Scramble The Planes!
With Zehrov in full retreat from the Blood Angels furious assault he now needs to make sure his retreat path is clear of obstacles. He now sends out a wing of Thunderbolts and a pair of Lightning strike craft to scout out a path.
They have now reported contact with a large formation of Ork planes 20 clicks to the south. With orders to engage and destroy the wing lines up for attack pattern Delta.
Unbeknownst to any of the players in this sky battle, The farseers of the Eldar of Craftworld Biel Tan have followed the skeins of destiny back to this point and they must prevent Zehrov from getting off Veribas II. With their plans laid they deploy a Vampire and 3 Nightwings into the Arena of Death...
The Navy set up with the 'bolts on an Intercept course with the Orks. The Lightnings, faster and more agile than their bigger cousins scouted ahead and alerted Flight command of the arrival of the Eldar.
The Orks, in a highly unusual and co-ordinated manoueuvre, split into 2 wings, 1 going for the Thunderbolts and the other going for the scout craft, totally ignoring or invisible to the Eldar.
With the bolts and orks playing chicken the orks got trigger happy and let fire at close range damaging a bolt while in return the bots took out a fighter, leaving 3 in the skwadron.
On the other flank the lightnings took a hit from the nightwing at medium range while the Vampire targetted a bolt and openend fire. Shruiken fire and pulsars strafed the bolt and black smoke emerged from its twin planes. But, through the smoky air the bolt punched clear, it's lucky pilot, Captain Jack was able to hang on to the controls and making his invulnerable save.
The lone nightwing banked right below the lightnings and came out behind a high hill. The thunderbolts approaching it made a fantastic wing over roll and came on target, still trailing smoke. With the nightwing in his sights Captain Jacklocked on and prepared. Just then the second swadron opened fire and the captain could not make his invulnerables, ejecting before he could get the kill or be killed himself.
The bolts came out of their dogfight with the orks and came high and right on the nightwings below them. The Vampire continued its predatorial pursuit of the battlefield and locked the remaining lightning in t=its sights, the hapless pilot unable to match the speed or agility of the mighty Xenos aircraft. Caught between the Vampire and the advancing Skwadron 2, the pilot ejected and with that the Imperials bugged out and returned to base.
Result: Imperial Loss