[Watchdog]

Prelude: Since I am only beginning to assemble my Tau army, we had two quick games with my oppenent (playing the Ultramarines). We agreed not be limited by the compulsory selections of units, since I would be unable to field a second troops unit, as it is not assembled yet.

Tau Empire army rooster:
HQ: Shas'O Sa'Cea Lar'shi'el Kir'qath Ny'oni, using Helios XV8 Crisis Suit with added Shield Generator.

Troops: Bonded 6 man Fire Warrior team armed with pulse rifles, photon and EMP grenades. Led by a Shas'Ui, controlling 2 Gun Drones.

Elites: Bonded 3 man XV25 Stealth Team, armed with two Burst Cannons, a Fusion Blaster and all of them with a targetting Array. The team had a Markerlight Drone.

Heavy: Hammerhead Tank with Railgun and a Smart Missile System. The tank had a Multitracke, Disruption Pod, Flechette Discharger and 2 Seeker Missiles.

Ultramarines Rooster 1:

HQ: Brother-Captain Clavius, armed with Lightning Claw, Combi-Melta, Frag and Krak grenades.

Troops: 10 man Tactical Squad Solinus, armed with Flamer, Lascannon, Frag and Krak grenades, led by Veteran Sergeant (Brother Solinus). Mounted in a Rhino with Stormbolter, Search Light, Smoke Launchers and one Hunter-Killer Missile.

Elites: Dreadnought (Brother Agnathio), armed with Storm Bolter, Multi-Melta, Search Light and Smoke Launchers.

Heavy: Preadator armed with Twin-Linked Lascannon in the turret and two sponson mounted Lascannons, Search Light and Smoke Launchers.

Ultramarines Rooster 2:

HQ: Librarian (Brother Bartholomeo), armed with Bolt Pistol, Force Weapon, Psychic Hood, Frag and Krak grenades. Psychic Poweres: Avenger, Gate of Infinity.

Troops: 10 man Tactical Squad Vandar, armed with Flamer, Missile Launcher, Frag and Krak grenades, led by Veteran Sergeant (Vandar). Mounted in a Rhino with Stormbolter, Search Light, and Smoke Launchers.

Heavy: Preadator armed with Twin-Linked Lascannon in the turret and two sponson mounted Lascannons, Search Light and Smoke Launchers.

Fast Attack: Assault Squad Strabo (Heroes of Selenopolis): 5 man Assault Squad armed with one Plasma Pistol, 3 Bolt pistols, Chainswords, Frag and Krak grenades, led by Veteran Sergeant (Strabo), armed with Plasma Pistol, Power Axe, and Melta Bomb.

Story:

When the Tau forces started to gain the upper hand in the conquest of the fertile Imperial planet of Marna V, or Es'Doran, as the Tau call it, the 2nd Company of Ultramarines, led by Brother-Captain Clavius and Brother-Librarian Bartolomeo, was deployed to turn the tides of war. They were supported by armour and more - Brother Agnathio in his Dreadnought armour was woken up to smite the enemies of the Emperor. The Tau forces were led by a young and ambitious commander - Shas'O Sa'Cea Lar'shi'el Kir'qath Ny'oni.

The Space Marines deployed from an orbiting barge and started to advance. They first met the opposition near some ruins of an abandoned Imperial outpost.

First Battle:

While passing by a long abandoned and ruined Imperial outpost, Captain Clavius saw movement on the Space Marines' right flank.

+Xenos! For the Emperor and for Macragge, attack, Brothers!+

The spotted enemy was the spearhead of advancing Tau, under the command of O'Lar'shi'el himself, pursuing the retreating Imperial Guard. The Space Marines saw the shark-like silhuette of a TauHammerhead Tank, with the typical long barrel of a turret-mounted railgun emerging from the forest. It was only a silhuette, since it had some kind of optical disruption field. Beside it, a small team of Xenos was carefully advancing, followed by a suite of two drones. And the Space Marines could see a large Battle Suit too, fitted with guns and strange Xeno technology devices. What they could not see, was a team of Stealth Suits, scouting the way ahead of the Tau forces.

It seemed both adversaries spotted each other at the same time. The Tau leapt for cover behind a remnant of a wooden shack, their skimmer tank humming above the ground, trying to bear its rail gun on the Space Marines' armour.

Half of the Ultramarines infantry quickly occupied a two stored ruined brick building to bring their Lascannon into firing position. A Space Marine Predator rushed to cover behind the ruin, grass and dirt torn and thrown high by its threads. A Rhino with a Flamer team of Space Marines started moving along the forming battle line to outflank the Tau. Brother Agnathio in his Deadnought armour marched slowly towards the Tau positions, preparing its Multi-Melta. Captain Clavius stayed in cover, knowing he would be the prime target, advising, giving orders and raising the spirits of his Brethren.

O'Lar'shi'el saw the Lascannon being positioned on the top floor of the ruin and he too took what cover he could. The Stealth Team withdrew to cover too, to add their firepower to that of the Fire Warriors infantrymen.

Without hesitation the Predator, commandeed by Brother Gustavo, moved close to the ruin, and while staying in cover, it opened fire through the holes in the walls of the ruin. The blinding bright spears of its Lascannons nearly hit the Hammerhead, but the gunner was disrupted with its vast array of optical disruptions. The Hammerhead promptly answered with some solid railgun shots, while keeping the heads of the Lascannon team down with a salvo after salvo of quadruple Smart Missiles. After a short exchange of shots, a railgun round pierced through the wall of the ruin and found its way into the crew and engine compartments of the Predator. There was a strange and brief sound as the shot impaled the Predator and the Imperial machine went silent. Only a long red trail of blood remained of Brother Gustavo's crew after it was dragged along with the railgun shot through a tiny hole in the hull's armour.

Soon after that a Smart Missile found an Ultramarine who failed to duck into cover in time and his torn body was thrown down from the top floor of the ruin.

The Ultramarines watched in horror as the Dreadnought, almost in range of his Multi-Melta, was suddenly hit by a small projectile, coming seemingly from nowhere. Immediately, a trail of smoke was drawn from the Tau Hammerhead as a Seeker Missile roared towards the walker, exploding just below its waist.

+May the Emperor curse the filthy aliens! Brother-Captain Clavius, I am unable to move, the missile tore the hydraulic circuits of my legs away. Nevertheless I shall continue to fight from where I am. Semper Fi!+

Before Captain Clavius could answer or send someone to give Brother Agnathio some covering fire, the turret gunner of the Hammerhead turned his attention to the Dreadnought and finished the job with a well aimed hit that smashed its both legs to pieces and the walker plunged to the ground, unable to turn around and was effectively destroyed. The power plant on its back stopped working,the exhaust vents ceased to pour smoke and the Comm went silent.

In a desperate attempt the Rhino, that at last got into a firing position, faced the Hammerhead and fired a Hunter-Killer missile against the tank, but the missile bounced off the thick composite alloys armour and dissapeared in the nearby forest, hitting the ground with an audible thump.

At least the Lascannon team was able to use the Hammerhead's distraction and hit O'Lar'shi'el, wounding him lightly, as he used his jetpack to jump from cover, blaze away with his guns and jump back before the retributive volley of boltgun shots could reach his position. The tank was not distracted for long and soon Smart Missiles began buzzing around the Space Marines' heads again, forcing them to keep a low profile.

The Rhino, driven by Brother Raphael, raced towards the Tau position to deploy its passengers, while Brother Fabrio was firing the Rhino's mounted Storm Bolter, empty casings clinging on the armour of the Rhino. The Ultramarines, enraged by the loss of the Dreadnought, jumped out of the APC, bolters blazing. One of the less experienced Fire Warriors exposed too much of his body to the salvo of bolts and fell to the ground, his body looking like being hit by a dozen drills.

Then empty air moved and a bright flash of a fusion blast hit Brother Fabrio and evaporized him together with his Storm Bolter mount. A volley from a pair of Burst Cannons fired by stealthed Shas'Ui, combined with a salvo of the Fire Warriors and O'Lar'shi'el's Plasma Rifle, mowed down the advancing Ultramarines. Captain Clavius could do nothing but call for reinforcements and order his remaining men to retreat. The only good thing was, that he managed to hear Brother Agnathio's voice in the Comms, stating that he was not done for yet.

Captain Clavius knew the Ultramarines would have to reclaim the Dreadnought's Sarcophagus. No Space Marine would be left behind if something can be done about it. And the shame of his defeat that day burnt as hell.

Second Battle:

Just before dawn of the next day, Brother-Librarian Bartolomeo led a recovery team to get the Dreadnought's Sarcophagus. He saw a downed Valkyrie, its wreckage still belching smoke, near the estimated position of the fallen Dreadnought. He ordered half of squad Vandar, with a missile launcher, to secure the wreckage of the Valkyrie, look for survivors, and to defend the spot at all costs.

In the first beams of sunlight, the Librarian was able to see a team of Fire Warriors in some old Imperial trench, not far from the last trees of the forest where he was hiding, dismantling an unexploded rocket's tracking device. Probably a piece shot off the downed Valkyrie, he thought. Behind the trench he saw a towering figure, trying to reach on top of a rock, where some strange device was sitting. What is that battlesuit doing? Has he gone mad?

Little did he know, that the Valkyrie managed to shoot down one of the Tau fighters it was dogfighting with. The falling Tau craft ejected a small pod with the memory core of its computer. O'Lar'shi'el was trying to get to it, but the rock was too steep and the top of the rock too small for him to land on.

+Emperor be praised, they are not expecting us. Give them hell, Brothers!+

A Predator smashed through the trees and started blazing with its lascannons. A Rhino raced towards the enemy positions, carrying the other half of squad Vandar, led by the Veteran Sergeant himself. Brother Bartolomeo had another ace in his sleeve. Shouting their battlecries, Veteran Sergeant Strabo's assault team of Heroes of Selenopolis fired their jump packs and threw themselves against the unsuspecting Tau.

At the same time, the morning mist dissapeared and a Tau Hammehead tank became visible behind the trench, its crew frantically hurrying to occupy their battle posts. Too late. At the same time it turned its mighty railgun towards the advancing Predator, it was hit by four bright beams. The sponson mounted lascannons blew away the Portside engine, and then Brother Cornelius, the turret gunner of the Predator, hit the weakened armour with the twin lascannon. In a spectacular display of fireworks the Hammerhead blew up, the barrel of the railgun hitting the ground no less than a hundred yards away.

+For the Emperor! Taste the power of his armoured fist!+

O'Lar'shi'el may have been young, but certainly was not to give up that easily. He ordered the Fire Warriors to open fire with their pulse rifles and the Shas'O himself jumped to counterattack the Space Marines.

Brother Bartolomeo concentrated and openned a rift through the Warp. By using his immense psychic powers, he was able to materialize just in front of the trench, immediately unleashing his fury and torching the trench with a fiery manifestation of his anger. At the same time squad Strabo landed and charged the now confused and frightened Fire Warriors.

Meanwhile, O'Lar'shi'el aimed all his weapons on the approaching freashly repaired Rhino, driven by Brother Raphael, shot the left thread off with his plasma rifle and changed the crew compartment into smoldering heap of melting metal with his Fusion Blaster. Squad Vandar got out in one shape, though shaken badly, only to be welcomed by O'Lar'shi'el's weapons. Desorientated they stood no chance. The commander mercilessly took them down. The Predator tank tried to help them but neither brother Cornelius, nor the other gunners could see anything through all the smoke and explosions.

At the trench not even a salvo from pulse rifles, not even a hail of shots from burst cannons of the nearby Stealth Team could stop the Emperor's finest troops when charging. One of the shots wounded Brother Bartolomeo's leg and he had to kneel down to tend to his wound. As the Ultramarines hurled themselves into the trench, Strabo and his four Battle-Brothers pulled the triggers for the last time before they would go "up-close and personal". And then it happened. Brother Horacio was hit by a pulse round in the eye, and worse - the plasma pistol of Brother Dareus whizzed, and instead of releasing a shot of superheated plasma, in a heartbeat it blew up, tearing apart the Space Marine's right arm and half of his chest.

+Die! Alien Scum!+

Sergeant Strabo and his two remaining Heroes of Selenopolis quickly gutted all the Fire Warriors and the Drones but one in the trench. Then bursts from the Stealth Teams XV25's cannons left Strabo alone, but the battle hardened veteran did not even flicker and he chopped off the head of the last Fire warrior, trying to run away in panic, with his Power Axe.

+For the Emperor! Victory or Death!+

Strabo saw the outlines of the Stealth Suits and did not hesitate. He charged again, discarding his overheating plasma pistol and holding the grip of his Power Axe with both hands. He cut one of the almost invisible Stealth Suits in two with one mighty swing, but then the Shas'Vre next to him pulled the trigger of his Fusion Blaster and the world went black for yet another great hero of Humankind.

The Predator tank crew could not fire through all the smoke and the crew lost orientation and eneded up moving in the direction of squad Vandar's Missile Laucher team.

When Brother-Librarian Batolomeo rose from the ground with his leg hurting badly, he stare into the barrels of a Fusion Blaster and a Burst Cannon. He refused to surrender to the Greater Good and reached for his bolt pistol in a last and proud gesture of resistance. Nothing less would be expected from an Ultramarine...

+A Space Marine will never surrender to you, aliens! Die... AAARGH!+

Hearing this, O'Lar'shi'el turned to see what was happening and before he realized it he exposed his back to the last remaining Ultramarines on the scene - missile launcher team from squad Vandar. Before retreating, the Space Marines used this one last chance and Commander O'Lar'shi'el fell to the ground seriously wounded from a direct hit of a Krak missile. The team then mounted the Predator tank, which reached their position, and retreated from the battlefield.

The remnants of squad Vandar and the Predator safely reached the Ultramarines main camp and reported on the battle, especially highlighting the fact that Brother Agnathio was probably still alive, trapped inside his battered Dreadnought's Sarcophagus, and that he would have to be recovered for the honour of the Chapter to be preserved...

O'Lar'shi'el recovered from his wounds, and he still had a war to win for the Greater Good, against all those who would foolishly, selfishly and madly stand against it...

Nice BatRep, +1. ;D –RZ.

[Dangeresque Lee]

That was really cool. Me and my friends need to start making things like this. Holy crap.
A fun read, Karma well earned.

[henbobbleb]

nice story and well done. It was a very interesting read, hope you had fun

[Saracen]

Very nice, to be perfectly honest that was better written then most 40k novels.

[Watchdog]

Thanks for the positive replies. If I have time, I will bring more reports like this one. It took me about 3 hours to write it.