pdf-ebookys Chapter 19 Arrival at Dawn Star
Chapter 19 Arrival at Dawn Star
After three days of subspace travel, the Crimson Book had just passed through the warp curtain when all the sensors on the bridge simultaneously emitted piercing alarms.
On the tactical star map, a grayish-brown planet slowly revealed its menacing outline.
Dawn Star was completely shrouded in a thick layer of grayish-brown smoke and dust, like a dead star wrapped in a dirty shroud.
The electromagnetic storm raged through the atmosphere like countless venomous snakes, leaving only a patch of snow on the tactical screen, obscuring even the basic outline of the ground.
"All communication channels are jammed, allowing only short-range encrypted communication," Intelligence Officer Karen's voice crackled with static. "Atmospheric visibility is less than five meters, making large-scale airdrops and transport impossible. The Steel Warriors' fleet has lost all signal and is expected to arrive in at least seventy-two hours."
Li Wei walked to the porthole and looked down at the dust-filled planet below.
Sunlight couldn't penetrate the thick smog at all, and the entire planet was plunged into an eternal twilight. Even through the armor of the warships, one could feel the suffocating oppression.
He tapped lightly on the cold porthole with his fingertips, doubting that Dawn Star had any five-month disintegration period at all, as if it would shatter into cosmic dust at any moment.
Moreover, this order is really strange. The human population of a mining planet would be in the tens of millions, or even hundreds of millions.
However, it is illogical that most of the people on this planet had already evacuated, leaving only three million humans behind, waiting for the Empire's final rescue.
Subsequently, an emergency operational meeting was also convened aboard the "Crimson Book".
There were only three key participants: Chief Think Tank Li Wei.
Apophis, the company commander of the Fifth Society and the chief mage of the Skyowl School of Terran, is skilled in telepathy and emotional probing.
Li Wei glanced at his angular, perpetually expressionless face and remembered that in the near future, he would die in an encounter with orcs.
There's also Matt, the company commander of the Third Society, a native of Prospero and the chief mage of the Brightfeather School, who is skilled in bio-psychic energy and wound healing.
The two deputies Magnus chose had complementary skills that were perfect for handling the various unexpected situations that might arise during the mission.
Li Wei voiced his speculation and suggested evacuating the imperial people ahead of schedule, without waiting for the Iron Warriors. As for the original mission of dealing with the mysterious light and shadow, it had no priority at this moment.
Matt, who always had a worried look on his face, frowned and pointed at the tactical screen, which was covered in static.
"We only have two thousand Thousand Sons, no heavy engineering equipment, and no large transport ships."
"Under these circumstances, it's impossible to evacuate civilians on a large scale. Let's wait for the Iron Warriors' fleet to arrive; they have more transport capacity."
Company Commander Apophis was also standing nearby, nodding slightly in agreement.
"There is no other choice; time is of the essence."
Li Wei took a deep breath. "Send out all the Stormhawks. Divide the Thousand Warriors into two hundred squads, each squad with ten Thousand Warriors, deep into the Dawn Star capital, Karena Hive, and escort the civilians in batches. Transport them one trip at a time, save as many as you can."
He paused, then added, "Apophis, you and your immediate squad come with me. All squads maintain psionic linking and report any anomalies immediately. Remember, civilians are the priority."
All the Stormhawks on the warships plunged into the billowing dust.
Before long, a colossal nest city pierced through the clouds, appearing and disappearing in the thick gray fog. Its dilapidated and mottled outline came into Li Wei's view, and his heart sank.
This was indeed not the first time Li Wei had seen a dying city, but he was still startled by the deathly silence.
Levi's Stormhawk landed in the Carena Nest.
The moment the hatch opened, a blast of hot air, carrying the smell of dust and blood, rushed out.
The surroundings were deathly silent; there were no cries, no screams, only the occasional sound of buildings collapsing in the distance.
Visibility was only a few meters.
The warriors turned on the searchlights on their helmets, but the beams could only illuminate a small, dim area in the smoke and dust.
The lights illuminated the once ornate spires and corridors of the upper city, now riddled with cracks, covered in rust, and deserted.
The streets were filled with abandoned and collapsed houses, but not a single body could be seen.
"Strange," Apophis's voice carried a hint of unease. "I can't sense much emotion from the living. The whole city is like an empty tomb."
Li Wei frowned and released a ripple of spiritual energy.
The psionic energy spread very slowly in the smoke and dust, and was constantly weakened by some kind of sinister force.
He could sense sporadic signs of life, all concentrated near the city center square.
"Let's go to the square."
The group proceeded cautiously along the street.
After walking for about half an hour, they finally saw the huge stone monument in the center of the square.
The central square was packed with people, numbering in the thousands.
They sat quietly on the ground, heads bowed, as if in prayer. No one spoke, and the entire square was eerily silent.
An old man dressed in a pastor's robe stood beside the base of the stone monument. When he saw Li Wei and his group, he showed no surprise, but instead revealed a strange smile.
"Welcome to Dawn Star, guests from afar." His voice was hoarse yet calm. "The Lord of Storms has been waiting for you for a long time."
"We are the Imperial Legion, here to evacuate you," Levi said. "The planet is about to collapse, come with us."
There was no commotion in the crowd; everyone looked up and stared at Li Wei with empty eyes.
"Evacuate?" The old pastor laughed. "Why should we evacuate? Death is not the end, but a new beginning. The Lord of Storms will lead us to the eternal kingdom."
"You're all insane!" Apophis shouted, unable to contain himself. "The planet will explode, and you'll all die!"
"Death?" The old pastor shook his head. "We yearn for death. Only death can free us from this decaying body and allow us to enter the embrace of the Lord of Storms. You outsiders have no idea of the beauty of death."
As soon as he finished speaking, hundreds of people suddenly stood up from the crowd.
They carried machetes and iron bars, their faces painted with twisted black symbols, and their eyes were filled with pure fanaticism.
"Slay these demons! Stop them from blaspheming the holy decree of the Lord of Storms!"
They charged forward, roaring.
The Thousand Warriors immediately raised their psionic staffs, and a pale blue barrier blocked their attacks.
But these people seemed oblivious to the pain, crashing into the barrier one after another. When they found that their weapons were ineffective, they bit with their teeth and clawed with their hands until their bodies were torn apart by psionic energy.
Seeing that things were not going well, Li Wei raised his hand and unleashed a psychic energy shockwave, knocking out everyone else.
Then he walked up to the old pastor, who did not resist but just smiled at him.