Warhammer: The 11th Primarch - The Black Emperor

Dark swarms of fighter aircraft flew out from the ships of the Third Chapter, diving into the atmosphere and engaging in dogfights with the multicolored Mordian warplanes.

Due to living in eternal darkness, Mordians generally had gloomy temperaments.

The scarcity of resources and dim lighting shrouded all of Mordian in a suppressive and depressive atmosphere.

In contrast, their weapons and everyday items were brightly colored; this was the Mordians' way of bringing themselves joy.

The Mordian pilots were well-trained. Under their control, the aircraft flew in tight formations and charged toward the black fighters.

Jenkins, of the 33rd Regiment of the Solar Auxilia, shoved his control stick forward. His Talon of the Sunhawk fighter dived, engines roaring thunderously through the skies.

As cannon fire flared past the nose of the Storm Talon, a glowing automatic rune flashed on Jenkins' helmet: Side-mounted lascannon locked and ready to fire.

Jenkins pulled the trigger instantly, and a multicolored enemy fighter erupted in a ball of flame.

Behind his helmet, his cold gray eyes narrowed.

He was the Talon of the Sunhawk, no hesitation, no indecision.

His fighter streaked through the fire and explosions, the heatwaves licking at its silver undercarriage.

Although the aerial battle had just begun, Jenkins, who had fought alongside the 11th Legion across dozens of worlds, already knew: the Mordians were well-trained.

He pulled up sharply and rolled to the right.

The Talon of the Sunhawk banked, diving into a narrow gap between enemy aircraft, barely a dozen centimeters of clearance.

Without hesitation, the fighter blazed through the gap.

Once he'd climbed to a safe altitude, Jenkins finally exhaled. His "girl" had a performance edge over the enemy fighters.

He glanced at the tactical display, blinking to bring up a status report.

On screen, signals blinked every second, each one marking a fallen fighter. The battle was fast and brutal.

The Mordians used dense formations to compensate for the inferior performance of their aircraft.

"Reform formation. Dive again."

The cold order came through his comms. Jenkins pushed the throttle and rejoined the attack formation.

"Dive!"

As the squad leader's command came, Jenkins slammed the throttle. The burning promethium roared, driving the Talon with savage force.

The Strike Talon formation swooped like a flock of hawks descending on prey.

Tracer rounds whipped past the Sunhawk's wings. Jenkins never looked away from his flight path. A confirmation rune flashed on his visor.

The autocannons roared, unleashing a barrage into the colorful enemy fighters.

As runes blinked across his display, Jenkins pulled the stick with pride; he had scored five kills.

Each flaming enemy fighter that fell into the darkness was quickly replaced by another, filling the formation gap.

"Stubborn, but brave and tenacious."

Jenkins was angered by the enemy's refusal to break, but he had to admit, they were excellent pilots.

The Mordians' delicate air combat balance, maintained through brutal sacrifice, was shattered as the Astartes' gunships entered the battlefield.

The Shadows of Order, far faster than any mortal, twisted control and pulled triggers, downing fighter after fighter.

Then, four companies of the Third Chapter's first assault wave landed via drop ships and gunboats, swiftly deploying ground forces.

The Shadows of Order marched down the landing ramps, assembling beside tanks before rushing toward their designated targets marked inside their helmets.

Second Company encountered resistance several kilometers north of the pyramid-shaped hive city of Vanandra. The Mordians showed their tactical skill in bunkers and trenches, creating an intricate defense network of interlocking fortifications.

Clad in colorful uniforms, the Mordian soldiers lay prone, staring at the black-armored warriors charging toward them.

Massive in size yet moving at terrifying speed, the Astartes marched in unison like a tidal wave of black steel.

They stepped forward in sync, each impact of their boots forming a tremor that joined the roar of metal smashing toward enemy lines.

The Mordians were terrified. The sight of the transhuman warriors caused them to tighten their grips on their weapons, waiting anxiously for the command to fire.

Finally, before the Mordians could attack, the 11th Legion's tanks opened fire first.

The machine spirits of the black tanks howled with fury, hurling shells at the Mordians.

The Shadows of Order prioritized attacking bunkers, pounding the Mordians' carefully constructed defenses.

Bunkers that could be called works of art were engulfed in explosions. The Astartes charged through smoke and fire.

The smoke had no effect on them; their tactical helmets and superhuman senses locked onto enemies with deadly precision.

Experienced Astartes officers raised arms to shield their visors as they issued orders.

Mordian commanders, with grim resignation, finally ordered their troops to fire.

Countless beams and bullets shot from the Mordian lines, striking the Mark II power armor, leaving only faint scorch marks on the black plate.

The Shadows of Order did not stop. They plunged into the Mordian lines and began the slaughter.

Bolters roared, shredding enemies.

Chainswords shrieked, grinding Mordians into bloody pulp.

Power swords flashed blue, disruption fields tearing enemies apart.

Mikhaeli stormed into the trenches like a walking tank. He raised his left arm, his bolt pistol spitting explosive death.

Explosions punched through enemies' chests, leaving bloody holes.

He swung his power sword into a defense turret, and the disruption field tore it into pieces.

The Second Company Commander quickly noticed that despite the smoke and chaos, the Mordians were adapting. They began coordinated assaults in squads of dozens.

The Shadows of Order relied on their enhanced senses and agility to dodge most attacks, deflecting projectiles with their weapons.

Still, some Second Company warriors fell, their visors shattered under concentrated fire.

"Tanks forward, provide cover!"

The black tide of armor thundered into the Mordian lines.

Malcador heavy tanks smashed into bunkers, but their momentum slowed due to the obstacles, and they soon got bogged in trenches.

Seizing the moment, the Mordian artillery fired upon the 11th Legion's armor.

The first Macado was destroyed as its commander's psi-cat leapt to his side.

Mikhaeli connected with the gyrinx and issued a command:

'Weapon Curse!'

The brown-furred feline raised its paw, and an invisible wave pulsed outward. Dozens of Mordian soldiers suddenly found their weapons malfunctioning: triggers rusted, energy packs failed.

With his mind boosted by the gyrinx, Mikhaeli rapidly devised a tactic and gave the order:

"Assault squads, target the artillery!"

Though their numbers had diminished, elite troops across the Chapters had been reorganized into jump-pack assault teams.

Hundreds of warriors took to the skies, jet trails streaking behind them as they crashed into the Mordian artillery lines, destroying enemy firepower with grenades and close-combat weapons.

Second Company advanced steadily under Mikhaeli's lead. Yet through his tactical helmet's rune-feedback, he realized the Mordians were far more resilient than previous enemies and highly skilled in trench warfare.

'Just as Lord Bukayo said: the Mordians' tenacity and mastery of fortifications mean that even Astartes will suffer some losses in urban combat.'

Mikhaeli and other company captains recognized this in the brutal trench fighting. Following the Dark Lord's orders, they didn't rush; they methodically cleared enemy lines, baiting the Tetrarchs in the capital to deploy reinforcements.

Meanwhile, in orbit, Samir had been observing the battle intently; he was not content to follow Bukayo's orders.

The First Company Captain had a different goal: when the Tetrarchs moved forces in Vanandra, he would launch a lightning offensive to kill them.

He wanted to score the greatest victory on Mordian, greater than Bukayo's, to prove to his father and all of the Shadows of Order that he should be the Lord Commander of the Third Chapter.

Samir was confident in his ability to command the first company. They had once served under him when he was Third Company Captain, veterans from Terra, known as the Reapers.

Among them, only one was a member of the Black Duke's Court, and even he was just a squad leader.

Samir's long-awaited chance finally arrived. At full power, the augers picked up dense signals of massing enemy forces.

Without hesitation, the First Company Captain led his command squad toward the drop pods.

...

If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead.

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