge of the Spiral-Morse system.”

"Of the four planets, Spiral Morse IV is the closest to the host planet. Ramirez was moved there to counter the Randan drone attack with central area torpedoes."

"The size of its fortress is only smaller than that of Extinction Star, and the assault is led by the Third War Chapter and the 'Modian Iron Guard,' with the 'Voidwalker' Titan Legion providing support."

As Nimrod spoke, the Primarch's servant raised his staff, bringing up the Spiral-Morse star map and highlighting four planets on the outer edge of the system.

"The Arbitration of the First Battle Group has been moved to orbit around Planet V."

The Randan fleet still has the strength to fight and could launch a surprise attack at any time.

Nimrod must ensure that each of the four planets has a Ramirez-class star fortress or a Queen of Glory-class battleship in orbit to deal with potential attacks.

"The results of the Auger Matrix scan indicate that the surface of Planet V is a cave-like terrain, and it was attacked jointly by the Second and Eighth Armies."

"The Death and Decay has moved to the orbit of Planet VI. The planet's surface is an icy world, and the Fourth and Fifth Legions must conquer this world."

"The Shadow of Royal Authority is heading towards the Extinction Star. I will lead the Honor Guard and the Eleventh Chapter to conquer Randan Fortress."

"Yes, my lord." The crowd responded in unison, with Sesak, the commander of the First Battle Group, abruptly addressing him as "father," and he was also the only non-royal court monk present.

After everyone left, Ninglu spoke to the silver-haired Arsena.

"Send Honor Guard member San Diego Bergkamp back to the Fifth Chapter to join the attack on Planet VI."

After conducting a thorough review of Santiago and confirming his loyalty and exceptional abilities, Nimrod has trained him as a Sequence 9 "Apprentice" of the "Gate" pathway.

Demon-type psionicists may find themselves trapped in the warp when using psionic spells such as banishing demons or opening portals. The "gate" pathway that will open the "Traveler's Gate" in the future will allow him to escape when in danger.

"Ten minutes later, have members Porti and Pierre Wright..."

Ninglu read out the names of fifty-two Honor Guard members in a row. They were either already members of the Honor Guard before the war or joined after performing well in the boarding action. They had all passed the test.

He intends to train the selected members of the Honor Guard into extraordinary individuals.

Sure enough, it was wartime that allowed for a faster observation of the subjects under investigation.

After the war, the general process of the first phase for Extraordinary Beings should be completed. Each squad in the seven warbands—first, third, fourth, seventh, eighth, ninth, and eleventh—will have Extraordinary Beings of my chosen path.
While pondering, Ninglu returned to the "Land of Chaos" and ordered the space monkeys to concoct a magic potion.

The orange-furred space ape's fingers flew across the page, rapidly conjuring vials of potions. As Nimrod distributed the potions to the Honor Guard members, San Diego, heading towards the transport ship, stopped, staring at the figure before him.

Thomas, holding a staff and his face hidden beneath a psionic hood, spoke:
“San Diego, you have outstanding psionic potential. I invite you to join the think tank.”

“Lord Thomas, I would much rather fight alongside my brothers in arms than become a think tank,” San Diego said.

“I believe in you, and I’m sure you’ll make a name for yourself.” Thomas saw himself and the other lords reflected in San Diego.

Following the war council, due to the caves scattered across the planet Spiral Morse V, the effectiveness of orbital bombardment was limited, and the Second War Group launched the first offensive.

After the black transport ship landed on the surface, Wilshire spoke to his chapter members on the chapter's communications channel:
"Shadows of Order! Hear me! We have gathered here, standing before the Xenomorph's lair, under the halo of our Primarchs!"

"The filthy aliens are right in front of us. They possess immense power, and there is no doubt that this will be a fierce battle. Some of us will not see the dawn again."

"But know that if you sacrifice yourself heroically, you will return to the Primarch, and he will spread his golden wings and embrace you."

The Lord of Light emphasized, "Now we must act for victory! For Nimrod!"

At the same time, he silently praised in his heart: "For the Black Emperor!"

"For Nimrod!" the Order of Shadows of the Second Battle Group roared as they charged toward the cave.

Upon entering the dark cave, the Shadow Order immediately heard the sound of flapping wings.

A swarm of one-meter-tall aliens flew in, their backs covered in bat wings, their heads like venomous snakes, and their necks adorned with nerve collars.

Randan enslaved not only humans, but also many other alien races.

The Shadow of Order raised its bomb gun, unleashing a barrage of explosives at the alien like a hurricane.

The alien exploded violently, its limbs scattered all over the ground.

The Shadow of Order, wielding a flamethrower, pulled the trigger. Burning promethium engulfed the alien, and rising steam instantly dried it out.

Wilshire strode forward, singing loudly:

"Your Majesty, we beg your kingdom to descend upon this place, and the filth will surely be dispelled, and light will illuminate the shadows of order!"

Wherever the “Singer” goes, the shadows of order are filled with power.

Their strength, their agility, and their courage were all enhanced.

The second battle group was unstoppable and advanced forward.

On the fifth day of the battle, they stormed into the heart of the cave network.

Wilshire stepped into the cave and immediately heard a piercing scream.

The Randan Overlord, covered in magnificent feathers and with a beak a meter long, swooped down, wielding a gleaming spear.

He plunged into the shadowy ranks of the Order, thrusting his spear into the chest of a guard.

The spearhead pierced through the shadow of order, threaded onto the spear, and flew forward.

A dozen or so explosive bombs struck his personal energy shield, causing ripples to spread as the warheads crashed to the ground.

The Overlord flew at an extremely high speed, dodging most of the explosive projectiles fired by the Shadows of Order, and disappeared from their perception range in an instant.

He seems to possess some kind of invisibility ability.
Wilshire thought to himself, and calmly looked around.

Two beams of light, like small suns, suddenly shone in the eyes of the "Light-Prayer Man," bringing everything in the cave into his view.

He met the overlord's eyes, eyes that were withered and devoid of any crystalline luster.

Holding the Thunder Hammer, a relic, Wilshire immediately realized the weakness of the Overlord of Randan.

A pure light suddenly shone in the eyes of the "Light-Prayer," as if two small suns had descended into the cave. He then held his unarmored left hand to his mouth and nose, making a gesture of prayer.

Without a sound, a clear beam of light burning with flames fell from the sky and struck the alien overlord on the head.

The overlord let out a miserable scream, and his withered eyes quickly burned to ashes.

With a scream, the Overlord of Ran Dan fell like a kite with a broken string.

Wilshire felt a light emanating from within him, and he thought to himself, "[I have become a true 'Lightbringer'.]"
He pressed the rune and smashed the overlord with his hammer.

With a deafening explosion, the body of the Ran Dan Overlord was blasted into a pool of blood mist.

(End of this chapter)