Taros Campaign - Planetfall: Before the bombardment started, the Space Marines' operations had already begun. The Scout squad in their Drop Pod had already launched. The pod made planetfall safely and the Scouts moved out across the sun-scorched surface of the planet, disguised by their Cameleoline cloaks and carrying heavy surveillance equipment as well as their Sniper Rifles. Once in position, the squad set up their equipment and began beaming a secure transmission back to the War Talon’s operations room. Initial intelligence was mostly correct; the site contained two silos and an AA turret, but the outer ring of defenses had been improved with the addition of turreted gun emplacements. These heavy weapons would be a major threat to the landing Thunderhawks and the warriors they deployed, so, as Captain Orelius watched the relays aboard the War Talon, he swiftly made adjustments to his plans.Strike Force B was to abandon its target silo and instead use their heavy weapons to engage and destroy the turret emplacements. The three reserve Tactical squads would take over Strike Force B's part of the mission. This left Orelius with no flexible reserve on the ground to counter unexpected enemy moves, so he quickly contacted Captain Kaedes of Sixth Company. Kaedes' Company was already on standby to reinforce the assault. Instead of waiting for Third Company to secure the landing zone, Orelius requested that two Tactical squads immediately prepare for a Drop Pod launch and stand by should he need rapid reinforcement on short notice. Last-minute adjustments to the plan complete, Orelius boarded his own Thunderhawk, the ramp closing behind him. The planning was over. Now it was time to bring the Emperor's wrath upon His foes.Down on the surface, the Scout squads watched from a safe distance as the orbital bombardment began to impact upon the surface. Huge clouds of smoke and dust were thrown up in the desert as the flashes of lance beams and great explosions rent Taros' surface. It lasted exactly 30 minutes, as an area of 5 kilometres around the site was smothered in heavy explosions. What damage had actually been done to the silo site was impossible to tell through the thick dust. Aboard the War Talon, the four Thunderhawks received clearance to launch. Engines roared to life as one after the other the gunships accelerated from the launch bay and headed for the surface. The first Thunderhawk to pass through the heat of atmospheric entry was that carrying Strike Force A. Inside, ten heavily armed Assault Marines, each with a Jump Pack, Chainsword, Bolt Pistol, and a bandolier of Melta Bombs stood ready. Following instructions from the cockpit, each Brother awaited in silence for the order to jump.Its nose still red-hot from the friction of atmospheric entry, the Thunderhawk's rear ramp lowered, blasting all inside with a rush of air. The first squad members stepped forwards to the edge, each powering up his Jump Pack's systems. When the order to jump was received through their helm-comms, there was no hesitation - two by two the assault troops stepped over the edge into the void. Instantly each Space Marine was flicked into the Thunderhawk's slipstream, the torrent of fast-moving air created by the gunship's forward motion. The impact of the wall of air was severe, and each Marine fought to avoid being flipped and tossed uncontrollably by it. As the force of gravity pulled the Assault Marines downwards, their Jump Packs screamed to life. At a mere 100 meters above the ground, the thrusters ignited to slow the plunging descent. The braking power of the jump packs exerted huge gravitational pressure on the Raptors, pressure that could crush a normal man, but protected within his Power Armour and by his genetically-enhanced physique, each Space Marine could overcome the lethal Gs, orientate himself to the landing zone, and control the direction of his descent without problem. Using his Jump Pack’s thrusters, he could guide himself directly onto the target safely. From jump to planetfall, the descent took no more than sixty seconds.