Amid the fierce fighting, the Defense Force began to suffer casualties as well. This was several times more difficult than their last boarding action against the Imperium fleet! The military forces the nobles had kept hidden were also steadily being exposed under the Defense Force's relentless pressure.
It turned out that whenever the nobles of each planet paid their tithes to the Imperium, they selected some of the truly elite soldiers from those being handed over and offered them generous pay to recruit them. As for any shortfall in the number of soldiers required for the tithe, they simply recruited and trained civilians to make up the difference.
Many soldiers who did not wish to leave their home planets took the opportunity to stay behind. Serving the nobles was a highly lucrative job.
Even if the governor noticed this, he could only turn a blind eye. After all, the Departmento Munitorum enforcers under his command and the troops used to suppress rebellions were recruited in exactly this way. If he tried to stop it, he would offend a great many nobles.
Thus, every noble had amassed a large number of elite veterans. Combined with the nobles' willingness to spend heavily on fine weapons and equipment for them, these elite veterans, under noble command, could temporarily clash with the Defense Force's soldiers without even falling behind.
Whenever the battle turned against them, they directly sent out mechanical laborers and Ecclesiarchy fanatics to launch suicidal attacks against the Defense Force. Under this mode of warfare, the industrial city's noble coalition barely held back the Defense Force's advance.
However, the Defense Force possessed more advanced technology and better-trained soldiers after all. They quickly adapted to the situation and launched a savage counterattack.
Although the nobles' slight numerical advantage placed some pressure on the