In Service to the Imperium; Episode 7 (IC-Closed)

by **Military Democracy of Birtonia** » Mon Sep 07, 2015 5:29 pm

Corporal Vanius Galatia, Voxcaster
Cadian 1022nd Airborne Regiment
New Sedna, Kadash Station, 12th New Sedna PDF HQ

The young man had just set down the large backpack device on the table, scattering cards everywhere, when a rather angry looking Sergeant barreled down on him directly. Vanius cringed while the older man scolded him and pointed up towards the top of the building. Quickly gathering his things he escaped from sight along with a handful of troopers escaping the wrath of the NCO, claiming that they owed him money for the card game they interrupted. Peering out the window of the third floor, Galatia could see a small band of Orks charging right into the frontlines again, only to be torn apart by the heavy bolters. He found some real estate next to the already established communications personnel and began to raise headquarters and the rest of the 1022nd.

"Tell the Colonel we're up" ordered Vanius to one of the Guardsmen that accompanied him.

Colonel Lucius Felix

Lucius smiled as he finished his sentence to the incoming officer of the 112th Regiment. Just at that moment someone approached him from the rear, turning he saw it was a veteran sergeant of the 12th PDF Regiment that him and his men so graciously relieved. He studied the man up and down as he spoke, the true visage of a man who has seen a great many of battles. As the NCO pointed towards a tower just front of the headquarters, Lucius' eyes followed it. Colonel Felix nodded as one of his men exited the building and made a bee line towards the pairing of men.

The trooper saluted and spoke "sir, Corporal Galatia has got HQ and the rest of the regiment on Vox."

"Good, keep monitoring the frequencies, and Sergeant?" said Lucius, returning the salute and then turning towards the grizzly man, decorated with many awards, "please give my voxcaster the frequencies for your Regiment".

Commissar Remio exited the building, finished with his glorious speech in the name of the Emperor to find Lucius. The two of them, along with the sniper, who figured the tower was a better vantage point and a pair of plasma gun armed Gaurdsmen, made way towards the tower which held the PDF Regimental commander.

"Coming Colonel?" asked the Commissar over his shoulder as they left the area.

Brazenly, the group approached the tower, pocked with bullet holes and scorch marks from flamers. The two troopers remained at the base of the tower while the rest of the command squad, minus the voxcaster and a few men ascended the tower and opened the doors, revealing the officer and other assorted men inside, viewing the area. Instantly Felix's sniper moved towards a window, pushing a PDF trooper out of the way and resting his barrel against a desk, overlooking the area.

A single shot rang out, deafening those within the room. The bolt spewed forth from the barrel, its tail following from the long-las as it exited the room. It sailed ever closer to the air to its intended target some distance away, soon enough it implanted itself in an amalgamation of bone, skin and metal. The Ork Weirdboy slumped to the ground, a smoking hole in his head replacing the strange machinery it implanted there.

Lucius cleared his throat, making the other men in the room turn towards him. "I'm Colonel Lucius Felix" he began, as his sniper began to scan for more targets, "Commander of the Cadian 1022nd Airborne, I believe there is another Regiment outside as well, the 112th. I have a full company and a platoon of Sentinels here, I understand your pushing to rescue some of your men?"

by **Bentus** » Tue Sep 08, 2015 3:09 am

Off the coast of Port Telbon, New Sedna
9th Anicean Vanguard Fleet
The Dutiful

The often-overlooked effort that was necessary to facilitate a safe and effective deployment for a maritime fleet was never solely limited to the dropships or the large Imperial vessels steadily snaking their way out and into the waves. The Dutiful, much like its sister the Devoted, were hives of frantic activity as small figures scampered across their decks, each a sailor either making sure that each destroyer’s deployment had gone successfully or relaying visual guidance to their compatriots still exiting the remaining dropships. However, the two vessels had also been entrusted with a third task: the establishment of a secure cordon around the landing site.

While this was supposedly simply standard operating procedure, Vasiliy had never been one to blindly place his faith in the ability of local PDF or the Imperial Navy to properly sweep the waves before his fleet made landfall. Perhaps call it paranoia or just a tendency towards being overcautious, but the Colonel had drilled the priority of maintaining an uneasy eye on the alien waters upon the crew of the Aniceans’ destroyers. As such, the weapons had been the first system brought to operational status on the light craft, and the menacing turrets scanned the horizon with an eager anticipation.

Buried atop the hull of the Dutiful, up above the rampant activity that dominated its decks during the deployment, the bridge seemed noticeably more subdued – even if the face of each man and woman was twisted with concentration as they manned their stations. The background din of the engines dominated the room as those within dealt with the unending stream of vox-relayed messages on the status of the vessel.

However, the sonar operator had sealed himself away from this world, losing himself in the static white noise of his headsets as he listened for the slightest anomaly or alteration in the hissing and beeping. Often he found the task oddly relaxing, as if it offered him an inalienable and impossibly personal connection to the ocean that was not shared by any of his crewmates. He would gladly spend hours or more listening to the singing of the waves and the creatures that lived enveloped in its embrace; the calming, serene drone was a welcome escape from the all-consuming chaos that accompanied a densely packed ship.

Fiddling with one of the dials at his station, the operator narrowed his eyes as he tried to close in on an irritatingly off-key tone of static that was so subtly out of place among the others. It was probably nothing, a distant leviathan calling out for a mate, but his training insisted that he give it check on it anyway.

Manipulating the instruments and arrays that dotted the Dutifull the operator shifted the static in his ears while isolating the signal, the sound oscillating between a high and a low pitch before finally settling on the desired frequency. There… The man felt a surge of triumph, the act of locating a single sound amidst the orchestra around them was as much an act of skill as it was of patience, however the glimmer in his eye was replaced by a furrowed brow. Was that shouting? Placing a hand over one ear, wondering for a moment if the Devoted had sailed closer than he realised, the operator’s eyes widened in horror as two dull, methodical, and instantly-recognisable thumps triggered a realisation.

“Contact in the water!”

Crude, simplistic, and primitive, the Ork torpedoes were barbaric instruments that could barely maintain a course – let alone guide themselves towards a moving target. In contrast, the Destroyers of the Imperial Guard were fast and nimble creations designed to navigate even narrow waterways further inland. Steering hard to its stern, the Dutiful artfully shifted its bulk as the lethal projectile aimed for its bow slid harmlessly by its side. However, what the Orks lacked in efficiency they made up for in pure, dumb-founded luck. As was the case with their second torpedo, which never even came close to the destroyer that was its original target.

The first thing that Vasiliy knew of the torpedo attack was when a loud explosion tore through the air, his brain having not even registered the sound before he was thrown up into the air from the deck of the Righteous Fury. The man braced himself for the searing heat and pain from being caught in the blast, but instead saw the metal deck rush up to greet his face at an unnatural speed that left him sprawled across it.
“Frack!”

The Colonel groaned through gritted teeth as he whipped his head around to try and figure out what had happened. His eyes widened as he saw a thick black plume of smoke being sucked into the belly of the dropship, looming above the Cruiser like some kind of sickening cloud. Vasiliy pulled himself to his feet, grasping desperately for the rail that wrapped around the top deck of his flagship before once again the Navy dropship banked dangerously. He could hear shouts of confusion and a few cries of pain as those who hadn’t yet figured out the initial lurch in the ground was due to the failure of one of the Devourer’s engines flew across the deck.

Looking out the gaping maw of the dropship, Vasiliy could tell that they were no longer hovering level just above the waves below as the Imperial Navy vessel swayed uneasily as its pilots sought to desperately keep it airborne. The Colonel could hear the unnatural whining of the engine as it struggled to breathe its last, he could recognise the death knell of the turbine from a mile away and with it the sickening confirmation that they’d all be sinking to their graves if they didn’t act fast.

Used to the violent swells of the storms on his homeworld, the Colonel raced along the swaying deck, his experienced feet keeping him upright even as the Dropship continued to oscillate. Vasiliy could practically have counted down their fleeting seconds in his head as he felt the swaying gradually increase in severity. Running towards the stern, he pushed aside anyone who was unfortunate enough to stand in his way – the situation defying the usual pleasantries and cordiality. “In the Emperor’s name, move or I’ll move you for Him!” Vasiliy’s harsh voice, trained from crying orders from above decks, yielded some results and helped to clear a path until his eyes fell upon the figure that he was looking for. “Anton!”

The large, burly Anicean towered over his fellow sailors as his heavily-muscled and tattooed arms proudly stood on display from his sleeveless shirt. A former gang member in his youth, Anton was probably the antithesis to what would usually be characterised as a shipborne engineer’s physical stereotype. Large, powerfully built, and with hardened features to match, the former ganger seemed incapable of even standing in some of the narrow service corridors or alleyways in which he usually worked, tending to any ails that befell the machinery within the Righteous Fury. However, he had proven himself time and time again, and in all his time serving alongside the man, Vasiliy had always respected him as a friend and a trustworthy comrade – whether in a fight on or off the battlefield.

“Aye, sir?!” Yelling over the croaking and coughing of the wounded dropship and the chaos around them, Anton turned to look at his long-time friend and Colonel. However before Vasiliy could respond, the sound of the Devourer’s engine increased in pitch and the two men stumbled as the ground once again shifted beneath their feet.

“Cut the guiding cables!” He managed as he sought to regain his balance.

Anton’s eyes widened in surprise. “The cables, sir? But you just told us to tighte –“

“I know what I fracking said!” Vasiliy replied harshly, hearing the whine of the damaged engine growing rapidly fainter. “The Devourer can’t handle the Fury’s weight with one of its engines down – we’re going to bring the whole fat bastard down with us if we don’t cut free.”

Anton hesitated for only the briefest of moments, knowing that the solid steel cables were all that continued to bind the cruiser to the innards of the Devourer dropship. The moment they were severed, all hell could break lose – they could slide backwards and collide with the interior of the vessel and die in the process, or slide out the maw into freefall to an ocean which lay who-knew how far below by that point. However, the Colonel had never once let him down before, and their situation didn’t seem to be improving on its own either.

“Alright, Vasiliy.”

The Colonel watched as Anton screamed to the men under his command who were overseeing the large vessel’s deployment, and within a second a series of ear-splitting cracks tore through the air as the steel wires were severed. Suddenly, the ground really did fall from Vasiliy’s feet as the Righteous Fury, no longer supported by the cabling, fell to the floor of the Devourer and impacted with the sickening sound of metal grinding metal. Thrown from his feet, it was all Vasiliy could do to hold on as his ship started to slide out of the maw of the dropship and into an all-out freefall to the surface of the ocean below.

The 9th’s pair of destroyers had immediately sought to engage the Ork submarine, unleashing a fusillade of charges designed to sink or incapacitate the vessel with no mercy while Navy Valkyries flew to assist in the hunt. However, when their crews heard the hideous screeching coming from the Righteous Fury’s dropship, they feared the worst as the craft started to climb and bank dangerously. Then, the cruiser lurched out from within the mighty Void-craft, tipping down towards the waves as it plummeted the almost five-stories to impact. A mammoth cloud of spray was kicked up as the thousands of tonnes of Imperial might slammed into the water. Concern washed over the faces of all of those in the bridges of the remaining ships, until the enraged voice of their Colonel came shouting over the Vox.

“Get off your arses and somebody sink that boat!”

by **Morrdh** » Thu Sep 10, 2015 7:20 am

New Sedna, Near New Callisto
Morridane Patrol

The patrol had halted and the engines of the Salamander Scouts were idling as the patrol's vox operator sent in a status report. The patrol commander was conferring with his navigator as they checked map data on a dataslate and compared it to their own auspex readings. Many of the Morridanes had taken the opportunity to smoke lho-sticks, but a handful drew sentry duty and manned the vehicle's Autocannons. Native avians sang amongst the trees and insects lazily buzzed, giving an almost tranquil feel despite it technically being the middle of an active warzone as proven by the distant thunder of artillery fire. Thus far it had been an uneventful patrol, they'd spied a large body of Orks to the east which they duly reported but little else.

It was Gunner Mitford who spotted movement amongst the nearby long grass, they'd been briefed about what fauna to expect in the area but gut instinct told that this was probably something else. The Outriders had learnt to go with gut instinct especially given their line of work, so Mitford made a shrill whistle to alert his comrades as he unslung his SLR. Idle chatter fell to the wayside as silence fell upon the patrol, some of the men had started reaching for their own SLRs when the Ork Kommandos sprung their attack, the air soon filling with the sounds of gunfire and cries of alarm. Couple of the Salamanders roared into life as their Autocannons were brought to bear as the Morridanes raced behind them to use the vehicles as cover, though some weren't as quick as others and got hit by Ork gunfire.

New Sedna, New Callisto
319th Morridane Airfield Defence Battalion HQ
Lt.Colonel Artemis Stormwell

"Contact, wait out." Was the first anyone else knew of the attack when one of the voxes at HQ crackled into life, a stunned silence falling upon the room before somebody went and fetched the Lt.Colonel. By the time Stormwell reached the Ops Room the patrol was voxing another message with the sound of gunfire in the background. "Seagull, this is Zero-Five. Contact confirmed with enemy raiding force, request help. Over."

"Zero-Five, this is Seagull. Sunray speaking." Stormwell called back over the vox, quickly glancing at the nearby map to see who or what was nearby. "I'll send Carrow's lot over, so sit tight if ye can."

"Thanks Boss, we'll see 'bouts getting a brew on fer 'em if we can."

"Seagull, Zero-Six." Another voice crackled over the vox. "We hear ye Boss, shifting it over there right now. Zero-Five, we'll have our mugs ready so don't disappoint."

"Alright, alright." Sighed Stormwell. "Keep the chatter down lads. Zero-Five, do you require Starlight?"

"...Yes." Came the reply after a short pause. "Confirm request for Starlight. Over."

"Understood, Sunray out." Replied Stormwell with a heavy heart before turning to one of the Ops Staff. "Go and fetch Doc, then see 'bouts prepping one o' 'em Lighters for a casevac."

"Yes sah." Nodded the aide.

"And notify Command of the contact."

"Aye." The aide nodded once again before adding. "We've received a communique from the Flendrians, they're waiting to get in on our wee skirmish sah."

"Right..." Sighed Stormwell as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "Send them the following..."

~ ~ ~

by **Carcharhinidae primari** » Thu Sep 10, 2015 11:42 am

New Sedna, Brontian 15th designated area
South by Southeast of Vana Prime Industrial Complex, Imperial-Ork Front Line
Brontian 15th hybrid armored assault regiment
Logistic staging area, Cargo Trojan 5B Righteous deliverance

"I'm not saying it's a bad decision sir, all I'm saying is that we probably won't be able to replace any auspex packages until we get sent back to Bront, if we ever make it back. and this isn't exactly the normal deployment they're built for." lieutenant-quartermaster Nostrof objected, though clearly slightly nervous to seem to be objecting to both Colonel Jamesson and Major Willis. The three had gathered amongst the tents and tarps of the logistics staging area, set some distance behind the true front line of the regiment. With the reply and information from the 52nd the two commanding officers had decided to make it official and pull the equipment out of storage.
"we're aware of that Georgos' Kaido said a touch kindly, as he and the small group surviving since the regiment's founding knew that the man hadn't been a soldier, but an administratum drone pushed out by office politics. consequentially, the man wasn't much of a soldier, though by now he'd most assuredly count as one. "But if we're to have any regiment to return with we need all the information we can gather on the ork lines. so get them pulled out of storage, and send a cargo trojan with three of them along with Jethro. He'll be taking them to the higarans with a few squads to oversee the installation there. How deep could these things be buried before they stop working well?"
"by the emperor's blood Kaido, the enginseers explained it three times already! no more then half a metre, and loose soil at that." Major Willis laughed, quickly subsiding as several troopers looked up in surprise and Kaido glared at him. "You know the cogheads never make any sort of sense to me. they could explain their recipe of recaff to me and it'd still not make sense. Back on topic, Georgos, break out the auspex packages from wherever they're stored- " "trailer 15" "- Jethro, you'll take three, along with several infantry squads to the higarans, say 4 squads and 3 heavy infantry." Kaido leaned against the side of a trojan casually as Major Willis nodded. "yes, that should be plenty. especially if those higahrans are sincere about offering support. We'll strap the packages to the tops of their chimeras and we can be at their staging area in 30 minutes or so."

New Sedna, Higaran Area of Operations
South of Vana Prime Industrial Complex, Imperial-Ork Front Line
Command chimera of 'corewards' company

in truth it'd been 45 minutes before the group had been able to set out, though the 5 kilometres or so between the two regiments had been swiftly traversed. At the challenge by one of the higarans standing guard the major stuck his head through the top hatch of his chimera.
"Major Jethro Willis, brontian 15th. We're expected by your commanding officer." he said crisply, pulling himself up through the hatch onto the top of the chimera and sliding down the side as it rolled to a halt. With the other chimeras rolling up behind him, three of them carrying the auspex packages strapped to their hull, he acknowledged the salute from the guardsman. "We're supposed to deploy these at your lines so we have an extended auspex field along the front line here, just direct me to your command centre and I'll handle it from there."
The Higaran didn't relax much, even stiffening a little. "If you are from the brontian regiment, you would have received the signalling code." the guardsmen replied.
Jethro glared at him for a moment "do these rank pins mean nothing to you trooper?" he asked, forestalling the trooper's angry reaction with a wide smile. "and quite right they don't, we are from a different regiment after all. the code you want is 97432 sigma-delta. vox your superiors with that and they should pass us through."After a few moments and a vox message, the major was waved through. Dispatching his men to start moving the auspex gear to the front he made his way through the trenches to the command bunker, coughing gently when Colonel Faust seemed to be engrossed in the maps on the table.
"Colonel Faust? Major Jethro Willis, 15th brontian, we've brought over the auspex units, perhaps we should go over deploying them?"

by **Segmentia** » Sat Sep 12, 2015 11:49 am

New Sedna, Magellan Prime, main mag-lev train hub
1st New Sedna Heavy Fusiliers
Brigadier General Hanna Gormann

Staff Sergeant MacNarra raised a brow and looked back at the woman on his left, then his right, taking a step forward as they touched his elbows, then looked forward to the woman with the insignia of a major, huffing in indignation.

“I'm the senior supply NCO for the entire bloody 1st New Sedna Heavy Fusiliers, handpicked by general Gormann herself for the job, and the load master for this train. It's my bloody job to load things onto it.” He checked his watch. “Get you lasses here within the hour and I'll have them cozy as hens in a hen house before the train leaves. They get here any later and you lot will have to wait for the next train.” He said, making a note that there may be an additional 2,000 infantry to load.

As Colonel Erinyes introduced herself and saluted Hanna looked her up and down, grinning a bit. “And here I heard your regiment was marching out of the city. I didn't think you'd leave them to their own devices.” She chuckled.

“The Brumairean's have exceptional discipline, general. If the colonel here ordered her regiment to march across a minefield they would do so. Mind you, don't ever waste guardswomen like that, colonel. Emperor knows we need every body we can get.” The Lord-Commissar added, extending a hand to the colonel.

“Tell me about it. I hate to think Arktheleon will have to expand upon the mandatory conscription age. We're scrambling to keep up with the manufacturing and food production demand as it is. Pulling more hands off of those areas...” Hanna just shook her head with a sigh.

“Anyway, colonel, glad you're here. I doubt you've heard, but Crusade Command is putting on the final touches to a general offensive to take back Vana Prime. They'll probably put a whole section of the front to stand-to positions by the end of the day. Because of this, Logan's Reach has to be taken fast, or we at least need to engage the traitors there and keep them engaged until we win. Because the last thing we need is a few Emperor damned traitor regiments to hit the back of our assault sectors. Logan's Reach is also vital because of the munitions and vast stores of vehicles it has that we can put right to use. We have more crews then vehicles at the moment.” She said, stopping to look at Albor.

“So, we're going to ship out to a PDF held area just outside the range of the defensive guns of the depot, and then we're going to hit it. Hard. The outer defenses aren't vital, so we're going to smash them if we can, but we have to keep as many facilities inside as intact as possible. We have the remains of a few PDF regiments who will be assisting us, maybe a regiments worth all told, but other then that it's just my Heavy Fusiliers and your warrior women. And the Lord-Commissar and a company of other commissars and commissar cadets. Intel puts our opposition at three to four regiments, plus the benefit of the depots defenses and any vehicles they may use. I hope your girls are ready for a very rapid and mobile assault?” Gormann asked, giving the colonel an expectant look.

by **Argentumurbem** » Wed Sep 16, 2015 9:33 am

New Sedna, New Callisto
En-route to Enemy Contact
Forlorn First - 22nd Flendrian Light
Aifric il Drea, Captain

The Salamander bounded along the highway at a lurch, slowing and accelerating at every sign of an adjoining road. Ahead of them the Tauros' darted here and there, clearing every possible ambush site ahead of the main column, weapons trained on every suspicious shadow. Behind trudged the chimeras, escorting the Crassus Assault Carrier as drones flocked around the Queen. They numbered some forty-three vehicles, traversing the synthetic artery of the city towards the bacteria which had managed to breach the skin. Sixteen bikes, tiny probes dispatched to locate the target - eight less than what Aifric would have liked - maintained constant comm contact with the captain's mobile HQ. However instead of vocal messages, a series of clicks and bleeps was transferred, a subtle attempt of the veterans to make their fellow comrades forget that their tongues were perfectly functional.

Off to the right and left, along similarly laid-out highways, two fellow companies moved to join them at the contact position, three syringes of medicine training straight at the foreign bodies.

by **Legital** » Thu Sep 17, 2015 5:09 pm

New Sedna, Off the coast of Port Telbon
Ork Submersible
Da Bonefish
Kapt'n Red Teef

The Ork captain rarely felt so many emotions in such a short amount of time, and he stood expressionless as he stared through his periscope. Initially, a primal rage had filled him when his torpedoes had missed their intended target, but as he panned the scope around, he grew somewhat confused as to what was happening when one of the torpedoes exploded and he noticed thick smoke and the dropship begin to falter. Ocean waves momentarily obscured his view, as the periscope was hardly above the surface of the water, but he knew trouble when he saw it. Watching the chaos unfold, he allowed himself an excited and throaty roar.

The other orks, hearing the captain's content, began to growl their content and stomp their feet at their stations in content, causing the command room to sound more like a zoo than a military post. Even the gretchins squealed, anticipating the destruction that must be happening on the surface.

However, Kapt'n Red Teef was a little sharper than most orks. After allowing himself a few moments to bask in the chaos that seemed to be surrounding the human fleet, he ordered his sub to dive, just as the Imperials began to launch their counter attack.

"Ya gitz, get this sub deeper!" He shouted, as charges exploded against the surface and just below the water line as the Imperials sought out the submarine. The vessel lurched and metal screeched as some of the explosives detonated too close, and the sub could only dive so fast.

Somewhere, several rivets exploded off of the metal plating of the submarine and tore into a group of gretchin workers. They shrieked as if under gunfire, and several died at once. Others were injured and had to carry themselves out of the way of larger orks who stomped down the cramped walkways, lest they wanted to be crushed.

Red Teef snarled as he held onto the periscope for support as more and more ordnance, getting closer to the sub, began to detonate.

"We go'n be swimm'n unless you squig gitz work 'arder!" The captain roared as the orks labored at their stations. A mekboy with a gigantic wrench ran through the command room, a gang of excited gretchin with tools trailing behind him, as they sought out the source of a leak as water began to seep into the bridge from one of the adjacent rooms.

More dull thuds and crashes, causing the sub to lurch sideways again like a tree swaying in heavy wind.

"Kapt'n! We go too deep 'n then we're go'n be sorry!" One of the orks growled out, but the Kapt'n said nothing. The pressure would eventually crush the sub like a paper can, but they weren't there yet. For now, they had to evade the Imperials by going as deep as possible and sneaking out. Already, some of the detonations were farther up ahead so that they didn't affect the sub at all, but some still came dangerously close.

New Sedna, Near New Callisto
No.5 Patrol, Morridane Outriders

Several orks were instantly torn apart or severely wounded as the autocannons roared to life, firing at the small attacking Kommando group. Others took hits from the Morridane guardsmen, but shrugged off some of the wounds as their brutal physique allowed them to keep moving, even under conditions that would incapacitate most men.

Within the group of charging orks, three carried krak bundles while one held a melta charge. Two orks fell to gunfire as they attempted to hurl the explosives at the guardsmen and their vehicles. One krak bundle soared into the Imperial group, while another only made it half way. The latter grenade exploded at the feet of one charging ork, obliterating him into gory green pieces.

The last krak bundle and single melta charge were still in the hands of two orks, who made a fast sprint towards the salamanders. One of the two orks fell to his knees as he took too many hits, and he fired wildly with his slugga one handed. The second ork scooped up the krak charge and now ran with both it and the melta charge, intent on reaching the Imperials.

One ork, holding back in the brush, raised a stolen Higaran flare gun into the air and fired off a glowing red flare high into the sky. He, and just a couple of remaining orks, retreated into the brush and fled as quickly as they arrived. The signal, however, was clearly meant to hold another meaning, but what it was exactly was unclear to the Imperials at the moment. All that remained of the brief skirmish was one last wounded and determined ork who simply wouldn't fall as he trudged through the gunfire with his krak bundle and melta charge.

New Sedna, Near New Callisto
Along the route of the approaching 22nd Flendrian Light

The single red flare could be seen on the distant horizon as the Flendrian group raced to the Morridane position, easily visible to the Imperials. Yet, the Imperials weren't the only ones who could see the flare.

A much larger force of orks, a combination of Kommandos and various boyz in several mobs, hid in the mix of brush and abandoned urban sprawl that hugged the highway. A network of old subterranean tunnels left over from the colonial days of New Sedna snaked just below the surface of the area. Some of these tunnels were known to the Imperials, while others were lost to time. The few that were known were covered in overgrowth and debris that made the tunnels, for all intents and purposes, unusable.

However, over the months, the orks had managed to make it through two of the small tunnels which existed in the wild landscape outside New Callisto without Imperial notice. One such tunnel was several hundred meters away from the highway the Flendrian's traveled on, and the orks were set up to ambush the suspected Imperial reinforcements.

The flare was a signal to the toughest Nob of the gathering mob along the highway, who kept his boys hidden wherever they could manage. Many orks brought their own camouflage with them, and several hid in large oil barrels out in the open, the lids perched open slightly as they peered out.

A segment of the highway just in front of the Flendrian's was hastily mined some hours ago, along with other locations. The orks that spied on the Imperials from their hidden locations watched as the enemy vehicles approached quickly, and few were able to hold their anticipation down.

When one Flendrian Tauros's exploded into a fireball as it ran over a mine, a large mob of orks howled and ran from their place along the road, opening fire on the large Imperial force.

On the opposite side of the highway, a smaller and farther force of Kommandos raced to meet the flank of the Imperial force, hoping to cause havoc with their rokkit launchers.

Farther still, near one of the other approaching Flendrian companies on another roadway, a force of around thirty biker boyz riding warbikes raced to engage the humans, despite being outnumbered. Like many of the other raiding ork groups, they carried plenty of krak grenades to use against the vehicles of the Imperials, and if they got close enough, they could unleash terrible havoc.

New Sedna, Higaran Area of Operations
South of Vana Prime Industrial Complex, Imperial-Ork Front Line
Higaran 52nd Infantry
Regimental Command Bunker

Colonel Faust looked up at Major Jethro Willis with his piercing blue eyes, framed in his usual thin black glasses. Faust looked every bit a scholam professor or academician, even with his Higaran uniform on. The colonel motioned for the Brontian to enter into the room and to take a seat at the large table.

Faust moved silently to lower the volume of the voxograph, which was barely above the sound of a whisper now. When the major spoke, Faust offered a simple nod.

"Yes, it would be appropriate to discuss the placement of your devices." He said, pointing towards one of the large maps before him. Reaching for little red flag markers, he placed several around the Higaran-Ork positions. "These areas here would likely be the best locations for the auspex packages. If these positions look suitable to you, we can move ahead and begin placing them. I'll have my men assist you wherever needed, and if required, my heavy mortars are in position to lay down a barrage at any time, if you feel that is necessary cover."

by **Segmentia** » Sat Sep 19, 2015 5:34 pm

New Sedna, Magellan Prime, Planetary Command Center, Prime Spire

Once again the top ranking staff of the Crusade and their aides were gathered in the command post of the Lord-General. It was a large table, maps and charts laid out over it in an orderly mess. Cups of recaffe of various degrees of emptiness were also settled about.

“No, we can't pull to many regiments off the other fronts, but we should have sufficient forces in our reserves to keep a push supplied with bodies. We'll need to secure the advances flanks as well. But also keep enough units in reserve to save for when we get to Vana Prime. The vehicles General Gormann liberates from Logan's Reach will be essential as well.” Lividivus said, looking over a few movement reports.

“If she manages to take it...” A PDF officer mumbled a bit to loudly. The officer in question got several looks, a few glares even.

“General Gormann is one of the most experienced officers in the entire Crusade, and was vital in the liberation of this very planet, of which you should be especially thankful for. Don't forget that it isn't me who has a giant statue in Victory Square.” Lividivus said, not even bothering to look at the man.

The officer shifted in his seat and returned his attention to the maps. The meeting continued, though the mans reputation was somewhat lessened among his peers now. Gormann was a well respected senior officer after all.

“We have ten regiments, mostly infantry, being moved into position behind sector 23. That should be enough to get the offensive really moving. We also have three full artillery companies moving into place. Whatever they don't level the infantry and sappers can deal with.” A weathered colonel missing an arm said, sitting back in his chair.

“How many armored regiments will be in the push?” A voice further down the table asked.

“Three, for the moment, though they aren't at full strength. It's the most we can spare at the moment. Besides, I'd rather not move a large concentration of armor into Vana Prime. They'll be very useful for the fight to get there at least. Can't tie them up in the city once we get there though.” Lividivus said. Granted he knew the infantry would need heavier firepower to get rid of the Orks once in Vana Prime, but more suited units could be shifted in to do that.

“So, whatever forces are on the front, plus ten infantry regiments at full strength, three full artillery regiments, three armored regiments, plus air and orbital support. It stands a fair chance of at least gaining back some ground.” The weathered colonel from before nodded slightly. He then turned his head and looked at Lividivus. “Are losses an issue?”

“No. If we can't start taking back ground now then we never will, unless we get some major reinforcements and soon. If units lose so many troops they become ineffective they are to merge with other units and keep pushing.” Arktheleon said. The other officers nodded. They had been in the Guard long enough to know lives meant little for the Imperium. It was their job to spend the lives of the Guard well, however, and not waste them. And they were good at their jobs.

“Send out the orders. The assault begins as soon as all forces are in position, and that should be no later then two days. Now then, what's the situation at Kadash Station?” Lividivus asked.

New Sedna, Kadash Station, 12th New Sedna PDF HQ
Captain Johann Halvo

Halvo turned and looked the colonel up and down, nodding in greeting. “Colonel, glad to have you.” Halvo said and turned back to his binoculars and frowning. “And that's correct. We have a platoon or two pinned down across the rail bridge over there. They have at least one Leman Russ with them. We're making good progress so far, but any help would be appreciated.” He said.

Lieutenant Hauser didn't look up from her radio as she relayed a message. “Captain, Kadash Command wants those bridges downed once we secure them. Apparently the Orks are massing across the river and command wants as few crossings as possible. Apparently command will have a few surprises for the greenskins once they start moving across whatever bridges are left up.” She said.

Halvo nodded. “That would halt just about all the main ways to get into our sector as well. We might just be able to start clearing this side of the river.” He said, allowing himself a grin. He moved away from his observation post and looked at Colonel Felix again. “What about it, colonel? Your lads up for some demo?”

by **Morrdh** » Sun Sep 20, 2015 10:59 am

New Sedna, Near New Callisto
Morridane Patrol

The Krak bundle that made it into the Morridane lines exploded and killed or wounded a couple of Gunners as well as blowing the track off one of the Salamander Scouts and immobilizing it. The other three Salamander Scouts were shoved roughly into reserve in a manner that caused much grinding of gears and would've certainly earned the displeasure of an irate Tech-Priest, though their guns were kept firing and firmly focused on the sole surviving Greenskin. Gunfire from the rest of the patrol was also trained on the Ork and its deadly package as the patrol commander, Sergeant Harris, yelled. "Bring the bastard down!"

"Aim fer th'legs! Aim fer th'frickin' legs!" One of the Gunners cried and accordingly the semi-automatic fire of their SLRs shifted to blow the brute's legs to a pulp and stop it from getting any closer. In the distance, opposite to that of the Ork ambushers, came the sound of crashing trees and the revving of engines. A moment the Salamander Scouts of Sergeant Carrow's burst out of the brush, their own guns soon adding to the wait of fire now aimed at the surviving Ork.

"Carrow ye bastard!" Sergeant Harris called out, relief much evident in his voice. "Thought ye would never get here!"

"Wot, and miss out on a brew?" Carrow called back. "Never!"

by **Military Democracy of Birtonia** » Sun Sep 20, 2015 2:25 pm

Colonel Lucius Felix
Cadian 1022nd Airborne Regiment
New Sedna, Kadash Station, 12th New Sedna PDF

Lucius stood in the tower for only a moment, with the half of his command squad present, mixed in with a few PDF troopers obviously accompanying the Captain in the building. Captain Halvo turned and quickly glanced at Lucius before turning back to his observations of the immediate area. Inside the building it was rather stifling, only a few of the windows were open, technically, because they had been shot out, debris strewn around on the floor. All of the bodies inside though is what made it rather unbearable, well that mixed with the stench of humans at war and dying Orks on the outside. The Colonel stepped up next to Halvo when a rather attractive female officer reported some orders from higher.

Through his binoculars, the man could see dozens of buildings, once towering high and proud as a sign of Imperial might now reduced to leaning piles of rubble. All of this created one hell of a kill zone for any heavy vehicles moving through, it would be imperative that his men guarded the flanks of the sentinels as they traversed the war zone in front of them. Just beyond the Imperial lines he could see the bridges the lieutenant was speaking about earlier, he didn't have any dedicated sappers in the regiment, but blowing things up were essentially a Cadian way of life.

"Why of course Captain! We are Cadians after all" replied Colonel Felix.

With that he was the first to exit the tower and descend the steps, followed by his Commissar, the sniper was now left to operate at his own discretion, moving through the ruins or with the troops, it didn't matter as long as he mission was accomplished. Once the two men were on solid ground again the Colonel shot an order to one of his troopers nearby, ordering the voxcaster to pack up and send the signal to move out. Quickly, lines of men sprung forth from the PDF HQ building and other pockets of cover along with the sentinels. Even though the initial combat was short the heavy bolters sticking out of the walkers was glowing red and one could see the steam rising from it. Meanwhile, the 1022nd still had a few companies and the rest of the drop sentinels on standby in the rear, waiting to be called in, in case of being overrun by the Orks, but the unit already deployed stood ready to break the PDF troops free.

by **Imperial City-States** » Sun Sep 27, 2015 10:26 am

New Sedna
East of Magnellan Prime
75 ^th Brimlock Dragoons
Preliminary Staging Area
Colonel Mattock

Colonel Mattock breathed deeply tasting the sweet plains air as the wind kissed softy at the sweat of his face. The feeling was strange, foreign. Peaceful. A rare moment of serenity surrounded Mattock for a few seconds. Right until the roar of a Leman Russ' Engine tore through any such perceptions and he was snapped back to reality. Standing at the foot of the rear troop ramp that belonged to his Command Chimera Mattock could see long trains of armored vehicles and unarmored trucks alike rolling down the old road system that stretched throughout the area. The initial movement of his Regiment from Crusade Command at the Capital to this staging area had not been an easy one. Local congestion of road systems, poorly maintained roads and having large numbers of tracked and wheeled vehicles made progress extremely slow. So far only the Vanguard elements of the Regiment had arrived at the designated staging area and from the reports that Mattock had heard, it would be several hours before the main body even arrived at the rally point.

Mattock took another deep breath of the air that soon would be choked with engine fumes and the oily smell of war machines. Slowly he turned back toward his Chimera. On the outside, it looked like any normal Chimera with the exception of the additional Vox masts at the rear of it's turret. However on the interior it was dramatically different, the majority of the seats had been ripped out and replaced with communications equipment. The bottom floor panel actually could be lifted nearly four feet straight up to act as a table for Maps and other documents. Currently there were several of his staff officers crowded around the table updating Maps with the positions of the Brimlock Convoys'.

"Sir, Our First Hydra Battery is arriving" A shout came out from the Chimera's crowded hold.

Not paying much mind to who actually said it, Mattock quickly shot out his response.

"Make sure they're put in a position where they can cover our Fuel and Ammunition reserves. We can't risk losing those to an Air Strike." Mattock added grimly remember lesson's he had learned as a Junior Officer.

A quick 'Yes Sir' was heard but Mattock again was unable to identify the individual.

Mattock turned to overlook a shallow valley where the Regiments fuel and ammunition stores would eventually be. Currently there was nearly an entire Company of Dragoon's who'd stripped down to their fatigue pants and undershirts and were busy digging away with their Entrenchment tools as they were constructing temporary Bunkers to store the very life blood of the Regiment.

Giving an annoyed glance Mattock picked up a Vox- Amplifier.

"Make sure you keep fifty meter spread between the ammo and fuel, we don't want them all going up because of one stray round!" he shouted down at the Dragoons.

Turning back toward his Chimera he entered it's hold, which upon doing so, he could feel the temperature climb nearly fifteen degrees.

"Lieutenant, get a message prepared for the other two units that are forming up in our A/O".

TO: The 1st Sedna Heavy Fusiliers; The 100th Brumarian Fidesperata
FRM: 75th Brimlock Dragoons
SBJ: Order of Battle

Commanders,

I'm well aware that my unit has little respect from both of your respective units due to the fact that we are fresh to this Crusade. Due to that, i am in a position where i must yield to your greater knowledge of the situation as well as our opponents capabilities. The limited brief that i received whist mobilizing my forces was, limited at best. As a direct result of this, i would strongly suggest that for the initial engagement, the 75^th is put into a support role unless we can get actual intelligence from your two Regiments. I've seen what happens to units that go into battle without proper intel and briefings. It is not a pretty sight. I'm sure it will be fairly easy for your Junior Officers to create an intelligence report in a short matter of time so that my Officers have at least some clue as to what we're dealing with. Currently my Regiment is arriving at our preliminary staging area as dictated by the Crusade Briefing. However terrain here is unfavorable to the defender so i may suggest relocation upon your respective arrivals. That being said, i would like to compile a timetable on when your respective Regiments will be prepared to engage and destroy the enemy.

Emperor Be with you,

Colonel Mattock

-I.M.O.G. · by **Slorch** » Tue Sep 29, 2015 11:47 am

New Sedna, Magellan Prime
Barracks
117th Cyclopean Mechanized
Colonel Robert "Joe" Lee

Lee was tired. Tired of the war, tired of the mound of paperwork, and especially tired of the emperor damned Munitorum messing up there supplies. It happened at their last deployment and it was happening now. Sure it was fine to happen once in a while in an army this large there was bond to be some issues, but the regularity with which it happened to his regiment was absurd. He paused at that thought. It was his regiment now wasn’t it? The thought still stunned him only 26 and already a Colonel in charge of a regiment of the guard. The rank pins that had only come in shortly before land fall a few days ago still didn’t feel right. She sighed and got up from the desk reaching to grab the cup of tea on the corner of the table. At least they had gotten that right; they hard more tea than they had space to store it.

Pushing aside the door, leading out of the prefab bunker that was the regimental HQ, Lee looked over his men unloading the last of their supplies. He was worried about the state of his men. First and second company he trusted as they were filled with veterans. The rest of the companies however were mostly fresh recruits. The sentinel pilots on the other hand, well saying they were insane was putting it lightly. Then again you had to be just a bit messed up in the head to strap yourself into those walking tin cans. He sipped his tea. Yes it was going to be another long day in the Guard. Sighing again he returned to the mound of paperwork. Maybe there was something in there that would actually be useful.

Sitting back down at his desk he sorted through the paperwork. He had maybe a third of the stack finished when there came a knocking on the door. “Come in,” he said without lifting his head. There was a shuffling of cloth as his new adjutant came in with a communiqué. “Also the men are all settled in,” he said as he passed over the papers. The two had adopted a more relaxed attitude with Lee’s insistence since they would be seeing each other often and since he wasn’t one for formalities. Breaking the seal on the communiqué Lee quickly scanned it. “It seems that high command in there endless wisdom has decreed a no retreat, no surrender stance,” said Lee in a slightly mocking tone. “As for this report…” he rails off as he glances through it. “…please send this to the 1st New Sedna.” As the adjutant left Lee thought to himself that perhaps things would get better.

by **Aelosia** » Wed Sep 30, 2015 3:00 am

New Sedna, Magellan Prime, main mag-lev train hub
1st New Sedna Heavy Fusiliers barracks
100th Brumairean Fidesperata Command Section
Erinyes, The Fidematrem

The Colonel didn't look fazed by the comments from Hanna Gormann. As most Brumaireans, she was highly respectful of the chain of command, and that meant that you should shut up, listen and nod to a superior officer, especially a Brigadier General, even if said BG was an iffy noblewoman. She wasn't surprised that Albor had jumped to dismiss the bait as it was, given he was a fanatical disciplinarian and the Fidesperata were just the kind of troops he would hold in high regard. Hell, the scarred fella was for sure having a military doctrine epiphany by just thinking they were around, given his reputation.

Given that, Erinyes already liked having Albor around. He was a kind of animal she was used to deal with, and actually preferred to have around than anyone else. Old School Commissar, the unforgiving sort of tough as nails bastard, in fact, a matching soul to her own. In a twisted second, Erinyes actually considered how a good mate for breeding the Lord Commissar would be, before shaking his hand trying to return the precise amount of strength that he used in the salute, meeting his gaze equally.

After the small greeting chat, Gormann went for the savory nucleus of the Logan's Reach question. So the objective of this push was to reclaim vehicles, a sensitive reason to not blow the place from the sky or from afar with Rad missiles as Erinyes would had done if she was a stratetgic Theater Officer, then again she wasn't for a reason.

After Gormann finished, the Colonel limited herself to nod. "At your orders, Brigadier General. If we hop in this train, we will disembark ready to assault whatever front or position you indicate", she answered trying to look serious and calmed. "There are a couple of tactical considerations I'd like to raise to your attention before we start the party, however. First, I guess your super Heavy Vehicles can spearhead in the rump whatever vehicular formation these traitorous runts manage to put together to resist our push, so I advise to let my own vehicles follow your moving fortresses in that regard. Second, only thing that worries me about this plan is booby trapped ammunition or fuel dumps. I don't want my women to charge buildings with a couple of suicidal zealots inside, and the Emperor knows traitors are prone to have enough of those amongst their ranks, that blow the ammo or the promjuice once we enter the warehouses. I mean, it will happen if it has to, but then I would prefer to blow them from afar with artillery instead of mass assaulting them with troops better used in other roles, if they are going to blow up better by our hand than by theirs", then she paused here to gaze at Albor, not wanting the geezer to think she was somehow unwilling to suffer casualties. "I am not scared of losing troops, not at all, but I am not into wasting them for no gain. So I'd consider it is better to assault whatever buildings your intel says that contains the motorpool to secure the vehicles, and ignoring the fuel and ammo dumps until we can either bait them out, bait them to blow themselves alone, or finish them off at the end. We aren't the sneaky kind, so if you want a cover ops to regain those ammo dumps we aren't the best kind of troops to pull off, unless you have some Light Infantry ace up your sleeve, that is".

The Colonel sighed here, knowing she had been talking too much to a clearly superior officer. "Only considerations, Brigadier General, if you don't mind. I will follow your orders to the letter in any way, even against my so called considerations if you see fit. I serve and obey", she finished with a short nod.

New Sedna, Magellan Prime, main mag-lev train hub
145th Paladin Avenue
100th Brumairean Fidesperata Infantry Section
Assault Sergeant Hecate Ptossius

"One step after the other you imps!", she yelled at the White Shield conscripts marching in formation right behind her own squad, zappìng the force field on her power maul on as to add a precise menace to her barking words. Hecate was a powerful built woman, and with a voice to match. As one of the appointed Regimental Drill Sergeants, she was a disciplinarian of Commissariate standards, and actually the pair of Skullpeaked goons from the Fidesperata used her and her ilk as enforcers with abandon, knowing that they were even more ruthless than the Imperial Officers. "If those shields go an inch lower you are going to march holding them over your head in testudo until we reach the train", she remarked again at the front rank of the novice soldiers that marched in full gear through the streets of the busy city. It was five kilometers left to the Maglev Station, and they had exactly one hour to reach it. Rank and File Fidesperata could cover 3 clicks in 30 minutes barely breaking a sweat, so that gave them an Estimated Time of Arrival to the objective point of little more than 45 minutes, with fifteen to spare and catch the ride. White Shields weren't rank and file, of course, and this squad was the one closing the march and lagging behind, a given as they were the White Shields attached to the support company. If they were going to make the entire regiment late, she knew the Colonel would force them to decimate themselves, so in fact by forcing the fifty recruits to recover marching time even by prodding them with a power maul in the back, Hecate was saving five of them from a horrible death. Decimate lynching was never a good thing to watch or to live. She'd know, she was a lagging behind conscript once, years ago.

However, forty five minutes of this meant she would eventually have to prod one enough to stun them, and that meant one of these was going to be Forlorn in the upcoming fight, going first into any bunker assault they were planning still dizzy and half stunned from the prod, most likely just holding a fuck ton of grenades in the hopes she could blow herself in the face of the enemy. Hecate just silently hoped she wasn't forced to stun the puffy girl running last and lowering her shield half an inch. She was a promising cook, and her sister's daughter after all.

Half an hour later, only ten minutes from reaching the station, Hecate was already thinking about the words she would write home to her sister as her maul fell hard and left her niece convulsing in the ground pissing and shitting herself rolling on her fallen shield that had been lowered an inch too much. She couldn't get distracted for long, however, the march would need to go on and on, especially this close, and she didn't want to lose more recruits today. "Go on Nincompoops, How many of you want to taste another dish of hurt?", she screamed at the standing recruits, letting the blue glow of the maul's head to bathe the runners as to fortify their resolve when they braced and kept running, a dozen of them striding over with a jump the body of their fallen comrade.

by **Ardavia** » Sat Oct 03, 2015 9:31 am

New Sedna, Magellan Prime
Barracks
138th Standerland Mechanized Siege

"Lieutenant, I expect a full report on the morale and battle readiness of D Company by tonight. See to it while we march. Dismissed."

"Yes, ma'am."

With that, the Colonel turned back to the Regiment, eyes wandering over the long ranks of infantrymen, tanks and various other vehicles, in pristine condition and ready for battle. The last few companies were forming up in the rear of the column, and they would soon be ready to march. In the corner of her eye, she could see the Lieutenant hurrying toward his assigned Chimera.

Turning and climbing into her command Salamander, the Colonel snapped an order at her adjutant and smiled as he spoke into his vox-caster and the entire column slowly started to move forward, turning out onto the streets of Magellan Prime. The smile pulling grotesquely at her scars, she looked at the Regimental Commissar, who slowly nodded at her before going back to the dataslate he'd been poring over.

Dependable man, that. A man of few words, but of solid faith in the Emperor. As the Salamander lurched into motion, she steadied herself with a hand on one of the seats before sitting down, her adjutant in the seat next to her. Looking at the adjutant, she spoke.

"Major, how is our battle readiness?"

"T Company has reported a shortage of weapons-grade promethium for their Hellhounds which, like the ammunition for U Company's Vanquishers, has been redirected towards frontline Regiments, as has that for the Medusa. T Company is currently making use of surplus fuel promethium, though this is a substandard replacement, and our Tech-Priests say they should be able to adapt standard Battle Cannon shells for the Vanquishers if needed, though their anti-armour performance will be severely decreased. The Medusa, however, is currently a complete non-entity as far its use in battle is concerned. Other than that, we recently received a shipment of fragmentation grenades, courtesy of the Munitorum, and we have plentiful ammunition for most of our other weapons. There is a slight shortage as regards missile launcher munitions, but we should have enough."

"Good. If you can, try and see to securing additional promethium for T Company. The Vanquishers and Medusa are less critical at the moment. The Basilisks and standard Russes should be enough for whatever the Orks can throw at us. Get the grenades out to the Line Companies as soon as you can, as well."

Celina nodded at the Major, then directed her attention to the dataslate she'd just been handed by the Commissar. It was a recent update on the situation, and to be frank, it was not looking good. The Commissariat's "Righteous Defence" decree merely confirmed her suspicions, that the war was not going well.

The column rolled through the streets, rumbling Leman Russ and Chimera variants leading the way and long ranks of infantry following, Sentinels standing above the ranks of infantry, and open-topped trucks heavily laden with crates of ammunition, empty sandbags, bags of unmixed rockcrete, and piles of flakboard rumbled along in the middle of the column. Hellhounds trundled on to the sides, and the rear was brought up by the Regiment's Hydra Flak Tanks, their weapons pointed to the sky.

by **Morrdh** » Thu Oct 08, 2015 10:41 am

New Sedna, New Callisto
319th Morridane Airfield Defence Battalion HQ
Lt.Colonel Artemis Stormwell

The air was thick with the noise of aircraft, vehicles and sirens. Not long after Stormwell had commandeered a number of the Arvus Lighters present at the airstrip for a relief flight to help out the ambushed patrol that they'd heard reports over the vox of the Flendrians' own column coming under attack. Suspecting an Ork attack on New Castillo an alarm had been sounded and as the airstrip's sirens wailed the Morridanes dashed to their Stand-To positions in bunkers and trenches round the exterior of the airstrip. The Hydra flak batteries were always manned, ready to be put to use at a moment's notice, though Stormwell had made sure that they were on high alert. Though the mobile auspex and modar units had reported the skies being clear, Stormwell still desperately wished for some fighter cover as the Lighters started lifting off.

Stormwell's priority was seeing to his own men, ensuring that they'd beaten off the Greenskins long enough to casevac the wounded back to New Castillo. The Flendrians were a secondary concern, they should be capable enough to deal with an Ork but he kept a vox tuned into their frequencies just in case. Though he had to admit the was amused with the idea of the Morridanes pulling the Flendrians' arse out of the fire, it certainly wouldn't do the pride of their Commissar any good. A call over the vox that Zero-Six, Carrow's mob, had linked up with the ambushed patrol and the attacking Orks had been put to flight but there was wounded that needed medical attention. That meant a single Lighter could deal with that, freeing up the others that carried the best part of a platoon and the Lt.Colonel himself. So Stormwell keyed into the Flendrain channel and called out. "Heard yer lot ran into a spot o' bother? Need any help?"

by **Argentumurbem** » Thu Oct 08, 2015 2:27 pm

New Sedna, New Castillo
Imperial Barracks
22nd Flendrian Light Command
Titus Kasmides, Colonel-Commissar

Kasmides stood before one of the battle maps depicting the territory north of New Castillo, the Ork infested jungles beyond Imperial control. Eight flags had been hammered in to three of the hexagonal grids, forming a squat pyramid of blue markets which represented eighty of Titus’ oldest serving soldiers. At each flag, hand inscribed by the Colonel-Commissar himself, was the tallies of each squad. Already this small band of fighters, half of them not yet even in their designated AOPs, had accounted for nigh on three hundred Orks confirmed. And not a single casualty.

“Sir, the relief column has encountered Ork contacts outside of the combat zone.”

Dragging his gaze off of the map, its detail marking it as being looted from one of the local aristocrat’s manses, Titus settled his eyes on a small screen. On it, marked in hazy runes, was the Forlorn First as well as the Seventh and Eighth companies: Regulus’ Iron Bazator’s and Cairn’s Red Feet. And all around them, represented by harsh greens and browns, was the crossed axes and wedge-shaped swords of Ork forces.

There was a pause as Kleist Evans waited on the Colonel’s new orders regarding this update.

“Was there anything else?”

“Sir, no, sir. That was all Colonel-Commissar, sir.”

“Good. Now get back to it.”

All the command squad could do was move on to other work.

New Sedna, New Castillo
En-route to Enemy Contact
1st Company - Forlorn First
Aifric il Drea, Captain

The Tauros’s, momentarily startled by the sudden death of one of their own, reacted with precise conditioning, their heavy weapons tearing in to the cover which was scattered across the territory on both sides of the highway. Multi-laser beams scorched stone and metal while grenades ploughed in to the undergrowth, sending up plumes of mud and debris. And in all of this mayhem, the Tauros crew and charging Orks located each other. One came on with mindless abandon while the other beat an orderly retreat, raining fire downrange on their pursuers. Once they had regrouped, less one, the Tauros vehicles slowly began to withdraw back to the rest of the company.

Rokkits, as inaccurate as they were ineffectual, were slung at the vehicles which swerved and veered to evade the strikes. It was during this break-neck maneuvering that the second Tauros was lost, half of its frame ripped off by one of the mines before a rokkit sent it spinning in to the thick undergrowth at the side of the highway.

As the Tauros vanguard both brought out the Ork ambushers and kept out of their reach, the infantry element deployed from their transports. The Chimeras, acting as both cover and heavy support, acted as anchors for the line. Representing a roadblock more than a military square, the company settled in to wait the Ork assault, hot on the heels of the returning Tauros recon element.

Eyes focused on the large mob approaching their position, the Forlorn rifle squads were initially oblivious to the second group of Kommandos, slinking as they were, between ruined manufactorum and high wall. Clambering in to what they perceived to be a suitable launching pad, the group of Orks aimed their hulking weapons in the vague direction of the mass of Imperial steel. Private Gordon, stationed as he was off of the highway itself, spotted the greenskins a heartbeat before the first rokkit lurched forward. Squeezing the trigger of his lasgun, the private grinned as he felt the recoil hammer in to his shoulder.

The trigger, once squeezed, sent a signal to Aifric’s Salamander’s command monitor, informing the captain that there were Orks almost on them from the flank. Not that it would help them.

The rokkits, two of which managed to get anywhere near the Imperial forces, both collided with the rear of one of the chimeras. The vehicle did a somersault that would put a gymnast to shame, vomiting out white-hot shards of metal in to the unsuspecting bodies of one of fifth platoon’s rifle squads. Three died.

And just like that, the entire company erupted in to gunfire. The Tauros vehicles swung round behind the firing line to assist with the butchery. Dozens of Orks, a hundred, they all stormed in to the rain of Imperial ferocity and found themselves unable to breach the impasse. Over the bodies of their fallen comrades, the Ork menace continued forward, guns barking as they tried in vain to spill Flendrian blood.

New Sedna, New Castillo
En-route to Enemy Contact
Eighth Company - Red Feet
Cairn Ualan, captain

Captain Cairn Ualan was half-asleep in his Salamander when the outriders called in the Ork contacts. Thirty bikers warranted a rune half the size of Ualan’s own, which promptly dissipated in to twelve smaller howling bears. With the warning reaching the advance Tauros’ in advance, the recon vehicles could slow down their galloping drive forward to allow the rest of the company to join them.

“Take them off road,” the captain ordered his vox-caster operator, throwing himself out of the top-hatch to take command in person. “I want three lines of fire.”

Of course, the advance warning did not give them the time necessary to create anything regarding a defensive trench, but with calculated efficiency, the Eighth presented a hedgehog of bristling weaponry towards the oncoming bikerz before they would get close enough to throw their krak grenades.

The Tauros’ rolled off-road, their drivers pointing them towards the back of buildings and concealing walls so that they could spring their own ambush. The outriders, maintaining a shadowy leash on the Orks, continued to radio in the enemy movements while scanning for other targets. If the Morridane could allow this mass of Orks through their territory, then there was every bit of evidence to warrant that another force was present.

The bikerz, racing forward underneath a moving cloud of thick grease and smog, gunned their engines in to overdrive at the sight of the Imperial defences. Charging in to the wall of laser and plasma fire, the Orks were a clutch of flying daggers aimed directly at the flesh of the Flendrian eight company. A normal enemy would have been brought low instantly, but then the greenskin’s stupid stubbornness to refuse death ensured that four of their misshapen grenades arched through the air on a trajectory that placed them within the Imperial ranks.

“Stand firm!” Cairn called out as he spotted the first grenade land on the turret of one of his third platoon’s chimeras. “For the Emperor!”

The second blast was minimized by Private Daniels, whose body lost its torso to save his squad’s transport. The tragedy was that he believed he was saving the rest of his squad, who were outside of the blast radius. It was the third grenade which erupted in his squad, taking three soldiers in a fiery plume. The fourth grenade accounted for a second chimera, destroying its right tracks as surely as if it had never been placed on it.

And just like that, the Ork attack was destroyed.

“Sir, the Outriders are calling in to ask if we need assistance.”

“The Outriders?”

The bikers had already been accounted for, each one updating their search pattern for more enemy contacts.

“Sorry sir, the Morridane sir. On an open channel sir.”

An open channel? The captain had the question on his tongue when he recalled that the Flendrians had revised their communications encryption and to ensure the safety of the regiment had provided their worthless frequencies to the other regiments. Regiments Titus had barely made any contact with at that stage.

“Squawk them denial.”

Obviously they weren’t the Ork’s target. That worried Cairn more than an oncoming mob of Ork bikerz. Such concepts as strategy and deception should not have even been in the Ork language. And here it was.

“And call in to Aifric and Regulus. Let them know that-”

“Colonel-Commissar Titus is on the vox sir!”

Kasmides? This is an unusual pleasure. Ualan was torn in regards to their new commander. On one hand, there had been no one better suited to reorganise the regiment from the mess that had been rival clansmen and nationals dividing the men based on their birthplace rather than unifying them for the Emperor. In addition, he led by example, a well-regarded trait no matter the rank or personality. And on the other side, he had imposed his own doctrines on the men, folding in a regiment of off-worlders simply because he appreciated their abilities over the Flendrians. Titus had not respected the Flendrian commanders enough to allow one of their own to rise to Colonel, Ualan himself being the previously unchallenged choice for such a position.

“Colonel-Commissar, sir!” Cairn acknowledged with parade-grade precision.

“Captain Cairn, I have had orders dispatched already to the Forlorn First and the Iron Bazators in regards to their updated Order of Duties. I am personally relaying the Red Feet’s new Order of Duties because I am having them filed incorrectly.”

If Cairn had been struck with a shockmaul he would have had more power over his body. Filing them incorrectly? Titus Kasmides was a man of discipline and dogma and unshaking faith. He did not bend to use anything other than the weapons of the Emperor. The weapons of honour and glory.

“Do you understand what this means?”

The second thought which rendered the captain unable to respond was that it was he who was being granted this unique command. It was not Aifric, his rival for command, nor one of the Equestrian squads which still lingered within the regiment. It was him.

“Captain I require vocal assent.”

“Colonel-Commissar, you have it.”

“I have sent coordinates. You will move your company there and secure the facility. The ability of our neighbours has been shown to be lacking and therefore they have forced my hand. Go in the Emperor’s name, and in mine.”

And with that, the Colonel closed the link, leaving the captain to get his company moving.

by **Segmentia** » Tue Oct 13, 2015 4:57 pm

1st New Sedna Heavy Fusiliers
Assault group rally point, Logan's Reach

The boom of artillery filled the air around the massive depot of Logan's Reach. General Gormann looked down on the sprawling facility through a pair of binoculars, smiling slightly as she saw the artillery bombardment doing its job. Mainly targeting the traitors own artillery, as well as any obvious defenses and strong-points. Lividivus had said he would prefer to have as many of the support buildings in tact as possible, but if it came down to it, he would settle for the vehicles and munitions stockpiles. She had set up her regimental command on a high-standing hill just outside of the range of most of the enemy defenses, and the weapons that could reach this far had been taken out in the chaos when the traitors had taken the facility, their crews that hadn't turned sabotaged what they could before they met their ends.

Now the survivors would have a chance at redemption. Scattered around the Logan's Reach facility were the remains of the loyal PDF regiments that had been manning the base, along with the various regiments that were now poised to assault the base. Gormann lowered her binoculars and turned, walking back to the table where the various regimental commanders were awaiting her.

“Okay ladies and gentlemen, this is going to be pretty straight forward.” She said as she reached the table and directed their attention to the map. “The Lord-General want's this base back in our hands as soon as possible, regardless of the cost. We'll need the supplies here to help with the offensive about to take place in the north. So we need to be quick and brutal, no real change up from our usual tasks there.” She chuckled.

She unfolded a map that was laminated and pulled out a marker. She drew a half-circle around Logan's Reach. “These are roughly our positions. We have a few companies to the north, here, here, and here.” She said, drawing circles in areas each time she said 'here'. “They'll block anything trying to escape using the main road ways. The plan of attack is simple. We're going to advance on the base and storm it. We don't have the time for anything fancy or drawn-out. Get in, get close, and gut the bastards.” She said, looking to each officer in turn.

“My regiment will be the spearhead, however. We have the firepower to bust down any remaining defenses and pin down any large concentrations of enemy troops. Not saying we'll be doing most of the fighting, there should be plenty of glory for the rest of you as well.” She smiled and checked her watch.

“Alright, report back to your commands and get ready. If there are any questions or concerns now is the time to speak up.”

by **Aelosia** » Thu Oct 22, 2015 3:09 am

New Sedna, Magellan Prime, main mag-lev train hub
1st New Sedna Heavy Fusiliers barracks
100th Brumairean Fidesperata Command Section
Erinyes, The Fidematrem

"Quick and brutal is what we do best", said the Brumairean Colonel smirking in glee. The large woman pointed at a point next to the triangular shape depicting the New Sedna's spearhead. "With your permission, Brigadier General, I ask to take your left wing. Once you charge through we storm the motorpools to your left, secure any vehicles they have unactive and wipe them out. Someone else take the right with the fuel and the ammo dumps. If you can catch the attention of their armour so we can focus on digging out the infantry it would speed the advance on the entire front. I plan to focus on storming the buildings and redirect any armoured columns towards your formation with the handful of tanks I have at my disposal. If they flee, your roadblocks can deal with them instead. I plan to run the whole way through, trying to deny them time to get their fighting vehicles in active and slaughtering their tank crews before they get to their vehicles, if possible. Given time is of essence for this manouver to work, and that they are waking up with the artillery bombardment, I think I might start to march my women now", finished the brutal officer as she stood up from the table.

"One last thing, Brigadier General. The Emperor Strikes", she said as she started to leave the command post.

New Sedna
Outskirts of Logan's Reach
100th Brumairean Fidesperata Infantry Section
White Shield Private Medea Ptossius

Medea was scared. but not scared of death.

She had failed during marching, she had fell behind on formation during the hard march to take the train that had brought the regiment to the frontline. And she had payed for it with interest. Her own aunt had dosed her with a low volt power maul discharge and left her on the street, soiled and convulsing. Medicae support closing the formation had picked her up, revived her on an ambulance gurney, and get her into the train on time, but the grim expressions of the nurses had told her what she would expect once she got back into the lines. Forlorn Detail.

During the trip, her former squad mates had cleaned her and given her a new black full bodyglove undergarment and a dark balaclava mask. She had been given back her shield, with all personal and squad markings removed, painted black with spare boot polish bitumen. She had been clad in her light armour painted the same way, and a maul with the Brumairean Fleur chipped away. For all that mattered, Medea had died the moment her aunt had hit her with her power maul during the march to this place. Her name would be scratched from the company's record no matter what happened. She was forsaken. She was forgotten. She was Forlorn.

And now, already dead, she didn't fear death. She feared failing again. Failing to die, as her duty called her upon.

There were another ten women around her. Half of them recruits, all clad in black, all shadows of what they once were. The other half were veterans, and they were the ones carrying the matt assault shotguns into the fray, privilege for being better shots. Forlorn Detail was an assault squad, and that meant half the squad was only equipped to hand-to-hand, brutal melee combat, while the other half gave assault cover. First six only carried shields, mauls and pistols. Medea checked the shield on her forearm. There was not going to be a shotgun for her now.

A last figure took a step forward and started banging her shield against those held by the first rank.

The Brumairean Enforcer stood in front of the formation of the conscripts with a look of scorn, clad in her impressive suit of heavy carapace armour, battered and chipped on former engagements. Veteran Sergeant Agape Khethane, was the name of the massive woman that was going to lead the forward element of the regiment charging to enemy lines. Khethane was sixty years old, age of retirement, and medicae section had recently diagnosed her with severe arthritis and osteoporosis, consequence of one too many years feeding on scarce field rations without the needed nutrient complements. If Khethane survived the action on this theater she was going to get discharged on medical grounds, her knees and wrists not strong enough anymore to march and fight in the Emperor's Name and becoming a liability for the rest of her squad.

Veteran Sergeant Agape Khetane had volunteered to lead the Forlorn in the hopes that didn't come to pass.

Her shield had been tied up to her forearm, and the grip of her power maul had been chained to her armoured fist, so her weakened joints didn't betray her one last time and forced her to drop her weapons during the fray. If she lasted that long, that was. Khetane was going to be the first Brumairean upfront during a frontal assault on covering enemy forces. Reaching melee in such circumstances was, at best, a distant possibility.

"I see around me and I see the dead staring back at me", started Khetane as a distant series of thumps informed the detail the New Sedna's artillery discharges had started, and with them, the battle. The old Sergeant had a rumble voice and half of her front teeth missing, another memento of her illustrious and brutal career in soldiering.

"Don't wonder how you will die. You already did. You died failing, as I did the day my aged bones betrayed me. You have a last chance, a last second as you fall. Just wonder, Fidesperata...How do you want to be remembered?", the Sergeant screamed to her Forlorn with a steel determination engraved on her voice as she braced her shield and started to walk forwards, towards the front edge of the Brumairean formation.

"Dead Wives Walking!", screamed the other Brumaireans as they passed next to them, giving them honor, staying out of their way to the front in respect.

"Dead Wives Walking! Dead Wives Walking! Dead Wives Walking!", chorused a thousand voices as they passed from a simple walking march to a jog, led by the ancient Sergeant.

As they approached the last battlement in front of the line, as they passed the leading Company Chimeras, the chorus grew higher and higher, until it started to drown under the echoing blasts of the Brumairean artillery that was being fired behind their lines. Medea was just a Private, but even then, she knew how regimental assault tactics were done. First salvo, creeping barrage, close support artillery. Those projectiles were going to fly over their heads and explode right ahead of them, to force the enemy to brace in cover and let the infantry charge them. She just hoped the bombardiers had their distance measured right. There were precedent of the creeping barrage hitting the Forlorn squad. It wasn't that Medea was scared of dying flattened by an artillery shell, but as a friendly fire casual incident? That was not the way she wanted to be remembered.

Deafening booms and clouds of dirt and mud rising in front of her as her jog turned into a run following Sergeant Agape's lead. Her shield was banging against her shoulder and all her body ached, muscular memories of the forced march and the maul discharge. Private Medea pushed pain behind, in a corner of her mind next to her caged fear, as the second salvo whistled above their heads, passing towards the front before exploding in more soil geysers several meters ahead of her, this time the explosions so close that she didn't hear the third salvo being fired.

Bright red beams came out of blurred enemy lines upfront. She caught the smell of released energy and wondered at how silent everything had become, lasfire making no sound to her deafened ears. She couldn't make any figures through the confusion and the fog of war. She didn't see any enemies yet.

She didn't hear the Heavy Stubber, she couldn't. She didn't see the Stubber neither, somewhat hidden in the brownish fog created by the sprayed mud of the artillery shells. She felt the bang of a heavy round against her shield that intercepted her running speed and forced her to stop dead in the middle of the charge. Her arm was completely numb, and her body felt as if she had charged a wall with a body slam. She tried to regain momentum turning around as she saw another forlorn runner passing her by decapitated by another heavy round, falling to its knees on the ground and remaining there, the body strangely resting as in prostrated prayer.

Was that the way she wanted to be remembered?

Ignoring the incoming fire, now that the rest of the forlorn had passed her into the charge, Medea screamed her name on top of her lungs, unable to hear her own roar, and vowed to herself to earn a proper way to be remembered.

A meltagun vaporized her in the open before she could reach the rebels' line, five seconds later right as she tried to storm a sandbagged position in front of an enemy building. The overheated stream of vapor completely disintegrated her body, her armour and weapons. Nothing but her pulverized, blackened bonedust remained in a heap behind the crumpled, deformed metal plate that once was her shield, the ceramite buckled and consumed but not disintegrated. Nothing that could mark there was once a soldier charging there. Nothing to be remembered.

by **Argentumurbem** » Sun Oct 25, 2015 7:28 am

New Sedna, New Castillo
Water Purification Nexus - Sector Pael
Eighth Company - Red Feet
Cairn Ualan, Captain

The building was massive, a towering fortress of pipes and cooling systems that dwarfed the living hubs all around. Grey and grey and grey, it had a very bleak appearance, built by slaves instead of being carved by artisans. Its importance had nothing to do with its architecture, however, or indeed, with its size. Instead, what was important was the very specific job that went on within: water purification.

Water was necessary for the creation of life. It was also necessary for the continuation of life. A human needs a lot of water each day. A soldier doubly so. As such, the water purification nexus, that central point for a city-wide web of pipes and smaller facilities, had been the first installation secured by Imperial forces. When the rest of the Imperial Guard regiments had moved off to the frontline or other reserve positions, the Morridane had been granted the responsibility to watch over the vital factory. Given that they had more pressing concerns, that responsibility had been handed down to a PDF unit: 4th Platoon, 2nd Company, 1st Battalion, 42nd New Sedna Regiment.

And now, the Eight Company, 22nd Flendrian Light would take over.

"I want all platoons deploying by the numbers. Have the vehicles secure all routes in and out. We are in for the long haul."

New Sedna, New Castillo
Carrying out Search and Detention
1st Company - Forlorn First
Aifric il Drea, Captain

The Forlorn had been given a different assignment, although it was still related to the PDF...

As was the standard procedure for dealing with a state of martial law, the soldiers were expected to carry out routine searches of the civilian population in order to root out traitors and spies. The guardsmen were usually given this duty, the PDF's abilities almost always in question. However, on New Sedna Titus had allowed his men to "forget" to carry out such a thing and allowing them to focus on the enemy who was going to come down on them from the outside. Now, with the first casualties being documented, the commander of the Flendrians had reassigned the 1st to support the PDF in their mission.

Aifric had dismounted to march side-by-side with Captain Yasmites of the 5th Company, 1st Battalion, 19th New Sedna Regiment. Neither spoke to the other, instead focusing wholly on making sure that their respective commands outdid the other. Dozens of soldiers stormed in to buildings, their lasguns trained on every shadow and squirming body. Vehicles raced up and down the roads and alleys, turrets spinning as their searched in every alcove ahead of the infantry hot on their heels.

The screams of the civilians dragged out. On. And on. And on.

New Sedna, New Castillo
Tunnel System Entrance - Sector Gry
7th Company - Iron Brazars
Regulus il Cail, Captain

Regulus hissed like a wild cat at the sight of the greenskin corpse. On knuckles, he edged closer towards it, tasting the air as he did so. With a steel-capped toe, he nudged the cooling slab of muscle. It had seized up.

"How many others are there?"

"That's the only one."

"So they have come this way then."

The tunnel entrance was a building of itself, a square of metal and stone that acted as a cover for the tank-sized hole that gaped from the ground. Storming it as if it had already fallen to the enemy, the Flendrians had put las-bolts in to a dozen workers and servitors, their corpses already being retrieved for "re-purposing". Now with it flagging the electronic rune of the Flendrian 22nd, Regulus had decided that it was time that his men move on to the next segment of their mission.

"5th Platoon will lead the way. 3rd will follow at a hundred metres."

He did not need a vox, the officers were at his side and Regulus did not understand the concept of inside voices.

"The rest of us will hold the facility, 4th ready and waiting to follow you guys in if you call."

That was, if the greenskins had amassed an army within the tunnels and the first two platoons woke them up.

by **Segmentia** » Wed Oct 28, 2015 8:46 am

1st New Sedna Heavy Fusiliers
Brigadier General Hanna Gormann
Logan's Reach Assault

Gormann sat in the command cupola of her Baneblade, the hatch closed and sealed above her. She still had excellent vision and situational awareness thanks to the advanced systems of the Baneblade, and her own experiences from leading in the Baneblade. It was an acquired skill, and many officers would scoff at the idea of either a general leading from the front, or from inside a tank. Her regiment was formed up in a close V formation, with the two Mars-Patter Baneblades near the center, along with a fair share of the Leman Russ tanks, the rest of the vehicles spread out among the infantry sections. The regiments Hellhammer was on call as support, either for the 1st New Sedna Heavy Fusiliers, or some other regiment that may need help. The regiment's Basilisk company was awaiting orders for close fire support or otherwise taking out targets of opportunity.

The artillery barrage had done a pretty good job of removing most of the defenses in the line of advance for the 1st, and the sight of the Baneblades made most of the battered traitors run. All for the better, Hanna supposed. Her regiment would no doubt be facing the brunt of the enemy resistance, so the longer she could keep her regiment at its full strength as possible was just fine with her. She swiveled in her seat and observed the left wing of the attack. The 100th Brumairean Fidesperata was already in the fight, though it seemed pretty sporadic. She assumed the enemy commander had most of his troops in the fort, waiting to make the Imperium pay for every building and street with blood.

“Tell Delta company to tighten up with Echo. They're starting to veer off a little.” Gormann said, getting a grunt of acknowledgment from her vox operator. All things considered, the initial advance seemed to be going well. Before long her regiment, along with others, would reach the breaches in the walls and storm through. The gate down the road from them had been destroyed by the loyalist Guardsmen when they retreated, and in the meantime had only been filled back up with junk and rubble. Artillery had cleared most of that away, ad what was left a Baneblade could easily roll over. Not that that was her plan though. It would be a great spot to have placed some degree of explosives, waiting for a tank to do exactly that. No, they would just use the Baneblades demolisher cannon to deal with that.

It wasn't long before they were in range to do just that. Gormann felt her tank slowly turn to line up the shot as she moved down to the command deck, switching from tank commander to the general that the gold on her lapel said she was. “Round up!” The loader of the demolisher said over the internal vox. Hanna sat in the high-backed chair with a sigh and a grin. “Fire at will.” She replied as she started looking over the various displays, flicking her eyes up to watch as the massive cannon fired. The round arched through the air and hit the barrier of rubble and junk right on. The explosion was magnificent, and lager then it should have been. The traitors must have packed a lot of explosives into that barrier.

“Storm company, go.” She said as she keyed into her regimental vox channels. The storm company, Beta Company, was a company of heavy infantry, basically storm troopers, and a good number of them were veterans of the Crusade. Gormann always did get the best pick of reinforcements. She grinned to herself. There were a great many rumors as to why, the most popular being that she and Lord-General Lividivus often shared the same bed. It wasn't true of course, but if she tried to deny it then people would just think it was true even more. The truth was that she was Arktheleon's right hand. If there was a particular problem that needed to be fixed, she was the one he sent to fix it, whether it be taking a strong-point like Logan's Reach, or restoring disciplined to the ranks when there just weren't enough commissars to descend upon the regiments who were found lacking.

Speaking of Commissars. Gormann checked the battle-display, something that showed the general location of the attacking forces. Lord-Commissar Albor had himself and his storm cadet company centered in the middle of the V formation the attacking force had formed into. A decent place to be. They could shoot the runners or rush forward to any part of the line that needed them. She expected nothing less from Albor, and was actually slightly surprised he hadn't insisted on being the initial storm company.

Beta company stormed into the breech with Hellguns blazing, though the fire that was returned was just as withering. A platoon of four Chimera's rolled forward slowly, adding their las and auto-cannon fire in support of their infantry, with a Leman Russ cautiously rolling forward as well. If she had been in command of the defense, she wouldn’t try to hard to keep the walls or the first ring or so of buildings, not with how many breeches there were in the walls already. She would funnel the attackers into kill-zones, use the buildings and defenses a place like Logan's Reach had. And it seemed her counterpart was of the same mind. It wasn't twenty minutes before Beta company reported the breech was clear and more infantry started to pour in, along with the second Mars-Pattern Baneblade. Gormann would advance in the mid-stage of sending the regiment in.

by **Aelosia** » Wed Oct 28, 2015 1:48 pm

New Sedna
Logan's Reach
100th Brumairean Fidesperata Second Infantry Company
Captain Ignatia Ullania

As she came out of her Chimera's hatch, with her tactical binoculars placed on her frowning visage, Captain Ignatia in charge of the Second Infantry Company of the Brumairean Fidesperata watched the battlefield unfold in front of her. Right behind the first charge of the Forlorn squad, the Second Company stormed towards one of the large buildings identified as the traitor's motorpool storage location. Switching to her left, she could see the First Company doing the same towards the second target location, hoping that the Third Company was following close in the middle of them as a wedge between the two formations ready to speed up if the assault of the main formations faltered in any of both fronts.

The boom and thunder from behind her subsided, as the creeping barrage from their own artillery contingent stopped, signalling that the early chargers of both companies had already reached the enemy positions and were hugging them close. With less than twenty pieces of ordnance, the Brumairean artillery wasn't able to bombard extensive areas, but it was usually used as a curtain of fire for advancing troops on a narrow front, just as Brumairean regimental doctrine stated. With a lurch her vehicle sped up to cruising speed, catching up with her charging troops and forming the anchor of the line from which the Captain could issue orders to every squad in range. Once she reached her own lines the vehicle slowed down and kept up with the running soldiers.

Brumairean doctrine also laid out a specific plan of battle before hostilities started in earnest, but once they were in the thick of it, it gave large amounts of autonomy to squad leaders, relying on cooperation between the different squads to achieve the objectives. Even the Captain would only redirect squads if some unexpected change of plans arised, or enemy manouvers executed sudden changes. In truth, it was up to the Sergeants on how to engage the enemy. For Logan's Reach, the plan was simple. Artillery creeps until infantry reaches the line, and the Armour contingent was going to run in support close to the infantry charge, ready to deal with whatever obstacle or reinforced positions the infantry couldn't handle.

She took off her binoculars and took out a data slate from a chest pouch of her armor.Viewing the screen, she checked the position of all Brumairean units storming the motorpool buildings...

First Company, on green, was storming the further left building, its frontline squads already engaging the enemy standing guard in front of it, while the Second, her own command displayed on turquoise, had equally contacted the enemy on the right side. Third, in dark navy, was advancing between them in the hopes of charging the space between the two structures and splitting the enemy in two. The armoured contingent had executed a rash head-up, its heavy Siege Demolisher tank squadron moving in front of third ready to blast the entrances of the buildings apart if the gates had to be broken, its wings covered by the advance of two Hellhound Squadrons that formed the regimental battlefield support reserve in case any unpleasant surprises were sprung from the sides. Ullania's own company could count with the nearby support of a Punisher Squadron and another Hellhound Squadron, racing from behind to either support the main attack or flank the building and cut it off from possible reinforcements, and the slate displayed an identical manouver was being carried out by the Eradicator squadron and the remaining Hellhounds on the other flank, in support of the Colonel and the Major leading the first.

Her driver throttled the vehicle forwards, propelling it to the entrance of the building, where furious close quarters firefights had dislodged many of the defenders, who seemed to be willing to break formation and run back to the safety of the reinforced rockrete of the motorpool's walls. Opening a channel of communication to her platoon leaders, who were also riding on Chimeras, she issued her orders. "Gorgonnes units. Line formation with me. Center and forwards. Infantry to disengage and stay in position. I repeat, all infantry to maintain position and avoid further advance", the Captain said, half crouching under the lip of the hatch as several lasbolts and stubber rounds started to kiss the front part of the hull as the Chimera drew attention by moving past the infantry. Thankfully all heavier anti-tank weaponry had been disabled during the initial charge, each of the squads' Sergeants knowing those were the priority targets during any assault.

Manouvering her vehicle to the center of the formation, she watched as the other platoon leaders parked their vehicles to the sides of her own, while the assault squads gave a final effort to repel the infantry they were tangled with. The sudden apparition of the advancing Chimeras had shocked the enemy troopers enough as to force them to abandon any ongoing melee and fight in orderly withdrawal towards the last line of defense located right in front of the building's entrances, where they hoped to consolidate and repel the assault.

Exactly as Captain Ignatia Ullania was expecting.

"Purify...", she almost whispered on her commlink.

On her order, the eight heavy flamers mounted on the transports opened up simultaneously, turning first the retreating enemy troops and then anyone still standing on the last positions into disintegrating slag, and kept their hoses open fully licking the entrances until the content on its promethium tanks was exhausted after fifty seconds of sustained fire, turning the entire front of the motorpool into an inferno where even the ground turned to ash, and the coverings of the rockcrete threatened to turn into magma, the two massive gates of the structure half melting, any opening mechanism completely ruined.

The outer defense of the motorpool had been obliterated, now it was the turn to wait until demo dealt with the closed gates.

by **Military Democracy of Birtonia** » Fri Oct 30, 2015 10:05 pm

Colonel Lucius Felix
Cadian 1022nd Airborne Regiment
New Sedna, Kadash Station, 12th New Sedna PDF

As Lucius began planning his strategy to rescue the PDF troopers an urgent message came in from higher, according to his voxcaster anyway. He turned and quickly took the paper he held in his hand, reading it silently. The Colonel then crumpled it, lighting it on fire so as not reveal troop movements to the enemy, however idiotic they may appear. Lucius knew the PDF commander and his men wouldn't be very happy about the regiment leaving before they even got into the fight. He looked up and saw the Captain descending the stairs of the tower.

"Well sorry to ruin your fun, but command is ordering us to relocate to a more urgent situation. Best of luck to you holding the station and getting your men, I'll leave a company on standby, you need us, you call us" he shouted over to the commander.

Almost instantaneously, the first pair of Valkyries arrived over the skyline and began their descent to the LZ, engines roaring and sending small debris flying around everywhere. Cadian troopers, experienced with the wash from their transports engines began covering their faces and hunkering down behind something solid while a few PDF troopers were struck by small pieces of trashes flailing about. Troopers filed into the rear of the waiting transports, efficiently leaving the area with as much speed as they had violence in arriving to Kadash Station. More and more Valkyries arrived, each touching down in clockwork fashion, finally after the infantry had loaded up some of the crew chiefs emerged and began reattaching the Drop Sentinels to their specialized attachment points, along with ammunition to replace what they had spent.

Colonel Felix entered the last Valkyrie, following the example of many officers before him, being the first on, and the last off of any field of battle.

The entire regiment was in flight now, save for one company in reserve, to either assist at Kadash Station or Logan's Reach, whichever required the most assistance. They truly were a sight to see as every bird formed a delta wing formation, consisting of five ships each. It was clear from the air where the other guard units were located, as there were masses of infantry and heavy vehicles poised to strike the facility. In the regiment's particular fashion, they arrived quickly, and loudly. Engines roared as they heaved the mass of metal and guardsmen slowly towards the surface of the planet. Lines of Valkyries touched down, infantry being the first out and forming up under the command of their NCO's and officers while the colonel and his command squad moved towards the rally point where the core of the assault group had formed.

In the center was an imposing female figure, which Lucius had immediately recognized as General Gormann. He paused slightly, waiting for her to finish issuing commands and such.

"Ma'am, Colonel Lucius Felix, Cadian 1022nd Airborne, just got word from higher and we're staging as we speak. Where do you need us?" he asked, approaching the General from behind.

In Service to the Imperium; Episode 7 (IC-Closed)

Who is online