The third day of the exercise, 9:45 in the morning
plain of terrocles
His name is Lucian Shiros, 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 anything that had been embedded in him from the first days of training, it was that there was only one thing - to obey orders no matter what.
The intermittent firelight illuminated the mountains on the other side of the plain, emitting a harsh, pale light.
Bright flame streamers are like fluorescent pink teardrops, leaving burning traces in the night sky.
The retreat from the fortress was long and arduous. The attackers were ruthless and the dogged pursuit made matters worse.
Those warriors who play the role of 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 have to face ten times the number of enemies.
This is the purpose of this exercise.
He doesn't know how the war is progressing in other areas. All he knows is the dynamics of the war around him. It may be a simulation, or it may be a drill by a certain army.
But no matter what, they seemed isolated and helpless.
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 pre-prepared defensive circle of servitors, bunkers and artillery positions.
Lucian jumped up and picked up his pistol from the rock beside him.
He ran through the ready checkpoints and quickly and safely reached his headquarters, all the while conceiving of new defensive strategies.
The Terrocles Plain is generally undefeable, and only the Talis Hills where they are located can be considered a position with geographical advantages.
The Talis Hills wind through this barren plain like a curved spine. Each spine has a curved mound, and each crack has a series of corrugated valleys, which interact with each other.
Create a hidden valley.
This was terrain that was easily defended but difficult to attack, and every idea of invasion relied on high ramparts and their associated forts.
But those assumptions never considered an enemy with overwhelming numerical superiority.
Under his feet was a sloping wall made of compacted gravel and rapidly solidifying rock concrete, sealing the valley with a series of strong fortresses 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 unbelievable.
The valley grew wider and deeper, its wings blasted, dug, drilled, and scooped out, creating a criss-crossing series of earthworks.
His tank battalion had been transferred from here less than half a day ago. At that time, the valley floor was still flat and deserted, and the rocks were 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 be able to stop most enemies.
But Lucian knew that this was not enough.
The enemy not only has a numerical advantage, but the firepower standard given by the drill 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 directly wiped out by artillery fire.
If he hadn't been cautious and kept holding the armored battalion in his hand, the armored battalion would probably have also crashed in.
But even so, he paid a huge price before withdrawing from the front line.
It was a difficult retreat, with the enemy's forward troops pressing on them every step of the way.
Lucian was unwilling to let the enemy maintain the initiative, but the enemy's sheer power 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 for victory 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 sides were 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 as the supreme commander on the battlefield, Lucian still has sufficient command flexibility.
Suddenly, he saw Captain Kent Ruspel 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 immediately turned around and beat his chest with his fist - the Chapter's internal salute.
"They've had a lot of activity around the defence, but there's no sign yet that they're going to attack right away."
As he spoke, Kent put his hands straight at his sides, as if he were standing on a parade ground instead of a battlefield.
"Captain, there is no need to be so formal."
Kent nodded and changed to a more relaxed posture.
"I can see that you are eager to fight now."
Lucian said as he wiped away the rough mountain dust from the silvery surface of his breastplate.
"Yes, sir."
Kent replied, staring at a point 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 a few days of observation, he noticed that although these enemies had certain tactics, they most often executed them very recklessly. The reconnaissance 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. 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.
Taken together, all these characteristics make him think of an alien—