Black Ork Down

Following psychically gathered inquisitorial intelligence being passed onto Air Marshal Flaschart as to the whereabouts of the captured pilot Captain Marwell, it was suddenly possible to launch a rescue attempt. However, Imperial forces had to move quickly as it was possible that the Captain could be moved at any moment.

A force of two borrowed Inquisitorial Valkyries and three of the four available Lightning aircraft were scarmbled in a rescue attempt deep in the hinterland of Monstrous.  The remaining Lightning was being refitted and the bombers were too slow to participate.  The goal was simple: engage ork fightas and distract them from preventing the rescue from succeeding.  This mission had become important, as the intelligence also revealed that something big was going on in ork-held territory and Captain Marwell might know something about it.

As the objective was approached a large force of da Green Barron's attack wing of fightas engaged the force. Initial casualties were minimal as the two Imperial wings descended rapidly to avoid many of the ork guns. However, as the Valkyries made their descent towards one of the rudimentary ork homesteads, the orks dived and attacked with ferocity destroying 'Deadmeat's fighter (he successfully bailed out and later returned to Imperial lines) and eventually a landed valkyrie.

The rescue mission looked hopeless, but the Imperial forces struck back destroying several ork fightas and briefly driving off the remainder. This allowed Cmdr Rimmur's Valkyrie to land and pick up Captain Marwell (with the help of some embarked stormtroopers) and ascend rapidly with their prize before making a quick getaway. 

Celebrations all around and a new found friendship between Air Marshal and Sky-Captain.  However the intelligence recovered was very bad news indeed, not just for Monstrous but potentially for the whole sector...

[Imperium victory]