With civilian evacuation ships landed at Station Shelldrake's secondary landing pad, a surveillance skull spotted a massing of tyranids due south of the main field.
Massing tyranids, due south of the main Shelldrake landing field
Determined to buy time to protect the evacuation, and distract the tyranids from the civilian ships now being loaded, The Black Templars established a strong defencive position on the main field, openly manoeuvring a razorback and a skimmer into place.
Behind the Black Templar defencive line.
With the tyranids still gathering under cover of spike-bushes in a shallow valley, the Black Templars, having learnt lessons from previous encounters, opened fire with heavy ordinance. Many genestealers were destroyed in this opening salvo.
Tyranids sheltering after Black Templar missile salvo.
As the dust settled the surviving genestealers, led by a broodlord, broke cover. At the same moment gaunts, armed with fleshborers, swarmed over a low ridge, and surged forwards. The skimmer engaged the gaunts, and slowed, but failed to stop, their advance.
Tyranids charge for the Black Templar lines.
The lictor emerges...
As it seemed that the tyranid advance might be stopped short of the defencive line, a lictor emerged from concealment, close to the barricade, and tore into the closest templar unit, the Swords of St Clair - veterans of the taking of the Longsight Facilty. The Swords held their ground, engaging the lictor fearlessly in hand to hand combat, holding it on the far side of the defences.
Genestealers and broodlord assault the barricades.
As the lictor pressed the attack, savaging the Swords, the remaining genestealers and broodlord battered the tac squad 'Eastward Crusaders', which took heavy casualties. For a brief moment the defence line wavered, but the 'Swords' brought down the lictor, even in the face of further casualties. The 'Eastward's' flamethrower incinerated the broodlord, and the Emperor's Champion leaped onto the defences, felling a genestealer. The tyranid assault broke, and the remaining creatures fled the field. In the distance three columns of vapour rose skyward as, loaded at last, the evacuation ships lifted off, leaving only a volunteer civilian team to assist the Templars.
The main field is too far from the principal structures of Station Shelldrake for prolonged defence, and with the evacuation complete, the Templar's abandoned their positions, retreating back towards the secondary field and the control bunker.
Three brothers fell in this battle, and will be commemorated by their order for all eternity. They gave their lives to protect the civilians now lifted to safety. May the Emperor bless their sacrifice.
