023.83 43M
2300/3000
System- Adulon
Planet- Dragus
Sector- N/A
In geostationary orbit above Baddeus sector, upon defence system Incantus.
"Fire at will!" Came the order; the disembodied voice of gunner superior Degan from Dermos' speakers.
The noise travelled from the speakers into his inner ear, where its convoluted spiral pattern separated individual vibrations in the air and organised them into recognizable noises. The information gathered in this way travelled through into the brain, where, through its stockpile of information, recognized and interpreted the meaning, context, source, and information from that noise, and upon interpretation, the brain sent hyper fast electrical signals through the nerves of the body, tightening and focusing the muscles and bones specifically in the hand region.
Dermos pushed the button.
When the button was pressed, electrical signals of a different sort flew through the circuit board of the firing control, and instigated yet another chain reaction. Las-batteries were heated. Autolocking mechanisms connected the batteries to the energy receptors of the enormous starkiller-pattern lascannon, which extended out of its holding chamber and extended into the void. The energy now being given off by the primed batteries was collected and stored within the energy-focusing primary chamber of the starkiller. Dermos engaged the targeting mechanism, keeping an eye on the long-range auspex and checking coordinates at incredible speed so as to prevent impacting upon friendly targets. The targeting system checked and double-checked the coordinates, and Dermos saw a green light flash on his targeting screen.
He flipped the switch and pulled the trigger.
Through a complicated series of mechanical ingenuity, this built-up and now-focused energy exploded outwards through the barrel of the gun, and this lance of caustic and massively destructive energy sped towards the pinpoint coordinates.
Immediately upon firing, cooling mechanisms pumped coolant into the areas around the white-hot barrel of the cannon, and small correctional thrusters on the station's underside fired to counter the gun's recoil.
The lance of white-red energy flew through the cold, airless, soundless void, cooling as it went. But travelling at the speed of light, it would not disappear for a few hundred thousand kilometres, and anything in its way would melt and evaporate instantly into superheated gas within a millisecond.
The red beam struck the kracken bioship in its ventral chitin, tearing into its gut with unholy fury. The exoskeleton curled and melted inwards where the beam struck, the resin that covered it which enabled tyranid biomonstrosities to survive in space not being designed to survive the heat of three suns. Multiple layers of structural muscle blackened and burned apart. The beam passed through the kraken's stomach, where thousands upon thousands of tyranid organisms bred for ground warfare were annihilated while they hibernated within their mycetic landing spores, while the intestinal corridors around them evaporated. The beam then passed through the second layer of muscles on the other side of the body, and rent through the chitinous layer opposite without any loss in power since being fired.
Entrails, tyranid ground organisms, and organic excreta shot out through the gaping holes in the wounded thing's sides, and its exposed insides, supposed to be sealed from the gaping void outside, superfroze within moments, as the kraken convulsed in pain and died.
One more tyranid monstrosity wiped out by a complicated series of chain reactions within the space of five seconds, from the time it took for the gunner superior to voice his message to the time it took for the red beam connect to the kraken beast.
In the space around Dermos, still safely locked into the gun's control harness, and focused singlemindedly only upon his task, raised a hand to his commbead and tapped it.
"Confirmed kill."
The space around Dragus boiled and thrashed; living biomonstrosities locked in mortal combat with unmoving, unfeeling, yet no less alive capital ships, both of battle fleets Gargantum and Domorra. For now, the outcome is but a distant notion, and any and all thoughts of the eventual outcome are uncertain and distant. For now, everyone only has one thing in their minds; surviving for the present.
The Incantus battle station has seen active defense service since 40M, and survives doggedly, with a remarkable absence of damage considering its position perilously close to the battlefront. It has made the tyranids pay for every spore to intrude on its ward planet with fire from the depths of its many starkiller-pattern lascannons. Inquisitor Magenty has commandeered it as a command station, and commended its crew for their tireless and persistent vigil.