NCCnovel Chapter 214 Fierce Battle Against the Black Legion
Chapter 214 Fierce Battle Against the Black Legion
The outer defense line of the Seventh Nest City on the surface of Holy Night Star
Arek, the political commissar of the Astral Army, stood atop a crumbling command tower, the hem of his coat charred black by plasma flames. Through his telescope, the spires of the Seventh Hive were ablaze, like torches planted in the earth.
"Report casualties!" he yelled into the communicator, his voice drowned out by the deafening roar of artillery fire.
"The entire first company was wiped out!" The adjutant's voice trembled with tears. "Those lunatics... they used human bombs to blow up the defenses!"
Arek saw the cultists surging through the gap in the defenses. These twisted creatures wore armor pieced together from junk and wielded weapons forged from industrial waste. Their skin was covered in glowing runes, which grew brighter with each Astragalus soldier they killed.
"Heavy weapons platoon!" Arek drew his power sword. "Close the breach!"
Just then, the sky suddenly darkened. Arek looked up and saw countless burning meteors streaking across the sky—those were the Black Legion's landing pods.
“By the Emperor…” he murmured to himself, “they are coming.”
The first landing pod slammed into the defensive line 500 meters ahead. Before the hatch was even fully open, three Chaos Space Marines burst out. Their armor was covered in writhing flesh, and their power swords were wreathed in warp energy.
"Retreat!" Arek yelled into the communicator. "Retreat to the second line of defense! This is no match for us!"
But it was too late. The Chaos Warriors were mowing down the Astronauts' lives like lawnmowers; they were too fast, even heavy bombs couldn't keep up.
Suddenly, a golden meteor struck the center of the battlefield. When the dust settled, Chapter Commander Pedro Canto stood there, his power armor still bearing the scars of space combat.
"For Dorne!" The Chapter Master's roar echoed across the battlefield.
Crimson Fist's strike cruisers dropped hundreds of drop pods into orbit, and the gold-and-red Space Marines joined the battle. They formed wedge formations, tearing through the Black Legion's lines with explosives and chainswords.
---
"For Dorn!" The deafening battle cry roared from the megaphone of the Dreadnought Iron Fortress. This four-hundred-year-old war machine, having just torn apart a squad of Chaos Terminators with its assault cannons, was now charging heavily toward a daemon engine.
The demonic engine, known as the "Flesh Furnace," emitted a piercing shriek. Its main body was a massive furnace, bubbling with a mixture of living metal and demonic flesh. Six mechanical tentacles extended from the furnace, each ending in a roaring demonic head.
The assault guns of the "Iron Fortress" fired first, but the shells were deflected by some kind of subspace force field as they approached the Demon Engine. The tentacles of the Demon Engine suddenly extended and wrapped around the arms of the Dreadnought.
"Subspace corrosion detected!" the technical sergeant's voice came through the communicator. "Immediate action recommended..."
The Dreadnought's powered gauntlets suddenly erupted with a dazzling energy field, instantly melting away the entangled tentacles. The voice of Cassius, the pilot of the "Iron Fortress" and former company commander, boomed through the loudspeaker: "I've been through worse!"
Two colossal machines clashed on the battlefield. Each strike of the "Iron Fortress's" power gauntlets left melting marks on the demon engine's armor. But the demon engine's tentacles were also constantly regenerating, leaving corrosive wounds on the dreadnought with each attack.
"Try this!" Cassius suddenly activated the heat-melting cannon on his back, and a beam of scorching energy struck the core furnace of the demon engine directly. The furnace's outer shell began to melt, and the living metal inside gushed out.
The demon engine let out its final wail, its tentacles flailing wildly in a last-ditch effort. But the "Iron Fortress" seized the opportunity, its power gauntlets piercing straight through the core of the furnace.
With a deafening roar, the demon engine exploded. The shockwave knocked over all soldiers within a hundred meters, but the Dreadnought remained standing.
Before the "Iron Fortress" could even catch its breath, a piercing shriek echoed from the sky. A hell dragon swooped down, its wings covered in burning scales, spewing corrosive flames from its mouth.
The Dreadnought's assault cannons immediately opened fire, but the Helldrax was too fast. It circled the "Iron Fortress," continuously spewing flames. The Dreadnought's armor began to melt, and alarms blared incessantly.
"You think you can defeat me like this?" Cassius's voice remained firm. "Let me show you the wisdom of a veteran!"
He suddenly shut down all weapon systems, feigning a loss of power. The Helldrax fell for it; it lowered its altitude, preparing to deliver a fatal blow.
Just as the dragon was about to pounce on the Dreadnought, the "Iron Fortress" suddenly activated all its weapons. Assault cannons, molten lava cannons, and missile launchers opened fire simultaneously, trapping the hell dragon within a dense web of fire.
The dragon roared in agony, its wings riddled with holes. But the most lethal attack came from the "Iron Fortress's" powered gauntlets—the Dreadnought suddenly leaped up and struck the dragon's head with all its might.
The hell dragon's corpse crashed heavily to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust. "Iron Fortress" stood beside the carcass, Cassius's laughter booming from the loudspeaker: "Who else?"
---
Harken's flagship, the Skull Road, finally landed on the surface. The Skull Raider personally led the Terminator Guard in an assault, each swing of his power claws claiming the life of a Crimson Fist warrior.
Pedro saw Harken and raised his power sword: "In the name of Dorne!"
The two battle commanders met in the center of the battlefield.
Pedro Canto's twin swords traced golden trajectories in the air; his left-hand sword, "Fortress Oath," was heavy and steady, while his right-hand sword, "Wrath of the Anvil," was light and swift. His power armor was riddled with bullet holes from the Black Legion, but the Chapter Master's steps remained as steady as ever.
Harken's black spear, "Void Spike," whistled through the air, its tip crackling with ominous purple arcs of electricity. His power claws, "Skullgrappers," screeched with each swing of the metal.
“Let me see what new tricks the Dorne bastards have learned.” Harken’s spear suddenly thrust out, so fast it was almost invisible.
Pedro crossed his twin swords to parry, sparks flying. He could feel the warp energy clinging to the spears eroding the blades, but the holy runes on the "Fortress Oath" immediately lit up, dispelling the corrosion.
"Your tricks are the same old ones." The warband suddenly spun around, his twin swords tracing perfect arcs. Harken was forced to take a half-step back, his power claws barely managing to block the attack.
The two moved through the ruins, the shockwaves from their clashing weapons shattering the surrounding glass. Harken's spear moved like a viper's tongue, each thrust aimed straight for vital points. Pedro, on the other hand, wove an impenetrable defensive net with his twin swords, forcing the Headhunter to take his occasional counterattacks seriously.
“Your swordsmanship has improved,” Harken suddenly changed tactics, sweeping his spear followed by a thrust with his power claws, “but it’s still not fast enough!”
Pedro's right sword was deflected by the spear, while his left sword barely managed to block the power claw. He could feel the claw tip just millimeters away from his throat.
The warband suddenly erupted, his twin swords flashing like the wind. "Wrath of the Anvil" slashed towards Harken's neck, forcing him to lean back, while "Fortress Oath" aimed straight for his abdomen. Harken had no choice but to abandon his attack, his spear and power claws simultaneously retreating to defense.
“That’s more like it!” the Headhunter laughed, suddenly hurling his spear. Pedro dodged to the side, only to find the spear curving in mid-air and attacking from behind.
Despite the danger, the warband commander remained calm. With his right hand, he parried the spear with a backhand strike, while his left hand thrust the sword straight at Haken's face. This attack forced the Skull Raider to retreat, and the spear returned to his grasp.
The battle lasted a full hour, and both were badly wounded. Pedro's shoulder armor was torn apart by the power claws, and Harken had a deep sword wound on his breastplate.
“It’s time to end this,” Harken suddenly unleashed warp energy, his spear and power claws engulfed in purple flames. “Let’s see how long you can last!”
Pedro took a deep breath, crossing his twin swords in front of his chest. He could feel the Emperor's blessing flowing through his body, and the holy runes shone brightly.
The final clash was like a thunderous explosion. Harken's spear pierced the Chapter Master's left shoulder, but "Fortress Oath" also severed two of the Power Claw's fingers. "Wrath of the Anvil" tore open the Skull Raider's breastplate, leaving a wound that ran from his shoulder to his waist.
“Next time we meet,” Harken said, backing away while clutching his wound, “I will take your skull.”
Pedro knelt on one knee, his two swords planted in the ground for support: "I'm ready anytime."
As the Black Legion's fleet withdrew, Pedro surveyed the devastated battlefield. Though they had paid a heavy price, they had held their ground.