Thirty-two Fury Interceptors sped down, their speed instantly becoming the fastest on the field.
'Multi-threaded Lock-on'
'Target: Enemy Assault Boats'
'Activate: Canticle of Wrath'
This longer model of Fury Interceptor had a total of 13 hardpoints located under its wings and centerline.
These hardpoints were fully loaded with air-to-air missiles.
Although they were air-to-air missiles, their size was not the slender, flying sticks of Ancient Terra aerial combat.
These were terrifying'steel pestles' with a diameter of 1.5 meters, each missile containing a set of cascaded neural wetware.
Their massive internal warhead, if it ensured a hit, could destroy any enemy aircraft, and even flying demons descending into the real universe from the Warp.
As the Imperial Navy's fastest Void Legend, the thinker array it carried was also very advanced; while not as powerful as the versatile Thunderhawk 'Cygnus', it was entirely sufficient for pure aerial combat.
Its array, combined with the missiles' built-in wetware, could achieve a technological marvel.
Its multi-threaded lock-on could lock onto 13 targets within 5 seconds, instantly launching all 13 missiles carried by the aircraft, each pursuing one of the 13 locked-on, high-speed targets.
As long as they were not intercepted by point-defense fire, their accuracy could be as terrifying as 93.76%.
They were essentially a lock-on, certain-death existence.
These Skyhawks of the Imperial Navy locked onto their targets during their dive.
The integrated array would also automatically filter out targets already locked onto by teammates within the same squadron, preventing two missiles from being fired at the same target, ensuring maximum firepower and intercepting as many targets as possible to prevent enemy aircraft from damaging friendly vessels.
Truly worthy of the name Interceptor.
416 air-to-air missiles scattered through the air, trailing long plumes of exhaust, like menacing tentacles, pouncing on the assault boats.
In an instant, hundreds of dazzling sparks exploded in the void; each brilliant golden flower represented the demise of dozens of servants of the Blood God, turning into dust and debris in the cold void.
The assault boats were instantly reduced by nearly half.
Their efficiency made Commodore Peru, sitting on the command throne, slap his thigh in excitement, leaning forward to get a closer look at the display console in front of him.
"Hmm, hiss, I have to admit, these carrier-based aircraft are even better than I imagined," Commodore Peru said, his eyes glued to the display screen, adjusting his posture, leaning back in the throne chair, and murmuring with his right hand over his mouth.
But as a supporter of the big ship, big gun doctrine, he only offered a subtle compliment verbally.
Soon, he redirected his attention.
"Captain, our ship's port side is aimed at the rogue light cruiser, and the starboard side is aimed at the Slaughter Class cruiser."
"All gun crews on both port and starboard, lock on, full power, free fire!"
Horatio saw the rogue light cruiser from the observation viewport.
A Dreadnought-class Light Cruiser with heavy Laser Cannons on its bow cruised around the Incessant, turning its Laser Cannon, which should have been aimed at the enemy, towards the Imperial Navy itself.
On the hull, the bright blue of the Bastion Fleet had been repainted crimson, a red tinged with blue, appearing somewhat purple.
The Bastion Fleet was the largest permanent formation of the Imperial Navy outside the Solar System, guarding the gateway to the Imperium.
It was a mixed fleet, similar in nature to the Imperial Navy's version of the Deathwatch.
Composed of elites from the Imperial Navy's 11 great fleets, drawn from various sectors of the five major star regions, united to eliminate enemies from the Eye of Terror.
The service duration of each sub-fleet within it varied; some, like Vice Admiral Hood, were ordered to launch a Western Crusade, while others were permanently stationed for millennia.
It was currently the Imperial Navy's most intensely engaged fleet.
Every time a punitive expedition was launched into the Eye of Terror against traitors, a few precious naval assets would invariably be lost due to demonic incursions, either through crew corruption leading to mutiny, or captains succumbing to the mental torment of Chaos Gods and falling.
Regardless of the specific reason, the Imperial Navy collectively referred to these vessels as the 'Betrayer Fleet'.
Her original ship name had been cruelly pried off by the traitors and replaced with a crude brass plaque bearing the ominous words 'Heart of Abhorrence'.
She had betrayed her glorious past.
Every Naval Officer who saw her couldn't help but feel a deep sense of shame and indignation.
For the glorious Imperial Navy, she must either be utterly destroyed or recaptured.
A recaptured vessel could be thoroughly purified by the Adeptus Mechanicus into a battleship as good as new, and bestowed with a glorious new name.
If it was a planet with advanced shipbuilding, the Adeptus Mechanicus would choose to dismantle her, recovering usable components.
Every deck, every piece of armor, every bolt recovered from the dismantling would be re-blessed and purified.
Finally, all parts would be broken down, under the principle of 'a new ship may use no more than 13% recycled components' for purity.
They would be distributed among countless newly built warships, maximizing the reduction of potential corruption hazards.
When new warships emerged, the Imperial Navy would meticulously select from the sacred warship registry and bestow upon these newly born vessels a sacred and glorious ship name.
This was a complete transformation and reshaping, both physically and spiritually.
"Captain... this vessel, salvageability assessment..."
The Incessant's Tech-Sage used various detection equipment and launched reconnaissance beacons to scan the Dreadnought-class Light Cruiser.
"87.77% of components are reusable, corruption level... minor," the Tech-Sage offered his professional advisory.
"Good, Sage. I will do my utmost to capture her, but I cannot guarantee that the reusability will still be 50% after I've thoroughly crippled her," Captain Peru gave a cold reply.
The Incessant's side armaments began to unleash volleys at the enemy, while the two Laser Cannon turrets on her spine fired at targets on either side.
Several surrounding frigates and destroyers churned through various planes, engaging in fierce combat.
One Sword-class had already decided its battle.
Although she had sustained moderate structural damage, her two vicious twin-linked light Macro cannon turrets and side-mounted Laser Cannon arrays were far more ferocious in close-quarters combat than the two light Laser Cannon turrets on the heretical assault ship.
With a double rate of fire, firing two rounds for every one the enemy's main guns fired, her four Macro cannons quickly shattered the enemy ship's Void Shields.
Then, with full power from her main and secondary batteries, she first brutally stripped the Heretic-class of all its Laser Cannon turrets, and then, like a slow execution, carved open her hull piece by piece, draining her blood.
The victorious frigate then joined the battle between the previously damaged'Starfire' Destroyer and the assault ship.
The Imperial Navy's Destroyers were inferior to Chaos assault ships in combat power; the small Cobra-class Destroyer had thinner overall armor than frigates and assault ships.
Her bow only had a single light Macro cannon turret.
Their proud quad torpedo launchers had all been expended during the earlier interception of the Murder-class Cruiser.
In void combat, they were at a disadvantage in both firepower and protection.
But even so, they fought to the death with the Heretic assault ship, driven by courage and the Skyhawk emblem above them, bearing the inscription 'The Emperor Expects Every Man to Do His Duty', even resorting to ramming with their fragile hulls.
The supporting Diligent Class and Endurance-class light cruisers rapidly converged on the Incessant, leveraging their superior maneuverability.