With the war orders given, the crew hurriedly returned to their posts.
Officers and crew shouted, relaying commands from their superiors.
The plasma reactor at the ship's core roared to life and entered operational status.
Sweating sailors operated giant mechanical arms, lifting massive shells from the ammunition depot to the gun deck and loading them into the cannons.
Tech-Priests and engineering officers chanted praises to the omnissiah, monitoring the rising energy levels.
"Docking arm released, cables detached, attitude thrusters active, we are departing the port."
"Reactor output normal, energy distribution plan submitted."
.......
Alex felt the vibrations as the Imperial Glory slid away from its orbital berth.
Another battle was about to be fought.
It seemed that ever since he came to this world, every day was spent either fighting, on the way to fight, or preparing supplies for battle.
Everything was related to fighting, in short.
Fortunately, he still had those carefree players to alleviate the pressure of war.
Other warships in the port also successively detached from the port, forming combat formations in the void to meet the enemy.
"Master, the enemy has sent a communication. Should I connect it?" Cortana asked.
Alex nodded.
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Information flooded into the projection device, making it hum.
The projection beam outlined a middle-aged man in a naval uniform. His gaze was extremely sharp, clearly that of a seasoned veteran.
"Are you the Saint of that False Emperor?"
The other party's tone was cold and full of disdain.
"Vice Admiral Petre?"
Before Alex could speak, Xia on the side spoke first.
Her tone was surprised and angry, clearly recognizing the other party.
"You actually betrayed the Emperor, you damned bastard."
Not many people in the Calixis Sector could rise to the position of Naval Vice Admiral.
The family backgrounds and abilities of these individuals were all top-notch.
Among the many Naval Vice Admirals, Petre, from the Andre family, was the youngest.
The Andre family was an ancient military noble family of the Calixis Sector.
A family full of legendary color.
In the M36 era, the legendary Rogue Trader Solomon Hallock charted an area outside the Imperium's borders, naming it the Calixis Sector Expanse, also known as the Holy Grail Expanse.
The Calixis Sector Expanse contained Xenos empires, ancient civilized ruins, rare minerals, and remnants from humanity's Golden Age.
The wealth and stories brought back by Solomon Hallock attracted those eager for wealth and status, possessing an adventurous spirit.
Over thousands of years, the Calixis Sector Expanse welcomed countless adventurers, wanderers, and Adeptus Mechanicus pioneers.
By the M39 era, the powerful noble Praetor Gorgonus Anjou from the Terra court was promoted to Lord General Militant, also known as Grand Marshal.
Authorized by the Terra High Lord, Anjou launched an expedition to liberate and rule the Calixis Sector Expanse, historically known as the 'Anjou Crusade'.
The first and second phases of the offensive went smoothly, allowing humanity to successfully gain a foothold in the Calixis Sector Expanse.
During the third phase, however, successive accidents occurred, causing Marshal Anjou to feel pressure and doubt himself.
He distributed power to his subordinates, but because he did not clearly define who held leadership, the expeditionary Warband constantly suffered from internal friction over the right to speak.
At this time, a young general named Drusus rose to prominence.
With his talent, he led the expeditionary Warband to successive victories, reuniting the expeditionary Warband.
After Anjou's death, Drusus took over the Grand Marshal rank.
He gathered his forces to defeat the last Xenos and Heretics, winning the Sector.
Rumor has it that one of the seven great demons of the Calixis Sector, the False Prince, Tychak the Ravenfather, was once defeated by Drusus.
The Anjou Crusade lasted for over sixty years, ultimately establishing the Imperium's rule over the Calixis Sector.
Drusus also became the first Governor of the Calixis Sector as a result.
The Andre family rose in the Calixis Sector at that time.
At that time, the ancestor of the Andre family was merely a young man full of adventurous spirit.
He gained some merit in the Anjou Crusade and eventually retired at the rank of Naval Captain.
But this ancestor was very farsighted; he made joining the navy an ironclad rule that future generations of the Andre family must obey.
Both men and women had to serve in the navy until they retired or sacrificed themselves.
In this way, they gained recognition and were gradually elevated to military nobility by those in power.
By Petre's generation, the Andre family had become even more sought after, courted by many other families.
Many believed that Petre, who became a Vice Admiral at such a young age, would surely become a Naval Admiral in the future, and even had hopes of becoming a Lord High Admiral.
Xia advised, "Petre, you still have a chance to turn back now. As long as you surrender, the Saint will, for your repentance, forgive your sins as much as possible."
Petre seemed to have heard something amusing, his tone contemptuous.
"The False Emperor's era is over."
"I don't think continuing to pledge allegiance to that Emperor is a smart decision."
Xia's tone became angry, "You will pay the price for this, and the entire Andre family will be destroyed because of your foolishness."
"No! No!" Petre shook a finger, denying Xia's words, "You are completely wrong. The Andre family will reach its peak because of my wisdom."]}```
"We will soon have the answer." Xia looked at Petre as if he were a dead man.
If Petre were facing her, his boast might actually come true.
Unfortunately, he was facing the Imperial Glory and its most noble master, the Emperor's Saint, the great Guide.
Petre, this young naval genius, was destined for a tragic end.
When Alex's gaze could capture the engine glow of the enemy ship, the first wave of missiles launched by the enemy arrived.
Small destroyers and frigates patrolling around the cruisers and battleships launched anti-missile weapons to intercept them.
A series of small explosions instantly appeared in space.
A few torpedoes penetrated the fire interception net but collided with the void shields of the large warships.
The terrifying explosions made the void shields flicker, and immense destructive energy was transferred into the Warp.
"It seems the opponent's command level isn't low; they calculated our speed to launch missiles and torpedoes, making us precisely collide," Alex praised.
"Petre is the most outstanding naval general in recent years; the older generation holds him in high regard," Xia explained.
"Unfortunately, his story ends here," Alex said regretfully, "Continue advancing; have Chapter Master Sard take the veterans to the teleportation deck and wait for me.
Once a breach appears in the enemy's void shield, we will immediately teleport aboard and decapitate the enemy's flagship."
Alex did not intend to waste precious time and ship resources fighting a void battle with the enemy.
The enemy's ship numbers were far greater than theirs.
Even if they won, it would be a Pyrrhic victory.
It was better to use an unconventional method for a swift resolution.
When the two fleets were less than a million kilometers apart, they began to fire at each other.
Blazing light lances shimmered in the void, and torpedoes were launched in a wide fan, forming intersecting lines that forced each other into their desired positions.
Both sides exchanged fire while approaching.
Void shields flickered, and occasionally, fighters and small vessels were destroyed, exploding into flames in the void.
When the two sides were close enough, Xia, following Alex's instructions, concentrated fire on the enemy's flagship—the Truth Light, a battlecruiser.
As the two warships brushed past each other, the Truth Light maintained a tilt to give its portside broadsides a better firing angle.
Cortana, through calculations, discovered a weak point in the Truth Light's void shield.
With a volley of concentrated fire, the void shield covering the Truth Light's side turrets was shattered.
The thick hull was hit, exploded, and a breach appeared.
"Prepare to teleport for a direct decapitation."
Alex chose to lead the team personally to resolve this battle in the fastest way.
The machines on the teleportation deck activated.
The fearless veteran Sard, along with a group of veterans tempered by brutal combat, would board with Alex.
After a bright Warp flash, the priest responsible for maintaining the teleportation machinery performed a gear-salute.
"Praise the great omnissiah, teleportation successful."
On the Bridge of the Truth Light, Vice Admiral Petre calmly commanded the battle.
He possessed exceptional war talent, capable of quickly assessing changes in the battlefield situation and adopting the most advantageous course of action.
The Emperor's servant's fleet was numerically inferior, and their tactics were crude; their only advantage was the warship currently exchanging fire with his flagship.
As long as he contained that warship, he had an eighty percent chance of winning this victory.
"Sir, shield breach!" a signal officer shouted.
"Send men to repair it, and dispatch armed crew to the breach point; be vigilant against enemy boarding," Vice Admiral Petre said.
"Something's wrong! Aetheric reactions are surging; the enemy is teleporting!" the augur master shouted.
The next second, a circular electric light illuminated the command platform.
When the light faded, Alex and many warriors appeared.
"In the name of the Emperor, all traitors shall die!"
Sard roared.
Other warriors also raised their weapons, guns roared,
blades danced, and flesh was torn apart.
Five minutes later, the Bridge of the Truth Light was littered with shattered flesh and wreckage.
"It seems your family will not achieve the glory you envisioned."
Alex looked at Vice Admiral Petre, his tone calm.
"You…"
Petre looked at the opponent's tall figure and those wings, trembling with fear, his tongue as heavy as lead, unable to speak.
"No need for more words; just bear the cost of betrayal."
Alex swung his sword, severing Petre's head.
A naval general who should have become a legend thus met his end.
At this moment, the holographic screen in front of the captain's throne continuously flickered with communication request icons.
Alex walked over and pressed the communication button.
"Vice Admiral Petre, this is Sonas Colin, Governor of Sintilla Hive World. We are under intense bombardment, and our defenses are precarious. When can you win the void battle and provide us with support?"
"Hello, Governor Sonas, Vice Admiral Petre will not provide you with any support."
"Who are you? Where is Vice Admiral Petre?"
"He has already gone to hell before you. Now, it's your turn. Are you ready, traitor?"