'This is Battle Barge Smoldering Forge of the Salamanders fourth company, Edin V Please respond', the message had been sent ever since the barge had entered the system several days ago. Only Now had Edin V Come into range of the Battle Barge and its Strike cruiser escorts. The small fleet approached the planet cautiously, shields up and weapons ready. The massive capitol ships listed towards the vibrant green surface of the paradise world and would be within range to land their cargo in a few more hours... but the transmission silence from on world was worrying.

Captain Arash stood on the bridge, brooding as he looked out the blast windows towards the emerald orb, the distress signal had stopped sounding a day before they arrived and it was worrying the Captain. The Ships communications officer looked back worried, the blackened face and read eyes of the stern captain not yet meeting his. "Again. We will continue to hail them until they answer or we have landed... Emperor help us.", he muttered under his breath. The communications officer prepared to send the message once more. 'This is Battle Bar-', but this time he was interrupted.

'OH THANK THE EMPEROR! Our prayers have been answered!', a panicky voice crackled over the ship's vox, clearly fighting some kind of interference. 'Who do I speak with?! Who has the Emperor sent to be our salvation?!', it asked frantically, the captain leaning down to the command station to answer, "I am Captain Arash of the Salamanders fourth company of the Adeptus Astartes, we have come to render what aid we can! Who do I address?", a static filled sigh of releif came over the vox. 'The Emperor has sent his angels of death, Praise be to him! I am... acting Governor of Edin V, we are in dire straits Captain!', Arash nodded and spoke again, "Do not worry goverour, we will be making planetfall shortly. What can you tell me about the current situation?"

'My Lord, Xenos invaded our world the Eldar... th-they destroyed the capitol city days after arrival! My father... we took many casualties! Even now the PDf struggle to retake it with no success... they hold a large amount of ground in the east around it b-but they have yet to push outwards again! Many cities have become... staging grounds we think and-', Arash silenced the panicky man.

"Fear no longer Governour, for the Salamanders have arrived. We wil lspeak in a matter of days.", with that the feed was cut and Arash turned to his assembled council, placing his helmet on. The air tight seel hissing as it connected. "We will hit the Xenos immediately. I will lead most of the company in an attack from orbit at one of the border cities. The rest weill accompany Chaplain Rixus to the Governour's position and asses the situation.", the marines nodded and silently left to attend their duties. The Captain marched after them... soon the war would begin again for the Iron Lords.

Space was always so quiet, and empty, but Arthorn liked it that way. It was easy to escape the emotions that constantly raged inside of him like all Eldar, and allowed him to clear his mind and just focus on nothing at all. That was until they had felt that warp disturbance days before, now he was actually looking for something. Someone had come into the system, and they had to be sure what it was before it reached Edin V. Eyes peeled back he hid in the shadow of the Planet’s moon, further hidden by the stealth technology that cloaked his ship. Something was coming though, he couldn’t move for fear of being seen, and simply held position, letting the ship move with the gravity of moon staying within it’s shadow as much as possible using only minor adjustments to his position.

Once the intruders coming into the system were in view, Athorn knew that his fellow Eldar were in for a fight. “Space Marines” He said to himself in a hushed tone, as if they might hear him and blow him out of space. Communications were immediately sent out to warn of the oncoming threat, to prepare the forces on the ground for the real war that was about to come to Edin V.

---

The excavations were going slowly, it was hard to figure out exactly where the Old One’s artifact was, and so the Eldar of Kyavandia worked tirelessly with laser mining equipment to tear apart a once beautiful labyrinth of cave systems. Amosan stood at the center of the work site his head turning back and forth to watch over the ones they had brought to pursue the manual labor required to uncover the artifact. Ashesho meanwhile sat on the ground, her legs folded, her mind touching those that had remained on the Craftworld. She suddenly blinked, and stood from her meditation though, and turned towards her mate, a look of aggravation crossing her features. “What is it Ashesho? Have they found who caused the warp disturbance? Is it the Ork? Surely Chaos does not threaten this Sector at this point.”

“No, it is Humans, it is the Human’s Space Marines. They come to reinforce the local defense force I assume. They plan to tear us from this place, but we cannot let them. We must retrieve the device before we leave this planet, and we surely cannot let it fall into Human hands.” She turned a bit, and walked forward some before looking around. “Have everyone begin setting up defenses. I want Warriors in every easily fortified area. I want everyone prepared for anything at any time. We will not give any ground. Make them pay for every step they take towards us with pools of their own blood.” Slowly she lifts up her Ghost Helm and places it over her head. “I will be going to the lookout point. I want to see how they arrive. What they do.”

---

Within a few hours Farseer Ashesho, her Mate, and several others on Jetbikes were arriving at a impressively tall tower, their feet carrying them to the very top. Upon reaching that pinnacle they all stopped and stared, helmets covering their faces as they waited. Ashesho stared in a direction towards the east. A strong feeling flowed through her, she could almost see fire burning into the night sky in that direction smoke wafting in the wind, but it was all a vision, a premonition of what might be possible. “Amosan… Bring me Faebala.”

The inside of the drop pod was dark and drab unlike so much else in the Salamanders armory, especially for the Iron Lords whose ornate weaponry was famous even amongst the rest of the chapter. The Pods had not yet released, and he and his command squad sat in utter silence and trepidation, waiting for the sirens to announce the approaching launch. A city embroiled in conflict on the border of the Eldar's holdings had been selected as the drop point, PDF there were engaged in a losing attempt to re-take the city against a far superior Eldar force... soon the tides would change in a wave of cleansing flame thought Arash, squeezing the hilt of his blade harder.

Veteran Sergeant Hasou turned to his captain, always good at noting when his old friend was in distress, "Do you fear it is them Arash?", he asked tentatively. The captain shook his head, "I fear nothing Hasou, I pray to the Emperor and Vulkan that it is them... I require vengeance still.", Hasou nodded and seemed about to say something, but was interrupted by the warning claxons announcing they were above the drop site. The massive ramps sealed shut, and in a few more moments... the pod was fired.

---

Hurtling through the void towards the planet below started as it always did, relatively smooth as there was no atmosphere. Even as the guiding engines fired to keep the pod on target the ride was largely smooth... until it hit the atmosphere. Suddenly the pod shook violently, rattling thick Astarte bones and armor as it plumeted downwards. The Salamanders within, only now raised their voices. A hymn of Nocturne was begun, its verses picked up by the occupants. Their loud, booming voices heard over their vox channel, only to be joined by the hymns of their brothers in other pods as they fell and shook.

The reverse thrusters firing felt like a load of brick smashing into their bodies. The desperate whine of the engines sounded throughout the air, splitting it in a symphony of screaming air and vaporised oxygen. Even still they sang their hymns, booming voices over vox sounded loud, proud and unafraid of the approaching earth. They only stopped with the collision.

---

"FALL BACK!", the colonel screamed, pushing past his mmen to get to the Tauros APC. The myriad PDF soldiers were frantically scrambling over eachother, trying to run from the scything shots of the eldar who mercilewssly cut them down... well most of the PDF ran. A few platoons held strong, a man with a long face pulled into a scowl with a scar down the front right of his face. 'M-major should w-', the major scoffed and turned to look the trooper straight in the eye, "If you don't return fire Private you will be dead. If not by those xenos then by me now FIRE!", he ordered, looking to the rapidly encroaching Eldar... it looked like today he woulld finally meet the Emperor. Then the whining, screeching sound of air being split was heard above them, and the Major looked skywards and smiled. The flaming pods plummeted so rapidly to the ground he didn't have time to announce it before they crashed into the ground, cracking concrete and plasteel like it was wood. "The Emperor hasn't abandoned us yet men!"

---

All of a sudden the titanic mmomentum all came to a halt at once. Even for Space Marines trained to do this it was jarring. Bones shook violently and ears rang for a moment before Marine biology compensated, no dizzyness or nausea present. At the same moment as the Marines recovered the large planks smashed into the splintered floor, and the violent occupants were disgorged unto the world. Captain Arash hefted his mighty blade as it scremed to life, flames hot as a sun sprouting from the blade as he shouted a warcry, "Into the Fires of battle, unto the anvil of war!", and was answered by the company, 'For the Emperor and his people!', and forward the Iron Lords charged.

The smell of fire, and the acrid burnt smell of combat filled the air. The smooth fluid motions of the Eldar fighting starkly contrasting with the choppy way the PDF did battle. Shuriken rounds streamed across the battlefield tearing into cover, and cutting down the occasional soldier. Only a few Eldar in comparison lay on the ground dead mostly due to heavy weapons of the PDF that had already been neutralized. The idea that victory was close at hand was short lived though, as the pods carrying the Human’s Space Marines hurtled through the sky towards the ground. Lances of powerful energy were now filling the sky as well ionizing the air around each streak of energy, several of them crashing into pods and cutting deep gouges in the steel, but not doing much more than that for the most part. Except for one, a single pod suddenly veered sharply off course a thruster having been struck by a blast of energy. The pod spiraled and twisted in the air crashing far off into Eldar held territory.

Standing atop the building that the Eldar were considering their forward base of operations was Exarch Faebala, her eyes closing into a half lidded stare at the drop pods streaming down from the sky. Communications within the helmets of all Eldar soldiers in the immediate vicinity sounded off with Faebala’s voice. “Fall back to the battle line. Hold that position let not the Monkeigh take any ground.” Turn she grabbed a small globe, with an easy movement it was tossed into the air and exploded into brilliant light. At the same time though the drop pods had crashed into the ground, Eldar soldiers were pulling back to their front line, feet carrying them swiftly in groups of five or more. One group running, while the other gave covering fire.

For a moment it seemed as if the Space Marines were going to crash into their lines, she knew the Guardians, and Dire Avengers would be no match in a melee with such brutes. It was then that a saving grace arrived a bright lance of energy cut through the ground at the advancing Astartes line, followed by an another. Thirteen elder lay dead from bolter fire though, and Faebala felt anger in her heart that took all her strength to contain. Two Fire Prisms hovered closer to the front line letting out relentless barrages of lance fire, and shuriken cannon fire at the Imperial Forces. Then another boon showed itself as the face of a building exploded into chunks of metal, and broken ferrocrete, the massive form of a Wraithlord stepping forward, both arms coming up and spewing streams of flames outwards at the advancing force, as well as a quick missile salvo that obliterated an empty drop pod. “We may just win this day yet.” Faebala muttered to herself before speaking openly to the forces currently in combat. “Hold your positions. Do not advance. Give them no openings.”

---

The twisting, damaged pod was watched closely by Ashesho from the top of her tower, her head turning slightly. “Send a squad of Windriders to intercept. Kill them if necessary, harass them back to their own territory if possible. I care not for their lives, but I see no reason to lose our own people in open combat with the Monkeigh.”

---

Blurs of black and gold toes across the planes towards the soon to be crash site of the damaged drop pod, seven Wind Riders with their warlock leader barreling in to neutralize the enemy Space Marines by whatever means necessary. The plumes of smoke growing closer by the moment, their faith in themselves implacable as their eyes set firmly on their target that was now easily within firing distance.

The Space Marines doubled back, Captain Arash growling as the flighty Eldar had simply fallen back, he had managed to cut down but two dire avengers as the rest fell back in the wake of their armor. The Fire prisms drove the marines into cover, and the wraithlord pushed them back to the PDF's line. squad Vicinius lost two brothers to the Fire Prisms, there bodies vaporised in the blast causing the rest of the squad to sewar vengeance as they fell back. Taking cover behind one of the thick ferrocrete and plasteel walls of a barricade the Captain was Joined by Veteran sergeant Hasou, who grunted uncomfortably. His spine had become compressed in the landing, and the loud pops of it righting itself could be heard over his vox, "Captain, the Xenos have us pinned. Where is Honoured brother Ramos??", Captin Arash looked to the skies, and saw the smoke trail leading into the distance... a smile creeping onto his face that could practically be heard in his response, "Showing these xenos what happens when you try to stop a drop pod from landing in its intended DZ."

---

The jetbikes came within firing distance of the pod about a minute before it opened. The twisted wreck seemed for a moment like it wouldn't open at all, partially buried in the soft earth of the plain... then the sound of creaking metal and screaming servo's sounded as a door was wrenched open, the dark and smokey interior obscuring its occupant... but his voice could easily be hear through his amplified vox speakers.

"+I AM DEATH. COME FROM THE FIRES OF NOCTURNE TO SHOUT YOUR DEMISE TO THE HEAVENS-AND CARRY YOUR TWISTED SOULS TO THE IMMATERIUM UPON GREAT GOUTS OF PURIFYING FLAMES+", announced the Dreadnought as its weapons cycled to fire. First was the storm bolter at its wrist, missing its targets due to the blind nature of the volley. But, as it stepped out its true weaponry was now on full display. The massive multi melta made a sickening whine as it charged, and fired. The arcing beams of super heated purple energy vaporised two unlucky Wind riders before they could react. The Eldar had shot down the wrong drop pod this day.

---

Arash surveyed the enemies positions. The Fire Prisms were in heavy cover and firing pinning lances around the heads of the marines and their PDF allies who fired blindly at them while the Wraithlord picked of anyone who stayed out of cover too long, mostly foolish or unlucky PDF but several marines had been wounded.

"Hasou, take Berkath's squad and hit the prism on the right flank, get around them. You melta gun and brother Visath's Melta cannon should make short work of it, I will deal with the other shortly.", Hasou nodded and took off without another word to link up with Berkath and his squad.

Arash turned to the PDF Major who sat next to him, the man fired his bolt pistol at the far away enemy before popping back down, shuriken fire shredding the top of the two commanders cover.

"My Lord, what would you have of me and my men?", he asked excitedly, the older man clearly happy to be in real combat. Arash smiled at seeing such enthusiasm amongst the common soldiers.

"Hahaha, do not worry Major your time will come. for now provide covering fire for us, soon the xenos will be forced back, and then we will re-take this city!", with that arash hurried down the line, eager to get into the thick of it

As the battle continued to be at a standstill Faebala took off her helmt, sitting down smoothly onto a ledge and simply watching the firefight be exchanged. It was then that Several groups of Guardians came from inside a building, hovering weapons platforms of shuriken cannons in front of them. Almost as quickly as these appeared they began firing, power shuriken ammo slamming into the Imperium’s cover tearing chunks of It out and leaving slices of metal sticking out of whatever wasn’t completely destroyed. The fire from the Avengers, and other guardians increased to try and keep anyone from moving from behind their cover, and a foxhole with some PDF within suddenly exploded in a plume of dirt as a Lance blast caught it just right. Two soldiers crawled from the smoldering hole, but quickly went limp as shuriken rounds tore their bodies apart.

“This is growing, tiresome.” Faebala mutters to herself more than she does to the avengers around her. It was then that the sound of feet landing softly on the roof behind her could be heard. Who had arrived was a sight to behold, Autarch Keshanlia stood before them, her laser lance in hand as she surveyed the combat zone.

“Seems things are going well Faebala. I hope you don’t mind if I reinforce you a bit.” A smiled passed between the two but only for a moment as the battle raged on. The Fire Prisms continuing their relentless onslaught of Lance blasts at the Imperium Lines.

---

The sudden appearance of the Dreadnought was definitely a surprise, and as two of the jetbikes turned into flaming wrecks the rest turned and shot back towards the safety of their own troops. Ashesho couldn’t help but scowl though from her position on the tower, and took a deep breath of aggravation. “Let the machine return.” She descended the tower leaving Amosan to continue to watch over the battlefield, trusting him to take care of things. Her jetbike carried her quickly through the territory back to the Cavern. Not much had changed, nothing had been found unearthed, it was still going as slowly as before. “We need to step things up. If the Space Marines make it here before we are done, then all is for naught.”

Veteran Sergeant Hasou creeped along the right flank, Squad Indomitus in tow. They crawled their way quietly through the rubble on the Eldar right flank, ten marines being as quiet as possible with their profiles lowered to the ground. Only two were in front of Hasou, Borther Arnax lead from the front with his ornate flamer followed closely by Beris with his ancient bolter, carved by members of his family in the chapter for many succesive generations into the form of a snarling dragon as its front. He and Brother Melkior with his bulky melta cannon were next to one another, it was after all their job to take out the prism.

Before too long they were a mere fourty yards away, a hollowed out shell of a building in which sat a shuriken cannon team blocked their path. Using long practised hand signals the squad was informed, and without so much as a whisper the five marines up front who could get the right angle clicked frag grenades off of their belts. In almost unison they yanked the pins free, cooked the explosives for a few seconds, and let the red frag grenades fly. Three landed spot on amongst the feet of the squad, two bouncing against walls off the building and out of reach... but three was more than enough. The three cracks spelled the end for any eldar guardians unlucky or just not quick enough in the building, which would be most seeing as they were mere guardians. With that, squad indomitus and the veteran Sergeant vaulted over the rubble obscuring them and rushed through the building towards the prism... they had to be within 25 yards for the cannon and 15 for the Melta gun... a harrowing journey when being noticed before getting within range could spell swift doom.

---

Honored brother Ramos cycled his multi-melta down and scanned his surroundings. He was several clicks out from his DZ and needed to get their. He began his plodding trek, knowing it would be several hours before he reached his destination. He voxed to his commander, "+CAPTAIN. I AM SEVERAL CLICKS OUT FROM MY DROP ZONE. I WILL ARRIVE TO PROVIDE SUPPORT IN APPROXIMATELY 3.4 TERRAN HOURS+", heproudly announced over his vox as he began the trek to combat.

The combat was expected, battle was something they all knew was taking place. The sudden appearance of the grenades though, that was unexpected, and the explosion ripped through four Guardians, their bodies sent crashing through walls, and their shuriken cannon going a rather hazardous explosion as well. The building began to shake and rattle, it’s support structure damaged by the explosion as it began to collapse. Several more Guardians ran out of the building quickly taking cover behind chunk of ferrocrete wall. The sudden bolter fire was expected now as well, after so many grenades had been tossed. A downpour of shuriken fire came from other buildings that were on either side of the road, the ammunition pounding into Astartes armor digging deep gouges in the plate and tearing some chunks away, but none of it was seeming to get through.

Slowly an Eldar turned his rifle slightly, finger sliding across the trigger as his scope took on Brother Melkior. The Ranger took in a deep breath, then let it out, then another one as he watched the Space Marine charged across the ground with the melta gun. Soon the crosshairs found their mark though, that tiny sloth where the Space Marine’s eye would be, and the trigger was pulled. The shot likely could barely be seen, the only thing noticeable would be the sudden spray of blood from the hole that was now in the face of the Astartes’ helmet. The large man didn’t know he was dead for a moment, his body still running even after the shot had torn his brain to pieces, it was after a few running steps his body suddenly slowed down and he fell face forward on the ground.

So close they were getting, but the Eldar were intent on not letting them make it all the way. The Fire Prism turned it’s barrel and fired a long stream of lance fire at the assaulting Astartes sending up gouts of vaporizing dirt, and stone, explosions tearing through the ground as it suddenly fired a flurry of scatter lasers at the Astartes as well.

---

“Now” Autarch Keshanlia said softly into her communications, and the onslaught of firepower picked up on the main Imperium defensive position where Arash had just been, giving cover fire that caused the enemy troops to duck down behind their cover. A squad of Striking Scorpions came rushing from the main building and jumping over the Imperium defenses into the battle lines. Direswords revved, and slashed at PDF, the Scorpions Exarch getting into a rather fierce duel with the Major of the PDF forces. Shuriken fire began to overlap and move away from the melee taking place hoping to keep others who might try to get involved under cover.

Hasou sprinted as fast as his armored legs could carry him through the hail of rubble and shuriken fire, the razor sharp disks digging deep gouges into his power armour but the superior cermite held true. The same could not be said of Melkior, who tumbled forward with a smoking hole in his helmet. Two of his brothers stopped and dragged his prone form into cover to ensure the safety of his gene seed and shouted hateful litanies to inform the others of a sniper. To make matters worse, the fire prism turned its lances upon the rushin marines. Its opening volley caught Beris in the arm, vaporising his left limb as he dove for cover. Other members of the squad took a myriad of wounds from the scatter lasers and dove for cover... but Hasou kept running. He was just within the range of the prisms mighty lances and the scatter laser turned to stop him but was too late. He bounded onto the smoothe chasis of the prism and fire a shot of superheated energy into the multilaser turret, tearing a whole in it and melting its inner workings.

Before his new exposed position could be taken advantage of he turned the melta gun on the cockpit, unleashing a point blank shot of purple energy straight into it, melting through the strong glasslike covering as he cooked the pilot inside. The Prism listed to its left before colliding with the collapsing building, Hasou rolling off as it was crushed beneath the rubble. Only now, did he seek cover, his duty complete.

---

Major Hurze fought hard against the exarch, he had served in the guard before cominng to this world, hired to help train the PDF. His chainsword met with the exarchs and he thanked the Emperor for the Governours liberal use of rejuvenants among the PDF's officers. But he was losing. The Eldar Exarch flowed like water around his attacks as they dueled, the Major just barely managing to hold his own as his men were cut down around him. Arash and his marines were being pinned down, unable to come to the ODF's aid... until Sergeant Mar'sua cut in.

The Veteran Firedrake terminators arrived just in time, their armour and force fields shrugging of the withering fire of anti personnel and even several heavier rounds easily. The Veteran Sergeant shouted litanites of hate as his thunder hammer smashed into one the striking scorpions helmets, causing hallf the helmet to explode in a shower of energy, shards of armor and blood. The Terminators focused fire on the scorpions, hoping to push them back away from the salamnders line.