Within the bridge of the Celestial Engine, Qin Mo, though far away in the Talon System, controlled a crafted living-metal shell that allowed him to personally open a dimensional passage, summoning Thal quickly to his side on the bridge. Qin Mo stood with Grey Yao'en and Thal, observing the unfolding galactic conflict displayed in the holographic projection.
Their fleet surged forth from dimensional space, with destroyers and frigates leading swiftly, followed by the slower cruisers and battleships, which, upon exit, promptly positioned themselves at the fleet's vanguard. Though the Talon Navy had yet to form a cohesive battle formation, the same could be said for the Chaos fleet. The Black Legion's flagship, *Vengeful Soul*, and the Plague Fleet's *End of Days* advanced, with two Blackstone Fortresses abandoning their assault on Cadia to instead converge with their own fleet.
The speed of these Blackstone Fortresses astonished Qin Mo, as they seemed almost reanimated. Recalling Uslan's earlier warning, it was inevitable that the Celestial Engine would clash with these ominous fortresses.
"All weapons arrays, target the Blackstone Fortresses," Qin Mo commanded, eyes fixed on them. Obeying instantly, the stone constructs controlling the Celestial Engine aimed every weapon array upon the fortresses, with each already halfway charged.
Grey observed the Blackstone Fortresses intently, unfamiliar with this ancient weapon. He noticed the *Conqueror* had escaped to the Warp, yet other enemy vessels had chosen to remain. *Conqueror* had surely relayed the Engine's power to its allies, yet they stayed—a courage likely instilled by the fortresses' presence.
"Is this hexagram-shaped construct truly formidable?" Grey inquired, curious.
Qin Mo, recalling he hadn't explained the fortresses to anyone, nodded, eyes still on them. "A Blackstone Fortress can obliterate a planet with ease and can interlink with others, amplifying their power. With three, the entire star system would fall."
"The Talon Lord speaks truth," Thal affirmed.
"Such… insanity?" Grey was astonished, initially having thought the fortresses merely large orbital defense platforms.
Qin Mo's gaze hardened as he devised his strategy. If the Celestial Engine could quickly destroy the Blackstone Fortresses, it would be ideal. If not, they might attempt a planetary assault on Cadia amidst the Engine's engagement. Even in that scenario, the issue was minor—the Celestial Engine's teleportation systems were already set across Cadia, and the Talon Army and Titans within the Engine stood ready to aid the Cadian Shock Troops. The Engine itself could deploy hyper-dimensional domes over the planet's poles, an unpleasant surprise intended for Abaddon.
"Weapon arrays fully charged!"
The alert jolted Qin Mo from his thoughts as he refocused on the holographic display. The dual-satellite constructs orbiting the planetary core of the Celestial Engine accelerated, and as the first construct aligned with the Blackstone Fortresses, it unleashed its firepower. The energy of countless particle lances fused into a single, colossal beam capable of shattering planets. Its crimson brilliance illuminated the entire system, casting an ominous red across Cadia and nearby worlds alike.
The fortress *Will Eternal* raised a shield instantly—a shield unlike void or ion barriers, appearing instead as a rapidly rotating maelstrom of Warp energy encircling the fortress. This barrier's activation took even the Black Legion crew by surprise, unaware of this capability.
The beam seemed to strike an invisible wall as the swirling Warp energy gradually dissipated the particle lance's energy. The space surrounding the fortress fractured like glass. Yet, the shield was not invulnerable—the monumental energy of the beam seeped through, cracking portions of the fortress's obsidian hull.
Meanwhile, the other Blackstone Fortress retaliated, its warp cannon unleashing a torrent of Warp energy at the Celestial Engine's planetary core, as if aware of its target's vulnerable core. The shield absorbed most of the attack, while residual force rippled out, activating secondary shields across the satellite constructs.
Another orbit brought the second construct in line with the attacking Blackstone Fortress. Fully charged, it fired upon the fortress, causing the collision of matter and Warp energy to release an invisible shockwave that reverberated across both fleets. The Chaos ships were swept back, colliding where they drifted too close, while Talon vessels braced, shields pushed to their limits.
This clash of titanic weapons impacted more than the fleets; it also shook the system, with Warp rifts fluctuating in size. Plague Fleet members blessed by Nurgle suffered particularly severe effects, their warp-sustained, pustule-covered bodies oscillating between strength and frailty, limbs falling and reforming.
Following this exchange, the satellite construct's particle lances dimmed, beginning to recharge, as did the Blackstone Fortress's shield and cannon. Each weapon now prepared for a second round in this deadly duel.
"If not for that rift…" Thal gestured toward the distant Warp tear displayed on the system's edge. "The Val amulet would have been obliterated."
Qin Mo nodded in full agreement. The rift resembled a miniature Eye of Terror; the larger the rift, the stronger the Warp's influence and the more potent its psychic forces. The Blackstone Fortresses, drawing from Warp energy, only grew more formidable under its effect.
"This must be a byproduct of their ritual," Qin Mo remarked grimly, eyeing the rift. He had speculated extensively about the ritual's outcome, considering the worst—that all Cadian Gate worlds would be transformed into Daemon worlds. In the end, that colossal sacrifice only yielded this localized Eye of Terror.
Yet, considering that the full Eye had once cleaved the Imperium itself into two, to manifest even a miniature version within a star system was already unfathomably extreme.