Forty-first day of the ceasefire. Arsena Dunn had relocated over a dozen operational bases.
As more warrior-caste individuals were mobilized into the armies, his operating space shrank.
The High Lords possessed immense human resources, a point the Black Emperor had emphasized before the war.
However, he now had the results he sought.
After infiltrating the colony ship, Tierney had provided him with data on the consciousness matrix.
Marlena, after seizing the Pap caste's laboratory and before it was retaken, transmitted genetic data for creating castes.
Combined with information gathered from the lower-caste uprisings led by Maria, he directed "Student of Ratiocination" to search and analyze all data.
After seizing control of the Pap Caste's laboratory, Marlene Scala transmitted genetic blueprints for manufacturing castes before it was retaken.
After several targeted search operations, the "Polymath" finally concluded.
Besides the publicly known Straken, who commanded all Gardinaal military forces, there were five other High Lords in the shadows.
Arsena swiftly reviewed the critical junctures throughout the process, aware that any error could negatively impact the entire subsequent operation, potentially causing catastrophic losses.
Moments later, he drew a deep breath, opened the communication channel, and reported to the Black Emperor.
Shadow's Sovereignty.
After listening to his aide's report, Nareth revised the battle plan he had been formulating before issuing his command.
"I will order the Legion to launch military operations and personally deal with Straken."
Having now identified all the High Lords, Nareth saw no point in waiting for Straken to make his assassination attempt. He resolved to strike first.
Fenus Manus had sought to prove himself capable of employing diplomatic means, akin to Lupercal, Sanguinius, and Roboute Guilliman, to integrate the lost human colonies into the Imperium, rather than resorting to his much-maligned brutal tactics.
This would prove his suitability for the role of Warmaster.
Only after the assassination attempt, over a dozen Honor Guard killed, and Amadeus DuCaine and Gabriel Santar, among others maimed, did he ruthlessly order the purge of Gardinaal Prime.
Nareth knew full well that Gardinaal would not yield easily, and naturally wasted no time awaiting negotiation outcomes.
Straken, through mechanical augmentation, possessed terrifying firepower. Three thousand six hundred years of life granted him rich combat experience. Nareth decided to personally deal with Gardinaal's foremost warrior.
"My Light Lord will attack the biosphere recycling center on the primary world, eliminating Branden."
"The remaining four High Lords are yours."
"If possible, use the Osiris Psybrid Staff to dominate at least one High Lord."
Killing all High Lords would leave Gardinaal leaderless, collapsing swiftly.
Dominating a surviving High Lord could utilize their prestige to integrate the hundred-billion population post-war quickly.
Beyond Terra and the Necromunda he controlled, no other world in the current Imperium possessed such human resources.
Hearing the Black Emperor's trust, Arsena responded fervently.
"My Lord, I will certainly live up to your expectations."
After ending the call, Nareth switched channels, sending a message to the Forge Lord.
"Have you cracked the Ring's weapon systems?"
Unlike Manus, who only seized orbital elevators for rapid troop deployment, Nareth captured all Ring space stations.
Besides Ring technology, it was because he knew the High Lords' final mutual-destruction weapon.
If they unanimously agreed, they could activate the weapon system dormant for sixteen hundred years.
In Nareth's memories, the Ring's weapon systems activated, targeting Manus.
Finally, Akurduana, Second Captain of the Emperor's Children, considered the strongest Astartes of his time, stormed the control tower, sacrificing his life to detonate it, preventing the Ring's weapons from striking Manus.
Rosicky's voice came through. "My Lord, I have taken control of the orbital platform's weapon systems."
"After resetting the control core, I revoked surface control tower permissions. It is ours now."
"Excellent." Nareth had no further concerns. Even if Arsena hadn't pinpointed all High Lords, he could swiftly conquer Gardinaal Prime.
He switched channels again, sending a message to Pell.
"Inform the Gardinaal diplomatic consul: Gardinaal must surrender unconditionally. He has only one hour left."
Nareth then issued orders for combat preparations.
One hour later, as expected, Gardinaal's refusal arrived.
With combat orders issued, four Shadow of Order Chapters launched assaults on Gardinaal Prime.
Gardinaal Prime's orbital ring was littered with debris, mineral residues extracted from satellites, and corrosive waste.
Five millennia of technological development transformed it into a nascent ring system aligned with the planet's magnetic field and rotation.
The entire debris zone was saturated with radiation. Auspex scans by the 33rd Expeditionary Fleet, later verified after accessing the Ring's cogitators, indicated that the radiation originated from nuclear devices used sixteen hundred years ago to shatter the planet's already damaged satellite.
Now, the geostationary orbital platforms scattered throughout began to rotate slowly.
Launch ports opened, radiation levels surged, and the firing mechanisms, dormant for sixteen centuries, awoke.
Attitude control vanes whirred as each weapon platform adjusted its orientation, locking onto a single target.
Devastating particle weapons unleashed countless beams, piercing the brass-coloured atmosphere to strike the marked fortress.
Red ripples spread in concentric circles across the military fortress sector.
As the Gardinaalian watched in stunned disbelief and horror as their orbital defence platforms turned on them, the Ramilles-class Starfort and Shadow of Order fleet joined the bombardment.
Targeting was precise, avoiding industrial and habitation zones, focusing on military fortifications.
Fifteen hours after orbital bombardment began, Nareth ordered it to cease.
Unlike Manus, who used forbidden weapons indiscriminately to annihilate the Gardinaal main force, killing most of Gardinaal Prime's hundred billion and countless surface auxilia before launching a full assault, Nareth initiated the decisive battle now.
Third Chapter drop pods slammed into the granite like claws. Black hatches blew open on impact.
First Captain Oleksandr stepped onto the surface, seeing endless ranks of grey-armored Gardinaalian charging with shouts.
'Even with orbital bombardment and chosen landing zones far from military strongholds to evade anti-aircraft fire. Yet still, so many Gardinaalians.'
'The industrial scale of Gardinaal Prime surpasses even some Forge World, enabling them to arm such vast numbers.'
After this thought, Oleksandr shouted orders: "Clear the landing zone immediately. Prepare for the gunship's descent."
"Our war machines will make the Gardinaalians face reality."
.....
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