Ullanor Prime - Mek Boss Fortress

Maximus raises his weapons and shouts into the Vox [b]“For the Imperium”[/b] while standing his ground against the massive looted Titan. The War Hound repaired with junk and scrap metal, armor plates crudely welded into place. In place of its right arm the Orks had managed to affix a monstrous axe with the husk of a tank hanging by chains from the rear. Its left arm holds a plasma cannon that seems largely undamaged but still has the hallmarks of Orky “Improvement.” A faint haze around the titan belied that the void shield generators where still functioning at some level, what the Orks had done to make them work is anyone’s guess. 

Maximus fired his own plasma cannon at the titan which was greeted by the void shield rippling like water at the detonation and sending off a cascade of colorful sparks and arcs of electricity. Other knights and Astartes on the walls began to fire at the titan with largely the same effect, but its shields held. The titan took a step toward the advancing legion but it was shaky, one of its legs had been seriously damaged and the Orks had barely gotten it to work. Gear’ead Da Lootah began shouting, but Maximus was too far away to hear anything over the sound of warfare. In reply to the fire from the Paladins Eternal, the Ork titan raised its plasma cannon and pointed it at Maximus and his bodyguard. Lucius Otho and Junis Brutus of his honor guard see this and move to stand between Maximus and the plasma cannon, this would have been futile against such a devastating weapon but the Orky “Improvements” backfire. Several explosions detonate across the weapon with plasma fire bursting out from the barrel and holes created. 

Magnus opens a vox channel, [b]“My Caesar, tank squadrons are coming from all over the fortress to halt our advance, others have left through the outer gates and are coming to entrap us.”[/b] Maximus brings up a battle map on his HUD, confirming Magnus’ report. The knights becoming thin as the charge spread out into the interior of the fortress. Maximus opens a vox channel to his Cohort Generals, [b]“Fall Ba-“[/b]

Marcus Furius screams [b]“Charge!”[/b] into the vox, drowning out Maximus’ orders. He looks over and sees Marcus and ten knights of the Bloody Tenth charging into range of the Ork Titan. Their battle cannons beating uselessly against the void shield. The titan turns to meet their advance swinging its axe low and cleaving a knight in two in one motion, the knight’s ion shields doing nothing to slow the axe. Domitius Marsus, with knights from the 1st Cohort follow Marcus but keep plenty of distance. Maximus Shouts again into the vox [b]"Fall Back! We can bring it down from afar!"[/b] but the knights fighting the titan do not disengage. Their weapons hammering against the void shield with blasts of plasma, streams from Meltas, and torrents of bolter fire. The assault breaks the first shield in a shower of random warp energy but the protection remains. Marcus and his knights try to hack through the shield with their mighty chainswords while weathering devastating fire from tanks and Ork Infantry. 

A few knights are felled by the wicked axe of the titan and still more are brought down by the vehicular onslaught. The last void shield drops under the combined might of Maximus, his honor guard and Domitius. Their attention is diverted from the titan to the ever growing horde of tanks and assault vehicles leaving Marcus to duel the titan alone. He dodges the massive but slow swinging axe cutting at the titan damaging its legs or body but having little effect. Gear’Ead screams at the defiant knight while swinging the axe, poised to take off the knight’s head. Marcus ducks under the swing just low enough not to be beheaded but the axe still claiming his war banner. He steps in and behind, jamming his chain sword into the titans back, right into to void shield generators causing them to overload with a satisfying blast. The titan stumbles, Marcus cheers as though he had won but the titan lashes out with a kick knocking Marcus to the ground.  On his back Marcus helplessly fires his battle cannon while it rears its axe to finish him off. One of the shots from the battle cannon strikes the Mek Boss standing on the titans head, leaving little more than a greasy scorch mark on the titan’s armor. 

With the Mek boss dead the machine grinds to a halt once again becoming a useless hulk on the battlefield. The sight of the titan ceasing to move terrifies many of the orks, some of whom flee the battle in any way they can, some even through the imperial lines. Most of the orks however stand their ground and fight, drawing the battle into a long and slow extermination but after several hours the Paladins Eternal claim the fortress and raise imperial banners displaying their victory.

Ullanor Prime – 2 hours after victory – Command station
Inside the ring of Rhino transports the Cohort leaders and Imperial army general celebrate their victory with wine and chanting of Marcus, the Titan Slayer. The group seems not to notice the absence of Maximus in their revelries. He stands with a small group of apothecaries and an imperial army captain away from the others. [b]“2nd Cohort, how did yours fair?”[/b] asks Maximus. “Two knights slain, and 153 marines lay slain my Caesar.” Maximus nods noting the figures in a small book and continuing, [b]“The Tenth?”[/b] at the question the apothecary becomes visibly uncomfortable [b]“18 Knights slain and 420 marines lay slain my Caesar”[/b] Maximus stops writing, heavy marine casualties where expected but the knights rarely receive so many casualties. [b]“How many from the titan?”[/b] asks Maximus his voice quiet but hard as stone. The apothecary stares down at his boots, while he answers [b]“10, my Lord”[/b]
Maximus straightens himself from writing and stands over the table furious at the numbers, he looks up at the Imperial Army captain. A small woman that couldn’t have been younger than 20 but a hardened veteran none the less, and asks her what news she had. [b]“800 soldiers killed, 5500 rescued from the slave pens. Some of them are crippled and will probably never hold a weapon again”[/b] Maximus nods and waves the group away, he had to have a word with his captain.

Maximus marches expressionless into the cheering generals straight towards Marcus Furius. He reaches out and grasps the general by the throat lifting him to eye level. [b]“Marcus Furius, I gave the order to fall back!”[/b] Maximus shouts, immediately silencing the other generals who look nervously at what is happening.
Marcus struggles for air as Maximus says to him, [b]“you threw your men away needlessly, you disobeyed my orders, and what do you have to say for yourself!”[/b]
Marcus chokes out a few words, [b]“I killed the Ti-“[/b] but Maximus tightens his grip silencing him.
“At what cost! 10 Knights are dead because of your recklessness!”[/b] he throws Marcus to the ground and turns on Domitius who had followed Marcus into the fight with the titan but does not address him specifically. [b]“We do not fight as solitary heroes, we fight as one. For alone we fail.”[/b] Maximus turns back to Marcus as he pulls himself from the ground. [b]“Do not disappoint me again Marcus.”[/b]

Maximus turns and leaves the group again to find the command Vox, perhaps he should find out what is going on in the rest of the system.