Talif sensed something was wrong. As he glanced toward the comrade falling nearby, another Fire Warrior plummeted from the sky on his right.
Then—
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Three!
Four!
Five!
He couldn't see who was attacking them, but his comrades were dropping all around him like dumplings into a pot.
On the ground, the furious company commander, Vulkan, was already charging toward the fallen bodies.
He swung his hammer high!
The loyal son, heir to the mightiest physique of the Lord of Fire Dragons, raised the hammer forged by the Lord of Fire Dragons and brought down the full force of his fury and flame upon his wicked enemy.
Take that!
Boom!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The Xenos in the air were smashed beneath the Thunder Hammer in his hands. Each blow turned them into bursts of blood, armor and all.
But Vulkan still wasn't satisfied.
He swung his hammer at the Fire Warriors in the sky.
"Commander! Commander!"
"Bad news! The commander's gone berserk! Shield Guard, protect him!"
"You bastards! Get down here! I'll tear you to pieces! Get down here! Come on, you bastards!"
Vulkan grabbed the bodies on the ground and hurled them into the air.
The Tau Empire's Fire Warriors kept retreating as they searched the battlefield, trying to figure out who was attacking them.
"Commander! Something's changed on the battlefield! An unknown enemy is attacking us. Several of our comrades have been killed."
The Tau Empire's command room had noticed the situation as well. Some of the Tau Empire's Fire Warriors had been vaporized outright.
"The Drones are searching for the enemy. They've found them—a sniper hiding in the city. Be careful, they've got someone concealed in there. I'm sending you the coordinates."
"No, wait! It's not one. There are five of them. Watch your backs!"
After disembarking from the Battle Barge and surveying the battlefield, Cyrus immediately split his squad up.
The experienced veteran Cyrus knew that confronting the Tau Empire's Fire Warriors head-on would only squander their few advantages. Long-range shooting and flight were their specialties; without Imperial Guard and long-range fire support, range was their weakness.
Only a pincer attack—
Only then might they catch these Fire Warriors off guard.
The seasoned Cyrus didn't even have time to notify the Salamanders before swiftly laying out his plan. Talon would infiltrate the city alone and snipe at the Tau Empire troops from the highest point.
The rest would attack from the Tau Empire's drop zone.
He'd already observed that the Tau Empire's jetpacks couldn't sustain combat for long.
Once airborne, they'd become easy targets for Talon.
If they stayed on the ground, they'd have to face the Space Marines and the Salamanders Chapter in a ground battle.
And boarding actions were the kind of combat Space Marines excelled at.
What's more, their new Power Armor was a match for Terminator Armour, enough to withstand the enemy's laser weapons. As for their plasma weapons, they had force-field shields that could hold off the first few volleys.
In short, as soon as the enemy's jetpacks overloaded, they'd have to land.
And once they landed, the advantage was theirs!
The Tau Empire's Fire Warriors had just received their commander's orders and were hurriedly turning to watch their backs when they spotted a red figure behind a drop pod, one arm extended as he aimed a Bolter. No one knew how long he'd been hiding there.
The Bolter's muzzle was trained on them—the easy targets in the sky.
When the Tau Empire shifted its firepower, the Salamanders naturally noticed someone was helping them.
Amid the heat shimmering above the scorched earth, they spotted a figure in the distance, holding a Bolter aloft.
The Salamanders knew the Astartes had come to reinforce them.
"Reinforcements?"
"They actually sent reinforcements!"
"Brothers, follow the commander!"
They had only one chance, and it would be gone in an instant.
No words were needed; they understood each other's plan.
Their enemy was going to force the Xenos down. And when the Xenos landed, it would be their turn to take advantage.
"Strike missiles launched. Bombarding the sniper's position. Use your jetpacks and range to keep a safe distance from the enemy."
"Copy."
Whoosh!
A missile targeting Talon streaked across the sky among several other short-range missiles, tracing a series of fiery arcs.
"Talon, attacks are heading your way."
"Understood, Captain."
Boom!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The bombardment melted the forged Iron Fortress. Soldiers caught in the fighting were instantly vaporized in the explosions.
The blasts in the city did nothing to stop Cyrus's squad from advancing.
Auto Bolt Rifles and Kinetic Pistols spat out dense volleys toward the Fire Warriors in the sky.
But the Tau Empire's bombardment hadn't taken out their enemy sniper.
Their warriors were still falling.
"Pathetic bombardment!"
Talon moved through the bombed-out area, constantly searching for a better firing position.
"Commander, the enemy sniper is still active."
"Despicable Xenos!"
"Shas'vre, our jetpacks are overloaded. We need time to cool down."
"Cunning humans. Send the Stinger Bees and Drones to the front to hold them off!"
"But the Drones can't intercept their bullets."
"Everything for the Greater Good!"
"Drones, activate shield mode and get in front of the warriors! Stinger Bees, tie them up!"
"Deploy the Hammerhead vehicles, Razorshark attack drones, and XV8 Crisis Battlesuits."
The Drones had a mode that formed a force-field shield, protecting the Fire Warriors nearby.
The XV8 Crisis Battlesuit was a kind of Tau Empire "Gundam."
Like a Dreadnought chassis.
It usually stood 2.8 meters tall, while modified models could exceed 3.4 meters.
The Battlesuit was advanced equipment that combined sturdy defenses with powerful firepower, multiplying fire support dozens or even hundreds of times. It also came with a force-field shield, Drone controller, and advanced targeting assistance. In major battles, the Tau Empire deployed them in large numbers to match the Imperial Primaris Space Marines.
These suits, controlled by multiple people, often proved decisive on the battlefield.
[Warning, overload]
[Warning, overload]
The Fire Warriors' jetpacks were about to overload. They knew that once they hit the ground, they'd be fighting on their enemy's terms. So they unleashed volleys of laser and neutron rounds toward Cyrus's squad, pinning them down.
Most of the shots were meant to cover the Fire Warriors' retreat to a safer position.
Cyrus's squad relied on their new equipment to withstand the enemy's hail of bullets and shells as they fought back against the Tau Empire.
"Captain Cyrus, they've dropped in more weapons!"
Amid the barrage, Cyrus even had to draw his melee weapon to strike at the Stinger Bees trying to ambush them.
Strike.
Kill.
Raise his gun.
Fire.
Keep advancing through the hail of bullets.
A giant Battlesuit fell from the sky.
It crashed down in front of Cyrus's squad and the Salamanders.
The Xenos were determined to take this planet.
"Talon, disable those big ones."
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