Platoon Command Squad – Commander Hyatt
2 Heavy Bolter Heavy Weapon Squads, 1 Lascannon Heavy Weapon Squad
Basilisk, 2 Leman Russ Battle Tanks, Chimera
3 Infantry Platoons – 180 Guardsmen
Storm Troopers, Spotter Squad

“Commander, an unidentified object has crashed into the sector north of the Northern River.”
Commander Hyatt, a junior platoon commander, rushed over to the communication officer’s console. “Any visual contact?”
“A few scrambled images, the surveillance station of the sector was badly damaged during the impact, but it did manage to transmit some information.” The officer brought up some monotone images with a few outlines of unknown creatures.
After a few moments, the commander’s heart sank. “Tyranids.”

The commander stood before a room filled with infantry sergeants, artillery coordinators, tank commanders and higher ranking storm troopers.
“Less than one hour ago, a Tyranid scout force landed in the northern sector 003. We’re lucky it’s not a full invasion force, but even in small numbers these xenos are a deadly opposition.”
A slide displaying an aerial photograph of a canyon was revealed on the projector screen, to which all military personnel in the room began to analyse.
“We need to hold the Tyranids at Randovx, a defensible position with cliffs overwatching a steep slope rising from north to south. We are currently setting up bunker networks and barricades at these locations.”
A new slide popped displaying the same aerial photograph, but this time with the addition of plans, arrows and rough scribbles of information in different colours standing out prominently in key locations.
“This will be our deployment effective tomorrow morning at 0400.”
The commander allowed time for the soldiers in the room to take notes on where their regiments, squads and vehicles will be positioned. “Questions?”
“Sir,” A tank commander spoke out. “When can reinforcements arrive?”
“We have an ETA of 160 hours for a squad of Ultramarine Adeptus Astartes to arrive.”
The tank commander nodded, then a storm trooper sergeant rose from his seat. “Sir, do we have intel on the composition of the Tyranid force?”
“Judging by thermal scans, mostly light infantry. Though a single larger heat signature has been detected, most likely a carnifex.”
The soldiers murmured for a second before the commander resumed.
“If there are no more questions, the briefing is adjourned. Be ready by 0400.”

• Note in the image, the yellow lines are contour lines, the black lines represent the cliffs, and the small gaps between the central bunker and the cliff lines are the eastern and western passages

The Guard forces awoke at 0300 to depart the capital city of Solenhelm. By 0400 they were fully deployed according to plan.
Hyatt switch his comms unit to all frequencies. “All units, prepare for incoming Tyranid forces. They’ll be emerging from over the hill to the north. Do not open fire until the first wave crosses the river. Then fire at will.”
He began to change his frequency to a number of different channels, issuing last minute orders. “Lascannon heavy weapon squad, target those larger Tyranids, prioritize closest. Heavy bolters, sweep across the first wave of Tyranids. We need them supressed to cease their advance. Spotters, target large concentrations of heavy infantry, direct the basilisk crews. Basilisks, we need your response time to be on point, firing rounds within 10 seconds of receiving coordinates. Guardsmen, stick to the bunkers. Stay with your squad and coordinate to focus fire individual Tyranids. Leman Russ crews, hold your ground on the east and west openings. Use long range fire to target Tyranids descending the northern hill. Storm Troopers, hold the back line, if any Tyranids break through into the bunkers, you need to clear them out.”
He switched back to all frequencies. “Alright, this is it. Prepare yourself guardsmen. For the Emperor!”

11:02pm
Today was one of the most horrific events that I have ever been a part of. The Tyranid xenos pushed forward with ferocious brutality, not even flinching when one of their own fell lifeless by their side to the muddied soil they fight to claim. It is unfortunate that mankind is not as strong in resolve as these beasts. Where a guardsman fell, his flesh being terrorized by the Tyranid bio-ammunition, his body being torn apart from the inside by the organisms fired from Tyranid weapons, others would look on in horror.
On more than one occasion, field medics were dispatched only to pick up the soldier’s own lasgun, mutter “I’m sorry.”, and fire two rounds; one through the guardsman’s head, and the other through the organism inside him.
I stand by my judgement as a horrific day, but it was not a defeat. In fact, far from it. The crossfire from the ridges to the east and west proved too great for the Tyranids, and we consider it a victory to have the Tyranid advance halted beyond the hills to the north. It is a small victory, but we can breathe a substantial sigh of relief.
The assault has died down now, presumably the Tyranids have realised that sheer numbers is not enough to demolish our defence. There is an uneasy calm set about the battle scape, and the troops are on shifts to receive some well-earned rest. The bellowing booms of our Basilisk continues at a steady pace, sweeping the region north of the hills with shell after shell of ordinance rounds.
Everyone’s greatest fear now is in what lies beyond the grassy walls to the north.

Solenstelm 1st Company
Platoon Command Squad – Commander Hyatt
2 Heavy Bolter Heavy Weapon Squads, 1 Lascannon Heavy Weapon Squad
Basilisk, 2 Leman Russ Battle Tanks, Chimera
3 Infantry Platoons – 148 Guardsmen
10 Storm Troopers, Spotter Squad

11:09pm
Another horrific day. More of our own men met their fate at the end of an allied medic’s rifle. Most of our casualties come from the central bunker, and I have taken steps to mitigate this damage. This includes reinforcing the forward blast walls in the central bunker, fixing armour plates to the front of sandbag barriers in damaged/open areas of the defence line, and ordering troops in this bunker to minimise light pollution emerging from the bunker to reduce the chances of Tyranid ranged units getting a clear shot.
The Tyranids pushed further today than they did yesterday, attacking in structured formations instead of massed assault. From what I could tell, they devised a number of stratagems to counter the solid deployment of our troops, but to no avail. I have no doubt that they will return tomorrow with even deadlier tactics.
I have instructed a team of bio-engineers to study and research the bio-ammunition the Tyranids are using. I hope to find a weakness or a substance to kill these organisms. If not the Tyranids themselves, this information can be useful to reduce the harm caused by these small creatures, or “flesh borers” as they have come to be known.
I was beginning to worry that the storm troopers were losing inspiration to keep in the fight, so I sent them in for the task of clearing the northern cliff face of Tyranids attempting to climb the rocky face in the later hours of the day. I hope they realise that their role in the back line is crucial to maintaining our defence.
Our spotters have caught glimpses of something large over the hilly runs, but were unable to make out any details. Something big is on its way.

Solenstelm 1st Company
Platoon Command Squad – Commander Hyatt
2 Heavy Bolter Heavy Weapon Squads, 1 Lascannon Heavy Weapon Squad
Basilisk, 2 Leman Russ Battle Tanks, Chimera
3 Infantry Platoons – 122 Guardsmen
10 Storm Troopers, Spotter Squad

11:57pm
I apologize in advance for I must be brief.
Tyranid genestealers have infiltrated the eastern bunker. The guardsmen that have survived have barricaded themselves in the northern wing. They are trapped. There is no communication with the infantry within.
I am about to join the storm troopers in a counter-assault to reclaim the tunnels of the bunker. It will be no easy task, and I can think of nothing more fearful or challenging.
The research team continues at a rapid pace. We have found a promising lead that seems to irritate the Tyranid biological makeup if nothing else. We are trying to make it more potent.
My prayers lie with the men and women facing the nightmarish foe to the east.

Solenstelm 1st Company
Platoon Command Squad – Commander Hyatt
2 Heavy Bolter Heavy Weapon Squads [1 unconfirmed], 1 Lascannon Heavy Weapon Squad
Basilisk, 2 Leman Russ Battle Tanks, Chimera
3 Infantry Platoons – 90+ Guardsmen [20 approx. unconfirmed]
10 Storm Troopers, Spotter Squad [unconfirmed]

09:33pm
Not a lot of Tyranid contact today, which was surprising to say the least. A few officers suspect that they were crippled by the loss of their genestealer brood. I would be inclined to agree, as the strength and ferocity of those genestealers will be a huge loss when they fight future engagements.
Speaking of those genestealers, last night, and through to the early hours of this morning, I fought alongside my storm trooper brothers in a bloody mission. Ten storm troopers entered those dark tunnels, only four emerged. Not even I emerged unscathed.
I led the storm troopers through the ferrocrete entrance into the pitch black depths of the eastern bunker, ordering the guardsmen remaining behind to barricade the entrance after us and, if they receive no word from us after the hour, to detonate the explosives set into the bunker’s structure. I would rather dead genestealers than trapped ones.
Our initial advance into the bunker proved quite successful. The genestealer forces were likely not suspecting a flanking force, and we tore through roughly half of their force within fifteen minutes. The genestealers quickly regrouped, ceasing their assault on the trapped guardsmen to deal with us, the greater threat.
With our squad’s first loss, I was concerned for the integrity of the trooper’s morale, but not once did I see a tremor of cowardice or a chance of breaking in their eyes.
Every story told of the terror of tyranid genestealers is true. Without mercy and without hesitation, they are the single greatest horror I have ever encountered.
It took us another 30 minutes to navigate through the seemingly endless maze of tunnels, encountering many a dead end thanks to collapsed structures, or having to double back when we ran into the genestealer force. With our superior tactics and unyielding resolve, we pushed the remaining genestealers back, pinning them between our squad of troopers and the surviving forces in the north of the bunker, of which had emerged to join the fight.
Storm Trooper sergeant Vaxx decapitated the final monster with a swing of his power sword, but not before the beast lashed out with its razor sharp talons and removed my left arm from my body. We informed the guardsmen at the entrance that the threat was neutralized and issued the order to re-enter the bunker to resume the fight. Only a handful of the trapped guardsmen however survived the guerrilla assault, and one of our heavy bolter teams was destroyed.
Surgeons equipped me with a mechanical arm, which feels ten times as strong as the other, and we wait for what else the Tyranid scourge has to throw at us.

Solenstelm 1st Company
Platoon Command Squad – Commander Hyatt
1 Heavy Bolter Heavy Weapon Squads, 1 Lascannon Heavy Weapon Squad
Basilisk, 2 Leman Russ Battle Tanks, Chimera
3 Infantry Platoons – 61 Guardsmen
4 Storm Troopers, Spotter Squad

01:24am
The Tyranid assault continued long into the night, and is continuing even now. With our troops, myself included, having been engaged in exhausting combat the entire day, it was only a matter of time before we let some of the Tyranids puncture our defences.
A wave of gaunts managed to overwhelm the western passage, incapacitating the Leman Russ stationed there and a squad of guardsmen along with it. A barrage of danger close Basilisk fire cut off the tyranid reinforcements, preventing further Tyranids from reaching our ranks. The combined efforts of the remaining storm troopers and the central guardsmen platoon managed to purge the threat with minimal casualties.
If we don’t end this conflict soon however, I fear that attacks like this will become a regular occurrence.
We have arranged the chimera and the destroyed Leman Russ to act as a blockade, sealing the western passage. We drained the fuel from both and allocated it to the remaining battle tank and Basilisk. The multi-las turret of the chimera and one side sponson heavy bolter of the tank are still operable, and will aid in the defence of the western slopes.
Overall, ammunition is beginning to thin. Guardsmen have been instructed to conserve ammunition, using semi-automatic fire only and calling their targets so as not to have two guardsmen fire on the same target. Lascannon ammunition is currently around 25 charge packs, and with a lurking carnifex over the hills to the north, the lascannon team has been ordered to cease fire until it emerges.
I was asked by a guardsmen today how it feels to have condemned the lives of the entire company to death, where the guardsman continued raving wildly and preaching to the unholy lords of chaos for salvation. Needless to say, I had the man executed on the spot.
I have also received word from our research teams investigating a possible weapon to be used against the Tyranids. They found that the Tyranid’s tissue is sensitive to concentrate Ceramite, the material used in flak armour. I have ordered the research team to begin melting down the ceramite plating in our fallen comrade’s vests, and to begin coating our weapons and ammunition in the substance.
I pray to the emperor that he gives us the strength and fortitude to drive back the Tyranids to defend our homeland.

Solenstelm 1st Company
Platoon Command Squad – Commander Hyatt
1 Heavy Bolter Heavy Weapon Squads, 1 Lascannon Heavy Weapon Squad
Basilisk, Leman Russ Battle Tank
3 Infantry Platoons – 45 Guardsmen
3 Storm Troopers, Spotter Squad

10:24pm
With a continual diminishing of our forces, combined with the fact that the Tyranids had somehow managed to ascend the sheer cliff faces to infiltrate both the eastern and western bunkers, I have ordered a mass retreat back to the central bunker.
With the last guardsmen retreating to a safe distance, we blew the charges in the bunkers, sending the Tyranid forces inside back to the depths of the warp where they belong. With this however, we had to abandon our remaining heavy bolter emplacement, a heavy loss. We also regrouped our forces into a single platoon to ease the issuing of orders, of which Storm Trooper sergeant Vaxx has taken command of.
Our ceramite coating on our weapons have proved rather effective. A Tyranid, those of genetic construction sieging this planet anyway, once a ceramite-coated object enters its body, will convulse violently for a few seconds, which is more than enough time to send a volley of lasgun fire into the creature’s skull.
A faulty Basilisk shell nearly saw the loss of further use of artillery. The round made it half the length of the mammoth barrel before prematurely detonating, blowing the barrel open. We were lucky that the round did not detonate at the base of the platform. Our techpriest claims that the artillery platform can be repaired using salvaged parts before dawn tomorrow, so tonight will be a quiet one without the familiar boom of the Basilisk pounding the enemy ranks.
Overall, morale is dropping, and if not for the indomitable resolve of the remaining storm troopers and my faithful platoon command, the guardsmen remaining would have long fled back to Solenstelm.
We have not seen anything of the carnifex lurking to the north, which bides me to wonder, when will it be unleashed upon us. With merely 10 hours until we are expected to receive our Adeptus Astartes reinforcements, we have dug in and prepared for the final stand.

Solenstelm 1st Company
Platoon Command Squad – Commander Hyatt
1 Lascannon Heavy Weapon Squad
Basilisk [undergoing repairs], Leman Russ Battle Tank
Infantry Platoon – 41 Guardsmen
3 Storm Troopers, Spotter Squad

07:16am
What remains of the Tyranid forces gathered on the crest of the grassy hill to the north roughly thirty minutes ago, waiting. At first, we suspected a final, all in assault. But we now know what they were waiting for. Just as the sun had risen, a fear instilling roar sounded from the Tyranid ranks, trembling the very ground we are fighting to protect. Then, the most unholy abomination rose from the grass crest, and let forth another shriek of horrific nature. The carnifex.
The creature however, as it advances on our defensive line currently, appears to be limping, or moving rather slowly. I suspect that it was injured during the drop from the outer atmosphere in its tyrannocyte pod, and that it had taken until now to heal to a state of combat readiness.
Flanked on either side by the Tyranid forces, the carnifex leads the final charge in a spearhead formation, the carnifex at its tip. I estimate they outnumber us three to one.
We have repaired the basilisk and readied the lascannon, and the Leman Russ has been positioned to fortify our lines of infantry. We also lost yet another storm trooper today, a Biovore spore mine landed by his side, and with a great surge of courage, the trooper pulled the organism to his breast as he fell to the ground, shielding others from the blast. A nearby guardsmen fired a lasgun burst into the trooper’s head to end the suffering as the mine’s acid and poisons tore into his flesh.
The guardsmen are fearful, and I understand why. But if we are to protect our homes, our families, in the great city of Solenstelm, we must hold the line. As I am writing this, I am putting on my carapace armour, and having a techpriest fix a power fist to my mechanical arm. If I am to maintain the morale of my men, I must stand firm against the Tyranid onslaught by the side of my brothers, and annihilate the carnifex with my own hands.
The Adeptus Astartes are less than an hour away, yet I fear that it may be too late.
Alas, sergeant Vaxx hails me. The Tyranids are upon us.
The Emperor protects.

Solenstelm 1st Company
Platoon Command Squad – Commander Hyatt
1 Lascannon Heavy Weapon Squad
Basilisk, Leman Russ Battle Tank
Infantry Platoon – 29 Guardsmen
2 Storm Troopers, Spotter Squad

The final confrontation between the relentless Tyranid forces and the unyielding defences of Solenstelm 1st Company was a display of awe-inspiring proportions.
The Basilisk crew bombarded the Tyranid advance with countless shells of ordinance, and when ammunition had finally depleted, the crews courageously picked up their lasguns and joined the frontlines.
The lascannon managed to fire a few rounds off into the Tyranid ranks, wounding the carnifex. But the Tyranids identified it as a high priority target, and all firepower was focussed onto it until it resembled nothing more than a pile of decomposing corpses.
The remaining Leman Russ fought valiantly, but with a depletion of battle cannon ammunition, the crew saluted the commander before charging into the Tyranid spearhead, crushing many a Tyranid beneath its thundering tracks. It was not until the carnifex itself slashed through its armoured plating, igniting the fuel tanks and sending the tank up in a ball of flames did it cease its fight.
With a handful of guardsmen remaining, and a looming carnifex still on the rampage, many soldiers were ready to turn and flee. But in a miraculous effort, Company Commander Hyatt with Sergeant Vaxx by his side, charged directly at the carnifex and, with a powerful swing of Hyatt’s power fist, and the precise slices of Vaxx’s power sword, the carnifex bellowed what would be its last roar before falling, lifeless, to the earth beneath its feet.
Following this, the fight grew easier. The Tyranids, now in disarray, fought without strategy and without tactical thought. It was a simple task of cleaning up the remaining forces.
Not long after, a drop pod occupied by a squad of the Emperor’s finest arrived at the now calm battlefield. They have been stationed in Solenstelm until the city replenishes its military.
Commended for his valiant victory, Commander Hyatt has kept his command over Solenstelm 1st Company, with Sergeant Vaxx leading the squad of veterans that survived the encounter.

Solenstelm 1st Company – Survivors of the Tyranid Invasion
Platoon Command Squad – Commander Hyatt
Basilisk
Infantry Platoon – 14 Guardsmen
2 Storm Troopers