A month has passed since the battle in the Torrenis system. Around outposts, mining stations and colonial planets, the Tyranid Empire army has fought hundreds of large and small battles along the route of the gold fleet.
But that still doesn't stop them from moving on.
One imperial world after another fell, half of the Koprulu sector fell into a protracted war, and humanity was shrouded in boundless darkness and fear.
If this wasn't enough to make people feel desperate, this time along with the protoss came an overwhelming army of insect swarms.
The great Tyranid Empire of Emperor Augustus has fallen into despair, and the truth is far more bloody than what the media reports. The Golden Fleet and the Overlord Swarm are constantly harvesting the lives of the Koprulu Sector, and hundreds of millions of people have been massacred.
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The Imperial Army suffered heavy losses and suffered heavy losses. Some of the troops fighting bloody battles on the front line were severely depleted, so that the replacement rate could not keep up with the losses. Those famous and respected battleships in the past disappeared one after another into the deserted landscape.
In deep space, there were only a few survivors, and their fragmented fate could only be pieced together from the final report sent back by the captain.
The Terran Empire was pinned below the water like a drowning person, and every swallow of water accelerated the death process.
At the end of August 2503, the Golden Fleet finally arrived at Helioc III, which meant that they had penetrated deep into the territory of the Tyranid Empire and were about to enter the scope of the core world.
As the capital of the Heliok Star Territory and the fortress in the northern territory of the Tyranid Empire, the imperial army assembled here must not allow the Heliok III to be handed over to others.
The Tyranid human race has settled in the water source and has been thriving for more than a hundred years. Since many human worlds in the Koprulu sector gradually established waterways to communicate with each other, it has become a well-known tourist attraction, with tourists visiting every year.
A large number of tourists flock here to enjoy the beautiful scenery and the rare and exotic animals that live here.
However, rich mining resources have also brought unexpected disputes and conflicts to the world. Large-scale armed conflicts and even the use of tactical nuclear bombs once made precious oasis resources face the dilemma of depletion.
All this was effectively contained after the Tyranid Empire regained control of the world. The military camp established here was enough to deter all the illegal mining groups and the noobs among the stars who coveted Heliok's natural resources.
Today, Heliok has been restored to life with excellent governance. It has been twice rated as the most habitable planet in the empire by UNN Today's News, and the shining jewel in the crown of Emperor Augustus.
Although the host Golenko makes the selection almost every week, even Ma Sara has been on the list. Of course, this is inseparable from inextricable political factors. In this way, the number on the emperor's crown is
There were too many pearls, enough to break his neck, so he never wore them even once.
When the war is about to come, it is daytime in the Watering Hole administrative area where the Governor's Palace of the Helioke Empire is located. The fist-sized sun in the sky is emitting hot rays. The vegetation is growing vigorously, the grassland is green, and the trees are tall and straight.
, the best time of the day has arrived.
Springs and lakes sparkling like pearls are embedded in the desert, dotted with beautiful oases. The precious gem-like rivers are like clean jade belts, and beautiful fields are located on both sides.
Gusts of wind blew through the green fields with billowing wheat waves, and the air was filled with lots of vaporous fluff, filled with the fragrance of flowers and plants. The palm groves were straight and tall, and the sky was as blue as water.
Looking around, the numerous crystal veins exposed on the surface form majestic blue mountains. Only the most talented painters can depict such colorful colors.
In the afternoon, the 7th Imperial Marine Division, the 29th Division, the 143rd Armored Brigade and the two heavy artillery battalions temporarily assigned to the combat sequence arrived in New Richmond, the largest oasis city in the Water Colony, on transport ships and airdrop pods.
).
At this time, New Richmond was already an empty city. The only things that greeted these soldiers were a few 2000 automatic cleaning robots on the streets and beautiful natural scenery. All the buildings had their doors and windows closed and were sealed with boards and nails. The roads and commanding heights had long been abandoned.
It was cleared to make room for building bunkers, automatic cannons, and heavy firepower points.
In addition, New Richmond still retains its appearance before the war, with neat streets and squares sprinkled with golden light, white onion-roofed buildings shining in the sun, brick-and-stone waterways running through the city, and water filled with water.
It is a colorful jellyfish-like aquatic creature.
Even the large promotional posters used to attract tourists before the war have not been removed. It says that Heliok welcomes you, but it must not include the zerg and protoss.
In downtown New Richmond, an extremely wealthy giant businessman left an entire building full of supplies for incoming Imperial soldiers to access at any time. This may be out of patriotism, or it may be to gain fame.
, he had a good idea, but in the end none of the soldiers who were subject to strict military discipline entered.
Second Lieutenant Instel Foss's platoon belongs to the 7th Marine Division, which is a veteran unit established during the Revolutionary Army era. Their landing point is in the northern part of New Richmond and is close to the outskirts of the city.
Outside the city are flat and wide fields, and the crops inside are growing very well. The growing sunshine and abundant rain in early summer have caused the grass and trees to grow wildly. The thoroughfares divide the fields into a regular grid, and at the end of the road there is a park.
Several large multi-purpose combine harvesters, with bright red imperial flags fluttering in the wind.
There are many small but well-organized towns and villages outside New Richmond. Most of the buildings in them have been abandoned, but the furniture in the houses that cannot be taken away has been packed away in an orderly manner, as if it belonged here.
People believe they can return here one day.
This place is very beautiful, reminding Yinstel of his hometown Helsinn and his family.
His sister's child is about to be born, a boy. The child is also called Inster, and the family hopes that he will be as brave as his uncle. Inster hopes to live to the end of the war and see the child with his own eyes.
Every time he thought of this, he wanted to cry.
"Daniel, you have seen real worms. They will insert their ovipositors into your esophagus to lay eggs. After a few days, the parasites will burst out of your chest."
"Be careful, the protoss will chop off your head if you are careless!"
Soldiers from Yinster's platoon were standing in line outside the New Richmond train station, waiting for the arrival of the next train. The previous maglev train had just departed from here, and the carriages were filled with Zeus tanks and Sidewinder heavy tanks.
There were also several companies of reapers sitting there.
New Richmond is a beautiful city, but it doesn't even have a decent wall. In the past few months, the Imperial Engineering Corps has built multiple planetary fortresses near the city, with bunkers, doomsday turrets, and electrified
Barbed wire fences, sensor towers and other facilities are connected together.
But Yinster knew in his heart that no matter how strong these fortifications were, they probably wouldn't be able to withstand the protoss bombardment and the insect swarm's carapace flood for long. The hope of victory was to persist until reinforcements arrived, but he hoped they wouldn't.
There will be a traffic jam halfway.
The only reassuring thing is that the supporting force includes General Prior's fleet, which is more useful than any guarantee.
"I haven't fought against the protoss, but I heard that they have burned hundreds of planets along the way. If you can solve the battle in high-altitude orbit, why do you have to come down and play with us in the mud?" Mili is a new recruit.
Even so, in the past few months of serving under Inster, he had participated in many battles against the swarms, the most brutal of which was on the planet Tartarus.
During the battle, their brigade was reduced to one-third twice, so that the subsequent replacements were all new recruits. Instre still remembers those people, they came from Antiga Prime and Tarsonis, young
, strong and powerful, and most importantly, rich in vitality and vitality that veterans lack.
Many of them will die in the first battle they participate in. Death, blood and zerg build the recruits into real warriors in the shortest possible time. Watching those once vibrant faces fall down,
It's really frustrating.
Yinstel believes that after experiencing life, separation and death, people will always grow as long as they do not suffer a mental breakdown.
In the face of the terrifying Tiamat swarm, the Imperial Army lost at least 300,000 people and suffered even more injuries. In that battle, both the Imperial fleet and the swarm fleet were almost destroyed, and the supporting Imperial fleet was either completely annihilated.
Or they were stopped halfway by the Leviathan swarm.
The battle on the ground lasted for more than a month. After all the heavy weapons and aircraft were lost, they fought bloody battles on battlefields separated into isolated islands by insect swarms, just like humans fought in the two world wars of the 20th century, until
A pilgrim fleet from the Yin Hanli star spirit jumped over.
After that battle, among those who survived to the end, even the recruits who had just joined the army were qualified to be called veterans.
Yinstel still remembers that war. The battlefield even went deep underground. The insect swarm polluted the planet with bacteria carpet and virus weapons. At first, they were able to call for air support, but then they had to save bullets. There were production in the barracks.
The fully automated production line of bullets has no raw materials, and it is difficult for a skilled woman to make a meal without rice.
During the Second Tartarus War, Yinstel never returned to his bunk in the barracks, never took off his power armor, opened his eyes and just jumped out of the trench to shoot, moving forward.
It was seen that there were thousands of corpses on the battlefield.
The smell of intestines and raw meat hung in the air and was nauseating. Anyone who had lived through the war would never describe it in the word romantic.
After that, Yinstel probably really understood why he always said he could only see the Marines walking out of the barracks, but no one ever saw them returning.
"Nothing is absolute." Instell has not been in the army longer than Milley. His experience of studying at the Stillling Military Academy allowed him to become a second lieutenant as soon as he graduated, but the latter is even older than him.
: "Heliok has a large number of Jörmungandr insect nests, and the protoss will not destroy this planet together with its own friendly forces."
This is somewhat magical. Even if they kill those protoss, they will not admit that the zerg are their allies. But since the protoss and zerg are now taking orders from Amon, this has actually come true.
"Besides, our fleet is still fighting with the Protoss and Zerg fleets in orbit. The people of Omega Squadron are crazy when fighting."
"I have to say, it's hard to say this."
William was a veteran of the Raiders. He had been arrested for theft, fraud and illegal smuggling and spent several years in jail, but not enough to be sent to the notorious New Folsom. Later Princess Charlotte was born
, the royal family issued a "general amnesty", and he was sent to the military camp.
What kind of amnesty is this?
Although he has made many military exploits during the war, he is still only a corporal due to many violations of discipline. But this guy should feel lucky. If he had just stretched his dirty hands in the past, he would have been transformed into a resocialized soldier by the old federation.
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There was a resocialized soldier in the platoon. Yinstel didn't know what crimes he had committed, but the veterans around him believed that he was a rapist and a pedophile.
At least, the situation of criminals was much better in the imperial era. Usually only those with the most unforgivable crimes would be sent to the resocialization factory. It was a place where you definitely hoped that your enemies would go, and life would be worse.
die.
Some barracks also use small resocialization facilities, which are used to deal with deserters and serious violators of discipline.
"In Ash'Arak, they blasted all their own people into the sky!" William said: "Ash'Arak is a former colony of the Protoss Empire, and those crazy beasts really don't recognize each other."
"Millions of protoss are dead, which is a heavy blow to their race." Theodore also said on the public channel. He was a teacher and was drafted into the army as a reserve in case of emergency.
"The same goes for us." Yinster had heard about the Battle of Ash'arak. The golden fleet not only destroyed the entire colony, but also burned the landing troops he sent to ashes. He could only describe it as crazy.
If it happened in the human army, this would be enough to cause a large-scale mutiny among the lower-level non-commissioned officers and soldiers, but those protoss are already crazy and cannot use normal thinking to judge the madman. They will bring your intelligence to the same level.
Yinster knew that some races among the protoss were still on their side, such as the Dark Templar. During the battle on Lotos II, a powerful Dark Templar helped Yinster.
of troops.
That was a ranger like Robin Hood, and Yinstel admitted that it was really cool when he was slashing at the zerg with the warblade of light.
The 7th Division has not encountered the mechanical protoss army, but their brother troops have been helped by them. The purifier protoss are as cold as they were in life, but their thinking is not much different from ordinary protoss.
Michael, the platoon's mechanic, believed that the Purifiers had already written into the underlying code the prioritization of supporting human forces on the battlefield, even before their fellow Templars. Having said that, the Purifiers should not have to write code.
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"How many more people will we have to die this time?" Zeletta snorted coldly at this moment: "The higher-ups are sending us to die, but they are squandering and enjoying themselves in the rear."
Zeletta is a thorn in the side, a character that gives Yinstel a real headache. In the military camp, he can do almost nothing except playing cards, but on the battlefield, he can always survive to the end.
This guy is always rude, but he can help you when it's life or death.
People are always so contradictory.
"Every fight with the zerg and protoss is like dying, but we have no choice," Yinstel said.
Soon, Yinstel and his soldiers boarded the car and rushed to the front line while the roaring armored train was roaring.
A city-like star base (upgraded from a star port) hovers over New Richmond under the support of thrusters, with fighter planes constantly taking off from it.
A dense swarm of Banshee bombers in the sky were passing by at high speed. These Banshees were flying very low, their engines were rumbling, and the rocket boosters at their tails made them look like phoenixes with long red tails.
The train travels through lush oases, fields and palm groves into the distance. Gorgeous local birds are singing in the forest and clusters of flowers are blooming.