The landing craft landed in a huge open space.
The landing site was the giant skyport of the hive world of Vitria.
Large numbers of troops emerged from landing craft.
The same was true of Hawke's 502nd Regiment.
They lined up in neat squares and walked out of the landing craft.
The hive city is very large, with a diameter of thousands of kilometers and a large number of metallurgical and foundry factories.
The troops will be dispersed to various locations to carry out combat and defensive missions.
The moment he stepped out of the landing ship, Hawke felt for a moment that he had returned to the hive city of the Natal galaxy.
Hazy, slightly toxic air.
The hive buildings are shrouded in a light mist.
Everything is so familiar.
The officers of the Ministry of Justice blew their whistles, and the suspended servo skulls roared, ordering the various columns to move forward according to orders.
After the landing craft dropped off its passengers, it took off again to transport other troops.
Imperial troops were continuously sent here.
Hawke stood in front of his team.
They brought all their equipment.
Everyone's face was still full of enthusiasm and motivation.
A new war is coming.
The great Primarch would lead them to victory once again.
Everyone assumed that this was how things would develop.
The Primarch was invincible.
After receiving the order from the Law Department, Hawke shouted to his men, "Move out."
Under Hawke's command, the 502nd Regiment began to move towards its destination.
When the corps set out, it was not a group of people running away, but they were marching in a clear formation according to the training formation.
It is worth mentioning that in the Imperial Astra Militarum organization, a corps is composed of up to six companies.
A company usually has 4 to 5 platoons.
Except for the logistics company responsible for the transport vehicles, engineering units, and weapons and equipment of the entire regiment.
The wealthy corps has a very large logistics company.
A poor corps doesn’t even have a logistics company.
Because all my assets are on me.
Of course, this problem does not exist in the Indomitable Crusade.
Guilliman would not be so cruel as to discriminate among his troops so much.
There are five or six squads in a platoon.
The squad is divided into squads, and the squads form different firepower units.
In this way, a group is formed.
The number of soldiers in a corps is not fixed.
Some corps have tens of thousands of people, while others have only a few thousand.
The 502nd Regiment under Hawke is a regiment of 10,000 people. It is considered a strong regiment and one of the main forces.
The word "main force" is used relative to other corps.
Can't compare with the Titan Order and the Primaris Space Marines.
The two have different focuses.
The Natal Regiment, composed mainly of workers, was quite popular among the expedition's top brass.
The Natal men possessed a tenacity and obedience which no other regiment possessed.
Hawke is proud of this.
Natal will be the Primarch's most loyal defender.
The squad leader led dozens of soldiers in his squad and formed a neat square formation.
The class is organized into a square formation at the platoon level.
The platoons are then organized into company-level formations.
In this way, one link after another was connected, and a regimental-level phalanx was formed.
Hawke and several other regimental commanders sat in a Salamander tank and rumbled ahead of the team.
On another troop transport, a military band was playing the newly compiled song "My beautiful wife, how can I betray my duty to the Emperor" with all my strength.
This military band was put together by the artists on the troop transport.
Hawke ignored them.
But now it has a good effect.
When the other corps passed by the 502nd Regiment, they were all stunned.
The surprise in his eyes was hard to conceal.
They looked at their officers, all asking the same question in their eyes.
Why does this regiment have a marching band and they have nothing
The envy of the brother units made the soldiers of the 502nd Regiment hold their heads high.
They carried laser guns and walked swaggeringly on the wide highway.
To the sound of military music, we march forward.
There was joy on their faces.
The time spent on the spacecraft was really too long.
Stepping on the ground and breathing a few breaths of fresh air made them feel very comfortable.
Once we get out, it feels like we're on a picnic or vacation.
The sound of the engines was almost drowned out by the clatter of 10,000 pairs of boots and the music of the military band.
After leaving the spaceport, the 502nd Regiment walked seven or eight kilometers and entered the hive city area with tall buildings.
The streets were cleared of vehicles to allow the troops to pass through.
The people hid in their houses, in the dark, and watched these soldiers coming.
No one welcomed them.
The streets were empty.
It's not that the people of Vitria are ungrateful.
But a battle just took place here not long ago.
The expeditionary fleet forcefully suppressed the rebellion in the Vitria galaxy.
To prove his attitude, Calgar showed no mercy to the surrendered rebels.
They were dealt with quickly and efficiently.
After all, screening the surrendered rebels to see if they have been corrupted by the Zerg is a very cumbersome task.
It takes a lot of time to waste.
And what the Vittoria galaxy lacks most now is time.
The shadows in the warp grow thicker.
There was a problem with the Star Voice communication.
The Tyranids are getting closer and closer to this galaxy.
Calgar didn't have time to show mercy to those who surrendered, so he had to execute them.
The executions left rivers of blood all over the city.
Now that the smell of blood has gradually faded, the people of Vitria still retain their fear of the Imperial Expeditionary Fleet.
"They are all afraid of us," said Old John, who was beside Hawke.
"If I knew as little as they do, I'd be scared, too. The Tyranids are coming, and if Vitria falls, we'll all be food."
Hawke finished speaking and turned to look at the adjutant beside him.
"How is the evacuation of the elderly, the weak, women and children going?"
"That's something the logistics department should take care of," the deputy said. "We are a combat unit, and those things are not our responsibility."
"I need to know why there are so many people here," Hawke said.
"We can't evacuate everyone. They are all men and women who can go to the battlefield. If there are not enough troops, they will be called up immediately."
The deputy said, "As reserves, they will not be allowed to leave Vitria."
Hawke shrugged and didn't ask the reason.
After walking for an hour, Hawke and others entered the position of the 502nd Regiment.
They are in the second line of defense, but when the Zerg break through the outer void shield, it is their turn to take the stage.
The first thing to do when arriving at the designated location is to strengthen the defense of the camp.
Large numbers of sandbags were piled up and laser cannons were placed behind the bunkers.
The diameter of the laser cannon is enough to cover any open position where the enemy may land.
The huge sentry artillery was placed at the main traffic routes.
Under the control of the driver, the firepower platform moved its heavy limbs and entered the empty building, hiding its huge body.
When the enemy comes, these firepower platforms will surely give the enemy the most brutal blow.
After setting up the camp's firepower.
Hawke went to the army's restaurant to have breakfast.
The food was bland as usual, nothing special.
Fried meat and reconstituted eggs, the only difference is that there is an extra cup of milk.
Don't think of it as milk.
Hawke tasted it and found it had a foul smell, probably from some alien creature.
"There's news from above. In two months at most, we will face the Tyranids head-on."
A regimental commander sitting next to Hawke spoke up.
"That's not bad, maybe you will all get promoted by then." Hawke stuffed the piece of meat into his mouth and said while chewing.
Hearing this, everyone around laughed.
The regimental commander who had spoken just now said, "You have to live to enjoy your promotion. The Primarch hasn't even arrived yet. We are just cannon fodder to hold off the Terrans."
"I heard that the Primarch is winning against the Necrons. As long as he captures their crown world, he can turn around and deal with the Zerg. After defeating the Zerg, the Charadon sector will probably be over."
The staff officer who looked more mature spoke and analyzed the current situation.
"We've reached the end of the Charadon star zone. Where are we going next?" Hawke looked at the staff officer and asked.
"It should be the Nephilim sector. It is said that the Dark Angels are fighting fiercely with the traitors who escaped from the Great Rift. The Primarch should go there. As for us, we should follow Lord Calgar."
The staff officer took a sip of milk and explained to everyone.
"Do you think we will go to Terra? If so, I can also see what Terra looks like." said the regimental commander on the side.
"You're f*cking crazy, saying something like that."
The staff officer moved his plate a little further away.
He looked at the person who was speaking, looking at him as if he were a fool.
"Is there anything wrong with that?"
Hawke was also confused.
Is it wrong to speak
"We are the Astra Militarum. Although the 502nd is the main force, in the eyes of the Primaris Space Marines, we are just rows of leeks, to be harvested at will, and cannon fodder to consume the enemy."
"What did the Primarch do with the Astra Militarum on Terra? Are there any targets in the Solar System that need to be consumed? Could it be that he took the Primaris Space Marines and the Astra Militarum to kill those high-ranking officials of the Empire and seize the throne of the Emperor?"
The staff officer expressed his concerns.
Everyone was immediately frightened.
Taking the Astra Militarum to Terra had so many associations.
"Let's not talk about this anymore, let's think about how to survive. The Tyranids are extraordinary, and facing those beasts, there have been many cases of the Astra Militarum being wiped out." The staff officer's words became solemn.
Hawke sat in his seat, eating his food and thinking about this battle.
They are the vanguard, and must snipe the Tyranids on Vetria until the Primarch arrives.
Anyone who understands the horror of the Tyranids knows exactly what such a mission means.
"Perhaps we will all be summoned by the Emperor." A regimental commander next to him said humorously.
Everyone laughed, then lowered their heads and continued eating.
... ... ... ... ... ... ..
Old John did not stay in the camp, but ran to the city with his companion Kakar.
He needed some inspiration.
The two walked through the empty streets and alleys between high walls and entered the dark building.
They walked through the streets that had been ravaged by war and collapsed and damaged by the suppression of the insurgency.
People are clearing the garbage and cleaning the streets.
In a dark street.
Old John and Kakar were just about to walk over.
Then I heard someone shouting.
"Guilliman is a traitor. He betrayed the Emperor and betrayed us."
Old John and Kakar looked over.
It turned out to be a ragged man who ran in front of people and shouted wildly.
Passersby avoided him as if he were a madman.
"I was your ruler, and you treated me so rudely, you shameless people. You will see that the despicable Guilliman will definitely seize the throne from his father. He is a treacherous bastard."
"The House of Ercas gave everything for the Empire, but his lackeys drove away the loyalists and threw all power to a woman. One day, he will throw you away too, like trash."