章 93: Chapter Twenty-Eight: Death in Calixis (Part IV)
As the explosion lit up the Vindication's sensors, Fenj could only watch as a cloud of debris, plasma-fire and munitions struck one of the Expedition Fleets ships. The Light Cruiser had been trailing behind the Star Galleon and its fellow resupply ships. Acting as a scout and rear-guard. Poor fortune bombarded the Light Cruiser hiding deep in the Gas Giants clouds. Quickly its voids were overwhelmed and the unmistakable signs of impact were apparent even from distant Auspex readings. The horrified silence of the Bridge was broken when Nestoroi spoke.
"Man makes plans, and the Gods laugh. What an apt saying for our galaxy. They will find us now."
As predicted the three Rangda ships noticed the Light Cruiser and turned their dark attention to it. Firing a wave of slower-moving Rad weapons. Fenj wondered if they were macro-canon equivalents, but that was something for later consideration. For now more pressing concerns kept Fenj's attention. The Auspex cried out as it sensed a minor gravitic disturbance ripple out from the Rangda ships. The wave quickly fading into the Void but its purpose became clear. The War-barques turned their attention to the hidden Imperial ships and opened fire. It was a form of Gravity Radar, and it had found elements of the Resupply Fleet.
Cursing a string of particularly foul underhive oaths, Fenj started barking orders. "We strike now before they have time to realize we are here. Contact the Resupply Fleet, I want them moving to the Mandeville point and jumping as quickly as they can. Night Lords! We will buy them time to escape and see if we can make these Xeno's scream!"
Across the Dyatlov-Rho system, six different strike-forces slipped out of cover and headed for their chosen targets. Flying silently through the void like great Chiropteran horrors. The Vindication and its accompanying ships moved quickly. A pocket of Rangda ships were pushing the refugee Imperial ships. Leaving their backs exposed, and ready for a salvo of Torpedos and Macro shells. The Night Lord ships were fast, very fast. Agile too, capable of cutting through the void like some gothic knife the size of a city. Hiding behind inverted Void shields they proved undetectable. Despite himself, Fenj felt a cruel smirk cross his ruined face as the first volley hit home.
Slower and less accurate, but subtler than Lances. The kinetic bombardment of the Night Lord ships struck. Instantly five of the War-barques died in a shower of explosions. Ripping the enemy vessels apart and leaving twitching skeletal remains in the Night Lords' wake. All across the system, five other Night Lords forces hit as well. Each punching a hole in the Rangda line of battle before fading back into the crimson void. Rad warnings flashed as the dying screams of the Rangda ships spilled into the system. Not enough to effect any Imperial ship worth its metal, but a grim warning of the War-barques weapons.
Using the provided distraction the Resupply fleet erupted from the gas giants' depths. A great school of surfacing leviathans. Adding their own fire power against the Rangda. The Xenos seemed to barely realize a new threat had appeared when an entire Expedition Fleet erupted out of the ammonia clouds. Fenj and his Battle-Brothers would not give the Rangda time to realize what was occurring. The Vindication's battlegroup swooped in for a second pass. Picking off some War-barques starting to turn towards the Resupply fleet.
Steadily both Resupply and Refugee Fleets moved towards the Mandeville point. The beleaguered Imperials who the Rangda originally hunted. Using the opportunity provided to escape. In a few quick strikes the Xeno's were put on the defensive. Now it was time for the Night Lords to do what they were created for. Sowing fear, chaos, and confusion among mankind's enemies.
Loosening their formation, the VIII Legion battle groups started pushing limits. Hunter squads of Warships dove between Rangda ships, finding the foes limits. So far the Rangda had not used the Gravity Radar again. Perhaps it was a limited resource or simply extremely costly. Either way, the advantage went to the Night Lords. Flitting between the gaps in the Xeno formation, the Night Lords raised merry hell. Dodging alien point defense and other weapons. Fenj could swear he heard his Battle-Brother Orchilo of the Dying Sun laughing maniacally as that ship dove between two War-barques. Baiting them into opening fire on each other. Amusing but now was not the time for such pursuits. They needed to keep the Rangda distracted and off-balance.
So far the refugee and Resupply fleets were making good progress. A few casualties among the Refugees attempting to disentangle from unwinnable battles. The first Night Lord loss had also occurred. An escort in the third battlegroup died when a swarm of the slower rad weapons locked onto it. Homing in and striking the ship. No terrible drive-core detonation but an eerie silence as the ship went dark after the bombardment. Fenj had no desire to become more acquainted with these kinetic Rangda weapons. Rad-soaked missiles of uncertain potential it seemed. A series of new messages reached him. The Resupply fleet had made contact with the tattered Imperial refugees and were coordinating an escape. It seemed the rescued fleet was furious that the Night Lords had waited so long to aid but were willing to swallow that anger long enough to evade the Rangda.
As the Night Lords attacked the Rangda they made sure to constantly change their pattern of offense. Shifting from tight-knit squads designed to strike devastating blows, to chaotic swarms meant to harass and intercept. Much to Fenj's annoyance, the Rangda were starting to catch on. Half a dozen more VIII Legion ships died from mistimed attacks, poor luck, or the enemy's skill. The advantage given by their surprise attack was becoming negligible. To the Xeno's credit, they reacted quickly and had turned their attention towards the Night Lords. The VIII Legion would pay in blood giving both Imperial fleets time to escape.
"Eighty-Four percent of the Resupply Fleet and large elements of the rogue fleet present at Mandivillie point. Cogitators and Tactica predicting Hundred percent within the next bell." Chimed a mortal Comm officer. Yelling to be heard over the clamor of claxons and hurried activity.
Good, they would only need to keep the Rangda distracted a bit longer. Then their charges would be marginally safer. Beginning a whole new set of challenges. How would the Strike Fleets of the VIII Legion escape? Well Fenj thought, If his Brothers were good at anything it would be fleeing when the opportunity arose. Normally they would use Nostoroi's sight to ensure a successful escape. The events of this battle were proving anything but normal.
Glancing over at his Brother, Fenj met the Solomonari's eyes for a brief second. He expected shame or avoidance there. Instead, Nostoroi met Fenj's stare with a look of resigned sadness. A look that was accompanied by another telepathic message from the Librarian. Fenj was sorely tempted to refuse the psychic link but pragmatism won out against bitter distrust.
+ "The gift of our Genefather is so misunderstood Master Fenj. Most of our brothers, yourself included, believe it to be foresight. Thinking we merely peer into the Warp like the Angels or Xeno seers. I wish our gift was something so banal as that. Tell me Brother, what did you see when the visions took you?"+
Fenj wanted to shout, to grab the insufferably vague Librarian's skull and take an eye. They did not have time for this, a battle waged around them. A battle that quickly grabbed Fenj's attention as a Nightlord light cruiser detonated in an iridescent tablou across Dyatlov-Rho. Framing the system and its occupants in a single moment of white light. A moment familiar to Fenj. The Chapter Master's eyes widened as he felt anomalous memories and reality slots together. Before him was one of the seemingly nonsense visions he had suffered through. The vision came true before him, and his mind dredged up terrible sights yet-to-be.
+ " We do not see the future through the Warp like a petty psychic seer. We see time as our Liege does. Not as a river that we hope to guide ourselves along. But as an Ocean that stretches out in every direction. We do not see what could be, we see what is. Even if what is, is not yet now. In those moments of mind-breaking awareness, we see the curve of time in totality. A sight more than capable of breaking even our augmented minds. I know it wears on our genefather, who can use both methods of foresight. The secret of the Solomonari is not triggering these visions, but finding details within them while maintaining a semblance of sanity."+
Fenj did not have time to process and understand this supposed revelation about his Legion. He did not care about some supposed atemporal sight gifted by the Emperor. A snarling retort to the unwanted lecture grew in Fenj's throat. To castigate his subordinate and pull the truth from him. The Chapter Master hadn't even opened his scarred mouth when another telepathic message struck him.
+ " I tell you this not to irritate you Brother. In contrast I tell you, so you might understand and be at peace. Our sight is not perfect, the meddling of the Warp can disturb it, but it's close to perfect. I promise you Brother, there was no other option. The opportunity to escape long past by. Mankind must bleed in this system. Better we pay that bloody price than the IX Legion in entirety."+
"What are you saying? What have you done, Nostoroi?!" Barked Fenj. An armored gauntlet reaching out to grip the Librarian. Every eye on the bridge flicked from their duties to watch the Chapter Master. Exactly the kind of distraction Fenj had hoped to avoid.
+ " I've seen the future, and so have my brothers in the Solomonari and Librarius. We all see the same thing. We lose this battle, but mankind wins the war. It's easy to sacrifice a pawn in a game of regicide, except when you are the pawn." +
Eyes alight with fury and dawning horror Fenj wrapped his gauntlets around his advisor's throat. The Solomonari went limp, not responding to the attack. Resigned to whatever fate he seemed to know was coming. A dozen screaming Voxlines, panicked shouts from the bridge crew, and a distant explosion in the Void pulled Fenj's attention back to the battle. The Comms officer shouted into the din, getting the Chapter Masters attention.
"One of the refugee ships just opened fire on the resupply fleet! The Valiant Steel is gone!"
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