Chapter 438 Legion Era: Land of Whispers

The howling Thunder Eagles flew out from the Moon Wolf Corps' flagship "Moon Wolf God" above the planet's outer space orbit. They circled around the huge silver-white warship and quickly pounced on the planet below. They formed a neat queue and rushed into the planet's blue halo range.

The Thunder Eagle gunboat plunged into the planet's atmosphere. The burnt stone outer layer on the fuselage of the fighter, which was painted in the color of the legion, stretched out a straight stream of fire under the intense friction of the atmosphere. The flight formation quickly escaped into the visible range below the atmosphere, pulled up to one side in the near-ground airspace, and flew to the distant peaks.

It was a mountain range located on the barren land on the west side of the planet. The locals called them the Whispering Mountains. Locke didn't know why they called it that. Before setting off, Locke asked about it. The intelligence officer told him that the locals said that in the night between the mountains, even in the daytime when no one was around, they could hear some strange whispers, like singing, and like the fragmented words of ghosts.

The outstanding expeditionary scientists loyal to the Emperor certainly refuted this absurd statement. The expeditionary fleet did not detect any chaotic energy reaction near this planet, and ordinary people who were not infected by Genestealers would not hear the so-called strange whispers.

So scientists interpreted this as the echo of the strong wind blowing between the peaks. The local ignorant and poor farmers and other residents in the mountains pinned their faith on the words of some unknown gods.

This is also another problem of Ivan, proving the previous incompetence of the local government. The great faith of the Emperor can only cover the hive city and surrounding areas here. In this remote corner of the planet far away from the city, the locals still believe in the barbaric and ignorant local primitive beliefs.

As the saying goes, poor mountains and bad waters produce unruly people, so this place has become a frequent site of riots on the planet since ancient times. Faced with differences in beliefs and unreasonable tax collectors, local residents often rebel and revolt. The towering mountains and narrow mountain roads here are almost perfectly prepared for guerrilla warfare.

In the past few centuries, the local government has organized counter-insurgency operations, but considering the poor combat effectiveness of the local defense forces and the rampant corruption, most of the troops were either sold to pirates or gangs, resulting in a shortage of guns and ammunition, or simply took empty salaries. A regiment was reported, but the actual strength was only one company.

Therefore, every high-profile counter-insurgency operation ended up being a show. There were gunshots on the front line, but there was no result. The serious losses reported just happened to cover up the situation of taking empty salaries and reselling materials, and they could also ask for another wave of funding to "restore" the troops.

Therefore, these mountains have never actually been under the jurisdiction of the empire since ancient times, and are a good place for all kinds of lawless people, ambitious people and traitors.

So when the expeditionary force defeated the local Genestealer rebels with overwhelming force, the remaining part of the expeditionary force moved to the remote areas of the planet, such as the Whispering Mountains, to continue fighting for their gods who would eat them instead of the so-called salvation if they were brought here.

The Astra Militarum has been fighting here for a long time, and the chaplains who came with them also tried their best to spread the faith of the Empire here, and told the ignorant residents here that the armored vehicles, tanks, self-propelled artillery and planetary communication base stations they brought were not cursed by the devil, but the sacred creations of the Om Messiah.

But I believe that their work still needs to continue, because when the Thunder Eagle formation of the Shadow Moon Wolf roared through the air, in the backward villages between the mountain basin and the mountainside below, the local residents all shouted and fled everywhere, and the airflow driven by the Thunder Eagle roaring at close range blew off the roofs of many thatched houses.

The ignorant and backward local residents who believed in primitive religions regarded the flames passing through the sky in the early morning as a sign of disaster. Many of them cried and prayed for the salvation of their so-called gods in a ridiculous way, while others hurried to the local temples to seek shelter.

The arrival of the Thunder Eagle added fuel to the already tense conflict between the local Star Army and the local residents. The crazy shouting caused riots in the entire village and several nearby peaks, forcing the Star Army stationed here to deal with the riots of these ignorant people.

This has not affected Major Solem's mood for the time being. He tried his best to ignore the riots in the village below, the warning gunshots and the harsh scolding of his soldiers. He stood here, on a flat snow-white volcanic rock, ready to welcome the upcoming guests.

The silver-white Thunderhawk fighter plane roared from the sky, and it slid sideways and stopped not far from the major's head. Then, the wings on both sides ejected a huge amount of propulsion airflow downward to make the fighter plane correct its posture. Amid the roar of the engine, the Thunderhawk slowly landed on the ground.

Before its landing gear touched the ground, a large cloud of dust below was blown up, and they flew towards the major's face, forcing the latter to raise his hands to block the front. This action continued until the Thunderhawk completely landed.

As the fighter plane landed, the hatch on its belly fell down with a bang, and one of the tall warriors wearing snow-white armor and with the Howling Wolf and the Eye of Terra gemstone on his chest stepped out with his head held high. Behind him, several accompanying warriors also walked out, and the burly Astartes stepped out in unison with a grenade launcher.

Every time Major Solem saw the Astartes, he was deeply impressed. These burly warriors always made him feel awe and an involuntary sense of fear. Even if he knew that he was on the same side as them, but that This fear always lingers.

The major looked up at the burly giant who walked out of the cabin and stepped onto the surface of the volcanic rock. He wore a silver power sword on his waist. The end of the sword's hilt was a wolf head with Terra's eyes. The angel of death looked around at the other fallen thunder hawks. , as they fell, more death angels stepped into the fierce cold wind in the mountains.

The burly giants lined up quickly and neatly. They strode out from the Thunderhawk fighter jet and quickly formed a battle formation on the periphery of the village. An instant arousal, and the sound of extremely heavy footsteps attracted everyone's attention.

Not far from the landing point, the Astra Militarum soldiers holding laser guns to block and drive away the local thugs looked back. They held their guns and looked back together with the thugs in front of them. Everyone saw those towering The tall giants at the foot of the mountains are neatly arranged together, like a new steel peak.

The Astra Militarum were very calm. Although they feared the Astartes, they had fought alongside them many times and had become accustomed to the majestic figures of these extraordinary sons of the Emperor. At least they did not look like new recruits. There is a lot of yelling, but the local ignorant people are different.

The local farmers who were full of momentum just now and were about to rise up and launch a religious uprising suddenly fell apart. The ridiculous weapons they held in their hands, which were improvised sickles, kitchen knives and sharpened sticks made into spears, were thrown to the ground one after another, with a clanging sound. , the local people were so frightened that they backed away.

Many people just sat down on the muddy ground, while others fled. They had long heard about the terrible destruction in the distant nest city, and heard many horrifying rumors about these burly giants. , many of which may have been told to them by the rebels, most of which were embellished and made threats without logic or basis.

But this was obviously very useful. With the arrival of the Astartes, the problem of riots that had plagued the local garrison for several days was instantly solved. The Astra Militarum put down their pistols and stood together watching the people fleeing in all directions. Most of the guys fled back home, shutting their children in and locking the doors and windows, while others left the village screaming, going to God knows where.

But this is not what the imperial soldiers need to think about. At least now, everything has finally calmed down. Major Solum cleared his throat. He looked up at the burly white giant in front of him with his hands behind his back, "Thank you for your help, sir. "

"We haven't done anything yet, Major, you don't have to be grateful." The tall giant in front of him was wearing a war helmet, his face was hidden under the specially made wolf-head helmet, and a roaring snow-white moon wolf was on his forehead. Zhang Zhang opened his mouth wide and howled, while his claws grasped both sides of the helmet.

This makes this warrior look different, at least different from other death angels around him. It also allows the major to tell at a glance that he has a noble status, and must be the leader of these angels, at least one of them.

"You have been of great help, sir, but it will be difficult for you to go where you want to go next." Major Solem said and pointed to the side, and the burly angel in front of him also looked in the direction pointed. It was a tall rock standing among the mountains in the distance. The outer wall of the fortress was made from nearby materials and was covered with gray stone and white frost.

This makes the entire fortress seem to be integrated with the mountains. Of course, when the automatic cannon sitting on it fires, you won't feel that it is just a part of the mountain. The gunfire echoes in the surrounding clouds and mist, far away. The intense gunshots and explosions pierced the early morning tranquility here.

"How is the situation here?" Loken, the leader of the Luna Wolves and the legion commander personally appointed by the Supreme Marshal, asked. His voice was transmitted to the major's ears through the helmet's sound transmission device, and the latter clicked He nodded and stared in that direction with his hands behind his back.

"The rebels are hiding in the fortress. The outer wall of that damn fortress is stronger than we imagined. The artillery we brought can't penetrate its outer wall at all, and the towering complex mountains and the constantly changing scenery within them The dangerous airflow also made it impossible to talk about any air support.”

The major said angrily, and he rubbed his temples, "Our regiment leader was killed in the previous battle, and many brothers died in front of the lonely bridge in the fortress. It was the only one who passed through. The road to the fortress crosses the bottomless chasm below, but that also allows all enemy firepower to hit the bridge. "

"So far, we have attacked five times, and each time we have suffered heavy casualties but failed, but I am sure that with your help, we will be able to capture the fortress today and plant the flag of victory on that mountain peak. "

The major said enthusiastically. He clenched his fists and looked impatient, but Loken poured him a basin of cold water that was even more biting than the cold air around him. He didn't even look at the major and stared at the fortress in the distance, " The next thing has nothing to do with you, we will take over and deal with it. The rebellion on this planet must be ended. This is the order of the marshal. "

Solem's eyes widened, and he looked at Loken in front of him with an incredible expression, "What? You want to kick us away and swallow the fruits of victory yourself?! Damn it, the Emperor is above me ! Why do you want us to stand aside when so many people died before the game?

"We are Astartes, our words are orders." Locke said coldly, seemingly ignoring the anger of the major, who frowned at the burly white giant in front of him. He clenched his fists and was furious. As long as he thought of his comrades who died on the bridge, he didn't want to obey this damn order.

"You can't abandon us! You need us!" "No, we are Astartes, we don't need anyone's help." "Damn you! You!" "This is an order, Major, I don't want to say it again."

Solem raised his fist and prepared to shout something loudly, but in the end it turned into a low mutter, but the words did not escape Locke's helmet's sound capture device. The Moon Wolf turned his head suddenly and stared at the major in front of him with his eyes under the blood-red helmet.

"What did you say just now?" "No, sir, I didn't say anything." "What did you say just now?" Locke asked coldly. The cold questioning of a death angel made the major tremble all over. He looked up at the tall giant in front of him and couldn't say anything for a while. The latter was still looking at him, and the other angels behind him also surrounded him.

The major's pupils trembled as he looked around at the angels of death. His legs went weak and he was completely panicked for a moment, and Loken spoke again, "What did you say just now?"

The major looked around at the Astartes around him and turned his head to look at Loken in a hurry. His language seemed messy and chaotic, and he could only barely spit out some panic words like a baby learning to speak, "I said sound! Sir, there is a sound in these mountains, I swear!"

"Those are the echoes of the wind in the mountains, not whispers, Major." Loken spoke coldly, and Solem looked up at Loken in front of him firmly. He clenched his fists and seemed to have no doubt about his rebuttal. "I swear to the Emperor! I definitely heard that voice! It was a person, he was talking to us, I heard it!"

Loken stared at the major in front of him, whose eyes were firm and unhesitating. The Luna Wolves on both sides of Loken also looked at each other, and then looked at Loken for orders, while the latter stared at the major in front of him silently for a while.

He spoke slowly after a moment, his fingers gently sliding onto the sword at his waist, which made the major tremble with fear. He looked around and saw that the other Luna Wolves around him also raised their bolters. They seemed to have surrounded the major like a pack of wolves that had received an order.

"You said you heard the whispers, Major. Your eyes didn't lie, and this can only bring one reasonable explanation, you were infected by the Genestealer."

Loken's hand grasped the power sword of the wolf head. Solem took a step back after being startled, but bumped into the knee of another Astartes behind him. He looked up at the towering giant holding the bolter and trembled all over, then took a few steps forward and returned to Loken.

The wolf king of the Moon Wolf looked down at him silently, without a trace of sympathy or hesitation under the blood-red glass under his helmet. "According to intelligence, after the Genestealer infects the target, the latter will hear hallucinations and images, and eventually induce it to combine with others and give birth to corrupt offspring. And here, there happens to be a Genestealer rebel army."

"My lord! No, I swear I am not infected. I have not had sex with the locals, and I have not encountered any Genestealers at close range!"

"Intelligence also shows that victims often can't remember what happened. The Tyranid infection will clear their memories, modify their memories and tamper with their thoughts. So, you are infected, and your other men are suspected of being infected. You must be eliminated."

Lokken said, and drew the sword at his waist with his backhand. The hissing blade slid out of the sheath, reflecting a cold light in the cold sunlight of the mountains. The major also heard the sound of other death angels around him holding up their guns. They stepped up and surrounded him, casting a huge shadow on the major.

"No! You can't do this!" The major begged for mercy in vain, just like the other Astra Militarum soldiers under him.

Below him, in the open space below the volcanic rock platform, the Death Angels lined up in front of the Thunder Eagles received brief orders in the built-in communicators of their helmets, and they chose to obey without hesitation, and raised their grenade launchers to aim at the Astra Militarum soldiers in front of them.

The latter looked at the Astartes behind them who were aiming at them in surprise and panic. A full hundred Death Angels raised their guns. Some guards instinctively chose to raise their laser guns, but their hands trembled uncontrollably, so that the guns were jumping around.

Everyone stared with wide eyes, revealing a deep fear. They couldn't beat the Death Angels in front of them, not even one, let alone a full hundred. The Astra Militarum soldiers didn't know what happened, nor did they know why those angels were aiming at them, but they didn't see any hesitation or sympathy in the eyes under the helmets, only obeying orders without hesitation.

The Astra Militarum retreated in fear, but no one dared to turn around and run. Everyone looked at the major commander on the volcanic rock, as if they wanted to find the answer there, but it was in vain, because the major didn't know what to do.

He looked up at the burly giant above his head, looking up at the blood-red glass eyes, they looked down at him and raised the grenade launcher in his hand, the black muzzle pointed at the major's head, the latter stared at the muzzle with his eyes wide open, and just as the major closed his eyes and prepared to face death, he heard a voice.

"Let's spare their lives, so let's do this for now." The voice said so. The major opened his eyes and was surprised to see that the death angels around him had put down their guns. He turned his head to look at someone behind him. Locke in front of the major also loosened his palm and let the power sword fall back into the scabbard naturally.

After the wolf-head hilt and the silver scabbard shouted at each other, making a crisp sound, Locke raised his head and looked at the golden giant walking in front of him. The golden armor he was wearing became particularly conspicuous and shining in the hazy light projected from the surrounding clouds.

"Locke, let your people put down their guns first, and don't rush to kill these unlucky guys for the time being." He said and stood a few steps away. Locke looked at him and raised his head.

"Yes, Marshal."

The major did not look at the death angels who put down their grenade guns behind him. He stared at the golden armored giant in front of him. He stood there with a smile, and the shining golden halo behind his head pierced the cold air around him.

"Supreme Marshal, Vito Constantine?"

"That's me."