[dragonkingofthestars]

This is chapter one for the war between the Allience and the Imperium, some back story, the Allience is a rouge, well Allieance of Humans and Xenos on the edge of Imperium space Dutur is the first large conflict between them, I am not the best writer so if you fell you can do a better job go a head but stay true to the Spirt of the writeing.
“Dutur is are test, are first chance to prove that progress trumps fear, that the fearless and trusted is superior to the fearful and ill trusted. Dutur a name that will ring though history as the point the Alliance rose from the earth to shine a light in the darkness of the Imperium we can not fail and we won't!”
Leodon's senater Richter Winter in passionate speech before the Senate before the final vote for war it passed 65 to 50

Chapter 1 Dawn of War “We show the Imperials the real meaning of the words shock and awe!”

In 2. 850 M40 the Imperium was found that the mining world of Weland was running out of ores. Weland had in the past fueled the production of several forge worlds that made equipment for 5 regiments the lose of such weapons could be the first domino to many regiment running out of supply's when it was needed most. This could not happen the Auditors found 3 places that could replace Weland, the Asteroids of the Rendor system, the moon of Trulite (it self useful for mining) and Dutur. Rendor, Trulite and its moon were traditional sources for ores but Dutur was not it poor substrate had few ores and farming was also poor.
Dutur was a hive world the whole word one huge city save the ocean but the Governor played dangerous politics in making a deal with the Adeptus Mechanicus. In 324 M32 it “payed off” a bio weapons lab had a accident and the deadly virus went to work in 10 years it killed 98% of the population the dead were piled in the street and burned until the living were too few to carry out the task. The world was now worthless, formal guard regiments were the world sole export now not even a regiment could be raised if all the world was conscripted the Imperium left the world to it own saying if it could not give then it will not get.

The Governor stayed behind the general pull out though he was stuck to this world for making it worthless never mind the loss of life. It said a ork Waaagh dropped in system the boss took one look at the world and said “thats not worth it.” turned around and went to another planet. The people live though it was hell over the years lakes held long back by pumps that now rusted solid sending large areas of the city under water. Rain fell for the first time in millennium the vast city's began to rust the every body of water turned red with rust the air filled rust flacks torn off by wind killing people with the a disease called red lung caused by the rust dust in the air. though the number of people began to rebound they lived short sad lives working hard to live feeding off the shrimp that lived in there now toxic seas having to use magnets to make it safe to drink by picking out the iron only surviving only by eating brine shrimp. When the Imperium came back the average life span was 20 years with red lung the biggest killers.

Now Dutur had something worth the effort iron from the former city's enlisting what population that could be found for the job during a 50 year period the standard of livening rose 400% the life span rose to 45 and now the food was more then just shrimp armed with plasma cutter and metal slicers they carved up the ruins for steel. Over the lakes and seas the city's had drowned in Valkyrie with giant Magnets flew pulling tons of Steel out of the red seas out. Then need over came ever thing else Weland finally ran dry and the Rendor had been searching for a place to start they had recently started mining but by the time they got a shipment ready the forge worlds would be out, although Trulite was going well mining at a fast clip the moon was found to be worthless. Both Trulite and Dutur had to make it up. As the pace went up.

Soon the people Dutur were working 20 hours a day 7 days a week to make it up vast army's of prisoners were moved in to speed it up and with the increasing in labor once more red lung killed them off by the dozens shoveled in to mass graves made of iron caskets that then went to a fiery cremation in the forges worlds smelters.

This hell went on for 25 years until a man was found walking though the camp his skin shone with heath not the dingy red of a short life time at the iron farms as they were called at his side stood two angels of death waiting for a crowd of the sufficiently curious yelled to them if they wanted to be free if they wanted to do more then live and die for a Imperium which did not care the workers saw a glimmer of hope the guards saw the hint of rebellion. They moved to meet this man only to be cut down by the guns of the space marines this was the start of the rebellion soon riots filled the rusty streets the Imperium put it down but the man was gone to return with a army the Alliance.
The Vote for war
Deep in the heart of the Alliance the capital world of New Sol was in debate Dutur was had expressed it wish to join the Alliance, or had it according to the loyalist party they had not wished to join the alliance just that they hated the Imperium. Regardless some saw Dutur as there chance to take the fight to the Imperium! Of courses they were warmongers who wished only to fight.

As the debate went fast and furiously and the propaganda machine swung votes to and fore, some for some against the eldar though just did not care it was a human world. Upon the eve of the final vote the planets Leodon's senator Richter Winter rallied the votes for it giving his famous speech calling for saying now was the time for war. The vote passed passed 65 to 50 seconded by the president war would indeed be waged.
While politicians pated each other on the back the real work began. First a command staff was needed arm chair generals said it would likely be ether general Eric Younger defender of Ireye or Derick Gustavus taker of Saxon the choice was a surprise to everyone, Michale Archer. Son of a son of a hero Archer had a impressive record, fighting orks he had no experience fighting Imperials. Archer was the ground commander but for the navy fighting the choice was Alexander Gorden commander of the fleet that beat off 3 times there number of Imperials at Saxon a good choice. The first step Michale took was to request the new ships in his campaign this set off a another round of politicking the vote was 60 to 55 yes he would get his ships.
The next step Michale took was to pick a staff a logistic officer and what ever aids he felt he needed. His officer and chef aid was Ireye for his experience fighting the Imperium and spy master Rhian Berk she was charge of lintel. His next he asked what troops would be sent? That would be what defined who next choices. The first thing they told him was that the Eldar would not fight this was a human war. Next the Iron dust that filled the air clear caused red lung but what was it? Test proved that the rust in the air when breathed in coated the lungs reducing there ability to carry oxygen to the blood. Trenchys with there far more complex and sensitive lung system meant that they could not be sent. But the Hypons could have air masks and could fight, if they wanted to that is. 3 of the 5 Hypon worlds had voted for it so they worlds could contribute to the army and human worlds would definitely be there. So he picked to head his Hypon Axillary High chef Eron ork smasher.

Now to pick a force, he sent scout ships in system to find out the exact battle field. The Dutur system had 5 planets Dutur was the one they would fight over but the third world out Iladon orbited at the same speed as Dutur but spun on it axis 5 times faster. This in tactile terms meant that if a interplanetary missile silo was placed on the word it could give a sweeping arc of fire to any defending ships that would reach the whole system giving support to any fleet oddly enough the Imperium had ignored this fact. Michale Archer factored this in to his strategy to give control of the system Iladon must be held and a missile silo built upon it. To this end he asked the Trenchy if they could have the job of defending the ground point. Iladon was far dryer then Trencha with no water at all but was cooler and it atmosphere had enough hydrogen and oxygen so that water could be made for over 200 years of occupation the Trenchys agreed and even made nosies suggesting they may want to colonize Iladon. So he added to his staff General Mike to head up the Trenchy Regiments.

Next came the Intel from the planet his spies said that most of Dutur would be for all intent and purpose urban warfare due to the tights streets, in its hight Dutur was one huge city, but not a hive world with towering spires as such so armored vehicles could be used also the reclaiming by the imperial had freed up some open areas. Iladon on the other hand was flat, completely flat like it had been leveled some how ideal terrain for tanks. With these two ideas in mind he chose his forces 18 human Regiments 3 line regiments 2 light infantry, 3 Air Assault, 2 Electronic warfare, 2 Heavy anti air, 2 Recovery regiment, 4Artillery regiment. Theses unites would be sent to Dutur to Iladon he sent the human regiments 2Anti tank Regiment, 3 Mechanized, 2Line Regiment 3 Heavy anti air, 2Artillery regiment, 2 Recovery regiment. Also to Iladon 10 Tenchy Line,Armor and Heavy artillery Regiment would be sent who would do the bulk of the fighting. To the Imperium so many Regiments would be a huge force but the Alliance mounts smaller regiments each about the size of a chapter of marines the gathering of force went by fast in about 3 years but before that it was deemed that only orbital assault forces were needed they would break the world for the following troops then leave once they did. As they would not be need once past that stage.

High General:Michal Archer
Michal is a just but firm man who father was the son of the man who brought Alliance to be. A brilliant commander his duty is to command ground war and the campaign it self but he still occasional finds a reason to lead from the front
Flag Admiral: Alexander Gorden
a proud man who once upon a time was a commissar, he still has the black hat, but grew disenfranchised with the Imperium and during a campaign surrendered to the Tau. He immigrated to the Alliance when the chance presented it self and seeing a empire his moral code matched joined the navy.
General: Ireye
Ireye Is a man born and bred from new sol. His dad joined the army, and his dads dad joined the army and his dads dads dad joined the army. He is a strong and smart man who will not falter. He is in charge of supplying the army.
IPSS flag captain:Rhian Berk interplanetary secret service is a organization in charge of information gathering, military and domestic, assassination, anti terrorism and military police. Rhian Berk is in charge of all of these.

The first the Imperials knew of the attack and the Alliance as anything more then another small human empire on the out skirts, was when strange ships appeared in orbit and dropped orbital landers. As the Adeptus Arbites a and PDF forces on world rallied to fight them the found a new foe, fear the old fear of space marines the angels of death in 4 days the world was there all who fought were killed.

As some managed to escape to bring retribution the Alliance marines left and the main Alliance force landed on both Dutur and on Iladon the silos rose from the sand of like trees from soil. The former workers of Dutur moved into the hab base of there former enslavers. As there life grew better they went back to work, on there terms, payed and with gas mask as they did at first to keep form getting the red lung. As the iron farms began to work once more now to Alliance coffers with workers that now would die for there nation. As the condition of life rose once more the slow gears of the Imperium turned to end this.

Imperial reaction
When the Imperium found out about the fall of Dutur the adepts Mechanicus pushed for its recapture to fuel its forges but reports of the fall were more alarming then the fall more pointedly the attacking forces. Space marines? The possibility that was foremost on every ones mind was heretical Chaos Space Marine empire on the edge of Imperial space, was this the herald to a campaign as bad as any Black Crusade that would pierce the relative undefended sector like a hot knife though butter? And then what? It example of a empire, possibility a huge one out side of Imperium control could inspire countless worlds to join them, then as force were sent to fight them wars they would have been sent to normally would be left to rot thus meaning a higher percent of wars would be lost with no retribution forthcoming this one world could throw the Imperium into Chaos!

To fight this the one of the greatest mind the Imperium had was chosen, Lord Commander George Dike the son of a odd union between a daughter of Catachan a son of Krieg raised, and trained on Casandra a world that has given more then its share of fine officers and Commissars. He was a man who had reinvented a lost way of fighting, stepped in politics by the dint of home, he was sent to ID the foe and reclaim Dutur. To this he sent a huge under staff to find the men he wanted while he made alliances. On native Cassandra he found the Mechanicus Marines a chapter of the empires marines out of respect of his attempted join them when he was young failing nothing but the gene test they sent a task force of 100 marines led by the commander of the 8th company Akkad seconded by captain Irokk of the 10th company. One by one his staff was chosen and then the real work began.

To plan the war he first he had to know what he was fighting and this soon proved impossible though much information was there on Dutur regarding its terrain, population, gene information, but troops? Spy's sent to Dutur never reported back, navy scout ships reported strange ships along side familiar ones with unknown weapons, defenses and tactics. So using what he had he chose his force for army 8912. Dutur was urban combat possible siege work, unlikely for space marines but his army would be mostly infantry. Seeking a hard bitten regiment he chose the Mordian Iron Guard for his force. A total of 5 infantry regiments, all but one would be newly recruited and trained the one being the 90th Iron Guard a veteran regiment that would steady the newer ones, would be called from Mordian. 3 more would come from Kreig reserved for siege work. Despite the urban nature of Dutur he need tanks to this he got a volunteer force Cassandra third armor regiment, a elite force of tanks veterans of countless battles along with 2 recently replenished Mordian regiments fresh from a Tyranid mop up his tanks core was 3 regiments strong.

For heavy artillery he got 2 from Kreig armed with basilisk. A final check brought up one last request from Cassandra the first, second and third engineering cores for the fighting and last but not lest 2 regiments of Storm Sword Tanks and one Bane blade tank force they would be used as a break though force to explore weakness other forces made. Once he got a final group of storm troopers he was ready. With ground forces ready his navy forces ready (9 ships of the line and 6 escorts) he lunched the attack with his fleet. On 5380831.M40 his fleet lunched the attack.

High commander George Dike
a man who fought his way up from a mere private to a high commander. With no blood ties he has had to make political deals to reach his post. Dike is a strong man with a will of cast iron.

Commissar general: Torstenson Von Diago a veteran of many death word regiments that hate commissars and despite the urban nature of Cassandra, it is one such world so it was felt he was needed to control Dike. Diago mistrust Dike highly

High Magos:Leon Frost
the Representative from Stlock one of the forge worlds Dutur loss effected. He is inclusive and withdrawn and is mostly keeps out of military plans his only focus is keeping the machine running.
Fleet admiral:Karl Von Nafir
Karl was forced upon Dike though a favor he is repaying to his grandfather this is Karl first war as a fleet admiral, and it shows.

High lord Marshal:Joesph Don Ludwig a native of Mordian it was his include on the command staff that allowed 7 Mordian regiments to be brought to this one war. Joesph is a grade A ass kisser and would dump Dike in a moment if he thought his career would be aided by it

Company commander: Akkad
a commander of 100 space marines of the 8th company of the Mechanicus Marines a wise and just man Akkad's primary concern is less the retaking of the planet then the decimation of the chaos marines.
Spy master:Classified
foreword from the Shelok shadows a elite storm trooper regiment that focus on Intel gathering,spying and assignation. He will function as Dike chef source of information.

Provisioner prime:Horul
a man chosen by Dike to keep the army suppled and ready for war. But Horul has a record of corruption and crime but he gets the job done even if he does line his own pockets. He was chosen due to a earlier endorsement he gave Dike that helped his career

Cardinal:Luther
unlike many words Cassandra is secular and that makes Luther unwilling to work with Dike under best cases but since he his following the will of the adepts Mechanicus in this war,,

Tech slave:Miribell
on paper just a servitor. In life a very strong willed and independent women who not only does not look like a typical servitor but one who is forced to be the tool for Leon. Though it has perks (immortality as long as shes oiled) she has to follow Leon every whim. Her expertise is Xenos technology. The only organic thing on her is her brain in a robot shell. Enough of a assist to be listed as command staff

The attack was, unexpected aided from some escort scouts it was unfought. The one thing they had known was that they would have to fight a fair number of space forces, and yet nothing. The vanguard pushed closer to Dutur soon the space strike ships were in orbit they objective was hammer out a secure a landing zone. For the following orbital transports who were already in system and only a few hours out. Orbital pictures showed no troops, odd they expected a world as bad as Brgannion Four but nothing, the space marine chose they landing zone and lunched a massive orbital bombardment to clear the thick city to form open ground. From miles around the sky was lit by massive explosions. As soon as it was over the Thunder Hawks landed and discharged there deadly cargo onto the earth.

The Mechanicus Marines were siege experts as well as being space marines soon from supply's drawn from the extra thunder hawks bunkers rose and were dug rapidly trenches were dug fast as devastators sighted the guns, then it began. The sky was split with the screams of, Whirlwinds? A bad sign. Marines ran quickly into trenches and underground bunkers as the rockets hammered the zone for a minute. As soon as it was over the marines remand the fire base poked bolters up from trenches, as the air was filled with odd gun fire and soon the marines were in a hard fight. Enemy marines charged the line firing there guns there guns shooting sparks from there muzzles as they shot, veterans knew that look from long experience, fighting the Tau, or more precisely, XV88 Broadsides. The marines closed into only to be driven back by discipled bolter fire. But one thing soon proved clear from these close encounters these were not space marines but men in power armor and more during the close attacks they found that Xenos were aiding them they were proving a match for the space marines heavy gunfire crossed with barbaric savagers.

As news went up the command the Mechanicus were hard pressed under heavy fire they were taking loses, to many more and they have to pull out. The drop zone was not ready so Dike turned to his tank regiments when he commanded the Cassandra third armor regiment he perfected the hot drop deploying tanks straight onto the field literally para dropping them going at full tilt. The 3erd armor, known as the Devil Dogs, were expert at this but the 2 Mordian armor groups, the 42 and 31st,would likely suffer losses if they tried it as high as 90% so he sent the Devil Dogs north to do a hot drop and to the south the 2 Mordian groups would land. Lucky the regiments had arrived moments ago. 3 miles to the north transports flew low over a highway and dropped there cargo. At full speed the tanks dropped with only a drag line parachute slow them down as they went down hard on road. The sound of 6 tank platoon smashing into the ground from 30 feet was deafening the chute fell away as suddenly a large group of tanks was plowing into the Traitors flank. The tanks charged in guns blazing the traitors held on a for a moment but fell back not expecting armor in the first wave and left, until more anti armor could be gathered. And the landing zone was finished. The first battle had been waged but before Dike could reflect on it Iladon aligned and the first fleet engagement began.

Iladon silo was now facing Dutur, or rather the fleet in orbit and proceeded to open up. From the ground 100 10 megaton missiles lunched sending smoking trails arcing up for all to see on a world with no eye to look, or did it? No matter! The missile streamed toward Dutur, silently with no heat. Aboard the fleet as klaxon flared with warning as 10 ships of line with 12 escorts appeared on radar the missiles hit. The ships shock as massive explosion rented even the mighty emperor class battle ship Pitiless to ribbons. Not even the space marine Strike Cruiser Frozen Glory could stand the force. Dike, who was on Pitiless, had to be evacuate with the crew. Once aboard the Light cruiser Hammer he gave the order to retreat, for now.

As his ships left the only imperial army left were the space marines and the 3 18 armor platoons. In warp he now could reflect on such a loss. First thing he did was send a message to Casandra alerting them to the fate of the space marines. He know the marines would save the men left behind as they saved there marines. Next total loss, huge. All his regiments save 2 of the 109, and 89 Mordian guard were damaged, of which half would have to be rebuilt and that would sit them out of his war. He force now numbered 3 regiments from Mordian 1 from Krieg that having to be made from 2 surviving regiments 3 armor regiment trapped on Dutur. Now he need to plan anew the first question was were the hell did those missile come from? Spy ships sent in system could not find the lunch platform until help came form a source unseen, unthought at that. The Inquisition. In the dark of night Dike startled by a gun to forehead held by Inquisitor lord Hermon Lutheran Von Wellburg.

He told Dike that he would join his command staff and that the missiles came from Iladon and that he would take Iladon as he took Dutur. Dike seeing a opportunity said he would help if the Hermon gathered what forces he needed for both wars, Hermon agreed and soon a new army would be made with remains of the old one.

Alliance warfare
as Hermon enlisted Dike to his side Michal Archer was readying for round 2. first he tasked Rhian Berk to find the identity of the enemy command staff, any history on them, political connections and personal relations his strategy was to split the army and set the branches of the army against each other.

As Berk did that he had to destroy the beach head, and what a beach head it was. As the orbital fight went a ground attack had not taken place so the small beach head had become a fortress. The area around it had been farther cleared using tank rounds and high explosives creating a clearing around the base forming a massive kill zone. It walls were Lemen Russ and towers stacked tanks built by Dreadnoughts. After a few attacks into it proved impossible. The Crew of the third armor lead it inspiring and training the others as the Light Infantry they could double as when the situation dictated. After this failed he tried a older approach, he tried starving them out. This proved ineffective as the marines had enough supply's they could ration it with the guard and by the time the marine ran out reinforcements arrived.
Sneaking 3 Battle Barges the Mechanicus Marines led by Chapter Master Lionus Lorien with commander of the 4th company Julius Tacitus. The sky was split in countless places by Thunder Hawk bombers and orbital bombardment. As troops ran every witch way to counter every possible landing zone Thunder Hawks began the evacuee of the fortress as troops and anti air assets moved to counter the real fighting began 7th company troops flew on drop pods deep on Alliance military posts and raised hell as troops split to fight both the thunder hawks got the marines out followed soon by a second wave of Thunder Hawks got the guard out.

As soon as the last wave was leavening the 7th company left as well by yet more Thunder Hawks. When they were aboard the Battle Barges that were rapidly being closed in on by the alliance fleet they left there vast engines speeding them up to blurring speed and then they entered the warp and left. The first chapter of the war was over and soon the second phase would come to life.

 

[Boc]

A couple of recommendations for hopefully improving your work:

1. Break up the paragraphs. I'm not going to lie, this layout without any spaces for discrete paragraphs makes my eyes hurt. Nine times out of ten, if someone opens your story to take a gander and see that it's just a giant wall-o-text, it will immediately turn them off from even starting.

2. As you don't have a country of origin listed as part of your avatar, I'm going to go ahead and assume that English is your first language. Check your work thoroughly for easy-to-catch spelling mistakes (red squiggly line in Word) or grammar errors (green squiggly line in Word). While I'm not saying that anything posted here should be flawless, having many mispellings and such (Allience = Alliance, rouge = rogue) is a bit of a turn off.

This is constructive criticism, and not meant in any way to be derogatory, just to help you out and, hopefully, keep another FanFic author around and active. You've got some interesting ideas, but it needs a bit of aesthetic work and a good, careful read through.

Keep writing!
-Boc

 

[TheJolt]

Boc - Forgive me if im wrong but 'Allience' may be refering to the fact that both aliens are present in the alliance.

Dragon- However the title would suggest it is a typo.

I agree with Boc on the fact you NEED to break down your paragraphs.

 

[dragonkingofthestars]

sorry but grammer not my strong suit,, i go over the thing with spell check but stupid me has done 5 chapters with out paragraphs, I go over chapter 3 on word.

 

[dragonkingofthestars]

i was going to wait a little while longer, but the grammer, complaints is too strong a word but its all i could come up with so here it is, tell me if i did better and :thank_you: for the help.

Chapter 2 Round 2
“by the Emperor who saw that coming?”company commander Akkad

Akkad put it well. The loss, no not the loss the severity of the loss, put the command staff on red alert, politically, each ready to cover then own ass from retribution from a disappoint Imperium. Then Inquisitor lord Hermon Lutheran Von Wellburg arrived and it calmed them down some what as his presence protected all of them due to personal promise and a document to back them up, if they went down they were dragging him to hell with them. Now calmer they went to planing a second attack.

They had almost no force left from the first attack so they decided the most effective tactic was to split up Hermon and would recruit a new navy task force, bigger then before, Leon Frost would try and get some Titan Legions and Miribell his servitor would examine what weapons that had been taken from the field, Joesph Don Ludwig and George Dike would get more ground forces,Spy master would try harder to get Intel. Cardinal Luther would try and get some more aid, Horul would gather more supply's for it, Torstenson Von Diago would keep a eye on every one make sure they were loyal.
What about space marine? Lionus Lorien said the Mechanicus were not leavening yet they could still take 240 more losses before they became overly combat ineffective and the would go to 100 men before they would pull out but until then the whole chapter would fight. But with this good news came a big asterisk that any order given by Inquisitor or a order that came from him no matter how many men were go between would be ignored unless they thought it a good idea not because a Inquisitor would said so. Still he suggested finding a replacement chapter, he even gave a suggestion of a nearby chapter, the Blood Ravens. A request was sent up the chain to request there aid.

The war for Dutur was split into 3 phases, landing where the forces deployed would have to fight with the space marines and dig a hard landing zone which would be for intent and purpose be a space port were thousands of tons of supply's could be moved in and out. Next the fighting phase, with a taste of war they felt it would be maneuver warfare. Then, assuming a victory in the fighting a mop up phase were some the last pockets of the enemy will be destroyed warfare this might mean sieges but not enough to want the Krieg force. Iladon though from what the Inquisitor said was fought by a new alien race, this one dug extensive defenses and fortifications, “siege work for sure or I am a Heretic” to quote him this meant that only one force would do the trick a siege army.

It was decided to make two army groups under his command. The first the original army number 8912 the second would be heavy siege and armor Siege army number 4012 the two army groups would be polar opposites and Dike him self had never commanded a Siege force of any size Cassandra guard forces emphasis speed and fire power, strike hard and fast, a siege force emphasis defenses and number. He had been defensive and had uses siege like tactics but in a way that was fast and hard that would be different so for ease of use he defected there command to Hermon Lutheran Von Wellburg the two would be two commanders sharing a command staff. The two army's had been given nick names by troops as they came in based on the rumor they were both girl friends of George Dike though unless they had alphabetical names it seems unlikely. Army group Alice (Dikes) would be fast and agile no more men from Mordian could be found but drop troops were called for 4 regiments of Elysian were called for off to support them he took the two armor grouped form Mordian and gave them the same training of the third armor of Cassandra, the Devil Dogs, soon they would be ready and they would soon gain the often dropped title of Drop Armor, often dropped because it was not a official designation in the imperial guard army. This would off set the lack of Elysian heavy weapons. For street fighting he pulled for the Yothen a hive world the recruits from it under city ganger's brutish, but effective in close urban warfare. Finally he need artillery so he picked out the 1st second and third Cassandra mixed artillery unlike many regiments they were mixed with all of the imperial heavy artillery not all of one kind but then a one of a kind Regiment, the First Cassandrin Long range rocketry regiment a regiment made of pure Mantcores, were called for and given. To round it out he pulled 2 more infantry regiments from Cassandra. For air force he needed both air superiority and bombing power so he got a decent mix of both.

For army group Beatrice (Hermon) he went for siege work they already had one Krieg regiment now he wanted more scourging nearby space for idle regiments he gathered 7 of them these would be his bloody millstone from which he would grind them into paste. Next he need armor as well and summoned forth spare Krieg armor as well to this 4 regiments were summoned, followed by 2 Armageddon mechanized infantry and 2 more armor from Orrak. Now artillery he pulled forth 4 Krieg artillery regiments.
Hermon chosen primely fighter wings to maintain air control to make this a ground a war he would win.

(dang a nice table of the Imperal regiments went here, but Heresy dose not allow the pasteing of tables:wasntme

As the two army's were gathered Leon Frost went to Stlock his Forge World to find some titan support, and hit gold for a moment. Stlock was willing to give him a Titan Reaver legion and 2 Warhound legions all veterans of many battles. Until High lord Magos Von Telgon ordered that they be with held for reason he would not give, but he gave him a marvel,Lego Inritus Incendia a Warhound battle group created and consecrated a mere 70 years ago, a heart beat in a titans life span the youngest battle group in existent! And to off set the 2 lost legions he was given 5 regiments of Skitarii to make up for it and as Skitarii they answer only to him the problem was that they had to fight on Iladon why? He did not say explain that he was order not to tell the other command staff. His return was mixed to say the lest, Luther was “Spitting rabid weasels” to quote the ever flippant Akkad though it was the best he could do.

Karl Don Nafir found his fleet by pick off ships that were not doing any good on patrols and conscripting them with a Inquisitor seal soon he had 18 ships of the line and 12 escort ships with out incident.

Luther found no more aid he could give and after the Skitarii he did not want to give any.

Miribell research into the weapons was enlightening. Veterans guess on the subject were correct it was a rail weapon, said so on the side the M22 rail rifle the M22 was part was of unknown significance. The power armor taken was eye opening it contained systems found on the Mk7 Aquila pattern and some system from the mk8 Errant pattern but the amazing part was the presence of systems form the failed Mk9 Void pattern based on a template found in a factory reclaimed for all of 3 days from the Tau during the Damocles Crusade the pattern though was incomplete and when built and tested failed how they got the full Void Pattern was suddenly of great interest. The man who was wearing it had been taken alive but claimed no knowledge of it systems saying the most he could do was emergency field repairs to it. Even a few round in Spy master torture chambers got no more then that. And this said something else, how close were they to the Tau? Were reinforcements a factor? And how much technology was shared between them? The idea of the best of imperial tech with the best Tau tech was a nightmare situation.

Spy master found nothing new other then uncommonly high number inquires into the command staff ID and the political behind them. From what source he could not find, odd but nothing that was not public any way. Good news though he had a spy network of sorts in place among the workers. Records before and after found that they life had improved immensely at the cost of loyalty once more a problem was rapidly appealing, the workers were fanatics and would fight once a area was taken they might have to be exterminated.

The army was ready the elements were fused as one. The attack would began in 8 weeks time for supply to get a train going and time for last moment plans.

Alliance Preparation
after the first attack Michal Archer set Rhian Berk keep the shadow commandos on there toes to find any spy's and neutralize them. As Rhian did that he went to over come a over sight, when all the Marines left after the first taking of the world they all left not one was left. He sent messages to new sol asking for marines, the Alliance elite but was refused for political reasons, they had enough men anything more might be seen as excess by there base. Cursing politics he ordered his men to dig in harder into around the fortification and hab building, other then this he did little he felt ready enough for anything. It was not negligence he knew what his men could do and was ready.

Imperial Attack

the fleet led the attack this time staying way out of the firing arc of Iladon they searched for the fleet they meet just before they pulled out, and met it in orbit of Dutur the problem was they only had 5 hours before the missile got back in line for another strike, this had to be short and violent, 10 ship of the line could hold out that long but would be heavily damaged so he formed a plan. When he did strike the missile had just left the the arc of fire. His ships powered in at Flank Speed and descended like hawks for the kill unlike the first time were there was no real fighting just a missileing and running they found another surprise waiting for them there ships that were Imperial make were, though slower and less mobile, packed far more weight in broadsides due to a much, much higher rate of fire why? Another question to be looked at. And the ships not of Imperial make? Faster, and far more deadly then there size would show. The fight was long, almost too long at mark 4:30 the ships poured on the flank speed zipping out the arc of fire once more a couple escorts were too slow and got missiles locked on them and were destroyed but in all the fleet made it, they lost 6 ships of the line in the fighting and 5 escorts. The enemy had lost 4 ships of the line and 7 escorts, but they had more ships. On the next pass the fleet was gone, the Imperial navy had won.

As reinforcement for the navy were gathered at a admittedly slower pace, the transports rolled in army Beatrice made a beeline for Iladon and hammered down to ground 50 miles form the alliance positions uncontested. Army Alice was more eventful the transports waited in orbit while the space marine once more went to hammer a landing zone from nothing once more the drop zone to be rung with the sound of a massive orbital firestorm and once more thunder hawks went down to land space marines what was new were the 12 platoons of drop armor that went down and the two Elysian regiments that went down with them the counter attack this time fell far short of repulsing them even as the Alliance brought in more troops to fight back the beach head grew, until Michal yielded and halted the assault and pulled back. The beach head would be made, now Michal would have to fight this on imperial terms. The drop zone was soon forged and as engineering units landed they soon got to work and the landing zone became a full blown star port. For a month the imperials dug in on Dutur at the same time the war for Iladon was in full swing. Army Beatrice landed at the same time and unlike Alice went on the attack as soon as it landed. On 5381231.M40 the tank and mechanized regiments were sent to attack the Alliance lines so the infantry could dig the trenches.

Alliance Armor
on the day of the attack the Alliance redyed them self the men woke up had a breakfast, and went over last minute tests of equipment then got in there tanks a last moment prayer to the emperor and, for a few to other gods Kaine being the most open of these. On the Imperium side the men were rose with the screams and threats not the bugle of the Alliance, fed a gruel for most though the officers had a lovely ham. After a mandatory prayer to the emperor (along with 54 executions due to slovenly turnout) and they shuttled in there vehicles and sent to war.

The two tanks forces steamed toward each other the imperials had 50,000 tanks the Alliance a mere 8,000 but these were powerful tanks at the range of 5 miles the battle began, the first tanks M15 Hunters stopped and opened up they massive guns some thing found on small star ships tore the front rank of tanks the massive guns sending blurring lines of light from there gun to the target tank which was disintegrated by the round moving at near relativistic speeds some times hitting the tank behind it destroying it as well. At 3 miles the M634 Hoplites opened fire followed by the M4 Juggernauts, the rate of tank death went up but soon the Leman Russ Vanquishers opened up laying down counter fire. From miles away the so far the tanks blended into each other to become indistinguishable from each other all you could see were the flashes beams of light that were the tracers of each round from Vanquisher, and Hoplite each trading blows. As the lines of tanks closed together the Leman Russ opened up with battle cannons and when the lines closed some tanks smashed into each other at high speed the Hoplites and Lemans destroying each other and the Juggernaut just smashing the Lemans aside with sheer bulk. Under the sun over 50,000 tanks wheeled, fired and rammed in a dance to the death. It was a tank battle as infantry who got off there Black bears and Chimeras found themselves run over more then any thing else. It was one of the largest tank battles in imperial history though schoolers argue that point, what is not argued is the kill ratio one of the most lopsided in imperial history, 1:40 for each Hoplite destroyed 40 Lemans were destroyed. As the tank kept up there dance of death the battle ground slid to and fore closer to Alliance or imperial lines leavening a waste land of broken tanks, spent shells and broken body's.

The news of the battle reached Hermon and the sheer scale was surprising he had expected to be running over there line not locked in a battle with just 8,000 tanks. Not only that the casualty were mounting rapidly he had sent 4 regiments up to attack now he need more so he send more, but he decided it was not worth it and called the tanks back. The Trenches had been dug and the diversion had worked. The Leman started peeling out as the order reached them but the Alliance gave no quarter. Behind the main battle on a wide sweep a column of 1,000 Crawlers and over 30,000 Trenchy had gotten between the Imperial line and the running tank battle as the tanks streamed toward the line unaware it was even there they found themselves caught between a rock and a hard place as heavy anti tank guns slammed who from two sides many tank crews just surrendered shepherd to one side by alliance rifle men who had not been run over earlier the tanks kept moving till they ran in the Imperial trenches around the landing zone and only then did they pull back not yet ready to assault the lines head on.

Hermon had a taste of this war, massive losses for little gain that 1 to 40 kill rate was just the start when Alliance troops entered the battle the Imperium found that the men dropped like fly's. But Hermon had chosen well Kreig troops could take that kind of mental punishment and the fact if did not work would boomerang back and inflict mental punishment of the highest order on the foe. This plus attrition would do the job. Though the unknown aliens that blocked a fair amount of amour from returning to base was troubling this plan worked knowing a humans psky but the Xenos were a unknown factor how would they react? That could not be known until the first few engagements. Meanwhile on Dutur,,

Alliance problems
Michal was in trouble his army was being pushed back slowly, street by street he was losing the wider war. His troops were falling back slowly pushed back by the skill of the Yothens and the other troops. Numbers were what was winning this war, why? His tanks on Iladon had killed 40 times there number why, when the same concept at work, were his men being pushed back? The answer came from Rhian Berk. The loses were similar almost 43 to 1 but the fact was that losses were being ignored, from the report she filed there were two types of battles offensive and defensive. On the Offensive the Alliance troops charged into a area with massive air or artillery support often both and took the area unless the guard force was overwhelming then it became a defensive class battle. The guard charge foreword over there own dead until they were close to the firring line which would fall back and the Imperium had another street. It was less the inferiority of equipment and more training, Rifle men were trained and told to stay out of the melee and it was true that out side of knifes and a bayonet they had little in terms of closer ranged weapons.

So far the space marines had stayed out of the fighting waiting for a opportunity to strike. There were a factor but a small one at this point. But in this report Rhian Berk had some good news there would come a point that the guards numbers were too few to push on and they could go on the offensive, though the more they pushed the guard in the harder it would be to break them as they got closer together and over all density would rise even as they killed them lowering total numbers. But what this point was, she did not know it need a mathematician to find out. While the numbers where being crunched another point soon appeared, the space marines. Lionus Lorien chapter master of the Marines was disappointed, it seemed Cassandrin commanders were not expected to treat men like bullets which he was, though it was the only method of victory, in urban warfare of this scale each road became a choke point and knowing the lay alleys was what separated the winners and the dying, in part it was his tactics. Imperial guess had been right it was maneuver warfare, and ideally this was what they would do, but not what they thought of what maneuver warfare was.

His men were practicing a method of war called Static Kauyon off the Tau tactic it was invented from, a number of prepared defenses are made ands skeleton maned and to the rear was a column of men to the front was a skirmish line of scouts when they found a foe coming down a route of attack they sent the message back and the troops ran to man the defenses in question. To be honest they thought Dutur would be a siege and Iladon the maneuver. No matter Berk had even more good news the political connections of the command staff had been scouted and plans to turn them on each other being formed and a spy might be able to be planted in the command. With Dutur a waiting game of sorts Iladon was were the battle would be fought for now. The trench lines had been dug and it was time for the opening moves. He gave the order the Trenchys had been waiting for, attack.

As soon as radios picked up the message it began 10,000 artillery roared to life sending shells sky word amongst the throaty roar of Sky Hammers and the barks of Ground smasher mortars the enemy basilisk roared to life to shred the Hammers and soon the sky was filled with shell racing to and fore to targets ahead or behind. As dusk fell and the duel intensified a deep humm filled the air, men in trenches heard it growing louder and louder, and then the humm got drowned out as the bombs held by the planes dropped to the Trenchys it seemed the enemy trenches were ablaze as napalm bombs rained down on the trenches became a inferno, and farther back high explosive bombs rained down each led down to its target by the massive muzzle flash of the basilisks.

As artillery fell silent quieted by the bombs the Alliance air core dropped that day. Imperial fighters were far from the lines unprepared for the bombardment there airfields not even dug yet. Now that the basilisks were gone the artillery bombardment swept foreword and the trenches were now ablaze with incendiary shells, the bombing and shooting rose to a fiery crescendo as the final wave of bombers swept over dropping Themobaric bombs those that had survived the fire bombs deep in there trenches found the very air sucked out of there lungs only officers and there staff in hermetical sealed air tight bunkers were left alive.

A fraction of the strength of the 3 front line regiments ,the 91st Krieg,49th Krieg, was left and the it was the last act of the 90/124 Krieg. Then as dawn broke 5 hours latter the bombardment ceased as the survives poked there heads out of the rubble a great war cry rose from Trenchys liked to a glacier caving off the land and the line erupted as 20,000 warriors sped foreword in a general advance toward miles of broken battered land. The survives looked around at fortifications that were nonexistent and ran, rumors says not even commissar opposed it though that idea it self is opposed. The Trenchys moved foreword and new lines were dug over the imperial lines. The total advance was over 80 miles, then Michal seeing a chance gave a new order, tanks:attack, and they joined in pushing though shattered imperial lines, though the wreckage of the massive tank battle until finally being stopped over 160 miles from were they started.

They were still surrounded but the Imperials were stretched thin units on reprieve were now on battle ready digging new trench lines, over 700 new miles of it, around the much larger boarder of the Alliance lines, the remaining regiments were now stretched thin indeed so badly he went trolling for new men regardless of home word. Iladon was going badly in two consecutive battles the Imperium had been hammered with massive loss's both in armor, infantry and artillery, army group Beatrice was rapidly being disassembled. But a big question was this, where were the Skitarii? Leon Frost claimed he did not know they had landed, and left. Dutur to was going to hell only slower, the defenses were taking a toll and many regiments were under strength, Dike gave the order to wait for reinforcements. But soon cracks began to form in the command staff that would rip it asunder.

field report
Author:Field Commissariat Thomson Loki
the Final battle of the Trenchy advance

after 10 hours (two days) of advancing the line in the sand was drawn, damn this planet it has no land marks, but it was east of the silo, after mustering a fair number of infantry and tanks and what artillery they had left the Imperials stopped running and made a stand. As soon as we got in range the Artillery opened fire and tanks started peeling off to the north and south in flank moves. As APC moved foreword to engage us with a some tanks that did not flank are foreword units opened fire they some of the Lemans took the pounding and returned it but others were less lucky and were tore to pieces. Then are Black bears pulled forth and discharged there infantry and opened fire the rifle mens rail guns sliced though there flak armor like paper. The Krieg guardsmen though fought back. For the most part there lasguns could not pierce are armor, for the most part lukey shot did bring some men down but it was the heavy weapons that were the problem the heavy bolters were what took most of the men down. We were being pushed back and it seemed that the advance was going to be stopped here. When the Trenchy war cry filled the air. They had gone by foot and were slower but now they were here. With out preamble they smashed into the imperials and there line bent under the pressure and it seemed this battle was going are way when a second reversal filled the air, the sky was filled with the roar of engines and as we looked up we saw the Thunder Hawks of the Space marines they hovered as they opened fired and from there front the marines rappelled down and lent there fire to the guard, there line stiffened we were now at a stale mate. The Trenchys seeing the writing on the wall fell back and dug a new trench line with there typical speed 5 yard behind us and when it was done we fell back. And the marine and guard were not dumb enough to attack a dug in foe. With out us supporting the flacks they two dug in linking with are trench in a hour and it spreed from there. If I may say 3 things come to mind of this battle, first Devastators don't have the fire power to bring down Thunder Hawks we need a bigger gun. Next when space marine are involved the confusing between are own rifle men and the marine means friendly fire goes up. Last are new expand perimeter is now open to infiltrators sneaking or airdropping in steps should be made to counter this possibility.

 

[Todeswind]

This is substantially better written than "Lone Dreadnought" grammatically and is substantially more structurally sound.

 

[dragonkingofthestars]

This is substantially better written than "Lone Dreadnought" grammatically and is substantially more structurally sound.

Thanks,, i stopped working on this due to a, well perceved lack of intrst, and so i started other projects. i have a back log of other chapters though so i can post a few more

Chapter 3 the tide turns
“Now is the time, sound the war horns we at dawn we march!”High General Michal Archer

as new troops were being found a new space battle was brewing. Navy scout ships had spotted a influx of new ships, this plus the ships form the first battle brought the total to a estimated 10 ships of the line and 15 escorts. The battle was once more on a even keel.

Then knew were the old ships were hiding, in a asteroid belt, but they could not bring battle to them. Every 5th asteroid had a atomic torpedo tube on with a 50 mega ton war head on it. They just could not fight them. Now it seemed they might take the battle to them were and when were problems, or and this was worse switch to convoy raiding as more men were need more would be brought vie the space lanes that now were open to the Alliance fleet. They had to be tracked down and destroyed but with the fleet in the asteroid belt they could not be brought to battle meaning the only response was convoy guarding but with the current number of ships only one convoy could be guarded at a time any more and they would just throw all there ships at one convoy and destroy the fleet one ship at a time.

The easiest solution was more ships but getting them was the problem cry to Segmenturm command more fell on deaf ears. No more would be given but Hermon Lutheran Von Wellburg could conscripted some more, yes? As he went trolling for yet more ships he soon drew the attention of Conclave of Bourbon. One of the more imported jobs of the inquisition was to police its own, and it seemed that Hermon was corrupt, abusing his power to further his own goals regardless of the harm it did to the wider Imperium.

In a session the conclave decided to send inquisitor Coruncanius Octavius to investigate. When he arrived he was turned away, Hermon claimed he was serving the Imperium but to subvert claims of treachery he said he would stop recruiting and he said he would share his reason only to a fellow Inquisitor lord. When the reply was sent to the conclave, Inquisitor lord Camillus Ruga did indeed arrive and he brought 6 company's of storm troopers and a Commandery of sisters of battle.

When he arrived he was welcomed and bid to see something of Iladon, 10 hours latter he returned and claimed that not only was Hermon not treacherous but was welcome to as many of the Imperium resources as he needed. This was not unnoticed by many eyes. As convoys started to arrive bring more men and supply's into the fight the the Alliance knew they had to make there move before this chance slid by, NOW!

Alliance Attacks
the Inquisitor arrive was noted, something was on Iladon and if it could be layed to siege they would put the Imperium on the back foot as they rushed men to defend,,, what every was imported enough for a 2 Inquisitor lords from both the Ordo Xenos and Ordo Hereticus to claim it must be defended. In orbit hidden on a small asteroid that barely deserved the designation of moon that orbited Iladon a set of ground penetrating radar buzzed to life. Before now it was quiet for fear of being found out before it and it passive GPS, vox listener and spy cameras were destroyed.

As it began it sweep the reason became clear enough. Vast anomaly's of something dotted the world the smallest being a couple yards in diameter the largest as big as city's. The one place that could be ID was what seemed to be a simple Imperial plasteel base hidden underground, or rather buried it could be easily excavated from the fine sand that coated it and if the readings were right it was dense enough for what was planed.


Hidden in the shadow of the moon was yet another reason not to revel it with a active scanner, a P55 O-KRAB a orbital kinetic rod assault battery armed with 6 10 ton solid titanium rods the upon impact had the force of a nuclear weapon as Imperium ships moved upon the recently uncovered asteroid the rods lunched. 2 rods went north toward new imperial trench lines as the other 4 hammered into the base. From miles away you could see the massive glow of the rods as they screamed to earth glowing red hot as they heated up from entered the atmosphere and hit throwing up mile high mushroom clouds which when faded reveled the base. A large group of short buildings the indirect bombardment had revealed, now with miles clear between the army and it.

On the command staff what started as a ordinary meeting on reinforcements took a turn when a low level staffer arrived to report on the rebels (they still did not know they called themselves the Alliance) newest action the detection of the asteroid, it destruction and the capturing of a satellite of some kind but before it was taken it had fired a something possibility atomic warheads more likely juddering by like of radiation a kentic attack of some kind but more interesting it had unearthed some kind of, imperial base.


Before he even finished Hermon declared it off limits no one was to enter a 5 mile radius or be declared excommunicated, Lionus Lorien questioned why, what was it? Hermon gave no answer, and Lionus said unless he knew his marines were going back to Dutur. The next thing the staffer said was that a army was moving to attack it, if no one could move in 5 miles who would defend it? First using his conscription power he drove George Dike to from a tench line 5 miles away form the base, or rather 10 as he need room behind the marine line for artillery defending the base proper would be some space marines form the Ordo Xenos, and sending a call to Camillus Ruga before he left system and being told yes, 6 company's of storm troopers and a Commandery of sisters.


At the base the forces readied for battle the space marines,sisters and storm troopers readied, what would it be? Tanks? Or troops? It seemed this time to be a mix of mechanized infantry and tanks and behind them a whole army of Xenos. The Alliance slammed into the defensive works and the battle was on. A head on attack rammed into the space marines as the tanks swept around on a flanking move it found sisters, and it was surprising the human troops seem leery of attacking the sisters, unnerved even. The Hypon who were in the attack did not care but the humans did, why?

When questioned after the battle as to why the captured troops could not put a finger one it, for the most part due to the fact they were sisters not unknown on Alliance worlds nor uncommon but they were not by god militant! They found it hard to kill the emperor favorites. The battle swung to the Imperium even as losses mounted for them until they fell back to the Trenchy line. The last act of the battle was when a supply convoy moving up to the new front ran into the trench line, they called in a Themobaric bombing run and destroyed the entire trench line in front of them just because it was in there way. The final straw was a leaflet dropping over the remaining trenches that told of the effects of a Themobaric bomb, the huge explosion followed by a vacuum that sucked the air out of the lungs and, with pictures, told that fact that it sucked you wind pipe and lungs out your mouth.


To the men of Kreig this was the last straw moral plummeted, it was not that they lost men, but that they had barely killed any one, they chosen way of war, perfected for millions of years, rendered obsolete in a moment. They would fight to the end but with little hope it took much less for them to fall back or surrender as at lest 1 platoon had. Iladon was almost over unless more men could arrive but Dutur

Dutur Counter Attack
was going no better when the order to attack was sent to Iladon the men on Dutur began the fight anew. It began on Habcomplex 448. Defending it were 8 full platoons of guardsmen with full air support and a full 8 more of Elysian in reserve along with 3 platoons of drop armor it was well defended. The plan was simple, blitz. Rush up fast and with vigor turning the fight into one of there choice. Technology on technology, skill on skill. Simple in theory but they would have nether bombing or artillery support due to harming the hab complex and the civilians in side the other problem was the choice of units.

They hailed from a sanctuary world, ill trusted due to iner politics which though fewer then the Imperium can be just as bitter there often sent on rear echelon duty's. Up to now they had played little part in the war, till now. And once more the chosen commander was Josepha, a Choas space marine. The objective was to take the hab complex, with out destroying it. The first the Imperium knew of that attack was when the air was filled with the sound of rail rifles and heaver ground ponders, followed by the mass of rifle men led by a tall man in dark green armor. As the guard drew from the far perimeter to fight the Alliance the battle grew in intensity. Then on the far side of the perimeter a force of Rifle men smashed thought the guard weakened perimeter and trapped the guard in there own siege works hemmed in from both sides, by fighting. Cry from both sides rose sky word each beclaiming the glory to either the chaos gods or the Emperor each rising higher and higher joining to gather to form one loud tribute to war.


As confirmation that ground based hydra flak guns were neutralized the air was filled with the screech of air superiority jet fighter and even as Valkyries and heavy lifters moved to support the guard there were forced to land a mile away from the battle and the drop platoons were forced to run to the battle, though more often then not they just jumped on top of the Leman's and just held on tight. When they got there they found themselves in trouble. The Alliance had not only dug in they had dug in hard. As the Elysian charged into the fight it seemed George Dike guess had been right drop armor off set the lack of Elysian heavy weapons. But that heavy fire power was concentrated and as each tank fell so did a fair bit of fire power. It was the fight they had wanted skill on skill technology on technology. As the guard began to fall back or in case of the guard trapped between the two pincers of the Alliance attack surrender the Alliance let them and dug in for the counter attack. Scouts that moved to form the front reported a large force of both guardsmen, tanks and the first of the 3 Storm swords on Dutur.


To counter this threat a few of the hand full of hunters that were on Dutur in theory there massive cannons could split a Bane blade in Twain, in theory it had never been tried. As the battle began anew, amongst the thump of heavy bolter and the lighter humm of las guns fire in volley it soon became clear that this battle was different they could not run overwhelm the Alliance as had been done before they were to few and the fire power was to strong, but then the Storm sword rolled up firing its massive siege cannon it flattened a whole segment of the defensive line but it was now in the fire arc of the hunters. Farther down the street that led to the complex the hunters now had a bead on there target. The guns hummed loudly gaining in pitch and volume as the gun charged it self up to full power when it fired it striped the rust off the iron street due to the magnetism. The first shot missed grazing the side of the tank stripping off a pair of heavy bolters. The second Hunter hit head on rolling it up on the back of its treads only to fall back to it level with a crash. The first hunter reloaded and fired once more this time it hit right in the cannon just as a new shell was loaded. The shell exploded and the blast force also blew back and hit other internal shells they too exploded and the tank not only blew up but it took a far number of guardsmen with it.


With out the tank there much reduced number due to how many loses they had taken in the days of fighting fierce fighting. They were repulsed, the counter attack had failed for the first time the war had began 7 weeks ago, a time that saw a rapid advance taking 30 miles of land in every direction and the taking of 50 hab complexes, the Alliance had won a battle and held the ground they took.

And made a small riot in the imperial command staff. As the Alliance carried foreword on both Dutur and Iladon the staff was divided. The Torstenson Von Diago started a purge of the regimental commanders on the grounds that they had failed, at the same time pruning the experienced leaders Dike wanted Hermon to stop him but he refused pushing them farther apart, while Karl Von Nafir and Joesph Don Ludwig tried to pushed for Hermon to use his power of conscription to gain them more men or ships,both of witch was needed. Lionus Lorien and Luther were each vieing for more attention to the chaos marines. The tension was growing just as the loaming space battle began.
Orbital attack
in space on the edge of the system the first of many supply convoys was inbound guarding was the whole of the imperial navy fleet in system wary of any attack.

Suddenly a fleet was seen on the radar screens steaming toward them at high speed as the transports bunched together for defense the ships moved to attack the Alliance. The Mighty Retribution class ship Immortal Thunder as the point of the spear in front of them was the Alliance fleet. In command was Flag Admiral Alexander Gorden from his personal battle ship, Indomitable, the first of a new class of ships the ARS Indomitable was built to out fight,race and last anything of similar tonnage.

Rear Admiral Alexis sighed in relief as he looked at the scans, guarding the flanks in a pyramid formation with it point facing the Imperium were ships that he knew well for they were Imperial make, but alarming him was on the far edge of the radar senses eldar ships, it seems the interrogations were correct some eldar mercenary were part of this traitor force but now was the time for battle not war. He lead his ships to counter the Pyramid mindful of the fast eldar ships that sat on the flanks. Indomitable soon started to lash out with its foreword atomic missiles lighting the void up with it blasts of heat, light and radiation. Such a wanton use of atomic weapons was unknown to the Imperial navy it seemed the Alliance used atomic weapons freely in space battles were radiation did little in ground battle not a single atomic weapon had been used.

As the distance closed the atomic bombardment ceased as the blast would harm the user from there it was close combat of the highest degree. In side each ship macro cannon, plasma cannon and lance (or as the Alliance calls it lasers) each trading blows on board Immortal thunder Alexis was reeling each impact staggered him as the ship shock like a earth quake. As Thunder fought the mighty Indomitable soon Indomitable lost a fin but it did not slow soon a second volley of torpedoes was fired from a broadside? They had a much lower yield to be sure but still did a fair bit of damage. Even worse the ships he did now were firing faster then his own how skilled were there gun crew?

Not very truthfully the Alliance had,, modified the guns of the Imperial ships so each shot recoiled the gun back to a waiting ram rod that shoved a new round in place followed by magnetic fields slamming it foreword back into place all the gun crew did was sight it for accuracy and to make sure that the gun did not change in degrees during firing. Each shot was 5 times faster then the Imperial crew though they suffered in maneuverability when in gunnery mode when most of the power was deviated to the reloading of the guns, but in close battles like this speed was of little use, slogging it out like titans,yes, roaring with thunder? Like Space wolf scorned, definitely, speed? No not at all

As the battle continued it the Imperials kept losings ships at a horrible ratio, it was the same story of the whole war, massive loss for little retribution. senator Richter Winter had been right this battle was were they proved them selfs as better the Imperium, ship for ship, tank for tank, man on man. None not even the mighty space marines of the Adeptus Astartes, the Angels of Death could shake the mighty men and women of the Alliance, step by step they walked there path paved in blood and bones of the Imperium bearing the torch of the truth. Now was the time the hour. Even as the last of the Imperials fell back and though the convoy had gotten away the damage was done.

The loss was the last straw. As the army's fell back on Dutur Hermon stopped playing nice. He ordered the army's of Dutur back to Iladon, every regiment, every company, every platoon, every man, to Iladon AND THATS A ORDER! Dike disagreed he was here to take Dutur damn it if he failed he would be politically doomed. Joesph Don Ludwig sided with Hermon, Leon Frost and Luther watched weary knowing there fate might be on the line Karl Pressed once more he need ships for even Iladon, Lorien grew tired of this fighting, beside his losses were at the tipping point any way. Time to leave.

He said so and was promptly ordered by the Inquisition mandate to fight on. He was ignored, more then that Hermon had gone to far ordering space marines! There history may not be as long as most chapter but it was a proud history, he threatened him Hermon and Lorien were ____ that close to fighting, a battle that would leave Hermon a broken bleeding wreck. But good news kept them at apart. At the beginning of the war he had recommended asking the Blood Ravens for help and the request had been sent now it payed off. In the middle of the duel to be a staffer brought the message the the blood raven 4th company was here. Seeing his job done Lorien stormed out of the room in 4 hours the Mechanicus were gone. The command staff was dissipated for the day.

That night Dike went to sleep in the command bunker on Dutur even as men left for Iladon he slept on in the center of the most heavily forfeited zone on Dutur, what could go wrong. That knight a shadow of a man moved though outer perimeter with out a Tarantula noticing. Falling in line with a company of men set for redeployment, they did not notice a extra man, he left the company to join the hubbub of a full evacuate zone pushing foreword he approached the bunker, its map long since memorized, the sentry's blocked him from entering until he flashed a Inquisitor sign saying he was on classified business and was allowed in, a staffer woke Dike saying a Inquisitor servant was here to see him. In his personal lounge he met the man, Dike said “what does Hermon Lutheran want now?”

the man said nothing for a moment then spoke “your death.” drew his bolt pistol and fired 5 bolts as fast as his finger could pull the trigger but Dike was once upon a time a sargent having raised him self up and still had the reflexes, even as his body guards began to move raising bolt pistols he dived for the floor, rolled and delivered a massive upper cut that would have shred him had he been wearing the power fist he wore the whole of his battle field career. As the assassin staggered back Dike ran to his room, shut the bomb poof door and from a case he kept under his bed pulled out and his power fist and bolt pistol, turned toward the door to await the assassin.

But the assassin, after dealing with the guards with two shots. He left his mission done. As more guards came to investigate the shots they ignored the servant, just one more staffer, when the guards got to Dike, (after accidentally clipping one with his pistol, nerves) and he told them what the assassin looked like the guards started looking for him. He was almost out of the bunker when a guard finally ID him, as soon as that happened he started running his bolt pistol out shooting every shot a head shot, a kill.


As he ran toward his target he ducked into a company of guardsmen being given a prayer to the Emperor before loading unto there transport. The company broke down in chaos as word of the assassin spread slightly slower then the assassin plowed though them. Once he was though them he was on the air field as the air filled with lasgun fire from the company he ducked into a hanger, and soon the air was filled with the whine of a jet engine and from the out the hanger burst a Valkyrie gun ship from the Elysian regiment to be loaded on to transports ships tomorrow. As the order went out to Hydras to shoot down the Valkyrie the Valkyrie got away and the only result of the order were 5 Valkyries being shoot down due to friendly Hydras. The assassin had escaped.

When a investigation was lunched it was found he had gotten in with a Inquisitor symbol, and had things gotten tense with Hermon that last meeting? The possibility that he was marked for death could not be ignored. He called a emergency meeting command meeting and there accused Hermon of trying to have him killed which was repudiated he then brought the medallion that had been lost in the fire fight to light, Hermon said he never saw it, but Dike was on the war path and kept accusing him. On Cassandra the Inquisition and Commissars are hated more then nearly anything and this racial up bringing was coloring his view. Hermon tired of him order him to be put under arrest until a full investigate came to light, the end result would find Dike demoted back to a company commander in charge of drop troops though he was once more aiming high, he had clawed up once and he could do it again.

Meanwhile with Hermon now focused on Iladon and with out Dike in the way the evacuate sped up 100 times, also in response to the unrestricted use of atomic weapons in orbital battles he gave permission for unlimited use of the trinity of forbidden and forgotten weapons, Nuclear, Biological and Chemical all unleashed. Records show that chemical and biological weapons had little effect on space marines due to the power armor though a high enough density of chemical weapons could melt a space marines armor this was typically almost impossibly high concentrations. So though chemical might be used for the unarmored xeno axillary atomic weapons would be primarily used.

To Michale when the first bombs dropped he had a choice fight back in kind, he had vast stock piles of the chemical Sulfuric Ormoric Renlithit also know as Sulfuric 88 when in hailed it made all of the alveoli in the lung burst meaning the victim would drown in there own fluids. Also it was flammable in high enough concentrations and a weapon was set off in the cloud (save a rail or shuriken weapon due to the non heat related lunching) the weapon would set the cloud off detonating it making a huge fire ball. But in the end he decided against it. The Alliance claimed it was better then the Imperium how could they claim that and yet proceeded to use gas.

Calling the Hypon back in decided to unleash another weapon the M20 Mega Marines held back so far as part of his plan to split the Imperial command staff although from there spy it was as split was it was going to get, Cardinal Luther fired up to destroy it while Leon Frost would want to steady it as it was a heavy modified Penitent Engine the Mega Marines were deployed in mass as the war on Dutur ended the Imperials did one last act of destruction.

The massive star port built to shuttle men, metal and munitions the one that took up months of time to build up was destroyed by bundled earth shakers shells and rockets form the long range rocketry, massive craters dug into the run ways by the very men who had paved it in the first place, bunkers shattered by the very artillery they defended a final act of destruction raging against the defeat. The Alliance watched as men redeployed to Iladon and the rifle men knew that soon the war on Iladon would be brought conclusion in Operation Mountain god. Classified and unknown to all but the relative troops. It would begin soon. And the Awakening would follow.