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1950

"Well shot," Khan commented softly into the silence, the barest edge of tension in his voice as they awaited the orks responce.

1951-1955

The ork in blue stared dumbfounded as his now headless opponent slumped over and fell to the ground, his neck spurting thick tarry blood where his skull used to be attached. Silence fell around the ring of observers until the headless body landed with a dull thump. In an instant the circle erupted in loud hollering and screaming as the orks began to accuse one another of foul play. In seconds weapons were drawn and threats made. In not even ten the first axe was swung, the first slugga fired, and the mob went wild. A brawl began to develop around the fires as all three tribes of orks represented began to fight one another, more or less. Being orks they weren't terribly particular about who they were attacking.

Like fire in promethium the brawl spread through the orks in the camp. Some didn't even seem to realize what was going on, only swinging on the nearest creature purely out of habit. The tent city saw orks piling out of it like ants from an ant hill and in moments it was engulfed as well.

Orks in the southern end of the fortress looked on in interest and a few ran off to join the scrum but the nobz seemed to keep their boyz under some control. On the walls a few orks were watching the brawl and a few were joining in. One enterprising gretchin crew even swung their ballista around and lobbed a bolt into the crowd, putting the spear sized arrow through the skull of a nob of their own clan.

Of the ork who had been slain by the Space Wolf's shot? A mob of gretchin had started to pull him out of the ring even before the fighting stopped and were doggedly dragging the corpse towards an oddly machinery festooned building to the south east.

1955

"Brothers, we have our distraction." Hati commented, quite pleased at the carnage that was being wrought at the expense of but a single round.

1955

"We should move quickly, we don't want the warbosses to have a chance to get their charges back in line," Antonia said.

1955

"Right," Zirk said simply. "Wolf, we should go set our trap. See if you can keep quiet and out of sight on our way to the gate-path." With that, he began to stalk off quickly through the trees under the wall.

1955

"For the rest of us, the elevator?" Mithras asked.

1955 - 1961

"We're off," Zirk said unceremoniously. "If we're made before we hit the valley floor, I'll send the signal 'cover' - in that case, I'll drop the Wolf and try to draw any sentries further off... the rest of you should wait a second to see if the boyz by the elevator follow them, and then use that time to hit the interior."

Striding to the edge of the cliff, he turned to Hati and added, "It's gonna be bumpy. I'm only going to use the jets to brake our descent." He looked around and continued, "There's no cover on the way down - pray to Corax that we don't get spotted." With that, he grabbed the Space Wolf in a stretched-out fireman's carry and leapt from the edge. Halfway down, he fired his jump pack intermittently. Finally they hit near a treeline - hard enough to kill a mortal, but soft enough for an Astartes to hit the ground running, and they headed under the tree canopy toward the causeway.

Reaching the base of the causeway's rampart, Zirk grabbed Hati again and without a word fired his jets. The pair rose swiftly to the roadside, and Zirk deposited the Space Wolf and appraised the area quickly. "There," he said quietly, pointing with one gauntleted finger. "Any mass influx will be channeled at its narrowest point right there." Under Hati's watchful cover, Zirk dashed out towards the overcrop he had indicated and swiftly fixed a demo charge and pressure trigger at a structurally weak point. Running low back towards Hati, he said, "One clean shot will trigger it, and the entire causeway will be choked. Can you hit that?"

Cyrus, seeing the path clear. Rushed out of his cover and made his way to the elevator. Stopping for a second to see if anyone fired on him. "All clear!" Leaning on the inside of the elevator, Cyrus took up a defensive position. His heavy bolter scanning for targets. "Its to easy..."

Khan carefully followed after Cyrus, giving the elevator a skeptical glance. "Agreed," he replied to Cyrus's comment. "It's like the orks aren't even trying."

1960

Antonia gestured towards the elevator. "Our chariot awaits."

Mithras carefully stepped into the cage, testing its ability to hold them. "If it can hold a load of nobs it should support us. We'll have to take any sentries at the bottom quickly and as silently as we can."

1961

The black-armored figure dropped quietly off the side of the causeway, free-falling less than two meters away from the rock face. At the last minute, the jets on Zirk's back fired, braking his descent then propelling him just behind the tree line on the valley floor. Corax was with him this time as he managed to keep out of line-of-sight from the keep walls.

"Inquisitor, this is Zirk," voxed the Raven Guard gruffly. "Package deployed, Wolf is in position. I'm inbound to you, ETA approximately 55 seconds. Come back in 35 seconds to relay your location."

1961

Mithras gestured towards the remaining marines to join them in the elevator. Sized for orks it easily held the four marines and Inquisitor. Intias reached over and tapped the bell producing a loud and off key ringing. The elevator shuddered as it started down, the uneven pulley system and questionable engineering of the lifting mechanism left the ride surging and dropping all the way to the bottom.

1961 - 1965

The elevator creaked and wobbled its way down the tower towards ground level. Antonia and Mithras tried to look over the edge to see if they could spot anything but the tower itself concealed their destination. Rather than risk detection Antonia ducked back into the car and Mithras followed suit. "Meet us at the base of the elevator in 30 seconds," Antonia broadcast with her vox. "No bolters, we must make this as silent as possible, swords or axes only." She drew her own power sword and thumbed it to activation. Beside her Mithras slung his heavy bolter over his shoulder and drew his shield and sword.

"Kill the big one's first, save the gretchin for last," Mithras said. This was far from the first time he'd fought orks.

Twenty seconds later the elevator bumped down on the ground and the wooden gate swung open.

1962 - "Copy that," Zirk voxed curtly. "Save a meaty one for me."

"Confirmed, going for silence." Cyrus said as he slung his heavy bolter and detached his greatsword from its bayonet's position. "I shall cleave them for the Emperor." Thumbed the power stud on his left arm, Cyrus brought to life his combat shield. Looking down at Antonia with a evil grin hidden by his helm, he drew his grenade launcher. "Just in case little one, just in case." Cyrus let out a low volume and even lower pitched laugh.