Hasako

  The darkened skies above Gor'Zul Prime V were filled with the anticipation of war. In the heart of the Orc stronghold, deep within the twisting trenches and towering trees, Warlord Zrakash stood on a jagged cliff overlooking the vast war camps. His hulking, grotesque figure loomed over the thousands of Orcs beneath him, their eyes filled with the bloodlust that only an Orc could know.

  Zrakash raised his colossal battle axe, the jagged bde dripping with the blood of his enemies. His voice boomed like thunder across the war-torn pins, shaking the very ground beneath his feet.

  "GET READY FOR A SCRAP!" he roared, his voice echoing across the sor system, resonating with every Orc soul.

  His war cry reached every corner of Gor'Zul Prime, and the tension in the air became palpable. His bloodshot eyes narrowed as he let out the ancient battle chant of his people, the call that summoned their chaotic power.

  "WAAAAAGH!!!"

  The roar reverberated through the pnet, reaching out into the void of space. In response, a pulse of sickly green warp energy erupted from the surface of Gor'Zul Prime V, spreading outward in a violent surge. The entire sor system was engulfed in this votile, chaotic force. The Orcs reveled in the green-tinted energy of the Warp, their bodies thrumming with its corruptive power.

  Hariko Lee's Fgship, high above the surface, watched as their scanners went haywire. The warp surge had distorted their readings, and arms bred across the ship’s command deck.

  "Sir," one of the technicians reported, his voice trembling. "The green warp energy has infiltrated the sor system. Orc trees are... growing faster. Every ten minutes, new Orcs are being spawned from these... things. They’re appearing inside our ships!"

  Hariko’s eyes narrowed, taking in the gravity of the situation. He watched through the viewport as his fleet came under a strange assault. Massive, grotesque Orc trees—10 times rger than anything previously encountered—had sprouted across Gor'Zul Prime’s surface, radiating an ominous dark aura. These trees, unlike their smaller counterparts, were factories of war, spewing out 1200 fully-grown Orcs per tree in mere hours, each more brutal than the st.

  As the Imperial Ships held their positions, every ten minutes a violent fsh of green light would fill the interior of half the fleet. Without warning, freshly spawned Orc warriors would appear within the corridors of the Imperial Fleet. These were no mere grunts; they were born from the chaos-infused trees, and they wielded crude but deadly Choppas and Shootaz, sughtering any soldiers they came across.

  Every ten minutes, the Imperial Marines and Guards aboard the ships were engaged in a relentless, bloody melee. While they held their ground, they were losing men—10 soldiers dead with each new wave, and 50% of the survivors wounded. The Orcs, with their relentless assault, seemed to have no end, fueled by the constant reinforcements from the warp-twisted trees.

  Yet despite the chaos, the Imperial supplies, bolstered by the Warp Gate and their own advanced logistics, kept the Imperial forces armed and ready. But even the finest soldiers in the gaxy could feel the strain.

  As the battle raged within the ships, a new threat loomed. The Orc ships, over 500 million strong, had begun to close in on the Imperial Fleet. These were not the ragtag war vessels seen in previous campaigns. The Orc ships were moving in unison, their massive hulls bristling with weapons salvaged from a hundred battlefields.

  Within the bowels of one of the rgest Imperator-css ships, Mordered Augustus, the legendary leader of the Space Raiders, rallied his men. The assembly hall was filled with warriors from across the Imperial Empire. The elite units had gathered, ready to face the green tide that threatened their very existence.

  Standing beside Mordered was Fenris, leader of the Norse Marines, his eyes gleaming with the savage hunger for battle. The Norse Marines, known for their brutal combat techniques, were eager for the fight ahead.

  At Fenris’s side was Yuji Sekiro, the brilliant tactician of the Japanese Defense Force, a small but lethal unit of 1,000 warriors known for precision strikes and surgical efficiency.

  The Sisters of Faith, led by Kanna, stood resolute, their unwavering devotion to the Emperor guiding them in the face of overwhelming odds. The Sisters of Repentance, numbering 11,000 strong, were led by Shizuna, whose fearsome reputation for resurrecting her fallen warriors to fight once more inspired fear in the hearts of their enemies.

  Rakus William, the stalwart leader of the Imperial Marines, stood tall among his forces, his command inspiring confidence in the face of chaos. Lastly, the Elven Marines, their ethereal weapons glowing with a deadly energy, prepared to descend into the madness, their numbers a staggering 201,000.

  They were ready.

  As the Marines and their allies prepared to nd on the surface, the Warp energy surged once again. On the pnet below, the newly born Orcs, empowered by the green energy, gathered beneath the massive, twisted trees. These monsters, freshly spawned from the dark aura-infused trees, were bigger, stronger, and more aggressive than any the Imperial Empire had encountered before.

  But they weren’t alone.

  Descending from the orbiting ships came the Mechinus Titans—massive living machines, built to drain psma directly from the sunlight. These Titans, each capable of firing 100 psma rounds per second, had been brought in to counter the immense Orc numbers. As they descended, their weapons powered up, and each round grew hotter, the temperatures escating with each shot, ready to burn the Orc horde to ashes.

  Back on Hariko's fgship, the realization of the scale of this battle set in. Half the fleet was under constant attack from within, but they were holding. The Space Marines, led by the fearsome commanders, began their assault into the Orc forests, with the Titans joining them as the green warp energy tried to drop more Orcs into the battle.

  The csh was imminent. And in the heart of the chaos, Warlord Zrakash watched, his toothy grin growing wider as the Imperial Marines and Orcs hurtled toward each other in a bloody dance of war.

  "WAAAAAGH!!!" he roared once more, the battle cry ringing out as the Orc fleets charged headlong into the Imperial lines.

  The final battle for Gor'Zul Prime V had begun.

  The battlefield of Gor'Zul Prime V was a swirling mass of chaos and violence. The Imperial Guard stood firm, their disciplined formations holding against the green tide of Orc forces that surged endlessly from the monstrous, dark-aura-infused Orc trees. In the sky above, the Mechinus Titans unleashed their relentless psma barrage, scorching the ndscape with streams of sor fire.

  But even the Imperial Empire’s mightiest soldiers felt a chilling presence that hung in the air—a strange, unsettling energy rippling across the battlefield.

  Suddenly, there was a fsh of green light, followed by an ear-piercing roar that echoed through the heavens. From the heart of the Orc lines, something moved faster than any Orc seen before—a blur of motion, leaving nothing but carnage in its wake. It carved through the Imperial ranks like a scythe, cutting down 201,000 Imperial Guard soldiers in a matter of minutes.

  The Imperial soldiers barely had time to react. One moment they were fighting off the relentless Orc waves, the next they were being torn apart by an unseen force. The air around them cracked with the sheer velocity of the attack.

  From the front lines, an Imperial officer shouted, “By the Emperor! What is that thing?!”

  The creature was a towering Warp-Ork, unlike any other. Its powered Choppa, infused with the corruptive energies of the Warp, crackled with raw power as it tore through flesh and armor alike. It moved at a blinding speed—9,000 miles per second—a whirlwind of death that no soldier could stop. The Warp-Ork general’s eyes gleamed with malevolent intelligence, a rarity among its kind, as it ughed maniacally, savoring the carnage.

  "More 'umie flesh ta rip apart! More blood fer da WAAAGH!!!" the Warp-Ork bellowed, its voice deep and guttural, dripping with bloodlust.

  Within moments, the field around it was soaked in Imperial blood. The fallen y strewn across the ground, their bodies severed and broken. The Imperial Guard, disciplined and brave as they were, could not hold against such speed and brutality.

  The Norse Marines watched from the far ridge, their helmets reflecting the greenish glow of the warp-imbued monstrosity below. Among them stood Fenris, leader of the Norse Marines, a grizzled warrior with countless battles under his belt. His keen eyes tracked the Warp-Ork's movements, watching it decimate the Imperial Guard with unnatural speed.

  Before Fenris could give the command to engage, the Warp-Ork sped toward a Mechinus Titan, leaping into the air with its Choppa raised high. But as it closed the distance, something shifted in the air—the Titan’s psma cannons locked onto the creature.

  With a thunderous roar, the Titan unleashed a volley of psma rounds, each one hotter than the st. The Ork had no time to dodge; the psma rounds impacted, each bst growing more intense until the temperature reached impossible levels. The sky lit up with a brilliant white light as the Warp-Ork General was obliterated mid-air, its body disintegrating under the sheer force of the attack.

  The green-tinted energy that once surrounded it evaporated, leaving nothing but charred body parts falling from the sky, the st remnants of the monstrous general.

  The Norse Marines exhaled a collective sigh of relief, though their stoic expressions remained unbroken. Fenris stepped forward, his axe resting on his shoulder, watching the still-smoking remains of the once-feared Warp-Ork.

  “A Warp-Ork general,” Fenris growled, his voice gravelly. “We must be careful. If there’s one, there could be more. We need to burn those Orc trees—as many as we can, as soon as possible.”

  He turned to his second-in-command, his voice filled with grim determination. “Have 20% of our forces focus on killing the newly born Orcs. The rest will deal with the trees. If we don’t stop them now, this entire world will be overrun.”

  The order was swift, and the response immediate. The Norse Marines, along with the Imperial forces, redirected their efforts. Fmethrowers, psma rifles, and heavy artillery were brought to bear against the Orc trees. Fire roared through the forests as the twisted trunks of the trees were set abze, while other squads fanned out to intercept the endless waves of freshly spawned Orcs pouring from the warp-infused trees.

  As the battle raged on, the trees continued their dark work. Every ten minutes, more Orcs appeared, their numbers growing in the thousands. But the Imperial Empire was nothing if not relentless. The combined might of the Imperial Guard, Norse Marines, and their allies fought with unwavering determination, even as the chaotic energy of the Warp tried to overwhelm them.

  Above the burning forests, Fenris watched the battle unfold. He knew that this was only the beginning. The death of the Warp-Ork general was a small victory, but if they couldn’t destroy these trees soon, the entire pnet—and possibly the system—would fall to the endless tide of the WAAAGH!!!

  But the Imperial Empire was ready for a long fight. And they would not fall so easily.

  "WAAAAAGH!!!" the Orcs screamed, their battle cry mixing with the roar of fmes and the deafening sound of gunfire.

  The fires of war raged across Gor'Zul Prime V, but now the heat was not only from psma bsts and Ork shootas. The vast, towering Orc trees—15 million strong, scattered across the forests and valleys—were beginning to burn. The orders were clear, and every division of the Imperial forces, from the Norse Marines to the Japanese Defense Force, was focused on one primary objective: destroy the Orc trees.

  Each tree was more than just wood and leaves. They were organic factories, spawning thousands of Orks every hour, fueled by the dark energy of the Warp. These trees were the heart of the enemy’s forces, and until they were destroyed, the Orks would never stop coming.

  The Mechinus Titans, towering machines with the power of a star in their cores, were the first to act. Their sor psma cannons aimed down from their colossal frames, focusing on clusters of Orc trees.

  “Target locked,” a mechanical voice hummed from one of the Titans.

  A fsh of bright light erupted as the Titan fired, its psma cannons releasing streams of superheated energy. The psma burned through the air, growing hotter with every second. The trees in its path ignited instantly, their thick bark disintegrating as the heat rose to levels no natural material could withstand.

  The ground itself began to melt beneath the trees, and the very soil turned to molten rock, unable to bear the intense heat. Within moments, whole groves of the Orc trees were obliterated, their dark energy snuffed out like candle fmes in a hurricane.

  As the Imperial Guard and Norse Marines advanced across the battlefield, they encountered fierce resistance. Ork warriors—both newly born and battle-hardened—poured out of the remaining trees. Their crude, brutal weapons spat fire and bullets, and their ferocity was unmatched. The ground shook beneath the weight of their WAAAGH!!! as they surged towards the Imperials.

  But the Imperial Empire was ready.

  “Focus fire! Burn the trees! Leave no Ork alive!” shouted Fenris, leader of the Norse Marines, his voice booming over the comms. His warriors, cd in ancient power armor, charged headlong into the Ork forces, axes and hammers swinging with deadly precision.

  To their left, the Sisters of Faith, under Kanna’s leadership, unleashed holy fire from their fmers, dousing the Orc trees in fmes blessed by the Emperor. The trees writhed and cracked under the intense heat, the dark aura surrounding them flickering as the Sisters pushed forward.

  Further up the battlefield, Yuji Sekiro and his elite Japanese Defense Force unleashed a barrage of explosive charges, blowing apart entire forests of the cursed trees. Their precision was unmatched, each explosive pced with deadly accuracy. One by one, the Orc trees fell, their twisted trunks colpsing into ashes.

  Even as the Imperial forces burned the trees, they had to hold off the endless Ork assault. Every ten minutes, more Orks were born, their numbers swelled by the unholy growth of the Warp-infused trees. But this time, the Imperial soldiers were ready.

  20% of the forces, as per Fenris’s orders, had been assigned to hold off the newly spawned Orks. These units formed tight perimeters around the burning trees, mowing down the fresh Orks with fmers, sguns, and bolters. The Orks screamed and charged, but the Imperials did not waver. They fought like machines, their every action precise, their every shot lethal.

  At the heart of the battlefield, Hariko’s fgship loomed in the skies above. Hariko watched through the ship’s advanced scanners as the battle unfolded below. The losses were heavy, but the Imperials were gaining ground. Tree by tree, the WAAAGH!!! was being broken.

  “Emperor Hariko,” a voice crackled through the comms. “We’ve detected an anomaly in the center of the rgest tree cluster. It’s different—bigger. Darker.”

  Hariko’s eyes narrowed. “Deploy the Titans. Bring that tree down.”

  The rgest Mechinus Titan, its body glowing with the energy of the sun, strode across the battlefield toward the heart of the Ork tree cluster. This tree was unlike the others—ten times rger, its bark almost bck with Warp energy, and from its base, thousands of Orks were pouring out every minute. It was the mother tree, the source of the unending WAAAGH!!!

  The Titan raised its arms, its psma cannons whirring to life. The sky above seemed to darken as the machine drew in sor energy, its psma reserves reaching maximum charge. A low hum filled the air.

  “Fire.”

  The psma cannon unleashed a beam of pure, concentrated energy, more powerful than anything seen before. The beam struck the mother tree, and for a moment, time seemed to stop. The tree shuddered, its dark energy flickering violently. Then, with a deafening roar, the tree exploded, sending a shockwave of Warp energy across the battlefield.

  The explosion was so intense that it fttened entire forests, sending debris and Ork bodies flying in all directions. But when the dust settled, the mother tree was no more. All that remained was a smoldering crater, and the dark aura that had once fueled the Ork hordes began to fade.

  The tide was turning.

  With the destruction of the mother tree, the remaining Orc trees lost their strength. Their once-thick bark now burned easily under the fmes of the Imperial forces, and the endless tide of Orks began to dwindle.

  As the st of the Orc trees fell, the battlefield grew eerily quiet. The ground was littered with the bodies of the fallen, both Imperial and Ork. Smoke rose from the burning trees, and the sky above was dark with ash.

  Fenris, bloodied but unbroken, looked out over the battlefield. The Norse Marines stood victorious, though their numbers had been severely thinned. The Imperial Guard, too, had taken heavy losses, but their resolve had never faltered.

  “We did it,” Fenris muttered, wiping blood from his face. “The trees are gone.”

  But even as he spoke, a deep rumble echoed through the earth. The ground beneath their feet began to shake, and from the distant horizon, a massive shadow loomed.

  “The war isn’t over,” Hariko’s voice came through the comms. “The Orks may have lost their trees, but their fleet is still out there. Prepare for the final assault.”

  The destruction of the Orc trees had crippled the WAAAGH!!! But the true battle had only just begun.

  The battlefield of Gor'Zul Prime V was still smoldering, the once towering Orc trees reduced to bckened husks, their dark energy extinguished by the relentless assault of the Imperial Fleet. The air was thick with the stench of burning wood and charred Ork bodies. For a moment, it seemed like victory was within the grasp of the Imperial Empire.

  But peace on an Ork world never sts long.

  From the heart of the Ork stronghold, a thunderous voice echoed across the pins, shaking the very ground beneath the feet of the Imperial forces. It was the voice of Warlord Zrakash, the brutal and cunning leader of the Orks on Gor'Zul Prime V.

  “WAAAGH!!!”

  The cry tore through the air like a storm, green Warp energy surging outward from the Warlord, engulfing the entire battlefield. The sky above the pnet darkened, swirling with unnatural energy as the power of the WAAAGH!!! took hold. The very essence of the Ork race—violence, chaos, and an unyielding thirst for battle—had been funneled into this single shout.

  Suddenly, the ground began to rumble once more, but this time it wasn’t the tremors of battle. From the ashes of the fallen Orc trees, new growth began to surge upward. The twisted, dark roots of the mother tree, the same one that had been obliterated by the psma cannons of the Mechinus Titans, began to regenerate.

  “Impossible!” shouted Rikus William, leader of the Imperial Marines, his face turning pale as he watched in disbelief.

  Within moments, the entire forest of Orc trees was restored, and not just as they had been before. The new trees were even rger, their bark thicker, pulsating with Warp energy that made the air hum with power. The mother tree was now twice its original size, its dark aura spreading across the battlefield like a deathly fog. From its branches, countless Orks began to fall, fully grown and armed, ready for battle.

  The forest had come back, and so had the Orks.

  "He's restoring them," Rikus realized aloud, his voice grim. "That Warlord—he can use the Warp to regenerate the trees. We need to stop him before he does it again."

  The Imperial forces were already struggling to hold their ground against the Ork counterattacks, and now with the trees regenerating, their situation was rapidly becoming desperate. The Orks, rejuvenated by their leader's power, were swarming across the battlefield, their bloodlust driving them forward in endless waves.

  As the Imperials fought back against the fresh hordes of Orks, Kanna, leader of the Sisters of Faith, stepped forward.

  “We need to cut the head off the snake,” she said with calm resolve. “If we take down Zrakash, the trees will stop growing. I’ll lead a strike on the main city and deal with him personally.”

  The room fell silent. Rikus nodded, though his face showed concern. "You're volunteering to go into the heart of their stronghold. Are you sure you can handle this?"

  Kanna’s expression was firm. “We don’t have a choice. If we don't stop him now, we'll never be able to destroy the trees. This will only get worse."

  Before Rikus could respond, arms bred across the comms. The Orks were unching a massive counterattack, swarming across the Imperial positions like a green tide. The newly spawned Orks from the trees were overwhelming the front lines, forcing the Imperials to pull back or risk being overrun.

  "They're everywhere!" a voice crackled over the comms. "We can't hold them!"

  Kanna turned to Shizuna, the leader of the Sisters of Repentance, her eyes filled with a shared understanding.

  “You stay here and hold the line,” Kanna ordered. “Make sure they don’t push us back further. If the front colpses, everything will be lost.”

  Shizuna, fierce and determined, nodded. “We’ll hold them off. The Emperor protects.”

  Kanna gathered her elite Sisters of Faith and made her way toward the transport ships that would take her directly into the heart of the Ork city. The journey ahead would be perilous, but she had faced worse before. Her faith in the Emperor, and her strength in battle, were unshakable.

  The Ork city loomed in the distance, a fortress of jagged metal and crude towers built atop the shattered ruins of whatever civilization had once existed on Gor'Zul Prime V. From this stronghold, Warlord Zrakash commanded his forces, his twisted connection to the Warp making him more powerful than any ordinary Ork leader.

  As Kanna’s ships approached the city, they came under heavy fire from Ork anti-aircraft cannons. Explosions rocked the hulls of the transports, but Kanna and her team remained focused. They knew this was a one-way mission. Either they would succeed in killing Zrakash, or they would die trying.

  The ships nded with a thunderous crash on the outskirts of the city, and the Sisters of Faith disembarked immediately, psma holters and fmers at the ready. The Orks were waiting for them, swarming out of the city gates in droves. The battle was fierce, but the Sisters fought with a fervor that no Ork could match. Each step forward was paid for in blood, but they pressed on, cutting through the Ork horde with righteous fury.

  Kanna led the charge, her psma chainsword cutting through Ork bodies like a bde through air. Her faith was her shield, and her resolve was her weapon. Nothing would stop her from reaching Zrakash.

  Finally, after what felt like hours of brutal fighting, Kanna and her team reached the inner sanctum of the city. The massive gates to Zrakash’s fortress stood before them, guarded by some of the rgest Orks they had ever seen. But Kanna was undeterred.

  With a roar, she charged forward, cutting down the Ork guards with swift, precise strikes. Her Sisters followed, their bolters and fmers tearing through the defenders.

  As they breached the gates and entered the fortress, Kanna could feel the presence of Warlord Zrakash growing stronger. The air was thick with Warp energy, and the walls seemed to pulse with the malevolent power of the WAAAGH!!!

  They would find him soon. And when they did, the battle for Gor'Zul Prime V would reach its bloody conclusion.

  Kanna gripped her power sword tighter, her heart filled with the Emperor's light.

  Above the war-torn world of Gor'Zul Prime V, a cataclysmic battle raged in the void of space. The might of the Imperial Fleet cshed head-on with the unstoppable tide of Ork warships, each side determined to destroy the other in an apocalyptic contest of firepower and sheer brutality.

  On one side, the disciplined and well-coordinated formations of the Imperial Fleet unleashed barrages of psma, nce batteries, and torpedoes into the mass of Ork ships. Command ships barked orders, and sleek destroyers weaved between the massive cruisers, their guns lighting up the darkness of space with precision strikes. Massive S5 and S6 warships, towering monuments of Imperial engineering, dominated the battlefield, unching devastating volleys of macro-cannon fire into the oncoming horde.

  On the other side, the Ork fleet was a chaotic nightmare of metal and fury. Ramshackle vessels, hastily constructed from stolen parts and debris, careened through space, driven more by the Orks’ desire for a fight than any sembnce of strategy. Yet, for all their crude design, these ships were deadly. Their jagged prows smashed into Imperial hulls, unleashing hordes of Orks ready to board and butcher anything in their path. Giant green energy beams, powered by the WAAAGH!!!, tore through space, raking across the shields of Imperial vessels.

  Hariko Lee stood on the bridge of his fgship, the massive S4 capital ship known as the Iron Warden. Through the reinforced viewing port, he watched as the battle unfolded, his mind racing to keep up with the chaos outside. His ship shuddered as it took a gncing blow from an Ork cruiser, but the Iron Warden was built for war. Its shields absorbed the impact, and its return fire vaporized the Ork ship in a single volley.

  "Status report!" Hariko barked, his voice cutting through the noise of the bridge.

  "Shields holding at 72%, my Lord," replied his tactical officer. "But we’re losing ships rapidly. The Orks are throwing everything at us!"

  "Understood," Hariko said, his gaze hardening as he surveyed the tactical dispy. Thousands of Ork ships swarmed around his fleet, with more pouring out of the Warp rift that had opened near the pnet’s surface. The Imperial Fleet was holding its ground, but the sheer numbers of the Orks were starting to wear them down.

  "All batteries, target the rift," Hariko commanded. "If we close that portal, we cut off their reinforcements."

  As the Iron Warden turned its massive guns toward the Warp rift, the ship’s nce batteries powered up, their energy building to a crescendo before they unleashed a concentrated burst of psma directly into the swirling portal. Explosions rocked the rift, causing it to destabilize momentarily, but it wasn’t enough. More Ork ships surged through the tear in space, their crude engines roaring as they entered the fray.

  "Bring in the Sisters of Faith support ships," Hariko ordered. "We need their firepower to suppress those incoming waves."

  Even as he spoke, a trio of sleek Sisters of Faith battlecruisers entered the battlefield, their engines bzing as they dove into the thick of the fight. Their guns opened up immediately, raining holy fire upon the Ork vessels. The Sisters' ships were faster and more agile than their Imperial counterparts, darting through the enemy lines and cutting down Ork ships with precision.

  Despite the reinforcements, the battle was still teetering on the edge of disaster.

  At the same time, the Ork fleet was growing more ferocious by the minute. Every time a ship was destroyed, it seemed another two took its pce. At the heart of the Ork armada was the massive warship of Warlord Zrakash, a twisted monstrosity of jagged metal and stolen technology. The Warlord, standing atop his ship’s bridge, was roaring with ughter as his fleet cshed with the Imperials.

  “WAAAGH!!!” he screamed once again, his voice echoing through the very vacuum of space, somehow amplified by the Warp energy he commanded. Green lightning crackled around his ship, and with a wave of his hand, more Ork ships surged forward, driven by the raw power of the WAAAGH!

  In response, the Imperial lines began to falter. Smaller ships, frigates, and destroyers were being overwhelmed by the sheer number of Ork boarding parties. Explosions rocked the battlefield as Imperial vessels were torn apart from the inside, their crew sughtered by the savage Orks. Desperate distress calls filled the comm channels.

  "Admiral, we're losing the S3 frigates on the left fnk!" shouted one of the officers on Hariko's bridge.

  Before Hariko could respond, a proximity alert bred across the ship.

  "Incoming Ork ships! Brace for impact!"

  A massive Ork battlecruiser had broken through the Imperial lines and was heading directly for the Iron Warden. Its jagged prow glowed with green energy, and its crude engines were pushing it toward Hariko's fgship at breakneck speed. The Orks intended to ram the ship and board it.

  "All batteries, open fire!" Hariko ordered, gripping the railing as the ship's guns fired in unison. Lances of energy streaked out toward the oncoming Ork vessel, but it was too fast. The Ork ship crashed into the side of the Iron Warden, sending shockwaves through the entire vessel.

  "Boarders incoming!" the tactical officer warned. "We’ve got Orks inside the ship!"

  "Send the Imperial Guard to repel them," Hariko barked. "Hold the line! We cannot let them take this ship."

  Inside the halls of the Iron Warden, the sound of gunfire and battle echoed as hundreds of Orks poured into the ship’s corridors. The Imperial Guard forces stationed on the ship fought back with everything they had, bolters and fmers lighting up the darkened halls. But the Orks were relentless, charging forward with their crude weapons, their war cries drowning out the sounds of battle.

  Suddenly, a new force entered the fray. From the shadows emerged the Space Marines of the Space Raiders, led by Mordered Augustus. Cd in their bck and gold power armor, the Space Marines moved through the ship with deadly precision, their psma holters tearing through the Orks with brutal efficiency. Mordered’s psma chainsword roared as he cut down Ork after Ork, his eyes glowing with fury.

  "We're holding them back," Mordered growled into his comms, his voice a low rumble. "But there's no end to these green-skinned beasts. We need to push them out before more reinforcements arrive."

  Back in space, the Imperial Fleet was regrouping, focusing their fire on the rgest Ork vessels in an attempt to break through their lines. The Sisters of Faith ships were spearheading the attack, their holy weapons bzing as they drove deep into the Ork formation.

  Hariko watched the battle unfold from his command seat, his mind calcuting their next move. The Warp rift was still open, and as long as it remained, the Orks would continue to reinforce their fleet. But with the Orks already inside his ship and across the fleet, their situation was growing dire.

  "Focus all fire on the rift!" Hariko ordered once more. "We have to close it, or this battle is lost."

  As the Imperial ships concentrated their firepower on the Warp rift, the battle in space reached its peak. The Orks, driven by their insatiable hunger for destruction, fought with a fury that could not be contained. But the Imperium, with its discipline and superior technology, would not back down.

  The fate of Gor'Zul Prime V and the future of the Imperial Fleet hung in the bance as the two forces cshed, locked in a titanic struggle for supremacy among the stars.

  As the void of space crackled with the intensity of battle, the Iron Warden drifted in the heart of the chaos surrounding Gor'Zul Prime V. Hariko Lee stood on the bridge, his resolve hardening like adamantine under the relentless pressure of the war raging outside. The sight of the Ork fleet, a chaotic mass of greenskins and rusted metal, swarming like locusts, ignited a fire in his heart.

  “Emperor!” barked his tactical officer, fear creeping into his voice. “We’re losing ships rapidly! The Orks are breaking through our lines!”

  Hariko’s eyes narrowed as he scanned the tactical dispy, his mind racing with the weight of the situation. The Imperial Fleet was on the brink of colpse, and the Warp rift continued to churn, spewing forth more Ork ships to reinforce the horde. A decision had to be made—an act of desperation that could turn the tide.

  “Prepare for Psma Exterminatus,” Hariko ordered, his voice steady and resolute. The words sent a ripple of shock across the bridge.

  “Sir, are you certain?” his second-in-command questioned, concern evident. “The colteral damage—”

  “There’s no other option,” Hariko interrupted, his gaze fierce. “The Orks are overwhelming us. We need to wipe them out before they can mount another counterattack. Initiate the firing sequence immediately!”

  “Aye, sir!” The officer turned, inputting commands into the systems. The ship shuddered as its powerful reactors began to channel energy toward the psma bombardment weaponry hidden within the depths of the Iron Warden. The bridge was filled with the low hum of energy building to a crescendo, lights flickering as the ship's systems worked to stabilize the immense power.

  “Target the heart of their fleet,” Hariko commanded, his voice unwavering. “We’re going to make them feel the might of the Emperor’s wrath.”

  The tactical dispy highlighted the mass of Ork ships, clustered and moving in disarray. Hariko knew the risk—this was not just an act of war; it was an act of extermination. But if they were to survive this day, they needed to eliminate the Orks once and for all.

  “Psma round locked and loaded,” the tactical officer confirmed, sweat beading on his forehead as he stared at the screen. “Range: 10,000 kilometers.”

  “Fire!” Hariko shouted, clenching his fists as he braced himself for the impact.

  With a thunderous roar that shook the very fabric of space, the psma round was unleashed. A blinding light erupted from the Iron Warden, and the psma shot forth like a comet streaking through the void. It traveled at an unimaginable speed, a bzing harbinger of destruction that illuminated the darkness of space.

  As it soared through the expanse, it expanded, spreading its lethal reach over 5,000 kilometers long. The energy wave washed over the Ork fleet, igniting ships like kindling. The horrified cries of the Orks echoed in the void as the psma incinerated anything in its path, turning their crude vessels to molten sg and ash.

  The battle became a hellscape of fire and fury as the psma engulfed the Ork ships. Explosions erupted like supernovas, illuminating the darkness of space, drowning out the Ork war cries with the roar of annihition. Hariko watched in awe as the force of the Exterminatus ravaged the Ork fleet, obliterating their numbers in a matter of moments.

  “Status report!” he barked, adrenaline surging through him as he took in the devastation.

  “Sir, the Ork fleet is disintegrating!” the tactical officer excimed, eyes wide with disbelief. “We’ve taken out at least 70% of their ships! The remaining vessels are in full retreat!”

  But amidst the chaos, one figure stood defiant against the tide of destruction. The massive warship of Warlord Zrakash, a grotesque beast of metal and malice, surged forward through the fmes, shielded by the st vestiges of his loyal crew. Zrakash’s ugh echoed through the comms as he realized the Exterminatus would not consume him.

  “Foolish Imperials!” Zrakash bellowed, his voice booming over the comm systems. “You think you can wipe us out? I will crush your precious city beneath my heel!”

  With a monstrous roar, he directed his ship, steering it straight towards the rgest city on Gor'Zul Prime V—the heart of the Ork stronghold, teeming with life and resources. The ship plunged downward, piercing through the atmosphere like a falling star, leaving a bzing trail in its wake.

  On the ground, the citizens of the city looked up in horror as the Warlord's fgship descended, a harbinger of doom. Zrakash was determined to prove that even in the face of the Imperial onsught, he was still a force to be reckoned with. The ground shook beneath him as he crashed into the heart of the city, sending debris flying and igniting fires that would consume everything in their vicinity.

  Hariko gritted his teeth, knowing that the battle wasn’t over yet. “Reinforce the ground troops!” he ordered, fury mixing with determination. “We can’t let Zrakash hold that city!”

  With the remnants of the Ork fleet in full retreat and their forces scattered, the Imperial Fleet prepared for a counterattack. Ground forces, led by the Imperial Guard, began to mobilize toward the city, aiming to recim it from the clutches of the Warlord.

  “Prepare the nding craft,” Hariko commanded. “We’re going to take the fight to Zrakash himself.”

  As the Iron Warden prepared to deploy its forces, the battle for Gor'Zul Prime V was far from over. With the Warlord now on the ground, the Imperium had a new enemy to face—a powerful adversary who would not go down without a fight. Hariko felt the weight of leadership heavy on his shoulders as he braced for the fight to recim the city, knowing that the future of the Imperium rested on their success.

  The air was thick with smoke and the scent of burnt metal as Kanna, leader of the Sisters of Faith, led her forces toward the heart of the ruined city. The ground beneath their feet trembled with the echoes of distant explosions, and the sky was lit with the fiery remnants of the shattered Ork fleet. At the forefront, Kanna marched with fierce determination, her power armor gleaming in the dim light as she rallied her warriors for one final push.

  “Hold formation! We’re closing in on the Warlord’s st position,” she barked through her comms, her voice cutting through the noise. The Sisters of Faith were unyielding in their faith and loyalty, each warrior ready to y down their life for the Emperor and for victory.

  The Warlord’s ship had crashed deep into the heart of the rgest Ork city on Gor'Zul Prime V, its hulking remains now serving as a makeshift fortress. Warlord Zrakash had survived the Exterminatus, his sheer will and power keeping him alive despite the overwhelming destruction. But now, with his fleet decimated and his forces scattered, the greenskin leader was cornered—and Kanna was determined to finish him off.

  Fnked by Imperial Guard and Elven Marines, Kanna’s forces advanced through the wreckage. Around them, Ork mobs still roamed the streets, feral and unrelenting. Their crude weapons cshed against the disciplined might of the Imperium’s forces. But the tide of the battle had shifted; with the Ork fleet in ruins and their leader isoted, the Imperial forces now pressed their advantage.

  "Target the remaining Ork strongpoints!" Kanna ordered, raising her power sword high. "Burn them out!"

  The Sisters of Faith moved like an unstoppable force, their bolters spitting death at the green-skinned hordes that tried to halt their advance. The Elven Marines, moving with ethereal grace, cut through the Ork lines with deadly precision. But Kanna’s eyes were fixed on the towering remains of the Warlord's crashed ship—the beast of metal where Zrakash had made his final stand.

  Suddenly, a massive roar echoed across the battlefield, shaking the very ground. The Ork Warlord had emerged from the wreckage, standing over ten feet tall, his body adorned with crude, jagged armor glowing faintly with warp energy. His eyes burned with rage, his massive power choppa in hand, crackling with unnatural energy. He looked like a demonic god of war, a testament to the sheer brutality of the Orks.

  “YOU FINK YOUZ CAN TAKE ME DOWN?!” Zrakash bellowed, his voice a booming war cry that shook the Imperial forces. “COME ON, YA HUMIE GITS! WAAAAAAGH!!!”

  With a ferocious howl, Zrakash charged forward, his power choppa cleaving through the ranks of the Imperial Guard, sending bodies flying like ragdolls. His movements were unnaturally fast, fueled by the green warp energy coursing through him, turning him into a whirlwind of destruction. Soldiers screamed as they were torn apart, and even the Space Marines found themselves struggling against the sheer power of the Ork Warlord.

  Kanna gritted her teeth as she watched the carnage unfold. "Form up! We take him together!" she shouted, rallying her warriors. "For the Emperor!"

  The Sisters of Faith charged forward, their bolters aimed at Zrakash, but the Warlord’s thick armor and warp energy made him nearly impervious to their fire. He swung his choppa in wide arcs, cutting down anyone who dared to stand in his way. The ground trembled with each of his steps as he bulldozed through the Imperial lines, unstoppable in his fury.

  But Kanna was not one to back down. She sprinted forward, her power sword crackling with holy energy as she closed the distance with Zrakash. With a battle cry of her own, she leaped into the air, bringing her sword down with all her might. The bde collided with Zrakash’s power choppa in a csh of sparks and raw energy, the force of the blow reverberating through the air.

  For a brief moment, the two warriors stood locked in a contest of strength, neither willing to give an inch. Zrakash snarled, his tusks bared in a twisted grin. “I’M GUNNA CRUMP YA GOOD, HUMIE!”

  “Not today, greenskin!” Kanna spat back, her voice filled with righteous fury. With a surge of strength, she broke the deadlock, her sword fshing forward to strike at the Ork’s exposed side. Zrakash howled in pain as the bde bit deep, glowing with divine energy as it seared his flesh.

  Enraged, Zrakash swung his choppa wildly, but Kanna ducked under the blow, moving with the grace and precision of a seasoned warrior. She nded another strike, this time at his leg, causing the Warlord to stagger. The other warriors of the Imperium seized the opportunity, unleashing a barrage of psma and bolter fire at the wounded Warlord.

  Zrakash roared in defiance, his body crackling with warp energy as he tried to summon more power, but the damage had been done. His movements slowed, his swings less precise. The unstoppable force of the Ork war machine was beginning to falter.

  With a final battle cry, Kanna charged forward once more, her power sword glowing with the Emperor’s light. She drove the bde deep into Zrakash’s chest, piercing through his warp-infused armor and striking at his twisted heart. The Warlord’s eyes widened in shock as the energy drained from his body, his grip on his choppa loosening.

  “WAAAAAGH…” Zrakash’s final war cry faded into a whisper as he colpsed to his knees, blood pouring from his wounds. His body shuddered one st time before he fell face-first into the dirt, his once-mighty form now lifeless.

  The battlefield fell silent for a moment, the sounds of war fading as the Ork forces, now leaderless, began to scatter. Kanna stood over the fallen Warlord, breathing heavily, her sword still glowing with divine energy. Around her, the Imperial Guard and Sisters of Faith regrouped, their victory hard-earned but undeniable.

  Kanna looked down at Zrakash’s body, her expression grim. “It’s over,” she muttered, wiping the blood from her bde. “The Warlord is dead.”

  But even as the Orks retreated, Kanna knew the war was far from over. The greenskins were relentless, their numbers vast, and the warp still pulsed with malevolent energy. Yet for now, the Imperium had won a decisive victory on Gor'Zul Prime V, and Kanna had proven once again that the Emperor’s light could triumph over the darkness.

  “Prepare to burn the city,” she ordered. “We’re not leaving any trace of their corruption behind.”

  As the fmes began to rise and the Ork city was set abze, Kanna and her forces marched back to their lines, ready to face whatever challenges the gaxy would throw at them next.

  As the dust settled on the battlefield, and the body of Warlord Zrakash y motionless, a sudden, ominous shift rippled through the air. A psychic scream, raw and primal, erupted from Zrakash’s lifeless body. The sound wasn’t one of pain or defeat but of furious defiance. It reverberated across Gor'Zul Prime V, echoing into the far reaches of the sor system.

  Zrakash’s body began to glow with an eerie green light, his form consumed by the malevolent warp energies that had empowered him in life. Slowly, the energies intensified, swirling around his corpse like a storm of dark power. His body, now a conduit for the raw force of the Green Warp, was enveloped, along with the entire sor system. The skies darkened as the power of the warp began to twist the reality surrounding the pnet.

  The Imperial forces, still regrouping from the earlier victory, watched in horror as the warp energy pulsed from Zrakash’s body. Realizing the danger, command signals were issued across all channels. The order was clear: evacuate.

  “Activate the teleporters now!” came the urgent command from Kanna as her forces, along with the Imperial Marines, scrambled to retreat from the warp surge. The massive teleportation systems installed on Gor'Zul Prime V whirred to life, and in a fsh of light, the Imperial forces began to disappear from the battlefield, one squad after another. They were returning to their ships orbiting above the pnet, retreating from the growing warp storm enveloping the sor system.

  Up in the stars, aboard the fgship, Hariko Lee watched the chaos unfold. His forces had taken a heavy toll, but the retreat was now complete. Though many had fallen, the battle was far from over for Hariko. The Conscious System within him, the power he had long relied upon, activated in response to the unfolding crisis.

  “Conscious System,” Hariko muttered under his breath. “Restore the fallen.”

  With 5,634,662 points accumuted, Hariko tapped into his reserves, expending 4 million points in one command to bring his lost forces back. A fsh of golden light shimmered across the fleet’s teleporter systems as soldiers, marines, and elite units who had perished in the grueling combat against the Orks were restored to life. Their bodies, previously torn apart on the battlefield, were reconstructed, their life forces returning in perfect form.

  His eyes scanned the screens as the Conscious System chimed in his mind.

  Two hidden tasks completed.

  Freedom of Elves: Reward – 20,000,000 points.Retake Scattered Elven Empire Territory: Reward – 5,000,000 points.Hariko felt a surge of satisfaction. His efforts had yielded greater rewards than expected. Not only had he managed to restore his lost troops, but he had also freed the scattered remnants of the once-great Elven Empire. Their ancestral nds, long lost to chaos and destruction, had been recimed, and their people liberated from centuries of torment.

  With these newfound points, his options widened. Hariko now possessed the power to tip the scales even further, strengthening his forces for the inevitable csh against the growing menace of the Green Warp.

  As the warp storm continued to expand around the sor system, cutting off Gor'Zul Prime V from the rest of the gaxy, Hariko knew the battle against the Orks was far from over. Warlord Zrakash had unleashed something far more dangerous in death than he had ever been in life. But Hariko, bolstered by the return of his army and the rewards from the Conscious System, was ready.

  “Prepare the fleet,” Hariko ordered. “This isn’t over yet.”

  The fleet readied for its next move as the warp storm continued to swirl around the doomed world below. The Imperium had won the battle—but the war with the Orks and the Green Warp was only just beginning.

  High above Gor'Zul Prime V, aboard the mighty fleet of the Imperial Empire, the tense atmosphere within the command bridge was palpable. The remnants of the Green Warp storm swirled around the sor system, threatening to engulf everything in its path. For days, the warp energies had pgued the system, distorting reality and spawning untold horrors. But now, something was changing.

  Hariko Lee stood before the holo-screen, observing the votile warp storm that encased the pnet. His mind raced with calcutions and strategies, wondering what next move would end this chaos once and for all. Yet, deep down, he couldn’t shake a nagging sense that something was about to shift.

  Suddenly, a ripple passed through the storm—a subtle tremor in the warp energy. It started as a small pulse, almost imperceptible to the naked eye, but then it began to intensify. Within moments, the chaotic maelstrom of green energy, which had once seemed endless and unstoppable, started to fade.

  "Emperor, are you seeing this?" one of the bridge officers asked, his voice filled with disbelief.

  Hariko nodded but remained silent, watching as the swirling green clouds of the warp began to dissipate. The once-boiling energies that tore through the fabric of reality were unraveling as if a hand from the void itself had grasped them and was pulling them back into nothingness. The storm, which had nearly consumed the entire system, now seemed to retreat into the heart of Gor'Zul Prime V, shrinking rapidly with each passing second.

  Then, as quickly as it had appeared, the Green Warp was gone.

  The warp energy that had been the lifeblood of Warlord Zrakash's forces vanished without a trace. It was as if the warp storm had never existed. The dark clouds were repced by the familiar stars and the quiet emptiness of space. For the first time in days, the sor system was calm, the chaotic energy that had threatened to consume it completely gone.

  "Scan the system," Hariko ordered. His tone was even, but his mind raced with questions. How could such a powerful manifestation of warp energy disappear so suddenly, so completely?

  “Scanning, sir,” one of the tactical officers responded. After a few tense moments, he spoke again. “No warp signatures detected. The storm has fully colpsed. It's... gone, sir. Just like that.”

  A hushed murmur swept through the command bridge. The sheer impossibility of what had just happened left the crew at a loss for words.

  Kanna, who had been overseeing her forces’ recovery and reorganization, appeared beside Hariko, her sharp eyes narrowing as she stared at the empty void where the storm had once raged. "I don't like this," she muttered, her voice low and wary. "Warp energy doesn’t just vanish like that. Something caused this."

  Hariko nodded in agreement. "It’s too clean. No residual energy, no lingering effects. The warp doesn't just ‘disappear.’ Something or someone shut it down."

  Back on Gor'Zul Prime V, the pnet itself seemed eerily quiet. The Ork forces, who had been bolstered by the warp energy, were now scattered and in disarray. Without the warp storm empowering them, they were vulnerable. Many of the Orks, who had been fighting with unnaturally enhanced strength, had fallen silent as if confused by the sudden loss of their power.

  A tactical officer looked up from his station. "Sir, reports coming in from the surface—enemy forces are disorganized. We’re detecting mass retreats across multiple regions. It seems like they’re abandoning key positions."

  Hariko’s gaze remained on the holo-dispy. The sudden disappearance of the Green Warp was both a relief and a mystery. It had spared them a prolonged engagement, but the implications were unsettling.

  "Keep a close eye on the pnet," Hariko said, his voice steady. "Whatever caused the warp to disappear might still be at py. We don't know if this is a trick or something bigger."

  As Kanna's elite forces, along with the Imperial Marines and the Norse, pressed their advantage on the pnet below, Hariko turned his attention to the rger picture. The absence of the Green Warp meant they could now finish securing Gor'Zul Prime V, but it also left questions hanging in the air—questions that needed answers.

  "Sir, incoming communication from the Conscious System," one of the officers interrupted. Hariko raised an eyebrow, focusing on the message.

  Conscious System: Hidden Task Completed – Warp Disruption Averted. Reward: 10,000,000 points.

  Hariko’s lips curled into a small smile. Another task completed, another boost in points. But the mystery of how the warp had vanished still loomed rge in his mind.

  He took a deep breath, feeling the weight of his decisions settle in. "Prepare our forces to secure the surface fully. We may have won this battle, but there’s something bigger behind this. I want answers."

  The fleet, now free of the warp's influence, moved with renewed vigor. They descended upon the Ork homeworld, ready to finish what they had started. But as Hariko gazed out into the stars, he knew that while the immediate threat was gone, the deeper mysteries of the warp and Zrakash’s power were far from over.

  The battlefield of Gor'Zul Prime V was finally quiet. The once-echoing roars of WAAAGH! had faded into nothingness, leaving a stillness that seemed out of pce for a pnet so ravaged by war. The towering Ork trees, once a sprawling and ominous forest, had all but disappeared, leaving only scorched earth in their wake.

  Scientist Anna began analyzing the video from and volume then heard something,

  "Rest within my domain, Zrakash," Jugag’s voice continued, now more ominous. "For thirty mortal years, you and your WAAAGH! shall be held in my realm. There, time flows faster. You will rebuild, gather strength, and when the time comes, you will return. Gor'Zul Prime V will once again be yours."

  The warp energy began to ripple outward from Zrakash’s body, spreading across the battlefield. Every remaining Ork, every war machine, and even the remnants of the Ork trees were enveloped by the green mist. The entire Ork presence on Gor'Zul Prime V was being recimed by Jugag, pulled into his domain to be reborn.

  From the vantage point of Hariko Lee’s fgship, the spectacle was visible across the pnet. The scanners lit up as massive amounts of warp energy surged across the surface. The Orks, their warships, and even their leader were being taken away by their god.

  Hariko stared at the dispy, his brow furrowed. "So, it’s not over," he muttered to himself. "Jugag is pulling them back… giving them time to rebuild. Thirty years. We’ve bought time, but not peace."

  On the surface, Kanna and her forces watched as the st vestiges of the Ork presence were swept away into the warp. She sheathed her psma sword, her expression grim.

  "It seems Jugag isn’t ready to let his children die so easily," Kanna said quietly to her officers. "This battle is done, but the war… it’s far from over."

  The warp mist continued to surge, growing stronger as more and more Ork forces were pulled into Jugag’s domain. The entire sor system seemed to tremble with the god’s power. Within minutes, the green mist had consumed every trace of the Orks, leaving only the scarred and broken ndscape of Gor'Zul Prime V behind.

  As the st flicker of warp energy disappeared into the void, the voice of Jugag echoed one final time across the system. "In thirty years, my WAAAGH! will return, stronger than ever. Prepare yourselves, for when Zrakash leads my children once again, no force in the universe will stop us!"

  And with that, the warp energy vanished, as if it had never been there at all. The skies cleared, and the oppressive presence of Jugag faded, leaving only silence in its wake.

  In the far reaches of the warp, deep within the domain of Jugag, Zrakash’s soul hovered, trapped within the swirling energies of his god’s realm. Time flowed differently here—faster, more erratic. What would feel like thirty years in the material world would be mere days within Jugag’s domain.

  Around him, the Orks who had been pulled into the warp alongside him were already gathering. Jugag’s power would rebuild them, stronger and more savage than ever before. Zrakash’s spirit flickered with rage, knowing that his time to return would come soon.

  Jugag’s voice rumbled through the warp. "Zrakash, my warlord, rest now. When the time is right, you will recim your pce at the head of the WAAAGH! And this time, no one will stand in your way."

  The warlord’s soul simmered with anticipation. The Orks would return, and when they did, Gor'Zul Prime V would once again tremble under the might of the WAAAGH.

  But for now, they waited. Thirty mortal years would pass. And then the gaxy would hear their battle cries once more.

  Back in the material realm, Hariko Lee stood aboard his fgship, looking down at the now peaceful pnet below. The war had been won for the moment, but he knew it was only a temporary reprieve.

  "Thirty years," Hariko muttered. "We need to be ready when they come back. Because next time, they won’t stop until everything is crushed beneath them."

  The war for Gor'Zul Prime V was far from over, but for now, the gaxy could breathe—if only for a while.

  The war for Gor'Zul Prime V had been won, but victory did not come without its price. The blood spilled on both sides, the sheer destruction wrought by the Orks, and the immense financial cost to the Imperial forces left a scar across the sector that would st for generations.

  As the Imperial fleets regrouped and repair operations began, the commanding officers, led by Hariko Lee, sat in the grand war room aboard his fgship. The atmosphere was somber, and the walls were lined with holo-dispys of battle data, financial reports, and casualty counts.

  A mechanical voice began reciting the financial toll of the war, each number delivered with the cold detachment only a machine could offer.

  "Total expenditure in Martian Star Coins: 52,800,000,000 MSC."

  Hariko’s face remained expressionless as the figure appeared in the center of the room. He knew the cost would be astronomical, but hearing the final sum still sent a chill through him. The war effort had required not only immense firepower but also the mobilization of massive amounts of resources from across the Martian colonies, the Imperial core worlds, and the Elven territories.

  The breakdown of costs was dispyed:

  Ship Manufacturing and Maintenance: 22,000,000,000 MSC.Pnetary Defense and Ground Troop Armament: 8,700,000,000 MSC.Psma Exterminatus Rounds (including the final devastating blow that eradicated the Ork fleet): 6,000,000,000 MSC.Ammunition and Ordnance: 7,500,000,000 MSC.Logistical and Medical Support: 4,200,000,000 MSC.Warp Gate Usage and Warp Shielding: 4,400,000,000 MSC.Each figure brought with it a stark realization: the war for Gor'Zul Prime V had drained not only the lives of countless soldiers but the resources of entire star systems. The commitment to halting the Ork advance had been immense, and despite Jugag pulling his remaining forces into the warp, the Imperium and its allies knew that a long recovery y ahead.

  Hariko steeled himself as the casualty reports began to popute the holo-dispy, summarizing the losses on all sides.

  Imperial Guard Forces:

  Total Dead: 620,000.Wounded: 1,100,000.The brunt of the fighting had fallen on the Imperial Guard, who had thrown themselves into wave after wave of Ork assaults. Many regiments had been wiped out entirely, and others had suffered losses so severe that they were no longer combat-effective.Space Marines:

  Total Dead: 31,000.Wounded: 45,000.The elite of the Emperor’s forces, including the Norse Marines and the Space Raiders, had fought valiantly. Their superior armor and weaponry had kept them alive where lesser soldiers would have fallen, but even they had not escaped the fury of the Orks unscathed.Japanese Defense Force:

  Total Dead: 2,800.Wounded: 6,300.A smaller but formidable contingent, the Japanese Defense Force had been highly effective in strategic strikes, but they had also faced the relentless Ork onsught head-on. Their precision and tactics had saved many lives, but losses were still heavy.Sisters of Faith:

  Total Dead: 5,200.Wounded: 11,000.Kanna’s forces had fought with unwavering faith, their zealousness driving them into the thickest battles. The Sisters of Faith had stood against the Ork hordes, their belief in the Emperor fueling their determination, but even their faith could not shield them from death.Sisters of Repentance:

  Total Dead: 19,000.Wounded: 37,000.The Sisters of Repentance, driven by their desire to atone for past sins, had fought like the possessed. Their willingness to throw themselves into the most dangerous missions had been their undoing in many cases, and their numbers had been drastically reduced.Elven Marines:

  Total Dead: 78,000.Wounded: 100,000.The Elven Marines, known for their precision and ethereal weapons, had been indispensable in key moments of the battle. However, their lighter armor and reliance on speed had made them vulnerable during sustained engagements. Their losses were heavy, but their presence had been vital in turning the tide of the war.Then came the grim toll of the Orks.

  Ork Dead:

  Total Dead: Estimated at 2,000,000.Though no precise count was possible given the chaotic nature of Ork forces, the extermination of entire warbands had left their forces severely diminished. However, with the intervention of Jugag, many Orks had been pulled back into the warp before they could be destroyed completely.The Ork Trees—those twisted, malevolent growths that had spawned countless Ork warriors—had also been obliterated. But with Jugag’s intervention, the threat of the Orks remained ever-present. They would return, stronger and more numerous in thirty years.

  The final tally of the war was staggering. Over 750,000 dead on the side of the Imperium and its allies, with over two million Orks eradicated. The cost in Martian Star Coins was almost incomprehensible, and the psychic toll on those who had witnessed the warp energies unleashed by Jugag weighed heavily on the survivors.

  Hariko Lee stood before the war council, the weight of the war heavy on his shoulders. He had fought hard, spending over four million points from the Conscious System to bring back his lost forces, but even with the victory, the sense of impending doom hung over him.

  Hasako