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Chapter 313: Why Am I Surrounded by Useless Allies?
🕑 Added 2025-09-21 13:10:59 +0000 UTCChapter 313: Why Am I Surrounded by Useless Allies?
Within the Cryptus System, Imperial Navy and Astra Militarum forces drawn from several light-years around had already arrived. However, the atmosphere here was not as tense or desperate as one might imagine.
The Shadow in the Warp, created by the Tyranids, had cut off all astropathic communication, meaning Guilliman's orders had not been able to reach them. For many years, the "Diamor Shield" surrounding the system had protected them so well that xenos, Chaos, and various other powerful opponents had all met their end within it.
Although they knew of the terror of the Tyranids, they still believed the Diamor Shield was sufficient to hold back the massive Tyranid fleet. The Imperial Navy and the Cryptus System's defense fleet were already arrayed outside the Diamor Shield, ready for battle. They were already dreaming of the honor they would receive after harvesting the Tyranid lives.
Within the Diamor Shield, the inner "Castellan's Ring" of asteroids had also been fortified with countless weapon batteries and elite Cadian soldiers. This asteroid belt had been ravaged by mining and resource extraction, but this had also turned it into a series of natural void fortresses, bristling with macro-cannons, lances, and various other weapons. Any enemy attempting to cross the Castellan's Ring would be subjected to a crossfire from all directions.
For the Navy, the best strategy would have been to fight in coordination with the batteries of the Castellan's Ring. But, stubbornly, they had not done so.
In stark contrast to the Imperial Navy, on the Cryptus System's capital world of Asphodel, thirty million Cadian soldiers, drawn from all over, were under the command of the veteran General Mellen Dust. They were busy constructing their own defensive lines in the capital city of Phodia.
The Cadian command center was a hive of activity.
"General! The Navy has dismissed our warning..."
"Justus! That arrogant fool!" Mellen slammed his fist on the table, venting his fury. "The Diamor Shield cannot stop these xenos! If these monsters were so easily stopped, the Imperium wouldn't have had so many worlds devoured by them!"
The Navy had too much faith in the Diamor Shield. At a time like this, they were still fantasizing about the glory of defeating the Tyranids. As an Astra Militarum General, he had no authority to command the Navy. He could only watch as Admiral Justus committed this foolish act.
He didn't care if the Navy got itself killed, but if all those warships were lost, the planets of the Cryptus System would be completely cut off from one another, and they would lose all air superiority. Countless Tyranid ground forces could then land on every planet in the system unopposed, and all they could do was watch.
And that wasn't Mellen's only headache.
The local Planetary Governor, Augus, had ceded all military command of the planet to him. This should have been a good thing; without the interference of the local nobility, Mellen could make all the arrangements he wanted. But what Augus did next was incomprehensible. He hadn't just abandoned his military authority; he had abandoned his civil duties as well. The threat of the Tyranids had caused society to destabilize, and gang warfare in the underhives had even begun to spill into the upper levels, further exacerbating the chaos on Asphodel.
He was, after all, only a military commander. Production and governance were not his forte. He could only hope that the threat of death would be enough to unite the planet's populace. The harsh environment of Asphodel had bred a strong-willed people; many of them could become at least passable PDF members.
But Governor Augus's incomprehensible actions didn't stop there. The governor had taken his vast personal fortune and a large contingent of his planetary defense forces, along with massive stockpiles of supplies and ammunition, and had hidden himself in an underground city he had spent countless resources building.
Mellen had requested that he provide these supplies, but the governor had simply ignored him, sealing all the entrances to the underground city. He was clearly planning to just wait until the whole thing was over before coming out.
Faced with this situation, Mellen was helpless. His current ammunition and supplies could not sustain a long battle, and he certainly couldn't start a civil war with the governor at a time like this.
Mellen was both frustrated and angry. How had he ended up with such a group of useless allies? He really did prefer offensive missions. The administrative departments on Asphodel were already in a state of semi-paralysis.
The entire population of Asphodel was 35 billion. As a resource-rich hive world, its vast manufactorums should have been able to sustain the Cadian soldiers, but that was only in an ideal situation. The moment the Tyranids began to land, all those factories would be shut down. Mellen simply couldn't spare enough troops to protect the workers and the production facilities.
Mellen had even begun to load a large number of prisoners from the jails onto transport ships. He was shipping them to the barren planets outside the main system, using them as biomass decoys to attract the Swarm, split its forces, and slow the Tyranids' advance. Although these people would certainly die and would become biomass for the Tyranids, it was the only thing he could do. Allowing Asphodel to hold on for just a little bit longer, under a little less pressure, was the most he could achieve.
Just as Mellen was at his wits' end, an urgent communication came in from the Imperial Navy.
"What did you say? Are you certain a massive Imperial fleet just appeared inside the Cryptus System? How is that possible? How did they get past the Diamor Shield? And isn't all astropathic communication and warp travel cut off? We can't even send an astropathic message out!"
Mellen couldn't believe it. And for the Imperial Navy here, it was even more incomprehensible.
Admiral Justus's voice, when he spoke to Mellen, had lost all its confidence. "The Diamor Shield we were so proud of... they just bypassed it? If these warships can, then... can the Tyranids do it too? The belt has some small passages, but none that could accommodate a fleet of this size."
"Justus, did they identify themselves?" Mellen asked.
"Mellen... it's the new High Lord... Lucan Mongorte."
"Lucan Mongorte?"
Hearing this name, Mellen's expression became a picture of stunned joy. As Cadians scattered throughout the galaxy, they had all been recalled to defend their home world. Not all of them had made it back in time. After the victory at Cadia, Castellan Creed had sent an astropathic message to the forces still on their way, telling them of the victory and that they were no longer needed, ordering them to return to their previous duties.
In that message, Creed had emphasized the importance of Lucan in the defense of Cadia. Lucan was the savior of Cadia.
Mellen had been consumed with guilt that he had not been able to contribute his strength when Cadia was in its most desperate hour. Lucan was Cadia's savior, which meant he was his savior, too!
"Quick! Guards!" Mellen roared. "The savior of Cadia is here! Get me my dress uniform with the medals! Iron it properly! And polish my boots until they shine! And tell that fellow Kellen to have his mess sergeants break out the hidden food stores, or I'll have his hide!"
After giving his orders, Mellen went and retrieved the bottle of exquisite Amasec he had been saving, the one he had been reluctant to drink.
When Lucan set foot on the soil of Asphodel, he was taken aback by the Cadians' reception. At a time like this, the high command of the Cadian Shock Troops was here, in full dress uniform, to welcome his arrival. He could see the sincere gratitude on their faces.
"Lord Lucan! On behalf of the thirty million Cadians on Asphodel, I thank you for everything you have done!" Mellen said, his posture extremely low, both because of Lucan's status and his contribution to Cadia. "I never thought you would be the one to come and support us!"
Lucan also saw the neat, full rows of medals on Mellen's chest, and even saw a Star of Terra. It was clear he was a man of outstanding ability and great contributions to the Imperium.
"General Mellen, I am only doing what I must," Lucan replied respectfully. "The sacrifices of the Cadian people are what is truly seen by all."
"I have prepared a banquet for you."
"There's no need. We may not have that much time. Have your men prepare to receive the supplies."
At that moment, the Navy's Admiral Justus couldn't help but step forward. "Lord Lucan... how did you get through the Diamor Shield?"
"Admiral Justus," Lucan said, his tone sharp, "I don't need to explain to you how I got through it. But the fact before you is that I can, and therefore the Tyranids can as well. In my capacity as a High Lord of the Imperium, I am ordering you: you are forbidden from engaging the Tyranid fleet when it crosses the Diamor Shield!"
"What?! But that is the best time to attack!"
"The Diamor Shield will not kill them," Lucan snapped. "And your actions will only be a pointless sacrifice of the few warships we have left, and a free meal of biomass for the Swarm!"
