The crew of the Ultramarine Strike Cruiser Spirit of Macragge were repairing battle damage and refueling the vessels complement of strike craft after the victorious engagement with the Tau Gal'leath, currently rapidly retreating towards the outer system, when the alarm klaxons sounded again - Battle Stations! Incoming Tyranids!

The hive fleet codenamed Eclipse came in a broad formation, falling in from the coldness of space towards the warm, soft, tasty planet beckoning them below.  The collective mind of the Vanguard vessels considered the presence of the Marine Cruiser coldly, and acknowledged the threat. Several assault torpedoes were launched from the single Kraken-class vessel, and sped through the void towards the Spirit of Macragge.  Point defense gunnery took its toll, but one torpedo hit, and embedded itself deep in the hull of the ancient vessel.  Inside the ship, the torpedo peeled open, and a small brood of Genestealers leapt from it. They immediately spotted the ships ventilation ducts, and ripped away the blast doors that had shut automatically when the hull was breached.  Less than a minute after the breach, the ships defenders arrived, only to find the torpedo empty.

The gunnery control computer on the Spirit of Macragge was, like all command and control systems, located deep in the heart of the vessel; Like all other vital systems, it was under Marine guard during battle stations.  Fifteen brother marines, under the command of Brother-Sergeant Perditus, should be enough to protect the room...

Boarding Action

The Ultramarines were clustered closely around the objective, the Gunnery computer.  The lead Genestealer cautiously opened the blast door, but not cautiously enough. The guards just inside the control room heard a suspicious noise, and moved out in the hallway to investigate.  They were horrified at the sight of ten Genestealers bearing down on them, but rallied quickly, pelting the rushing 'Stealers with bolter fire.  Three of the Tyranid monsters fell to their bolts, but then the wave was upon them, and they were torn limb from limb.

The Marines were on guard now, so the 'Stealers entering the control chamber are not unnoticed. Another group of guards spot them, advance and fire. This time, only one Stealer falls.  The in-rushing Genestealers ignore both their attackers and their objective in favor of the Marine commander.  They sense the power in his sword, and rush to eliminate the greater threat first.

The Sergeant and his attendants succumb quickly to the inhumanly fast claws of the Genestealers, and the monsters leap from their victory into the faces of the guards that were shooting, pinning them in desperate close combat.

Another group of guards rushes in, in a desperate attempt to help their struggling battlebrothers - four Marines are ripped apart, but two survive to strike back, and another Genestealer falls to their weapons.  The last two are quickly dispatched, and the Genestealers consolidates forward, towards their objective.

The last group of guards, previously distracted by a noise in the far hallway, now return.  They open fire against the remaining five Genestealers, but their cool fail them and most of the shots fly wild.  Only a single Genestealer falls, and then the monsters are upon them.

Space Marine resolve is superhuman, and they manage to fend off their assailaints a little while - only two Marines fall to the claws of the Genestealers.

The last man standing is chanceless, as is quickly killed.

Almost as an afterthought, the Genestealers rip the Gunnery computer's control panels to pieces; There is a shower of sparks and a screech of tortured metal, then the room falls dark and silent again.

The guns of the Cruiser suddenly fell silent, and in the depths of space, the Hive mind reacted immediately, urging the vanguard vessels forward

~~~Down! Devour! ~~~

As they approached the high atmosphere, the Drone ships disgorged their deadly cargo of Meiotic spores towards the greatest concentrations of Life/Food they could sense, and in a graceful arc they swept around the planet, away from the Marine Cruiser, back into the cold depths of space,

Over the Viridian Vale, a deadly rain began to fall...

Thought for the Day: Purge the Unclean


Combat results: KillTeam:Sabotage; Tyranid wins

KillTeam

Brutes