Warhammer: Hail to the Void Lords!

Chapter 119 03.0118: ‘Which man can refuse a giant cannon?’

As Horatio stepped onto the gun deck, the soldiers saw the officer uniforms and collar badges of the newcomers, and knew that the superiors had come, so they saluted the two officers.

The air in the macro gun cabin was not pleasant. Even with a smoke extractor, it still smelled of gunpowder, engine oil, and sweat.

Farida also frowned, but did not complain.

“Why do these people look so strange? Horatio, are they… mutated?” Farida looked at these abnormal sailors in front of her and felt a little worried.

Horatio seemed much calmer.

He found that many of the crew members here were ‘sons of the void’. The ‘natives’ on these warships have lived on this warship for generations. Many of them were born in the tides of the subspace, and their bodies have mutated. Some people’s pupils are even pure black, without whites of the eyes, which is a mutation of the human body to adapt to life in the void.

But the Imperial Navy doesn’t care about these. As long as these crew members continue to serve the Imperial Navy diligently, they can live, and live better than most Imperials. Otherwise, they will be completely wiped out.

They may have witnessed the replacement of hundreds of captains, and some families even have a longer history than the battleship. I heard from Commodore Peru that when he was still a candidate officer, he served on the Indefatigable, and he had a deep affection for the battleship, and he was even unwilling to be promoted to major general.

Because once you become a major general, you can't be a captain. He doesn't want others to control his battleship.

"They are 'sons of the void', and there will be some mutations in their bodies, but don't worry, follow me closely." Horatio said calmly.

Farida carefully shrank through the strange-looking crew members, and she was almost close to Horatio's back.

"..." Horatio felt a soft and elastic touch behind him, but he just moved his eyebrows slightly, pretending to know nothing and walked forward.

Each gun in the macro gun array is in an independent armored gun position.

There are several layers of heavy alloy armor plates between the two macro guns. Even if one gun group explodes in the barrel, it will not explode the gun positions on both sides.

The space in the armor plate is not wasted. It is arranged as a cargo hold, crew living area and cabin. According to the regulations, each macro gun is commanded by a warrant officer, and each artillery fort composed of two macro guns is commanded and dispatched by a senior warrant officer or a candidate officer.

Horatio can recognize that he is commanding two Mars IV heavy macro guns. Its caliber is twice as large as those light macro guns on the frigate. An Emperor-class Titan can stand upright in it.

The No. 3 and No. 4 macro guns on the port side are in a gun fort, that is, the "Second Macro Gun Fort on the Port Side".

He and Farida took the elevator to the command platform of the gun fort. This sturdy command cabin is located above the middle of the two macro guns and is cast by thousands of tons of heavy alloy steel.

There are many armed sailors standing guard along the way, which makes people feel very safe. There is an independent air purification system in the cabin, and once you enter, there is no unpleasant smell outside.

The command platform is very large, and most of the space is given to mechanical equipment. Several advanced meditator arrays and large display consoles are the core center for issuing orders to the gun crew.

There are several officers' lounges in the back. Horatio took a look inside and saw clean and tidy beds, mahogany desks and chairs, velvet sofas, showers and bathtubs.

There are also leisure and entertainment items such as regicide chess, billiards, chess, and books.

In the tea room of the command platform, there are also servants in robes. The job of these people is to meet all the needs of naval officers, provide them with meals, drinks, and anything they need.

There is a huge three-proof porthole 30 meters in front of the front. Its length and width represent the maximum firing range of the two macro guns. Any target that appears in the field of view of the porthole can be attacked.

On the wide deck about 50 meters below, there are thousands of contract workers in shackles.

These people were tied up in several rows like boat trackers, and the sailors who served as supervisors held whips to supervise their work. If they were a little slack, they would be whipped.

Excluding these contract workers, there were hundreds of crew members in charge of this cannon, plus armed sailors standing guard and patrolling with guns. There were nearly a thousand people in each gun cabin, all of whom were crew members in charge.

"Sir, I am the gunner of the No. 3 macro cannon on the port side. The whole clan is at your service. You can authorize the cannonball transfer order at any time." Seeing the alternate officer coming, the gunner saluted Horatio and Farida. His face was pale, and his fingers were slender and sharp. It was obvious that he was also a mutated son of the void.

Judging from the insignia and clan emblem, he was a warrant officer and the patriarch of the commanding clan of the 'No. 3 macro cannon on the port side'.

Soon, the commanding clan leader of the No. 4 macro cannon on the port side also rushed to Horatio and saluted the two alternate officers. He was also a clan leader.

This is the current situation of naval warships. Perhaps when the Indefatigable was first used as a moon-class cruiser, the first batch of crew members on board were all strangers.

When these crew members who have lived on warships for generations have experienced countless intermarriages and reproduction, they have gradually formed blood clans.

Whether it is the gun position, engine, or cabin, many of them are in the form of clans. Even under a large cannon, there will be command clans, loading clans, maintenance clans, and protection clans...

Although this clan form is not officially recognized by the Imperial Navy, these crew members are undoubtedly the ones who know best how to operate and maintain these equipment.

Except for officers, they will not share the secrets of their clan duties with anyone else in the clan.

This also means that once all members of a clan are killed in battle, it is likely that all the operating knowledge of the weapon or equipment will be completely lost.

The main task of the candidate officer is to familiarize himself with the various business skills of the warship before becoming a commissioned officer, so he will be sent to take charge of the command and know the specific operating procedures.

"I declare that this gun position will immediately enter the second combat alert navigation duty state." Horatio put his hand on the sword and ordered the gunner majestically.

"Follow your order, sir!"

[+The second macro gun array on the port side is in place+] Horatio took over the ship's dedicated line communication and reported to the officers of the Operations Department.

[+Received, Candidate Officer Cochran, the Emperor expects you to perform your duties conscientiously+] The macro gun officer responded.

[+Yes! +】

Horatio immediately began to make pre-war preparations according to what he had learned from books.

[+Port side second ammunition supply group, this is the port side second macro cannon array, I have issued an ammunition transfer order+] Horatio said to the candidate officer at the weapons department through the communication device.

[+Port side second ammunition supply group has received, and macro cannon ammunition is being issued+] A candidate officer replied.

"Hurry up! Don't try to be lazy!" The supervisor waved the long side and shouted at the contract workers.

The contract workers dragged the ropes that pulled the shell crane in their hands with difficulty, transferring the shells from the transport train to the shell rack.

Horatio not only has these rights, but he also has a key on him. This huge key gives him the right to open the arsenal under his feet and call for the crew in his cabin to arm themselves.

But few people usually do this, because once the guns are issued, some of them will always be "missing" more or less, which may become accomplices in crew riots or attacks and assassinations.

Farida had been observing Horatio. He was wearing an officer's uniform and a bicorne hat. He was serious and stern. His manners and movements were majestic. His right hand was on his sword and his left hand was waving to give his orders.

[He looks pretty handsome.] Farida thought.

But soon, the huge barrel that slowly opened attracted her attention.

"This cannon... is so big." Farida exclaimed a little. She couldn't help but wonder how big the shells it fired must be.

"The inner diameter of this heavy macro cannon is enough for an Emperor-class Titan to walk inside." Horatio said to Farida while looking at the muzzle.

"That's right, sir." A gunner praised: "Your idea is right. This great weapon is more powerful than any ground equipment."

"What is the highest firing rate you can achieve?" Horatio asked.

"An average of one shot every 5 minutes, sir. We are the best macro cannon clan on the ship!" said the No. 3 macro cannon captain proudly.

"We are also, even several dozen seconds faster than you!" said the No. 4 Macro Gunner unwilling to lag behind.

"When the alert sound is transmitted, let me see your ability."

"As you wish, sir!"

Command bridge.

"Report to the captain, we are still 150,000 kilometers away from the Vengeance Blade and 210,000 kilometers away from the enemy ship. The traitor warship has fled westward to the vicinity of the planet Varga, but our closing rate is faster. It is expected to surpass the Vengeance Blade in 2 Terra hours and catch up with the enemy ship in nearly 3 hours." The bird captain reported.

"Very good, sail at full speed, we will disable its engine first, and cooperate with the Blade of Vengeance to destroy it! The maximum speed is allowed to be 11 void knots, and the escort squadron will be sent out to scout the front line first! Wait until the distance from the enemy ship is 15,000 kilometers to sound the battle alarm!"

"Understood, Captain!"

"Captain Sterling, do you think Horatio can be trusted in the gun crew?"

"No problem, Captain." Captain Sterling narrowed his eyes slightly: "He is a generalist."

Captain Edward nodded: "Okay, the battle will bring him a test soon, let's see if he is as good as you reported last time!"

The plasma engine of the Indefatigable spewed out a long blue light and rushed forward.

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