Beams of every kind streaked past the edges of the Thunderhawks.
For the first time, the Space Wolves realized just how powerful the Dwarfs' anti-aircraft fire was.
The Ironkin operated an array of heavy anti-aircraft weapons. Their precise fire had already sent one Thunderhawk crashing to the ground near the Starport, trailing smoke.
Crowds of Hearthguard charged toward the crash site, brandishing their weapons. Yet the Space Wolves could do nothing to rescue their brothers.
Only three Thunderhawks and one Imperial landing craft carrying two hundred men managed to break through to the vicinity of the Spaceport.
Of the four Thunderhawks and six large landing craft that had set out, more than half were lost before they could even land.
But the mission had to continue. They had to seize the Spaceport to give the others a chance of survival.
Even though they had no idea what enemy these aliens feared, they dared not gamble.
Even if every last one of them fell here, they had to complete their mission. The gene-seed and the relics had to be safely delivered out of here.
Boom!
The armed Thunderhawks swept the landing zone with their upper cannons and underslung machine guns.
Their rear troop compartments opened swiftly, and the Space Wolves leaped out one after another, dropping several meters to the ground.
Once they had deployed their passengers, the Thunderhawks climbed rapidly and attempted to disengage.
Only after the Space Wolves had secured a foothold and engaged the Starport's ground defenders did the fragile landing craft slowly descend.
Two hundred Cadian Shock Troops rushed out of the cabin carrying man-portable Melta Cannons, plasma rifles, and rocket launchers of various calibers, unleashing devastating fire on the surrounding Votann warriors.
Standard Imperial Lasguns were ineffective against these Hearthkyn clad in Void Armour or Power