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"What aura of invulnerability has the PDF gained here?" asked Arvitus of O'Hern. "At what point did Agent become some Juggernaut that is impervious to attack from five loyal regiments?
Now, what is developing is exactly what will continue to happen. The enemy is bringing up more troops and assets to attack, so we need to take Agrent NOW. To sit on the defensive and think that we can build a fully-functioning spaceport within range of the guns of the navy is non-nonsensical.
Now, O'Hern, if we work together, we can take Argent now. Yes, start moving out, but Attack the city to East with you Highlanders, and keep your Longspear in reserve. Your attack on the city will be _unopposed_! But your rear will be attacked by the forces in the Forest. Just has the Longspears ready for them and fight them off.
At the same time, Firmianus and I will attack the city to their front from the their North. We will keep them engaged until the . At which point those Heavies will join with us and roll through an enemy that has been tired and attritioned from fighting all day.
With the Space Port at Agrent secured, we can bring down mechanized units and take Torton!
Now, can you do that General?"
O'Hern launches piercing eyes to General Arvitus for one second and in a latent aggressive tone "I've meant to take the forest to avoid heavy damage from their navy bombardment and probably a regiment disembarking on our flank, my longspear will jointly attack the forest to deny them the chance to assault our flank or harass us during our attack. That forest has good strategic value as a defensive position against their navy and any troops they might try to disembark there now and later on. I will use my Highlander to take Argent, but I also meant to move most units to attack in an angle that makes it difficult for their navy to blast us to oblivion before we can event think to making it to Agrent, and by taking that forest from them by surprise with the longspears, it will force them to split their fire to support them while giving us the time to taker Agrent 'unopposed'." O'Hern has spoken the clearest words ever so far in this campaign, but apparently you must get him to focus by channeling his anger somehow.
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Tension flows palpably from Artivus' face, relieved to get not only direct words, but direct action from the man.
"Okay, yes, we are absolutely engaging the forces in the forest! But why hunt for them, or attack them in their prepared positions when we can make them come to us? You Longspear need merely wait until they move to relieve Argent, and then fall upon them.
Also, there is the matter of "Force Efficiency". If all of us wait until the forest is clear, we have three regiments that must be inactive. But if we all move against the city, we force the enemy to, in essence, be where we want them.
Lastly, we've not been having any problems dropping troops, but we have been having problems with air cover. With Argent taken, we can station air assets locally, which means more air cover."
Arvitus takes a deep breath, as a man who is running out of time. " General, every enemy regiment South of us is moving to our position. Waiting one more day may allow him to invest the city beyond our ability to neutralize. With our only friendly city in range of naval guns, and possibly five PDF regiments in Argent, would put us between a rock and a hard place.
In the Emperor's name, let us not fail due to inaction. Take the city with me now and be my brother!"
Secure Channel, High Command, encrypted: Come in command. General Yorke.. Requesting reinforcements at Torton, nearest regiment. Speed is of the essence. Torton can be secured. Take Torton, then drop troops into Torton and ambush waterborne enemy.
Make contact with Colonel Ventura. He remains loyal. If taken quickly, we can let enemy think they control Torton, lure them.
Lucius ponders the problem for a moment then speaks.
"spread the news. The men need to know who they're up against.failure to inform might incur additional losses.Requesting members of the ecclesiarchy to spend time before lights out to motivate remaining men."
"This is Yorke, reading you Rodriguez. Most of the landers are already on their way, but I am redirecting the 821st to your position. Repeat, reinforcements incoming..." he said.
Looking at the map, he prayed to the God-Emperor that he wasn't making a mistake with this. With what appeared to be three enemy forces, one routed yes, and the other undersized, but the third would be fresh and full force... If the enemy's GOWs were too far out of range, that would be perfect, but he still felt there was something he was missing...
Getting his comms officer on hand, Yorke dialed in Arvitus, O'Hern, and Kimes. "Generals, be advised, Torton has received additional enemy reinforcements and the Cularans are cut off. Attempting to reestablish contact with them. I recommend that O'Hern secures the flank while Arvitus moves to intercept enemy regiments near Torten, if the two of you do not feel an attack is viable at this point. Cadians are still incoming as per last communique, but I am redirecting the 821st to Torten."
With that message relayed, Lucien began transmitting back to the 9th Cularan. "Colonel Ventura, do you read, over? I repeat, 9th Cularan, please respond!"
Tension is still palpable in his words "I never said I was waiting, for this war effort's sake, stop talking and let's start killing this traitors already" as O'Hern salutes the General and takes his leave, but when Marshal Yoke transmission comes in he stops and turns to face Arvitus once more.
"My spears will secure the flank if any one dares show up, they will engage them as you say, but what about Marshal Yorke's words now General Arvitus? Make a quick decision sir, I would say continue as planned."
Copy, High Command. Much obliged. Any word from Ventura?
@Yorke - ...perience... unication... ulties... oration curfew proto... trust no one. Balfour... aitor. Genie is... the bottle... ques... rein... ents... will... atch... the skies... honor... to serv... Ventura, out.
The transmission ended strong, like the man.
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Gaius nods at O'Hern. "The Marshall merely said that if we can not take the city, then we should find something and kill it.
But we can take the city. My men will die by the droves, but the city will fall between the vice of two heavy units.
Move out, and we will meet again at Ardent's Spaceport...brother.
The Emperor protects."
Indomitus Jubatus - Firmianus, Yorke - Communication Good
Only hissing static comes from Colonel Ventura's direct vox frequency, but conflicting reports are coming up through the communications haze over Torton. Generally speaking they are all requesting urgent support from ground, air or orbit, but the dramatically different reports on the positions of the 9th Culara lead Analysis to one of two conclusions. Either the loyal 9th is growing increasingly fragmented through the town, or many of the vox reports are coming from the enemy. Both, possibly. Without any dissenting voice from the naval liaison, the Marauder squadron descends on the straits north of Pirale with a strong Thunderbolt escort. There it stoops on a large collection of wet-navy vessels, slicing through it again and again, drawing only minimal fire from the vessels they attack. On close inspection is seems the vessels are primarily a transport navy, for the mass hauling of goods... or manpower.
Without an airborne escort they are incredibly vulnerable to the Imperial attacks, and flee for the safety of Hive Yclept's harbor before darkness. The next morning the 117th Cadian Shock begins landing at General Arvitus' last reported location as the Imperial Guard shifts over onto the attack. While the Marshal is intent on directing the situation on the planet, the Arch Magos takes shipboard morale into his own hands and begins addressing the matter of the treason of the 9th Culara with its... er, his well known empathy. Happily he manages to dragoon a number of members of the Ecclesiarchy into speaking on his behalf, and the issue of information control aboard the fleet is resolved for now. There is the matter of the urgent request from General Kimes for a naval battlion to be dispatched, and the Lord General is demanding a specific timeframe for when this element is to be organized and landed.
Maxarpa Sector - Kimes - Communication Good
With a Sentinel screen deployed in the woods between Maxarpa and the coast and on the beaches to the south west, the able-bodied Warhawks are able to focus on the leveling and flattening of the ground which is to become a spaceport through the martinet's favorite method; drill and close-order marching. The medicae and the senior NCOs of the regiment have performed a headcount, and it seems the effective strength of the regiment has been winnowed down to 5 400, with another 500-odd wounded who are likely to recover in the not-too-distant future. Other wounded are laid up on a more long-term basis, and are resting in buildings toward the north of town until they recover, or they are placed aboard returning supply shuttles.
Kimes' dedication to rebuilding Maxarpa and his apparent willingness to have his men working on the buildings is continuing to raise his personal profile among the leading local citizens. One of them makes a casual remark to one of the Harakoni Captains which he senses is meant to be picked up, and passes it back to the General that night; the commander of the Corps local to Hive Ardent is called Cleomenes, a longstanding PDF officer from one of the noble families and a brave if uninspired commander with a dogged attachment to his orders from Lord Davias. The Captain's friend invited him to dine with him soon to exchange old war stories, but the Captain wants Kimes' approval - and assures him that he isn't going native.
Torton Sector - Rodriguez - Communication Good
Rodriguez has also lost touch with Colonel Ventura, but from the safe vantage point where she recovers she can see flashes of light and hear crashes and explosions from the eastern parts of Torton where the embattled 9th is subjected to attacks from three sides and bombing and strafing attacks from the air. She is undoubtedly frustrated at her helplessness; she has no assets to utilize to greater effect, no way to alter the course of events unfolding before her... until the the lead elements of the 821st Penal Legion hove into view, approaching from the east. The night is spent with Rodriguez getting a measure of Colonel-Commissar Myles and asserting her command style, and it is a weary staff all around when the legion returns to Torton the next day.
As the legion gathers, Jene is able to make contact with a number of junior officers within the city, who (mostly) report that the 9th is bloodied but ready to die to the last to wreak bloody vengeance on the scum-sucking traitors who defile their world. It seems the local militia has been so badly shattered in the internecine combat that they've dissolved and allowed the Guardsmen to conduct a fighting retreat towards the center of town under increasing pressure from their traitorous brothers.
North Ardent Sector - Arvitus, O'Hern - Communication Good
The 28th Scyllan Highlanders march briskly off to the south east in a triple column, the sound of their distinctive pipes echoing gaily across the plain. They cross the river west of the Silverwood unopposed, while the Longspears move slowly toward the edge of the woodland. The Kriegers also move out, abandoning their fortifications to the first Cadian landing parties, expected with the dawn. The Cularans do not choose to contest the plains north of Ardent - perhaps aware of Imperial airpower - and the Death Korps camps peacefully under an open sky.
The next morning the Scyllans move out again under the personal leadership of fierce O'Hern, hearing the growing sounds of combat to the west as they continue their drive on Wilton. The column was just nearing the river for the second time when a sudden hail of las fire heralded a surprise attack from the Cularans, at the very last place the regiment expected; head on. It isn't a crushing attack and the Highlanders are only too eager to head toward the fight, but the ongoing brawl does succeed in one thing at least - bogging down the Imperial drive on Wilton. For now, though the Longspears are advancing through the forest to support III Corps' spearhead.
This sort of assault is what the Death Korps are made for. The enemy are present in unknown strength, in entrenchments that bar the way to an objective of extreme importance. The environment may be refreshingly habitable, but the laconic guardsmen know their duty, and they form up in three great lines even as the first landing craft bear their Cadian cargo in the rear. General Arvitus himself gives the order to advance and they do; steadily, inexorably and in perfect grim silence. Approaching the treeline to the south, the forward line shudders as it is flailed by volley after volley of las fire from the south. The forward line advances - if slowly - until the second line catches up and the two together continue to advance, firing back blindly at the enemy lines. From first contact to the woodlands is half an hour under fire from what quickly becomes clear is two Cularan regiments, and then the bloodied ranks of the 66th Death Korps storms into the trenches of the PDF and sends the enemy reeling south towards Hive Ardent harried by mortar fire. The field to the north is heaped with Krieger bodies, but the Cadians are landed by Arvitus' command post and ready to get into the fight - and the Korps itself seems willing to continue its drive if so ordered.
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Gauis marches up and down the line of trenches, stepping over traitor corpses and congradulating his men. Truly the Death Korps have lived up to their name! He shouts and yells, extolling the virtues of standing fast in the face of enemy fire.
"Captain Raus!" Arvitus shouts to his new Top, since Commander Marcks now decorates the northern field with his noble blood. "We have performed admirably this day! Hold here and keep the enemy busy until I can confirm that O'Hern has contacted Ardent's flank. Then we shall push forward with the Cadians to Glory!"
Arvitus ducks into his improptu CP and signals for his Radio Man. "General O'Hern! I am pleased to report that we are taking glorious casualties from at least two enemy regiments! The North of the city is well engaged! Please signal when you have made contact with Ardent's Eastern edge and we shall push forward to Victory!" Arvitus' voice is full of energy, feeling that the upperhand is finally within their grasp!
"If you feel safe then go ahead," Kimes told the Harakoni captain, "I've actually been considering inviting the various noble heads to dinner with me, but considering my current venue is... well... cadian green tents or requisitioned town houses, think I'll pass. If you get a chance ask if they would be willing to help us with the space port. I've no intention of destroying it or leaving it to rot, and I'm sure they can imagine how... profitable a space port in their own back yards would be. It's just a question, from me, not a demand or anything. Oh, and send a runner or something when you get back, just to lemme know they didn't poison you or anything."
With the small office once again to himself, James once again turned to the medical report detailing the losses of the Warhawks. It wasn't good. More than 20% casualties to a unit was considered devastating, at less than 60% strength the warhawks were no longer combat effective. At best they could expect to be sent back to their homeworld for reinforcements, the old blood forming a veteran core of a new unit. At worst they would be demoted to line infantry, merged with another unit or two which took heavy losses and sent back into combat. Hopefully the glowing report the general had just finished would ensure the former. In either case James wasn't going to use them in a major drop again this campaign.
"Corporal!" James called out.
"Sir?" Prescott asked, walking into the office.
"More reports for you to deliever," the general said with a smirk.
"Anything else sir?"
"Send a message to the fleet, ask them to send some engineers for the spaceport. Also pass along a message to the other Generals, I'm considering taking a unit to recon Hive Yelept in force. Preferably the 74th foresters, I still want the engineers first. Sooner we get the space port finished the sooner we can get those loons down south some support... don't include that last part in the message."
"We are engagin' de enemy near de river, they made a stan' in front av us, we 'ill break through." as O'Hern fires a lasrifle himself amongst his men
"De Longspears are advancin' through de forest ter support as ordered."
Simple quick and to the point battle report to maintain General Arvitus logistics flowing and simple.
Rodriguez makes herself known to the approaching 821st Penal.Curfew Protocol, Colonel-Commissar. 9th Cularan Rifles will recede, shelter in place, hunkering down behind cover.
We're gonna create a gauntlet, a killing field. Anything caught between us and our loyal 9th Cularan brethren dies.
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Gauis sighed heavily as he looked at the latest intel disposition. Everything looked good, except....
O'Hern held up. Yes, of course he would break through; the man was competent and aggressive, victory was assured there. But would the enemy die well enough to hold him long enough? Without his heavy Highlanders that made just the two regiments with him to take the city. Take it they would, but at what cost?
One more regiment. One more and the balance tips to solidity. A few thousand men and the enemy can not stand, no matter how well they die.
"Rudolf," he called for his radioman. "How stands the vox?"
"It is clear now, sir. Whatever jamming the enemy had it's moved off."
Good. Send a message to Marshall Yorke:
Marshall,
1) Frontal attack met heavy resistance. Prepared for final push at first light.
2) III Corps has met heavier resistance than expected. Unknown if timetable can be kept.
3) One additional regiment of Line needed to guarantee control.
4) Request 16th Lanbat Rifles - Line - 13 000, to drop just behind my position to filter in behind assault and solidify control of SpacePort.
The Emperor protects.
"Will we be waiting until reinforcement drop then, sir?" asked the young Rudolf, not yet old enough to grow a decent beard.
"No. 'Make plans for failure, make plans for success' we are told. The city is waiting for us. It would be rude not to take it. No matter the cost."
"No matter the cost," the young man repeats back to him.
The Marshal sighs as he hears more and more reports coming in. "Well this is getting to be rather nasty... Lord General, I think Firmianus is better suited to the disposition of the water navy. My boys and I are foot sloggers, not sailors. He will know how to at least deal with the mechanical aspects of it. That is, IF we have the resources for it! I am thinking though that if we want wet-navy assets, we are going to have to take them. Can you do a reconnaisance of Port Pirale to see what assets they have available for dry-docks, and how much damage we did to those vessels at Hive Yelept? If we can grab them for ourselves, all the better. If not, then let us at least see what we need to deny the enemy. Finally, can someone do a flyby on Hive Elson and let us know what is going on over there?"
Once more dialing another frequency, this time to Kimes. "General Kimes, I am relaying your message to the cog-boys, hopefully they'll be inclined to head your way!"
Dialing in Arvitus' frequency, he replied to the man's request. "Passing on your request to Firmianus General, the Lanbats are his forces, but I will send along the recommendation." Turning to Firmianus himself, Yorke smiled. "It seems that the General is requesting another line regiment, specifically your Lanbat Rifles. Care to oblige him? Also, Kimes is needing some engineers, or at least someone handy with a wrench and a hammer. Know anyone we can send down? I would love to be able to chat further, but my feet are getting itchy for some action. I am going to drop down to..." he pauses for a second and takes out a worn coin, flipping it into the air before it landed on heads. "Well, that settles that... I will be taking my forces down to Maxarpa to give our friend Kimes a hand. He is probably feeling a little lonely all by himself out there with only the enemy's navy to visit. Might as well brighten up his day a bit! Never mind the engineers for him, I will bring them with me myself. Good luck up here!"
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Brief message to General O'Hern: "General, I'm looking at the latest intel report, and it looks like the Longspears aren't opposed. It may be that the enemy retreated all forces from the forest and placed them below Ardent.
Please consider having the Longspears join you when you drive East into Ardent.
The Emperor protects."
Firmianus raises and mekadendrite to his chin and scratches it.
" very well then. The general may have my lambats."
He opens a vox channel to general Arvitus
" general arvitus! My men are at your disposal. Give me coordinates to drop them in from"
As he waits for a response from the general, Firmianus makes an open request across all open vox channels in lingua technis, trying to rally any available combat ready tech-priests to prepare for drop ahead of time, pulling engiseers from his own dragoon unit leaving behind a skeleton crew of tech priests to maintain the mechanised infantry as the bulk of tech priests are moved to be dropped instead.
Firmianus turns to Yorke as leaves for the drop
"I trust that you will keep my tech priests alive Marshall Yorke. Send my regards to generals kimes."
That being said,Firmianus turns back to the map of culara, monitoring troop movement
"Oi 'ill 'av dem march alongside us through de forest jist in case somethin' might 'av been left dare. Perhaps dis way it might surprise de enemy wan de regiment cums oyt av de forest. If dis suggesshun is not acceptable den oi 'ill 'av dem join me 'ighlanders as yer say."
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Gauis responds to the Arch Magos first.
"Acknowledge, Arch Magos. And gratitude for the assistance. I'm occupying a lone just North of the city with the 117th Cadian 2 klicks to my rear. Go ahead and drop another 3 klicks behind them. That should put them 5 km North of the city and should be able to stay out of any stray fire. Tell 'em to just come running as soon as they are formed."
Then to O'Hern to his East.
"Acknowledge, General. I merely bring up the possibility because we don't really have a good grasp of the thinking of this enemy yet. Were it me, I'd have brought them in to the city. But someone might just as easily through the dice on them being able to save the day in a surprise flanking move.
Still, you are the best to handle your troops, and I trust your judgement."
Indomitus Jubatus - Firmianus - Communication Good
The 161st Ersatz Naval Battalion was a combination of naval ratings, junior officers and tech priests customarily assigned to service with the Imperial Navy. Blessed and augmented in number by the will of Arch Magos Firmianus, each man appears convinced that he will be the one to find some ancient archaeotech piece of inestimable value and as a result morale is high. Though their patience with ongoing construction work and labour may as a consequence be short. With their lifters, loaders and equipment the battalion takes up more lander space than their number might suggest, and with them goes Marshal Lucien Yorke and his personal staff.
Now the Lord-General's only subordinate of command rank, Arch Magos Firmianus draws an increased amount of attention by the intelligence and naval staff and Adjunct Nyall (among others) soon falls into his orbit. One report she draws to his attention is the rapid overflight of Port Pirale; GOWs backed by a number of anti-air weapons managed to keep the Thunderbolts from flying too low, but they report a small militia presence in the city and two score large transport vessels ranging between lightly damaged and crippled. Comparing this report to the post-raid one, Analysis suggests that around a third of the known northern shipping was damaged or eliminated. No undamaged large vessels remain in Port Pirale however.
If possible the amount of fire the reconnaissance of Hive Elson drew was even more fierce but once again the Thunderbolts assigned to the mission escape with only light damage to some of the aircraft. As well as a sizeable militia presence, some aerial images indicate the presence of uniformed PDF soldiers and a few even suggest a few local armored fighting vehicles posted around the town. As well as coordinating any future tasks assigned the air wing, the Lord General also requests that the Arch Magos consult with his fellow commanders to work out a drop schedule that stretches 3-5 days ahead, so that with foresight they can be prepared and issued their equipment in a more efficient manner.
Maxarpa Sector - Kimes, Yorke - Communication Patchy
It is a good day for Lieutenant General Kimes. At long last the Engineering battalion is being landed in support, directly onto the landing pad north of Maxarpa where they will add their labours directly to the work of establishing a new spaceport with the aid of construction walkers and light tracked vehicles. The Harakoni Captain returns from his visit to the friendly local nobleman with some alarming news; it seems there are men in the city trying to organize a militia to throw the Warhawks out, although Kimes' ongoing works and the first landing of the 9th Culara are making it harder for them to present the Imperials as unfeeling foreigners who care nothing for their native traditions and are enemies to the four-armed Emperor. Davias' cult has only been in open on the world for less than a decade, so while it has a firm grip on most noble families it has less penetration into the lower classes. It seems these agitators are promising potential recruits that Lord Davias will send brave soldiers and legionnaires to fight alongside them if they rise.
Yorke lands in the early afternoon, by which time the naval battalion is fully at work beside a rotating shift from the battered Warhawks, beginning to recover from their rough treatment in the first days of the landing. There were some minor signs of atmospheric disturbance reported on the way down, and an intermittent crackle on the vox that grew worse as the day went on. By nightfall the interference was fairly persistent, only allowing for patchy communications in- or out-sector. Fortunately Yorke and Kimes were on the ground at the same spot though, meaning they were in good position to talk freely when the first garbled reports came in from the scout sentinel screen to the west of small groups of local infantry moving into the woods. Should they engage, or simply observe and try to stay clear of them?
Torton Sector - Rodriguez - Communication Good
What was a potential disaster for the Imperial Army is abruptly reversed in four hours of hard fighting and six more of determined follow-up. While undoubtedly aware of the approaching Penal Legion, the Cularan forces launched another determined attack on their loyalist cousins but were held back by heroic resistance in the central Administratum quarter itself despite their upper hand in men and arms. That was when the Penal Legion's advance - ongoing since daybreak - struck the enemy rear in full force. To give the locals credit, their commander knew when it was time to cut and run to avoid a greater debacle (particularly with no air support) but the traitorous battalion of the 9th Rifles was badly shot up and their survivors were absorbed into the enemy regiment in its retreat westwards.
By the early afternoon Jene Rodriguez is back in the city her forces were attacking only the day before, this time in undoubted control of it. The local nobility appear to have decamped in force or died in the fighting, leaving no one quite certain who is in charge of the civil administration (except ultimately the Emperor) and as several thousand of the Penal Legion run amok in the city a number of provosts and commissars have taken it upon themselves to roam the streets in bands to bring them back in line; each dispensing its own particular brand of justice. The fighting appears to have taken a very heavy toll on the 9th Cularan Rifles, and the three captains who remain as the regiment's senior surviving officers submit the regiment to examination and judgement, but request the honor of fighting alongside their men in any desperate assaults the campaign may require in order to expiate the treason of their brothers in arms and their homeworld itself.
Ardent Sector - Arvitus, O'Hern - Communication Good
The 117th Cadian Shock and 66th Death Korps of Krieg were awake hours before the dawn, lining up and preparing themselves for the day's grave duties. Patrols had made out the sound of chanting and shouting within the city itself, and as a result had stood to twice at sighting reports that had proven not to in fact be the enemy at all. When the two assault regiments moved out of the trees and across the plain they ran into a situation worse than they could have expected. In Hive Ardent, Lord Davias had managed to raise a militia greater in number by themselves than the forces pitted against them, though surely not in quality. The massed militia are still backed by the PDF regiments from the day before, more willing to stand and die when they weren't the ones directly facing the Imperial assault. To make matters worse, from an early hour the Kriegers and Cadian find themselves facing Cularan airpower apparently now based within the Hive itself; two squadrons of Avengers strafing back and forth over the attack, breaking up concentrations of troops and making it hard for the Guard to focus enough men together to overrun the local strongpoints.
Yet though bodies lie strewn in windrows, the Korps at least takes a command to drive home an assault 'no matter the cost' deadly seriously, and the Cadians scarcely less. It would later be calculated that over twenty seven thousand troopers died that day, on one side or the other; sending the militia fleeing deeper into the Hive while the exhausted Cadians and shattered Kriegers managed to push deep into the Hive, barely a block away from the Spaceport at its core. There the wavering Cularan defense had hardened before the low growl of idling turbojets, taking positions behind a series of heavy crates that seem collected around the spaceport in vast quantity, far more than the warehouses can hold.
Meanwhile eastwards the O'Hern was hunting his own prey, and the Cularan was not yet born who could stand against an equal number of Scyllan Highlanders in the open field. These tried to be sure, and for a time the firefight continued in dogged measure, with men on both sides falling and no real advance encompassed - but then the Longspears fell on the enemy flank from the north, Scyllan pipes wailed and the Highlanders unleashed their own attack. Between the two the 3rd Cularan shook and then retreated with the Longspears in close pursuit, frustrating every attempt to move back towards Hive Ardent. The Highlanders take the opportunity to dress their wounds and cross the west-east river - taking a heavily laden ore barge in the process, finishing the day square between Wilton and Hive Ardent.
"Any idea what is causing this interference? Could it be enemy action?" Kimes asked the nervous Vox tech.
"It... it could be s-sir," The man, no more than 20 years old and, judging by his direct refusal to look out the window, likely void born. Being part of the Naval battalion this may very well be his first time on a planet. "I'd... I'd have to look into it some more."
"Right, Prescott," James looked over his shoulder at the Corporal, "Your new orders are to find the source of this Warped interference. It was annoying after the drop, but whether this is Enemy Action or a natural thing we have to know about it."
"Yes sir," the corporal responded, saluted and left the room.
"In the mean time," Kimes turned back to the young man at the elaborate vox setup, "See what you can do to get around it. If you need anything let me know, I'll see what I can do."
--Harkoni camps--
"Delivering orders in person now General?" The captain asked with a smirk.
"I'm afraid that the enemy might be intercepting our vox communications," James was clearly in far less of a good mood, "And even if they aren't this warped interference is really getting on my nerves."
"I see, you get my report about the potential unrest?"
"I did and it may be the least of our worries," Kimes responded, collapsing in a free chair at the Commander's small field desk. "I want you to send a patrol out to recon this 'local infantry' our screen spotted. The report said 'small groups' but I would like you to send at least platoon strength, if not company. The objective is intelligence first, combat second. Feel free to wipe them out if they prove hostile and you feel secure that you can with minimal losses."
"Should we be preparing for an attack from the West?"
"Probably prudent, hopefully I can get a line infantry drop to reinforce our position, though if that assault on Ardent is going as poorly as I imagine it is you just know Arvitus will be screaming for more men to throw into the grinder."
"With the navy taking over construction I'll have a lot more men to work on it."
"Good, good."
"Care for some coffee?" the captain said, waving to an orderly who nodded and turned to fetch a pot. "Looks like you could use some."
"Thanks but I've got more to do before Yorke comes looking for me," Kimes responded, standing a stretching. A couple more pleasantries were exchanged and the General left, passing the orderly with a 'fresh' pot of coffee on the way out.
Open channel, Arch Magos Firmianus, encrypted: Rodriguez. Your people performed admirably. Will they be staying in Torton?
With a waterborne fleet approaching, I'm requesting additional recon and airstrike.
I suspect enemy to possibly approach from the Wastes to the west. Requesting 36th or 820th Penal or 3rd Guillech Yeomen drop northwest of Torton, as we will be pursuing traitorous elements. Treason will be answered with extreme prejudice. An example must be made.
Tactically, they have knowledge of our operations and some specialized communication equipment to be recovered or destroyed.
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Gaius sat down heavily in the bombed-out coffee-shop that now served as his headquarters. His shell-shocked mind briefly wondered where his radioman was, but then he remembered that the young man had died six blocks in to the city, taking lasfire that might have hit him. Such valiant sacrifice in the face of overwhelming enemy numbers was moving. Truly no finer forces does the Emperor have this day!
The general himself raised the vox of the navy hovering miles overhead, requesting a direct line to the Arch Magos himself who, as the highest ranking member still off-planet, now seemed in charge of the Strategy.
"Arch Magos, the city is all but taken. Infantry that can only be called the Emperor's finest has driven the enemy back until we are within las-fire of the SpacePort itself. The assault has carried what ground it could.
Alas the enemy is quite crafty, and has bedeviled all attempts at further support.
If you could, in the Emperor's name, drop your mentioned 16th Lanbat Rifles right on the Northern part of the city, which we currently control, we could sweep the resistance away and have drops ongoing at the Ardent Spaceport before sunset tomorrow night.
Alas, if you can not deliver this support, I fear for our ability to hold the ground that has been taken for so hard-fought a price. Please do all in your power to grasp this gift which the Emperor has but placed before us.
The Emperor protects."
Re-initializing the Vox, Gauis sends message to the forces East of the city.
"General O'Hern. I am pleased to report that the offensive we have carried out is successful. We have driven the enemy back to the very grounds of the SpacePort. Alas, I have not resources enough to shake him from the prize, but if you can make any advance on the city, you shall find the remnants of the enemy ragged and ready to be cut down like ripe wheat.
The Emperor protects."
Open channel, Arch Magos Firmianus, General Arvitus, encrypted: Rodriguez. Cancel earlier request. Upon further review, presence in Hive Ardent needs manpower, numbers.
I also see, my regiments have that needed manpower. Drop 820th Penal to coordinates provided by General Arvitus. 34,000 strong, now take the damn spaceport and stop pussy-footing around.
If permitted, along with most of 821st Penal... 9th Cularan Rifles will bring traitors to heel and return to Maxarpa for assistance with waterborne threat unless neutralized prior.
Jene was tired, the treason had affected her more than she'd cared to admit. So did sending 34,000 into Arvitus' meat grinder. But, it was the right thing to do, strategic.
Firmianus scrolls through his data slate, trying to coordinate everything together.
" Open channel,Jene Rodriguez,General Arvitus :Encrypted, Arch Magos Firmianus. Addressing Jene's concerns,I will queue the 820th penal on the next drop at the requested coordinates, that being north of the hive ardent, The lanbat rifles will also be dropped as per general Arvitus' requests."
He pauses and scrolls through the slates, picking up more field information, this time he broadcasts to the rest of the generals.
"Thunderbolts send over culara have returned with the following information: Port pirale has a small militia presence in the city and two score large transport vessels ranging between lightly damaged and crippled. Analysis suggests that around a third of the known northern shipping was damaged or eliminated. No undamaged large vessels remain in Port Pirale however.
Hive Elson drew has a sizeable militia presence, some aerial images indicate the presence of uniformed PDF soldiers and a few even suggest a few local armored fighting vehicles posted around the town.
Also the Lord General requests that we plan our drop schedule ahead of time, and so i must ask you to state your drop requests for tomorrow as well. Although i am not comfortable with giving the tactical flexibility of asking for drops on the day itself, the lord general does have a point.Generals, send me your drop schedule as soon as possible, Firmianus out."
O'hern carries with his part and pushes into the hive as hard and fast as he can, after all they won't last for ever in that spaceport.
"Yes Archmagos, I read you. I will take the Murafi Long down here on Maxarpa first, then the 84th Magellans the next day. Hold onto the 82nd though, I would like to see where they'll be needed most on the third day," Marshal Yorke said over his vox. Hopefully it would get through with the patchy interference. Still, as the Marshal walked amongst the engineers pouring ferrocrete to make the new spaceport's walls, he kept getting that itchy feeling in his palms. Such a thing only happened when a target was painted on his back in his experience, and it did not feel good here...
"Ah! Lieutenant General Kimes! Just the man I wished to see! How is everything faring so far? The locals showing you their hospitality I take it?"
"Well, as predicted it looks like another regiment is going to be dropped into the meat grinder that is Hive Ardent. We're experiencing communication problems, which I think is a prelude to an attack if nothing else. We only have 6000 combatants, at best, to hold Maxarpa. And I haven't been able to find a good sparing partner since the Sargent Major took a hit during the drop," Kimes finished by motioning to a standard issue chain sword on his hip. For various reasons Ericson had insisted on almost daily sparing sessions, when time could be found between meetings. With her in the hands of the medical staff no one had been willing to spar with General Kimes in the few times he found enough time, so instead he'd taken to hacking up a tree trunk he'd had placed in the ground near his quarters.
"The good news is I have managed to get some semblance of good will here by having the Warhawks repair any damage we caused to the town," James motioned for Lucien to follow him, "I could really use the 74th, we could easily out maneuver any PDF approaching from the forest and they would be useful in establishing some Recon of Yelept. I'm afraid any good I've done here will be undone if we are attacked. Sadly with communications flickering like this it's hard to get word through."
The Lieutenant General smiled as he pulled out a pair of gloves from his pocket and began putting them on. "They do make pretty good coffee too, I'm going to get some practice with this two foot hunk of spinning metal I've been told I need to learn to use if you care to join me."
All Vox Frequencies - Davias - Communication Good
"Brave citizens of Culara!
As you may be aware, for the past week agents of the Apostates have been assaulting our world. Under threat of torture and death, the people of Maxarpa and Torton have been forced into submission to the invader and even Hive Ardent now seems under threat!
It is a dark time, and surely some doubtful souls must doubt that the promise of redemption will ever come to pass. But fear not!
Already brave Cularans are mustering to the banner of the Four-Armed Emperor, rallying to drive the invader from our world! The legions are marching to liberate those kept in fear's bondage - and my seers have seen a vision; our time of deliverance is coming, soon!
Stand fast, Culara!"
Indomitus Jubatus - Firmianus - Communication Good
Under direct orders from the Arch Magos, the Day 6 drop is extremely light on munitions and supplies in favor of getting more men to the ground faster. The 820th Penal Legion was the first unit to drop in the Northern sector of Hive Ardent, to be followed by the 16th Lanbat Rifles in the early afternoon. Even a protohive wasn't usually a good place to land units from space (unless on a Spaceport), but defensive artillery shattered enough of the buildings previously that the Kriegers are able to clear an impromptu landing area in the ruins of the 11 Capita Commerce Center. Unfortunately the landing area falls within the range of remaining local hostile-held GOWs.
A vox broadcast from the traitor Lord Davias has been detected emitting from Culara Prime at 0600 hours, saturating all local communication networks as well as low-security Guard networks. Overhead visuals from transport craft suggest that a fresh muster of Militia is being formed in the southern reaches of Hive Ardent. Additionally vox contact has been made with a loyalist insurgency that claims to have secured control of Misra in Culara's north-west. They report that local Cularan forces under the ruthless General Tetria have departed to the north-east, although they are fighting against local militia elements. They request such support as the Imperial Guard can provide.
Maxarpa Sector - Kimes, Yorke - Communication Good
Corporal Prescott reports that the interference appears to be generated by a combination of factors deriving from local mineral deposits. In some cases this is a side-effect of proximal enemy communications (rather than an intentional effect), while in others it is an effect of mineral-enriched vegetation or outcroppings. If a sizeable local manufactorium and suitable ores can be secured, the replacement of certain small parts in the Guard vox sets with locally manufactured equivalents should immunize the Army's communications from interference on the ground.
Yorke and Kimes' sparring session is interrupted by a panicky report relayed from the western scouting screen. It seems that even before the Warhawks' company-sized probing force reached the screen, the small parties of local infantry were replaced by large columns of hostile infantry driving east towards Maxarpa. There is some light exchange of fire as the screen tries to slow the advance, but three thousands-strong bodies of infantry aren't easily delayed without taking critical losses. It does buy the Warhawks time to prepare however, and by the time the enemy draws in sight of Maxarpa's western outskirts, the Harakoni are spread out in buildings with good lines of sight. The landscape between the western woods and the city is treeless and open, and despite their lack of heavy weapons the Warhawks make a fierce defense. The Sentinels dodge in and out of the hab-blocks as the Cularans rush forward, and PDF artillery hammers the improvised strongpoints. Under Kimes' leadership the drop troops ensure that the PDF fight for every block, but move back at a slow and disciplined pace. By nightfall the Warhawks have taken comparatively light losses, and are still holding onto the Administratum quarter and the eastern sector of town while the PDF sweeps around their north and south flanks.
Though there was minimal resupply from orbit this turn, forces in the Maxarpa sector are able to draw munitions and supplies from the supply dump north of town.
Torton Sector - Rodriguez - Communication None
Still bearing the scars of their brothers' treason, the 9th Culara sets off in vengeful pursuit of the bloodied 5th PDF regiment. Strangely the enemy appears to lack the standard artillery attachments mandated for most planetary defense regiments in the Sector, which puts the 9th on a more even footing, man for man. The 821st Penal Legion is a little slower to move out (and less eager in their pursuit), which means the first attack on the weary local regiment is launched by the Cularans alone. Outnumbered and outgunned, the exhausted understrength regiment is repelled as the PDF dig in around the mining settlement.
The vanguard Penal Legion arrives in the early afternoon, and takes up positions cutting off any possible retreat toward the coast or the Skull Wastes - however an alarming report comes from the rear, where a fresh force of Cularans emerges from the treelines in unusual purple-and-blue uniforms with bronze trim. Still worse, they appear to be backed by armor! There are remarkably few stragglers from the Penal Legion today, and despite some minor losses they manage to rejoin the lines around the 5th PDF before the newcomers can properly deploy for battle.
There was minimal resupply from orbit this turn, and the 9th Culara are running low on both munitions and supplies. Fortunately the 821st Penal Legion was fast enough to avoid this new enemy and too slow to attack the beaten one, so they are still entirely battle-ready.
Ardent Sector - Arvitus, O'Hern - Communication Patchy
Morning in Hive Ardent is oddly quiet on the ground, as though after the previous day's carnage both sides simply needed to draw breath. The veteran Cadian Shock wearily takes up positions facing the enemy-held spaceport while the remains of the Death Korps of Krieg sets about flattening the ruins of a large Commerce Center in the northern quarter into an impromptu landing pad. In the Silverwood to the east, Ginearálta O’Hern called off the pursuit of the chastened 3rd PDF and led his regiments west to support Arvitus at the Spaceport. The PDF at the Spaceport don't seem any too eager to resume the fight, and simply recover in their positions while in the skies above the 820th Penal Legion begins landing. The spaceport at Hive Ardent is surrounded by GOWs which open up on the landing craft, backed by three full squadrons of local craft. It isn't pretty, but with so many landers coming down the vast majority survive to lift off again among the plumes of smoke dotting North Ardent.
The first major assault went in after noon, with the 820th Legion, 117th Cadian Shock and 66th Death Korps attacking from the front while the Scyllan Highlanders and Longspears drive in from the east. The defenders have recovered, dug in and apparently been reinforced since the day before, and manage to stop Arvitus' attack dead in its tracks. However just when the carnage is growing too fierce and the Penal Legion are looking to find a way - any way - to retreat, the vengeful skirling of the pipes sounds from the east and the Highlanders lead a charge that rolls up the defenders' right. The Cularans scatter back across the spaceport and into the buildings on the other side, while the Imperials secure the GOWs ringing the spaceport, spaceport facilities and the eastern quarter of the Hive.
As the Guardsmen secure their prize, the Cularans can be seen reforming along with fresh troops in a different uniform of navy blue and purple. While they have been compelled to give up possession of the spaceport - for now - it's clear that they haven't given up on the rest of the Hive. In the vicious fighting for the critical strategic location, thousands more died before and behind the fortified line north of the spaceport, including the Kriegers; now dead to a man. The 16th Lanbat land in the shattered northern quarter, free from aerial harassment as the GOWs are seized and the squadrons barely lift off before the Scyllans can secure their launchfields.
There was minimal resupply from orbit this turn, and the Highlanders, Cadian Shock and 820th Penal Legion are all running low on both munitions and supplies. The 16th Lanbat Rifles landed late however, and are still entirely battle-ready.
"What part of 'we are being attacked' do you not understand?" Kimes half yelled into the Vox.
"We are currently qued to drop more troops into Hive Arden-"
"I DON'T CARE," the General roared, interrupting the communications officer on the other end, "If we are pushed out of Ardent we are delayed, if we loose Maxarpa WE ARE PUSHED OFF PLANET. Do you understand?"
"But sir-"
"LOOK! I'm taking Maxarpa off the grid, I want the 83rd on the ground here today! I don't have time to argue!" Kimes slammed the vox handheld down before storming out of the building back to his sentinel.
"Sir?" Corporal Prescott asked as a fresh volley of shells exploded in the distance, "What did you mean about taking Maxarpa off the grid?"
"According to your report," James explained, climbing into his sentinel, "Enemy communications can cause interference, right? I want you to find how to create interference on their channels using our transmitters, then find the biggest transmitter you can and burn their communications to the ground."
"Wouldn't the local regiments have hardened their vox against interferance?"
"Maybe, but it's worth a try. Besides, let's test those systems. Maybe if we hit them hard enough the machine spirits will give in. I don't know, worth a try." Kimes turned and yelled over his shoulder, "CAPTAIN!"
"Sir?" A Harkoni captain said, running up.
"Round up whatever sentinels we have left, we have a mission."
"Sir?"
"We can't wait for the 83rd or whoever they send to land, we have to deal with this f*~$ing artillery to get the landing to go smoothly. Take the sentinels, flank around and, when communications go down, take out the artillery."
"Sir"
O'Hern will leave most of his Highladers to secure the space port and hive they have gained, to give Arvitus some respite that his men have gined and continue to slowly push with the longspears to gain the hive. When heavy fire fights break, he will send some Highlanders to help break through.
The Marshal was NOT happy with what was occurring in front of his eyes. He'd KNOWN that this area had been too quiet, he'd KNOWN... and yet he'd STILL been caught by surprise by the PDF's attack on them. Yorke had believed that the attack would come by water, but it looked like the aerial bombardment had simply convinced them to disembark on a further shore line and make their way by foot. Stubborn bastards...
As he looked over at the command center, he spotted Kimes screaming into his vox, understandably upset with what he was hearing. Turning to his own vox officer, the knight spoke quickly. "See if you can get those oil-for-ears upstairs to speed up the drop of our own troops. We need those rough riders here yesterday! I do not care if you have to promise to turn yourself into a servitor at their request, I will NOT lose this campaign because they wanted to drag their heels!"
"Sir, what about other forms of support? Can we see about air support?"
"If the fly-boys think they can get us a bombing run or two on the PDF's forces to soften them up for Kimes, then yes. In the meantime, I want another aerial recon of what is coming at us from the sea. And lastly... Lastly I want one of the squadrons to load up with propoganda flyers dictating our purpose as liberators of this planet from the heretics who have tried to pull it away from the Emperor's light. High altitude drops of simple paper flyers should do the trick and keep our forces out of AA range. Drop it on Ardent first, and we will see about doing so to the other hives and cities afterwards. I also want a squad of interceptors protecting those bombers so as to keep any enemy aircraft off of them, while the second interceptor squadron will escort the Avengers on their reconnaissance run. If they see any targets of opportunity, they are to hit them hard. Besides that... I would like to request the Vice Admiral to have one or two of Rapier squadron in orbit align their Lance batteries into position for a pinpoint strike, targeting coordinates are to be the main entry roads into Ardent hive from the South beyond the reach of any void shields the hive has. Let us make sure they do not get any more reinforcements in through there, or at least make it difficult. Not only that but the sight of fire raining down from the sky will serve to panic the enemy's forces and anyone attempting to get in..."
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A happy Arvitus greeted O'Hern in the Port's Comm-SEC room that had become his make-shift HQ.
"The Emporer smiles upon this day! The beast of the foe is run from that which is most important, and we have done this with fewer troops and fewer casualties than the worst case scenario! The Emporer has been very kind to us this day! Ah, a moment please."
Arvitus stops to respond to a hail from a comm officer. He nods a few times, mumbling words of understand. "Eh? Kimes is having a seizure over that unimportant Maxarpa? What behooves it if it is lost? Ardent was always the prize, and now it is ours! Bah, we've enough to do and enough troops to do it with. He'd not heed a withdraw order, and the Marshall wouldn't enfore it. Bid them good luck and clear the comm.
Mind you, he can have whatever he likes this day, but if he wants a -real- counter-offensive, I'll need my 5th Charybdis on the morrow. Send the request to those two worthies in Maxarpa and see if they'd like some armor to start hitting back!"
He turns again to General O'Hern. "No need, general. With the 820th Legion and the 117th Cadian Shock, I can secure all the perimeter I need. Please do keep your Highlanders and maintain your offensive! Kil them all and the permiter shall take care of itself!"
Abroad the Indomitus Jubatus, the arch magos sprays out a steady stream of data into a data slate, annoying most of the surrounding crew with the techna Lingua.The data stream slowly peters out into a silence as the Arch Magos considers the current situation
"Counter the broadcast.Send a planet wide broadcast affirming that the so called "four-armed emperor they serve is xenos scum. Request for them to repent and face the glory of the emperor or die. Make it clear that civilians who cooperate with us will see that no harm be done upon them. I request that a high ranking member of the ecclesiarchy to voice the broadcast. I believe they are the only ones capable of making the impact upon the locals."
The arch magos' mechadendrite slither into his robe and pull out additional data slates.
"Can we pinpoint the location of the broadcast? This is vital information we must aquire.It is of high priority."
He switches to vox channel to speak to the imperial navy.
" Put general yorke's suggestion into play. Establish a flyby whilst dropping paper flyers. It feels put barbaric yet rather effective. Also locate loyalist cularian groups in close proximity to the generals and supply them with whatever extra weapons we can spare."
He switches to a vox channel, broadcasting to all generals and crew abroad the Indomitus Jubatus.
"This is not only a war of numbers, but also of hearts and minds.while the machine spirits do not fear or feel sorrow,men do and I ask all of you to take into account the glitch that are emotions while making battle plans.The morale of your own troops are important in making sure they fight on.Arch Magos Firmianus out."
Firmainus retreats to his private quarters, attenpting to break into the vox channel used by the loyalists to broadcast.
Jene organizes the troops into two segments as they retreat eastward, kiting the enemy. Not engaging but always within sight of the enemy scouts.
In reality, after the imperial forces flow through Torton... a task that would slow the heavier local forces they double time away. But, soon they peel off right and left to either side of the path. Careful to cover their tracks, battalions split off as the main body stays on the road, luring the enemy.
Eventually, they would lead the enemy to other imperial forces. More importantly, they themselves would flow off to the north and south and circle back to approach from the enemy's rear.
Indomitus Jubatus - Firmianus - Communication Good
Mass production of the requisite paper fliers will take time; a rough draft of the copy is currently being discussed by a committee of Administratum and Ecclesiarchy officials aboard Blue Gamma with a view to beginning production in the next day or two. Adjunct Nyall reports that the enginseers have found no obvious avenues to infiltrate the local vox networks or to listen in on them, although supercharging the vox networks aboard the Cruisers will allow short messages to be broadcast across the planet on all receivers - or, alternatively, to block all vox communications for up to half an hour without irreparable damage to the machine spirits. Arch Traitor Davias' vox signal has been pinpointed to Culara Prime; the communications intensity in and out of the hive city suggests that the war is being run from a supreme headquarters there, likely the Governor's palace. There is a growing faction among the junior staffers advocating a secondary planetfall to seize the central hive and decapitate the traitors' war effort while most units are embroiled in the east.
At this point there are no known loyalist insurgents in proximity to the Imperial bridgehead on Culara. There are a sharply limited number of spare weapons available in the transport squadron which can be landed with munitions as supply drops instead of landing them within the perimeter held by the Imperial Guard. Insurgent contacts on the ground are extremely in favour of this idea and vow that this will allow them to strike a blow against the Lord Governor's tyranny. They do reluctantly note they are presently too underequipped to seize the local GOWs so request as stealthy a delivery as is practicable.
A squadron of Avengers sweeps in a spread wing formation west across the Gulf of Sighs, with a high escort of Thunderbolts watching over them. They have been flying for almost an hour before they are vectored away by the flight controller, and have yet to sight any enemy shipping in the area. Further to the east a squadron of Marauders descends on the western side of Maxarpa to support the Imperial defense, with the other squadron of Thunderbolts flying escort. There they run headlong into three squadrons of Cularan aircraft strafing Maxarpa and both attacks rapidly devolve into a dog fight. Initially the Marauders and their escorts are getting the worst of it, with three craft spiraling down from the sky to crater amid the fighting on the ground. When the other two Imperial squadrons join the fight the Marauders make an effort to break free of combat but instead the furball drifts northwards without separating. This time the Imperials have the upper hand and another four craft smash to the ground, mostly local. While neither side rules the skies, by the end of the day most of the Cularan craft are damaged and powering unsteadily off to the south west.
The orbital bombardment by two of Rapier squadron proves devastatingly effective, if not in the way its mission planners expected or planned. Rather than reinforcements, the concentrated lance fire from two Sword-class frigates strikes two Cularan formations falling back out of Hive Ardent, scattering them in disorder southwards into the hinterland. Unfortunately this is not without issue, and though one frigate evades GOW-fire coming up from the planet, Dallos' Riposte is gutted end-to-end by a direct lateral hit and has lost power, going into an uncontrolled spin that leaves it well within weapons range from the planet. For now the Cularans seem content to leave the wreckage in orbit, and Admiral Doheri is organizing shuttlecraft to try to rescue surviving crew and critical components for the Imperial Navy. A delegation from the Adeptus Mechanicus would doubtless be appreciated, if available.
Maxarpa Sector - Kimes, Yorke - Communication Off the grid
All through the night General Kimes' staffers worked hard on patching together the biggest most powerful adhoc vox-broadcaster any of them had ever seen, backed by a ruthless winnowing through the Sentinel-tenders available on-planet. Early in the day an attempted enemy air strike on Imperial positions in the town was intercepted by two Imperial squadrons, while the lead elements of the 83rd Magellan Rifles begins to land in the northern landing field. Predictably the new dawn also brings with it a renewal of the assault from the PDF, pressing hard against the Harakoni strongpoint in the Administratum Quarter. Backed by artillery the PDF grind their way into the town, eventually breaking into the central fortress after focused artillery smashed down one of the fortified walls. This time the seasoned drop troops are ready, and fall back from the attack before they could be overrun - the PDF take some time to move after them despite their aggression, as all communication in the area is blotted out through incredible waves of pulsing static that made grown troopers on both sides turn off their vox units in self defense.
By this point Captain Abrechtssen has the regiment's Sentinels collected around him and is picking his way out around the northern flank of the PDF and through the Naval Battalion, reassuring them that the blackout is friendly action and that the Magellan Rifles will see to local area security as they land. Construction appears to be ahead of schedule, according to the last runner that makes it around the 8th's advance through Maxarpa. The signal jamming lasts another hour before something breaks with a whiff of smoke in the midst of the construction; the technicians take the chance to dismantle it and pull the machinery out of Maxarpa to safety. Under Kimes' personal leadership the drop troops try to reestablish a defense line in and around Maxarpa's eastern outskirts, but the PDF appear to have regained contact with their artillery and have renewed their push against the Warhawks and the Rifles, some of whom are being dropped to the east with reports that their landing zone has come under fire. By sunset the Warhawks have been driven south and east, clear of wartorn Maxarpa and the woods to the east. There is some contact with the 83rd to the north who also appear to have been flung back into the woods by a large armored formation that swept across the construction site and seized the wreckage of the supply depot. Large clouds of smoke from the north seem to indicate that brave heroes of the Imperium stayed behind to fire the large cache of munitions, using some of the heavier construction equipment to take out a number of tanks before being ultimately wiped out. The battered Naval Battalion has fallen back behind the front line to recover in safety, but the half-constructed spaceport now lays in enemy hands. Scattered drops across the day have ensured that Imperial forces in the sector have an adequate (if low) level of supply and they remain combat effective, though they lack reserves.
Torton Sector - Rodriguez - Communication Good
The 9th Culara may be exhausted, bloodied and shrunken but they still move out earlier than the 821st Penal Legion; marching back east through Torton while the Penal troopers fight a furious rearguard action against tanks and elite troopers driving up from the south. The 5th PDF is slow to rejoin the fight, but by the time the Legion's fighting retreat passes east of Torton, the 9th is concealed in battalion-sized formations in the woods to the north. The enemy - a large combined arms formation - appears to be faster and more maneuverable than the penal troopers, and forces them to move along at a punishing pace without the scope to slip any elements away in hiding to north or south.
There was an total vox blackout for some time today, as a massive interference signal cut out all vox communication for an extended ninety minute period as the 821st was beginning to move out of Torton. The chaos slowed your withdrawal, but seemed to delay the pursuit even more which saved your command from being cut off. They don't appear to have sent any scouts out to spot the 9th Culara, and when the signal returned they made vox contact to confirm their concealed positions. Unfortunately resupply cut out early in the day, and the Penal Legion is beginning to run very low on munitions and food. They are reluctant to send out foraging parties, and are requesting urgent advice on where to draw more ammunition and equipment from.
Ardent Sector - Arvitus, O'Hern - Communication Patchy
The ground shakes and the earth moves; because of the congested urban nature of the sector it takes some time for O'Hern to gather the Longspears and the Highlanders and prepare to renew the assault. At that point long streaks of fire descend from the sky to the south of Ardent and are answered by pinpoint streaks and plumes of smoke. At that moment every vox set in the Sector starts to pop and let out ear-bleeding screeches that set chaos loose through the regiments. The Lanbat Rifles move onto the Spaceport, the pipes wail and the heavy regiments begin driving west into the city - then halt in surprise as a Cularan assault wave comes out of the buildings, thirty thousand strong and backed by hundreds of tanks.
The fighting is fierce and rapid-flowing, and though the Cularans are more heavily equipped, fresh and almost fanatically aggressive the superior numbers of Imperials and their anti tank weapons wear down the attack barely a third of the way back across the spaceport. The battleline is utterly confused and both sides draw back a little to reorganize by a kind of unspoken agreement as the sky darkens and communications are reestablished across the field. Among the Imperial camps a rumor sweeps the field of a lone trooper's heroism in destroying no less than three enemy tanks with his or her own hands and so turning back an attack that seemed set to split the Imperial lines and drive all the way to the central spaceport control tower. There are wildly varying details between most different accounts, but one point on which all agree is that the anonymous trooper in question is a Krieger; one of the recently-annihilated 66th Death Korps.
The Emperor protects His own?
Less gloriously all supply cut out mid-morning, with no further resources being delivered by the supply dump north of Maxarpa. It is unclear why this should be so, but munitions supplies are running dangerously low across the front. Unless heavier weapons or at the very least a large supply of munitions can be brought to ground, things are likely to go... poorly for the Imperials on the morrow.
To say that General Kimes was upset would be like calling Kharn an unpleasant man. As the sun set the auto-cannon on his sentinel finally finished popping as it cooled from extensive use that day. For the past hour of the march south out of Maxarpa he had said nothing, but finally he waved over Prescott along with the colonel in charge of the 83rd, which now made up the majority of his force, the remaining captain from the Warhawks, and Marshal Yorke.
"I doubt the rebels will push their armor in darkness," Kimes said when everyone was close, "If they do we can punish them hard for it. But they'd be dumb to not continue tomorrow. So I have several ideas on how to slow them down. We are going to slow down the march for the night. Tell the troops we have a long night ahead of us.
"First off, I want the warhawks to send a few small teams back towards Maxarpa, see if you can't make contact with our sentinels and tell them where we're headed. But that's a secondary objective, your main objective is to place and detonate charges on the bridges over the river just south of town. They will likely be guarded, but take down as many as you can, it should slow the tanks on the morrow.
"Second, I want the 83rd and the naval personnel leaving some... gifts for any armor to follow us. Krak grenades buried just under the ground can blow the treads off a tank, if we have any mines or det packs those will work too. Focus on dirt roads, tear up paved roads and leave some piles of dirt around them, don't waste all our explosives on the paved areas, just make them think we did. The goal here is attrition. We have till morning.
"Tomorrow our plans are... well... worse. Once daybreak hits I want the Warhawks, along with first company from the 83rd, to break off and head due east, avoid enemy contact and, if you don't hear from me, stop around mid day, or when you hit mountains. We'll draw the enemy further south into the small forest, if I have a good read of the commander we're facing he'll pull up his armor, infantry and artillery when he sees we're making a stand. Captain, when they begin their attack I want you and first company to come back west, and go hunting for artillery."
Kimes looked around at the various faces gathered around him.
"I'm not going to lie, tomorrow will be a bloody day, even in a forest the armor will be a pain to deal with, but without their artillery, and using whatever time we buy to prepare, we should be able to surround and eliminate a decent chunk. Maxapra was supposed to be our fall back point, but... the plans of the other generals involved in this campaign changed and now we have no fall back point. We have to buy time for the other generals to secure... something. Yorke, if you wish you can accompany the Naval battalion and medical convoy I'll be sending further south to hopefully get a shuttle back to orbit. These are my men, and we're going to show the enemy what the imperial guard can do."
The arch magos wears a facade of calmness as he paces up to the command deck.
" Calculate the trajectory of the fire on our lost frigate.I shall make the personal trip to reclaim the machine spirits of the ship along with whatever brothers and sisters we can spare for the task.Reconfigure two-thirds of the orbital bombardment to take out surface GOW fire.We cannot afford to lose whatever support the orbital bombardment provides for us in the long run.the remaining frigates should continue in the offense."
He opens a vox channel to the rest of the generals
"Arch-magos firmianus broadcasting from abroad the indomitus jubatus.Confirmation that tratior is mostly likely in the governor's office, that being the source of the broadcast.Raising the notion of dropping spare weapons to add local insurgents.Also received the option of supercharging the vox networks aboard the Cruisers to allow short messages to be broadcast across the planet on all receivers or to block all vox communications for up to half an hour without irreparable damage to the machine spirit.Requesting drop information."
The arch magos fires off short messages, with no thought for connecting them in a lengthy speech.
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Gauis stands stoically in the office he's commandeered as his field headquarters. It once housed the cheif administrator of the Port, and a few machines occasionally bleep to life as small teams of troops seek to bring the port back to functional capacity.
He looks over the positional reports coming in from company commanders up and down the front.
He turns to his vox-man. "Have Alpha and Bravo companies continue laying anti-tank blockades at all major intersections. Task most of our artillery to give up their shells and bury them as anti-tank mines. We'll need to hold off the armor, and then we can handle their infantry.
Have all remaining Launchers teams take up elevated positions so they can rain down anti-armor fire in the greatest possible fire-arcs, and make sure to fortify the buildings we still control.
We don't need any more ground, but we can't give up any more. Let them bleed upon our cover and see how they like it.
To General O'Hern, send congratulations on a successful assault, and my compliments that he keep hammering at the foe. I sense that we have received their most desperate blow, and they stand upon the precipice. Can we but tip them over, we'll see victory.
As General Rodgriguez comes into vox range, stay in touch so her troops may fall in with us. I've already communicated to Delta company to prepare positions for the light troops to occupy. Emperor willing, once we get them behind some cover, it would take the Space Marines themselves to shake us out.
To the Arch Magos, communicate that the drop of the 5th Charybdis Dragoons is paramount. If we can get them here, followed by the 20th Khazak Armor, we can boot them out of the city, and then turn North to attack whatever it is that is after Kimes and the Marshal."
O'Hern does not answer the praises, for there is not one that matters, all that matters is to find a way to hold the Spaceport. To come about this, O'Hern decided to collapse some buildings over the roads to prevent their armor moving in, making it into a urban warfare man-to-man fight, as their armor will take longer to get clear of the obstacles and might just be enough to secure 1 day for the supplies and the armored regiment to come in.
Jene realizes she has only one regiment, and probably the smallest one planet-side. She can only carry out the most surgical of missions. And she will not sacrifice the 9th Cularan as cannon fodder.
Otherwise, she goes along with any "military strategy".
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Gauis catches some reports that the Marshall is ordering an attack. He looks over the intel reports, and radios a new message to Top.
"Change 1 change 2: Reverse order of requested units. Give me the armor now, followed by the MechInf. The Emperor Protects."
Gauis turned to Colonel Mackensen, commander of the Cadian, and his current number 2.
"Tomorrow we're going to have my armor dropped. As soon as we've got two companies prepped, I want you to take them and sneak around our rear and begin an encirclement. Start heading West, and cut off the enemy's supply and get to their rear-area. They can't advance be cause we're here, and if they turn to face you, we'll chase them down.
Once you've completed the encirclement, hook up with Gen. O'Hern and get his sit-rep.
Attack all targets of opportunity, and use your greater mobility to evade a general engagement, except when sure of victory. If an engagement can not be avoided, radio in and we'll try to coordinate.
This is where we hold him by the nose and kick him in theass, Colonel."
"General Rodriguez, my heavy troops will be shifting out for the attack, so you'll have ready-made positions to go to once you get here. If all goes well, you guys should have an easy day tomorrow."