"Fine."
Grey nodded in resignation, though he truly doubted there could still be civilians left in the settlement. After all, there were enemies inside—likely heretics, akin to the Zealots of the Cult of the Omnissiah. Even if they hadn't been slain by the heretics, the plague alone would have wiped them out. How could anyone have survived?
But since Fros believes there might be civilians, perhaps there truly are. After all, he is a Chapter Master.
"What are you proficient at?" Fros asked.
"I excel in destruction," Grey replied.
"Then you'd best stay out," Fros turned, gesturing for his squad to gather. His warriors, already prepared, assembled before him, awaiting orders.
Fros outlined a swift plan, instructing ten of his men to storm the settlement, search for civilians, and evacuate them.
Once the plan was laid out, Fros didn't just watch from afar; he led them forward.
It soon became clear that Fros' insistence on rescuing civilians was not without reason. The ten Astartes fanned out, infiltrating the settlement from various angles with startling speed and precision.
Grey couldn't fathom how the Astartes, clad in such heavy armor, could move so swiftly.
In a matter of moments, the Astartes reached the outskirts of the settlement and began infiltrating the buildings. This wasn't a covert operation; Fros never intended for it to be. The moment they breached the settlement, combat erupted with the inhabitants inside.
Fros himself scaled a two-story building. Before the enemy could react, he fired his boltgun, instantly eliminating foes that couldn't be dealt with in close combat. For the nearer enemies, his power spear pierced through them effortlessly.
Fros moved with astounding agility, dodging attacks as he stabbed with precision. Each thrust was not a mere show of brute strength but a calculated strike, aimed to ensure that with every blow, the maximum number of enemies were killed.
Whenever Fros impaled one foe, several others behind them would also fall, skewered on the same spear.
Although the power spear wasn't particularly long, Fros would drive it through the first enemy, forcing them into the second.
After dispatching all the enemies, Fros withdrew the spear from the final corpse, inspecting it. The weapon was one of the supplies gifted by Qin Mo, seemingly crafted from a metal akin to adamantium. Unfortunately, he had yet to figure out how to activate the power field, so the spear hadn't been used to its full potential in the recent battle.
Shifting his gaze from the weapon, Fros peered out the window. One of his men had just crashed through a wall and emerged, shaking his head as soon as he noticed the Chapter Master watching.
No further explanation was needed; Fros understood.
There were no civilians.
Fros sighed in resignation, raising his boltgun and firing at a distant building 200 meters away. The explosive round shot through the air, igniting in a secondary burst, and struck an enemy carrying a melta bomb. The target was obliterated, their body torn to shreds.
With one more threat eliminated, Fros pressed on, advancing alongside his subordinate through the settlement, gunning down any enemies they encountered. Whether crashing through windows or breaching walls, they chose the fastest route to the center of the settlement.
Eventually, Fros and the rest of his squad regrouped at the settlement's center. None of them had found civilians, confirming that the settlement was indeed devoid of any survivors.
Without delay, Fros ordered an immediate retreat, withdrawing just as a larger force of enemies began to muster.
"Impressive combat prowess," Grey remarked as Fros approached. He had heard Qin Mo speak of the Astartes' prowess, but witnessing it firsthand was something else entirely.
It wasn't just their sheer strength that was remarkable; their coordination and tactics were extraordinary.
Fros' initial plan may have seemed reckless, but their flawless execution proved their synergy was unmatched.
Grey couldn't help but wonder: if it had been him entering the settlement, he could have killed everyone inside even faster. But if he had been accompanied by fellow Custodians, they would have fought independently, each killing their own enemies without much coordination.
It was this lack of cohesion, Grey mused, that revealed the Custodians' greatest shortcoming compared to the Astartes.
"There were no civilians," Fros reported, then added, "The enemies wore flak armor, likely the local Planetary Defense Force. Their bodies bore strange runes, and they were severely afflicted by rot. The central building was essentially a morgue, filled with countless corpses, presumably civilians."
"Heretical cult?" Grey quickly surmised from Fros' description that the settlement had been overtaken by heretics.
It wasn't unusual for Planetary Defense Forces to fall to heresy—just like what had happened in the Talon system. The plague was undoubtedly linked to heretical forces.
After a brief consideration, Grey revisited their earlier debate. "See? I told you there wouldn't be any civilians."
"True, there weren't any this time," Fros acknowledged. "But what if there had been? What if a child had been crouched by the window, while heretics pounded on the door outside, screaming? What if that child had been waiting, hoping for someone to save them? If we had bombarded the settlement, that child would have perished faster than the heretics."
Grey nodded, understanding the rationale behind Fros' caution, though he still held faith in his own methods. "My armor had already scanned the settlement. It identifies all biological forms, distinguishing between friend and foe, civilian and enemy. So…"
Fros didn't fault Grey for his confidence in his gear, but he remained resolute in his stance. "Technology is never infallible. If it were to fail, you'd have to live with the consequences."
Grey expected this response. He chose not to debate the reliability of his gear—personally crafted by Qin Mo—and instead focused on the task at hand.
"Ogryns, step forward, face the settlement, and clench your right fists wrapped in your gauntlets. Your weapons will engage."
"Ratlings, take up sniping positions and eliminate any enemies fleeing the settlement. Don't let a single one escape."
After issuing these commands, Grey began walking toward the settlement that was about to be bombarded, extracting a bio-sample collector from his back. The device was identical to the one he'd used during the hive battle to gather material from the traitor chieftain.
"Loot knows how to fire! Loot's not dumb!" boomed the largest Ogryn as he moved forward, ready to rain destruction on the heretics.