The trooper bowed smartly before Garawulf, "My Lord Garawulf, the scouts have returned. They report a lightly fortified imperial base with 3 bunkers. No sign of heavy armament except for a vindicator".

"Good", returned Garawulf, "Send word to Edga and my Champions to come at once - we will decide how we go about plucking these skulls."....

...

"Edga, what do you think? The base is too large to attack from all sides".

"I suggest attack on the left flank my Lord. See, the bunker is un-manned and we can move in under cover of darkness!"

"Edga, I would not have my mobility shot out from underneath me by that Vindicator! I am here for the glory of Khorne and he will have skulls. We'll attack on the right flank where the harvest will be bountiful. Baris, you will cover my left, Therian, you my right".

"My Lord - "

"Silence Edga, I have spoken!"

"My Lord, let me at least take one squad on the left flank to occupy the enemy there. It will draw the fire of the vindicator away from the main attack"

"One squad." Lycan paused in thought, "Okay. One squad. Now begone to your positions. May Khorne strengthen your arms and the reeper be with you!"

...

In the greyness of dawn shouts could be heard in the distance. There were short flashes of light as if lightning had struck somewhere. Then he heard the screams.

"Why did my lord not wait until we were all in position" thought Edga. "It was foolish enough of him to attack the strongest side of the imperial base head on, but he could at least have waited until we had taken up position and drawn some of the heavy fire. Still, he is not Lord for nothing and would do anything to grant Khorne's wishes"

He Looked across the field through his light-enhancing viewer. He whined as he saw his lord now leading his men on foot towards the enemy lines, a few hundred yards behind them the burning wreckage of his landraider and Baris' rhino. This was not good. Thank Khorne that darkness still covered their advance. He looked north to the enemy dugouts opposite him. The Vindicator was gone, disappeared from the left flank. This could only mean it had been drawn to the fighting on the right flank. His squad could do nothing now but wait for dawn and new orders from Garawulf.

Brother Boda was so relieved when he saw the ancient landraider explode that he paused from shooting at the terminators advancing on the bunker. He knew that they would need more than a single lucky shot to repel the heretics. The men of squad curator were firing into the darkness on the right flank and he realised there must have been more heretics on that side. Then the rhino supporting the landraider lit up, the explosion causing a hot metallic shower to rain down. He saw figures climbing out of the wreckage."Surely the emperor was with them today!" and he turned back to the job at hand. These terminators must be taken out before they reach the bunkers!

Garawulf led his men across the field toward the enemy lines. Khorne had raised his hand and saved them from the direct hit on the landraider. Curse that son of a Tzeentch priest that had turned the searchlight on. It had given the imperials a guiding light to shoot at! Lucky he had died in the explosion before feeling my wrath! His eyes searched the darkness and recognised Baris with his troop. So, not just the Landraider! The searchlight had done a real good job of lighting up the battlfield! In front he saw his terminators and the ancient Kraspa. In the darkness they had wandered much too close to the old insane dreadnought! It seemed as if their organised attack was slowly slipping into chaos. At least Therian still had his transport. But Garawulf knew he would either have to move on ahead or dismount in order to stay with the rest of the army. Just as the thought came, he saw the side doors of the rhino fly open and Therian's troops start to pile out. So now they were all on foot. It didn't really matter any more whether Edga had managed to put the Vindicator out of action, soon it would be daylight and they would be sitting ducks here in the open fields!

Brother Boda could smell the advancing plague marines although they were still 300 klims away and realised they would soon reach their positions - he was n't sure if they could hold out in this bunker against the pox ridden pack. Suddenly, as if he'd read Boda's thoughts, there was a crackling of static in the air and Brother Adamantus appeared out of nowhere. Adamantus swivelled around, seemed to be smelling the air and pounded off into the darkness. A few minutes later, Boda could hear screams and flashes of bolter fire broke the darkness. Brother Adamantus had found his target.

Although they were far out on the right flank, the stench of the nurgle bretheren still reached his snout. How had he displeased Garawulf to be forced to watch over their foul carcasses? Did he no longer stand in Garawulf's favour? Therian looked across to his right as the greyness of dawn lifted. As if in a vision, out of nowhere, an imperial dreadnought had materialised amongst the stinking hoard of nurgle. What he did not mow down with his autocannon, was torn bodily limb from limb in the melee that followed. The massacre was short and bloody. Now he, Therian, was the right flank. He called his havocs over and pointed at the dreadnoght and the bunkers in the distance. They understood immediately what he meant and Therian left them to do their handywork.

The roaring engines of jetpacks announced the arrival of an assault squad. Brother Boda watched as they flew in over the plague marines heading for the last remaining enemy rhino. Firing from the air, their plasma blasts chewing into its tracks, the rhino came to a halt. Its bolter ammunition shot off like fire crackers as it exploded in the heat which the plasma blasts were building up inside it.

The comm whistled +++ taking casualties . awaitig orders. curator out +++

+++ hold your positions everyone, help is already on its way. Choose your targets well +++Boda ordered his men.

Letting loose himself with his bolter, one of the terminators who had reached the bunker wall took a mouthfull of boltershot as it pierced his faceplate. Slimey green blood splattered over Boda, the enemy was so close now!

Edga stared across the battlefield. This was madness. Now daylight had arrived, the chaos troops were being mown down like flies. "I will not waste my troops on this madness", he thought to himself. He decided to remain in the cover of the ancient ruins and rain down bolter fire on the enemy lines. Across the field he saw his lord and the terminators slugging their way toward the enemy bunkers. In a blinding flash of light and cloud of smoke he saw Kraspa suddenly fall to his knees and remain there. Another ball of fire hit Therian's rhino, flinging it ten foot into the air before it came down with an ear rendering thud. Praise Khorne no one was in it! As if in answer, he saw the turret of Brax'Kar's predator swivel and take a bead on one of the imperial bunkers. A beam of light shot out and struck the the bunker squarely but somehow did n't seem to leave a scratch on it. He saw a dreadnought pounding towards Therian's troops, stop in its tracks and swivel - taking up a new line on the terminator squad. From behind the bunker a flock of marines rose into the air, flying high overhead towards Therian's troops. Suddenly a squad of bikes appeared. By Khorne! Someone would pay for this massacre. He did not know someone already had.

A massive explosion darkened Brother Boda's visor for half a second protecting his eyes from the glare. As it lightened again, Boda saw that the enemy dreadnought and another terminator were gone - the vindicator had finally found its mark. Still the enemy terminators came on, getting closer and closer. But the left flank was now clear. With the dreaded plague marines gone the assault marines flew overhead searching for another target and brother Adamantus was making his way towards the terminators.
The comm spoke again +++ Brother Boda, can't I leave you alone for a few minutes?+++ Brother Librarian Silenius had arrived.
He was so unlike any other marine, loud-mouthed and flamboyant but gifted with a second sight and a true master of his force weapon. Boda imagined the wide grin he probably had on his face. Midfield, the assault marines had stirred up a hornets nest and could do with some support. Sizing up the situation within seconds, Silenius revved up his engine and shot off, the rest of the bike squad following in his wake. Boda turned back to his unit, pointing towards Brother Adamantus and indicating to his men that this was where support was now needed.

Garawulf and his troops had almost made the first bunker as the dreadnought came down on the terminators. He new his terminators could be relied on to lay down their lives for Khorne. They would rather die than let the monstrum through. He looked over to Therian. Firing into the air, Therian's troops had already taken out some of the assault marines as they had come down on them. Garawulf howled across the field "SKULLS FOOOR KHOORNE!" in support, as he saw Therian's troops dive in amongst the imperial dogs as they landed. A shattering explosion drew his attention to the right flank. He looked across at the smoking ruins of Brax'Kar's predator. Brax'Kar was slumped across the barrel of the laser cannon. He threw back his head and howled. With an almighty growl of "BLOOOD FOR THE BLOOOD GAWD!" he swung his axe overhead and dashed towards the imperial dreadnought. Overhead a squad of landspeeders shot past.

His sensitive ears registered two almighty explosions. Brother Boda looked across the battlefield, his ears still ringing. Now daylight had arrived, he could see that the burning wreck on his left was the molten remains of a predator. Not far away, a chaos dreadnought roared in frenzy waving his warhammer at a distant foe. With its leg servos reduced to slag and the plasma cannon hanging useless at its side, it was going nowhere.
+++ continue shooting at the terminators +++ he ordered his men into action again.

Therian looked up as the predator exploded. In that moment of distraction the marine's sword came down on his arm. He howled as his attention was immediately drawn back to the melee. He looked down and saw the severed arm still holding the plasma pistol, the finger still on the trigger, twitching, firing off random shots into the feet of the imperial scum. Biting back the agony, he raised his chain sword and dived at the nearest marine, "Death to the false prophet!". He never saw the axe that came down crushing his skull. Leaderless, the few remaining troops in the unit looking around themselves and finding no support from either side, not realising that from behind they would be easy prey for the airborne marines, turned on their heels and fled for the jungle.

A loud clap marked the release of another vindicator shot which ended the chaos attack on the landing pad. Boda looked up as something roared overhead. He grabbed the comm +++ flying cremators come in, take out the terminators!+++ But although on target, the newly arrived landspeeders could not slow the advance of that ancient adamantium. Boda swung round to the left flank. The assault marines and the enemy were gone. But the sound of boltershot and screeching jetpacks coming from beyond the wreckage of the rhino announced that the assault bretheren had more than succeeded in their task.

As Garawulf caught up with the dreadnought, four of the terminators were already lying in the dirt, their power armour still containing the limbs it had protected, torn and broken, spread to the four winds.

Boda saw the massive chaos warlord with his retinue coming on before him but before he could get off a shot at them, they were all over Brother Adamantus. The wolves had cornered their prey.

The ancient machine's servos roared under the strain as Brother Adamantus shrugged off the frantic attacks of Garawulf's berserkers. The battlefield seemed to go quiet. Both sides seemed frozen as they watched the veteran monolith parry the tearing claws and fangs of his rabid attackers. As one attacker bit the dust the next was there, with a jump, to fill his place. Power axe and chain sword tore at the hulk of the dreadnought, bits of metal flying in all directions. Again and again the dreadnought fired his autocannon into the pack of frenzied bodies. The heavy flamer licked out, charring the ravaged bodies lying in the dust and still they came on.

The silence was suddenly broken as, searching for new glory, Silenius and his squad rammed into the melee, whilst from above, the assault marines fell on their prey like storm griffons.

Before Garawulf could hurl himself at the dreadnought, his troop was hit by the roaring bikes. The bikes were unable to slow the rush of the berserkers towards the coloss, but despite their ferocity the berserkers could not find a weak spot in the dreadnought's armour. Garawulf forced his way through the melee, seeking out a worthy opponent - the dreadnought. His axe swung wildly from side to side as the bikers flashed past like flies, but there was no time to hole out for a swing at the steel giant. The assault marines rained down on them.

It was over within minutes. Outnumbered, the remaining Wulfen were cut down to the last man, Brother Adamantus himself taking out the chaos warlord with a decapitating swipe of a servo-powered arm.

Brother Boda gazed across the battlefield at the carnage. He knew the Wulfen would be back but for now the emperor's peace had been restored.

The smoke cleared as the bikes headed back for the bunkers. Edga gazed across the field and watched them go. To his right nothing living was left standing. The sky was grey from the smoke as it lifted from the battlefield. The wreckage of several vehicles still belched thick black smoke toward the heavens. The comm whistled, "Edga return to Zahnsybaa, we have the data we needed". Edga thought, "I hope the data was worth it!" and turned to the trooper carrying the autocannon. Edga pointed to the bunker in the middle. The trooper nodded.