Crucible (40K)

[Rogue 9]

Again, Marneus Calgar directly commands a very large human force due to his position as Lord Macragge, despite being a Space Marine. No, the Ultramar Defense Force isn't part of the Ultramarines chapter, but it does answer to them, not the Departmento Munitorum, and maintains several hundred regiments for offensive operations in support of the Guard. The Space Marines codex also notes that most Chapter Masters command planetary defense forces, for their chapter world at the very least.

[Imperial Overlord]

It's not the commanding, it's the integration that's against the Codex. The Space Marines were broken up Chapters to prevent large numbers from succumbing to corruption (because its much easier for corruption to spread inside than between different groups of Marines) and having Horus Heresy II the Sequel. That Marine Chapters have their own space transport makes their defections even more troublesome. Since the Blood Tigers are using comparatively small numbers of men to patch holes in their understrength OOB, it's keeping with the spirit of of the Codex.

Marines can and do command larger forces of ordinary men, but that doesn't violate the spirit or the intent of the Codex. And yes, I will get back to Gix at some point. Whim, mood, and what requests I've received to influence my writing choices.

[Rogue 9]

I was responding to Chris, who said that the Codex Astartes forbade Marines directly commanding human forces, not merely integrating them into the Chapter hierarchy.

[Imperial Overlord]

Young men wearing tunics and sandals filed down a narrow mountain path under the watchful eyes and growling throats of the battle hardened veterans of the Fifth Company. Two stone faced women wearing black and gray mountain camo flak watched them as they passed and then turned back to surveying the jungle below through the scopes of their long lases. "The future of the Chapter," said Damien Exacles.

"Not a bad start," replied Toth Arianocus. The Chief Librarian and the Chapter Master were watching the new scouts depart from side of a weapon emplacement. The quad las was pointed at the empty sky above, but should the need materialize it could strike with devastating force. "Fifty-three after the first round of testing, implantation, and conditioned learning. They all speak passable Gothic now," he said with a smile.

"How many do you think we'll get at the end?" asked Damien.

"Forty," said Toth, "but only because we'll rush them. They're good raw material and stealing away Cadril was your best move. He'll make them into warriors worthy of the name, but they won't spend the usual tour in scouts. We'll need the numbers, so we'll rush them into armour."

"My best move?" Damien said with a smile. "Not choosing you?"

"Don't flatter yourself. I chose me."

"True enough. Time is a limit. No matter how badly I need them they can't be Astartes until their enhancements finish developing."

"You can wear the armour without the black carapace," said Arianocus. "Just not as well."

"Really?"

"It can be done. The Master of the Forge assures me this is so."

"Interesting. Still no news?"

"From Prenshaw? News, but nothing good. The Martian vessel still has not arrived. You were wise to contact Delcius immediately."

"Even Delcius cannot conjure up our armaments out of thin air," said Exacles. "We are still vulnerable."

"We have the fusion reactors and the void shields."

"That they can barely sustain and no heavy antiship weapons," said Exacles. "If the Gaun strike in force and we manage to resist their bombardment, we'll be up to our necks in Deodands and Cataphractoi."

"That is part of the reason I wanted to recruit from a different population. We're going to be short of numbers and material no matter what we do, but a large number of Librarians would greatly add to our psychic strength."

"We'll be recruiting from Circe soon enough," said Damien. "We do need the strength and the war witches will be willing to surrender some of their sons."

"You've been studying the reports."

"Yes. What do you think of Volg's latest?"

"The Orks? Nothing too troubling. Three raiders killed in two months is a lot of activity, but they haven't mounted a serious attack in years. The pot was due to boil over."

Damien looked out at file of scouts. "That's the last of them."

"Then I had best join them," said Arianocus.

"In armour with a full combat load?" asked Exacles.

"Yes," said Toth. "I've been feeling . . . something, out there, at the edge of my senses. I'm not sure what it is. Probably nothing serious but I don't know. Whatever it is south of us. I'm taking a five man squad of the Fifth Company with me as back up."

"Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

"Because I didn't feel it necessary. You have no idea what it is to be one of us. There are many signs, many dangers that can so easily be read in the Warp. Some are harmless or meaningless, some are shadows of a possible future, some are dangerous only if they are focused upon too intently, and a few are real dangers. I do not come to you every day with a half dozen portents that might mean something. Sorting through that is my job. I speak to you when there is something that matters. This, I think, matters."

"I think you just want to get back into the field and waited to tell me at the last minute so I wouldn't send Aarner instead."

"Like you would send a codicier on this job. Besides, this will give me the opportunity to test our young scouts under field conditions."

Exacles slapped his friend on the shoulder. "Alright. Come back with an interesting story and I'll ask Ludvia to work on your armour."

Toth snorted. "That girl has a waiting list two years long."

"Much can be accomplished with the favor of the Chapter Master."

[KlavoHunter]

Oh, Emperor Protect - I suspect that Toth and the rookies are about to be dropped right in the pot.

[Grimnosh]

Oh, Emperor Protect - I suspect that Toth and the rookies are about to be dropped right in the pot.

Now all we need to know is which type of seasoning they will be getting.

With cultured orks I'd say probably a healthy dash of lime and chilli. However because orks tend to be much less subtle then other armies, I doubt its them. Chaos, well its always a toss up with a honey mustard glaze or a herb and butter sauce. I have no clue as to what the Gaun are, but they sound like they could be trouble.

[Imperial Overlord]

Only a few streamers of light trickled down through the thick canopy to reach the scouts as they gathered by their fires. They were still human enough to nearly blind outside of the circles of light projected by their fires, but that would change. The darkness did not concern them. They were busy.

Stones smacked flakes from stones, forming edges on knives and axe heads. Heavy egg shaped stones were mated to the heads of stout shafts of wood, forming war clubs that could crack a man's head. The tips of wooden spears were thrust into the embers of dying fires to harden them. The newest members of the Blood Tigers were arming for war. They did this without instruction or command or knowing what challenges they would be commanded to face. It was enough that they were warriors and they were without weapons. That would not last.

"They aren't bad," said Kadessen Raise. The Astartes were watching the scouts from a distance. They had lit no fire and thus were almost invisible in the darkness. His aquiline nose, fine, angular features, and almost black skin marked him as hailing from the city-states of the Berezaid. "For a bunch of peasant savages."

"Our brother's noble blood is showing," said Ardruth Haas. He was bronze skinned and blond, with heavy features, grey eyes, and three service studs in his forehead. Twice he had been made a sergeant and twice he had been demoted back into the ranks.

"Some of us come from lines of educated and noble warriors," replied Raise, "you filthy, blubber eating, arctic savage."

"Indeed brother," said Sergeant Saiad Nardrune. Aside from the two service studs, each marking a century of service in the chapter, he could have been Raise's brother. "The lower orders should respect their natural masters."

"You haven't even been busted back into the ranks once brother," said Haas. He wagged a finger at Nardrune. "You have far to go before you can match my accomplishments."

"Indeed," said Nardrune. "Not even the exalted chapter master has twice been broken to the ranks."

"At last," said Haas, "acknowledgement of my elite status. But I must concur with my noble southern brothers. For soft warmlanders they aren't too bad."

"The real testing has not yet begun," said Toth Arianocus.

"Truly said," replied Nardrune. "More than one promising initiate has turned out to be unworthy of being Astartes."

"Too bad women cannot be made Astartes," replied Ardruth Haas. "The Valyoka alone would yield so many warriors that Charybdis would fall to the Imperium within a decade. You warmlanders could sleep in your soft beds and drink your fancy wines while we exterminated all the xenos in the galaxy."

"It is a tragedy that the galaxy will not be saved by legions of wide hipped cows who have never heard of a comb," said Kadassen Raise. "If you knew any of the civilized arts you could make an epic work lamenting the future that is not to be, but alas you are a ignorant, whale fucking, northern savage."

"Walrus fucking," said Haas. "It's walrus fucking northern savage. Don't forget it."

"My sincere apologies brothers," said Raise with the solemn air of a respectful child before a beloved tutor. "I will not."

"What do you have planned for them Toth?" Nardrune asked. "Cadril will test them on stealth, hunting and survival skills. All very well, that is his role as Master of Scouts. What does the Chief Librarian intend?"

"A fair question," said Arianocus. "Full kit for us is in case the psychic disturbance turns out to be serious threat. As for the rest, Cadril will test them. They will feel fear, stress. Dormant powers may stir, especially ones that have been strengthened by the implantation of our gene seed."

"You feel the need to swiftly bring up the ranks of the Librarians," said Nardrune.

"We are understrength in everything," said Toth. "This is the one area I where I can change that."

"With respect Chief Librarian, not all the men are comfortable with increasing the number of psykers in our ranks. You are a double edged sword and the Sword Bearers managed fine with only a few. That you are pushing so hard to gain so many so quickly does not reassure those with doubts. Some of us believe you court disaster."

"I know," said Toth. "And what is more I know that such a disaster could occur. What you do not see is the danger we are in. The Reach contains far greater threats than Orks or Tau or Chaos Renegades. Rogue psykers can and have been dealt with."

"You mean the Gaun" said Nardrune.

"Among other things," said Arianocus.

"Deathwatch secrets," said Haas. "Bah. Specialist alien killers. What use is that? Every Astartes alive knows how to deal with Orks and their ilk."

"Alien killers. Is that what you believe the Deathwatch is?" asked Toth. "Tell me brother, do you believe that when an Inquisitor finds a threat to the Imperium he decides whether or not to destroy it based only upon whether or not it falls within his area of specialty? No, of course not. The Deathwatch are not Ork killers. They do a job no one else can, being both Marine and Inquisitor. Some targets are best slain with an army, some by an assassin, and some by a kill team of battle-brothers. There are things that need doing brothers, things that require the strength of the Astartes but not the numbers of an army. There are things that must be watched by trustworthy eyes and crises that cannot be resolved by a conventional clash of arms. For those things there is the Deathwatch. Are the lion's share of their foes aliens? Yes, but rarely creatures as simple to deal with as Orks. The Deathwatch has eyes on the Charybdis Reach brothers and that is not because they believe it safe."

"As you say," said Haas skeptically.

"I will remind you of your words one day," said Toth. "Pray to the Throne that is while we are standing victoriously over the bodies of our foes."

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The jungle yielded before the would be Marines, but not without cost. There were rashes and infections spreading among the initiates, some of which would have felled an ordinary man. Food was not a problem. There was not a boy in the group who was not a skilled hunter and those who knew what foods were safe to eat shared their knowledge with their fellows whose people were not of the jungle. The boys ate well, but they needed to. The needs of adolescence were as nothing to those whose bodies were transforming into post human giants and ferocious hunger was held at bay although his shadow walked with them.

Always there were tests. Hand to hand combat, one on one and team against team. Foraging contests, hunting contests, stealth challenges, every day a different contest. Zarien Cadril knew everyone of his charges by name and seemed to forgot nothing, but he was an Astartes and more than mortal. He wore the same tunic and sandals as his charges, but carried his boltgun slung across his back. Today he was pushing his charges to run and prowling around the rear of the column.

The grey haired Marine periodically ran up and down the line, worldlessly surveying his charges and mentally cataloging their positions, but he spent most of the time near the rear. These were the ones he needed to watch the most, the ones who might not be Astartes material. Around noon he slid back even further, to the Toth and his demisquad.

"Anything of note, Chief Librarian?"

"Nothing," said Toth Arianocus. "Odds are that if any of them had any kind of talent, he would have started using it by now. It's not surprising. It almost always shows up during the early foraging or the fire making. If it doesn't there then the interesting rashes bring it out. It looks like these boys are all normal."

"In one way that makes my job easier," said Cadril. "On the other hand, that means I can't dump any of these rock skulls on you and I have to deal with all of them so I guess I'll call it even. How close are we getting to the thing?"

"It's hard to say," said Toth. "I may have made a mistake in not taking a faster form of transportation, but I think it's still within the jungle so perhaps I did make the right choice."

"Finding anything by overhead scan isn't going to work with this canopy," said Cadril. "Not unless its putting out a lot of heat or some other emissions."

"Perhaps," said Toth. "It's a psychic signal, but not one attuned to human minds."

"Xeno."

"Yes, or a warp entity," said Toth. "Something strong enough that I noticed it, but too alien to track easily."

"A daemon."

"No," said Toth. "Those are far too attuned to human minds. But something that could be dangerous."

"How confident are you that you can kill it?"

"Very," said Toth Arianocus. "But to be sure of it, I didn't come alone."

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"Warp disturbance," said the officer standing by the auger array. "Magnitude four and rising."

Navaros Rasteen turned his command throne towards the niches that housed the auger stations. Unlike many ships, the bridge of the Spatha contained few embellishments. An air of stark functionality was maintained, much to the approval of the Master of the Fleet. He didn't need to turn to address the human crew, but it was helped morale to make it clear that he acknowledged them personally. "Display location."

A hololithic display flickered to life in mid air. A blazing red star with a very large orange corona marked the warp disturbance.

"Jump Point Three," said the Chief of the Deck. "Perhaps the Martian vessel, my lord?"

"Perhaps," said Rasteen, "perhaps not."

"Emergence," said the auger officer. The hololithic display spawned dots. "One, two, four, six vessels sir. Disturbance magnitude six and rising."

"A whole bloody fleet," said the Chief of the Deck.

"Lightspeed lag of three minutes, forty-six seconds," reported one of the auger crew.

"Another signal, a big one," said the auger officer. "At least cruiser class."

"Signal the squadron," said Rasteen as he sent a serious of coordinate into the ship's navigation system with his MIU. "This course. And signal Mount Dorn that an invasion fleet has arrived."

"Sir," asked Jelna Vyrgan. "What are they?"

"We'll know soon enough," said Rasteen, "but friendlies wouldn't show up in this strength unannounced and Gaun don't transition so sloppily, so probably Orks or renegades. A lot of Orks or renegades."

"Two more vessels," said the auger officer. "And second cruiser. Disturbance magnitude eight. Still rising."

"Throne," said Vyrgan. "Still rising."

"It's not how many vessels there are at the start of the battle," said Rasteen, "but how many you have left at the end."

[White Haven]

...Oh dear.

[Grimnosh]

"It's not how many vessels there are at the start of the battle," said Rasteen, "but how many you have left at the end."

This may be true, but it seems that they are both outnumbered and outgunned. Depending on whats incoming, they are bound for a nasty fight at least. At worst would probably be a forced withdrawl (or be annihilated) and a full on planitary invasion.

[Karrick]

I don't think I've ever seen a 40k story about the founding of a space marine chapter before. Definitely good stuff so far.

I'm particularly curious about these Gaun.

[Imperial Overlord]

"Only twelve of them took the bait," said Rasteen. The Master of the Fleet turned away from the display which showed the enemy fleet. "Inform Mount Dorn that we are unable to delay the enemy significantly and they should expect Orks within the day. Helmsman, continue course toward the belt and bring us in close to the Mace. Signal the fleet to do the same and then get me online with all captains.

The bridge crew of the Spatha went to work. They were merely human, but superbly trained and disciplined with years of experience at void combat under their belts. They knew their business and did it well.

Pic screens crackled to life, showing the captains of the other Astartes vessels. Lenardo Melankev commanded the Tulwar, the other strike cruiser in the squadron. As with all the Sword Bearers' strike cruisers it was a large and heavily armed version of her class. The need to act as a naval strike force as well had caused the Sword Bearers to emphasis ship to ship capacity in their strike cruisers, somewhat reducing their ability to deploy troops but the large numbers of Chaos Renegades and the Gaun Raider Fleets of the Charybdis Reach were beyond the ability of the frontier Navy Squadrons to repel without aid.

"A pity the Greenskin herd did not take the bait," said Melankev. He was a huge, even by Astartes standards, and over half machine. His prime was behind him, but his mind was sharper than ever. "We could have lead them on a merry chase among the moons of the outer system gas giants, killing them as they over extended themselves."

"We have a full dozen pursuers," said Captain Aidan Trenow of the Hunter class destroyer Grace. "We can still play the game with them."

"No," said Rasteen, "we cannot. We cede too much space, too much time, and undisputed access to the belt if we do so. If the Orks want to build their Roks I intend that they pay in blood and death for such a privilege."

"Agreed Fleet Master," said Captain Yfarez Ganz of the Tenacity. "What is your will?"

"He means to play bait and sting around the Mace," said Melankev. "Why else would you go there. That's a big mouthful Fleet Master, even for you. Two of our pursuers are Kroozers, Ork trash but heavily armed Ork trash."

"Heavily armed, but very clumsy Ork trash," replied Rasteen. "Too clumsy to do well in dancing games around the Mace."

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"The situation," began Damien Exacles, "is that an Ork fleet comprised of eighteen vessels, including two kroozers and one battlekroozer, will arrive in near orbit in a little over one standard day. Our Chief Librarian, a demi-tactical squad, and our scouts are currently three hundred kilometers south of us. I have dispatched Thunderhawks to retrieve them."

The masters and captains of the Blood Tigers were gathered in the unfinished stragetarium. Several cogitators and pic displays connected to the augery and vox systems were present in the room, but it was otherwise an barren room carved from the rock.

"We are likely to survive bombardment," said Antaeous Drakon. "The fusion reactors are all online and connected to our void shield systems, which have considerable redundancy. Given our location in the interior of Mount Dorn and the poor accuracy of Ork weapons, particularly during bombardments, we are likely to withstand such an attack."

"Likely?"

"The battlekroozer has a lot of firepower, my lord. If they and enough other ships get lucky . . ."

"Understood, Master of the Forge. Codicier Aarner has reported he has been unable to reach other worlds due to warp disruption, which the Orks are undoubtedly responsible for. Until the Chief Librarian can make the attempt, we are without any reinforcements and under siege. I want responses and action plans for each one of you within twelve hours. Any questions?"

"My lord," rumbled Nihlous Cataran. The giant stood unclad in his Terminator battle plate, but still appearing invulnerable. "Such a horde cannot be defeated by such a small force by conventional means. Mount Dorn is a mighty fortress with magnifies our strength many times, but the initiative does not belong to the defender and the Orks are numerous and cunning creatures."

"Well said Captain Cataran," replied Exacles. "These greenskin abominations are too numerous to be defeated in open battle, but they must be defeated. Our duty is to serve the Emperor and defend Mankind and that means any stratagem or tactic that allows us to overcome these vile xenos will be employed. Make no mistake my brothers, if we fall here then we condemn untold billions living and unborn to death, slavery, and unspeakable degradation under the lash of the xeno. I have seen the torture holds of the Dark Elder, the slave works of the Orks, and the flesh factories of the Gaun and they are all proof that the xenos must be scourged from this galaxy!"

"As you say Chapter Master," said Ares Kahere, "but perhaps such words should wait until their is a larger audience."

Exacles placed his hand on Kahere's shoulder. "You are right, of course, Captain Kahere. My next task looms in the forefront of my mind and my thoughts drift towards it. Forgive me."

"No forgiveness is needed," said Cataran. "Those of us who were Deathwatch understand your words all too well, my brother. And, it is truly said that zeal needs no excuse." The other Marines nodded in sage agreement.

"Thank you, First Captain. We have much to do and we will only get busier. Brief your men so our battle-brothers may make their necessary prayers and preparations."

"Should not you address our brothers, Chapter Master?" asked Xero Anten.

"Normally I would," said Damien Exacles, "but another task demands my attention."

"A task more urgent than speaking to your battle-brothers on the eve of a fight for the Chapter's survival?" asked the young Apothecary. The other Astartes said nothing, but the tension in the room was thick.

"Yes," said Exacles. "They are Marines and they know no fear, but not so our Chapter serfs. There are thousands of them and each one bears the blood of generations of the greatest warriors of all the tribes. They too face annihilation with the rest of us and we shall need every ounce of their strength if we are to pass this trial."

[Grimnosh]

This should get intreasting. The Chapter serfs will add a good amount of numbers to the fight against the Orks, however thier overall skill is at best questionable.
Thier wargear is also going to be a bit in question as well, as most Chapters (as far as I know anyway) typically do not stock much in the way of Imperial Guard gear in thier armory as serfs rarely (at best) fight alongside the Astaries.

[Rogue 9]

So now they get to have an Ork-infested homeworld no matter what happens. Sucks to be them.

[White Haven]

Sounds like a great thing for a budding Space Marine chapter. If you can keep the infestation knocked down enough that it's going to to roll you, what better way to train your new recruits to be badasses? Look at the Armageddon ork-hunters for an example, and they're just baseline humans.

[Imperial Overlord]

This should get intreasting. The Chapter serfs will add a good amount of numbers to the fight against the Orks, however thier overall skill is at best questionable.
Thier wargear is also going to be a bit in question as well, as most Chapters (as far as I know anyway) typically do not stock much in the way of Imperial Guard gear in thier armory as serfs rarely (at best) fight alongside the Astaries.

And here I can tell you don't play Battlefleet Gothic. Even though manned almost entirely by serfs and possessing very small crews by Imperial standards, Space Marine vessels get a bonus in boarding operations because their serfs are so very, very badass.

[Grimnosh]

This should get intreasting. The Chapter serfs will add a good amount of numbers to the fight against the Orks, however thier overall skill is at best questionable.
Thier wargear is also going to be a bit in question as well, as most Chapters (as far as I know anyway) typically do not stock much in the way of Imperial Guard gear in thier armory as serfs rarely (at best) fight alongside the Astaries.

And here I can tell you don't play Battlefleet Gothic. Even though manned almost entirely by serfs and possessing very small crews by Imperial standards, Space Marine vessels get a bonus in boarding operations because their serfs are so very, very badass.

Actually I did state a few pages back that I did not know much about the space units (never played BFG and only read a few articles in White Dwarf). And even though the boarding actions get bonuses, it should be noted that the serfs who are in the fleet vessels tend to be very well trained and equipped for those purposes (and as you said small crews so prehaps at best the top 20% of all serfs commanded by the Chapter)... the ones who are kept on planet are unlikely to be as good as the better ones would be taken to the fleet to replace those lost in combat.... and also those that tend to show a bit of skill would also be taken aside for possible recuitment as Astaries themselves with the weaker ones (having failed the physical but survived or showed signs that the geneseed would not take for whatever reason) being sent to the fleet. Not to mention the (overall) lack of gear that the planet bound serfs are likely to have.

Having a few thousand serfs does not mean that they will be as good as or better then an Imperial Guard regiment, it just means you have a few thousand bodies to work with. I somehow doubt that any Chapter trains each and every single serf how to shoot a weapon and/or how to fight in close combat like the IG does. They already have enough to do as is training the marines, maintaining the gear that the serfs do not, all the while running amok (or preparing to) on the enemies of the Imperium when and where they pop up.

[Imperial Overlord]

And you again miss the point. Only a minority of space ship crews are dedicated armsmen. Despite this and despite having tiny crews by BFG standards, Chapter serfs managed to able to inflict massive casualties on the enemies. They're personnel of the highest caliber and don't need Astartes to hold their hands to do their jobs. In fact most of their duties are to free up Astartes for pure combat roles, but treating them lightly is one of the worst mistakes you can make.

[Imperial Overlord]

The chamber was a vast hall, cut out of the mountain's rock raw and unfinished. The walls were coarse and irregular and the floor had dips and bumps. Lights strung across the ceiling provided the illumination and air circulation fans provided a slight breeze but it was overridden by the body heat of thousands upon thousands who were standing in the hall. They were soldiers and mechanics, physicians and teachers, laborers and armourers. They were the serfs of the Blood Tigers and in number they were legion. Everyone who could be spared, young and old, was gathered here.

The only furniture was a dais of fused and crushed rock at the far end. The crowd hushed as an Astartes mounted it. Damien Exacles wore gleaming armour of midnight chastened with gold. Ruby eyed golden tigers glared from the shoulder pads of his Mark VIII Armour and from rondels on each side of his chest and on his knees. At his side he wore a saber in a sheath of gold and blood red velvet and a combibolter.

The speaker in his helmet allowed Damien's voice to fill the hall. "You are warriors and the sons and daughters of warriors. Some of you come from families with long lists of sons who became Astartes. Others of you were born to champions who failed tests and were never made Astartes. Some bear gene runes that make disqualified your ancestors from becoming Astartes while others of you train in preparation of the days of testing, knowing already that you are compatable with the gene seed.

"You are the Chapter. You dig out the fortresses and prepare the meals, help forge the weapons and man the ships, manage supplies and stand sentry in our absence. We are powerful because so many of you aid us.

"Mankind has always been under threat of annihilation by xenos horrors from the dark. To face such a trial when we as a chapter are newly born is a terrible test, but it is one that we must pass. To pass this test, to survive as a chapter, I must call upon you to do what is normally the work of Astartes. I will need you to face the enemy in direct personal combat. Not merely face them, but defeat them. You must slaughter the greenskins and throw their bodies from the mountainside.

"As I say this I see the resolve in your eyes. Young and old, you are ready to fight. Declann Moyez, I see you smiling. For decades you served in the Sword Bearer's fleet. I see the Crossed Swords of Valor on your chest, hanging proudly as it ought to be. I remember when it was awarded to you. One does not forget a mortal man who can fill a corridor with the enemy dead. And still ready. I see the fire also in your eyes Aretha Canarn. This is the battle you have spent your whole life training for, to stand against all that is unholy. And you are not the only ones.

"Children of the God-Emperor, bearers of the blood of the tiger, stand with us against the green tide. What say you?"
The answering roar was deafening.

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The Mace drifted lazily through the belt. It was an large, irregular asteroid, or moonlet if one was feeling generous, almost a hundred kilometers long and nearly fifty kilometers wide at its widest point. In shape it somewhat resembled a the head of a flanged mace, from which it derived its name. Hiding behind it were two sleek vessels, lean and lethal. The strike cruisers were four kilometers long with powerful drive sections in the rear, flanks lined with high powered laser batteries, and hammerhead shaped bows from which jutted the emitter arrays of their forward lances. Massive linear accelerator cannons were mounted along their backs and their bellies held attack craft that could be launched from bays in their keels.

The approaching Ork squadron was quite aware they were there. The strike cruisers had retreated behind the Mace in full view of their sensor apparatti. Grace and Tenacity had withdrawn beyond the Mace and outside of effective gun range, but the Orks were not fooled. The destroyers were lingering because they were going to join the fight and the strike cruisers were hiding to spring an attack, not because they were trying to evade battle.

The Orks burned toward the Mace, the faster attack ships pulling ahead. They were ugly things, crude metal cylanders with engine clusters at one end and an armoured prow rudely configured to resemble a monstrous metal face at the other. Guns protruded haphazardly all over their rust stained hulls, but the vast majority of heavy batteries were concentrated at the front. They were built for frontal attacks and did their jobs well.

The kroozers, larger copies of the smaller attack ships, altered course slightly and continued to advance. On board the Spatha Navaros Rasteen watched them come. It was as he anticipated. The Orks couldn't contain their blood lust and the faster ships had outdistanced their slower and mighter kroozers. Rather than treat this a problem, the Ork kroozer kaptens had used it make a pincher attack. The attack vessels were angling around the Mace to the right and the kroozers were breaking to the left. One group would catch the strike cruisers in the rear. Rasteen smiled, showing perfect white teeth. "Perfect."

He waited nearly a minute for the Orks to continue their maneuvers. Then he began giving orders. "Grace and Tenacity are to synchronize a torpedo attack run on the area of coordinates zero by five-three by seven in two minutes twenty seconds. Attack burn to begin in thirty seconds. Helm take us on an interception arc towards the Ork gunships and signal Tulwar to join us."

The engines of both strike cruisers flared to life, blasting swords of plasma from their thruster nozzels. They began accelerating swiftly forward. The two sleek destroyers, Grace and Tenacity had also begun a burn to bring them closer to the Ork attack ships. "Master of Augery, status on the Ork vessels?" Navaros asked.

"Continuing on their current course," replied a grey haired human overseeing a bank of stations. The Master of the Fleet's MIU fed the tactical data to him directly, but confirmation was useful. Orks could be tricky, or as they referred to it, 'ded cunning'. "We have lost direct feed on the kroozers, but we can still see their plasma exhaust and it conforms to their projected course.

"Of course they aren't changing course," said Navaros soflty. "They'll need their strongest armour and batteries to deal with our strike cruisers. The collective firepower of their flank batteries will be more than enough to take care of our destroyers. And this way they'll still have us caught between them."

As the ragtag squadron of Ork attack ships began to swing around the Mace, four huge bay doors opened on the prows of the two sleek destroyers cruising towards them. They were less than half the length of the strike cruisers, less than a tenth of their mass, and their dorsal batteries were weak in comparison to the lethal arsenals of the strike cruisers, but they were deadly in their own way.

From each tube sprang fifty meter long torpedoes, flung into space by enormous electromagnetic accelerators. A few seconds later their plasma drives kicked in and they rushed toward the exposed flanks of the Ork attack ships on pillars of stellar fire. On board auger systems took reading and fed them into the cogitator systems that controlled them. The missiles adjusted course and closed in for the kill.

The Ork ships began firing on the torpedoes, flinging thousands of rounds into space. Most ended up no where near the torpedoes. Three ships took drastic evasive action and a fourth swerved violently towards the Mace and then overcorrected to avoid hitting the asteroid, disrupting the formation entirely.

Three torpedoes were consumed in the storm of Ork fire. A fourth missed entirely. The fifth narrowly missed one of the wildly evading Ork ships and its cogitators selected another target. It slipped passed another Ork ship by a mere four kilometers and plowed into the armoured prow of the vessel that had almost struck the Mace. The armoured beak of the torpedo penetrated the Ork vessel's armour and then the plasma drive went critical. The blast ripped through the bow and detonated the two galleries filled with ammunition for the bow guns. The combined explosions killed more than ten thousand greenskins, took half the bow guns out of commission, caused the detonation of two cranky shield generators, and started massive raging fires.

The last three torpedoes struck one of the Ork ships that had stayed the course. A massive series of detonations blew the Ork vessel apart as its plasma reactors blew, overloading the shields of the three nearest Ork vessels and laying open the starboard flank of the closest, igniting massive fires that were fed by the ship's fuel line and oxygen reserves. Then the strike cruisers came around the bend and into view.

The distance was ridiculously close, grappling range by naval standards. Each strike cruiser chose a comparatively undamaged Ork ship and opened up. The first shells of their dorsal bombardment cannons hammered down their targets' forward shields and the blew enormous holes in their heavily armoured prows. Death blazed from their forward lances, slicing easily through what remained of the Ork ships' armour and gutting their insides. A few erratic shots landed on the Astartes vessels' shields, but the disrupted formation had trouble bringing their guns to bear upon the quickly closing strike cruisers and the expanding cloud of ionized gas interfered with their targeting. Their high relative closing velocities and the comparative shortness of the distant meant that the Astartes were among them like sharks among minnows. The Orks were still reeling from the hammer blows they had taken and Blood Tigers gave them no time to recover.

The strike cruisers struck out with their broadside laser batteries as they flew through the Ork ranks. They massed fire on the same targets, choosing first those with shields downed or damaged from the reactor detonation. Although the Orks' prows were heavily armoured, their flanks were not and comparatively few weapons could be brought to bear on the Astartes as they exchanged broadsides with the disintegrating Ork squadron. Lasers burned through thin side armour and tore into the mechanical guts of battered Ork gunships. Crew compartments were opened to the void, fuel lines ignited, ammo stores exploded, and overcharged capacitors detonated. Then the strike cruisers were passed, leaving wrecked and crippled ships in their wake.

Two Ork vessels boosted away from their crippled brethren at high speed, abandoning them to their fate. The remaining ships were maimed or dead, left floundering in the strike cruiser's wake. Grace and Tenacity cruised forward, their dorsal batteries aligning with the nearest one. The range was great, but not two great. Massive shells were launched into space towards their doomed targets.

"Status," commanded Navaros.

"Our void shields and armour absorbed almost all the enemy hits captain," said the lieutenant at damage control. "Minor damage only. Tulwar reports the same. "

"Excellent," replied Navaros. "Full maneuver burn. Bring us up and around the Mace. I want to drop on those kroozers from above and behind. Those Ork rust buckets can't match us at this. Signal Grace and Tenacity to prepare another torpedo spread for the kroozers."

As the destroyers hurled shells into crippled Ork ships, massive machines in their bows were in the process of moving another spread of torpedoes into firing position. The destroyers altered course to present their prows toward where the cruisers would emerge and waited to finish reloading as the strike cruisers burned upwards and circled around the Mace.

Autoloaders pushed home fresh torpedoes at a speed most Imperial Navy ships could only look upon with envy. Logic engines calculated courses and vectors and then another spread of torpedoes burst forth. The destroyers turned sharply, burning back towards the cover provided by the Mace. Going head to head with an Ork Kill Kroozer's guns would be fatal.

The Ork ship's were committed to the intercept zone by their own velocity. They rounded the Mace and found a spread of eight torpedoes heading toward them and almost no time to shoot them down. One torpedo missed both of them, two were shot down, and the rest struck home. Four struck the closest kroozer in the flank just behind the prow and almost blew the Ork vessel in half. A massive wound over a kilometer in length bled greenskins and air into the void. The fifth struck the other kroozer, blasting through armour but causing relatively minor damage.

The first kroozer wallowed in space, having lost nearly half of its maneuvering thrusters along with communications and control systems. The other stuck with it, seeking safety in numbers. The two surviving gunships began to change course to form up with the kroozers, but then abruptly changed course. The Spatha and the Tulwar had crested the top of the Mace and were now looking down their bow gun scopes at engine sections of the Ork kroozers.

"Fire," said Navaros Rasteen.

[Alan Bolte]

That was a good speech. I was almost felt ready to fight, myself.

[Imperial Overlord]

Toth Arianocus walked into the strategarium. "Brothers," he began, "I believe I have had some success. The interference was strong, but I managed to project a strong signal through it. A skilled Astropath should be able to read it."

"When and if they receive it," said Antaeous Drakon.

"Yes," replied Arianocus.

"You've done well brother," said Damien Exacles. "And you are not alone. Fleet Master Rasteen has managed to overcome the detachment sent to destroy his ships while suffering only minor losses. He remains in position to deny the greenskins the ability to exploit the belt and to raid them should they divide their forces."

"That is welcome news," said Arianocus.

"But it does not save us," said Captain Kahere. "Even if your message is received brother, it will take considerable time for a relief fleet to be assembled and arrive."

"That is true brothers, but we are Astartes," rumbled Nihlus Cataran. "Victory is not beyond our reach."

"Truer words have seldom been spoken," said Damien.

"Forgive me brothers," said Toth, "but since I have returned on the Thunderhawk I have been absorbed in projecting the astropathic message. What is our status?"

Antaeous Drakon pointed at a display. "The main body of the enemy fleet, which is now the only combat capable part of the enemy fleet thanks to Navarchos Rasteen, has entered planetary orbit. They have not assumed bombardment positions. If they do, our defences might withstand the attack."

"Orks prefer looting to bombardment," said Nihlus Cataran. "There is nothing they value less than life. The wargear of an Astartes are great prizes to them."

"If they are here for loot" replied the Chief Librarian. "I do not think so. To so suddenly appear in such numbers? Why assemble such a fleet to take such a backwater world. I suspect something else."

"Proceed Chief Librarian," said Exacles.

"The psychic disturbance I went to uncover is similar to the noise that now fills the warp. I think it drew Orks to us, drew them in these numbers. And could continue drawing them."

"More of them?" said Kahere. "There are more than enough already."

"That is always the case with the greenskins," said Exacles. "You are sure of this?"

"Yes."

"Then I should not have recalled you from the field," said Exacles. "An error we may pay dearly for."

"Chapter Master," said Nihlus, "the error can be rectified. Elements of the First Company are ready to deploy. The greenskins have yet to begun landing in force. We can neutralize the signal and extract ourselves if we act immediately."

"Chief Librarian, First Captain, prepare for immediate deployment. You must leave within the hour. Neutralize that signal at all costs."

Both Astartes slammed their fists against their breastplates. "Your will, Chapter Master."

"May the God-Emperor go with you."

"May the Primarchs be with us all," responded Nihlus.

[Imperial Overlord]

The small craft bay was bustling with activity. Servitors and chapter serfs were loading ordinance to the hard points of six Thunderhawks when Nihlus Cataran entered the bay at the head of sixteen Terminators of the First Company. The hum of machinery and the babble of voices was drowned out by the cacophonous roar of their footsteps on the rock. All but the servitors turned, at least for a moment, to watch.

The obsidian goliaths were divided into teams of four Astartes, composed of two First Company Veterans armed with storm bolters, one with a the lethal six barreled assault cannon, and the last with a shoulder mounted Cyclone Missile Launcher. Half of the Marines with storm bolters were armed with chainfists. First Captain Cataran was even more heavily armed than his battle brothers, carrying both an assault cannon and a Cyclone Launcher. The power glove on his right hand was studded with digital meltas and boasted a forearm mounted grenade launcher.

Nihlus and his men came to a halt before Toth Arianocus. "Chief Librarian, the First Company stands ready to assist you."

"Thank you, First Captain. Begin loading your men." The Terminators boarded four of the Thunderhawks. Toth joined Nihlus with one of his squads and the Marines settled into their restraint thrones as the aircrew finished the last of the preparations.

"Air to air load out, of course," said Nihlus Cataran.

"Yes," replied Toth Arianocus. "Even optimistic projections will put us within the strike window of Ork fighta-bombas. Which is why we are taking so many Thunderhawks and you equipped your squads so heavily with assault cannons and Cyclone Launchers."

The engines of the Thunderhawks roared as their pilots fed them power and the massive gunships leaped into the air and then into the skies around Mount Dorn. "Any novice could figure out the proper weapon load out," said the First Captain. "Consulting the Codex alone would be enough."

"One does not find a single Astartes bearing both a Cyclone and an assault cannon in the Codex."

"Do you think it excessive, brother?"

"Brother," replied Toth Arianocus. "I am your Chief Librarian. I do not speculate on what you may be thinking when I know the history of your deeds. You carry both weapons because you can manage them and you believe you will need them. Even if it is unorthodox."

Nihlus was silent for a moment. "What do you think is generating the psychic signal brother?"

"There are a number of possibilities," said Arionocus, "ranging from easily dealt with to certain death to the world."

"Well then it is good that there are seven Deathwatch veterans in strike force," replied Nihlus.

"Indeed," replied Toth. "World killers are foes we know how to deal with."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"We are close now," said Toth Arianocus as the Thunderhawks raced over the jungle canopy. "A few more kilometers at most."

"Much further and we would be on the plains," said Nihlus. "Easier to land for us, but for them as well." The First Captain checked the data steams. "Ork craft are descending through the outer atmosphere. They will-"

"Cut speed," said Arianocus. "We're close now."

"I see it lord," said the pilot. He flagged a pict capture in the data stream. "Crater, forty meters diameter, give or take."

Nihlus Cataran consulted the terrain map and then marked a nearby level area. "Deploy the landing zone clearing ordinance here," he ordered the pilot.

"Brother-captain," said Sergeant Vahnhaiz, "augers indicate thirty contacts inbound. Number is increasing. Thirty-four."

"They are not our concern brother sergeant," replied Nihlus. "They are too large to be attack craft. They are heavy landers."

"As you say, brother-captain."

A terrible boom shook the Thunderhawk as a bomb detonated. Ancient trees were snapped liked matchsticks or uprooted and thrown like chaff in the wind. Below them what had been a broad swath of jungle was now a blasted and ruined stretch of ground, strewn with the debris that had once been trees. "Bring us down," said Nihlus.

Four of the heavy gunships descended to land. The other two remained in the air. As the ground approached, Toth Arianocus disengaged his restraint throne and walked to end of the bay. He engaged his magnetic boots and the Thunderhawk shuddered to a landing and retained his feet. The landing ramp disengaged and the Blood Tiger descended, followed by First Company's Terminators.

Fiery streaks could be seeing plunging through the sky overhead. Toth Arianocus paid them no heed and broke into a run, followed by the lumbering warriors of First Company. Tactical Dreadnought Armour granted the wearer numerous advantageous, but speed was not among them.

"Raptors three and four, get airborne," Nihlus ordered. "We only need one and two on the ground." He was running full out after the Chief Librarian, who was now near the edge of the clearing and dangerously ahead of the warriors of First Company who were to be his bodyguard and support. The problem was that the Chief Librarian didn't appear to share his priorities.

"Follow me!" Arianocus over the vox. "Time is of the essence!"

Nihlus growled as he crashed along behind the Chief Librarian. Underbrush was no obstacle to a Terminator. "Wait. Our duty is to safeguard you."

"Our duty is the secure and neutralize the beacon," Toth replied. "And we have little time for either. Now is not the time for caution. Even so, I am unlikely to be taken unaware."

There was more than a little truth to that and even if something managed to ambush Arianocus there was only a slight chance it would be able to prevail over the Chief Librarian before the First Company intervened. It was, however, not the way that Nihlus wished to conduct the operation. Unfortunately, in these matters the Chief Librarian's will was second only to that of the Chapter Master.

No dread foe appeared to strike at the Blood Tigers with alien witch craft or fiendish xenos weaponry. Arianocus slowed to a walk at the lip of the crater. Around him were the remains of the trees and the earth uprooted by the impact. Below him, about ten meters down, was a lump of red-brown rock half buried in the earth.

"There it is," said Arianocus. The Chief Librarian began to descend as the Terminators caught up with him.

"Heavy weapons, around the rim," ordered First Captain Cataran. "The rest with Toth." The Terminators obeyed, taking up stations where they enjoyed good fields of fire and protection from the crater's lip.

"Iron," said Toth Arianocus. "They've encased it in iron slag so it would look like an asteroid and then they fired it at the planet in such a way that they knew it would survive. Perhaps a stasis field protected the interior. This is it."

He turned to the chainfist armed Terminators. "Cut it free and down to size. Quickly and carefully. It is of paramount importance that we learn who is behind this."

"Chief Librarian," said Nihlus. "Take cover. We have Ork fighta-bombas inbound."

[Alan Bolte]

So it's a bile bomb from Left 4 Dead?

[LordSia]

Awesome. More please!
And, for the record, love the fleet battles - more innovative than the standard exchange of broadsides. Still, nothing can compare to Lord Ironwolf's tales of Captain Pondsworth - but then, he's a Captain of the God-Emperor's Holy Navy. It is to be expected, after all...

[Imperial Overlord]

"Brother Captain, do your duty," said Toth Arianocus. "I will do mine." The Chief Librarian raised his hands to the sky. Lightning crackled around his psychic hood and dome of cerulean light encased him and the Terminators engaged with the capsule. "Continue Brother Sergeant."

The rest of the Terminators watched as the black specks in the sky began to resolve themselves. The rim of the crater provided good cover, cover that the nearly invulnerable Terminators scarcely needed but were not going to turn down. Targeting beams and scanners hummed and probed while weapons were raised and aligned according to targeting data. Behind the black specks were engine flares of descending heavy landers. The Orks were coming in force.

The specks resolved into aeronautica as a roar shook the forest. The Thunderhawks flew overhead, climbing to meet the Ork craft. On board serf pilots fed power to the engines as gunners stared at targeting arrays and brought live weapons to bear. Blinding shafts of light split the air as the nose mounted turbolasers fired. Three Ork craft blossomed into flame and came apart. Pieces tumbled from the air.

Underslung missiles leaped from mounts under the Thunderhawk's wings and streak towards the Ork kill-craft, drawing contrails of smoke through the air. A barrage of rockets were fired back, hopelessly inaccurate at this range. More Ork craft were blasted from the skies and the turbolasers fired again. The Orks had lost a dozen craft, but kept coming. None of their rockets came closer than five meters to a gunship and most smashed into the jungle below where they detonated with loud booms. One struck the crater nine meters from a Terminator, who did not so much as sway from the force of the explosion. Another struck the kine dome projected by Toth and detonated harmlessly.

Above the Astartes the gunships and fighta-bombas closed. Bolters opened up and slug throwing weapons in a variety of calibers answered. Bolters shells tore crude Ork craft apart and slugs filled the air but rarely struck their targets. Those that did were mostly flattened or deflected off heavy armour. Missiles and rockets were fired as the craft closed. More Ork craft were shredded or torn from the sky, but they didn't go alone. One of the Thunderhawks had the misfortune to catch two Ork rockets to the cockpit. The gunship fell from the sky and left a trail of ruin nearly a kilometer long on the plains beyond.

Below the aerial battle, chainblades revved and cut. The powerfield encased blades easily sliced through the iron of the capsule's outer layer. Auspex returns showed a hollow space beneath the outer layer, probably a gap between where the exterior shell connected to the protected contents. This made the cutting job relatively simple. Sparks flew as chunks of the outer surface fell away in chunks, revealing oval pod three meters and one and a half meters wide at its widest point.

"This is not," said Brother Sergeant Kilsbach, "Imperial technology."

"Gaun," echoed Brother Malsbar.

Toth Arianocus moved closer to get a better look as the Thunderhawks and Ork kill-craft passed through each other and circled around for another path. Secondary weapons barked and sent streams of lethal tracer shells as the craft maneuvered evade the other's fire and to bring their main weapons to bear. Four Ork fighta-bombas broke from the scrum and pointed their noses at the Marines below.

"Incoming," announced Nihilus as he checked his targeting data. The Orks had yet to enter optimum range. Cannons on their noses and wings winked and tore the ground. Rockets corkscrewed the air. Behind them another Ork craft fell from the sky, trailing smoke. Rockets struck the crater wall, blew apart the crater rim in two places and scourged the jungle. Assault cannons howled back, carving lines of fire into the air. Lines converged on one craft, cut its wings, and sent in tumbling end over end to blaze a line of fire through the trees. Missiles flared from Cyclone launchers, blowing out the engine of another fighta-bomba and sending it crashing into the jungle two kilometers behind the Astartes. Another took a direct hit to the fuel tanks and exploded.

The last shrieked over head and passed. Nihilus called out "mine." His assault cannon roared briefly. The Ork, pulling up on the stick, flew his wing into the burst of fire. The combination of the stresses on the kill craft and the shell damage was enough to sever the wing and send the fighta-bomba into a spin from which is could not recover. Two more Ork craft fell from the scrum, which was nearing effective range. "Fire at will," Nihlus ordered.

"There is something-," Toth began and then cut short. There was a panel on the top of the pod. A touch of telekinesis pulled it off. Revealed beneath it panel of alien controls and displays below a green armourplas window. Wired into place on the other side of the screen was a brain floating in bath of liquid.

Assault cannons and Cyclone launchers roared, striking at the Ork fighta-bombas from a new angle as bolters, turbolasers, and missiles from the Thunderhawks tore at them. Bracketed kill craft were blasted to pieces and others were struck from an unexpected angle as they tried to evade ground or aerial fire. They did not fall alone. Another Thunderhawk fell from the air, smoke billowing from its engines.

The eyepieces on Toth Arianocus's helmet glowed orange and the liquid inside the pod bubbled and frothed. "It is dead," said the psyker as above him the Orks decided they had taken enough loses and began to break away. Fire chased them and two more tumbled away to smash into the ground.

Nihilus watched the sky. "The first of the heavy landers have grounded," he said. "Orks will be disembarking and," he gestured with the hot barrels of his assault cannon to the craft descending from the sky, "more are on their way. We should not take the time to load it. We cannot spare it. It is dead. Mission accomplished."

"No," said Toth Arianocus. "Haul it to the landing site and load the pod. I will make the time." The bubble of telekinetic force dissolved and the Chief Librarian began walking up the side of the crater, toward the edge of the jungle.

"Throne take all psykers," Nihilus cursed softly, after turning off the vox pick ups. "You heard him," he yelled loudly. "Pick that accursed thing up and haul it back to the landing site!" It was easier said than done. Terminator armour provided the superhuman Astartes with immense strength, but was not designed with hauling heavy burdens in mind. Chainfists gauged crude hand holds in the side and four Terminators, two on each side, began to haul it out of the crater.

They were almost at the clearing when they saw it. The sky behind them glowed a dull orange, light from the ground reflecting off the clouds. A hot scorching wind blew up from the south with luminous flares climbed into the sky above the plains. A pillar of fire roared toward the sky and then died down. It was followed by another and then a third.

Ten minutes later Toth Arianocus walked into the clearing. "Get us out of here," he ordered.

[Grimnosh]

Hmmmmm..... Orks starting an orbital bombardment while thier landing craft are making craters in the ground.

Sounds like normal operations for orks.