The 86th Expeditionary Fleet continued to clash with the ramshackle armada of the Orks.

While each of the four Confederation worlds was threatened by the Greenskins, the main thrust was focused on Mytos. That was where the II Legion had concentrated its forces, and that was where the majority of the Orks were heading. As a by-product, the other three worlds were given a slight reprieve.

The Battle of Mytos had raged for almost a solar week, and the Knowledge Hunters were struggling to keep the never-ending tide of xenos at bay.

Fortunately for them, deliverance was at hand.

The void ships of the 86th detected a fleet of Imperial vessels translating from the Warp, and they were even now making best possible speed for Mytos. News had spread quickly that the reinforcement fleet was composed of not just the Space Wolves, but also the Luna Wolves.

Two of the Emperor's most lethal Astartes Legions slammed into the Ork vessels, delivering righteous fury with their guns as well as Space Marines in targeted boarding actions.

While some of the Space Wolves vessels focused on the void battle, most of them punched a hole through the xenos to deliver their warriors onto the planet's surface, including their Primarch, Leman Russ. Such savage warriors were needed against a feral enemy like the Orks. The Luna Wolves, led by the preternatural abilities and doctrines of Horus Lupercal, drove through the armada like a dagger aimed at the heart.

The Greenskin flagship was a massive Space Hulk, an amalgam of several derelict vessels that had been fused together in a horrific mobile command centre. Such a craft was utterly obscene to the Knowledge Hunters, who valued logical, well-thought out construction and tactics. This was the target of the Luna Wolves, who launched a daring boarding action on the hulk.

The Knowledge Hunters would aid their brethren in this.

Daxus Monokar, Captain of the Third Cohort, elected to undertake this mission.

Commanding from his Battle Barge, Immortal Comprehension, he came alongside the Space Hulk's port side, while the Vengeful Spirit took the starboard side.

Daxus was a veteran of the II Legion, having been among those inducted into its ranks after the conquest of Jupiter shortly after the commencement of the Great Crusade. He had been born into the Jovian Void Clans, and thus had lived under the thrall of oppressive xenos overlords. When the Emperor's forces annihilated the aliens, Daxus, as well as the rest of the Void Clans that came to form the core of the II Legion, had become an Astartes.

The traditions and character of his people had left an indelible mark on the Legion. They had become adept at void combat and ship-to-ship boarding actions, hence the appellation of the 'Void Hounds'. While they no longer bore that name, Daxus and the majority of his battle-brothers still carried the memory of their original identity in their hearts.

It was a memory that would bring great calamity upon the Orks.

The Third Captain entered the boarding torpedo with his command squad, his Graviton Gun in hand. An ancient weapon whose design pre-dated the Imperium of Man, it operated with technology that was still poorly understood by modern science. It was the captain's most treasured possession, and a truly lethal implement in his hands.

The front hatch of the boarding torpedo sealed shut, and it was loaded into place. Daxus whispered a prayer for his wargear as his squad did the same for theirs.

Once his prayers were complete, he linked with the Third Cohort's Vox network. "Launch boarding torpedoes" he ordered.

A few seconds later, they were fired from their bay, aimed at the flank of the Ork Space Hulk, dubbed Fist of Misery. The Third Cohort would establish a beachhead and then converge on the most likely position of the Ork command centre, linking with the Luna Wolves assault companies along the way. Still, it was only an educated guess based on all the available data. By its very nature, a Space Hulk was nearly impossible to categorize due to the fact that it was a conglomeration of derelict vessels.

The boarding torpedo quaked, and Brother Arames reported "Encountering point defense fire."

"Change our heading fourteen degrees."

"Altering course" he replied as he worked the torpedo's controls. There was the slightest feeling of shifting, but the Astartes hardly felt it. To him and most of his brothers, micro-gravity and the various dangers inherent in space travel were no more a concern than breathing properly.

A few minutes later, the torpedo struck the hull of the Space Hulk, boring through metres of plating as it penetrated the massive vessel. After several seconds of violent shaking, they came to rest, and Daxus ordered "Open hatch." The tip of the torpedo opened before them, and the darkened space was flooded with light from outside. Their auto-senses correcting for the sudden shift, they stepped outside.

The chamber they were in appeared to be some sort of crude galley, with loaded tables of raw meat and metallic skull symbols bolted over the walls. There were also a few score Orks present, many of which had just been eating.

There was a moment of silence, with neither side making a move, until the largest Ork in sight raised its arm in the air and shouted "Get 'em, boyz!"

Daxus aimed at the Greenskin and fired. His Graviton Gun gave off a bass rumble as it fired a stream of Graviton particles at its target. The Third Captain kept squeezing the trigger, maintaining the stream as it significantly increased the gravity around the Ork. The xenos started groaning in pain as it was slowly forced to the floor, and that quickly turned into wails of agony as its entire body was crushed as if by a giant, invisible fist.

Armour crumpled under the pressure, bones cracked and shattered, yellow blood burst from eyes, nose, and ears, and finally it was reduced to a bloody smear within a distorted ball of metal.

The other Orks, seeing this horrific death, were momentarily stunned. Daxus' command squad took advantage of this opening, unleashing Flamer and Bolter fire on the xenos.

All the while, Brother Kellen held the Legion Standard high as their enemies perished.

A nearby Ork, wielding a pair of long, sharp blades, wailed a savage war cry and charged at the Third Captain. He responded by altering the setting on his Graviton Gun. This time, when he fired, the stream greatly lightened the gravity around the creature. When it leapt at him, no doubt intending to run him through, it was launched into the air overhead, flailing about as it crashed into a wall. It was swiftly dispatched.

With the immediate vicinity clear, Daxus tapped into the Third Cohort's Vox network. "This is Captain Monokar. Report."

He received a steady stream of signals from the Maniple Tribunes and Company Alphas. Three Companies had been mauled by Orks, but the majority of the Third Cohort was still battle-ready. Their numbers would quickly diminish, but every Astartes of the II Legion understood their duty; they did not fight for such petty concerns as glory or vengeance, but to carry out the Emperor's will.

"Carry out your objectives, brothers. First Maniple will converge on my signal. Second and Third Maniples, take the Hulk's starboard quadrants. Fourth and Fifth, take the stern. We must plant the charges at the most critical weak points. If any of you encounter Luna Wolves, you are to aid them in any capacity. Emperor guide you."

With that, Daxus and his command squad made their way out of the Ork galley.

The part of the Space Hulk they were in consisted of corridors and chambers covered in images of battle and blood, with metal skull symbols bolted on nearly every surface. The number of Orks they encountered kept growing at an exponential rate, and they would be overwhelmed before long.

The rest of the First Maniple soon joined them, and that helped as they progressed through the never-ending maze.

Daxus used his Graviton Gun to great effect, crushing various Orks. He also employed it strategically, using higher than average gravity fields to pin specific xenos in place, giving his brothers an opportunity to eliminate them with a clean Bolter shot. The II Legion had enjoyed technological superiority over many foes since the Great Crusade had been called, but it had only been under the command of their Primarch that they easily surpassed most xenos species. His scientific brilliance and preternatural organizational abilities allowed the brothers of the Knowledge Hunters to employ the most advanced weapons known to Mankind.

Soon enough, the Third Captain led the First Maniple to a nearby energy source. The plan was for the Third Cohort to spread out through the Space Hulk and strategically plant charges so as to destroy the Ork vessel, thus eliminating their command structure. The desired result was for the fleet to fragment, creating smaller groups that the Astartes vessels could manage.

The corridor they occupied led to another, but that one was slanted at a thirty degree angle, meaning that they were at the joining point of two different vessels.

Approaching the door, Daxus ordered "Pericas, Hydast, clear a path."

The two Astartes nodded, hefting their Flamers as they entered the room ahead. A harsh chorus of Ork voices sounded a half second before they were drowned out by gouts of Promethium. Daxus ordered a heavy weapons squad through to lay down suppressing fire, following with his command squad a moment later.

The Orks closest to them were being incinerated, their foul xenos flesh melting like wax, while those further away were being eviscerated by Bolt shells. The roar of Heavy Bolters overwhelmed all other sound, but the Astartes' helmets and auto-senses accommodated.

The chamber they had entered was approximately thirty metres long. It was dominated by a bloated power reactor that visibly shook as it discharged the occasional bolt of yellow energy. This was an ideal point for the first charge, and Daxus set himself and his brothers to task clearing the space of Orks. With well-coordinated tactics and superior armaments, the First Cohort cleansed their foes.

Daxus clipped his weapon to his belt. He then took a proffered Melta Bomb which he latched onto the side of the reactor as three more were placed along its surface.

Just as they finished, a brother from the Fifth Company reported "Auspex scans show Astartes engaging Orks two levels below us. Vox communications reveal Luna Wolves involvement."

The Third Captain nodded. "Third Cohort, this is Captain Monokar. Maniple Tribunes, report."

The Second and Third Maniples had accomplished their objectives, as the starboard side of the Space Hulk had been thinned of Ork numbers by Astartes of the XVI Legion. The Fourth and Fifth were encountering stiff resistance, and had not reached their assigned targets.

"Very well" Daxus said. "Second and Third Maniples, move to assist. We must have all charges placed. I will press on with the First Maniple and link up with elements of the XVI." With that, he and the men left the reactor room behind as they rushed down two levels.

When they arrived, they were greeted by the sight of countless Ork corpses lining the floor. After rounding a corner, they witnessed black-armoured Astartes finishing the largest creatures of this group.

Soon enough, only one xenos remained. It was a brute, garbed in spiked armour and wielding a vicious hammer fashioned from scrap metal. It growled before swinging the hammer at one of the Luna Wolves. Though the beast blocked his view, Daxus could see an extremely tall topknot waving back and forth as the Astartes fought the elite xenos. Suddenly, a hand caught the haft of the hammer, and the tip of a Power Sword pierced through its back. The Ork gave a gurgled cry of pain and surprise, and was summarily cut in half.

As the two halves collapsed onto the floor, joining the other corpses, the Luna Wolves warrior was revealed. He was a giant, even for an Astartes, towering over the rest of them. The only man capable of matching him in size was Andion Videlis, the Praetorian Prefect who stood at Lord Caesarius' side. This man's armour was coloured black, and it was stained with yellow blood. Its owner wore no helmet, revealing a face with a pair of wide eyes and a straight nose. His expression was savage, teeth bared in a sneer.

"And who might you be?" he asked, his voice a growl.

"Daxus Monokar, Third Captain, Knowledge Hunters."

"First Captain Abaddon, of the Luna Wolves" the massive warrior replied. "I assume you've made yourselves useful by targeting this vessel's reactors?"

"We have" Daxus replied.

"Well, we believe the Warboss is nearby. Try to keep up."

First Captain Abaddon wasted no time in moving, and Daxus motioned for his Astartes to follow as the members of both Legions moved towards the Warboss directing the Ork fleet.

Samos checked his Meltagun as he stood in the hold of the Stormbird transport. As a Company Alpha, he led 100 Battle-Brothers into the fiery teeth of war, all of whom were with him in the transport. First Captain Solorax had ordered him and his men to travel into the Confederation capital in order to eliminate xenos hostiles within the city limits.

"We have arrived" the Stormbird's pilot communicated through the intercom.

"Set us down" Samos ordered. A minute later, the hold shook as the Stormbird landed. "Lower hatch." The entrance hatch opened with a hiss of steam, lowering until it touched the ground. Samos and his brothers were given a view of the Confederation capital, and he privately admitted that it was a most impressive sight.

The people of Mytos had endured the chaos of the Old Night extremely well. Great, gleaming spires speared the very heavens, transports crisscrossed the airways with anti-gravity technology, and wide streets cut pathways between buildings. The sky was overcast with a shimmering blue energy shield, which was by all accounts much stronger than many Imperial versions. One example of the technological benefits the Confederation offered.

Samos walked down the ramp and onto the street they had landed on, the boots of his Mark II Power Armour thudding with every step. His brothers following close behind, the Company Alpha looked to his left. A large crowd had gathered to witness their arrival, and men and women garbed in multi-hued uniforms and fine dresses stared in awe. Perhaps, Samos hoped, the awe-inspiring presence of the Astartes would help sway these people to join the Imperium.

Pushing that thought to the back of his mind, he focused on the task at hand: the squat, round structure that served as the housing for the capital's protective energy shield reactor.

"Move up" he ordered. With his Meltagun in hand, he led his company forward.

There were several corpses of Confederation soldiers lining the building's entrance. An Apothecary knelt beside one of the fallen, examining a large hole that had been blasted into the man's chest. "Cauterization of these tissues suggest they were struck by some manner of energy weapon" he concluded.

"So these xenos are advanced. Third and Eighth Squads, maintain—"

He was cut off by a loud crack from afar. A beam of light lanced through the air and struck the Apothecary in the eye-socket of his helmet, killing him instantly.

Samos and his brothers reacted instantly, looking up in an effort to discern the enemy's position. The Alpha saw movement along the top of the building, and he zoomed in with his bionic eyes. Several figures were crouched along the edge of the roof, aiming with long rifles of unknown design. "Targets identified" he said, extending his Bolter Mechadendrite and firing using the targeting data he had just acquired.

Several more bolts of light were fired from above, striking various Battle-Brothers and killing a small handful. Samos surmised that there were only ten of the xenos, and the most likely possibility was that they were meant to hold off any pursuing force whilst others sabotaged the main reactor.

"We must push forward!" he barked through the company's Vox channel. "Second and Eighth Squads, eliminate these xenos. The rest of you, with me. We must prevent the shield from collapsing!"

With that, he and most of the company charged forward amid sniper fire. In his peripheral vision, he saw a pair of Battle-Brothers struck and killed, but the rest made it inside the structure. The various squads spread throughout in an effort to envelop the saboteurs, and Samos led the First Squad as they went directly for the reactor's main control room.

A pair of thin xenos garbed in canary yellow armour with mauve jackets emerged from a nearby hallway and started firing ammunition capable of shredding Astartes armour, as Brother Lycaeus was killed by a sustained burst.

Samos took aim with his Meltagun and squeezed the trigger. A beam of super-hot energy fired from the barrel, vaporizing the upper half of one hostile and leaving a pair of lifeless legs.

Brother Kardos brought his Chainsword to bear, carving the other one into bloody chunks.

With that, they pressed forward, entering the control room.

The reactor itself, a gargantuan object that thrummed with power, was visible through a view screen. The control room was occupied by a half dozen of the thin xenos. One of them had its hood pulled back, revealing a mostly bald head with some silver hair pulled back into a ponytail. His long fingers frenziedly worked at the controls, even as Samos and his squad opened fire on its comrades.

Careful not to strike the glass, and possibly damage the reactor, Samos killed one of the hostiles with his Meltagun. He then charged forward, shrugging off weapon strikes and ignoring the pain of his injuries.

The xenos leader, upon noticing them, drew a foreign-looking pistol and shot at him. However, the Company Alpha struck him in the face with his Meltagun. With his finely tuned auto-senses, he could hear the crack as bones were surely broken, and the xenos fell to the floor. Soon enough, the control room was cleared.

"Control room secure" Samos reported through the Vox. "All squads, make a final sweep of the structure and ensure no more xenos remain."

"You think you have won some… great victory?" the xenos leader asked.

Samos looked down at it, seeing its bloodied, catlike features. "Your mission has failed. Your pathetic race has been crushed by the might of the Emperor and His Astartes."

The leader chuckled. He coughed up bright red blood, then said "We were once masters of this galaxy, Mon-keigh. Our empire was ancient and supreme. You speak as we once did, full of surety and arrogance. But all our efforts amounted to nothing, and now we are a vagabond people. Your empire will fall, one day, just as ours did. My only regret is that I will not be there to see it."

Without a word, Samos crushed its head with his boot.

Kaius joined his Astartes as they carved through the Ork ranks. Green hides were vaporized with Plasma rounds and Melta beams, perforated with Bolt shells, and lacerated with all manner of knives, Chainswords, and Power Swords.

The purpose of Darius fashioning a strong defensive line in front of the capital city was to present a tempting target for the Orks. As expected, the xenos had thrown themselves against it with reckless abandon. By now, the savage brutes that served as leaders among the Ork kind would be present, and the Astartes of the II Legion were making the push to cut off the invasion at the head.

They were joined by Kaius and his Praetores as well as the Knights of House Aurelius.

The Primarch moved forward at a brisk pace behind the western force of the Second Cohort, flanked by the remaining Praetores. The fields in front of the city were covered by a seemingly endless wave of green, and they were joined by great, hulking war machines that were roughly analogous to Imperial Titans. They lumbered forward with large, blocky feet, their main bodies covered in thick, haphazardly welded armour plates and each possessed large, unwieldy weapons.

The chieftain leading this invasion was clearly mechanically inclined, at least as much as an Ork could manage. Kaius considered it his sacred duty as an adept of the Mechanicum to slaughter every one of these xenos and demolish their blasphemous constructs.

"Continue to advance" he said through the Vox-implant that had replaced his right ear. "We cannot afford to lose momentum."

The Astartes in front of him held their diamond formation, spraying endless barrages into the Orks. A yellow mist preceded them as one of the knights stomped a pair of Orks into paste while another blasted several more with its Battle Cannon.

A large and well-armoured beast came from behind, roaring as it charged at Kaius. The Praetores pressed together into a tight clump around their Primarch.

Andion stepped forward, nearly matching his foe in size. He swung his suitably large Thunder Hammer, and it cracked with stored energy as it shattered one of the Ork's legs. It wailed in agony, collapsing into the blood-stained dirt, and Andion brought his hammer down, crushing its head.

A second large Ork came at Kaius, and the Lord of the II Legion responded by extending his armour's built-in Electro-Flail. He struck the xenos with the lashes from his left vambrace, and the Power Field was strong enough to throw it back amongst its brethren.

Turning around, Kaius looked at one of the massive war engines. He zoomed in with his bionic eye, and saw that it was more ornate than the others. An Ork with major cybernetic modification stood atop the lumbering behemoth, directing the green horde.

"There" Kaius said. "The Ork leader commands from the top of that construct."

They continued to advance, until a blasphemous Ork machine emerged from within the shadow of one of the Titan analogues.

It was approximately the same size as Kaius, which was nearly twice as tall as his Astartes. It sported half a dozen weaponized limbs, and its main body featured a grinning skull that seemed ubiquitous in Ork culture. A pair of smoke stacks belched black fumes, and Kaius could detect the creak of its crude servo-motors.

"Oi! Check me fancy kan! I'm gonna chop you inta tiny bits and feed 'em to me Squigs!"

As the advance continued, the war machine drove forward. It cut an Astartes in half with a blade limb while simultaneously burning another with a Flamer and shooting another with a primitive projectile weapon. Kaius lunged at the poor facsimile of a Dreadnought with his Drill Mechadendrite, driving into the metal plating. The blade limb aimed a slice at his exposed face, but he caught it with his Claw Mechadendrite, keeping it at bay.

A furious melee of mechanical limbs ensued, with both combatants evenly matched by all appearances. But Kaius was no mere mortal; he was a Primarch, the genetically engineered son of the Emperor of Mankind, the Omnissiah. He bore the strength of the sacred god-engines, the knowledge of the ages, and the wisdom necessary to conquer the galaxy.

With his claw, he crushed his enemy's Flamer limb. With his drill, he bored a hole into one of its legs, spilling oil and hydraulic fluid. The Ork machine was crippled, and in such a weakened state, it was helpless as Kaius blasted it with both of his Plasma Mechadendrites.

"My lord!" Second Captain Torghar exclaimed, pointing up at the sky.

Kaius looked up and saw countless hundreds of fiery streaks. He zoomed in with his bionic eye, and he could see that they were caused by Drop Pods. They bore the storm-grey colours of the Space Wolves.

Like a furious meteor storm, the Drop Pods slammed into the Ork ranks, depositing thousands of VI Legion Astartes and dozens of the massive wolves that served as their namesake. The sons of Leman Russ savagely tore into the Orks with Chainswords and Lightning Claws, matching xenos fury with their own. Kaius quickly calculated that the odds of defeating the invasion increased exponentially.

In the midst of the slaughter, another Drop Pod joined the continuous waves. It was larger than the others, and it slammed into an Ork war machine, pulverizing it.

The doors blasted open, and Leman Russ himself emerged, bisecting an Ork.

"Kaius!" he called, laughing as he cut through enemies. "It seems you and your scientists needed our help to wage a proper fight!"

The Lord of the II Legion maintained a neutral expression. "Numerically, it was prudent to request assistance. There is no need to wastefully expend resources for the sake of personal glory."

Russ snorted.

"Where is Horus?"

"He decided to remain in orbit, to direct the fleet battle. That leaves the Warboss for the two of us." He looked up at the top of the ornate Titan analogue, then said "Care to see which of us reaches the beast first?"

Kaius privately wondered if his brother understood the irony of calling another a 'beast'. "No matter our actions, these Orks will fall."

"Hah! So they shall!"

Kaius fired his Plasma Mechadendrites, blasting a large hole in the engine's hull. With that, Russ, along with several of his elite Space Wolves, charged into the breach. They howled like animals, which quickly intermingled with the death screams of Orks and the roar of weapons fire. Kaius turned to Torghar and Andion. "Continue to exterminate the Orks. Once the Warboss is dead, they will become disorganized and easily routed."

"Yes, my lord."

"Yes, my lord."

The Lord of the II Legion proceeded to latch onto the war engine's hull with both hands as well as his Claw and Drill Mechadendrites. He used those four limbs to climb up the side of the obscene construct in arachnoid fashion, quickly and efficiently scaling it. The hydraulic pistons of his extra limbs whirred as they obeyed his mental commands.

By the time he reached the top, Russ was already engaging the Warboss. The Ork was gargantuan compared to the rest of its kind. From what Kaius had deduced through extensive dissections and examinations, he knew that a quirk of their physiology resulted in individuals growing in size and strength after winning battles and rising in rank. This Warboss must have defeated a legion of foes, as it dwarfed even the two Primarchs in sheer size and muscle mass. A crudely built exoskeleton was fused onto its grotesque body, with numerous electrodes fizzling with energy. The beast's lower jaw was fitted with a cybernetic replacement, and instead of hands, it bore a large spinning saw and some manner of directed energy weapon.

Russ growled as he slashed with his Frost Blade, Krakenmaw, carving deep gouges in the Warboss' armour and green hide. Its sheer size, however, likely meant that the wounds were superficial. For its park, the Ork matched the Wolf King's ferocity, bellowing a keen war-cry each time it lashed out with the spinning saw.

Kaius grabbed a small green creature with his Claw Mechadendrite, crushing it into yellow paste. He then killed a multitude of the chattering xenos.

Russ ducked a slash from the saw, then drove his Frost Blade into the Ork's midsection.

It grunted, but appeared no less weakened then before. It aimed its other weapon at the Primarch, which glowed and crackled with energy. Russ found himself pulled to it, and Kaius understood that it was a weaponized magnet that attracted his brother's armour. With his opponent firmly in his grasp, the Warboss proceeded to slam him onto the floor.

The beast looked up at Kaius, almost grinning with its armour-plated tusks. "Well lookie 'ere, boys! It's gonna be a two Primark day it is! Say, dat's some fancy kit ya got dere. I fink I's gonna take it from ya!"

"You shall do no such thing, Ork" Kaius replied, his filtered voice lacking fear. "You are nothing before the might of the Imperium of Man."

"You ain't got nothing on me!" the Warboss bellowed. "I's built all dese shiny toys to get more loot, and I's gonna get more loot! You won't be able ta stand up to Warboss Battlekleava, not when me twin's up dere in space wrekkin yer ships. We's like Mork and Gork, but better lookin. You gonna die now! WAAAGH!"

The Warboss charged, and Kaius managed to fire his Plasma Mechadendrites, boiling away several layers of its skin and melting battle armour. The Ork was not defeated, however, and continued to charge.

Kaius leaped to the side just in time to avoid being thrown from the top of the war engine. All around them, the battle raged, but this was the deciding factor.

Kill the Warboss, destabilize the invasion.

The Lord of the II Legion gripped the Ork's magnet arm with his claw, simultaneously driving his drill into the actuators. The drill roared as it carved through wires and metal, while the pistons hissed as Kaius forced it to add further pressure. Just as the Warboss started to turn, roaring in anger and pain due to its face being mostly melted, Russ belted a Fenrisian war-cry as he leaped at the creature. With a mighty swing of his Frost Blade, he severed the saw arm just as Kaius finished ripping and drilling the magnet arm free.

The Wolf King then drove his blade into the Warboss' back, while Kaius drove his drill into its side. It gave furious gurgling growls as torrents of yellow blood poured from its various wounds.

The beast still did not die, however, and it whirled around, blinded by a white-hot rage.

Kaius grabbed Russ with his Claw Mechadendrite and pulled him back just as the Warboss tried to bite him. He then charged his Plasma Mechadendrites and fired, blasting the Warboss off the top of the war engine. Its broken, burnt, and bloodied corpse plummeted, and Kaius was certain that every Ork in the horde could see the death of their leader.

"Stormbird Beta-7, move for extraction at these coordinates" he said through his Vox implant.

"Acknowledged."

After ordering his Space Wolves to clear out of the construct they stood upon, Russ walked over to the edge, peering down at the spot where the Warboss had landed. "Now I just need to get down there to reclaim Krakenmaw."

As the Stormbird, painted in the silver and rust of the II Legion, came to circle above them, Kaius said "There is no time for that. We must evacuate this construct."

"To hell with that! I'm not leaving until I have my sword in hand, slick with Ork blood!"

The Stormbird hovered beside them, and Kaius knew that the Wolf King would not go willingly. The destruction of the lead construct was the centrepiece of his plan, and it could not be delayed. Kaius, using his two arms and Claw Mechadendrite, proceeded to shove Russ onto the transport. "Take off."

"Kaius, take me down there now!" Russ shouted.

Ignoring him, Kaius Voxed one of the Titans of Legio Lex. "Virtus Aeterna, destroy the lead Ork construct with the blessings of the Omnissiah."

"Understood" the Princeps replied, his voice tight and strained from the sheer physical and mental effort required to operate a Titan god-engine. Flying above the battlefield, the two Primarchs could see the Warlord-Class Titan approaching its counterpart, crushing Orks underfoot. It then fired its Plasma Blastgun, which tore open a vast chunk of armour plating. The Titan followed up by firing its Quake Cannon, which blasted the construct into oblivion.

"I won't forget this" Russ growled in Kaius' organic ear.

Daxus Monokar marveled at the sheer ferocity displayed by First Captain Abaddon. The Luna Wolves' commander was a giant, even for an Astartes, and he used his prodigious strength and supremely bellicose nature to great effect. None of the Orks could withstand him and his blade, and with him leading the Luna Wolves strike force, they would eliminate the Warboss in due time.

The Third Captain now understood why Lord Lupercal employed such an unstoppable warrior as his First Captain. It was logical, given the preferred spearhead tactics of the XVI Legion, and it was beneficial for a Primarch to have such a deadly warrior leading the charge.

For his part, Daxus focused his efforts on fire support. He and his Astartes engaged in melee combat when the need arose, such as during a ship-to-ship boarding action, but on the whole they preferred to use overwhelming firepower. The warriors of the Third Cohort blasted Orks into paste with Bolters or burned them with Flamers.

"Push forward!" Abaddon bellowed. "These Greenskins will fall to us this day!"

"Tenth squad, apply suppressing fire down that corridor!" Daxus ordered. The Battle-Brothers of tenth squad moved into position, unleashing torrents of Heavy Bolter fire and precise Lascannon shots on a group of Orks.

A voice came through on his Vox. "Third Captain, this is Tribune Aloisius. We have placed charges on our designated targets."

"Understood. Begin falling back to the Immortal Comprehension, brothers."

With this intersection cleared, Daxus and First Captain Abaddon led their men into what must have been the Space Hulk's command centre. Rows of screens displayed tactical and ship data, while a number of Orks were present. Some were small and skittered about in the midst of menial work, while most were far larger than the rest, armoured in sharp, bright red armour and wielding vicious hammers and Chainswords. In the very centre of the room was the largest Ork Daxus had ever seen. The beast stood a full head taller than the other xenos, and the Third Captain estimated it to be the same size as a Dreadnought. Another Ork, wearing a pair of goggles, tightened a bolt on its exoskeleton.

Without a word, First Captain Abaddon and his elite Luna Wolves charged forward, lunging at the massive Orks with a fury only they could muster. If the xenos were taken by surprise, then they recovered quickly, as they bellowed savage war-cries before entering the fray.

Daxus aimed his Graviton Gun at a nearby Ork warrior, using the weapon's beam to crush his target.

The Warboss, having crushed a Luna Wolf with its massive Power Klaw, looked in his direction upon hearing the Graviton Gun's bass rumble. "You dere! I'll have dat fancy kit! Warboss Mega Defroar always gets da best toys! WAAAGH!" The beast charged, knocking Astartes and Ork aside. The Third Captain dialed his weapon to the highest setting and fired. The air around them vibrated as the beam struck, and the Warboss suddenly stopped. It growled fiercely as the gravity around it grew heavier and heavier, but it somehow managed to keep moving, albeit extremely slowly.

Several of his fellow Knowledge Hunters took the opportunity to shoot it with Heavy Bolters and Flamers, but that only seemed to spur it on further. With its armour denting from the pressure and green skin melted and shot, Mega Defroar thundered a bestial roar as it swung its enormous Power Klaw.

Daxus was struck square in the chest, and he could feel his armour crumpling and torso flaring with pain as he was thrown against a wall. He smashed into a screen, grunting as his post-human body began to recover from the injury.

Unfortunately, he did not have enough time.

The Warboss suddenly appeared before him, bringing its Power Klaw down. Daxus leaped out of the way before he could be smashed, but he found himself pinned to the wall by an inferior model of Chainsword, one designed to fit the massive hand of an Ork chieftain. The Third Captain felt the weapon's teeth chewing through his armour and the flesh of his shoulder. He cried out in agony as the bone was sawed through, and his weapon arm plopped onto the floor, Graviton Gun still in hand.

"I's be havin that, ya silver git!"

"You shall have nothing, xenos filth." With his remaining hand, Daxus drew his combat knife and drove it into the Warboss' eye. Yellow blood and ocular fluid poured from the wound as the Ork growled in pain. The respite he bought himself lasted only a moment, as Mega Defroar clamped its Power Klaw on Daxus' legs. Servos whirred as the Third Captain's legs were crushed, eliciting a fresh cry of agony.

The attack ended as the Warboss jerked back, its right arm severed at the elbow. First Captain Abaddon appeared, his face twisted into a savage sneer as he swung at the Warboss with his Power Sword.

The last image Daxus saw was the First Captain and the Warboss locking swords as he collapsed onto the floor, broken and bloodied.

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