In their inaugural mission as Deathwatch Marines, Kill-team Kronus, under the leadership of Brother Lance, is dispatched by Inquisitor Sand to locate and retrieve two important tomes, the Crimson Bestiary and the Codex Corporaptor Hominis, that had been lost over the frontier planet of Ganf Magna when their courier’s Aquila shuttle was shot down by unknown forces. Arriving at the crash site, the Space Marines are able to locate the body of the deceased pilot and ascertain that the shuttle’s wreckage has been salvaged and stripped by nearby Ork forces and the tomes are missing.

After a brief fire-fight with a mob of Gretchin and Snotlings, Kill-team Kronus meets up with Brother Zim, also of the Deathwatch, who was sent to the area as an advance scout with orders to link up with the Kill-team upon their arrival. Brother Zim’s reconnaissance has revealed that this particular area of forest is infested with Orks ruled by a warboss named “Greenhorn” whose base of operations is a cave complex located in the nearby mountain range. The Orks have significant numbers and have two massive Anti-Aircraft guns hidden in the forest that they use to shoot down passing Imperial flyers.

Following the established trails made by the Ork forces, Kill-team Kronus decides that the Orks are likely to have the tomes in their possession, the Deathwatch Marines make their way deeper into Ork territory and along the way they dispatch the Ork opposition that they meet, as well as locate and destroy the Orks’ two Anti-aircraft guns. The Librarian, Brother Aoner, uses his Smite psychic power with devastating effect and the Devastator, Brother Zakaran, uses his heavy bolter to decimate Ork and Snotling alike. The skills of the Apothecary, Brother G’herinat, soon become invaluable as the toll of the heavy fighting starts to make its mark on the Kill-team.

Eventually, the Kill-team is able to penetrate the Orks’ cave complex (following a victory over a massive Ork guard force that was supported by two Killer Kans) but their actions have stirred up the fighting spirit of the Orks who mob in force and are determined to destroy these trespassers. In a heroic stand, the Kill-team finds itself surrounded by cave walls and Orks closing in from all sides. Led by their warboss, “Greenhorn,” the Orks slam into the Marines’ position and a bloody and fierce melee ensues. The battle would be hard won and by its end, most of the Kill-team are critically wounded with Brother Aoner suffering the worst- his right eye had been torn out from his head by an Ork Choppa and the chest-plate of his historic MK6 armor (a relic of many battles) lay in a useless waste of ceramite tatters. “Greenhorn” proved to be a tough foe and he took several wounds from the Kill-team before Brother Lance was able to finally bring the huge Ork down in an explosive barrage of semi-auto bolt pistol fire.

With the death of their warboss, the rest of the Orks scatter and the Kill-team is able to search the rest of the cave complex without interference and are eventually able to locate the two tomes tossed carelessly in a pile of scavenged and stolen Imperial goods. With their mission complete, they are extracted and make their way to the Inquisition rendezvous point.

• GM’s Note: This mission was created by the GM.