Necron warriors advance on one of the data-storage pods that survived the crash of the Imperial shuttle Zar Decima.

On 6 914 744.M41,  the Arvus Shuttle Zar Decima launched from an orbiting Imperial cruiser and attempted a landing at the hive city of Xintorgo. Durings its descent from orbit, it was attacked by a Necron Doom Scythe that severely damaged the shuttle’s propulsion system. 

Losing power, the shuttle crashed 387.3 kilometers east of the hive city [Coordinates redacted] at a velocity ensuring the death of all personnel aboard. Wreckage of the aircraft was scattered over several square kilometers.

As the craft was carrying three high-security pods of data crystals, each with invaluable military and technological insights into the Necron invader, a “quick response” team of Skitarii rangers were transported to the area within an hour of the crash.

Here is an after-action report from the team commander, Alpha Zhu Ω5-Decarote, of his encounter with a Necron force also on the scene—and the fate of the data crystals.

++ BEGIN REPORT ++

A hab block in Fabricate Subsystem AZ-393. The entire facility was evacuated months earlier as the Necrons advanced southward.

At 14:32 of 7 914 744.M41, our Archaeopter Transvector arrived at the crash scene. It was obvious from the scatter of wreckage that the Zar Decima had broken apart during its descent. There were numerous wreckage sites, but considerable debris was distributed across a large area.

Given the barren landscape, it was relatively easy to search the majority of the crash site. But part of the wreckage had descended in  the hab zone of a small, abandoned fabricate center in the area. [Official designation: Fabricate Subsystem AZ-393]

It was only when our search took us into the hab zone that our auspices detected the faint signal of the three data-storage pods—and, unfortunately, the presence of the foul xenos that afflict our planet.

My auspices indicated the xenos were moving quickly to the location of the pods, and I hastened my efforts to intercept them.

Race for the Pods

The Skitarri squad commanded by Alpha Zhu Ω5-Decarote advanced quickly into the hab block in a race for the data-storage pods.

A comparison of our estimated times of arrival (ETAs) indicated that my Skitarii contingent could not outrun the xenos to the site. They were simply much closer to the pods.

Yet one option offered hope. Escorting my Skitarii as a support unit was Sicarin Infiltrator I-2v2z0d, whose augmentations allowed a higher rate of movement and combat effectiveness than my Skitarii.

Thus I ordered the Infiltrator to make haste to the site of the nearest pod. I-2v2z0d was up to the challenge and raced ahead at 29.87 kilometers per hour, quickly leaving the rest of my command behind. Within 28 seconds, he disappeared into an enclosure that appeared to be the former residence of a wealthy manufactorum official.

Thirty seconds later, I ordered one fire team of four Skitarri to break away from the squad and turn left into an alley that led to the crash site of a second pod. The rest of my Skitarii formed a second fire team and followed me as we hurried to the enclosure entered by the Infiltrator.

[Although irrelevant, I must note for the record that one Skitarii in the rear of my squad—falling behind because of a malfunctioning leg— was attacked by a sand worm. I left the soldier to deal with the threat on his own, but in his damaged state, it took him some time to defeat the 1.3-meter-long arachnid, and he played no significant role in this fight.]

The augmentations of I-2v2z0d were critical in the retrieval of the first storage pod. Not only did the Infiltrator beat the Necrons to the target, he was able to dodge heavy xeno fire and leap from an upper level to the ground below, avoiding enemy xenos that entered the facility and threatened to block his escape.

Necron Resistance

Tapping into the Infiltrator’s optic system, I observed I-2v2z0d enter the courtyard of the residence, review his auspice, and determine the pod had crashed into the southwest corner of the building—and had come to rest in a Level 2 chamber marked by a blue dome.

As Mechanicus troops entered the hab block, the trailing Skitarii was attacked by sizable sand scorpion.

The Infiltrator immediately headed to the target, climbing an exterior set of stairs and coming under fire from Necrons deployed to the south of the building. Despite several near-misses, I-2v2z0d managed to reach the pod and secure it.

Meanwhile, my first fire team traversed the length of the alley and came upon a sizable open area, one that appeared to serve as a “central market,” a distribution center of food and consumer goods for the fabricate’s menial class.

A small crater, approximately 20.49 meters away, revealed the crash site of the second pod. Unfortunately, to the detriment of any easy retrieval, the Necrons also were approaching the location.

An elite cyborg [Classification: Lychguard] was climbing an exterior set of stairs that would allow it to descend quickly into the crater. Two Necron warriors were assuming firing positions nearby, and more xenos could be seen on a second-floor balcony with a clear line of fire to the crater.

Click here to read the conclusion of this battle report.

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The Corvus Cluster is a Warhammer 40K blog documenting our gaming adventures in the fantastical sci-fi universe of Games Workshop.