When the Orks invaded the home world of the Crimson Fists Space Marines, it was a disaster for the Chapter. Amidst the great tales of heroism, one particularly strange event came to light. During his epic fight across Rynn's world, Chapter Master Kantor came across a burnt and abandoned Land Raider, surrounded by Ork bodies and wrecked greenskin vehicles. Inside, they found Ork bodies sprawled across the controls and decking. Following a lengthy interrogation of the Land Raider's machine-spirit, the follow story was related.
When a malfunctioning defense missile had all but destroyed the Crimson Fists' Fortress-Monastery, almost annihilating the entire Chapter, the Land Raider Rynn's Might survived the blast and was hurled clear. The detonation woke the vehicle's machine-spirit, which went about executing the last orders it had received - seek and destroy.
Rynn's Might spent several hours righting itself from amongst the tangled wreckage before setting off in search of the enemy. It came across and Ork vanguard shortly after and attacked immediately, its lascannons and heavy bolters turning trukks and buggies into flaming coffins for the Orks. After destroying some thirty Ork vehicles and chasing down their fleeing crews, Rynn's Might continued its search.
For three days it scoured the area around the burning Fortress-Monastery, running across several Ork patrols and swiftly annihilating them. As night fell on the third day, Rynn's Might encountered a full Ork warband. The Orks were thrown into confusion by the sudden attack of the lone Space Marine assault tank, disturbed by the metallic war cries bellow forth from its external speakers. In the darkness, the Land Raider's artificial eyes and ears served better than even the night vision of the Orks, and as they recoiled from its initial assault, Rynn's Might attacked with greater determination.
Missiles and high energy bolts scorched the hull of the Land Raider, but it continued its charge, crushing bikes and Orks under its armored tracks, its weapons lighting the darkness with flashes of lascannon bursts and heavy bolter fire, illuminating the battle with the flames of wrecked Dreadnoughts and Killer Kans. The Orks attempted to muster a counter-attack, their Warboss gathering his bravest warriors and Nobz about him. Rynn's Might noted this build up of force and headed for the Ork leader at full speed, ignoring the shells that ricocheted off its armored hide as it drove over the mangled corpses of the greenskins.
Out of heavy bolter ammunition and with its lascannons fused from near-continual firing, Rynn's Might used the only weapon left to it - its bulk and weight. Many of the Orks fled from this image of the Emperor's fury as it bore down on them, searchlights blazing in their eyes, external vocalizers still blaring prayers to the Emperor. The Warlord stood firm though, firing blast after blast from his crude cannon, until a lucky shot splintered a track link and sent Rynn's Might spinning madly. Immobilized, there was little it could do as the Orks clambered across its hull with their tankbusta bombs, blowing off chunks of ceramite and adamantium.
But Rynn's Might was to have a final vengeance. It opened up its hatchways and assault ramp, and the Orks poured on board, eager to loot what they could from this prize. As they entered, Rynn's Might slammed the entrances shut again, hydraulic rams cutting Orks in half and trapping the Warlord and his bodyguard on board. In a final act, Rynn's Might overcharged its reactor, spewing plasma and poisonous gases into its own interior, incinerating and choking the greenskins that had got inside.
Kantor ordered the location of Rynn's Might to be recorded carefully and left a guard over its remains, vowing to return and retrieve its machine spirit and give it a new body so that it might fight with such vigor and determination once again.
