As the massive body of Grumak crashed to the ground with a thunderous boom, the battlefield fell silent for a moment.
The remaining Orcs froze-wide-eyed, witnessing their fiercest leader lie motionless. Panic swept through their ranks like a storm. They scattered in chaos, losing all fighting spirit. The roar of footsteps and wild shouts echoed as they fled in every direction.
Beyond the frontline, the thunder of war machines grew louder. Reinforcements surged forward in wave after wave. The sky filled with silhouettes of assault ships and heavy aerial vehicles.
Zul'kar was now completely encircled.
The massive fleet under Admiral Matt Horner's command had secured orbit. Orc spacecraft were annihilated, and every attempt at reinforcements was blocked. Meanwhile, ground forces from Terra Aeterna landed and joined the counterattack, accelerating the enemy's destruction.
"For the Emperor! Eradicate every last one of these alien beasts!"
The command echoed, met with cries of valor and the pounding march of ground troops. Under the full cover of bombers and fighter jets, they ruthlessly tore through the Orcs' remaining defenses. No mercy was shown-Zul'kar turned into a slaughterhouse.
"For the Glory of the Emperor! For loyalty!"
Cheers and praises reverberated across the battlefield, accompanied by the roar of cannons and relentless gunfire.
When the ground forces finally reached Bunker No. 9, they found a surviving Political Commissar buried among piles of Orc corpses. Bloodied but unbroken, his eyes burned with fierce determination.
He scanned the grim surroundings-a silent battlefield filled only with the whistle of the wind and the stench of death. Orc bodies darkened the soil, brown blood pooling in trenches, and amid this sea of carnage flew the proud banner of the Imperium Caelestis.
"Report our forces!"
The order came from behind. James stepped forward, standing tall and steady, delivering his report in a heavy, resolute voice:
"Aeterna 5th Flame of Freedom Regiment-original strength: ten million soldiers. Remaining:
- Medtechs: 846,815
- Combat Infantry: 413,271
- Operational Vehicles: 289 Hellbats."
Raynor arrived shortly after. He looked at James with respect, raising his hand in the Imperium Caelestis salute.
"You did an incredible job out there, kid."
James returned the salute proudly.
"You made it through hell. What's next for you?"
Nearby, a young recruit watched the Stromtroopers reloading their weapons. Behind his helmet, his eyes burned with fierce resolve.
"Me? I want to be a Stromtrooper."
Another recruit clenched his fist. His face was tense, but his eyes sparkled with determination.
"I want to join the Military Academy... and become a Political Commissar."
The memory of his fallen Commissar, who died valiantly in battle, flickered through his mind-and that spirit now lived anew within his chest.
------------
"The Aeterna Regiment, 5th Flame of Freedom, has suffered over 90% casualties," reported Castellan Ursarkar E. Creed, his voice steady through the softly flickering holographic display.
Kenthelion stood silent, eyes fixed on the data projected before him. He drew in a long breath, absorbing the grim reality behind the numbers. The regiment had been a patchwork force-composed mostly of fresh recruits and reserve units. Yet, against all odds, they held the line against the relentless tide of millions of Orcs.
In the crucible of war, they endured.
The enemy leader, Grumak-who had arrogantly styled himself General of the Brok'Mor Empire-was slain by the Space Marines and combined Imperial forces in a bloody clash that shook the Gunmetal Valley. Now, what remained of the Orc horde was shattered, scattered to the winds, hiding across the war-torn planet.
"Hunt them down. Show no mercy."
Kenthelion's order rang out, cold and resolute. His gaze shifted to the massive holographic war map dominating the command chamber, depicting the shifting front lines of the Imperium Caelestis. The red pulses of enemy remnants blinked like dying stars amidst a sea of Imperial blue.
Grumak was dead. The Brok'Mor Empire had lost its strongest general. But the war was far from over.
"Your Majesty, what are our next orders?" Creed's voice echoed once more through the projection, laced with discipline and deference.
All eyes in the war room turned toward Kenthelion-the Emperor of Mankind, the living symbol of power and hope for the entire civilization.
So long as the Emperor willed it, even the moons and stars would bend to his throne.
On the frontlines, General Speyer's forces were preparing for the final push toward the Brok'Mor capital. But his current fleet would not suffice. Reinforcements must be deployed-additional battle groups to bolster Speyer's assault and crush the remnants of the enemy before the siege could begin.
"Understood," the high-ranking officers responded in unison, their voices echoing through the grand war chamber.
Nearly three-quarters of the Brok'Mor Empire's territory on planet Ghazgog had once belonged to the Human Federation. Now, those lands were scarred, filled with enslaved humans forced to labor under the brutal tyranny of the Orcs.
Some planets had been transformed into blood-soaked arenas-hellish hunting grounds where humans were released as prey for the Orcs' sadistic amusement.
Kenthelion's expression darkened, his jaw clenched.
"I am no stranger to genocide," he said coldly. "If they delight in slaughter, then let them taste its bitter end."
With a commanding tone, he gave his next order:
"Inform General Speyer that Jim Raynor's forces are currently resting and rearming on the planet Zul'kar. Once ready, they will mobilize toward the Brok'Mor capital and join the siege. I want Brok'Mor... "obliterated beyond recognition."
"Understood."
At once, the entire command structure of the Imperium Caelestis surged into motion. Troops were mobilized, fleets readied, and the generals under Castellan Creed's command began crafting the grand strategy to completely dismantle the Brok'Mor Empire.
"Your Majesty, what of the Aeterna 5th Flame of Freedom Regiment?" one of the officers asked, his voice carrying a hint of concern.
Kenthelion paused for a moment in thought, then replied:
"Let the Aeterna 5th rest and recover. Once ready, transfer their second wave of trained recruits to the frontlines. We will need every blade sharpened for what's to come."
The room fell silent once more, the weight of war heavy in the air.
And yet, even as the pieces fell into place for the next phase of conquest, a single thought stirred in Kenthelion's mind.
He would need a Primarch.
Not just a warrior-but a legend reborn. A beacon to rally humanity and stand beside him in this war of annihilation..