Chapter 2- Planet Fall

Or’es’Ka reviewed over the tactical display. And frankly the situation was growing far more perilous by the moment. The door to the op centre opened. Karr walked through the open gap, her delicate robes trailing behind her. Or’es’Ka failed to acknowledge her immediately, still gazing bewildered at the hologram fluttering before him.

“The situation has escalated” he said by way of a greeting. Karr silently stood over the display- watching as it moulded and changed. The image projected the four planets of the Kaurava system- each surface broken up into provinces; each associated a colour and emblem to the dominant faction in that region.

“I received word from our stealth teams deployed across the other planets- it appears there is a greater military presence in the system than we first thought” he dulled the maps bright lights, dissolving the array of colours into a blank outline. “So far, in addition to our current adversaries, we have detected Eldar on Kaurava III, Imperial Sisters of Battle on Kaurava I and Dark Eldar on Kaurava IV”

“I assume we intend to strike the united Imperial Force before they can rampage across the system- perhaps invoke a rash of disunity and infighting between their soldiers?” Karr had never held much regard for the servants of the Imperium.

“Actually that may not be necessary, the Imperials seem as eager to fight eachother as the rest of us” And their complete disregard for their comrades simply because of a minor difference in the chain of command only intensified the feeling.

“There is however some more joyous news to report” Or’es’ka continued. “It seems that the Space Marines have already executed their vendetta against their Chaos kin- removing one of our common enemies for us” Karr had overlooked the absence of the Chaos presence on Kaurava IV- the dark pink outline replaced with fiery red to represent the sudden shift of leadership.

“However the speed and ferocity of the attack is disturbing. They appear to be utilizing a new strategy involving drop pods fired from their orbiting Battle Barge. Utilizing sheer numbers and speed they overrun a province without needing to waste resources constructing a forward base”

“Then perhaps we should engage their Battle Barge- cut their troops off at the source?” Karr suggested.

“No- the marines are not our primary concern. Our current objective is to establish ourselves on the surface and begin engaging the enemy before they can engage us” He pointed to the southern hemisphere of Kaurava II. “I plan to land our forces here and push our way northwards, you shall lead them. Your first engagements will likely be with the Orks situated in these foothills. They should not be too much of a challenge as they are freebooters and pirates that are constantly at war with each other. Once they are dealt with we can ponder our next course of action against the Space Marines” He turned to his Shas’El. “Questions?”

Karr stared at the fluttering hologram of the map. “No”

“Good. The transports are prepared and your troops are being readied, good luck. For the Greater Good”

The Ork Choppa Boy growled loudly as he scratched his arse with the bladed handle of his weapon. “Oi!” He slammed his cleaver against the side of the anti air gun he was guarding, rousing the Ork engineer embedded in the side of the weapon from his work. “You done in ‘ere yet?”

The engineer emerged from the weapon, his overalls stained with oil and grime and a broken gear gripped in his thick green hand. “Yeah- it’s ready to goo”

“Boss! Boss!” Another Ork charged up the hill- his voice breaking with fear. “We’s got flya’s comin in”

“What you yakkin about ya grot?” The slugga turned to face the Ork- ready to smash his face in with the butt of his weapon if his interruption turned out to be fruitless.

“Dem aliens! Their flyers are coming at us!”

“Uggh” The slugga raised his blade, ready to strike. But instead opted to shoot the offending subordinate in the face with his pistol, his bloodied corpse stained the long grass. He quickly mounted the turret- bringing the crudely constructed weapon to bear on the specks of light he see emerging from the sky- each would soon materialize into a deadly Tau craft. “Fire! Fire!” he cried to the engineer, calling for him to engage the weapon.

The engineer obeyed, allowing him to let fly with the first volley of rockets.

The fleet of Orca transports and accompanying Barracuda escorts descended towards the surface of Kaurava II with precision speed and stealth.

Karr walked through the crowded crew compartment, watching as her Fire Warriors went about their pre-war rituals- checking and rechecking their weapons, chanting the Fire Songs of their Cadre or simply envisioning their movements once the hatch lowered. She stepped through the divide into the cockpit, watching over the shoulders of the Air Caste pilots controlling the craft. “Are we clear to insert?”

“Yes Shas’El- so far the Ork’s have not been alerted to our presence. Barring any major set backs we should make planet fall within 10 minutes” The pilot seemed confident- but Karr knew that no plan survived contact with the enemy.

“Very well” Karr left the cockpit. But before she could take her seat amongst her comrades she was flung to the deck. The accompanying cries of alarms and the flurry of yells emanating from the cockpit told Karr that the situation had now hit the dirt before they could. She scrambled to an open seat- strapping her into the bench strutting from the wall. The room became quiet- no Fire chants, no clicks of engaged weapons. Just silence.

In the cockpit of the Orca the pilots fought for control of their wavering craft. But the strike against the rear engine had paralysed their control, and the craft was losing altitude far faster than any of them would have liked.

“Orca Dropship Two-Zero, you’re losing altitude fast- pull up” The formation commander cried into their com link.

“Negative commander. We’ve lost control of our craft and are going down over grid Zebra-Niner. We require assistance” Another round impacted the ships side and the com link went dead. The pilots attempted to direct the ship away from the remainder of the formation, to avoid their damaged craft endangering any other of their Cadre. Their only hope was that the remnants of the assault force made ground and managed to find them. That was their only hope.

The flaming craft scraped against the tree line- igniting the fragile leaves and removing the tops of some of the taller plants. The harsh impact soon followed.

Karr awoke with a throbbing pain tearing through her body. She attempted to open her eyes- but the blinding light shining down on her forced her eye lids shut before the pain overwhelmed her.

She pulled herself to her feet- her muscles groaning and aching with the strain. Her surroundings were similar and yet entirely different- the pristine metal was now broken and scarred with fire and blood. The rows of seats that had housed brave fire warriors and their tools for expanding the Greater Good were now breaking or broken. The floor was littered with corpses and destroyed equipment.

The wind still carried the unmistakable harsh crash of Ork artillery- the horrible sound was strangely reassuring, as AA fire meant there was still a Tau aerial presence for them to fire at. The question was for how long it would last.

She checked her squad roster on her HUD- all other inhabitants of the dropship were KIA. She attempted to access her COM, but all that returned on the channels was static. She couldn’t risk launching a visual flare- she didn’t know if the remainder of the assault force had made it down or if she would just be alerting the Ork’s that they still had a stray Tau to remove. So instead she decided to gather what salvageable equipment remained and attempt to make the rendezvous point before she was discovered.

Karr thrust herself into the dirt- bringing the sight of her rifle up to her eye, her finger twitching against the trigger. She stared down the wet, foliage covered bank to the dirt track at its base. Like a stain upon the surface of a river a convey of crudely constructed Ork vehicles meandered through the valley beneath her.

Karr followed their predicted path- noticing the gentle whisps of smoke rising from the ground. The smoke was far too small and consistent to be from a crash. That had only one indication- civilisation.

Karr suddenly snapped around- a movement in the woods behind her. She brought her pulse rifle up- holding fire lest she waste ammo and only draw more attention to herself. Instead she opted to go for the silent, stealth approach, securing her pulse rifle to her back and drawing her bladed forearm’s up into a fighting stance. She listened, watching. A shadow moved, she launched for it. She only encountered tree bark. Another shadow moved, she launched for it. This time however her target collapsed under their combined weight. Karr wrapped a tight hold around her adversary. Whatever she had clutched onto was far too soft and thin to be an Ork. The two of them collapsed amongst the dark brush and mud. The creature writhed and struggled weakly beneath her like an animal caught in the trap. They lashed out in random and uncoordinated flails- they most definitely were not a trained fighter.

“Hold still” Karr ordered, not even sure whether this creature could understand her. But when it finally surrendered she was sure it was due to what she had said, she attempted it again. “I’m going to loosen my grip. If you try to run or attack me, I’ll kill you”. It wasn’t an entirely empty threat- she had already bested this creature in melee and Karr still had her Pulse Rifle.

She loosened her grip slightly, the creature made no attempt at escape. Her arms slithered away from the creature, her tense muscles still prepared to lash out again at a moments notice. The two of them rose out of the dirt into the light. Karr quickly realized the creature she had just bested was human. She was female, dressed in a rough mud stained shirt and trousers. Her dirty blonde hair was messily contained in a ponytail that cascaded down her back.

Karr took the opportunity to scan her surroundings, content that her engagement had not drawn any undue attention secure she returned her attention to her captive. “Who are you?”

The girl panted and wheezed in laboured breaths, the shock and physical exertion of the engagement having seriously drained her. Karr repeated herself. “Who are you?”

“My……” They gasped. “My name is Brianna”

“Why are you following me?”

“I wasn’t. I was already out here when I saw your ship go down”

Karr knew she had to tread lightly- it was entirely possible that this girl was an Imperial Spy. If that was the case she was taking an enormous risk even talking with her, but the risk would only increase if she was forced to conceal a body not only from the Ork’s but also from whatever reinforcements the Imperials may dispatch once they lost contact with their operative. She was going to have to be careful.

“Where are you from?”

Brianna pointed deeper into the hills. “I’m a farmer. I live in one of the small villages deeper into the mountain, with the others”

“Others?”

“My family and the other farmers” Her voice cracked and stumbled with emotion. “We’re forced to live under the boot heel of the Ork tribes that live throughout the hills”

“What do they do?”

“Raid, steal, kill”

“I thought the Orks in the area were fractured clans and tribes, more content with fighting amongst each other than raiding defenceless villages?”

“They have a new leader, an enormous beast. The Imperial Guard have launched several attempts to dislodge them- but they’re stronger than usual, more ferocious”

“Do you know where they make camp?”

She pointed to the mountains peak. “At the very top of the mountain. But it’s all a moot point as they have guard towers and patrols throughout the hills to prevent any attempt at attack”.

Karr was stunned. This information alone would be invaluable to the Tau assault force, if only she could find a way to get it too them this information. She couldn’t risk asking Brianna about any of the other Tau she may have spotted, perhaps she thought Karr was the only one. “Is there a safe place around here?”

“I can take you too my village- you’ll be safe there”

Karr and Brianna stepped into the centre of a ramshackle village hastily constructed from the local timber and resources. The large cloak Brianna had leant Karr fell awkward on her due to her armours size and the differences between Tau and Human physiology. The design did little to conceal her identity from the surrounding onlookers. Karr felt for the cool comfort of her pulse pistol holstered at her waist.

“Don’t worry about the farmers” Brianna spoke- it was as if she had read her mind. “They’re far more scared of the Orks than they are of you” Brianna finally stopped outside of one of the houses. “Well this is my place” She paused as if waiting for approval. “I know it’s not much, but it’s home”

But suddenly Brianna’s gaze snapped around, Karr following her gaze. A plume of dark brown smoke cascaded down the side of the mountain, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake, heading straight for them. “You have to hide” Brianna spoke with quivering lips.

“What?” Karr was dumbfounded.

“Now” Brianna panicked, throwing open the door to her home, pulling Karr through the door. Brianna slammed the door behind her.

Inside of the house Karr was standing in the centre of a kitchen/living room hybrid. She stepped across the room, the cloak falling from her shoulders without her holding it in place. Karr looked through the small hole in the wall most likely designed as a window. Outside of the house Karr saw a convoy of crudely built vehicles roll into the centre of the village. The main chassis of the vehicles were Imperial, the body reinforced by plates of metal from dozens of different vehicle models constructed by several different factions.

The vehicles came to a halt in the centre of the village, their heavy tires eating into the soft, wet mud. Ork soldiers wielding bolt pistols and cleavers disembarked from the transports. The truck at the head of the formation opened to reveal another four Orks stepping out into the light of day. The largest of the group began grunting orders to his subordinates. All except for the three Orks protecting their leader the Orks each broke away from their vehicles and began smashing and shooting anything they could find. Their leader beamed with pride as he watched soldiers smash, destroy and fight over anything they found of value they could salvage.

The farmers could only watch from the windows and side streets in horror as their livelihoods were destroyed before their eyes. The Ork leader savoured the lines of stunned faces, savouring every free flowing tear and cry of anguish in the wake of his massacre. One of the faces however seemed to leap out at him- the girl’s expression was a solid show of defiance.

The Ork stepped ahead of his honour guard. He reached a strong green hand out for the young woman wilful enough to oppose him, even on such a minor level as this. His thick fingers wrapped around her thin neck, lifting her from the ground as her feet kicked out wildly underneath her. She thrashed her long fingers against his thick hand in a vain attempt to pry his fingers away, his strong grip starving her of precious oxygen.

“Why ain’t ya cryin like da udders?” the Ork growled. Brianna struggled to formulate a response, due to her wind pipe being compressed further and further completing a response was difficult. “We had Tau flya’s comin’ down after we shot ‘em out of da sky” He leaned in closer, his bladed teeth narrowly missing her soft skin. “You see any of them git’s round ‘ere?”

Brianna attempted to elicit a garbled ‘No’, and failed miserably.

Karr watched as the vehicles pulled into the village. Saw the destruction sewed in their wake. She felt helpless in not having the ability to intervene when she saw the situation begin to deteriorate rapidly. The Ork leader held Brianna literally by the throat, applying more and more pressure as time went past without him receiving his answer.

Karr drew her pulse rifle, bracing the weapon against the window frame. She placed her eye to the weapons scope. She had the back of Brianna’s head centred squarely in her sight. She couldn’t risk Brianna revealing anything she might know- about Karr, about the Ork defences, about the Tau assault.

But fate had offered her a strong moral dilemma. She would only be able to fire a single shot before the Orks learned of her presence and swamped her. She was grateful for Brianna’s assistance so far, and her contribution to the Greater Good would not soon be forgotten. But Karr couldn’t risk her comrade’s safety for this girl’s life.

Her other option was to shoot the Ork leader cleanly through the head- potentially saving Brianna’s life and denying the Ork movement their leader, breaking the back of the Ork fighting spirit and clearing the way for the Tau assault. Her finger grazed the trigger of her weapon, ready to end the life of another being. She held her fire.

Brianna’s vision darkened, her body slowly being drained of oxygen and her muscles going slack from the sheer strain. It would only be a matter of time before her body surrendered completely.

A sound suddenly resonated strongly in her mind, reawakening her dampened senses. The Ork’s grip loosened, allowing Brianna to gasp in the few precious molecules of oxygen required to retain consciousness. The Ork reached for the communicator at his belt chirping to life as the incoming message was received. “Wat ya git!?” the Ork yelled into the machine. A garbled message of grunts and insults returned, Brianna’s weakened state making it even harder to understand their alien exchange. “Right ya grot” he closed the link.

The Orks attention was completely removed from the girl he held by the throat, instead turning to address his men. “Listen up ya grots!” In unison they all ended their looting spree and turned to listen to their commander with eager ears. “Doz Marine Boyz are attackin da foothills in da north. Da Boss wants us to introduce dem to da Waagh!”

“Waagh!” his soldiers cried in response.

Karr watched with a sigh of relief as the Orks leapt into their vehicles, each of them laden down with fresh loot. The Ork leader discarded his captive at his feet, stepping back into his transport with his honour guard in tow. It suddenly dawned on Karr how close she had come to murdering an innocent that had so far done nothing but risk her life to save her. Was she so far gone that she would violate the teachings of the Greater Good itself in the service of its defence?

She secured her rifle over her shoulder once again, stepping out in the dim light of the systems slowly retreating sun that cast an amber haze over the destruction. She strode out into the damp street, not caring if her true form was revealed to the band of farmers that had gathered to watch the display.

Karr extended her hand, hefting Brianna to her feet. She staggered, her ankle having been strained in the fall. Karr lead her back to the house, each step requiring another string of laboured breaths to be sucked past Brianna’s quivering lips. “I know…. of a weakly guarded route to the top of the mountain. You’ll find the Ork encampment there”

Brianna reached for the doorknob- turning to look Karr straight in the eye. “And when you get there” A grin grew across her face. “Make sure you shoot that Ork bastard once in the head for me”