Nareth knew that the Attack Moon's gravity lashes needed to recharge between every attack.
During this recharge interval, the Attack Moon's defensive shield would also be inactive.
Light lances and other ranged weapons could not destroy the Attack Moon during its brief recharge window.
The only viable strategy against the Attack Moon was to exploit that shield downtime and weapon recharge gap, launching a close-quarters boarding assault.
Once aboard, there were two options:
The first was to destroy its reactor, detonating the entire Attack Moon with no risk of it being reclaimed.
The second was to disable its internal corridors, severing its reinforcement channels, isolating it, and then clearing the greenskins off.
Nareth chose the second option. A war engine as advanced as this xeno construct would certainly have buyers willing to pay a steep price.
He intended to handle it the same way he had with the Fra'al battleship cruiser, finding partners and developing it jointly.
Through cooperative development, he could share in the results while avoiding the need to permanently garrison the Attack Moon.
Although the Eleventh Legion's fleet commanders didn't fully understand, they obeyed their Primarch's orders and charged toward the Attack Moon.
The orc fleet escorting the Attack Moon immediately turned toward the black ships.
On the Sixth Legion's flagship, Leman Russ clenched his fists as he gazed through the viewport at the torn-apart ships.
The Moon had reduced his sons to dust in the void.
The Wolf King turned back toward the bridge with long, purposeful strides. He saw the Eleventh Legion's ships surging at full speed toward the Attack Moon.
Enoch's eyes betrayed his grief; those were brothers who had fought alongside him.
Forcing himself into the commander's role, he studied the holo-displays.
"The Shadows of Order have launched their attack on that accursed Moon. Once they commit themselves, their courage is awe-inspiring."
"They had been maneuvering defensively before, yet now they're plunging straight into the greenskin fleet's center."
The Wolf Lord saw more and more black ships being destroyed on their approach to the Attack Moon.
According to Rashiel's estimates, if the Eleventh Legion truly meant to get close to that monstrosity, they would pay dearly; the losses would exceed all the ships the greenskins had destroyed over the past weeks combined.
"Nareth must have discovered something. Perhaps another of his sorcerous tricks."
To secure the victory of his hunt, Leman Russ had gathered intelligence on Nareth.
He knew Nareth's sons had never yet clashed with the Orks on such a scale. His knowledge of the Attack Moon must have come through psychic foresight.
"How should we respond?"
Enoch looked to his Wolf King and asked.
"Nareth warned us before. Though he walks a mistaken path, he is still…"
Leman Russ had intended to say brother, but recalling Nareth's attitude toward him, he instead said:
"…a Primarch."
"Order the Legion fleet to attack the Ork ships," Russ commanded, his voice low and heavy.
"All ships, initiate wolf-pack raids. Tear into the flanks of the greenskin fleet."
"Do not, under any circumstances, strike the dense central cluster."
'I do not know that Moon's true condition, nor can I predict Nareth's moves. If our wolf-pack fleet enters the center, it may disrupt the Shadows of Order's tactical maneuvers.'
The grey ships, obeying their Primarch, unleashed their fury on the Ork fleet, avenging the swallowed brethren.
Aboard the Throne of Shadow of Sovereignity, Nareth watched as allied icons vanished from the holomap.
A flicker of grief passed through his eyes, then he cast it away.
He knew the surest way to minimize losses was to disable the corridors quickly. He had to cripple them in the very first wave.
The Primarch gave his orders: "Cease broadside fire. Divert maximum power to the Auger Matrix. Scan the Moon. Confirm all corridor locations."
"Drop-pods and Stormbirds, prepare for launch."
After the commands were relayed, his equerry reported:
"My lord, the Astropath has purged the interference. Star-chant communications are restored."
"The Eleventh Chapter has completed its warp transit and will soon arrive at its realspace anchor."
"The Fifth Chapter is projected to arrive in thirty-four shipboard hours."
Nareth's mind raced through countless scenarios of the coming occupation before he issued further commands:
"When the Eleventh arrives, they will pursue the Ork fleet in concert with system ships."
"When the Fifth arrives, they will form a perimeter around the Moon. Keep the Space Wolves away."
The memory of the Space Wolves' conduct at the Craftworld's Edge and other campaigns surfaced in Nareth's mind.
The wild wolves always sought to destroy, to reduce everything to ruin.
The cost had already been great; he would not see this prize annihilated.
Arsena swiftly carried out the Primarch's orders. After consulting the Chief Auspex Officer, he reported:
"My lord, scans of the Attack Moon reveal forty-one corridors across its surface."
He worked the control-staff. The holo-display of the Wheel of Fire system shrank into a corner, replaced at the center by a scan of the Attack Moon.
Surrounding display screens switched to corridor data feeds.
The Primarch's eyes swept across them, the data flooding into his mind.
After only a few seconds, he raised a hand and circled the corridor with the highest energy reading.
"This corridor," he said, then swiftly selected four more nearby, "and these are the targets of myself and the Honor Guard."
"The Second and Seventh Chapters will handle the others."
The orders were relayed to the two Chapter Masters.
Nareth cast a glance at the holomap, where the Gloriana-class battleship rammed aside orkish ships in its path.
Void shield reports flashed warning runes, flickering between yellow and green.
The Primarch rose and said to his captain:
"Diana, the void battle is yours."
"As you command, my lord."
Nareth strode to the embarkation deck. Black drop-pods stood in rows on their launch racks; his Honor Guard was already assembled.
The fallen Shadows of Order had been replaced with warriors from the Second and Seventh.
Excluding the Wilshire squad, there were now 583 warriors.
Those who had survived the Battle of Arlenis wore a medal upon their chests, crafted by the techmarines: a black arrow piercing a yellow heart.
The Primarch entered his custom-built pod. At the same moment, the Honor Guard and Second and Seventh assault squads boarded theirs.
When all were secured, the pod doors closed like armored petals, turning them into seedpods ready to fall.
Klaxons blared. The launch-rack's coils charged.
On the Stormbird deck, Arsena heard the shrill whine and smelled ozone filling the air.
The coils reached full power; sudden shifts in pressure signaled that the deck's void-shields had dropped.
The drop-pods' machine-spirits howled with eagerness for battle.
Then, the pods fired like bullets, shockwaves rattling the embarkation deck.
Wrapped in blue flame, they screamed down toward the Attack Moon.
On its surface, the orks saw the blazing lights streak from the sky. They howled with excitement.
One towering ork, larger and stronger than the rest, bellowed:
"OI YA GITZ! STUFF'S RAININ' FROM DA SKY!"
"WAAAGH! LEGZ MOVIN', GRABZ READY, WEZ TAKIN' DA LOT!"
Hundreds of grot and snotlings ran after him, eager to snatch at the wreckage.
BOOM!
The pods slammed into the Moon, shockwaves flinging the greedy orks aside.
The hatches burst open. Black-armored warriors strode out.
Nareth stepped forth, raising his left arm, blasting an ork with a bolter round.
Even as he fired, his gaze swept the battlefield, locating the highest energy fluctuations.
"At five o'clock, 2.7 kilometers," he told his Honor Guard.
"Nice zoggin' loot ya wearin', humie. Dat sword's gonna look real good in me hand, after I rip it off ya!"
The striped Ork Nobz leered greedily at Nareth's ornate plate, more splendid than his own boss's armor, and charged.
Nareth met him head-on. The Sword of Vaul sang as it cut, the massive iron club split like butter.
The Ork Nobz head flew from his shoulders.
...
If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead.
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