Warhammer: I am the Hammer of the Empire.

Chapter 372 Volcano Cannons
The long voyage in the void was more boring than most people imagined. There were no stars in the sky, and there were no bizarre cosmic scenery. After he got used to the madness of hundreds of giant cannons biting each other, it was only a little over half an hour. Later, he realized that the war in front of him could not eliminate the boredom of ultra-long-distance combat.

The old captain couldn't help but start to recall the taste of the delicacies he tasted before the expedition. Although it was not as good as the good things he tasted at the private banquets of the imperial lords, it was still a rare delicacy in the army that was not vacuum packaged or frozen for a long time.

That is, a beef ant steak sprinkled with pepper, select the most delicious inside of the spine, the soft and fatty part, and a small cup, which is licensed to be drunk during wartime, a drink similar to a farewell drink, which is used by people. It has been brewed for a long time, has extraordinary strength, clear, bitter and spicy imperial brewing wine, Amset.

Although the buzzing roar of the plasma engine at the moment made him wake up from the aftertaste of black pepper in his mouth and the alcoholic texture mixed with a little bit of Amset, he had to admit that the interceptor pilot's meal was not as good as people imagined. good.

It is also difficult for him to imagine that the things he usually eats will become his last meal, such as common ones.

Canned glomon or, rarely, canned bull ants, but those foods are usually too soft, too rotten, and too salty, paired with canned Calada fruit, a specialty of the nearby Imperial agricultural world, similar to what is grown in large quantities in the Empire today Apples are disgusting crops that taste more unpleasant, have a softer texture and can replenish their starch needs.

If they were lucky enough, they would get Glomon bacon and artificial eggs, plus a piece of mixed bread made with genetically modified barley, and a cup of Reca coffee, which was the highest treatment that pilots like them could enjoy.

But in this cruel universe, being able to taste all the gifts the Emperor had for brave men like them was his only solace during the long voyage and the possible high-pressure battles that would follow for several hours.

Until the aroma of tobacco leaves suddenly came from the closed body, he lost his soul in an instant and looked at the wisps of white smoke floating in front of him from the fully enclosed helmet.

"What are you doing?!" He turned his head as if reflexively. The gunner was lighting a cigar and puffing away smoke, and he said immediately. "This place belongs to the three of us. Come on, give me a few bites, and I can ignore your stupidity."

This is against discipline, but no one can supervise their so-called military crimes at this moment. However, the empire will indeed issue a low-quality cigarette to the stressed out scouts to soothe their deteriorating emotions during high-intensity combat. need.

The gunner walked through the driver's seat and brought out the roll of smoke, a burning cigar. The high-grade tobacco leaves make people linger. Even in a closed cabin, second-hand smoke will stay with them for a long time. Under the diligent air circulation system, Until it's completely filtered, those smells will be there, but they won't care.

Like now, cried the Watcher. "Give me a bite too!"

The captain did not hesitate to bite the spot that had just been held by his comrade, and then sucked out a beautiful smoke ring, which was round and like a donut and hit the transparent glass of the cabin. "Don't smoke too much, it will turn my beloved partner yellow and covered in smoke oil."

said the gunner. "So beautiful, that smoke ring."

The captain rubbed his nose, passed the cigar between the seats, handed it to the waiting observer, and answered. "This is one of my many abilities. After all, I lived in an agricultural world when I was young. My father was a farmer. In fact, my family was well off. Before the greenskins invaded my homeland..."

"Then I was rescued by the Imperial Guard. I volunteered to join the army and became an interceptor pilot of the Imperial Navy with excellent grades and a good financial background. You know what happens next better than anyone else."

replied the gunner. "It's great. I have served for generations, starting from my great-grandfather. I heard that he used to be the first mate on the ship. But in my generation, I can only be a gunner."

Observer cursed after smoking the cigar. "What, Aibo, aren't you happy? It's so free and comfortable here, the whole void is free for you to fly, speed and opportunity are present at the same time. I used to be an ordinary member of the hive city, a gang, a big comb head, tattoos, and gothic smoky makeup. ,damn it!"

"Then I became the 11th tax. I was caught by the bailiff and then assigned to the Imperial Navy. From a basic spaceman, to getting here, I spent all my luck. Emperor bless me, I had to learn too much. many."

He handed the cigar to the gunner, and the three of them smoked and chatted. Time had changed much faster. In front of the front lines that were suddenly far and near, they had to vent their many thoughts through the power of alcohol and illusory tobacco. and the past.

They are also aware of the dangers of this operation. The problem can be seen just from the full fuel and the lack of escort. The empire has not hidden it. They are suicide squads, there is no doubt about it.

Although it is shameful and painful for every dignified commander to let his soldiers sacrifice and die to open the war, in today's dark universe, people cannot deny the efficiency of this thing.

The place that represents death and sacrifice in the distance is getting closer. When the air circulation system cleans the cigar smoke, the thick and thick tobacco is extinguished, and the last perfect smoke ring is spit out, the captain changes his attitude.

He stepped on the speed control device, and the trio took their positions. They had experienced countless painful and terrible battles. This time was not the most difficult, far from it. It was just that they had no wingmen, which made their battle even more difficult, and there was far less fuel and supplies. , and whether it can achieve its strategic goals is even more unknown.

The fighter plane sank into the endless artillery fire coming from the void. It was as inconspicuous as a small light spot emitted by the main gun of a destroyer. At the same time, it followed countless stray bullets that passed by the warships and slid into the battle line.

At this moment, the hidden ferocity of those behemoths that cover the sky and the sun at endless distances in the void is undoubtedly revealed. Countless close-range defense guns and terrifying heavy firepower are waiting for blood to moisten their muzzles.

The empire's most valuable and honorable ancient warships, many of which were in service during the Great Crusade, are all here, replaced with a pitch-black coating, bearing the red fist logo of the Red Pirates, or the powerful names of the Supreme Beings. Eight-pointed star.

It is extremely blasphemous and disgusting. Those machine souls who should have rested in the harbor created by the priest have been infected by the countless terrible wills of the Supreme Heaven. The brave warriors who have gained a foothold for mankind in the galaxy have now become the murderers of mankind. arms.

The interceptor turned off its own auspicious device. This was the old captain's best trick. Just a plasma engine would not be easier to detect than a so-called artillery shell. Even if it was indeed detected, they would not be able to distinguish it.

It's just that the soldiers here now can only rely on mortal eyes to judge, and they shuttle among countless defiled ships. Just like the tombstones recording the empire's great achievements come to life, the crew members of the interceptor need to recite most of the warships known in the empire's long history. , now those old antiques that proved to be almost impossible to appear on the battlefield are still vivid in my mind.The captain couldn't help but speak. "That Sword-class, I recognize the inscription under her side, it's the words of my homeland, it means dawn, this is Rowan Vakand, the battleship that liberated my homeland from the Eldar bandits, damn it!" He had a moment. He didn't know whether he should be happy or angry, desecrated or honored. The complicated emotions made him unable to understand why the universe was so crazy and twisted.

Now that the looseness and clutter in the cabin had completely dissipated, silence and suffocation replaced the laughter. Finally, after several sharp turns, the captain found the target.

It was an ancient battleship, with the obvious red Scorpion Chapter logo, a huge hostile battle deck and densely packed transmitters. The Space Marine battleship was not so much a weapon as a vehicle, or an aircraft carrier. Those differences made this The veteran quickly locked the target.

"It's that one at three o'clock. It's such a beautiful giant. It's a pity." He lowered the engine power of the fighter plane and could barely see his presence in the void. He got closer and prepared to hit the enemy's ship with a shot. , covering the positioning missile on the outer shell.

The gunner is ready to alert the observer immediately on approach. "Four o'clock!" The brief words and their tacit understanding made the captain immediately turn the body around, the plasma engine accelerated twice, and avoided a shot from the right side. The high-temperature plasma caused the alarm to roar continuously.

"Damn, those Death Angels are too sensitive! Hurry up and drop the bomb!" The captain cursed, but at the same time, three red combat units took off on the battle deck very quickly. They were extremely flat, like bats, and similar to manta rays. But it was extremely fast, like three shooting stars.

"Enemy fighter plane, damn it!" The captain immediately pulled up and turned on the auspicious device to search for the enemy fighter plane's location and information. Soon the Thinker Array pointed out the enemy's location and fighter plane model on the display screen. It was an ancient sword-tail fighter. Its age can be traced back to the era of the Imperial Rebellion, and its speed is deadly and terrifying.

Even veteran pilots must endure a huge load. You must know that ascending will produce a strong upward g-force, just like hanging a person upside down. Maintaining this intensity for a few seconds can cause severe cerebral congestion, even if the high-pressure suit relieves it a lot. This problem can also make drivers intolerable.

At the same time, the Space Marines' reflexes and load tolerance were far beyond those of ordinary people. They easily caught up with the Imperial Navy's interceptors, and the rare opportunity to activate their weapons was lost, but the observer spoke at this moment. "The enemy is extremely fast, but their steering is poor. You should be able to bypass them with intense maneuvers..."

The captain dodged the twin laser cannons from behind. The fierce attacks overwhelmed him. The performance of the sword tail far exceeded that of the Imperial Navy's fighter planes, so he had to speak. "Then come on!"

A life-threatening strong acceleration turn, the arc almost reached the limit of the fighter plane, and the excessive propulsion force had already made them dizzy. In the gradually darkening field of vision, the observer in the back seat saw what kind of light the enemy's aircraft was emitting. Then speak immediately. "Damn it! Missiles!"

A homing missile followed them forward, as the turn slowed down and the deadly and crazy thing happened to cross their path.

There is no escape, death is right in front of them, their value has not yet been reached, and now, if they are not ready to die willingly, then...

"Fire!" This is almost impossible, but the moment this order is issued, the moment the captain and driver make a sound, the gunner instinctively fires the machine gun. Between the electric light and flint, the missile explodes, and brilliant heat is thrown in the vacuum. At the same time, the fighter plane Fires caused by thermal explosions caused by passing missiles.

Even the Space Marines were confused by the high-speed movement. They subconsciously slowed down and prepared to return to the deck, but after the fire, violent strafing broke out from the place where it should have been eliminated.

The gunner and pilot opened fire at the same time. The front laser cannon and the movable multi-link turret above the machine body emitted fire, tearing apart the two careless renegade Space Marine fighters. The engine burst and hit the barge with one end, turning into a A ball of flames.

The remaining swordtail fighter was also put at a disadvantage due to the change of position. In an aerial dogfight, no matter what the situation, the pursuer behind would have an advantage, and even the Space Marines could not do this. avoid.

The Sword Tail lacks a turret behind it or an effective counterattack, so it is only a matter of time before it is defeated. At this point, the pilot, the old captain, wiped the tip of his nose, and blood was constantly overflowing, but the credit for defeating the two Space Marine fighters was indeed worth it. .

And he spoke. "Low fuel, damn, that Space Marine ran away, let him go, lucky guy, gunner, lock, drop bomb, now..." He couldn't speak clearly, the maneuver just now gave him a little concussion, other The same goes for people. Nowadays, gunners have trouble looking through their sights.

But such a large battle barge was obviously not easy to miss. The veteran adjusted his posture, took aim, stared at the demon that made it difficult for the Imperial Navy to move, and fired.

A light blue missile was emitted, and the enemy warships could not resist, but they did not understand why the empire only sent one interceptor here. Of course, they also guessed that the missile was abnormal.

But then, the missile exploded very quickly, was completely blocked by the void shield, and turned into a ridiculous smoke. At this point, those people immediately began to dispatch new fighter jets in an orderly manner. They at least had one crew, and the captain could only reluctantly launch. He slowly left the fighter plane that was low on fuel, ensuring that he would not die immediately.

Until they left the war zone a few hours later, the aircraft was completely out of fuel. In the boundless void, the three of them looked at each other miserably.

said the captain. "Success!"

The gunner covered his head. "Success there?"

the captain replied. "That kind of missile has two sections. One section will be intercepted and then emit a high light. The second section will be submerged inside and embedded on the outside of the ship."

Others also nodded and began to wait for their own death. Just like this, after a few hours, they slowly watched the body's communicator begin to get better. Although no one answered, at the same time, a fierce light came from the side of the void. They shot out of the battle zone, and two deadly waves of Emperor's Wrath arrived one after another, tearing apart the entire enemy battle line in an instant.

They succeeded. Although there was only boundless void at the moment, they succeeded. The three of them killed hundreds of space warriors. It was a miracle for the Emperor...

(End of this chapter)