Starting from the Planetary Governor - Chapter 622

Chapter 620, Battle of the Command Tower

Eric looked at Wang Mengsong with a complicated expression.

What should be done now?

Should Wang Mengsong be deprived of his command authority and this guy who exceeded his authority be captured?

Not to mention Wang Mengsong’s previous contribution to the battle, the price of capturing him is unacceptable.

It is obvious that all the old torches following Wang Mengsong are united with him. If they were to capture him by force, would there be a conflict between the two sides?

At such a critical moment, internal strife?

That’s nonsense.

Eric had a cold face, but he was actually quite at a loss.

Since internal strife is not an option, then… should he ask Wang Mengsong how to proceed with the next action?

But it was a bit too embarrassing.

When he was entangled, Wang Mengsong spoke.

There was no courtesy, he was straightforward and just talked about the next tactical suggestions.

Then, the New World Torches started to move.

There were still some troops left outside, and they needed some to guard the perimeter of the control tower to prevent the Sage from escaping.

They wanted to ensure they could intercept him immediately if he attempted to escape by aircraft from the tower’s roof. Intercepting fire was directed not only from the immediate vicinity of the control tower, but also from the surrounding elevated platforms. The Space Marines could ensure that no aircraft could approach or leave the control tower for a short period of time.

If the Sage had escaped by air, it would have been much easier to deal with.

But it was clear that he was prepared to defend the tower to the death.

…

Antoine Delaroche had learned of Farai’s assassination.

He had even received messages from various quarters urging him to surrender. Wouldn’t it be better for everyone to defect, join forces, and return to the Imperium? There was no need for such a brutal battle.

But Delaroche refused all offers, lashing out at them fiercely.

Besides, Delaroche felt he was far from defeated.

Although the Space Marines attacking the starport initially caused immense chaos thanks to their individual strength, he was able to regain control of the battlefield as he reacted.

If not for a sudden flank incident that led to his misjudgment, he could still rest easy.

But even now, he wasn’t doomed.

The command tower, while a tower, was quite large. He still had thousands of elite troops at his disposal, deployed across more than a dozen floors using the tower’s barricade-like transformation.

He didn’t expect to repel the Space Marines with just a few thousand men. But if he could hold out, the millions of troops within the starport would arrive in a steady stream to support them, pushing them back.

And as long as he held out, the fence-sitters on the planet wouldn’t dare to fully defect to the Alliance.

Alliance agents were active, and his side was somewhat stunned by Operation Thunderbolt. But with enough time and a chance to react, even if Farai died, he would have enough prestige to turn the tide.

Delaroche stood up and paced back and forth, pondering a strategy. He knew the situation was dire, but he wasn’t without the strength to fight. His body had undergone extensive combat-oriented modifications, and he believed that, in terms of combat configuration alone, it was even stronger than Farai’s.

He could hold on.

However, bad news kept coming.

Several transports, loaded with elite troops, escorted by fighters, attempted to reach the command tower from the air. Although Delaroche had promised not to evacuate, it would be helpful to send in more troops from the air.

However, these attempts all failed.

The nearly one hundred Space Marines defending the perimeter were no pushovers. They possessed not only a full complement of individual anti-aircraft weapons, but also several anti-aircraft platforms, originally belonging to the Mechanicus, that had been captured and were providing significant support.

Even fighter escorts were useless; the ships capable of transporting troops in such large numbers were too fragile and easily shot down.

Furthermore, even ground support troops arriving from the periphery were intercepted and unable to reach the tower.

Over ten thousand troops were often stopped by a single Space Marine, preventing them from breaking through. The terrain within a starport resembles a densely packed surface nest, making it difficult for troops to deploy effectively in such a cramped environment. The number of Space Marines capable of engaging them simultaneously is limited. If a Space Marine isn’t elite enough to achieve a breakthrough, then any number of them blocking the way is meaningless.

Even heavy firepower is ineffective. Artillery is ineffective within the starport. While mobilizing missiles and employing heavy armored units like tanks to close in and bombard the space with direct fire might repel a few Space Marines blocking the path, the passages would collapse, preventing the rapid passage of larger forces. Further detours or clearing debris would take even longer, and they would be constantly harassed. At times

, the New World Torch warriors, feeling they could no longer hold their ground, would even resort to destroying buildings and the starport’s spatial structure to block access.

Objectively speaking, these difficulties are temporary. Currently, reports from all sides suggest they are desperately trying to rescue the command tower. The number of Space Marines stationed outside was always limited, and reinforcements would always arrive.

He just had to hold out long enough.

But the question was, could he hold out that long?

It seemed… unlikely.

Ever since the Space Marines officially launched their assault on the command tower, Delaroche would receive reports of a breach at a certain point on a certain level.

Simultaneously, casualties of various mechanical units would be relayed directly to his brain’s processing center.

He could almost see with his own eyes his elite units rapidly decimated in the ferocious fighting.

If this situation continued, a blow to the face was inevitable.

After a moment’s deliberation, he made a risky decision: to attack proactively!

For efficiency, Space Marines didn’t gather all their forces together and advance slowly. They would split up, testing the weakest points of the upward-moving defenders on the same level. They would then establish a single point of attack, followed by a comprehensive breakthrough.

Layer after layer, they were conquered in this way.

If they continued to sit idle, they would only be attacked fiercely by the Space Marines, squeezing out all their living space. They

had to take the initiative!

Throwing away the inconvenient sage robes and donning combat uniforms, Delaroche began to move.

His transformed form wasn’t particularly exaggerated, not even very tall; it was roughly human-like in appearance. However, his purple-black skin looked somewhat unusual.

Taking advantage of the Space Marines’ division, Delaroche launched a surprise attack on a New World Torch squadron that had just completed a single-point breakthrough from the eleventh floor of the command tower.

The raid was a success.

He was surrounded by an elite Mechanicum force. Due to the required mobility, Colossi and Knight Mechs were unavailable. However, the combined strength of two groups of Skitarii’s top warriors, along with over thirty Electron Prophets—engine prophets specialized in combat—operating under twice the number of Iron Heroes, presented a formidable challenge to the Space Marines.

Of course, if that were all they had, such a force could successfully hunt down a Space Marine squad, but there would inevitably be losses, perhaps significant ones. A second attempt would likely fail due to insufficient strength.

And Draroche couldn’t muster such a crack force again. Those two groups of Skitarii High Rangers and those dozens of Electron Prophets were far from easy to come by.

The key to solving this problem lay in Draroche himself.

From his back, along his spine, eight arthropod arms extended, enabling him to move with incredible agility. Beneath his bionic skin, purple-gray electronic tendons provided immense strength.

This transformed him into a ruthless melee killing machine. Ranged fire was unlikely to reach him, and even if it did, he possessed a microscopic void shield and exceptional physical strength to withstand it. He could often withstand such firepower head-on, swiftly charging into his opponents’ faces. The twin blades wielded in his arms, along with the razor-sharp claws terminating his eight limbs, unleashed terrifying destructive power. With his incredibly high attack frequency, he could often rip a Terminator armor apart in seconds, or at most, a dozen.

When he personally engaged in combat, the elite troops accompanying him became nothing more than a glimpse.

This was a bit of an exaggeration; after all, they weren’t truly observing. They also fought with all their might, objectively distracting the Space Marines and creating more space for Draroche.

But it was undeniable that the toughest battles were fought by Draroche himself.

In this way, he secured victory in the first battle, annihilating a ten-man New World Torch tactical squad with minimal losses.

He then quickly retreated, leaving the incoming reinforcements of the Space Marines empty-handed. He then seized the opportunity to attack another ten-man tactical team. Unfortunately, this time, he only managed to kill six, while the other four escaped.

Without a fight, Draroche calmly abandoned the pursuit and retreated to avoid a larger assault.

He understood that his presence, while a formidable individual combat capability, had significantly strengthened his own defenses. However, he was the ultimate target of the Space Marines. His arrival at the front meant that the New World Torch warriors no longer needed to attack him layer by layer. They could simply find an opportunity to encircle and eliminate him.

He had to be extremely cautious.

Otherwise, his proactive strategy to resolve the crisis would only serve to provoke his own defeat.

However, he ultimately suffered defeat while attacking the third team of Space Marines.

…

Two teams had failed in a row, and sixteen warriors had been lost in a short period of time—a significant loss.

After all, excluding the troops remaining outside to block reinforcements, there were only about two hundred men attacking the command post.

If Delaroche continued this hunting spree, killing a few more teams, he wouldn’t have to risk staying on the front lines. The weakened Space Marines’ offensive would inevitably slow down. The sage could then rest easy, watching the Space Marines waste countless hours in the layers of defense that followed.

He had to seize this opportunity and take down this unexpectedly powerful force.

This was a golden opportunity. Even if Erich was arrogant—he was only a new recruit, with no authority to be arrogant—his harsh attitude towards Wang Mengsong was primarily due to his hatred for the Chapter’s history.

But now was not the time to dwell on such matters.

He approached Wang Mengsong, seeking advice.

Wang Mengsong gave him a straightforward answer: strong against strong.

If there were a small group that looked easy to hunt, but within it there was a powerful individual capable of confronting Delaroche, preventing him from achieving a quick victory and holding out until the full force arrived, and even being able to pin Delaroche down, preventing him from escaping, or even single-handedly slay him, that would be the best outcome.

After hearing this, Eric felt a bit apprehensive.

Our New World Torch… it seems we don’t have such a formidable expert.

From the accounts of our brothers who survived previous battles, we know Delaroche is a master. Perhaps Chapter Master Moretti could achieve the effect Wang Mengsong described?

Not even certain.

At least, Eric himself, the most powerful of the Torch present, wasn’t so sure.

Finally,

Wang Mengsong pointed at himself. He was a true Chapter Master. Even though the New World Torch had never been known for its individual combat prowess, he was certainly no less capable than any Chapter Champion!

But did Eric dare to trust him?

…

There is nothing to be afraid of.

A team of ten, a seemingly rash assault that would cause heavy casualties if the Crusaders did not intervene, and the main force of Space Marines was clearly in a relatively far place. Even if they came to support as soon as possible, it would still take time on the road…

These conditions were in place, and as expected, Delaroche was attracted.

It was of course normal for him to come, and he had no reason to think that this was a trap.

But here, it was.

Wang Mengsong, who was just wearing ordinary tactical power armor and didn’t even wear a Terminator

, entangled with Delaroche the moment he appeared. His sharp swordsmanship not only saved the first combat brother who was targeted, but also taught Delaroche a profound lesson: the two limbs on his back were cut off.

Then, the fierce and endless swordsmanship enveloped this so-called sage who specialized in combat!

————   There is another chapter

to make up for yesterday   (end of this chapter)