Iax paid no attention to the fighting outside the compartment.
It walked to the doorway at its own pace, casually picked up the corpse of a Sister of Battle, and performed a habitual Biological Scan.
The entire sequence was practiced and smooth.
Iax did this almost every time it encountered an unfamiliar Imperial unit.
But the results hardly ever deviated from its predictions.
This was not a human either. At least, not a human whose genes matched the records in its ancient database.
Having reached its conclusion, Iax tossed the Sister's mangled corpse aside like garbage.
Blood sprayed from the ruined body as it flew, then splashed across the floor when it struck.
That act once again provoked the nearby Sisters beyond endurance.
"What an insult! What blasphemy!"
Their minds consumed by rage, the Sisters of Battle forced another attack. This time, however, their target shifted from the Bodyguard at the doorway to Iax.
On both sides of the passage, Sisters hefted heavy combat shields to withstand the Neutron Beams as they tried to close in.
The shield-reinforced Bodyguard had no other means of attack. By the time three Neutron Beams shattered a combat shield on one side, the Sisters on the other had already reached its flank.
The Bodyguard could not switch weapons. With its weapons built into its body, it could not engage enemies on both sides in close combat simultaneously.
This was precisely the opening the Sisters had hoped for.
After all, the bodies of the Sisters its blade had cut apart were still warm on the floor.
Iax, standing behind it, had no visible weapons mounted on its body. Although enormous, it might be a better target for breaking through their defenses.
"How could this happen?"
A Sister of Battle who had moved a step slower