Questions of Valour

Adeptus Astartes moon fortress orbiting Tanis.

In the briefing room, several space marine commanders, survey a detailed system chart of Tanis. "Priority 3 alert sir, incoming transmission from scout marine squad Zulu-4, in the outer planetary cluster of Tanis. Patching to your comm sir."

"Sir this is Zulu-4, we are watching over a small ork hoard, in the death swamps of Tanis. They have overrun the Imperial garrison, and are now engaging the local militia."

"This is force commander Matthew Varges. What is the status of the ork masses?"

"They're tearing through the local militia, and civilians. Hang on sir, intercepting a distress call from what appears to be remnants of the imperial garrison. Relaying to your comm."

"This is General Nikolai Kasdin of the Tanis 7th planetary division. We are currently under heavy engagement from the ork hoards. We are requesting immediate evac, I repeat we are requesting immediate evac, over."

"Copy that, we shall be dispatching several Valkyrie squadrons, ETA 5 minutes, over."

"Sir, that is the end of the transmission."

"Zulu-4, do you reckon the forces at present, defending against the orks, will be able to withstand until help arrives?"

"I fear that the mass of the ork hoard will breakthrough the inner-bastion well before help arrives."

"Tech-Marine, relay this transmission around the station. All space marines prepare for immediate deep strike, we are dealing with xenos. Prepare for deep-strike on my mark."

"Sir we are receiving another transmission from Zulu-4, patching you through now."

"Sir the orks have broken through the inner-bastion. The civilians will not stand much of a chance against the orks. All of the imperial garrison have fallen, all that is left is the Commanding general, and his personal bodyguard."

"SPACE MARINES DEEP STRIKE NOW!"

"Sir, we are witnessing what appears to be a civilian, charging a group of slugga boys, with a chainsword, And has hacked them down. He has now charged head first into a burning building, and has come back out carrying an M40 Armageddon carbine. He appears to now be charging through the lines of the orks, decimating anything that gets in his way, and is heading straight for the warboss."

"Sir would you like us to intervene and protect the civilian?"

"I give you authority to intervene, but only take out those that pose a threat, to the civilian. But what ever you do, do not fire directly at the warboss, unless needed to."

"Roger that, firing at specific targets. Sir the civilian has made it to the warboss. We shall try to make sure no other orks get to the civilian. The warboss has disarmed the civilian of his weapon, and has him pinned on the ground. The warboss in now poised to kill. shall we take the shot?"

"Take the shot do not let that civilian get harmed."

"Sir the civilian has something in his hand, it appears to be... a bayonet sir. The warboss is lifting the civilian up in it's powerklaw. We can't get a clear shot."

"Then reposition yourself, so that you can get a clear shot!"

"Sir, if we move we wont be able to get the shot in on time."

"Then hold your ground, and what ever you do, get that shot."

"Taking aim, holy shit. The civilian just lodged the bayonet straight into the warboss's eye."

"What is the civilians status?"

"He is moving for his weapon."

"Then can you get the shot!"

"No sir, the target has been surrounded by other orks."

"Then you pick your targets and provide covering fire for the civilian."

"Understood sir. Engaging."

"How long till the space marines reach the settlement?"

"In precisely 1 minute sir. They're just approaching the stratosphere."

"Zulu-4, how is the civilian doing?"

"He's just got his weapon and is assaulting the warboss. He has reached him, and is currently in an intense fire-fight."

"Sir, couldn't the space marines, just take out the warboss?"

"Zulu-4 could the space marines reach the warboss from the designated defensive line inside the bastion?"

"I wouldn't think so sir, not in time. The orks are literally swarming to the hundreds around the bastion."

"Sir, space marines have just broken the stratosphere reaching target in precisely 30 seconds." "This is Zulu-4 the civilian has crippled the warboss and is now going in for the kill." "Sir, my reports indicate the space marines will arrive shortly before the Valkyrie squadrons."

"Force commander, the civilian has just been struck down by the warboss, I don't know if he'll make it, the warboss is now right on top of him."

"The space marines have landed sir, they're now forming the firing line."

"Zulu-4, status update on the civilian?"

"The warboss is going to kill the civilian, there's not much we can do. Hang on, the civilian still has hold of his weapon. He's lodged the end of the barrel into the warboss's mouth, and... by the emperor, he's literally blown the orks brains to oblivion." The scout cheered excitedly.

"Commander, the rest of the orks appear to of gone into a blood frenzy."

"Tech-marine, how are the space marines doing?"

"They're holding back the orks, and are now pushing them back."

"This is Zulu-4, the civilian is trapped underneath the warboss's corpse."

"Tech-marine, patch me through to the commanding officer of our space marines."

"This is Force commander Varges. I order you to push on through towards the warboss, and rescue a trapped civilian."

"This is Captain Conway, I understand your orders sir, rescuing the civilian will be my primary objective. Space marines, push on through towards the warboss, help that civilian out. The rest of you drive these green skins back into the pit of which they came from."

The death swamps of Tanis.

SPACE MARINES ADVANCE! As the space marines advanced towards the civilian, A group of local militia weaved their way to the front of the space marine line, headed by a one Lt.?.Ramirez. As the local militia charged onwards, orks started to turn back towards the militia. Ramirez charged forward using cover to avoid fire from either sides. As Ramirez ducked in behind the remains of a downed vulture,the local militia were caught in the crossfire. The militia had no chance, entirely exposed to the furious onslaught of both the space marines, and the endless wave of orks.

Ramirez rushed forward, reaching the warboss. In struggling to shift the bulk of the warboss, Ramirez yelled,"Get your fucking ass out of there Jonas!" As the space marines reached their position, they formed a defensive formation around the pair. Whilst doing so a space marine leaned forward grabbing the warboss by the ankle heaving its' massive corpse to the side, crushing an unsuspecting gretchin who had been hiding in the rubble.

After reaching the Bastion, the Valkyries reached the colony. As soon as the Valkyries landed, civilians and injured guards filed into the transports, to evacuate their once mighty compound. Ramirez helped Jonas get towards the Valkyrie. Reaching the Valkyrie, they heard the one of the crew, calling,"You must be Jonas and Ramirez. There's comms flying everywhere about you two." After boarding the last Valkyrie, it sped away into the heart of the Tanis system.

Seeing the Valkyries had left, Thunderhawks swept down and landed ready to depart with the space marine forces, that had intervened and saved the lives of many innocent civilians from the ork hoard. One of these included the lifeless body of Captain Conway, who had been set upon by a trio of killa-kan. As the Thunderhawks headed back to the moon fortress orbiting Tanis, there was considerable doubt in the Force commanders mind after the death of Captain Conway, what to keep,what to change, for the future of the Space Marines. (A/N: Reviews and Flames welcome.)