19 Chapter 18

Konrad POV:

"In one battle, we have made it halfway I to their caverns and learned much about this species of xenos. The mortal forces have taken the most damage, my lord, and your sons and nephews have taken significant damage to their gear lest we suffer in future campaigns." stated an intelligence officer of my legion.

leaning back, I'm my command throne. I sigh at the out of lost sons and mortals in a single battle dreading the cost of blood that the heresy will no doubt entail.

"How goes the stasis weapon project, and what's the current time till completion?" I ask

" A year is our current estimate, my lord," responded my lead engineer

"And the gauss rifles?"

"As far as bolters, we can only use canisters that release the energy on impact and seem to be quite effective on armor and structures. We have developed a smaller version of a gauss cannon its so far only available to the astartes due to its size and weight but in time it should be able to reach mortal hands weather as a support gun or an emplaced weapon. The prototype rifles for the mortals seem to be a success but have a few setbacks with energy leakage and become unstable with any damage along with the cells holding the energy being a bit fragile, but all can be fixed in time. We have also found plenty of new tech from the xenos library." Answered the lead egineer.

"What have you found, and what benefits does it bring our campaign?"

"Well, my lord, it seems they lack heat shielding for most of their weapons, so perhaps equipping our units with thermal sights could help reduce ambushes. We also have, thanks to this tech learned how to rapidly age time, but it takes so much energy that it's not even worth it with our current abilities, but with this insight we have learned a few routes to success in making stasis weaponry and so far we can slow thing down to half their original speed. This may be beneficial to our astartes units, but it would barely help the human units due to their reaction times being so different."

"Very well, any stasis bombs we can equip for astartes units need to be tested in our next skirmish with hope it shall be the last." I give an order sending the egineer away.

"Comms officer send over the stasis bomb blueprints to my brother we shall see what he can do with its design," I order

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Days Later 3rd Person POV:

The tunnels shake as explosions rip across the subterranean battlefield. thousands of glowing eyes became the new nightmare for the fowl xenos as the prey found a way to constantly spot them, making hit and run attack no longer viable, forcing them into defensive tactic to take its place. With their time eroding, fire suppressing even the most brave of astartes but would return with baleful gree. light that even their effect on time couldn't stop from devouring their flesh, usually setting them ablaze in green fire.

This war became a ranged battle the moment stasis bombs were deployed, and with the help of the Iron legion, it was further developed to make its targets a quarter of its original speed for about a minute. Plenty of time, even for base humans to react and kill the enemy. Both primarchs put their heads together over this weaponry, making many variants ranging from grenades to trip mines.

It was over this final battle that the bonds of brotherhood formed between primarch and legion alike with barbarus and sevatarion becoming battle brothers over their more realistic outlook on battle. A for the primarchs they bonded over the creation of weapons and the respect of acknowledging each others' achievements as perturabo became less bitter with every interaction.

It was the final push that was most deadly as the enemy gathered in one final spot, but with only one entrance about the size of a bus, it would be difficult to enter.

In a command tent not far from the enemy resides the primarchs and the first captain of the night lords and the favored son of perturabo Barburus.

"We can't stagnate, but we also can't risk too many conventional explosives due to how close we are to the planet core. If we overdo it, we could doom a planet of every being used by humanity, " stated konrad

"Have u seen any visions of a better course of action, brother? If it requires something, I'm sure I can craft it." Asked perturabo

"Yes, I have, but it would require time for us to build up a significant amount of stasis grenades." Konrad answered

"Perpahps, father, we could strategically set off what stasis weapons we have to make a null zone where the enemies can't fire due to the cancelation of their effects, making their ranged fire useless?" Barburus offered

"I agree it would be a sound strategy and would rather humiliate the xenos." State sevatar with a cruel laugh

"Your sons are rather sadistic brother."Stated perturabo with a small smirk

"And yours are rather cold and robotic. At least they were before they started interacting with my sons, making them a bit more human. "shot back konrad with a full smile, revealing his sharp teeth.

As the room filled with banter back and forth after the order to stock pile enough, stasis grenades were given. The banter between the two forces eventually became quite normal over the final wait for equipment, especially with the xenos cowardly hiding in their hole.

It was during the advance that problems arrose for when they crossed the threshold the enemy wasn't on even ground but on the floor and ceiling. if it wasn't for the stasis weapons nullifying their fire, a lot of the attack force would have been wiped out. The night lords attacked the one on the ground using gauss bolts while the iron legion aimed for those on the ceiling with high explosive rounds, bringing down xeno and their fighting positions down upon the heads of their fellows bellow them.

At the end of the battle their were many cheers among both legions.

With konrad smilingly turning to his brother before asking, "Which migration will we hunt next brother?"

With a smirk, the iron primarch states, "Them all brother, with our new information and war strategy we shall wipe them from existence to forever protect humanity"

"And I shall make sure our brothers know just what danger they avoided. Can you imagine how much damage would have befallen our other brothers should they have fought these xenos?" Asks Konrad

"Some would be devastated with the lack of mele combat like our brothers Ferris and Angron," responded Perturabo with a growing smile

It was as they shook hands that they next set off to the next engagement of the enemy, leading them to a frozen ice world called Tau Volantis, but their fight may unearth a xenos even worse than the hrud.

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Hi Author here

Sorry for the slow update. I was starting another story due to an act of the moment idea and wanted to start it before I forgot it.

As for what the next chapter will have, well the hint will be the planet name and to those who figure it out no it won't effect the space marines mentally I just realize even though the hrrud are a great threat the full might of two legions would absolutely crush them so I thought I would throw in a more eldritch threat that would could damage them but not doom the galaxy.