The cargo barge arrived in orbit above Syntilla.
Thousands of transport vessels, like swarms of bees, ferried soldiers in batches to the surface.
The glow of their tail engines lit up the sky of Syntilla, appearing like twinkling stars when viewed from the ground.
The transport vessels were spacious, with each capable of carrying a fully armed company.
Of course, the most spectacular were the Adeptus Mechanicus's aerial drop vehicles for transporting mechs or large industrial facilities.
Each one was as grand and astonishing as a city block, resembling a short, thick pipe in shape.
Their surfaces were equipped with a wide variety of high-temperature resistant devices, as well as concealed, hard-to-discern deceleration thrusters.
The inertia neutralization force field protection device hummed, safeguarding the important materials inside and ensuring their safe arrival on the ground.
In addition to transporting military units, the transport vessels were also responsible for delivering logistical supplies,
including countless auxiliary materials such as weapons, ammunition, food, drinking water, and fuel, to meet all the needs of a full-scale offensive and subsequent reconstruction.
...
At the landing zone,
the Double-Headed Eagle banner fluttered.
Soldiers marched in neat steps out of the transport vessel's hatch, forming orderly phalanxes.
The corps was enormous yet perfectly organized.
The fruits of industrial development and educational reform were already evident in these soldiers.
Each soldier was fully armed and clad in exoskeleton armor,
with the occasional glimpse of their eyes revealing anticipation for the future and loyalty to the Emperor.
Servo-skulls equipped with loudspeakers roared hoarsely,
"Fight in the Emperor's name! Sacrifice in the Emperor's name! The Golden Throne awaits us!"
The priests blessed the soldiers.
They would move with the army to pray for the dead, wishing them a return to the Golden Throne.
At this moment, a colossal horn blast resounded.
The massive Zagu mechs stepped out of the transport bay.
The hum of their reactors and the grinding of gears blended with the clamor of the landing zone.
"It's finally our turn to shine."
"Brothers, our scores have been pulled too far by the preceding Warbands. We absolutely cannot lose face like this. We must at least secure third place and strive for second."
"Remember, brothers, our targets are those heavy firepower units and the fortresses built by the enemy. Don't bother with the scattered soldiers; the auxiliary forces will assist us in clearing them out."
"In the name of the omnissiah, advance! Advance!"
Little Fatty sat in the command seat, finding a suitable posture for the impending war.
His current ride had been replaced with the Zagu 02 Type, the latest model manufactured by Dora Workshop.
The reinforced exoskeleton armor that Cawl had enhanced for him had been placed in his armory, to be activated during urban warfare.
Little Fatty had already made a detailed plan.
Once the frontal assault concluded, and war mechs were no longer needed,
he and his companions would don their exoskeletons and enter the battlefield for urban combat with the enemy, to rack up more war points.
The Hammer and Sickle Battle Group's ranking on the war leaderboard was too low.
Without hard work, they simply couldn't catch up to the Warbands ahead.
These scoundrels are competitive in Holy Terra (Earth/Reality), and even in the game!
Such people will never be happy.
Couldn't they learn to be more laid-back and let him be competitive alone, and unhappy alone?
Why must everyone be so tired?
"For MVP! For honor and victory!"
"In the name of the omnissiah, give those traitors a shock!"
"My cannon is already thirsty! Charge! Charge! Kill! Kill!"
"..."
The Players of the Hammer and Sickle Battle Group shouted in response to their Chapter Master.
......
Syntilla was the capital of the Calixis Sector,
once a prosperous Hive City world, a hub of the Human Empire.
It had two large Hive City, Sibelius and Tarsus, and numerous satellite cities that sprang up around them.
Even before the war broke out, Syntilla had accumulated many contradictions due to corruption, bureaucracy, privilege, and heresy.
The upper-class elite were obsessed with wealth and status, pursuing privilege to an almost abnormal degree, believing they could override the Human Empire's laws.
They were ruthless towards those of low birth, even hunting the poor as prey for thrill.
It could truly be said that their wickedness was overflowing.
This was also why the loyalists quickly failed after the war erupted.
Because the populace hated those so-called loyalists, believing that even if the rebellion was successfully suppressed, they would merely continue their previous miserable lives.
The Colin Family controlled public opinion and usually tried to polish their image.
When the war broke out, the Colin Family campaigned in the Emperor's name and made numerous promises to the populace.
For example, they promised to waive loan debts and equally distribute the assets of the privileged, that the lower Hives would gain identity and work, and that everyone would be equal and free, living happy and joyful lives.
After some propaganda, a large number of ignorant people believed them and chose to turn their guns on the loyalist elite, helping them win the victory.
Of course, none of those promises were fulfilled.
After the rebels gained control of Syntilla, they immediately went back on their word, supported gang forces, and extensively conscripted soldiers and levied taxes,
sending all remaining citizens into factories as slaves to produce military supplies for them.
Even the slightest slackness would be met with cruel punishment for these poor people.
Besides being sent to factories as slaves, many eligible men and women were also forced into surgical brainwashing, implanted with mental devices, and became cannon fodder for the rebels.
The first objective for the Human Empire forces landing was the satellite city of Ambrel Mobile City.
This city was one of the great wonders of the planet Syntilla,
because it was built on a massive and ancient self-propelled machine.
The Ambrel self-propelled machine was a creation from the Golden Age of Humanity.
No one knew why the initial colonists built this machine.
According to logs in the database, from its completion to the present, the Ambrel self-propelled machine has endured two thousand years, making it older than the Human Empire itself.
The rebels and loyalists clashed fiercely over control of this city, reducing many areas to ruins,
but the remaining structures were still grand and magnificent, and many factories were preserved.
The rebels controlled this city, enslaving the Human Empire's citizens to produce military supplies for them.
Many were also forcibly conscripted as slave soldiers, becoming cannon fodder for the rebel forces led by the Colin Family.
During the orbital bombardment, the rebels hid in the grand tall buildings and underground tunnels.
Once the orbital bombardment ended and the Human Empire army air-dropped to the surface,
they emerged from the tall buildings and underground tunnels, constructing defenses and preparing to fight the Human Empire.
......
Once the main army had assembled at the landing zone, Alex issued the combat orders.
The roars of numerous war engines immediately resounded through the sky.
Leading the charge was the armored division.
Tens of thousands of tanks rumbled forward,
using their immense weight and powerful engine thrust to force their way through the ruins,
leveling uneven ground with giant bulldozers to clear paths for those behind.
Following closely were the Zagu mechs and infantry phalanxes.
The Zagu 02 Type mechs were like the Warmasters of an ant army, with swarms of ants scurrying beneath their feet.
Their footsteps landed with a dull thud against the ground.
Each step was like a clap of thunder striking the earth, sounding a slow drumbeat of doomsday for the enemy.
"Time to kill, move out!" Little Fatty yelled.
Sensors activated, scanning the ruins for potential enemies.
The charged heavy cannons gleamed, awaiting the appearance of hostile targets.
"Kill!"
"Kill!"
The other brothers of the Warband shouted in unison, their Zagu 02 Type mechs emitting loud horn blasts.
Then, in perfect synchronization, they marched towards the moving city of Ambrunn.
… … … …
"They're here, prepare for battle! Send all those cannon fodder up there; we must hold the line! As soon as reinforcements arrive, victory will be ours."
Aquinas hid in a bomb shelter, looking at the battlefield projection as he issued orders.
He was once an excellent Imperial officer, with the rank of captain.
After the war broke out, he killed his superior and defected to the Colin Family with his subordinates.
This clever move brought him generous rewards.
Within a few days, he was promoted from captain to colonel.
As long as he could hold the moving city of Ambrunn and block the Human Empire's advance,
the Colin Family would surely generously grant him the position of a brigadier general.
The city of Ambrunn covered a vast area with complex streets and a large number of slaves and cannon fodder.
Moreover, he wasn't the only one in the city; there were several other units.
Holding out for a few days should not be a problem.
As long as they could wait for reinforcements to arrive, victory would be theirs.
When the Human Empire's army entered the city limits, the war officially erupted.
Dense artillery fire poured out from the city's fortresses, street fortifications, and artillery positions.
In an instant, the sky was filled with beams and shells.
Even after several rounds of orbital bombardment, the enemy still retained a large number of heavy firepower units.
The Zagu 02 Type mech group advanced with steady and heavy steps, using their shields to withstand the artillery fire.
Dense beams and shells struck the Zagu 02 Type mechs' shields, creating ripples but consistently failing to penetrate.
Boom!
A hidden heavy cannon in the ruins fired a dazzling, scorching beam.
The shield of one Zagu 02 Type mech quickly changed from blue to light red, on the verge of overloading.
The two Zagu 02 Type mechs next to it immediately adjusted their muzzles and fired at the fortress where the heavy cannon was located.
Accompanied by an earth-shattering explosion, the building where the heavy cannon was located collapsed with a roar,
engulfed in a sea of fire, and then fell silent.
The Zagu 02 Type mech that was almost destroyed paused for a moment, and only after its shield recharged did it continue to advance.
The Zagu 02 Type mech battle group continued its advance, their massive size easily crushing buildings along the way, clearing a path through the ruins.
The equipped heavy cannons roared incessantly, unleashing destructive beams of light,
while missiles whistled out, pouring firepower onto the enemy.
Firepoints and fortresses along the way were systematically eliminated.
Infantry wearing exoskeletons followed closely behind the Zagu 02 Type mechs.
Rebel soldiers had just escaped the fear brought by the mechs, only to face brutal, bloody close combat.
Their equipment was rudimentary compared to the Human Empire's forces.
Human Empire soldiers wore Tomorrow Series exoskeletons, wielded Gauss Rifles, and had shoulder-mounted auto-targeting autocannons, giving them terrifying firepower and defense.
Furthermore, there were also Astartes, numbering as many as three thousand, cultivated using the Players' gene-seeds.
Led by veterans or Star Realm Knights, this batch of Astartes was deployed to the battlefield in organized units,
stabbing into the enemy's defenses like a sharp knife.
Once Players or Astartes tore open a breach, the Human Empire army would swarm through the gap, under the cover of tanks and mechs, rapidly expanding their advantage.
Those rebel soldiers were powerless to resist, only to be repeatedly crushed by the Human Empire army.
From the initial engagement to the end of the war,
the battle for the moving city of Ambrunn lasted only a little over an hour.
"We must retreat, sir."
"The defenses on Commercial Avenue have been breached, and friendly forces have collapsed and are fleeing."
The comms officer rushed into the command post, his face filled with panic.
"What?!"
Aquinas in the command post was both shocked and enraged.
He had calculated that they could hold for at least three days.
How could it have been breached in just an hour??
"Their firepower is too strong."
The comms officer recalled the overwhelming artillery fire on the battlefield, his face also filled with terror.
First, there was saturation bombardment, sweeping the area repeatedly, with mechs providing cover, specifically targeting fortresses and fortifications.
Once the shelling stopped, the Emperor's Angels in power armor would descend from the sky, tearing through key points in the defense line.
Then, the Human Empire army would charge in under the cover of tanks and mechs, slaughtering the defenders who couldn't escape in time.
It was the same tactic every time, forcing the defenders to retreat steadily.
Even more critically, the Human Empire soldiers were exceptionally well-equipped, armed to the teeth.
Even their regular soldiers had better gear than the rebels' elite forces.
Once they captured a position,
retaking it would be a pipe dream.
"Damn it, we lost in less than two hours."
Aquinas's heart was filled with unwillingness.
They were the defending side, after all, and he had thought that by utilizing the terrain, they could hold out for at least three days.
Who would have thought they would collapse in just an hour?
"Sir, if we don't retreat now, we won't be able to." The comms officer said, "Other units have already broken, and the slaves have also rebelled."
"Go, retreat."
Aquinas knew that the tide had turned; nothing he said would matter now, he had to escape first.
However, as soon as he walked out of the command post, screams and gunshots erupted around him, scaring him into quickly finding a place to hide.
Dozens of Emperor's Angels, with strange patterns painted on their power armor, descended from the sky, firing at the defending soldiers on the ground.
They were well-trained and formidable in combat.
In a short while, they massacred over two hundred soldiers from two companies stationed near the command post.
Aquinas's face turned pale, nearly wetting his pants in fear.
What kind of hellish killing gods were these?!
He finally understood why they lost so quickly!
These Emperor's Angels were too terrifying.
When he saw those killing gods walking towards his hiding spot, he quickly shouted.
"I surrender!"
Saying that, he walked out with his hands raised.
"Just a colonel, not much of a catch, but barely acceptable."
The Warmaster glanced at Aquinas's military rank.
He was a bit disappointed but still accepted his surrender.
Capturing prisoners earned more war points than killing them.
Boom!!
A terrifying explosion struck, making eardrums ache.
In the distance of the battlefield, a Mushroom cloud slowly ascended.