Unyielding (Bùjuàn) Battlecruiser Command Bridge.
"Relay a message to the Avenging Blade combat barge and Captain Afiel," Captain Peru ordered the communications officer.
"You are connected."
"This is the Imperial Navy's Incessant. Captain, Watch Master, do the boarding action and void combat require the Incessant to dispatch a boarding team for support, and to maintain continuous naval gun fire output?"
Captain Afiel quickly gave a reply. The communication had some electromagnetic interference, and there were dense gunshots and screams within it. Even with the helmet's built-in communication noise reduction, it was still clearly audible. Overall, the communication was clear enough to understand:
"Leave the boarding action to us Blood Angels. Please continue to fulfill your duties in the void, Captain."
The Company Commander's reply was within Captain Peru's expectations. This meant that the Blood Angel engaged in boarding were unleashing the bloodlust in their genes without reservation, venting their slaughter upon the enemy, yet not wishing to implicate loyal mortals.
"We will duel the Murder-class Cruiser, tearing her apart bit by bit to complete our vengeance. Commodore, please take a short rest and be vigilant." The Captain of the Avenging Blade respectfully replied.
"I will arrange that."
The communication ended, and Captain Peru said to Lieutenant Stirling, who was the chief of the command department: "Notify all departments of the ship to immediately re-equip. Tell all escort frigates and destroyers to keep their eyes open and be vigilant. This is the Blood Angels flagship's most vulnerable moment; they lack Astartes on their ship. Send our adults on our ship back to them."
"Yes, Captain."
The two ships maneuvered swiftly, with the Incessant entering the first outer perimeter alert line for combat readiness and rest.
The massive Avenging Blade pressed the equally large, but comparatively shorter Murder-class Cruiser, which was 12 kilometers long, in the middle and attacked it.
The heavily damaged cruiser could not escape. Her Warp engine had been paralyzed by the Blood Angels using plasma and melta weapons, and she would not be repaired without entering a drydock.
Horatio and Farida received the announcement from the command department within the armored command platform of the gun battery.
'To all officers on board, this ship is now entering emergency combat readiness rest. All departmental officers are expected to fulfill their duties and arrange key tasks within their subordinate areas.'
Farida saw this order, but she did not understand its meaning, so she looked at Horatio and asked, "What does this mean?"
"Watch how I issue orders," Horatio replied. He was going to give Farida a professional demonstration, then connect all the Warrant Officers under his command to his officer communication network.
"All Warrant Officers in all departments, our ship is now entering emergency readiness mode. All gun crews immediately cease fire and make the following adjustments according to my orders."
Horatio made his deployment in an orderly and highly professional manner:
"All Warrant Officers, count your personnel and report for meal service at the command platform in ten minutes.
Assistant Shipwrights, immediately seize the time to repair all breaches.
Armory Chief, dispatch patrol teams to search all compartments, corridors, and hiding places. Do not let any stragglers escape. Eliminate on sight; leave no survivors.
Foreman, quickly take in all casualties and tally the required numbers for replenishment.
Military Police Officer, lead the armed military police to confiscate all weapons issued and those left by the enemy. Issued weapons are to be tallied and recovered. Enemy weapons are to be centrally incinerated and destroyed."
"Yes, sir," the Warrant Officers responded one after another.
They were already very familiar with this operational procedure. When Horatio's order was given, the thousands of people in the various compartments above and below the two Macro cannon gun emplacements began to act according to the young officer's instructions.
Like diligent ants scurrying through an anthill, the worker and soldier ants each performed their duties, fulfilling their responsibilities.
They had ten minutes to relay Horatio's orders down through the ranks and implement them in all aspects during the readiness period, fully demonstrating the Imperial Navy's efficient execution.
——
On the Murder-class Cruiser.
The closer they got to the deeper decks, the more intense and oppressive the annoying, strong scent of gore became.
Captain Afiel was furious. He saw the bodies of captured Imperial Warriors, severed at the waist, smeared on the bulkheads and decks. The traitors had used their remains to build bloody victory piles and paint terrifying murals, aiming to intimidate the Blood Angels army that had boarded.
The most important reason Captain Peru had been unwilling to send a boarding party alone to this Murder-class warship was that Khorne's servants were almost all bloodthirsty madmen.
Almost all the crew on a warship were fanatical cultists or Blood Pact Army, not to mention an unknown number of traitor Astartes.
Even if he threw half of the Incessant's armed forces into it, it would be like a stone sinking into the sea, a drop in the bucket.
Not only would there be no sound, but it would also fuel the arrogance of Khorne's servants and deal a heavy blow to their own morale, which was originally high due to their advantage.
But the traitors did not know that doing so would only ignite the Blood Angel's fury, making them, already formidable in combat, even more violent.
A group of eightfold sacred mark Astartes blocked the Blood Angel's path.
"Your advance ends here. This will be your final resting place." The leading eightfold sacred mark Space Marine raised the power claw on his gauntlet and pointed at Apher.
This blocker wore a suit of Indomitus Terminator power armor with horrifying fangs, painted crimson with black accents, bearing some resemblance to the Blood Angels First Company's Terminator power armor.
The blasphemous symbol on his shoulder plate vaguely indicated that this person was once a veteran of a Space Marine First Company from some Chapter.
The symbol of his former Chapter had been ravaged by deep knife marks and blasphemous brass symbols, making it indistinct.
It was clear how much he hated his former Chapter.
It was impossible to determine whose scion he was, but certainly not a Blood Angels.
Apher knew all the combat brothers in the First Company who wore Terminator armor; each of them was a model of supreme loyalty and sacred morality.
This blasphemous crimson color scheme disgusted the Company Commander. He only wanted to quickly cleave off this traitor's head with his Chainsword and kill all enemies on the ship.
The hatred between the two sides of Space Marine needed no words, especially the Blood Angel. They had nothing to say to these despicable traitors; uttering a single word would be a blasphemy against their Gene-father, Sanguinius.
They almost immediately raised their boltguns and opened fire on each other upon meeting.
Apher knew the reason these traitors had come out in full force to obstruct them here.
The defenders within this wicked warship were holding a crucial railcar hub.
The traitors clearly understood that once the Blood Angels occupied this area, they could quickly transport the troops that had boarded the ship to various key nodes. These skilled warriors would not take long to eliminate all enemies on the entire cruiser through rapid penetration and maneuver.
And the Blood God's servants could not destroy these rapid transit routes because they still needed them to move their troops.
Therefore, they dispatched a large number of Khorne's servants and Astartes serving Khorne to intercept the spearhead of the attack led by the Blood Angels Company Commander.
Bolter shells flew, and the Blood Angels used their jump packs to soar into the air, cutting into the last row of the enemy's formation, attacking from both front and rear.
The god-like battle between the Space Marine left the nearby Khorne servants unable to intervene. As soon as they approached, they would be hit by both Chainsword and chainaxe.
The Blood Angels abhorred them, and the eightfold sacred mark Khorne Warrior also did not allow these lowly mortal servants to interfere with their long-awaited duel.