+ inload: Ambush at Kalkriese – Ultramarines vs Orks part II +

+ The preamble and background for this battle can be found in the inload below. +
+ [+noospheric inload embedded+] +

+ Extracted from the post-action report of Brother Vispanion, squad Secundus. +

+ Practical: Deployment +

+ Mark -5.03: As with the majority of Kalkriese town, the Salters District was in ruins when we arrived, which made the sweep for evacuees and displaced personnel a slow task. The outskirts of the town had no power or water, but many smaller buildings here remained intact. +

+ Mark -1.14: The raised walkways from the town's mass-rail station were intact, and by this mark, the few civilians we had found had been safely shepherded aboard trains, accompanied by Brothers Taliman and Eos from Quartus. +

+ We continued moving cautiously from street to street, sweeping the town. The Lieutenant was clear that every area had to be confirmed visually; but we were also deploying a number of augury scanners. My brethren in the 190th were benefitting greatly from the Seeker squads detached from the 15th. +

+ I found the presence of our Dreadnoughts very welcome – their manoeuvrability is highly-prized in the dense streets, and their martial ability made them invaluable later. +

+ Mark -0.30: Satisfied that we had come to the last few intact buildings, Lieutenant Holion ordered evacuation vox-hails to be proclaimed from the Seekers' Rhino transports, but they echoed around the deserted market square. +

+ Mark -0.11: Lieutenant Pullo reported that his augmitters were hazed, something we attributed to ghost signals and dust-echo; but in hindsight was found to be vox-baffle by the greenskins. He drew the heavy support squad up one of the abandoned tenements, hoping to find a clearer signal. +

+ Mark -0.07[conjectured]: In the pre-dawn darkness, something began to stir. At first, we thought it might be a group of civilians, but the readings on the auguries were frustratingly vague. We moved out into the open to try to gain visuals in the darkness. +

+ Advance elements of the Teknorkracy forces must have been creeping about in the gloom at this point. Afterwards, we noted their blades were blackened were carbon-smut from campfires. I will never underestimate the orks – I have faced them three times since, and each time they have shown another face quite distinct from the caricature of a bellowing beast I had previously heard. +

+ Pouring from the mass-rail, the orks' numbers begin to swell and gather. I can only give thanks that the civilians's mass-train had reported in as secure by this point. +

+ Mark -0.04[conj.]: Marching in from the north, the greenskins' heavy armour rolled in, their engines masked by sonic-mockers. +

+ Mark -0.03[conj.]: A mighty bellow from the ork warlord [native ident: Gashbag] signalled his ambush. +

+++

+ Turn 1 +

+ Mark -0.02[conj.]: The orks surged forward simultaneously from the northern tenements and the southern mass-rail terminal, aiming to trap us between the groups. +

+ Mark 0: Brother Telcion, the Contemptor assigned to support Secundus, detected a surge in the spoor-signal we had picked up. With many years of experience under his belt, he ordered the Mark. Even as he made a brief report to Lieutenant Holion for confirmation, we began to seal the market square; as per general orders. None of us believed Telcion would have the jitters. +

+ The Land Raider Legacy of Armatura and the breachers of Viginti locked in place, sealing off the southern entrance of the Market square and protecting Holion behind a wall of ceramite. +

+ A post-battle enhanced sub-orbital pict capture shows the ork menace in the southern reaches clearly. +

+ Mark 0.02: Ork dreadnoughts began their advance, supported by heavy infantry. The darkness and dust shielded their advance, and we could pick virtually nothing out. Fortunately, the same was true for the greenskins – bullets and shells began whizzing into the market square, but none found their mark. +

+ Mark 0.05: Directed by Lieutenant Pullo, Heavy Support squad Corinthian opens up on a group of orks in the street as they advance from the north. Light casualties are inflicted. +

+ Legacy of Armatura, detecting little that could threaten its armour, moved to impose itself between the ork's looted heavy support weapons and Viginti. +

+ There were dozens of them – post battle estimates put their numbers at around 120; perhaps higher. +

+ Mark 0.07: It was at this point that I spotted the orks beneath the mass-rail walkways. The sergeant ordered us forward to engage. +

+ The orks surged forward to meet us. +

+++