Before I get into it, I just want to thank everyone again for all the support you've shown, and also:

Disclaimer: I do not own any Games workshop products and all names and places are considered to be copyright of Games Workshop.

However, the story is mine.

Now that that's out of the way, onward!

OOOOOOOOOO

THE RIFT IMPERIAL FORTIFICATIONS: 0900

"Prepare the defenses!" roared Jack as he strode through the press of men running this way and that. Young men and women were taking up positions on the Imperial Fortifications that they had constructed. The Armored Fist squads were setting up positions in pillboxes as their Chimera transports waited nearby. They had constructed an impressive firing line and were ready to receive the Eldar attack.

"Sir!" said a young corporal with a quick salute

"Yes?"
"There are reinforcements coming in form the east sir! Colonel Ricktus is with them!"
"Good." He directed his next words to the people near the door. "Open the gate!"

He stood in salute as did his troops in the vicinity of the area as the Chimeras rolled in and the troops marched in.

"Sergeant Jack."

"Sir!" replied Jack as he spotted the legendary Colonel Ricktus.

"What is the spread of troops, and what fortifications do you have?

Jack quickly outlined the pillboxes, turrets, and troop spread around the Fortifications.

"Very good…I've brought 500 men with me, with 20 Chimeras and 10 Leman Russ Battle Tanks. I've got 3 Basilisk artillery pieces. We'll deploy those in the middle and the Tanks around the fortifications. OK sergeant, take me around the fortifications."

"Yes sir!"

THE RIFT IMPERIAL FORTIFICATIONS: 0930

"And that's all sir." Finished Jack. He had just taken Ricktus on a tour around the Fortifications.

"Very good."

"Yes, like I was saying, we'd made extra pillboxes and barracks just in case of –"
He was cut off by a private running up to him and delivering him a message:
"Sir! The Eldar have just launched their first assault!"
Ricktus turned around.

"Take me to the Command Post. Sergeant, go join your men."
"Yes sir."

THE RIFT IMPERIAL FORTOFICATIONS: 0950

"How was the meeting with Ricktus?" asked Private Jimmy, a guardsman in Jack's squad.

"Not much to talk about, what you'd expect from the brass." Replied Jack.

"Targets at 800 meters!"
The snap of Sniper rifle fire could be heard.

"Targets at 600 meters!"
"Hold…"
"Targets at 500 meters and have stopped!"
"Fire!"

Las shots raced towards the Eldar lines as they opened fire with Shuriken Catapults. The battlefield became a long ranged duel. Jack could see several squads of Howling Banshees rushing towards the Imperial Lines. He directed his squad to fire at them, and mere seconds later they were reduced to twitching corpses and bloodied craters.

Nine Striking Scorpion squads raced towards his platoon. Two of them were destroyed, but the rest smashed straight in. He thumbed his chainsword on and smashed it into the chest of a scorpion. His battle turned into a close range fight, with a combatant killing an enemy and jumping over his still twitching body to be speared by the weapons of another. This deadly game of kill and counter-kill was over almost as soon as it had begun, as the rest of the four squads smashed into the Eldar.

Wave serpents unloaded Guardian squads and the long range duel continued.

Finally, after four hours of fighting, the Eldar called the retreat, and the grim task of counting the dead began.