Under the gunfire of the lower deck defenders, the Blood God's servants, still enduring bullets and laser fire, charged from all directions toward the area where the controlled contract workers labored.
"Kill these False Emperor lackeys! Free these contract workers!" the renegade PDF officer roared and bellowed, ordering his subordinates and the newly boarded forces to attack the lower deck.
The contract workers, pulling artillery shells, grew agitated, many looking around distractedly, their minds elsewhere.
"Everyone, keep working! I'll shoot anyone who moves!" A Voidsmen-at-Arms Officer raised her Navy Blast Pistol, pointing it at the controlled contract workers whose eyes were darting about.
"Pull faster! Didn't you hear me?!" A Sailor foreman whipped a contract worker across the back.
These criminals gritted their teeth, slowly and arduously dragging a new artillery shell forward.
"They're coming down! Engage!"
The multi-barrel machine gun operated by the Sailors began to sweep, but after only a short burst, it was struck down by a series of laser shots from a higher position on the side.
The Blood Pact Army sent a portion of their forces to use the defensive breastworks, originally dragged there by the Sailors along the stairs, to block the pursuing troops layer by layer. They also occupied some Laser Cannons to inflict casualties on the Sailors and cover their main force as it assaulted the lowest deck.
The occupied Laser Cannons had alloy blast shields in front of them, preventing the Sailors from hitting the operators with their Laser Guns.
After eliminating the Sailor gunners below, the Blood Pact Soldiers turned their weapons to sweep the Sailors charging up the stairs.
The first few individuals were immediately hit and tumbled down the stairs.
Those behind them immediately retreated to cover and engaged in a shootout, but the blast shields rendered their efforts largely ineffective.
"Grenadier! Hand me the harpoon gun! Shield Guard, move up! Advance on the turrets!" Horatio shouted to the Navy Breachers behind him.
The Shield Guard, carrying their cumbersome boarding shields, ascended the stairs, followed by heavily armored Armed Officers.
A Grenadier handed Horatio a small, portable, reloadable hand cannon, loaded with a weapon the Navy called a 'harpoon.' It looked like a miniature lance, with a barbed spearhead at the front and a cluster explosive beneath the spearhead.
Navy harpoons came in two warhead types: high-explosive fragmentation and melta-jet. They could be fired directly or lobbed. The melta-jet warhead could penetrate Space Marine power armor, which was more than sufficient for Imperial Navy combat within ship compartments.
Horatio crouched behind the movable breastwork, waiting for the Laser Cannon to overheat and activate its protection.
Hiss—
Under the Blood Pact Soldiers' frantic sweeping fire, just as Horatio, familiar with Navy armaments, predicted, the Laser Cannon soon automatically activated its overheat protection.
Although overriding the safety could allow continued firing despite overheating, this window was enough for Horatio to aim.
Bang!
The gunpowder gases from the hand cannon propelled the harpoon. The blade-like rotor in the middle of the harpoon automatically deployed shortly after exiting the barrel. Simultaneously, components similar to a blast pistol rocket booster began to spiral fire, providing propulsion and, combined with the blade wings, caused the entire harpoon to spin, maintaining stable flight.
Thud!
The sharp monomolecular tip instantly pierced the blast shield, getting stuck, barely two inches from the Blood Pact Soldier's face.
The Blood Pact Soldier, still shaken, tried to forcibly pull out the short spear, which was greatly impeding the turret's rotation, but the harpoon's barbs were tightly hooked to the metal plate, making it impossible to extract.
Suddenly, he saw the rapidly beeping warhead beneath the spearhead.
"Damn it!—"
Before he could jump aside, the cluster explosives at the top of the harpoon detonated simultaneously, instantly reducing the entire laser turret and its operator to shrapnel.
"Attack!! We must not let their scheme succeed!" Horatio threw the empty harpoon gun to the Grenadier, immediately grabbing his saber and blast pistol and shouting to the Sailors.
"Yes, sir!"
Lower deck.
"Hold your ground! Any contract worker who slacks off will be shot! Ugh!"
A muffled groan of pain escaped the Armed Officer guarding the lower deck. As he pulled his power short sword from a slain Blood Pact Soldier, he was stabbed by a bayonet wielded by a Blood Pact Soldier who had climbed over the cover. Blood gushed from a crack in his void armor, staining his thick Navy blue greatcoat black.
He endured the intense pain, returning fire with his blast pistol. A Navy Blast Pistol round exploded on the attacker's crimson mask.
The Voidsmen-at-Arms Officer, clutching his wound, retreated while firing at the charging Blood Pact Soldiers.
A laser beam from a crimson Catrell Laser Gun struck his gauntlet, burning the flesh beneath, and his pistol fell to the ground.
The Planetary Defense Forces officer, who had defected to the Blood Pact Army, grabbed his power sword and slashed at the Voidsmen-at-Arms Officer. The Officer, enduring the pain, likewise swung his power short sword in retaliation.
This was not a fair duel. Blood Pact Soldiers swarmed him. The Voidsmen-at-Arms Officer desperately swung his short sword, deflecting their incessant bayonet thrusts. With every swing, his wound would ache excruciatingly, accompanied by a burning, tearing sensation.
He grabbed a bayonet aimed at his chest with his gauntlet, yanked it back, pulling the attacker close, and then plunged his sword in, tearing open the abdomen.
Suddenly, a searing pain shot through his calf, instantly robbing him of the strength to stand firm.
He turned his head, glaring fiercely at the controlled contract worker who had ambushed him with a fallen Sailor's weapon. The assailant was a fierce-looking bald man, his face and head covered in tattoos, with the criminal mark of a certain penal world's Adeptus Arbites stamped on top, making the already terrifying tattoos even more chaotic and jumbled.
The bald contract worker sneered, his face contemptuous, and aimed the gun at the Officer.
"You damned scum, I'll shoot your head off even if it kills me! Traitor!"
Blood mixed with saliva seeped from the Voidsmen-at-Arms Officer's gritted teeth. He raised his short sword, trembling from pain, and limped towards his opponent.
One shot, two shots... Lasers burned several black holes in the Officer's greatcoat. Although the armor blocked most of the energy, the heat conduction instantly spread a burning, stinging pain throughout his body.
The Officer's steps grew slower and slower.
Splish!—
A cold glint flashed, and the Officer's head fell to the ground.
The renegade PDF officer, standing behind the corpse, shook his sword downwards, flicking the blood from its blade onto the ground. He then grabbed the Voidsmen-at-Arms Officer's head and shouted to the controlled contract workers before him: "Miserable contract workers, listen to me!"
The controlled contract workers slowly shifted their gaze, looking at this servant of the Blood God, clad in a crimson greatcoat, wearing a black and red peaked cap, and with a terrifying and grotesque golden mask covering his face.
"We are the redeemed Blood Army of the Blood God, the valiant and great 88th Matarak Defense Regiment! We will liberate you today! The False Emperor's chains can no longer shackle your bodies and minds! Their warships can no longer imprison your freedom.
We promise you here and now that we will lead you to a great future! Join us! Abandon the Empire that abuses and discriminates against you!"
"Yeah!!!" Many contract workers cheered joyfully.
Blood Pact Soldiers stepped forward, using their axes and warblades to cut open chains and shackles.
The contract workers quickly picked up the weapons of the fallen Sailors from the ground.
But not everyone was cheering for the Blood Army.
Those with minor offenses, and the ordinary contract workers who had been brought in as replacements due to contract worker casualties, clearly hesitated after picking up weapons.
Most of them had merely come to the Imperial Navy to make a living, striving to survive, and finally collect a service fee to return home.
But the current situation was not what they had hoped for.