Editing LeonidasAndCollin (section)

===Return to Base===

Second session now, and due to the Array being destroyed, the team now cannot call in an airlift.
What's more, they also encounter a Guardsman, the last survivor of a patrol that fell prey to the Orks, who informs them that since both the Array and the diplomat were destroyed/killed, the Imperials and Tau are at a stand-off at a nearby Hive City.

So, the team now have to trek across a desert to reach the city, taking the lone Guardsman with them.
This was my first attempt to guide the team via an NPC.
It failed miserably.

In this game, the team were to fight more Ork patrols, and Kroot carnivores who were scouting for the Tau forces.
Fenrir was now the group's acting leader, and declared a strategy in a bit of dialogue.

Because the terrain was fairly flat, the team would divide into three groups, one would lay down a barrage of covering fire against the Orks and Kroot who weren't occupied with killing each other, whilst the other team would advance to another point, and the third group acted as a rearguard.
The Guardsman also suggested that the teams alternate, so as not to put too much strain on one group.

The teams were organised thusly:
Fenrir and Wulfgang (of course) went on approach, sprinting to the next piece of terrain on the board while Angelion and Karel laid down covering fire, and Leonidas brought up the rear.

Things went well for the team the first few turns.
Then Leonidas decided to play hero.

As stated before, a good majority of Kroot and Orks were satisfied with fighting each other, and the Deathwatch were only picking off those who had broken away from the fight.
But as we got nearer to the engagement, shit unavoidably hit the fan.

As soon as the group were within range, Leonidas charged the group, swinging his missile launcher like a blunt weapon.
The rest of the group kind of shrugged and followed suit.

(I ought to point out, at this point, that out-of-game, Leonidas is quite casual about his Xenos hate, and usually jokes about it. However, when he gets his game face on, he really hates anything non-Imperium. And practically worships SM.)

The injured Guardsman, despite his wounds, went into the fray to help the Deathwatch (I felt they could use all the help they could get), and was unavoidably dropped to single-digits pretty quickly.
As their only guide, the stranded team (most of them, anyway) fell in to defend the Guardsman.
Angelion was separated from the group, and was cut down by a large number of Kroot.

The Guardsman continued to take hits, and, determined not to see my players slaughtered in the second game, I announced that the Imperials had been tracking the Deathwatch, and had called an air strike to fend off the xenos.
The Guardsman, unfortunately, was severely wounded and close to death (I felt like being dramatic), and pleaded with Leonidas to help him back to the Hive.
Leonidas decided the Guardsman was a liability and would lsow them down, and decided to instead shoot said Guardsman in the head with his bolt pistol.

The group boarded one of the Valkyries sent to pick them up, and made for the Hive City, where they would receive further instruction from "A warrior of some repute", as well as receiving reinforcements.
(The reinforcements were to be Angelion's new character, and -sigh- Collin).