Planetfall

Two Days, Two days the Orks had been in orbit and no landings. They’d appeared out of nowhere, dozens of Roks, ships and hulks had appeared practically on top of the orbital defences. They’d done their best and sold their lives dearly but once they were gone the bombardment started until all the ground based defences were silenced. This Warboss wasn’t stupid he was softening the planet up first and with our eyes in the sky gone all we can do is wait... ... Then the bombardment stopped, but this was not the first war Colonel Carlin had seen it meant they were finally coming. “Mount up men! Here they come!” The men under his command rushed to their vehicles, holding this facility with an armoured group wasn’t ideal but it would have to do, guardsmen scattered across the bay when suddenly there was a sound, like silenced thunder and a flash of light. When his vision cleared he found himself staring down the barrel of a long slender weapon, it’s owner clad in tight fitting blue armour, Eldar! There were perhaps a dozen of them in the bay all with weapons trained on his men, but they hadn’t fired, what in the Emperor’s name was going on! Two figures stood at the heart of the group of invaders, he recognised one as a Witch, one of the Eldars battle psychers, small stone runes hovered about them. The others armour was just as intricate but they seemed more like the warriors that surrounded them. This one was bare headed, female, her hair bound up in an ornate clasp. She should have been beautiful, delicate curves and features but those eyes. Looking into her eyes it was clear they were no less alien than Orks or Tyranids. They all didn’t so much move as flow like quicksilver, this situation was delicate, they hadn’t fired so they wanted something but he didn’t doubt if necessary they would kill them all where they stood. The female seemed to try starting to speak, words catching in her throat, like a note from a song, then with a pained expression she tried again. “We are not here to wage war on you this day... human” “Those guns seem to say different” “A necessary precaution, your kind only seem willing to see reason when it is the only option. We offer to stand alongside you here, alone you cannot possibly triumph. Ulthwe’s guardians become yours. There is no time for deliberation, either accept or we shall take our leave” Carlin knew the alien was right, dropping from orbit the Orks would be on top of them before they even knew what was going on, he needed good old fashioned ground pounders to keep them off his armour, and he’d seen what the Eldar’s warrior class could do first hand. Worst case, it meant fewer of them to deal with later, best case it was just one of those Eldar things and they would disappear as suddenly as they arrived afterwards. “Done, we’ll sort this out proper afterwards, right now we’ve got greenskins to deal with, to your vehicles you lazy buggers!” Even as the alien warriors lowered their weapons more Eldar began to appear in the bay, this time he saw the faint shimmer of a portal or gate in the air, tricky buggers, he’d be sure to watch for that in future. The pilot keyed the ignition even as he stepped about his command vessel, the Vendetta “Hammer of the Emperor”... ... Autarch Niala had orchestrated the battle from the bunker, the humans could not be allowed to understand their true goals, nor likely could the primitives. Seer Midorna’s loss would be lamented for cycles to come, his Avenger wards had reported seeing his body twist and deform as the old Orks power had borne down on him. The same Ork who had simply vanished in a blast of light as the harlequins bore down on him for the killing blow. It seemed as if the Orks had been trying to plant a banner, perhaps trying to win favour with their leader, they had shrugged off blows that should have even felled their kind to plant it. Them throwing themselves into the crucible of battle without concern like that was the only thing that had saved us. The humans artillery had done a fine job thinning their numbers but so many still reached the fortifications. The entirety of the “Stalking Shadow” had been wiped out trying to hold them back. Had it not been for the arrival of the harlequins this day would still have been lost. The countercharge they delivered was a fearsome sight, even her time in the Shrieking Doom shrine had not prepared her for the skill in battle they displayed. As the leaders of the assault planted their grisly banner they had leapt over the ruins of the bunker and with a splash of gore the Orks all lay dead at their feet. The Mon-Keigh’s leader had been slain but it seemed like they had held at other sites around the world, many seemed angry that this facility was now essentially under Eldar rule but others knew that waiting for help from their own Imperium would see the world burned and infested before it arrived. With the rites now complete the portal had been opened properly and heavier ordinance could be brought to bear. Soon they would be ready for their true objective...