Vol. I, Iss. 6 |
9063999.M41 |
Another Dark Eldar kabal has entered the sector, launching a strike at the Tyranid-infested world of Polis. They quickly set upon the hideous aliens, tearing into them with vicious firepower from many splinter rifles and cannons. Many Tyranids fell quickly, and in the slaughter many Dark Eldar were also lost. But by the time the firing died down, the Dark Eldar had driven the Tyranids from the field, setting themselves up on Polis with a solid foothold in the sector.
Maldroui is also still tearing a bloody swathe through the system. They launched another raid on Corinth, as retribution for the loss they suffered there to the Space Wolves. The Space Wolves weren't prepared this time, and the Dark Eldar fell upon them with unbound fury. The Space Wolves lost many battle brothers, and though they slew many Dark Eldar, they still had to fall back from their positions. The most damaging loss was that of the Venerable Dreadnought Bjorn, who fell at the hands of Maldroui and his powerful agonizer.
Maldroui then decided to take on the Black Templars on Jhost, but found them removed from the area by the Chaos Space Marines. The battle started well for the traitors, with their Predators destroying all of a Ravager's weaponry. Maldroui and his Incubi were responsible for most of the destruction wrought on the Chaos forces, taking on the Chaos Lord, his retinue, some Terminators, and the Predator. Almost all of the Chaos force was wiped out, leaving only the traitor Emperor's Champion surviving. The Chaos Marines were pushed to a small corner of Jhost, vowing to get their revenge on Maldoui.
There was no rest for the Dark Eldar on Polis, as a large force of Necrons appeared mysteriously from the barren deserts of the world. The Dark Eldar were on a simple patrol when they came across this force, taken totally by surprise. The Necrons used this surprise to their advantage, forming a ring around the Dark Eldar and closing it in on them. There was no escape, and with cold malice the Necrons slowly killed the Dark Eldar, one by one, until not a single one was left. Then the Necrons vanished again, leaving no trace of their passing.
On Kyrnst, the Eldar of Craftworld Alaitoc were setting up a base of operations for the sector, when they too became the victim of a mysterious Necron raid. The Eldar valiantly took up defensive positions, hoping the drive back the Necrons and keep them from their base. This was not to be, and many sniper rifle shots bounced harmlessly from the metal bodies of the Necrons. The implacable advance of the armoured warriors could not be stopped, and the Eldar of Alaitoc had to abandon their base to the Necrons.
Then the Necrons decided to take to battle against the Lords of Darkness traitor Marines on the planet M'tok. In a deadly night raid, the Necrons fell upon the Marines' defensive positions, tearing into them with reckless abandon. But the Lords of Darkness held their ground and were able to fight off the Necrons, destroying enough of them to force them to abandon their raid. Special mention for the Lords of Darkness must be given to their tactical squads, who were able to take down much of the Necron force without the help of the Khorne Berzerkers, who were tied up fighting three Tomb Spyders and their Scarab swarms.
On Jhost, another band of Necrons, those who had already been assaulting our sector, took on the Khornate Chaos Marines who had been pushed back by the Dark Eldar. They even summoned one of their foul gods, but he fell to a hail of fire that weakened him enough for the Khorne Lord to deliver the killing blow. The Khorne Lord and his retinue of Berzerkers also tore through three full squads of Necron warriors, while the Chaos Terminators ripped apart the Necrons' bunkers that had been set up in preparation for the battle. Without the Chaos Predator ever showing up for the battle, due to a track being thrown while moving through heavy forest, the Chaos Marines forced the Necrons to teleport out of the battle.
The Lords of Darkness have had little luck in their bid to grab a slice of the sector. They found their only victories on M'tok, both fighting the Necrons and the Dark Eldar, who seemed to have an unhealthy interest in the planet. The Dark Eldar kabal that had entered the sector recently appeared from the Webway onto the field of battle, forcing the Lords of Darkness to react. And react they did, steadily setting up interlaced fields of fire and mowing down Dark Eldar with a barrage of fire from dozens of bolters and many heavy guns. The Dark Eldar were unable to make much of a gain on the planet, and so decided to return to the Webway.
But no sooner were they through doing that than the Tyranids of Hive Fleet Ashibah attacked - surely there must be something important on M'tok! A large brood of sixteen Gaunts held up the mighty champion Kharn while Genestealers tore into the rest of the Chaos army. Seeing the savagery of the alien monstrosities, the survivors of the Lords of Darkness force decided that discretion really is the better part of valour and fell back to more defensible positions.
Seeing a weakness he could possibly exploit to gain a victory that would surely save his reputation, the warboss of the Fists of Gork warband of Orks decided to assault the Lords of Darkness as well. Several Grots were sent surging forward before the Ork army, being used as shields by their massive cousins and dying in droves. The firepower available to the Lords of Darkness was not enough, and they were faced with overwhelming numbers of Orks. Seeing no chance to beat off the brutes, and realizing they only posed a temporary threat, the Chaos Marines disengaged from battle with the Orks and left them to take control of a massive hive.
On Polis, the Eldar of Craftworld Ulthwe launched an assault against the Tyranids of Hive Fleet Scylla. They felt prepared to take on the Tyranids, but the reality of the direness of the situation soon set in upon them as the Tyranid Carnifex made contact with their ranks quickly and rampaged through it, slaughtering many Eldar before falling to the Farseer and his Warlock bodyguard. The Tyranids marauded through the Eldar, slaying all of the Eldar save Maugan Ra, who quickly moved from the field of battle while laying down a protective curtain of fire from the Maugetar.
Then the Ulthwe Eldar attempted another move toward taking Corinth. This time they were no more successful than the last, even with Maugan Ra having rejoined their forces after the disaster at Polis. Maugan Ra and Farseer Tythalas were the last survivors of the Eldar force, the rest being slaughtered by merciless firepower and the charge of the Blood Claws and the Wolf Guard, led by one cursed with the Mark of the Wulfen. The Wulfen Guard took on Tythalas toe to toe, but fell to the Farseer's singing spear. Other Wolf Guard stepped up to battle the Eldar, however, and took down Maugan Ra and Tythalas both. They cheered as the Eldar fell to the ground and their Wulfen brother stood back upon his feet, his bionics having taken the blows and saved him from death. The day belonged to the Space Wolves.
The last battle involving the Eldar came when the Eldar of Alaitoc took on the Ultramarines under the command of Commander Woods on Qentis. The snipers took out many Marines, and even the Farseer was able to make contact and slaughter an entire squad of Marines. But the remaining Space Marines, enraged at the deaths of their brothers, assaulted the Eldar and killed many of them in bloody hand to hand combat before the Eldar finally fled the field of battle.