Patrol Mission Report by Kenneth Pant

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I can not take credit for the name. This site was named by Aaron Cains.

We played a 1,500 pts modified Patrol Mission last night. We used the
targeting rules for night fighting and since we were playing on an urban
board, any units inside of a building that did not move or fire could
count as hidden. Hidden units could only be targeted if an enemy unit
came within 12" of them and passed an Initiative check. Once detected,
units could not "hide" again.

I selected a Sisters squad as my Patrol unit.

Sororitas Squad- 160 points
        Veteran Sister Superior w/ power weapon
        6 Sororitas w/ heavy flamer, meltagun
        Rhino

We deployed using the long table edges, I place first and put my Rhino
just left of center on the board. Set to follow an alley way that led
to the large Central Park at the Battlefields center. My opponent
deployed a Wave Serpent of to my right, beyond the park and out of view
because of the buildings in the way. I lost the roll to see who goes
first, and my opponents Wave Serpent jumped forward and angled itself so
as to be able to take any unit crossing the "Central Park" under
enfilading fire.

"Sister Superior Clariss strained her ears to listen over the dull roar
of the Rhino's engines. She could hear the distinct hiss of an Alien
grav-tank's engines, somewhere up ahead and to the right. She spoke
into the communicator and relayed the contact to her Superiors. Praying
to the Emperor that her fellow Battle Sisters weren't too long in
coming. There attacks had become eye blink quick and extremely brutal
as of late. Not a promising thought as they had come to the limit of
their patrol route and were far from the main force.

Not wanting to draw any undo attention to their position, she had the
driver pull in behind a semi intact building across from the open ground
ahead and kill the engines. The squad advanced into the building while
the driver took silent vigilance behind the trigger of her Rhino's
stormbolter. The first floor view of the open ground was negligible and
gave no fields of fire, so Clariss ordered the squad up to the second
floor. Here they spread out, each taking a window. No word had come
from the other Battle Sisters, for now, they were on their own.

Clariss could see two more Alien transports that had come up to the edge
of the Park across from her squads position. They sat with turrets
silently scanning the ruined landscape, she bid her squad keep silent
and not to fire, so as to avoid detection. Still no word came from Head
Quarters as to the arrival of reinforcements.

With a high pitched roar a squad of small Alien hover bikes sped across
the park. Coming straight for them! The two transports also moved out,
still covered by the third lurking off to the right. She began to
softly speak the Sacred Rites of Battle, leading her fellow Sororitas in
the chant. Simultaneously they readied their weapons to bring the
Emperors Righteous Fury upon their foes. They waited as the Aliens
rapidly crossed the park. Still no word from Head Quarters.

The squad of Bikes vied with the lead Alien transport for entrance to
the alley on the building left. Clariss new that it was only moments
before they detected the Rhino positioned behind the building. Moments
more before their sensors would pin-point her squads position in the
building. Still chanting the Sacred Rite of Battle, Clariss rose up and
fired with her bolt pistol at the bikes speeding along the alley below.

The whole squad opened up as one. The effect their bolters might of had
were lost amidst the roar and blazing heat of Sister Megan's heavy
flamer and Sister Janis's meltagun. Seared by the flames, two of the
riders fell from their bikes as they tumbled and crashed in the alley.
A third exploded as Sister Janis scored a direct hit with her meltagun.
Clariss quickly directed her squad to now target the Alien transport
before the Warriors inside could disembark.

As the squad of bikes raced past the Rhino to escape kill zone. The
transport swung around and opened fire as the Warriors inside rushed
out. Each of the dark blue armored warriors lending their weapons
weight to that of their transports cannon. Shrill screams echoed in the
darkness as the second transport disembarked its troops and added its
cannon to the fusillade.

Janis and two others went down, pierced by the thousands of projectiles
that silently cut through the stone of the building. Clariss knew that
they were truly blessed by the Emperor to survive. Determined not to
lie down and die under the fire, Clariss led the rest of her squad in
leaping to the windows to do what damage they could. At such close
quarters, the heavy flamer did deadly work on the blue armored
warriors. Clariss herself shot the only one who had escaped the flames
in the tight quarters of the alley.

The rest of her squad ducked once again under the cover of the walls,
reloading quickly, whilst they continued to Pray. But Clariss walked
quietly towards the stair well, undeterred as shots rang against her
armor. The fusillade felling two more of her squad. She was mesmerized
as the shill screams echoed up the stairs. She had heard those cries
once before, and was paralyzed by her fear of what lay below. Evarra,
the last of her squad, joined her in waiting at the top of the steps.
Both now unable to pray as the Alien demons below drew ever closer.

The fusillade continued as an alien projectile cut the skin of her
cheek, the room was virtually disintegrating under the hail of fire.
Still they waited. Their doom was upon them in heartbeats. Bursting
from the stairwell in flashing blades and dancing ribbons. Confined as
they were, only a few were able to clear the door. Evarra blocked one
sword strike with her bolter, it was cut in two. But the second and
third stroke imparted the same fate upon her body.

Clariss reeled under the speed and ferocity of the blows, her own blade
barely able to parry them aside. The Emperor was with her, guiding her,
instilling her with His Divine Blessing as her blade cut down hers and
Evarra's attackers. She rushed those in the stairwell, and with furious
blows cut down another. She screamed back at the Aliens, and they fled
before the Emperors light within her.

Later, when Canoness Sarahce came to the building and witnessed the
debris of the Alien bikes, the corpses of the Aliens charred and dead in
the alley, and those sundered and broken inside. She marveled at how
the building seemed to have half disintegrated under the weight of fire
that had been brought to bear against it. The squads Rhino was riddled
with holes and smoking. How anything had lived at all she did not
know.

She was saddened by the loss of her righteous Sororitas, but inspired by
the example of their Veteran Sister Superior. Clariss had somehow
driven the Aliens off, they had fled the building and enigmatically
disappeared. Leaving only the debris of battle to mark their presence.
Canoness Sarahce gave thanks to the Emperor for His Miracles. Then she
pinned one of her own purity seals, a mark of His Greatness, just above
Sister superior Clariss's heart. So all might see Clariss's purity, now
that the Emperor had worked a Miracle through her."

Inspired by the lone squad that fought this battle. I failed to bring
on a single unit from my reserves by the end of turn five when the
battle ended on a random game length roll. Although the situation was
hopeless, I had only one fig left on the board, my one squad had more
than doubled their worth in victory points.

Thank the Emperor for His Miracles and Cover Saves

Ken Pant