The third day of the exercise, 9:45 a.m.
plain of terrocles
His name is Lucian Xiros, and he belongs to the Fourth Armored Regiment of the Astral Knights Auxiliary Army. He is also the spearhead of the ground auxiliary force of the Chapter.
But today is different. Today he will play defender.
This made him uneasy, but there was nothing he could do as the orders came directly from the Chapter Master.
If there was one thing that had been built into him from those first days of training, it was the unwavering obedience of orders, no matter what.
The intermittent firelight illuminated the mountains beyond the plain with a harsh, pale glow.
Bright flame streamers, like fluorescent pink teardrops, leave burning traces in the night sky.
The retreat from the fort was long and arduous, made worse by the relentless and dogged pursuit of the attackers.
Those warriors who play the enemy are like piranhas following the smell of blood in the water. They never give up, never let go, and never stop attacking once the battle begins.
What's more important is quantity. As defenders, they must face ten times the number of enemies.
This is the purpose of this exercise.
He didn't know how the war was progressing in other areas. All he knew was the dynamics of the war around him. It might be a simulation, or it might also be a drill by a certain army.
However, they appear to be alone.
In the drill the day before, Fortress No. 11 held out until the last person was judged to have fallen, long enough for most of them to escape and retreat to the defensive circle prepared in advance by servitors, bunkers and artillery positions.
Lucian jumped to his feet and picked up his pistol from the rock beside him.
He ran through ready checkpoints and quickly reached safety at his headquarters, all the while conceiving of new defensive strategies.
The Terrocles Plain was generally undefensible, and only the Talis Hills where they were located could be regarded as a position with geographical advantages.
The Talis Hills wind like a curved spine across this barren plain. Each spine has a curved mound, and each crack has a series of corrugated valleys, which interact with each other. forming hidden valleys.
This was terrain that was easily defended but difficult to attack, and every idea of invasion relied on high ramparts and their connecting bastions.
But those assumptions never considered an enemy with overwhelming numerical superiority.
Below him was a sloping wall of compacted gravel and rapidly setting rock concrete, sealing off the valley with a series of fortified bastions and fortresses.
Lucian was no stranger to the speed and completeness with which the Adeptus Mechanicus sculpted landscapes, but the sight before him was still mind-boggling.
The valley grew wider and deeper, its wings blasted, dug, drilled, and scooped out to create a criss-crossing series of earthworks.
His tank battalion had been transferred from here less than half a day ago, when the valley floor had been flat and deserted, the rocks dyed dark green by tenacious lichen.
All was gone now; the valley now resembled a quarry that had been mined for decades, and the engineers cleverly built the fortress out of available materials and deployed heavy firepower to fill trenches that had not existed ten hours ago. .
This seems to stop most enemies.
But Lucian knew that was not enough.
The enemy not only has a numerical advantage, but the firepower standard given by the exercise department is also terrifying. The opponent's heavy artillery is almost as many as their machine guns!
On the first day of defense, nearly three of his companies were wiped out by direct artillery fire.
If he hadn't been cautious and kept holding the armored battalion in his hand, otherwise the armored battalion would probably have crashed in.
But even so, he withdrew from the front line at a huge cost.
It was a difficult retreat, with the enemy's forward troops pressing on them every step of the way.
Lucian was unwilling to allow his enemy to maintain the initiative, but the sheer power of his enemy forced him to do so.
The infantrymen who were still on the drill schedule got a temporary respite and rested behind the high wall. Lucian passed directly through them.
When he passed through the position and came under a shadow, he felt relieved again.
They are his magic weapon to win and his last resort to turn the tide of the war.
The huge metal body was gray-brown, with a huge-caliber main gun and various secondary weapons installed on it. Its side was decorated with the Empire's Sky Eagle emblem and the emblem of the Astral Knights.
An entire battalion of Malcador heavy tanks was deployed behind the defensive wall.
As part of the exercise, a series of battle rules and orders were issued from distant Chapter headquarters, setting strict guidelines for each company's actions throughout the battlefield.
But Lucian, as the supreme commander on the battlefield, still has sufficient command flexibility.
Suddenly, he saw Captain Kent Truspel standing on the steps, listening to the scout's reconnaissance report. There were some light armored vehicles in the armored battalion. These vehicles usually accompanied the tanks in combat and generally accepted the command of the tank commander.
"Any sign, Captain."
Lucian walked over.
Kent turned immediately and beat his chest with his fist, the Chapter salute.
"They've had a lot of activity around the defence, but there's been no sign yet that they're looking to attack right away."
As he spoke, Kent held his hands straight at his side, as if he were standing on a parade ground rather than a battlefield.
"Captain, there is no need to be so formal."
Kent nodded, shifting into a more relaxed stance.
"I can see you're eager to fight now."
Lucian said as he wiped the rough mountain dust from the silver surface of his breastplate.
"Yes, sir."
Kent replied, staring at a spot on his right shoulder.
"We were born to attack."
"You are absolutely right, Captain. It would be great if the Chapter Master had a naysayer like you beside him."
"I mean it, sir."
"Me too."
Lucian answered as he climbed up the steps guarding the wall and stared down the mountain.
Kent followed him faithfully, standing by his side, ready to carry out any order he gave.
Although he couldn't see them, Lucian knew that the enemy's large forces were probing the hills, looking for weaknesses in the defense line.
However, after these few days of observation, he noticed that although these enemies had certain tactics, they most often executed them very recklessly. The investigation was only limited to discovering heavy firepower points, and there would be a very protracted process before passing by. .
During the attack, it will become quite chaotic, and the coordination of infantry and artillery is extremely poor. It is often determined that serious artillery fire damage will be caused to one's own side, and vehicles will often move among the infantry groups.
All these features combined, it is difficult not to remind him of an alien
Greenskin.
