The air was thick with the smell of ash. The forest around the knoll the Kreigans had fortified had been burnt with flamers to create a clear fire zone for nearly a half-kilometer. Not one stump, bush, or rock for Ork to hide behind. They knew they were coming. The telltale sounds of Ork Trukks and buggies could be heard off into the Distance. Commissar Ribbintrop looked at the communicator screen that was planted on a stump. "The Lord commander is with the Artillery, Captain." Said the Commissar. "Good, make sure he stays there, and only begins firing when I give the signal, and when the second signal goes up, cease firing." Lord Sicarious, captain of the 5th company of Ultramarines said on the commsscreen. "I will tell him. Every guardsman is prepared. Dug in and ready" "Excellent. Once the battle is joined on your side, I will begin our assault. May the Emperors Light Shine through." "Our Faith is our shield and our His light is our sword." Lord Sicarious turned off the commsscreen inside the Land Raider Crusader that functioned as his command post ever since he found it in the wreck of a lost black Templars Battlebarge. Around him stood his bodyguard, looking sinister in their black helmets. Along with the bodyguard the massive bulk of Chaplain Phalkon knelt in prayer to the Emperor and the Primarch. His Faith will be welcomed in the upcoming battle. The techmarine crew of the land raider made sure all was ready. Ammo was full in all weapons, and the machine god blessed the engine. Outside 4 bikes and an attack bike waited with two standard template land raider, one which carried a Squad of Elite Terminators, the other, Veteran Marines in more mundane powerarmor, but none the less deadly. Behind that was 4 Rhinos, two of which carried a tactical squad, while a Devastator squad and assault squad was prepared inside. "All is ready." Said Phalkon, getting up from his prayers. "Excellent, now we simply wait for the Orks to assault the Death Korps of Kreig." "Can you trust those Guardsmen to hold?" "The Kreigans are the most dogged of all the Guard regiments I have ever seen fight. I saw one hundred of them fight a thousand Orks to a standstill on Armageddon. They know nothing of fear. They shall please the Emperor on this day. "Lord Commander, the Orks will be here in a matter of minutes." Said the Driver of the Lord Commander Rommel?s Leman Russ. "Excellent, prepare to fire all weapons once we see the Ultramarines signal. I?ve never seen such a grim bunch. They live for battle." "Its good they're on our side." Said the gunner. "True...thought...I've...no. I?d best not say." "Sir! A Blue Flare followed by a red one!" "That's the signal Fire Fire! FIRE!" At the exact moment the bombardment from the collected Leman Russ tanks, basilisks, and Griffins, hundreds of Ork Trukks and other mishmashed vehicles burst from what was left of the woods. The shells landed perfectly, obliterating Ork vehicles into spinning bits of red metal and green flesh. But the Orks kept coming. "Continue firing! Target any troop carriers, chimeras pick off any orks on foot over vehicles! Troopers, pick your targets, put them down, and don?t worry about killing them. "The Bombardment has started." Said a Techmarine monitoring the scanners. "Excellent, load up the yellow flare, and prepare to launch." Lord Sicarious told the Techmarine. He popped open one of the top hatches and yelled out "Prepare to start out!" and slammed the hatch shut. The sounds of engines starting up came from outside. "Fire the yellow flare!" "Sir! A yellow flare!" "Cease firing!" the lord commander punched up the Commissar "Commissar, yellow flare, prepare your men to repulse the Orks from close range." "Yes lord commander. Crushed and splintered trees flew to all sides as the Ultramarine transports smashed there way though the forest towards the Ork attack. "When we hit the Ork lines, prepare to fire a burst then run out." Sicarious told the Assembled bodyguard. They were all were armed with bolters. Sicarious had drilled his men to perfection with their bolters. "One minute!" said the Driver. "Everyone to the Front to the ramp!" "Thirty seconds!" "Get ready!" The mass of blue transports burst from the forest and over the Ork meks that had been setting up their field artillery at the rear of the rank. The ramp crashed down, and a burst of bolter fire from each of the land raiders, taking two dozen orks down. "For the Emperor!" Screamed Sicarious as he lead his troops forward, with bolter in one hand, and powersword in the other. Behind them, the bike squad drove forward; their twin linked bolters and the attack bikes heavy bolter firing. A Ork Turk mounted zap gun stuck a bike dead on, exploding it and sending the Driver flying though the air like a rag doll. Jump packed Marines bounded over the parked tanks, cutting down the Ork rear guard. Sicarious and his bodyguard strode through the Ork ranks, cutting down with sword and bolter left right and center. The Devastator squad began to setup their weapons, letting flight bright balls of plasma and lancing laser blasts at the orks. The flamers of the Veterans and one of the tactical squads incinerated A Group of Orks. Screaming they ran mindlessly around, spreading the fire to their mates. The Orks rushing towards the Kreigan lines halted from the sudden rear attack, and began to fall from the lasguns and autoncannons, missile launchers, and lascannons of the Kreigans. Sicarious split an Ork Nob from head to crotch as one of his bodyguard screamed as another Ork crushed his head with one armored fist. "You Die Humie!" It screamed as it rushed towards Sicarious, but His head disappeared in a ball of plasma from Phalkon's plasma pistol. "There! The Warlord!" Yelled the Terminator Sergeant gesturing to a very very large Ork bellowing orders from the top of smashed Marine bike that had ended up too far into the Ork lines. The Terminator took four viscous hits from Choppa Armed Orks, but they simply chipped the paint. In one swing, the Sergeant cut all four down. Sicarious lead his bodyguard through the Ork lines, loosing two more of the ten that had left the safety of the Crusader. The Veteran squad beat him there, slashing and firing in close combat with the Massive Ork. The Warlord bled red blood from a dozen small wounds, but was undeterred as his systematically slaughter the veterans. "For the Emperor! Death to the Greenskin blasphemers!" Sicarious screamed as he covered the last few meters towards the Warlord. The command squad surrounded the Warlord, taking him down from his perch. A Marine was tossed into the air, breastplate smashed and white bone showing through. Phalkon's Crozarius took the Warlord in the head, but was knocked back by a backhanded swing, falling into the mud heavily. Taking his powersword in both hands, Sicarious swung it at the huge Ork, but it blocked the swing with his massive Choppa. The Ork warlord counterattacked in a series of heavy overhead chops that Sicarious barely managed to block. Each swing made give up ground, suddenly Sicarious tripped over a severed head of an Ork boy, giving an opening to the beast. The Choppa bit deeply into Sicarious side, sending bits of blue plaz flying. The hardened Marine cries out in pain. The Warboss pulled at the Choppa buried in Sicarious side, so he can deliver a killing blow, but it was stuck fast. Sensing the Orks confusion, Sicarious stuck the Ork directly in the center of its head. The Greenskins sneer was split in half as the powersword drove deeper into the orks body. The nearly split in twain Ork carcass fell into the mud. An apothecary ran over to Sicarious. "Milord, are you ok?" said the white armored Apothecary. He was covered in blood and mud. "I?m not badly hurt. Help me up." He extended his hand and the Apothecary helped him up. Everywhere the Orks were fleeing, abandoning weapons and Trukks in their haste to get away from the victorious Imperials. "Chaplain!" Called Sicarious. "Yes Milord?" said Phalkon coming from behind a pile of Smoldering Ork carcasses; Commissar Ribbintrop accompanied him. "The day is ours." Said the smiling Ribbintrop. "That is true, but not a great cost." "But the Orks main army has been defeated. They?ll not be able to treaten the populace anymore. I?m sure the colonists will be glad to be out of the shelters." "To what though? All their cities have been smashed, crops burnt." "They are hardy people, and the Emperor shall provide for his faithful." "Praise be the Emperor." Sicarious turned and walked away to where the other remaining Ultramarines were waiting. "Indeed, Praise to him." Commissar Ribbintrop saluted the departing Marines and turned to rejoin his own forces. Geoff - March 18, 2001