"The Orks are the pinnacle of creation

"Drones are AI-controlled light hovering vehicles that can mount either weapons or shields. They are used by the Tau and can either join a specific unit or be formed into squadrons of their own. They are lightly armoured but are excellent as scouts and pinning when armed as sniper drones." – Lexicanum

"Shas'la, get that Devilfish over here and call for backup while you're at it!" said Tejas, clutching his earphone.

"Yes Shas'ui" one of the crewmen replied.

The Orks charged through the trees, not even giving the Kroot enough time to aim their rifles properly, only 4 rifle rounds managing to hit their green targets. The Kroot Shaper cried out something in its native language as the Kroot ceased firing and were forced into close-combat with the barbaric Orks. As the Orks raised their muscular arms to swing their heavy axes, the Kroot took advantage of their dexterity and having blades on both ends of their rifles, spinning them around immediately after firing as the Orks charged into them, driving the rear blade into the Orks with one smooth swing. Feeling embarrassed that such lanky aliens were able to wound and cut down his first line of Boyz, Warboss Shakgrod charged the rest of his mob into the Kroot with an insane ferocity that only Orks could muster. While the bloody fight erupted between the Kroot and Orks, crewman Hei'ki was hastily trying to contact the field command inside the relative security of the Pathfinder's Devilfish.

"Tsua'm Eoro, this is Savon B" Said Hei'ki, hoping to get a quick answer.

"We hear you Savon B. What is your situation?" replied a voice from the communications array.

"We've just been attacked by a shtlk load of Orks! We need backup now!!"

"Negative Savon B; There are no units available for support in your area."

"What about the Air Caste? Can they not spare a few Remora drones?" After having to wait for some agonisingly long seconds to pass as the command checked some information, Hei'ki finally got a reply.

"Affirmative Savon B . A squadron of Remoras have been scrambled."

"That's great! When are they expected to arrive? We really don't have much time to spare here, those damned Orks are all over us!" Hei'ki waited but there was no reply. "Tsua'm Eoro, when are the Remoras expected to arrive? Can you hear me? Tsua'm Eoro!?"

"Don't waste your breath Hei'ki, our antenna's just been shot off" said the Devilfish's co-pilot.

Partially damaged, the Devilfish glided over to Tejas where the Kroot and his fellow Pathfinders were being brutally massacred by the Orks. Hei'ki quickly stepped over to one of the circular doors and turned to his co-pilot, saying "This is getting messy, we need to get out of here fast! Keep those Orks off us while I pick up the Shas'ui!"

"SHAS'UI!, GET IN!" shouted Hei'ki at the entrance of the Devilfish. Hearing this, Tejas looked over his shoulder and ran towards the entrance, followed by two more surviving Pathfinders as several Orks were mowed down by the Devilfish's Burst Cannons and Gun Drones. "they just came out of nowhere…so fast…." said one of Tejas' Pathfinders, thinking aloud.

"Aaargh…. that's the problem with being a recon team- we iare/i the early warning sign." Tejas said back to his Pathfinder before turning to the pilots, "You better be going at full speed, as those damned Orks have rockets out there! And I don't see any disruption pods on your 'fish."

"Yes Shas'ui, we know too well; those brutes shot off our antenna back there." said Hei'ki. "But don't worry Shas'ui, this 'fish has got us out of trouble before and it'll do it again!". The blue light caused by the sudden surge to the Devilfish's engines, shining so vividly in the night got the Ork's attention, with an eager mob of Tankbustas readying their rockets to get a shot at their prize. Knowing how easily distracted the Orks can be, Hei'ki had a trick up his sleeve for exactly this kind of situation. "Gun Drones, disconnect from the fish's hull. You are now permitted to fight independently." said Hei'ki, clutching his earphone.

"Thanks Hei'ki! We'll get rid of all those Orks for you!" replied the ever-optimistic drones, unaware that Hei'ki had deliberately sent them to their cyber-deaths. "Ok Shas'ui, those drones will be active for just long enough to give us a chance to get out of here in once piece." said Hei'ki while looking out of the turret windows, franticly searching for an exit from the forest clearing that wasn't blocked off by more Orks. "Err…I thought you were quite fond of those drones, as you installed that AI personality on them" said Tejas.

"Ya, but they're still just robots, and we really need some kind of distraction. Plus, the 'fish can't boost-jump over that many trees." replied Hei'ki.

"Don't you dare hurt Hei'ki, you brutes!" said one of the two Gun Drones as they soured through the air, rapidly firing their Pulse Carbines at the mob of Tankbustas. Sure enough, the Orks started firing at the drones. "hey boyz, you shoot at 'dem talking frizbees while I get da tank!" ordered one of the Tankbustas to the rest of his mob.

"Wut? Nah, I saw da tank first, so I'm da one to get their heads!" said another, while plasma shots from the drones started raining down on them.

Finally one of them just got impatient as the Devilfish glided out of the clearing and down a dusty forest road. "For Gork's sake, just shoot at da tank now you squig-farmers! Last one to hit da tank is a smelly gretchin!". After one 'busta fell from three plasma hits to the head and torso, the other four 'bustas all fired their rockets at the Devilfish, far too thrilled at the prospect of destroying the Tau's vehicle to care about the Gun Drones. After some inept glances down the crude iron sights of the launchers, thick green fingers over the triggers and some determined grimaces, three Ork 'rokkits' were soon racing through the air. Each Tankbusta watched their rocket fly towards their prize. Two missed, flying horribly off-course and into the trees, while the other Tankbusta watched with a grin spreading across his battle-scared face as his 'rokkit' flew straight into one of the Devilfish's engines, illuminating the area in a blue and yellow light.

Out of control, the Devilfish violently tilted and swerved to one side; the partially damaged anti-gravity generators moaned from the strain of keeping the 14-ton vehicle in the air, which soon careered into the row of trees at the edge of the dirt road. However, the successful Tankbusta's fortune did not last forever, as he and the rest of his mob were soon melted by the Gun Drones who were enraged at the death of their master, now firing their Pulse Carbines point-blank into the Orks. "You'll all pay!!" cried out the drones, turning to fire at the remaining Orks. Feeling brave by being in such a large mob, the Orks were unphased by their comrades falling to the drone's Carbine fire; in fact it only spurred them on to fight with evermore ferocity. Having no pain receptors or concept of death, the drone's screams were ones of shock and failure as their mechanical bodies got ripped apart by the sheer volume of bullets thundering from the crude machineguns.

As Tejas picked himself up from the floor, he noticed the cabin lights were flickering, and the wild smells of the forest outside were much more pronounced as the pressurised hull of the Devilfish had been cracked open. Only him, Hei'ki and another Pathfinder survived the crash. Tejas then heard some heavy footsteps approach the downed Devilfish.

"Oi, get some stickbombz in dat wreck. Just'ta make sure 'dem grey-skins ain't still alive…" said an unknown Ork.

"Dammit, get out of here Shas'las!" said Tejas while running out of the Devilfish as fast has his aching limbs would carry him, with the rest of the remaining Tau limp-running behind him. The safety of the trees was so close.

"Aaargh hahahargh! Looks like I've got me'self a gray-skin!" said an Ork as he ran up and blocked the escape route of the Tau, his large green hand grabbing tightly onto Tejas' helmet, then quickly swinging his axe hard into Tejas' chest, creating a huge dent in his armour and making his heart skip a beat from the shock. "Heh, these grey-skins die real easy" said the Ork before dropping Tejas to the floor.

Coughing up cyan-coloured blood on the ground and angered by the Orks barbarity, Tejas reached for his Pulse Carbine with his weakened arms and pressed the trigger.

"Aaaarg!" roared the Ork as one of his legs was evaporated in a flash of blue plasma. Tejas then stood up and finished off the Ork with a shot to the head while watching the other Orks fire at his fellow Tau as they ran towards the trees, killing the Pathfinder and wounding Hei'ki in the stomach. Falling to the ground as the Orks chased after Tejas into the woods, Hei'ki heard those heavy footsteps approach. It was Warboss Shakgrod.

"Heh, you see us Orks'es are da biggest'n'meanest there is! No match for you puny gray-skins!" said Shakgrod as he forcibly pressed his boot onto Hei'ki, who winced from the pain. Hei'ki's life flashed before his eyes as the Warboss brought the viscously sharp Power Claw towards his face, getting far too close for comfort. But then he saw three objects suddenly appear in the sky far above him, apparently from nowhere; at first he thought it was a hallucination caused by losing too much blood; then he recognised the shapes as they came down closer from the sky, silhouetted with the sun behind them. "Remoras…" Hei'ki said before falling unconscious.