Battle 1. Intro: Dust clouds on the horizon

Death Korps of Krieg, Intro
 [Author: Mattias]

General-Kommissar Ilse Herzog glared at the holographic map, where red dots marked the landing sites of several military reconnaissance shuttles. They were released from ships in high orbit, which could only mean Adeptus Astartes. As expected, but why so soon? Now she was trapped in the middle of the desert. Caught in between the hammer and the anvil with just a few dozen soldiers under her command.

She turned to look at the massive silhouette of The Great Teacher, a shadow against the pale light of the monitors.
"I let you live because you brought information that confirmed my suspicions." She kept her voice steady, but realized too late that her words betrayed doubts.
"I have long found signs, censored fragments, suggesting that an ancient uprising within Adeptus Astartes was not destroyed, but remains hidden, waiting."

The teacher still showed no sign of having heard her. Ilse asked a more direct question hoping for a reaction. "Was part of your plan to be hunted down by a superior force of your former comrades in arms, Teacher, or was it in fact your indiscretions that led them here?"
"By breaking with your superiors, you have been given the opportunity to understand how deceitful the loyal star-legions really are." The teacher's muffled voice rumbled from speakers in the grotesque helmet.

"If you do not realize it, we are encircled - to reveal their betrayal is not on today's agenda. Just to break through will require more aces in the deck than your half-trained temple guard" she hissed. "Or maybe I should kill you, right here and now, and present a nice trophy as proof of my loyalty when their force arrive" She pulled her bolter pistol in a lightning fast move born out of equal parts training and desperation.

The teacher replied with a slow motion with his hand. It could mean just about anything. Ilse stormed out of the barracks and opened a channel in her vox radio. "Desert Wolf to all packs, positioning according to plan, time minus two minutes," With a little luck and the element of surprise on her side, they would still be able to break through and escape into the desert toward the base camp.

"Whipping up a storm," she muttered to herself. "Dust clouds on the horizon."


Dark Angels Ravenwing, scout force Uzariel, Intro
[Author: Anders W]



The light of dawn lit up the sand clouds with the red color of wrath. Librarian-Brother Uzariel silently studied the tactical slogans and theological fundamentals that would give the greatest benefit to his brothers. Again, his highly trained mind recognized all the signs thats pointed to a warp-presence: a drop of water flowing upwards upward along his dew-covered, armored hand. The taste of hot iron and red wormwood in the air and a headache no armor integrated painful governor was able to drive away. Chaos was finally here. The signs he had seen in the ship's dark reclusiam was right, and his first quest on his own would soon lead to death and destruction. For some, though not for him:

"My life is nothing before the Emperor's gaze, my death but a staircase from which my brothers will build the tower of victory." Uzariels voice echoed in the group vox. "Show me my enemy so that my mission can lead our brethren to victory and my Chapter to Glory," came the reply. "The enemy is close – bring me the traitor!"

On the horizon appeared clouds of smoke, thrown up sand from explosions and speeding tanks. The Astartes had found the enemy, the battle had already begun ...