Chapter 138: Into the Jersey Sector (Patreon)

General Wendell’s holographic image floated steadily in the air. His rock-hewn face showed no obvious emotion, but his sharp eyes narrowed slightly, as though he were assessing some ancient weapon of unknown origin that had only just been unearthed.

“Good,” he finally said. His voice was as steady as a mountain, carrying a faint echo across the bridge. “Since you are so confident, the logistics department will prepare everything for you according to the submitted requisition form.”

Wendell did not lose his temper.

As the Commander-in-Chief of the expeditionary force, getting angry over such a trivial matter would have been beneath him.

If this eccentric “Helldiver Legion” could truly achieve impressive victories while equipped in such an unconventional manner, he would have no hesitation in praising them.

But if they suffered a crushing defeat—or worse, caused even greater trouble—it would not be too late to convene a military tribunal and deal with them accordingly.

Besides, if an Astra Militarum regiment truly managed to lose that badly, Wendell probably would not even need to concern himself with the punishment personally.

“Then I shall thank you in advance for your diligent efforts on behalf of our Helldiver soldiers.”

Ghostface bowed slightly.

He possessed a peculiar talent. Somehow, even the most sincere compliment that came out of his mouth always carried a subtle, almost imperceptible hint of sarcasm.

It was extremely unpleasant to listen to.

“Just doing my job,” Wendell replied expressionlessly, clearly unmoved. “If you truly wish to thank me, then deal with those xenos properly on the battlefield.”

He paused briefly before continuing.

“Now, follow the navigation beacon’s instructions and enter the designated spaceport berth for docking.”

With that, General Wendell’s holographic image flickered and dissolved into countless points of light, disappearing without another unnecessary word.

“I suppose that means we’ve successfully joined?” Ghostface turned around and spread his hands toward the captain, who had remained standing attentively beside him.

“I suppose… probably, sir.”

The captain answered cautiously, his eyes fixed straight ahead.

“Ugh… this is too hasty.”

Ghostface could not help complaining.

“The simplicity of this process is even more irresponsible than when my parents sent me to that private sanatorium.”

The captain wisely chose not to respond.

His gaze remained fixed ahead, his expression solemn, as though all of his attention had been absorbed by the endless expanse of stars beyond the bridge windows.

With no one answering him, Ghostface immediately became bored.

He began idly pacing around the bridge, his tactical boots making soft tap, tap sounds against the deck.

After all, he was not yet crazy enough to start talking to himself just to have someone to converse with.

Unfortunately, he was currently the highest-ranking commander on board. And according to the game’s rules, he could not simply log off whenever he wanted. He had to keep his character online and ensure that his body remained in good health.

Fortunately, he did not have to wait long.

Ghostface and his group seemed to have arrived at an especially fortunate time. After spending only three days of real-world time docked at the orbital spaceport, they received their next orders.

Weigh anchor.

Set course for the Jersey Sector.

Ghostface immediately announced the news to all the players aboard the ship.

In an instant, players who had been eagerly anticipating scenes of grand battleships and star-sea bombardments became excited. They poured out from every corner of the vessel and crowded toward the bridge, each trying to secure the best possible “viewing spot.”

The once solemn and dignified bridge quickly became as crowded and noisy as a marketplace.

The dutiful NPC crew members could only frown deeply and endure it in silence.

But Ghostface did not care.

And since he was the commander, they naturally did not dare complain.

Unfortunately, the excitement did not last long.

Some players who were more knowledgeable about the setting soon pointed out that this expedition was part of the Damocles Crusade against the T’au, and that the Jersey Sector was merely an outpost rather than part of the T’au Empire’s core territories.

There was a very high chance that there would not be any decent space battles here at all.

The news poured over the players like a bucket of cold water.

Their enthusiasm quickly evaporated.

One by one, they dispersed, leaving the bridge to gradually return to its usual tranquility.

As it turned out, the players’ predictions were correct.

When the massive Imperial fleet tore through reality, emerging from a bloody Warp rift and descending upon the outer reaches of the Jersey Sector with overwhelming force, the fierce resistance everyone had anticipated simply never came.

Under the shadow of the Imperial fleet, the entire sector almost immediately returned to the Emperor’s rule.

There were two main reasons for this astonishingly smooth victory.

First, the Imperium was truly enraged this time.

A border sector had openly defied Imperial taxation under the influence of xenos. That had crossed a genuine red line for the high echelons of Terra.

Spurred on by the Ecclesiarchy, the Imperium assembled a truly terrifying expeditionary force.

The ground assault forces alone included the Ultramarines, the Scythes of the Emperor, the Iron Hands, the Black Templars, the White Scars, and the Raven Guard—a total of six renowned Astartes Chapters.

Behind them came twenty Astra Militarum regiments drawn from Cadia, Krieg, and other worlds, along with elite Storm Trooper formations.

Faced with such overwhelming military power, a fringe sector was practically helpless.

Even a comparatively weak xenos civilization would have been crushed beneath the Imperium’s heel.

Second, the Jersey Sector was not part of the T’au Empire’s core territory.

Only a handful of T’au diplomatic missions and commercial organizations had established themselves there. There was no significant organized T’au military presence.

As a result, the Imperial fleet’s thunderous assault never actually encountered the main armed forces of the T’au Empire.

However, despite taking the sector almost without bloodshed, the Imperial fleet did not immediately continue its advance.

The reason was simple.

Logistics.

If the Imperium intended to push deeper into T’au territory, the Jersey Sector first had to be transformed into a stable and reliable logistics hub and forward staging ground.

From a purely military perspective, that meant thoroughly eliminating every potential source of instability.

From a political perspective, however, the situation was even more serious.

These people had dared to collude with xenos and openly defy Imperial taxation.

That was no longer an ordinary rebellion.

The Imperium had to strike hard.

With blood and fire, it would deliver an unforgettable lesson—not only to the people of the Jersey Sector, but to anyone else who might harbor thoughts of coveting Imperial territory.

Thus, the War Council aboard the flagship quickly reached a decision.

The massive Astra Militarum forces would be deployed across the various planets of the Jersey Sector to eliminate all resistance forces, xenos sympathizers, and potential threats.

And, of course, this operation included Ghostface and the Helldiver Legion under his command.

The landing craft descended with a heavy metallic thud, docking securely with the spaceport’s berthing platform.

The thick hatch slowly opened with a hiss of escaping steam.

Beyond it lay a brightly illuminated hangar, bustling with activity.

The soldiers of the Helldiver Legion—or, more accurately, the players—began filing out one after another, their eyes darting curiously across their new surroundings.