Post by Warork on Sept 5, 2014 5:19:22 GMT
Day 1
The Skies Above Novus
The sun was bright in the sky five thousand meters above enemy territory. The silence of the blue abyss above the earth was shattered by the roar of two hundred sets of quad engines carrying Marauder bombers of the Imperial Navy. Their bulky, vulture shaped forms flew in loose formation over the historic city of Novus, a broken bank of clouds perhaps a kilometer below them separating them from the earth below. Each war machine bore under its wings a number of bombs ready to unleash a firestorm on the city below them.
The Eagle had turned its gaze upon the planet of Ollanius...
Flight lieutenant Jory Kassel commander of the third squadron of the three hundred and seventy fifth Naval Fighter Wing, also known as "Spade Squadron", sat within the cockpit of his Thunderbolt, one of many to be escorting the Marauders on this mission. Through the port side of his cockpit he could see his wingman flying just a few meters behind him keeping steady formation as he had for the past hour. Beyond that was the formation of four Marauders that was leading the other one hundred and ninety six that were arrayed behind them. Even through his helmet's visor and rubber flight mask, Kassel could see the the stencil art drawn onto the side of the leading Marauder's nose. It bore a colorful depiction of a woman in a vacuum sealed flight suit riding a broomstick and winking suggestively at the viewer. Underneath in flowing calligraphy were written the words "Void Witches" as well as a large number of small symbols that looked like small bombs all lined up in neat little rows. Kassel knew from his long years in the navy that those stood for completed missions and that number of missions could only mean the Marauder was both quite old and piloted by a very experienced crew. Kassel's solace was suddenly interrupted by a burst of static from his helmet's internal vox.
"Escort flight lead," The voice that followed the static said. It had a very clipped accent, one that Kassel expected would be more at home speaking in High Gothic in the courts of the Imperial nobility. "This is Flight Major Alenbore reporting that formation has reached altitude of Angels plus four. Estimated time to target is ten minutes."
"Understood Major." Kassel voxed back. "Advise that you buckle up, flak ought to be keeping us company up here in three or four minutes."
"I don't doubt it for a moment, Lieutenant." The Major shot back quicker than Kassel would have given him credit for. "My bird and I were on the other four missions like this over the city, no surprises here. Formation lead, out."
"Throne in flames." Came a voice over Kassel's vox just a few moments after the Major had hung up. Kassel recognized the voice coming from his wingman on the squadron's private channel. "All four of the mass raids? Didn't you see the casualty lists for those?"
"Everyone did." Kassel responded. "Things have changed though. Between all the sorties that us, the four oh sixth and the five twenty first did after planetfall the brass are saying now that the traitor air force is basically gone,"
"Psssh" The wingman scoffed. "Why don't they tell that to Jarvin."
"Enough." Kassel said, the memory of one of his fallen squadron mates and friends still stinging in his memory. "We're Spade Squadron and we do not fear the enemies of the Emperor; air or land."
"Ave Imperator." The other voice said resignedly.
"Imperator Dominatus." Kassel finished, switching off the vox.
Day 1
Camp Epsilon Staging Area
A skeletal platform separated the command staff of the fifty fifth Vostroyan Grenadier regiment from the assembled mass of its fighting body. Colonel Nikolai Alexandrov; an imposing man wit a face of burly facial hair much like every other man in his regiment, stood at the center of the platform as his second in command Major Klapiski paced in front of the ranks of the men. Every company was here by rank, their banners held by stalwart men in the forward ranks of each block fluttered in the slight breeze that came to them over the plain. The Colonel waited for the Major to approach him after the inspection was complete. He gazed out at his men all dressed in brilliantly scarlet uniforms and shining brass shaded carapace armor holding their pristine weapons whose bayonet tips gleamed in the golden sunlight. He nodded ever so imperceptibly; thousands upon thousands of ranks of guardsmen arrayed in front of him, every single one of which would give their lives to follow his every order. This is what a fulfilled life looked like in service to the Imperium and Vostroya. This is what the might of mankind looked like. This regiment, these men arranged by companies looking like some distant dream of the days of millennia past when the glory of men reached for the stars in the greatest crusade ever undertaken, this was Alexandrov's home.
The Eagle had turned its gaze upon the planet of Ollanius...
"Sir." The Major said as he returned to stand at attention in front of the regiment arrayed before them all. The Colonel was taken from his thoughts as he looked at his second in command. "All companies present and accounted for!" Klapiski announced. The Colonel nodded and then looked over to the regimental commissar who was standing off next to him, likewise on the platform dressed in the customary black of the Commissariat. The Commissar looked down to the chronometer he held in his hand and nodded to the Colonel who then strode to the middle of the platform and beheld the glory of his regiment for one last moment; statues, motionless statues that were each and every man.
"Fifty Fifth!" He shouted. As one the statues suddenly moved, each man coming to attention with the sound of thousands of boot heels clapping together at once echoing over the staging area.
"At ease!" The Colonel added. The statues went back to their relaxed stances.
"As you all know, we will be headed into battle soon." The Colonel said, his voice projecting over the ranks of the regiment. "By now you should all know exactly what that means. Our objective and indeed the objective of this entire army is to retake the city of Novus from the traitorous scum that holds it from the glory of the Emperor's light. Before we prepare for holy war, however, the Lord General himself has ordered that every regiment hear his address."
With that the Colonel turned on his heel and stepped from the center of the platform, nodding to a red robed figure standing patiently away as he did so. The robed figure seemed to buzz softly to himself as he turned a few knobs on a device he was holding. After a few moments a bright blue figure phased to life in the center of the platform. It was a hologram of the Lord General himself, his form distorting every few seconds as the projector warmed up. The Lord General was the picture of Imperial authority; medals and accolades adorning his chest under a golden chain brocade that spanned the storm coat around his shoulders. The general's face was old as evidenced by his many wrinkles and scars and yet he somehow managed to appear as strong and noble as one of the many statues of heroes of old that graced Terra's surface. Suddenly he cleared his throat.
"Guardsmen, sailors and airmen of Spinward Front! You are about to embark upon this great battle, toward which we have striven these many months. The eyes of the Emperor are upon you. The hopes and prayers of humanity itself march with you. In company with our brave allies and brothers-in-arms elsewhere on the front, you will bring about the destruction of the Traitor's war machine, the elimination of Severan tyranny over the oppressed peoples of Ollanius, and security for the grateful citizens of a newly freed world.
Your task will not be an easy one. Your enemy is well trained, well equipped and battle hardened. He will fight savagely...
But these are the days of triumph! Much has happened since the initial setbacks of the Dominate secession years ago. The Imperium has inflicted upon the Traitors great defeats, in open battle, man-to-man. Our Aeronautica operations have seriously reduced their strength in the air and their capacity to wage war on the ground. The Departmento Munitorum, in its wisdom, and by the Emperor's grace has given us an overwhelming superiority in weapons and munitions of war, placing at our disposal great reserves of trained fighting men and women. The tide has turned! The righteous of the Imperium are marching together to victory!
I have full confidence in your courage and devotion to duty and skill in battle. We will accept nothing less than full victory!
Good luck! And let us beseech the blessing of our almighty Emperor upon this great and noble undertaking."
The hologram faded away after a few more moments and the Colonel promptly took his place back tat the center of the platform.
"Men of Vostroya, you know that I expect the very best from you!" He shouted to be heard again. "Go now, return to your camps and make your obeisances to the God Emperor for soon we will march upon the walls of that city and take what is rightfully the Imperium's! DISSMISSED!"
Day 1
Behind the Barricades
Colonel Arkat gazed through his magnoculars from atop the Cadian section of Novus' outer defensive wall. In the distance he could see the flashes of distant artillery pieces as they rained shells down upon the traitor fortifications to his east and west. He could see the small outlines of vehicles and tanks in the distance. The dull roar coming from overhead reminded him of the small black dots that crossed the expanse of the sky; death machines headed for the heart of the city to rain fire down upon this treacherous foe they faced.
The Eagle had turned its gaze upon the planet of Ollanius...
Arkat sighed. Six months had passed since his regiment had arrived in the capital city. It had been six months of betrayal, upheaval, war, hardship, suffering...and now hope. Six months ago the Cadian One hundred and twenty second mechanized regiment, his regiment, had been sent to the city of Novus by request of the planetary governor to help maintain order on a planet that was quickly falling to dissent and increased rebelliousness. Their coming had heralded a short period of peace within the city of Novus which was followed by an equally short but brutal coup by the planet's ruling body as well as the PDF. The governor was long dead...the rebels had hung his body from the top palisades of the Palace of Peace at the heart of the city. Initially Arkat had wanted to fight for a way to get his regiment out of the city, escaping into the countryside and calling for Imperial aid. The PDF and the traitorous civilian militias that formed in Novus during the coup had other plans, however. The Cadians soon found themselves pushed back to their HQ and the surrounding city sector which they had no choice but to dig into with their backs literally against the wall. The arrival of Severan forces on the planet and inside the city signaled the end of any escape plans the regiment might have had.
Months of siege ensued. The Cadians endured constant bombardment from artillery and enemy propaganda both. Their numbers and supplies dwindled with each passing day but they endured every single attack thrown at them without complaint or surrender. The rebels had chosen the wrong people to besiege, it turned out. The average Cadian soldier was a rock, unmovable, unbreakable, with bottomless faith in his officers and his Emperor.
The traitors would find no compromise and certainly no mercy here...
Arkat lowered his magnoculars and looked behind him. At the top of an old Administratum block building that had served as the Cadian HQ was a flag pole that was visible for several blocks around the barricades. On that pole were the tattered remains of a large Imperial banner bearing the holy Aquila as well as the Cadians' own regimental banner flying below it. Some days Arkat woke up and hardly believed his eyes that those banners were still flying there. He could recount half a dozen times at least in the past month that assaults upon the walls of their little fortress, or "Kasr Novus" as the men liked to joke, had nearly broken through. It had only been by the Cadians' stubborn will to resist that they had hold their ground. Arkat's fine regiment of thousands of soldiers had been reduced through constant attrition, lack of supplies, and enemy raids which had sometimes been able to sneak past their guard to just seven companies comprising perhaps two and a half thousand effective fighting men...and many of those were walking wounded. The worse off were all housed in the basement of the Administratum block where the regiment's surgeons worked tirelessly to save their lives despite the supply situation. The situation would have looked very bleak for the one twenty second if salvation had not made planetfall three months ago in the form of Lord General Oximar's army corps. Since that day Arkat had received numerous communiques from the General's staff telling the Cadians that if they would be relieved...if they could just hold out a little longer...
But with their ammo nearly gone, only the Emperor knew if--
"Colonel Arkat, sir." A voice said, shaking him from his thoughts. He turned to see his vox officer standing next to him patiently. "Captain Bolern just called for you. He says it looks like they might be preparing for another push."
Arkat swallowed. 'Hold until relieved.' He thought, well, by the Emperor they would have to do just that. He nodded to his vox officer and gathered his command squad to descend from the outer wall and make their way to the inner barricades.
It took them a few minutes to walk there and on the way they passed many troopers who were all hurriedly heading in the same general direction. This seemed to be it, the last assault that would determine whether the One twenty second would live or die. Arkat could feel it in his bones. The Severan leadership wanted to rid themselves of the small pocket of imperial resistance left in the city before the rest of the imperial army showed up. Arkat understood that his regiment's presence represented a major strategic disadvantage for the defenders of the city and that more than anything was why he had to hold...he would hold.
He arrived at the battlements where Captain Bolern, his second in command after Major Hisker was killed in action, was waiting on him. Through the windows of the hab block that had been turned into firing slits and murder holes, Arkat could see the streets below him teeming with activity. Traitor PDF and militia, distinct with their red markings to symbolize their brotherhood with the Severan Dominate soldiers also within the city, were moving up the road. Formations of them were splitting off to cut through buildings or entrench themselves within them. Vehicle engines could be heard in the distance and no doubt meant that this push would be supported by tanks of some sort.
"I guess this is it, Colonel." The Captain said without a hint of fear in his voice.
"Aye, it is." Arkat responded. "For them. See to it that every man knows not to fire until the order is given, I want to maximize our ammunition usage with volleys. And ensure that the men using our lascannons and missiles know only to fire when they have a clear target. We can't afford to screw up here, make sure everyone knows that."
"They do, sir." Bolern responded. "But I'll tell them anyway." The captain took his command squad and proceeded to take his position elsewhere.
"Bolern." Arkat said as the captain left. The captain stopped in his tracks. Arkat looked him in the eye, both of them bearing the violet irises of men born to Cadia. "No matter what happens," The Colonel said. "It has been an honor to serve with you."
"Aye, sir." Bolern responded tersely. "And it will be an honor serving with you after today as well." He said as he saluted and left. Despite everything, Arkat smiled. That was Bolern; always so certain of victory despite the odds.
Arkat began giving orders to his subordinates to prepare for the defense when his vox operator prodded him again.
"The Lord General wants to speak with you, sir." The voxman said with a look of wonder in his face.
"Tell the General's staff the situation is the same it has been the past fifty times they've talked to me today." Arkat said as he continued to give orders.
"Sir." The voxman persisted. "Its THE Lord General." Arkat looked like he'd been slapped.
"What?" He said as he took the vox phone from the man without waiting for an explanation. "One Twenty Second Actual here, who am I speaking to?"
"Colonel Arkat." A solemn voice on the other end of the line said. Arkat had never heard this voice before but he knew any voice as old and full of experience as that one had to be the Lord General's "This is Oximar. I know your situation is desperate and you may not have much time for idle conversation so I will make this quick. Can you hold, Colonel?"
"Can I hold, sir?" Arkat asked, his heart in his throat. He looked around at his men. They were dirty, some of them were malnourished. Many of them looked like they needed a solid day's sleep or they might fall over at any moment. Many of them had white bandages wrapped around their limbs or their chest or their head where they had been wounded but volunteered to continue fighting. Each man looked at him expectantly.
"I assume you can see the Aquila banner from where you are, Lord General?" Arkat asked.
"I can, Colonel." Came the response.
"I swear to you sir, by Terra's holy throne. If they want to take down that banner they will have to climb over the bodies of each and every man in this regiment."
"Understood, Colonel." The General responded. "While we are swearing oaths however, I would like to take this moment to swear to you by the light of the Astronomican that you will be relieved before that happens. Do I make myself clear?"
"Crystal, sir."
"Go with the Emperor, Colonel, May he watch over you and yours."
"Thank you, sir."
The line returned to static which was quickly followed by the distant crump crump of mortars firing.
"INCOMING!" Someone shouted. The Colonel and his squad took cover near the battlements. Arkat peaked over the wall of sandbags and saw squads of traitors fanning out to charge the walls again. They bellowed war cries that echoed off the walls of the defenses.
"Men of Cadia!" Arkat yelled into his comm bead. "Prepare to volley by rank!"
The traitors covered the ground between the two lines quickly, running and firing their weapons while their comrades attempted to pin down the defenders by shooting support weapons from the windows of the buildings on the other side of the courtyard.
"Take aim!" Arkat shouted as he lined up his own weapon, a bolt pistol on an advancing enemy. He waited until he could see the whites of the man's eyes. "FOR THE EMPEROR, FIRE!"
Behind the Barricades
Colonel Arkat gazed through his magnoculars from atop the Cadian section of Novus' outer defensive wall. In the distance he could see the flashes of distant artillery pieces as they rained shells down upon the traitor fortifications to his east and west. He could see the small outlines of vehicles and tanks in the distance. The dull roar coming from overhead reminded him of the small black dots that crossed the expanse of the sky; death machines headed for the heart of the city to rain fire down upon this treacherous foe they faced.
The Eagle had turned its gaze upon the planet of Ollanius...
Arkat sighed. Six months had passed since his regiment had arrived in the capital city. It had been six months of betrayal, upheaval, war, hardship, suffering...and now hope. Six months ago the Cadian One hundred and twenty second mechanized regiment, his regiment, had been sent to the city of Novus by request of the planetary governor to help maintain order on a planet that was quickly falling to dissent and increased rebelliousness. Their coming had heralded a short period of peace within the city of Novus which was followed by an equally short but brutal coup by the planet's ruling body as well as the PDF. The governor was long dead...the rebels had hung his body from the top palisades of the Palace of Peace at the heart of the city. Initially Arkat had wanted to fight for a way to get his regiment out of the city, escaping into the countryside and calling for Imperial aid. The PDF and the traitorous civilian militias that formed in Novus during the coup had other plans, however. The Cadians soon found themselves pushed back to their HQ and the surrounding city sector which they had no choice but to dig into with their backs literally against the wall. The arrival of Severan forces on the planet and inside the city signaled the end of any escape plans the regiment might have had.
Months of siege ensued. The Cadians endured constant bombardment from artillery and enemy propaganda both. Their numbers and supplies dwindled with each passing day but they endured every single attack thrown at them without complaint or surrender. The rebels had chosen the wrong people to besiege, it turned out. The average Cadian soldier was a rock, unmovable, unbreakable, with bottomless faith in his officers and his Emperor.
The traitors would find no compromise and certainly no mercy here...
Arkat lowered his magnoculars and looked behind him. At the top of an old Administratum block building that had served as the Cadian HQ was a flag pole that was visible for several blocks around the barricades. On that pole were the tattered remains of a large Imperial banner bearing the holy Aquila as well as the Cadians' own regimental banner flying below it. Some days Arkat woke up and hardly believed his eyes that those banners were still flying there. He could recount half a dozen times at least in the past month that assaults upon the walls of their little fortress, or "Kasr Novus" as the men liked to joke, had nearly broken through. It had only been by the Cadians' stubborn will to resist that they had hold their ground. Arkat's fine regiment of thousands of soldiers had been reduced through constant attrition, lack of supplies, and enemy raids which had sometimes been able to sneak past their guard to just seven companies comprising perhaps two and a half thousand effective fighting men...and many of those were walking wounded. The worse off were all housed in the basement of the Administratum block where the regiment's surgeons worked tirelessly to save their lives despite the supply situation. The situation would have looked very bleak for the one twenty second if salvation had not made planetfall three months ago in the form of Lord General Oximar's army corps. Since that day Arkat had received numerous communiques from the General's staff telling the Cadians that if they would be relieved...if they could just hold out a little longer...
But with their ammo nearly gone, only the Emperor knew if--
"Colonel Arkat, sir." A voice said, shaking him from his thoughts. He turned to see his vox officer standing next to him patiently. "Captain Bolern just called for you. He says it looks like they might be preparing for another push."
Arkat swallowed. 'Hold until relieved.' He thought, well, by the Emperor they would have to do just that. He nodded to his vox officer and gathered his command squad to descend from the outer wall and make their way to the inner barricades.
It took them a few minutes to walk there and on the way they passed many troopers who were all hurriedly heading in the same general direction. This seemed to be it, the last assault that would determine whether the One twenty second would live or die. Arkat could feel it in his bones. The Severan leadership wanted to rid themselves of the small pocket of imperial resistance left in the city before the rest of the imperial army showed up. Arkat understood that his regiment's presence represented a major strategic disadvantage for the defenders of the city and that more than anything was why he had to hold...he would hold.
He arrived at the battlements where Captain Bolern, his second in command after Major Hisker was killed in action, was waiting on him. Through the windows of the hab block that had been turned into firing slits and murder holes, Arkat could see the streets below him teeming with activity. Traitor PDF and militia, distinct with their red markings to symbolize their brotherhood with the Severan Dominate soldiers also within the city, were moving up the road. Formations of them were splitting off to cut through buildings or entrench themselves within them. Vehicle engines could be heard in the distance and no doubt meant that this push would be supported by tanks of some sort.
"I guess this is it, Colonel." The Captain said without a hint of fear in his voice.
"Aye, it is." Arkat responded. "For them. See to it that every man knows not to fire until the order is given, I want to maximize our ammunition usage with volleys. And ensure that the men using our lascannons and missiles know only to fire when they have a clear target. We can't afford to screw up here, make sure everyone knows that."
"They do, sir." Bolern responded. "But I'll tell them anyway." The captain took his command squad and proceeded to take his position elsewhere.
"Bolern." Arkat said as the captain left. The captain stopped in his tracks. Arkat looked him in the eye, both of them bearing the violet irises of men born to Cadia. "No matter what happens," The Colonel said. "It has been an honor to serve with you."
"Aye, sir." Bolern responded tersely. "And it will be an honor serving with you after today as well." He said as he saluted and left. Despite everything, Arkat smiled. That was Bolern; always so certain of victory despite the odds.
Arkat began giving orders to his subordinates to prepare for the defense when his vox operator prodded him again.
"The Lord General wants to speak with you, sir." The voxman said with a look of wonder in his face.
"Tell the General's staff the situation is the same it has been the past fifty times they've talked to me today." Arkat said as he continued to give orders.
"Sir." The voxman persisted. "Its THE Lord General." Arkat looked like he'd been slapped.
"What?" He said as he took the vox phone from the man without waiting for an explanation. "One Twenty Second Actual here, who am I speaking to?"
"Colonel Arkat." A solemn voice on the other end of the line said. Arkat had never heard this voice before but he knew any voice as old and full of experience as that one had to be the Lord General's "This is Oximar. I know your situation is desperate and you may not have much time for idle conversation so I will make this quick. Can you hold, Colonel?"
"Can I hold, sir?" Arkat asked, his heart in his throat. He looked around at his men. They were dirty, some of them were malnourished. Many of them looked like they needed a solid day's sleep or they might fall over at any moment. Many of them had white bandages wrapped around their limbs or their chest or their head where they had been wounded but volunteered to continue fighting. Each man looked at him expectantly.
"I assume you can see the Aquila banner from where you are, Lord General?" Arkat asked.
"I can, Colonel." Came the response.
"I swear to you sir, by Terra's holy throne. If they want to take down that banner they will have to climb over the bodies of each and every man in this regiment."
"Understood, Colonel." The General responded. "While we are swearing oaths however, I would like to take this moment to swear to you by the light of the Astronomican that you will be relieved before that happens. Do I make myself clear?"
"Crystal, sir."
"Go with the Emperor, Colonel, May he watch over you and yours."
"Thank you, sir."
The line returned to static which was quickly followed by the distant crump crump of mortars firing.
"INCOMING!" Someone shouted. The Colonel and his squad took cover near the battlements. Arkat peaked over the wall of sandbags and saw squads of traitors fanning out to charge the walls again. They bellowed war cries that echoed off the walls of the defenses.
"Men of Cadia!" Arkat yelled into his comm bead. "Prepare to volley by rank!"
The traitors covered the ground between the two lines quickly, running and firing their weapons while their comrades attempted to pin down the defenders by shooting support weapons from the windows of the buildings on the other side of the courtyard.
"Take aim!" Arkat shouted as he lined up his own weapon, a bolt pistol on an advancing enemy. He waited until he could see the whites of the man's eyes. "FOR THE EMPEROR, FIRE!"