Is there any information as to the cause of these riots, sir? Is there recorded cult activity within Gunmetal City?
Gun Metal City is a Hive in Scintilla. It has a reputation for a lot of things, mainly Gunslingers. As I mentioned in the past, though you have yet to experience it due to the worlds we have been on, the entire sector is experiencing record crime rates. We believe that it is connected with the Tyrant Star, and that is why we are all working to figure out what the Tyrant Star could be. There is probably cult activity, but that is the specialty of the Ordo Hereticus and we are missing a large amount of their team currently. I believe Dasha and the Adeptas Sororatas might have some information on that, you are welcome to speak with them about that subject should the opportunity present itself.
He looks at the pict-recorder Yes, this will take some time to decipher. Maybe Brother Castil or Tellemachus will attempt to help in that endeavor while we travel.
The airlocks hiss, as the weary librarian nods a greeting to his battle-brothers
"It has been quite a while, I had to undergo tests with my recent exposure to the warp. I was pronounced sane however
"They were ratlings if I recall also, they must have gotten lost on their way out"
as Arkhos turns to look at his brother.
"Well met Tellemachus, you are always a welcome addition. In regards to your sanity that will remain to be seen as we face the horrors of the galaxy."
Del turns his Chapter's vaunted Taint Sense on Brother Tellemachus.
I am glad to see you returned Tellemachus, it will be good to fight by your side again.
Insantiy is measured in degrees. No man is left unchanged by the warp.
Brother Castil returns his gaze to the watch captain.
Brother Tellemachus and I both can take a look at the data and see what we can discover.
"Very well. Also on board the barge we encountered a group of what appeared to be stranded guardsmen. They said they had been captured during a raid on their homeworld; Bront. That world is native to the Calixis sector, yes?"
Valerio nods thoughtfully, "They had also mentioned something about slaves Brother."
Remaining silent Elyas listened to the captain and his fellow brothers. The return of the black shield librarian was a favourable sign from the Emperor, the black shield was not. He was puzzled by the riots and at the same time angered, why would any citizen raise agaisnt the rightful rule of the Emperor.
"A purge is in order, Watch Captain. Give us the word."
Traitor Legions are known for taking prisoners for different purposes, though most often as fuel for their twisted worship. However, few Chaos forces use slaves in the traditional sense preferring instead to rely on other followers of the Dark Gods for their menial tasks.
You see no noticeable signs of corruption from the Librarian.
The Watch Captain leans back in his chair, stroking his chin softly before answering. "Yes, Bront. I know of the planet, a hive world if memory serves. Certainly not a minor world by any rate. If what you say is true then we will need to consider the possibility that Phyrr was not an isolated incident. Once we reenter normal space I will have it looked into."
"Doing so would be a good use of your time Brother Castil, surely it would be worth knowing our enemies plans."
"In time Brother Del, but for now we have a long journey ahead of us. Once we have reached Scintilla we will have a better understanding of the situation"
"Is there anything else?"
Brother Castil retrieves the pict recorder and says to the watch captain,
We will report back to you once we have found something.
If there is nothing else, and once we are dismissed, Brother Castil joins Brother Talemachus and leaves to find a suitable place to begin their task.
The Pious Immolation finally reenters real space, its Gellar Field remaining operational just long enough for the transition. Below is the planet of Scintilla, capital of the Calixis Sector. The Watch Captain gathers calls you all to the landing bay and gives a short briefing:
"Brothers, we have orders to report to the Watch Fortress. The Cabal has called an emergency session to decide on a course of action for Gunmetal City. It should only be a few hours at most, but until then you will have full access to the Fortress' facilities. I'll find you when we're ready."
He then directs everyone to a Thunderhawk gunship that is preparing for takeoff.
Elyas is excited to see the famed Watch Fortress. perhaps it is like to rock only not afloat," he wonders. He merely nods and follows the directions.
Understood my lord, Lucian replies, eagerly anticipating a visit to the largest Deathwatch installation in the sector.
Del joins the others.
Your Thunderhawk is given the highest priority when vying for a landing pad at the Fortress. Once you have landed you get your first looks at the interior. Beautiful stained-glass windows flank the hallways, rising nearly thirty meters from floor to ceiling. Each one depicts a different moment of great importance in the Calixis Sector. You recognize some events from the Angrevin Crusade, the rising of St Drusus, and even the founding of the Storm Wardens. There are many more that you do not recognize however, and it serves as testament to just how little some of you know about the sectors history. Captain Enoch as well as the Daemonhunter excuse themselves to meet with the rest of the cabal, followed closely by a horde of serfs and servitors tasked with carrying tremendous stacks of paper.
You have access to all of the facilities of the Watch-Fortress including a Chaplain, Master of the Forge, and both a Library and Armory.
Lucian's first port of call at the Watch Fortress is the Reclusiam, to discuss his recent missions with the Deathwatch Chaplain. Having kept his own counsel for the last few months, Lucian welcomes the chance to air his concerns about his ability to be a leader within the unfamiliar structure of the Deathwatch.
Waiting outside the landing pad for the kill team is a large deathwatch marine with the black cross on white of the Black Templars on his right pauldron, in full kit carrying his bolter with a narthecium and redactor chained to his right arm.
Hail! I am Brother Apothecary Zedkiel, son of Rogal Dorn, heir to the grand crusade of Sigismund, initiate of the Black Templars, and instrument of our Lord the Emperor's wrath and mercy. By order of my Castellan, I am dispatched in service to the Chamber Militant of the Order Xenos, and shall aid the Holy Inquisition. I am ready for duty.
"Greeting Brother Zedkiel. The reputation of your chapter precedes you."
"Well met Brother, fall in and take your place among us, for we are always doing the Emperor's work"
After a few hours a runner is sent to find each of you with orders to report to the Watch Captain in the staging area. When arrive you see the Captain speaking to Col Folken and a few other Guardsmen that you don't recognize, a makeshift desk has been made out of stacked crates and each man is taking a turn pointing aggressively at some papers that have been laid out. Once he notices your presence he dismisses the Guardsmen and motions for you to join him.
"The Cabal has made its decision, we are to bring justice to the misbegotten people of Gunmetal City."
He directs you all to the documents on the desk, most importantly what appears to be a large map of the hive. Markings have been made to indicate enemy and allied movements as well as targets of interest and potential objectives.
"During our journey here the situation has worsened significantly. The rioters have managed to consolidate themselves into a single organization that is taking credits for the attacks. We believe they have made their base of operations in a captured Manufactorum, designated Beo, and that most of their leadership resides there. Unfortunately this has given them access to plundered weapons, armor, and supplies as well as the opportunity to fortify themselves and possibly even access the complexes defenses which would render air support largely unavailable. Direct assault on the base is impossible without unacceptable casualties so we have had to consider a different course."
"As we speak Colonel Folken is relieving the local PDF officers of their command and bringing all the guard forces under his yoke. Once he has control we will launch a spearhead directly at Beo's defensive line. The attack will be led by the 517th as well as two armored companies with additional armor and Guardsmen in support. Likely the rabble will be unable to hold their ground against our forces, no matter how fortified they may be. Only one thing stands in our way: the Stygian Crossroads."
He jabs his finger onto the map, directly in the center of an angry red circle. It is a spacious plaza that serves as the intersection of eight major roads, one of which leads into the Manufactorum. You can see that the road is flanked by three large buildings, likely hab-blocks or warehouses, that are also marked as confirmed enemy strongpoints. A myriad of other, smaller structures are also scattered around the roadway.
"When the rebels captured Beo they also had the foresight to scuttle every road, bridge, and railway into or out of the facility, except one. These crossroads are the only land route our tanks can take if they are to assault the Manufactorum. Intelligence says that the rioters have committed significant resources to the roads defense. At least three autocannon nests, another half-dozen heavy weapons teams, a handful of technicals, and about three platoons worth of regular troops dug in along the roadway. If the Colonel were to try and take his men through there as it stands they would likely not succeed. That's where you come in marines. We will deploy ahead of the main force and assault the crossroads. We will ensure that the good Colonel and his men have a safe route to bring their fury to these heretics. Above all we will not allow these madmen to spit in the face of the Imperium and go unpunished."
"You can approach the crossroads in one of two ways: by making your way through the hive on foot or direct insertion via Thunderhawk. The land route will take longer and won't give you much in the way of a situational advantage, but its safe and it will give you the luxury of choosing your avenue of attack. On the other hand the Thunderhawk will get you there fast, maybe even fast enough to catch the rebels off guard. However, you run the risk of getting caught up in AA fire if the rioters have indeed managed to take control of Beo's defenses. I will leave the choice up to you. Any questions?"
Kill-Team: Six Marines
Primary Objective: Seize the Stygian Crossroads
Secondary Objective: Ensure that the Guardsmen suffer minimal casualties
Tertiary Objective: Show the rebels the futility of their insolence, destroy as much of their force as possible
Requisition: 330
The sight of the Reclusiam is restorative to Lucian's soul. Kneeling before the Chaplain, Lucian removes his helmet. He lowers his head respectfully, and confesses his concerns.
It has been many weeks since I have been fully able to open myself to the Emperor, Honoured One. I have been struggling with adjusting to life in the Deathwatch. It is a significantly different environment to my former life within the Ultramarines, and I do not know whether I am fit for this duty.
I am finding it hard to fit in with my new Brothers, especially when they look to me for leadership, and the divergences from the Codex Astartes that my brothers display are disturbing.
I know that I should not feel these things, that I should be resolute in my duty and in my commitment to the Deathwatch, but I do not wish to continue with these thoughts, and I had hoped that you might have answers for me.
Arkhos urge for an insertion to take the enemies by surprise is really tempting, but he would enjoy the time that the other options would give him.
"I believe that going on foot would be our best option. I think we should begin attacking in this are" as Arkhos points to the middle of the road that connects the crossroad and the manufactorum.
"Then we make our way up towards crossroad. This would put them into disarray as they would be facing an unseen enemy in the rear and the obvious threat of Col. Folken men as they begin to close in" as he then looks at the marines.
"We are going to have to be quick on our feet and hopefully you all have experience with jump packs as having at least one more of us would give us the speed to reach gun emplacements by surprise. Remember I want to target first any heavy weapons team, AA batteries and dismantle their other defenses they could have so we can also bring air support and if you can bring down as many traitors you can."[b]
As Arkhos rubs his chin
[b]"We would need Brother Lucian skill and Elyas to the outmost, you two are crucial for this mission, speed and power, hopefully we can outfit someone else with a jump pack and perhaps some plasma weaponry or melta to break their defenses and flamers for the troops" as he continues to mull over some options out loud to see what the other members think.
To no surprise Elyas remains silent while the others speak. As Brother Arkhos speaks he studies the map and evaluates the suggested plan.
Arkhos' core concept is solid, the best way to pull this off is by going in hard and fast. If the rebels get a chance to focus their fire on the team, the results would probably be disastrous. However, you do have a few points of contention with his analysis.
Travelling on foot would make it harder to catch the enemy unprepared. You'd also have a hard time staying ahead of the Colonel which would give you a limited window to neutralize threats before he arrived at the crossroads.
Also given the company in the room you think that Elyas may be the only one who has training with a Jump Pack, so you'd have to plan accordingly. The rest of the gear being suggested is sound, but you aren't sure how many of each type you would need or how well you'd be able to handle such a diverse payload between the six of you.
Unfortunately you don't know much about how well dug-in the rebels are, or if any among them are actual soldiers. Still, you're willing to bet that if you hit caused enough mayhem in a short time most of them would probably lose their taste for fighting.
Forgive my impertinence, but I think a Thunderhawk insertion may be prudent. They will be watching the approaches, and it may prove difficult to take them by surprise on foot. Further, we do not want to give them the fight they want, slogging through fortified ground.
With a fast insertion, we can throw the poorly trained mortals into disarray, and break them before they can mobilize a response to threaten the Angels of Death.
"Watch Captain, do we have a land raider onboard?"
The Watch Captain stares blankly at the Apothecary.
"Yes, but given that the crossroads are specifically fortified against an armored assault I am not going to risk any of our sacred vehicles until it is cleared."
Castil considers the others words and contemplates.
Brother Castil joins the meeting late, seems there are enough men and his talents won't be needed. He decides to continue enjoying all the fortress has to offer.
I agree with brother Arkhos's plan, but not the approach. I think a stealthier plan is called for. The thunderhawk can insert a team that splits up. One team equipped with masking screens and stummers, perhaps even scout armor. They should move up toward the heave gun emplacements and use them against the fixed forces. If that seems to prove to difficult then the team could be equipped with missle launchers and demolitions, enough to take out the guns, surprisingly or openly. The other half of the team could approach as far as they could without giving away their positions and compromising the infiltration team. They could also be using guided munitions that the forward team could laser target.
We have to hit hard and fast. Take out the biggest threats to ourselves and the ground vehicles first, then we can clean up or pull back and wait for the cavalry to arrive. At that point the leaders will know and so the APCs and heavy armor need to be well on their way and in close enough position to support the kill team should they need help. Flanking from multiple sides , catching them in crossfire, those are tried and true tactics that will ensure I see you return and the mission a success.
I suggest a similar course of action when we assault the base. A smaller team could help paint targets or take out the AA and allow for an air offensive that could cripple the enemies and weaken them for the incoming convoy. I sure for one wouldn’t mind being amongst the first to land in that base and lay waste with my hatred.
"A fast and hard assault I believe is the way to break that. But we should not be going on foot. However, since the watch captain has intimated his concern relative to the deployment of armor, might I suggest the consideration of the use of bikes. They do present a fast and maneuverable alternative to going on foot. However, we'd be out in the open. Hence, a diversion to split the enemies' focus may be in order. A lance bombardment seems appropriate. Though weaponized drop pods will do equally well."
I am glad to hear that I am not the only one to have experienced these thoughts, Honoured One. I do trust my Brothers, I could not fight alongside them without trusting them. But now I must show them that trust, show them that I can fight with them as one unit, instead of seeing us all as separate parts of a mismatched whole. I do not question the judgement of my Chapter, not that of the Deathwatch. I am ready to serve and to be His instrument against the enemies of Mankind.
The vox unit in Lucian's forget crackles into life, summoning him to the Watch Captain's briefing. He stands, and affixes his helmet, the seals hissing.
Apologies, Honoured One, I am called away. I am grateful for your counsel, and I will make sure that my actions reflect the trust I have in my Brothers.
Saluting, Lucian turns from the Chaplain, and joins the rest of the Kill-Team for the briefing.
Perhaps a direct insertion would be the best route. If the Thunderhawk can get us in quickly and then make its exit before any significant AA fire can be brought to bear, it may prove useful later on as fire support. If we can take out the AA emplacements, the Thunderhawk would then be free to run fire missions across the AO while we engage priority targets.
I will volunteer myself to lead us in, if that is agreeable with you Brothers. With regards to equipment, we should prepare to deal with armoured emplacements, light to medium vehicles and well equipped foot troops. I feel consideration should be given to Kraken rounds, Krak grenades and other weapons capable of taking out armoured targets as expediently as possible.
As the tactical considerations are voiced around the group, Elyas finishes his assessment. He says: "I agree hard and fast, we need to stay ahead. Who else has trained with the sacred jump pack?"
Valerio stares at the map hard, thinking of the options.
"I am in agreement with many of you brothers. A hard and fast attack are best, Shock and Awe as it may be. We will need to deploy via Thunderhawk in order to effectivly strike with enough time. Walking will not give us the time necessary to secure the area before Col. Folken and his men arrive.
I believe our best course of action is to destroy these three buildings," He points to the three larger buildings identified as enemy strong points."That is assuming collateral damage against Gun Metal City is acceptable of course."
"I have believe that it is highly possible these strong points house the larger gun emplacements, and are most like to hold a good amount of their forces. I doubt that any more than around 20% of their forces are stationed in or around the buildings, however it does represent their strongest asset within the Stygian Crossroads. Since Phyrr I have studied Demolitions and I believe in my abilities to take down the emplacements."
"The real danger is that assuming we take down all three buildings we will have no where to reliably move to, and therefore will be without cover from leftover forces who are like to simply shoot us as we leave the final building. As such it is possible that in lue of destroying every stronghold it would be better to capture at least one of them. The fight to capture it will be harder than the fight to demolish it, however I believe it necessary."
"After we take care of the strongholds I beleive it wise to work our way out from the buildings carefully, a full extermination of the remaining resistance, Breech and Clear tactics. We move carefully and purposefully through the surrounding urban area. It will provide us with plenty of cover and ambush points. However this is a double edged sword and it will provide our enemies with much of the same benefits."
"As for equipment, light armor, fixed gun emplacements, and troops. I suggest Melta at the very least as well as Demo gear. We have a seige Auger available, and I'm not sure how many we have other than the one I know of."
"Captain, is collateral damage approved, and do we know if civilians have been evacuated from the combat zones?"
If it were you leading the defense then you would probably have put your most important gun emplacements in the three larger buildings. There they would all have a unhindered view of the plaza, ensuring that anything entering their field of view would be thoroughly soaked with fire. The building also appear large enough to make them safe from sappers or concentrated rocket strikes.
"You are authorized to do whatever it takes to liberate the crossroads, however keep in mind that we need to keep the route intact so that the Colonel can get through. Beo itself also needs to be recaptured as intact as possible. As for civilians: the nature of the riots have prevented us from being able to evacuate them. PDF has had their hands full up to this point all across the planet trying to keep order, they haven't had the luxury of differentiating between bystanders and dissidents."
Elyas, I am not sure whether any of us other than yourself are jump-pack trained. I know that I am not, and I suspect that most of us will have to rely on Thunderhawk insertion.
I concur with your assessment Valerio, the strongpoints are likely to be the key to disrupting the heretics' defences. We need to be able to take down their armoured strongpoints, where the highest concentration of heavy weapons are likely to be found, before Colonel Folken and his forces approach the crossroads. I have trained with Colonel Folken's demolitions teams, and I feel that we could work together to take down the structures concerned without too much difficulty. I am also considering bringing a missile launcher from the armoury, to be enhance our anti-vehicle capabilities.
Brother Arkhos reigns his fury against the ultramarine that wishes to take command away from him, but he would settle this when they are done with this mission, turning back to matter at hand.
Tactics (Assault Doctrine)
"I believe an insertion would be possible at this point as he points to an area close to the buildings but far enough to give the thunderhawk a chance to maneuver out of enemy fire.
"I believe I can manage to operate a Jump Pack with some aid from your Brother Elyas, but someone else would have to take command of the team"
"In that note we could also have an extra marine to march along Col. Folken troops for morale purposes and as a liaison between both groups for intelligence purposes."