Battle Begins

"Launch an augur satellite. We need the enemy's exact position." The officers at the battalion command post regarded information as life itself. Given the means, they would never pass up any opportunity to gather intelligence.

The soldiers joined together two rocket-launcher-like cylinders and fired an augur satellite into the sky.

Since they could not simulate planetary orbit, Oedmeir could only have the augur satellite operate above the ruins of the hive city.

Data from across the battlefield rapidly flowed into the battalion command post. On the holographic tactical table, they could see the movements of the entire combat battalion as well as the enemy's activities.

"That thing is watching us..." Hope spotted the rising augur satellite. Though he had never seen such a device before, he could tell its purpose from the radar array mounted on it.

He ordered the troops to keep advancing, using the hive city's complex structure to conceal their positions. The Lamenters in the reconnaissance squad aimed at the augur satellite, loading armor-piercing explosive rounds inscribed with prayers.

There was absolutely no chance of missing. Once they fired, they would hit.

Bang.

The augur satellite did not fall under the armor-piercing explosive round's attack. A pale white shield rose and blocked the shot.

Fragments of the armor-piercing explosive round drifted down from the sky, carried away by the wind as though mocking the Lamenters.

The Lamenters' Javelin Attack Speeder flew toward the augur satellite. These swift vehicles, equipped with anti-gravity thrusters, were precious relics of the Chapter, but in Perturabo's eyes, such light vehicles were nothing particularly complex or valuable.

The Javelin Attack Speeder streaked through the air at tremendous speed. The missile pods on both sides locked onto the augur satellite. Out of respect for this unknown technological construct, the pilot fired four powerful missiles,