Lunar Infestation

With ground operations on Talanis III mostly complete, planning for future expeditions was well underway when coded signals were detected in the system. These signals were found to originate from a ruined mining base on the pole of Talanis’ second moon. A force was deployed to investigate and shut down the signals.

Once on the moon, the landing force discovered that while the mining facility had likely been inoperable for decades, several large hab blocks were intact and their atmospheric domes had not been breached. A barrage of Dark Reaper missiles destroyed the comms tower from where the signals were emanating, but the Autarch decided to investigate the hab blocks in case the signals had not been sent by automata.

Moving across the eerily silent cityscape under the domes the Ulthwé force initially detected no activity. Then large groups of humanoid figures could be seen moving in the distance, and loud engine roars rang out as two rugged mining trucks rumbled through concealing barricades. The trucks looked ancient and run down, with heavy weapons crudely welded to their hulls. The Autarch gave a mental command to the two walkers, and both trucks detonated in fireballs, cut through by gleaming Bright Lance beams.

With both vehicles smoking wrecks, the Aeldari force moved forward in line formation to secure the ground and destroy any comms nodes. Without warning countless armed humanoids emerged from boltholes, tunnels, crevices and alleyways, both in front of and behind the Craftworld forces. An entire unit of Black Guardians holding the rear was wiped out with crude laser weapons and flamers, and other Aeldari units were forced to seek cover as they were under attack from all directions.

Armed humanoids emerge from underground to attack the Ulthwé backline

This was a battle that could quickly entrap and engulf the Aeldari as there seemed to be no end to the forces emerging from underground. They were crudely armed and barely had any armour, a very badly equipped militia of sorts. However, each huge group seemed to be commanded by a leader who made sure to stay out of sight as much as possible.

The Autarch directed his forces to finish destroying any communication nodes before an orderly withdrawal could be executed. Buying time for this, the Wraithlord crashed into a group of enemies, scything down dozens of them with swings of its large blade, but still they kept coming.

The Ancient Walker scythes down the teeming horde

The Ulthwé force disengaged as soon as the mission objectives were completed. The hab domes would be cracked out from orbit as there was no point risking additional Craftworld lives in close combat with the teeming hordes when they could simply be deprived of oxygen. Lamentably, the furious fight did mean that decoding the now-silenced signal had proven impossible.

++++++ Final Result: Ulthwé 64 Genestealer Cults 12 +++++