The Emperor’s Angel of Death

At least from Solzhenitsyn's battlefield perspective, facing enemies like the Tyranids particularly requires extremely powerful long-range gunboats. Before the Tyranid small ships form an encirclement, they can bombard and kill the large bio-ships from a very long distance, and then transfer. The linear speed of Imperial ships is still very fast, as long as they turn around, they can quickly use warp jumps to escape.

This tactic of using "decapitation gunboats" for hit-and-run attacks can inflict the greatest damage on the Tyranid fleet at the lowest cost, and can also effectively slow down the Tyranid's advance.

Therefore, the Abyss-class should participate in this battle without any surprises. In this case, instead of being asked questions afterward that make him scratch his head, it is better to take proactive preventative measures, which would make the explanation more convincing, or at least less embarrassing.

Besides, the Abyss-class isn't really that shameful. At least it's newly built and not of unknown origin, provided that no one inspects its internal systems and construction process...

Mazal blinked, then grinned and shook his head.

"Solzhenitsyn, you are too bold. Do you know what the Inquisition would do if they found out you secretly built a notorious traitor-type ship? They would definitely pounce on you like mad dogs and tear you apart."

"I didn't think so much at the time. I just thought this ship was quite powerful. If it could be built to destroy as many of the Empire's great enemies as possible, wouldn't that be valuable too?"

Solzhenitsyn nodded.

"This Tyranid invasion is not a good sign. The priest performed divination and the results were very ominous. I hope we can overcome the difficulties once again."

Seth didn't care so much, his focus was different from others.

"It's basically completed, mainly built in Ryza."

At the end of the meeting, everyone discussed some matters concerning the Scar of Victory. Considering that the early stages of the war may be dominated by mobile warfare and evacuation, and there is no need for this immovable fortress, it will not be moved for the time being. However, not moving does not mean not doing anything. Mazal will become the manager of the Scar of Victory. The main task is to collect as many war materials as possible, including power armor, weapons, and other equipment, to fill all the war reserve warehouses, ensuring that when it needs to be put into combat, it can immediately become a strategic support point for the front line. This task is not easy, because it requires visiting many forge worlds and gaining their support through transactions and persuasion.

"That's what you say, but this is, after all... built for a long time, right?"

Mazal then answered on his behalf:

"That is, it's built?"

Faced with such a question, Solzhenitsyn spread his hands helplessly and said:

"I can't say for sure, after all, it hasn't been tested in actual combat."

"Brother Solzhenitsyn, how powerful is this ship?"

"Then it seems you have given it some thought, so I can rest assured."

Seth chuckled dryly and sighed:

"No one will listen. Most people only treat warnings as sensational stories until disaster strikes. We have encountered this kind of thing more or less in the past few hundred years of war. 99% of those mortals are short-sighted guys. Their idea is always that someone else will block it if something happens. As for whether it can be blocked, it has nothing to do with them."

After saying that, Mazal sighed deeply.

"Yes, I will remember."

"No wonder you were so close to those plasma fanatics from Ryza during the Maelstrom Expedition. This may anger Mars. You told us out of trust, and I have no objection. After all, it's just a ship. The Empire has used traitor ships before. The Nemesis Chapter's Queen of Glory was once the flagship of the Word Bearers, and it was still used. But you'd better keep it a secret from outsiders, at least for now. You just had such a stiff relationship with the Inquisition, don't give them any leverage. Try not to use this warship unless absolutely necessary, and if you do use it, it's best to make sure there are no witnesses around."

"Yes, Lord Mazal, you are right. This is a war that affects the entire sector, not just the Astra Militarum and the Navy. The local Ecclesiarchy, Imperial institutions, and even the Deathwatch must participate. Therefore, how to coordinate and command becomes a serious problem. It would be too late if Terra ordered the establishment of a command headquarters. Generally, according to tradition, the highest ruler of the local sector serves as the wartime commander, but the situation in the Archdiocese is special. Their ruling class is basically composed of Ecclesiarchy priests and nobles attached to the Ecclesiarchy. According to the Edicts of Subjugation, Ecclesiarchy priests cannot hold military command positions. Therefore, after arriving at Saint Caspalen, I will communicate with the local Patriarch to establish the Saint Caspalen War Zone and establish a command chain in accordance with the model of the Maelstrom Expeditionary Force."

Solzhenitsyn was silent for a moment, then said slowly:

"To be honest, I don't have much confidence. If this is really the largest Tyranid invasion in history, Saint Caspalen will definitely not be able to resist such a tide, and the Tempest Sector has been weak for a long time and cannot support long-term massive attrition warfare. Therefore, I personally believe that the entire sector should raise its vigilance and level of preparedness and must begin full-scale preparations to avoid a situation where everyone can only be helpless when the worst happens."

"More than fifty years."

Solzhenitsyn told a lie in the end. Mazal seemed to understand something and said thoughtfully:

"According to historical records, two Abyss-class ships destroyed Macragge, which is known as the second most important orbital defense facility in the Empire after Terra. Its power is beyond doubt, but this type of ship seems to be very afraid of boarding actions. The two that were sunk were both because the Ultramarines' Primarchs desperately launched boarding operations. But even such a powerful warship may be difficult to resist the Tyranid's advance. This war still requires the full cooperation of the Astra Militarum and the Navy, but this will involve another problem."

In addition, although the Ranger Knights are already stationed in the Maelstrom and have relatively heavy patrol and defense missions, after all, they once made a vow of suffering. In the event of the Lamenters' misfortune, they also promised to send three companies to this war. Fortunately, Solzhenitsyn also understands their current problems and did not let them join the battle immediately, but temporarily sent a company as a "reserve team" to be stationed at the Scar of Victory.

After the meeting, everyone immediately became busy. The White Templars' representative claimed that the Chapter still had some companies performing tasks outside and needed to wait for them to return, which was actually waiting for Solzhenitsyn. Solzhenitsyn, on the other hand, let the Mantis Warriors Chapter and the Flesh Tearers Chapter set off first, and also specially replenished their armaments from the armory of the Alliance of Suffering. At the same time, considering that the Mantis Warriors Chapter needed to replenish new recruits, he hinted that they could privately recruit new recruits in the Archdiocese. The good thing about that place is that there is no supervision. The recruits they recruit can be sent to the Scar of Victory, where there are large-scale transformation facilities that can provide transformation surgery for two hundred recruits at a time. At the same time, other Chapter apothecaries stationed at the Scar of Victory can provide technical support for their recruits' transformation according to the 《Alliance Apothecary Assistance Act》.

After the two Chapters set off, Solzhenitsyn handed the Scar of Victory over to Mazal and rushed to Braccato. If it weren't for the Chapter's warriors by his side, he might have used the Webway directly!