Warhammer : The last hope of the 30th millennium

Chapter 15: chapter 15



Chapter 15: The Sky Is Falling

The sky exploded as Numinas fell.

At the edge of the atmosphere, flashes of light erupted one after another—fire engulfing fire, tearing through long-held clouds as if new stars were rising over Calth.

"Did you see that? Our battleship exploded!" mortals in the Global Museum screamed.

The light arrived first, followed by the shock wave and intense heat radiation from the explosion. The windows and iron doors of the World Expo suddenly lowered their explosion-proof curtains, and everyone inside immediately felt the searing pain from the violent vibrations in the air—as if their eardrums and chest cavities were about to be torn apart.

"We lost more than one ship!" Ventanus shouted.

"Why? We clearly delivered the message. Didn't the Primarch and the Legion's high-ranking officers receive it?"

Faced with this doomsday scenario, no one could answer that question.

The shock wave demolished the flimsy houses and streets and scattered the mortal army that had been gathering on the ground. Chariots and tanks were blown away like garbage. Then the scorching wind, carrying the explosion's intense heat, swept over the panicked masses as if a divine furnace had fallen to earth.

Above, shattered warships and orbital docks in space disintegrated. Some smaller debris fell the fastest—their dense material and structure protecting them from atmospheric burn-up. Fragments as large as a tall building plummeted at a forty-five‐degree angle.

They struck the land of Cowes, unleashing an impact far more powerful than a nuclear explosion. Buildings were ripped apart; farmlands and forests were reduced to ashes.

Water vapor, evaporated by the intense heat, condensed into heavy rain that fell back to earth, even fanning the flames.

More debris followed. Small fragments hit the ground like missiles, creating gaping holes, while larger pieces smashed through the surface—triggering an earthquake that shook the entire city. The thunderous roar instilled terror in every surviving human.

The river in Numinas was blocked by half-wreckage of a cruiser. Its steel hull stopped the flow, while the instantaneous high temperature and shock wave evaporated nearly half of the river's water, forcing the remainder into massive waves that barreled toward the city.

Only when faced with such a catastrophe can humans realize how insignificant they are. When starships fall, it is not merely a ship that is descending—it is as if the entire sky is falling.

"Bunker, everyone must get into the underground bunker!" Ventanus roared, urging everyone to rush through the sealed passage of the World Museum. If a large piece of debris were to fall here, everything would be lost.

The mortal soldiers of the 61st Company emerged from their comas; they could not withstand the horrific impact. Had it not been for the Global Museum, which shielded much of the damage, most would have perished from massive bleeding due to ruptured internal organs.

Bucky, Tess, and others immediately took action. They helped the still-disoriented mortal auxiliary soldiers, along with the staff and servants who were in shock, into the underground passage.

The air below was cold and damp, yet it offered a chance of survival to those who had just endured the searing temperatures on the surface.

"Fortunately, we notified all the Ultramarines on Calth before everything happened, and they did not sit idly by waiting for death," said Lamiad. "But so many troops on the surface did not receive the early warning—their chances of survival are very low."

"Sorry, we are still too late." Bucky was a little dazed; the doomsday scene was seared into his soul. This once-beautiful, prosperous planet might have become a living hell in an instant.

"No, you have done a great job!" Lord said as he shook his head. He half-knelt so that he could look his reporting comrade in the eye.

"Listen to me—your efforts are not in vain. The betrayal of the Word Bearers is an elaborate trap. You cannot avoid it simply by being aware of it."

"I firmly believe that the Thirteenth Legion has already reacted. Although the orbit is severely damaged and our fleet has suffered heavy losses, this is only the beginning."

Bucky nodded. Even deep underground, he could feel the trembling of the earth, and fine dust and debris were still falling from the bunker above.

When the shaking finally subsided, Lamiad and Ventanus immediately decided to act.

At that moment, only five teams of Ultramarines remained in the underground bunker of the World Museum; they now needed to gather all the scattered Ultramarines to launch a counterattack.

"All our communications are down—we can't contact other units." In chaos, the most critical factors are information and the ability to communicate, yet the chaotic waste code that erupted earlier and the electromagnetic interference caused by the explosion have rendered everything on the surface nonfunctional.

The mortal steward of the airport, Abt, finally awoke. She clutched her chest and abdomen, where her ribs were broken, yet she maintained her composure.

"There is a monitoring station in the port square. It was part of the old traffic control system before the upgrade. Some ancient but powerful transmitters remain." Her lungs ached as she spoke. "I believe that if it had not been struck directly by the wreckage, the sealed transmitter would have survived the previous disaster."

Ventanus nodded to the steward. The Lord had left this place, leading a team to gather the nearest Ultramarines in his memory. Just as the Ultramarines' Captain was about to lead his battle-brothers to the port to activate the sealed transmitter, Bucky—who had remained silent—finally stood up.

"Leave the communication system to me. Don't waste any more time or lives. The enemy is here."

Ventanus, weapon clutched in hand, waited in silence for Bucky's next command. Perhaps this mortal could continue to work miracles, just as he had once sent the news of betrayal from Isstvan to Calth.

The cloaked Red Alert remained in orbit—the aftermath of the Clocktower's destruction having no effect on this relic of a bygone era.

After receiving Bucky's order, the intelligent computer immediately produced a message-sending device capable of intra-system transmission and teleported the remaining Iron Hands to the underground bunker of the Global Museum.

No mistake, just one song, one post, one content, one look!

Even with the vision of the Space Marines, they detected only a flash of white light before a machine over three meters high materialized in the bunker's underground space.

"Incredible technology," Ventanus murmured, a strange gleam in his eyes. He did not understand where this device had come from.

But whether one understands it or not does not matter—what matters is that it exists. With it, Ventanus could transmit orders to both the Ultramarines and the mortal auxiliary forces on the surface.

"Can it send information to the warships in space?"

Bucky smiled and pointed casually; Ventanus stepped forward knowingly.

The intelligent computer had cleared the interference from the chaotic waste codes. Although those waste codes were still wreaking havoc over Cowes, Bucky was no longer trapped.

Invisible streams of information traveled across the burning sky and entered the bridge hall of Macragge's Glory.

The Mechanical Priest, who had been desperately trying to contact Calth, did not miss this communication. Soon, the link stabilized, and Ventanus's face appeared on the holographic projection device on the bridge.

"How are things down there, Ventanus? I am glad to see you alive," said Guilliman.

"It's bad, but not horrible. We received advance notice that most Ultramarines have taken refuge in underground bunkers, and we are gathering under the command of heroes."

Ventanus's voice trembled with deep hatred. "Father, the Word Bearers betrayed us! They are the ones who caused this disaster."

"Are you sure?" Guilliman asked, his tone measured. He knew in his heart that this was the most plausible explanation—the arrival of Lorgar, the spread of Chaos waste code, and the sudden out-of-control Campanile were all connected clues.

But after all, he was his brother—the seventeenth son of the Emperor.

Why did he do this? Was it because of the hatred of the Perfect City?


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