New Year, New Enemy: Part 2
Mission: Planetfall
Points per Player: 3000

Synopsis: A detachment of the Fighting Tigers of Veda Space Marine Chapter discovers that the planet Abrynn has come under attack by an unknown force. While conducting a “Planetfall” mission into the capital city, Moorton, the Tigers confront a sizable Necron army and immediately engage in fierce, close-range fighting. 

Fighting Tiger Turn 3
“He must not escape!” commanded Raja Khandar Madu, as she and the Assault Terminators pursued Lord Baphomet and the Immortals. Simultaneously, Talwar Chakram and the remaining “tactical” Terminator closed in on Lord Thoth, the other Necron commander. 

The Dreadnoughts Shiva and Vashtar, former rulers of the Fighting Tigers, advanced on Warrior Squad 3. The Scouts turned to help Rudra Squad 2 and Kali Squad 1, who were engaged in hand-to-hand combat with Warrior Squad 1 and the Scarabs. Rudra Squad 1 moved to engage Warrior Squad 2. Rudra Squad 3, which had been driven back by the Immortals, rallied. 

Talwar and the surviving Terminator fired at the Destroyers shielding Thoth, but the armor of the hovering robots was too strong for their weapons. Tiger Eternal Vashtar’s multimelta was similarly useless against the Monolith. Rudra Squads 1 and 3 fired into Warrior Squad 2, killing a total of five Necrons. Rudra Squad 4 stood its ground and rapid-fired into the Immortals, dropping four of them.

“Take them!” Khandar Madu cried. She pounced on Baphomet, knocking him to the broken pavement. Baphomet rolled away, Khandar’s claws only slashing his cloak and nicking his carapace. Levitating to his feet, he swung his Staff of Light and shattered the side of her helmet. Dazed, with blood trickling from her scalp, Khandar Madu threw off her ruined helmet, her long, red hair spilling out onto her shoulders.

Before Baphomet could escape or strike again, Veteran Sergeant Vashundhara Raje carved two deep furrows into the Necron Lord’s breastplate. Hissing, he recoiled as Raja Khandar Madu regained her feet. 

Elsewhere, Talwar Chakram and the Terminator charged the Destroyers. Having seen what the Chaplain was capable of, the Destroyers made sure to avoid her blows. Thoth, perhaps slowed by his injuries, could not strike down or evade the Terminator, whose powerfist smashed through his hover-engine. Thoth again crashed to the asphalt, twitching and sparking as his circuits shorted out.

Shiva and Vashtar hurled themselves into Warrior Squad 3, coming to the aid of the Veterans and Kali Squad 2. Though only four Necrons fell, no Tigers were killed. Rudra Squad 2, Kali Squad 1, and the Scouts combined their attacks to kill six Necrons from Warrior Squad 1, but two Tactical Marines and an Assault Marine fell, the last engulfed by chittering, stinging Scarabs. It was an ignominious way for a Space Marine to die, but dealing death in dozens of forms was what the Necrons did best. 

Necron Turn 3
Four Immortals had just fallen to the guns and claws of the Tigers: only one stood back up. Lord Baphomet, crackling wires dangling from the rents in his carapace, gathered his guards together. A torrent of dark energy whirled about them and they disappeared, to reappear not far from Talwar Chakram and the last “tactical” Terminator.

Talwar Chakram herself was in serious trouble. Thoth’s Resurrection Orb twinkled again, and again the Destroyer Lord arose to continue the fight. Destroyer Squad 1 cut off any retreat they might hope to make. And the second Tomb Spyder closed in, razor-like claws at the ready.

Fifteen Warriors had just fallen; seven revived. One Warrior shot and killed an unengaged Assault Marine from Kali Squad 2. Destroyer Squad 1 fired at Shiva, to no avail. Shiva’s luck held as the Monolith fired its particle whip and missed both Dreadnoughts.

Talwar flailed at the Destroyers keeping her from Thoth, but again, they eluded her blows. Destroyer Squad 1 came at her from behind, but she held them off. Her Terminator companion caught the claws of the charging Tomb Spyder before it could snip him in half, but he was defenseless against the resurrected Thoth, who drove his Staff of Light through the Terminator’s back, snapping the Marine’s spine. 

In the mass melee between the rest of the Necrons and Tigers, the Warriors bayoneted an Assault Marine and the Scarabs ripped the flesh from two Scouts, but the Marines smashed eleven Warriors and Scouts exterminated a Scarab base. Warrior Squads 2 and 3 fell back under the Fighting Tiger onslaught.

Fighting Tiger Turn 4
Raja Khandar Madu gritted her teeth. “Damn,” she growled. “Damn, damn, damn.” She had fought Necrons once before and had seen a Lord use a Veil of Darkness to escape destruction. But she had hoped that she would be fast enough, her blows strong enough to keep Baphomet from using his. She had failed to slay him, and he was now on the other side of the battlefield, well out of her reach.

The creature is, no doubt, congratulating himself right now, she thought, if these beings are capable of doing so.

But Necrons are not capable of doing so, and even if he could, Lord Baphomet would not. Far from being safe, Baphomet and the Immortals were under attack by Jirbu Ghosh and her Veterans, Shiva the Destroyer, the Dreadnought Vashtar, Rudra Squad 1, and Kali Squad 2. A storm of gunfire tore through the Immortals, slaying all of them. 

Suddenly, Baphomet found himself surrounded by charging Veterans and Assault Marines. He raised his staff to strike, but a chainsword from a female Marine severed his head from his body. He toppled over with a staccato, metal crash. Jirbu Ghosh crushed his Resurrection Orb under her armored boot.

It was, perhaps, an ignominious end, but Baphomet was incapable of feeling shame. He only knew obedience. 

Necron Turn 4
As Baphomet flickered out of existence, Thoth assessed the situation. To continue further was pointless: the Necrons could not match the Tigers’ ferocity, especially as the Flayed Ones had yet to arrive. Thoth assumed command of the army and gave his first and only order:

Vanish.

Abrynn had been avenged.

© Copyright Kenton Kilgore, January 2004
 

Top