Chapter 348 Chips

“We must establish an absolute air defense zone around the capital!

Only in this way can we really drag the enemy here!

Only in this way can we wait for reinforcements to arrive!

Sacrifice is inevitable, but we must be strong-willed! "

After an impassioned speech, a combat meeting led by the Imperial Fists and attended by the Ultramarines, Battle Sisters, and Home Defense Forces set the main direction for the next battle.

This is also the meeting that essentially represents the ruling class of Ophelia 7. After recognizing the loss of strategic initiative, it officially gave up the battlefield space outside the capital area.

This is a last resort, because valuable intra-atmospheric fighter aircraft must be used with caution after losing the cover of the fleet above orbit.

They will be destined to be consumed, but given the choice. Hohenthorne hoped that they could buy some breathing time for the contraction of ground defense forces.

"How's the mouse?"

Walking out of the conference room, Hornthorne stood above the passage of the underground fortress, looking at the endless flow of troops and asked behind him.

"The torture is going on, but the results are not ideal."

Hornthorne's personal guard and the champion swordsman Oleg assigned to the fourth company of the Imperial Fists Chapter responded in a low voice.

"It's understandable, after all... he was once our brother."

The Imperial Fist Captain's tone contained complex emotions, and the implications of his words were even more alarming.

Oleg stepped back after hearing the sound, turned around and carefully observed his surroundings to prevent others from hearing Hornthorne's "disrespectful words".

Yes, an Astartes warrior from Hydra was being treated in the medical bay of the inner city.

Apart from the relic itself, he was the greatest gain of the hunt in the inner city, along with two Companies of the Astartes and several Orders of Battle Sisters.

In the process of recovering the relic, mortal agents from Hydra caused huge trouble for the hunt. The last agent in particular was responsible for the deaths of several Battle Sisters.

And this is not the biggest loss.

In an underground station in the inner city, when the Battle Sisters blocked the escape route of the agent named Morton, they were about to complete the kill.

This agent actually awakened a heavily armed Astartes warrior in a carriage marked as a biochemical product.

The Sisters of Battle knew nothing of this and did not conduct a thorough search of the place after the agents left.

It is this omission in tactical literacy that gives the genetic superman, who wears optical camouflage and specializes in infiltration and assassination, a space beyond imagination.

Tracking, lurking, assassinating, and sniping, this Astartes from Hydra became a nightmare for the Battle Sisters team responsible for the frontal pursuit in the next few dozen minutes.

He used the only monomolecular dagger and a piece of steel wire in his hand, and with the help of an optical camouflage cloak and silently modified power armor, he almost slaughtered this full squad of Battle Sisters.

It wasn't until the frontline commanding officers noticed something strange and ordered several combat teams of the Ultramarines to directly participate in the operation that they were able to capture the crocodile hidden underwater with an absolute advantage in strength.

However, the damage had already been done, and the loss reports compiled after the war left the officers present speechless.

This not-so-tall Alpha warrior has so much experience in asymmetrical sitting combat:

In a short period of less than an hour, at least 20 battle sisters died directly in his hands;

Even if the Astartes Tactical Team of the same level was killed later, he still used a plasma pistol and several booby traps to injure at least five Ultramarines.

This is not his limit.

The battle in space has been lost and enemy airborne support may arrive at any time. The search team has been unable to catch him;

If it weren't for the last-minute effort to cover the evacuation of the mortal agent, the battle on the dark side of the Holy City would have lasted for who knows how long...

Fortunately, the defense fleet in space is brave enough. Even though their defeat was certain, they still used their own sacrifice to buy enough time for ground operations.

Fortunately, the Imperial Fists warriors arrived in time just a second before the enemy agents evacuated. They cornered the Alpha Warrior, thereby creating a decisive chance for the recovery of the relic.

Afterwards, Hornthorne was frightened more than once:

If the air defense array on the ground starts a few minutes later in the evening, if the battle in space ends a few minutes earlier.

So what kind of casualties could this Alpha warrior, who was waiting for airborne support from orbit, bring to them.

This battle that took place on the dark side of the Holy City ended in victory for the Empire.

The troops on the ground who were responsible for the pursuit killed the Alpha agent and recovered the sacred object. At the same time, they also seriously injured and captured the legionnaire from Alpha.

Hornthorne stopped Stewart, who tried to kill the Alpha in a rage. He saw the special identity of the Astartes warrior in his armor.

The battle here is not over. In the days to come, the arduous and fierce battle has just begun.

Hornthorne was unwilling to give up any possible bargaining chip. Even if it could buy one more second for reinforcements, he would hold this possibility tightly in his hands.

"Has the message been sent out?"

Seven hours after the "naval battle", Hornthorn, as the highest commander of the defense, finally saw the remnants of the defeated soldiers who withdrew from the starport after presiding over the next deployment of the troops in the City of Grace at the city defense headquarters.

To be honest, he never thought there would be survivors there, especially under the bombardment of the Chaos Fleet.

These soldiers who withdrew from the Astropath Communication Tower and retreated all the way to the lost starport;

survived the chaotic crowd and enemy firepower, boarded the rail train;

and successfully avoided the bombing on the road and finally returned to the vicinity of the Holy City. The imperial soldiers were obviously favored by the emperor.

But he still had no sympathy or pity for them. He just stopped them immediately at the prompting of the guards, and then asked the question he was most concerned about.

"Sir, we don't know your question. But you can go ask him..."

The soldier with a face full of gunpowder answered frankly in front of Hornthorn, and then pointed his finger backwards.

Under the dim lighting in the underground passage, Hornthorn looked back along the soldier's finger.

On the simple stretcher made of steel pipes and defense uniforms, a thin figure was seen.

The body was curled up on the narrow stretcher, carried by two soldiers who were also injured.

The iron-gray defense uniform covered him, and the corner of the red robe occasionally exposed proved his identity as a star talker.

The first and second updates will be in the second half of the night, no need to wait.