Raid at Skarbad's Star

[M37.785]

Nearly a century has passed since the Orks of the Scallop Stars felt the wrath of Mankind, and across the sector armies mobilise and fleets slip their moorings. But already far ahead of the Imperial war machine the Carcharodons are doing what they do best; silently patrolling the wilderness areas of Human space ready to pounce on threats before they can fully emerge. A faint but unusual signal has caught their attention, like a drop of blood in the water. There seems to be an Imperial beacon active somewhere nearby. If the Orks have managed to loot an Astartes locator beacon then they could potentially cause all sorts of havoc by setting traps and false trails for the coming crusade. It's clear what needs to be done, the beacon must be pried from the Orks cold, dead fingers!

The fleet Navigators soon triangulate the signal to the world of Ripoff in the Skarbad's Star system. But it seems the Carcharodons are not the only one to notice the presence of the beacon; and Imperial Fists strike cruiser is also moving in-system on a similar heading. A cautious parly is arranged, and alliance agreed and a plan of action for a joint strike laid down.

The signal is traced to a small Ork compound. It is lightly garrisoned, but the surrounding area is teeming with Ork life signs.

Big Mek Dregkart oversees Gobwort and his runts sorting through the tribute gathered from Ripoff's barter-pits.

The Space Marines strike force moves into position behind the Ork village.

Dregkart spies the approachings Astartes. "Zoggin' 'eck! Beakies!" exclaimed the Big Mek, "'Ere to get der Beak-'Un back no doubt. Oi Gobwort, grab dat loot and get inta cover, sharpish!"

The Space Marines advance, keen to get into the fort before reinforcements arrive.

One of the fort walls is seriously weakened by autocannon fire, before collapsing under a torrent of disciplined bolter and heavy bolter fire from the Imperial Fists.

Whirrrrrrrrrrrrrr - the Shokk Attack Gun starts to power up, but before he can fire on the Space Marines, Dregkart is knocked from his perch by a highly accurate lascannon short from the Carcharodons devestator unit.

Gobwort carries out Dregkart's orders and grabs the locator beacon.

BANG-Fizzzzz - With a thunderclap of displaced air and the crackle of arcing electricity, the Carcharodon Terminators use the locator beacon signal to teleport directly into the fort!

Carcharodon assault marines are first through the breach...

...as the rest of the strike force move up to support them.

Withering firepower pours through the breach, decimating the cowering grotz.

The Space Marines quickly close the distance.

The assault marines leap into battle, squashing a number of grotz as they land.

The assault marine sergeant bellows a challenge as he flies through the air, but Gobwort is ready for him and catches him neatly with his grabba-stick before slamming him face first into the ground!

Despite this set-back the assault marines soon see off the runtherd and his grotz.

The fort is temporarily in human hands, but before the Space Marines have time to regroup a thundering horde of boyz stampeeds into view, accompanied by a clanking Deffdread.

Deff Koptaz zoom in from the flank.

Eager to get to grips with the 'Umies and unwilling to take the long way around to the gate, the Ork horde sprays the fort wall with big shoota fire and when that doesn't work they attempt to pull it down with their bare hands.

The Nobz smash the wall to pieces with a flurry of blows from their power klaws. A handful of Orks are buried under falling masonary, but the rest of the boyz don't seem to mind; this is all part of the fun!

The fort is now very definitely on fire!

The Terminators move to react to this new threat and prepare to plug the breach!

Rokkit fire stuns the rhino. The tactical squad disembark and return fire, but it is largely ineffectual.

The assault Terminators start to wade through the green tide, cutting down Orks left and right while two Terminators are mortally wounded by the Nobz' power klaw. The combat drags on with neither side willing to yield.

Orks and Deff Koptas pour through the breach, gunning down the assault marines with overwhelming firepower.

Wazdakka the Big Mek arrives in his battle wagon with Nob bodyguard, along with the looted wagon.

The Orks now have a serious advantage in numbers, but the Space Marines are undeterred.

Another Terminator dies in exchange for even more minced Orks! They are slowing the flow of greenskin reinforcements, but the breach is no longer secure.

Imperial Fists follow the Carcharodon scouts into the compound.

The air is thick with bolt shells as the scouts take their toll on the Ork advance.

The tactical squad shoot a Deff Kopta out of the sky, but Codicer Echinor's infamous 'psychic shriek' is clearly drowned out by the sound of thumping rotar blades as it has no effect on the Ork flyboyz!

The devestators shoot the boom gun off the looted wagon, but not before the plasma cannon operator has vanished in a cloud of ionised gas!

A lone Terminator stand defiently against the Ork horde.

The Deff Koptas fly towards the Space Marines. The Astartes brace themselves for incoming fire, but the koptas instead chose to zoom straight over their heads and into their rear lines.

More Orks pour into the fort. The locator beacon is almost within their grasp...

The battle wagon and Deff Dread target the tactical squad with punishing firepower.

The scouts are gunned down by shoota fire.

The last Terminator continues to fight!

The Deff Dread charges into the tactical marines. Echinor steps forward and temporarily blinds the metal beast with his Burning Blade, but its wild flailing still manage to dismember two tactical marines.

The lone scout from the first squad claims the beacon while his battle brothers provide covering fire.

The Nob finally gets to grips with the last Terminator and snips him in half with his power klaw before advancing menacingly on the scout...

Echinor inflicts further damage on the Deff Dread but more tactical marines still fall to its giant klaws.

Wazdakka disembarks from the battle wagon and leads his Nob entourage towards the embattled Echinor...

The sneaky Deff Koptas fire a salvo of rokkits into the rear of the Imperial Fists dreadnought, destroying it in a spectacular explosion that rains firey shrapnel on the surrounding marines.

The last scout succumbs to Ork firepower, leaving the beacon unclaimed once again...

...until the Imperial Fist - led by Captain Rodriguez and the Carcharodon chaplin - move to recover it.

A long range shot from the devestators detonate the battle wagon's ammo supply, taking a number of the surrounding Orks with it...

...and earning the lascannon-equipped devestator a well deserved marksman's laurel.

Echinor moves to intercept Wazdakka. The big mek's sneer of contempt turns to a look of shock as his Nob bodyguard collapse to the ground, clutching their ears under the onslaught of the librarian's 'psychic shriek'.

The Imperial Fists easily best the Nob and shoota boy, avenging the fallen Terminators.

Echinor and Wazdakka fight a bitter duel while Dr Zugberg grapples with the tactical marines, but neither side can get the upper hand.

A fresh wave of Orks pour through the breach...

...and gun down the chaplain, wound the captain and slay several tactical marines in an impressive display of accurate firepower. The locator beacon tumbles to the floor from the chaplain's lifeless grip.

The Deff Koptas blow up the rhino that was moving to block their line of sight into the compound.

Power fist and power klaw clash as Captin Rodriguez and Nob Bogrot take each other out of the fight!

The Imperial Fists are pushed back, while the locator beacon lays trampled and forgotten beneath the the feet of the Ork boyz.

Echinor finally bests Wazdakka, and turns his Burning Blade on Dr Zugberg!

The battle draws to a close. The Space Marines lines are broken, but the Astartes have drawn first blood and slain the Ork leader. Neither side has laid claim to the beacon. As the flames start to engulf the fort and a sorely wounded Wazdakka crawls away to safety, the Orks decide they've had enough and begin to widthdraw. Victory belongs to the Astartes!

Codicer Echinor joins the surviving Imperial Fists in the ruins of the fort. The locator beacon is at their feet, smashed and useless in the mud. "This is beyond use now, Brother-Codicier," observes one of the Fists. Echinor gives a servo-assisted shrug. "Its use is denied the Greenskins, that is sufficient for me." Without another word the librarian slips silently away into the smoke. The Imperial Fists watch him depart for a moment, then set about setting krak-charges to help the flames reduce the fort to ashes. They won't be able to linger long, more Orks are surely already on their way...