The Restune 5 Chronicle
A new colony had been formed on Restune 5 some six generations ago after the Adaptus Terraformus had completed their purification of the planet and made it habitable. As it fell under the jurisdiction of the Brown Bears Chapter, they had been expecting the colony would now be ready to provide them with its first batch of recruits. Captain Formolochus, Chief of Recruits, Captain of the Tenth (Scout) Company and the Master of the Household, Equerry Primus, had been dropped in to prepare for the celebrations and formal handover. Nothing had been heard from them for over a week.
As a consequence, the entire first and second battle companies had been dropped in to investigate whilst the rest of the Chapter carried on with the movement to Carling Prime for the regular 10 year meeting with Inquisitor Lumevol's staff to discuss progress in spreading the Emperor's will. The Chapter had only been formed 3,400 years ago and now was not the time for Lord Brunus Brutus, Master of the Brown Bears Chapter, to have to account for the loss of a colony.
Shortly after their drop pods had landed the astropath attached to No. 2 Battle Company contacted the Chapter Monastery to say they were under attack and the settlement appeared destroyed. The Master had a dilemma: abandon the meeting with the Inquisitor and risk being branded a traitor or try to cover up the situation. He did not relish the thought of 100 years of torture to cleanse his soul so despatched the only troops he could spare without it being noticed to try to salvage the situation.
He sent the 1st Tactical Squad of No.6 Reserve Company in his personal Thunderhawk back to Restune 5 to investigate what had happened with orders to not get involved in a fight but to report back with the current situation. Librarian Brunus Edwardii was sent with them to ensure everything was properly documented.
On arrival, they scanned the surface and got confusing reports of life signs. As soon as they were dropped - some 10 kilometres from the settlement - they were spotted by the sole remaining skimmer from the first two companies: a land speeder. The crew reported in to the Librarian: there had been a massive battle.
The first two companies had dropped into a fight between the settlement's Imperial Guard and a Dark Eldar Kabal. It appeared the Chief of Recruits and Master of the Household had taken leadership of the Guard and done their best - but it had not been enough. It was all over in a matter of a few hours: over half of the Space Marine Thunderhawks had been destroyed as they came out of warp by the Dark Eldar's own space ships. Those that got through the blockade had released their drop ships to the surface only to have most of them blown up before they reached the ground. The massively outnumbered Space Marines had been scattered all across the planet's surface and were unable to intervene as the incomprehensibly evil Dark Eldar helped themselves to the entire civilian population.
The Dark Eldar. The most sickening, depraved, evil force in the Galaxy. Indiscriminate pirates. Killing because they are good at it. Torturing for amusement. Stealing souls to feed the desires of their unimaginably cruel lords. Rampaging through the Galaxy, drenching themselves in the blood of their victims. With incredible reactions and weapons far advanced of those the Adaptus Mechanicus had yet devised they are a terrifying force to reckon with.
There was only one thing to do. Search the planet for survivors, document the situation and get the Hell out of there. If a Dark Eldar Dracon - or worse an Archon - was still in the area there was no way they could deal with them on their own. The Chapter would have to be fetched. Librarian Brunus Edwardii issued the order for the Land Speeder to get the remainder of the 1st and 2nd Companies to rally to his position. The 6th Company 1st Tactical Squad began preparing for combat repainting their armour from formal dress bronze to local camouflage battle dress.
Slowly, the surviving Space Marines returned. Half an assault squad. A single dreadnought. The Land Speeder. Could that really be all? Of 200 Space Marines? He began writing out the butcher's bill. Two Captains, three Chaplains, 2 Apothecaries, 2 Standard Bearers, 90 Veterans, 20 Devastators, 29 Rhino transports, …
"INCOMING!"
Damn! Damn! Damn! Here they were, in the middle of nowhere, tallying losses, painting power suits, grieving for lost comrades and not bloody thinking!
The Dark Eldar were attacking!
And thus we have the order of battle for this fight on Restune 5.
One squad of marines and the remnants of a few others. In the open. Exposed. Unprepared. Alone.
A huge number of Dark Eldar attacking. Well equipped. Heavily armed. Fast. Ruthless. Evil.
The Space Marines start at one corner of the battlefield. The Dark Eldar start on the other short side, behind cover. The marines have to warn the Chapter of the Dark Eldar Kabal - to do this one marine must make it to the drop ship behind the Dark Eldar (off the battlefield). If just one of them can make it, they have succeeded.
Total victory for the Dark Eldar means total destruction of the mon-keighs. Kill them, capture them, blast them to pieces, tear their bodies apart. But kill them all!