Chapter 90: A lonely battle, the salvation of the Northern Fleet
The Soul Redeemer and the Star Labyrinth have begun their return journey and will soon arrive at the edge of Lyak.
All members of the Krieg fleet have also entered a battle-ready state and are waiting for the response of the Northern Fleet in order to achieve the optimal strike effect.
The external forces for this annihilation battle around the Chaos Fleet are already in place. It can be said that everything is ready. Joseph, who is currently fighting with the Chaos Fleet, has the east wind.
But this is not directly entering the battlefield to provide assistance, and external preparations cannot improve the danger faced by the Northern Fleet.
To put it bluntly, the Northern Fleet today is in the final darkness before dawn.
Whether we can hold on to the support of the large fleet is still in doubt.
After the first round of strikes, the Chaos Squadron was left with 6 heavy cruisers.
The fall of the Styx-class heavy cruiser Killer is certainly a heartache, but the fleet has not essentially been injured.
In a one-to-one numerical comparison, apart from the firepower advantage of a Retribution-class battleship, Joseph's Northern Fleet did not actually take the initiative.
Especially the visible reinforcements from the main force of the Chaos Fleet made Joseph dare not fight.
We can only give up the advantage of the battleship's steady attack and continue to evacuate to the outside of the galaxy.
The galaxy's Manzeville Point is gradually out of range, but the Chaos Fleet's offensive has not stopped.
Looking at the two chaos fleets merging into one in the distance, Joseph's face was watery, with no expression on his face.
The previous sneak attack had obviously completely triggered the enemy's anger.
The enemy will not give up until his fleet is destroyed.
But isn’t that his purpose?
The roar of heavy artillery and light spears hitting the shield could be heard faintly from outside the bridge. Maybe it would break through the protection of the shield in the next second, causing a rain of blood on the bridge.
But Joseph still firmly commanded the course of the fleet, maintaining the ultimate range of combat with the enemy on the periphery of Melmoth 5, determined to contain the enemy here.
Boom!
Once again, the enemy fleet's light spears concentrated fire. The void shield was instantly overloaded, and the entire bridge shook violently.
The Grand Patrol Hand of Justice is speeding forward on the flank, trying to shield the flagship from artillery fire in order to buy time for the void shield to recover.
But this behavior was immediately stopped by Joseph.
"Command the Hand of Justice to stop its maneuvers that affect the position of the fleet formation! The course cannot be deviated!"
"Roger that!" The captain of Righteous Fury expressed his understanding on the other side of the real-time connection screen, and then put the order into action with great heartache.
Although the support from friendly forces is well-intentioned, once the formation of the fleet is affected, the movement of the entire fleet will be deformed.
Then the enemy carrying the Chaos Space Marines will definitely use their own advantages to nail the fleet as tightly as gangrene, and then destroy them in gang-hopping battles one after another.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Maybe one, maybe three, maybe more.
Countless shells were fired from the muzzles of the enemy ships, passed through the open space, and exploded on the armored belt of Joseph's flagship Retribution-class battleship that had lost its shield.
The huge shock threw the people around Joseph away, and the inside of the bridge was in a mess.
Although he himself did not fly out under the protection of the anti-gravity command seat, some flying debris still hit the old man's head and blood.
What round of bombardment is this? How many more rounds can his flagship survive?
Joseph didn't know and didn't care.
All his thoughts are focused on the movement of the entire fleet on the screen in front of him.
As long as there is no problem with the fleet's position, they can firmly drag the opponent here.
It doesn't matter if Joseph died here, as long as the fleet moves successfully, even if the battleship is sunk by heavy artillery in the next second.
He also believes that his colleagues within the fleet who understand his intentions will light up the Orps logo inherited from his legacy on other battleships
(An emblem that represents taking over command and confirming the location of the flagship.)
Boom!
The confrontation between artillery shells and armored belts rang out again, and as another shock struck, someone on the staff seat under the command platform was injured again. He was immediately helped out of his position by his colleagues and was replaced by other crew members.
But Joseph had no intention of paying attention to this. All his attention was not directed in the direction of the work of the astropaths.
In the front right of the fleet work seat, on the second seat to the Astropath, a girl is raising her hands high to show that there is important information that needs to be reported.
"Access to the rostrum communication!"
Seeing that no one around her could leave the table, Joseph, who was delivering the message to her, immediately said to the adjutant.
The adjutant who heard the sound raised his head and glanced at the girl's position, then connected the corresponding channel to Joseph.
This is a shared channel for senior officers of the entire fleet, and Joseph had no choice but to adapt out of desperation.
He is making a gamble, betting that the girl will not bring worse news.
Emperor's blessing, he won this time.
The girl's still immature voice sounded in real time on the communication platform of the entire fleet, and all the fleet generals who heard it were excited:
"Channel Confidential Alpha, from the temporary authorized channel of the Tribunal, the content is as follows.
In the name of Lord Calvin, the high-ranking inquisitor of the Imperial Tribunal, our Krieg fleet is ordered to come to support!
Our fleet's eight main warships have arrived near the Melmoth Channel and are ready to join the battle at any time!
Please provide tactical guidance immediately!
Please provide tactical guidance immediately!"
Boom!
This time the sound no longer came from the enemy's blow, but from the cheers of the entire fleet.
The soldiers of the empire are never afraid of death and sacrifice!
However, the timely arrival of friendly forces still makes it difficult for these people who have no hope of rear support to control their emotions!
The empire has not given up on them!
The empire has not given up on Orps!
The Emperor watches over their loyalty!
All their sacrifices are meaningful!
The crowd cheered under the baptism of enemy artillery fire, as if these friendly forces arriving from afar not only brought timely rescue and help, but also recognition of their courage and determination!
"Confirm the channel secret level and confirm the identity of the other party."
Joseph licked his chapped lips and made a final confirmation in a hoarse voice with broken voice.
The adjutant received the order and began to compare the signals of the Krieg fleet in the database.
"Confirmed! It belongs to the Imperial Order of Battle, but it is not the Navy. It is...the Astartes Chapter?"
The adjutant looked in the direction of Lieutenant General Joseph in disbelief.
If all the visitors were composed of strike cruisers from the Astartes Chapter, then the situation in this battle of pursuit and blocking would be completely reversed...
"Don't worry about so much! Transmit the coordinates of the enemy and ourselves as well as the real-time situation map! They decide the rest by themselves!"
Joseph signaled to the adjutant that there was no need to worry.
At this juncture, as long as someone comes, he doesn't care who it is?
And when this order was carried out and the staff bench and the astropaths began to link up and transmit valuable battlefield information to the subspace, he reacted belatedly:
"What the hell did you just say?"
The adjutant had just completed the lieutenant general's order. He raised his head when he heard the sound, looked at the old man's surprised eyes, and said helplessly:
"Their eight battleships are all channel representations of the Astartes Chapter..."
He had just reminded Joseph of this extremely abnormal information, because it might mean that more than a full regiment of Astartes might have been commanded by him, a mortal, just now, maybe for a moment.
And his own chief officer was also furious at that time, and was completely unaware of the lieutenant's obscure expression...