Eccentric ork attack on Haven thwarted by Dark Angels

The ongoing conflict on Haven had been largely overshadowed by the mounting Tyranid threat in the Rifts of Hecate, leaving the Imperial forces under General Maximus to assume that the Orks posed no immediate danger. This assumption was grounded in reports from Imperial intelligence, which suggested that the greenskins were not preparing for any major offensive. However, signs of increased activity in Ork-held territories, particularly experiments with new weaponry, hinted at the unpredictable nature of their war machine.

Ork Tinkering and the Emergence of Squig Bombs

By late 11.024M42, scattered reconnaissance and intercepted vox chatter indicated that the Orks were testing unstable and highly volatile explosive devices. These weapons, crudely constructed but devastatingly effective, appeared to be undergoing rapid development. Disturbingly, it became clear that the Orks were combining these explosives with their infamous “squigs,” creating suicidal living bombs that could unleash chaos on a battlefield.

While General Maximus focused his attention on the Tyranids at Heloris Majoris, the Dark Angels Chapter took decisive action to address this looming threat. On 2311.024M42, they launched a surgical strike deep into Ork-held territory on Haven, aiming to destroy the greenskins’ workshops and eliminate as many Orks as possible to forestall a potential assault.

The Dark Angels’ Assault

The Dark Angels descended upon the Ork lines with their characteristic precision, striking at dawn with tactical squads and supporting elements of the Ravenwing. Their initial assault targeted the heart of the Ork encampment, where crude workshops belched smoke and the unmistakable sounds of squig pens mingled with the booming echoes of detonations.

The Orks, caught off guard but never unwilling to fight, rallied in response, and a chaotic battle unfolded. The greenskins unleashed their new squig bombs in an attempt to counter the disciplined Astartes. These living explosives, crudely strapped with volatile charges, scuttled wildly across the battlefield, detonating at random and causing havoc among both Ork and Dark Angel lines.

Despite the unpredictable and destructive nature of these weapons, the Dark Angels maintained their discipline. Tactical marines formed tight firing lines, cutting down the charging squigs before they could reach their targets. Meanwhile, the Ravenwing outflanked the Orks, targeting key workshops with precision strikes and setting their crude structures ablaze.

The Aftermath

After hours of fierce combat, the Orks were forced to retreat, abandoning their experimental arsenal and fleeing into the surrounding wilderness. The Dark Angels systematically destroyed the remaining squig pens, explosive caches, and workshops, ensuring that the greenskins’ new weapons would not pose a threat in the near future.

The raid was a significant victory for the Imperium on Haven, as the Orks’ nascent offensive capability was decisively curtailed. However, the battle also underscored the relentless ingenuity of the greenskins, whose ability to improvise new and unpredictable weapons continued to challenge Imperial forces across the sector.