They’d been found. Months of meticulous planning had gone up
in smoke due to bad luck. Equipment failure had taken out two of the field dampening
generators that had been masking their presence. They weren’t down long but sadly
long enough to mean detection.
The subsequent assault was expected and Luna Wolves had put
their contingency plans into action withdrawing quickly and quietly after the
first wave of assault troops had retreated. Taking the dampening field
generators with them to hide their departure the entire force slid into the
night.
The contingency base was not as secure as the underground
complex being little more than a staging post but it would have to suffice
whilst the new situation could be assessed and a new strategy drawn up.
Stealth tech and heavy foliage is good for hiding a base but
not enough to stop a ground patrol blundering upon it and it became apparent as
they approached that this had happened. This mission seemed cursed with poor
luck! The area was laced with caches of equipment, supplies and weapons.
The
reserve site was already lost due to its discovery by the Iron Warriors but
those supplies were essential and had to be recovered if there was any chance
of pulling any hope of withdrawal from the rapidly worsening situation. The
base must be taken back, albeit briefly, to get to the cached
equipment.
Breaking from the surrounding jungle the Luna Wolves barrelled
forward into the base, dashing to cover as much ground as they could before
their arrival was noticed however it didn’t take long…
The Iron Warriors had the advantage of cover but the Luna Wolves
pressed the attacked gunning down one heavy support squad of Iron Warriors whilst
they tried to position their Las-cannons. (1)
A Luna Wolves breaching team drew the fire of a heavy bolter
team perched on the base superstructure and their heavy shields stopped most of
the shots but increasingly the powerful explosive rounds got through.
Catching the beleaguered marines in a cross fire, an
advancing Iron Warriors squad gunned down the last of them leaving crumpled
bodies and dis-guarded shield littering the open ground between buildings.
Unseen by the newly arrived Luna Wolves, Iron Warriors
within the complex began to move through the buildings keeping themselves sheltered
from the firefight raging in the compound outside.
The counter attack had left the Iron Warriors left flank
dangerously exposed. A tactical flaw that did not go unnoticed and with massive
strides the huge form of a Contemptor dreadnought forged across the courtyard
raking the enemy positions with a torrent of fire from its assault cannon.
With practiced efficiency the Luna Wolves capitalised on the
moment, rising from their cover and pouring fire into the Iron Warriors. Plasma
fire and bolter rounds tore through them. There was only one option left for
the survivors of the unit and the last few fell back.
Trying to seize back the initiative, heavily shielded Iron
Warriors broke forth from the building hoping that attack from a different
direction would stall the Luna Wolves assault and give the iron Warriors a
chance to remove the threat of the plasma gunners whose fire had proven so devastating.
All the Luna Wolves were familiar with the base and as such
this manoeuvre was fully anticipated. The Iron Warriors were met with a storm
of fire as they left the safety of the building and many were cut down as they
closed for hand to hand combat. They pushed on hoping the momentum of their
charge would carry them to the enemy.
The charge faltered and the comms were alive with the roared
orders from command…..(2)
But it wasn’t enough as the last of them were seared and
blasted by the combined horrors of explosive rounds and blazing plasma bolts.
(3)
The last of the Iron Warriors patrol force were beaten back
and the Luna Wolves began to retrieve the much needed caches. Time was against
them and they would need to move quickly to cover enough ground to have a
chance of evading the inevitable Iron Warrior re-enforcement's.
Solid Win 8-3 to Junta and his Luna Wolves using the tactical
objective cards.
TTFN
(1)
Bugger. I needed them to stop the dreadnought!
(2)
Bugger. Ah well, I can use some re-rolls.
(3)
FML.
