A Steeltalon Hawk is a type of cybernetic animal construct in the form of a Terran hawk used by the warriors of the Sisters of Silence, particularly their Pursuer cadres. Pursuers served as the cyber beast-handlers and hunters of that order, called upon to track down a fleeing quarry such as a Rogue Psyker and either flush them out of hiding for capture or destroy them on sight as needed.
In this pursuit each Pursuer holds command over a single Cyber-jackal, Cyber-mastiff, Steeltalon Hawks or other cybernetic Pursuer Beast, and through programmed tap-codes broadcast from a wristpiece, the beasts are directed and their sight and hearing relayed back and displayed so the Pursuers can quickly identify potential signs of refuge or ambush and alert their comrades. The cyber-beasts, as part of their creation, are suited to nearly any urban terrain and are often deployed based on the potential utility of their systems.
Steeltalon Hawks are frequently designated for use in urban environments with tall hab-blocks, narrow streets and wide stretches of terrain impassable by foot, extending the visual range of the Silent Sisterhood's hunting cadres far beyond mere Human ability.
Sources[]
- The Horus Heresy Book Seven: Inferno (Forge World Series) by Alan Bligh, pg. 271