Ire of Mankind (A 40k and halo fanfic)

Chapter 5

            "Warp breach detected! 20 xenos ships and counting, your orders sir!" A voice echoed amidst the buzzing bridge. Despite suddenly being overwhelmed and surrounded on both sides, the people aboard did not even hesitate or despaired.

The men and women at the bridge simply acknowledge and begin to move and plan ahead for the incoming battle. Dominicus stared at the void as the earlier 5 had been reduced to a pathetic and wounded ship.

The wounded ship seems to be evacuating the ground troops with the help and arrival of the 20. Dominicus was tempted to break the ship apart before facing the 20, but he soon ran out of time before he could decide as the 20 ships begins to engage.

"Leave that wounded ilk. We have more pressing matters to face." The battle barge soon disengages from the wounded ship as it turned to face the new arrivals. 20 against 1. Despite his stoic features, Dominicus could not help but smile in joy deep inside.

It was 20 against 1 for sure, but they were weak. Far too weak. A single salvo was all it would take to outright destroy their ships, unlike the orks whose fractured remains persists. Their weapons barely took down one of the void shields, unlike the great devourer who swallowed entire cruisers whole.

Dominicus knows this, the entire battle barge seemed to understand this fact so well that even with the new arrivals, they did not fall to despair. They in fact welcomed it. The people aboard the ship even preferred them over another tyrranid or ork.

By the emperor, we could even win this alone! They do not- "Incoming!" One of the men yelled as a salvo directly collided with the battle barge. "1st layer had collapsed!" Just as hope begins to blossom, it quickly died down as the men and women grimaced.

Dominicus frowned deeply as he celebrated too soon. Weak or not, they were still outnumbered by 20 to 1. Dominicus swore he would punish himself for taking the enemy easily. As his astarte's mind raced into battle.

"Direct hit fleet master!" Chuckles erupted from the bridge as the elites mused at the foolish lone human vessel. The massive cloud and plasma engulf the puny human vessel like a giant shroud falling before its crew.

Zydo and his elites did not even consider batting an eye towards the vessel as they fired. After all, no need to scan a vessel that is about to crumble. Their actions were brave, commendable even to dare fight alone but like all those who came before it, it died too easily.

And the fact they died too easily made Zydo annoyed even further for the rescue beacon the scout deployed. It was a single human ship! A single weak and frail shell against 5 ccs battlecruisers! Zydo shook his head disapprovingly as he needed to have a word.

Though one question did remain. Why did the vanguard scout, comprised of 5 ccs, signaled an immediate rescue in the first place? On a defenseless human world at that. Zydo thought the signal was wrong and simply was an error, but it repeated over and over again.

Left with no choice, Zydo hurriedly embarked with 19 others to their aid. "Fleet master, there is a transmission coming from the Prudence sir!" "Put them on screen." Zydo said as he wanted to yell at the men for dragging him and his unit for such an inconsequential rescue.

The elites onboard were feeling the same too. For commanding their very own prestigious ship themselves, it was beyond disgraceful to call for aid for a lone human vessel. The bridge soon falls to silence as they awaited for the anticipated berating.

Zydo opened his mouth to speak, to yell at the incompetent shipmasters for wasting their time. He was going to scream at them when he noticed the desperate and terrified tone the shipmaster has when he spoke.