Crucible of Champions

Forces of the 26th Millenial break through 18th legion lines towards the void shield generators at installation Delta.
  Salamander's forced to withdraw under heavy fire after their leader is greviously wounded in single combat.

The Crucible of Champions
  As dawn broke over Semita IV, the void shield generator complex became a crucible of war. The traitors sought to overwhelm the position and the loyalists stood stalwart and firm. Skirmishes inevitably flared up as vanguards closed the line—one such skirmish occurred between elements of the Salamanders 29th Flamebound and the Emperor’s Children 26th Millennial.
  The loyalists struck first, sallying forth from their line eager for vengeance, the memories of Isstvan V a wound that never heals. The Salamanders' Dreadnought, ancient and unyielding, tore through its traitor counterpart in a display of terrible might. Emboldened, Salamander tactical squads unleashed punishing volleys, their disciplined fire cutting down traitor assault marines mid-leap.
  Amidst the chaos, two champions sought each other out. Da'Zel Rhoshan, his flamer-spear blazing, charged towards Ambros Valantion, every step fueled by the bitter memory of betrayal. Ambros embraced the challenge willingly, fueled by the sweet elixir of battle and the delicious opportunity to take another champion’s head from his body. Their duel swiftly became the eye of the storm, terminator-clad astartes clashing around them in a whirlwind of ceramite and blood.
  Yet the Emperor's Children's martial perfection began to tell. Salamanders began to fall one by one, leaving Da'Zel increasingly isolated. As the tide turned, a squad of Emperor's Children tactical marines charged a line of Salamanders holding a crucial chokepoint. The loyalists' bolters roared, cutting down most of the attackers, but failed to stop them all. In a moment of terrible glory, a lone Emperor's Children banner bearer broke through, his defiance forcing the Salamanders back. Though they rallied and eventually brought him down in a hail of bolter fire, his sacrifice had breached their line and more importantly, drew their attention away from their commander.
  The loyalist Dreadnought, seeing its commander's plight, surged forward, but a wall of traitor bolter fire held it at bay. In the chaos, Ambros seized his chance. His power sword pierced Da'Zel's guard and armour alike, snapping as it drove home. Undeterred, Ambros raised his power fist, hammering the broken blade deeper with a blow that shook the very ground.
  As Da'Zel fell, the Salamanders retreated, bearing their grievously wounded leader back to the safety of their defensive lines around the void generators. In the aftermath, both leaders emerged changed. Da'Zel, though gravely wounded, found a new, terrible rage burning within him. Ambros stood victorious, his tactical acumen sharpened by the fierce resistance he had faced and inspired by the unbreakable will of his banner bearer.