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The Liberation of the Planet Xaron by Doug Wolfe Note: This story was written around several games fought in a short campaign. The details of the battles were not written into the stories. Introduction In a remote sector, the Iron Cross Crusade of the Emperor's Black Templars patrolled for enemies of the Imperium. On the outskirts of this sector, a remote planet screams out a plea for help. This far out, there is no one to hear it except the communication sensors of the Crusade's flagship. "Grand Martial, we are receiving a message form Governor Malcot of Xaron." Grand Martial Michael looked over at the commtech from his command station, "Put it on." "To any ship of the Imperium. This is Governor Malcot of Xaron. A huge Space Hulk has entered the system and released a plague of Orks upon us. They have overrun the planetary guard and are currently besieging my palace fortress. We are holding now, but they will soon break through. Please send help as soon as possible." "Helmsman, set a course for Xaron. Let me know when we are in sensor range of the planet." * * * "Sir, the sensors show a very large concentration of Orks on the planet near the governor's palace. There are other groups of signals all over this side of the planet, though none are as large a force as near the palace. No sign of the Hulk, though it could be on the other side of the planet." Michael thought to himself, "We will need a secure landing zone to muster our forces on the planet." Out loud he said, "Call Brother Jerome to the bridge!" Soon after, the Librarian arrived on the bridge. "Yes, Force Commander." The Librarian left to assemble his forces. Chapter 1 - Planetfall The ground shook as two Thunderhawks screamed over the small landing field. Two large Drop Pods fell from the ships, accompanied by many marines firing jump packs to slow their descent. The air hummed as a squad of Terminators teleported into existence near the landing area of one of the falling pods. Over a rise to the south, three Land Speeders appeared, flying towards their targets. Without warning, the Orks occupying the small landing field were surrounded by armored marines. As his Drop Pod opened, Jerome ordered, "Open fire on all aliens in sight. Locate and destroy the leadership of this infestation. For the Emperor!" A moment's concentration and an Ork was smashed to the ground by the mighty Librarian's psychic Smite. The marines' fire was lessened by their landing, but still frightful. Many of the Gretchin and a few of the Orks as well were killed by the marines' fire. Two of their WarBuggies were destroyed outright and the third had its weapon destroyed by the great Dreadnought as it emerged from its Drop Pod. One of the Assault Squad Sergeants reported, "We have spotted the alien leader. Opening fire on his unit now." A couple of Gretchin standing near the Ork Warboss fell to their fire. Without warning, one Ork, the WarBoss's MadDoc, fell to the ground, a large hole in his skull. The WarBoss's retinue, shocked, looked around for the unseen assailant. The Assault Squad Sergeant reported, "The leader's unit is under fire from an unknown source. It has thrown them into confusion." Jerome answered the sergeant's call, "Acknowledged. Destroy the alien leader, and try to identify the unknown attacker." * * * The battle was short but brutal. The Orks were caught completely by surprise and only the few that fled the battle lived. Apothecary Damien finished helping the wounded and retrieving the geneseed from the dead. Techmarine Eligius began repairs on Venerable Brother Louis, getting the great machine mobile again. While sweeping the area clear of fleeing Orks, an Assault Squad came across an unusual body lying near the trees to the northwest. "Brother Jerome, we have discovered the source of that shot at the beginning of the battle. Apothecary Damien's skills may be needed here." Hearing the report, Venerable Brother Louis speaks, "I saw a lone figure all in black go down under the mass of aliens that assaulted me. I could not identify it." Jerome and Damien walk up to the body, Jerome's arm still hanging limp at his side, smashed by a large Ork's weapon in the final moments of the battle. Damien kneels by the body. "This is an Imperial Assassin!" Jerome exclaimed upon seeing the body. Spotting the weapon lying at its side he clarifies, "Vindicare Temple by the Longrifle it carries. Does it live, Apothecary?" "Only just, Brother. We must transport it up to the ship immediately." "Very well. Eligius, get that shuttle ready for flight and get the wounded and Brother Louis aboard and transport them to the fleet. Damien, load this assassin on the shuttle and accompany the wounded to the ship. Martin, set up a perimeter around the landing field. Gabriel, contact Grand Martial Michael so I may report our success." A chorus of acknowledgements followed, and the Marine officers scattered to their duties. Moments later, Gabriel reported communications contact with
the fleet. Michael replied, "Very good. Thunderhawks are leaving now with troops and vehicles. They should arrive well before any retaliation by the Orks. Set up a perimeter, and repel any assault on the field. Once the bulk of our troops have landed, we will push for the Governor's fortress." Before long, Thunderhawks landed one-by-one on the small landing field and disgorged their cargo of armored Space Marines and vehicles. Defenses were quickly set up around the field, and troops and vehicles were dispatched to Brother Sergeant Martin's perimeter command. Chapter 2 - Blitz The bunker raised, the razor wire and tank traps laid, the forces of Brother Sergeant Martin's perimeter force waited for the inevitable Ork assault. Soon enough, the sounds of many roaring engines could be heard in the distance. Martin ordered, "The green scum approaches. To your positions." The Marines rushed to their positions as shells fired from Ork artillery began falling from the skies. No damage was inflicted by the barrage, and the massed Ork vehicles crested a rise, firing as soon as the Marines' position came into view. Martin was thrown from his Razorback as a blast of energy destroyed the vehicle. He rose to his feet and yelled, "Brother Templars, for the Emperor! Attack!" * * * The battle over, the victorious Marines begin to clean up the battlefield. The Devastator Sergeant called back to the landing field, "Brother Jerome, the battle is won. The perimeter is secure, though we have many wounded, including Veteran Brother Martin." Brother Jerome responds, "Excellent. A Thunderhawk is on its way to evac your wounded and bring reinforcements. We have completed fortifying our position, and are now ready to begin our attack." Apothecary Damien arrived on the Thunderhawk and gathered the geneseed of the slain. He loaded Brother Sergeant Martin and the other wounded and transported them to the flagship where they were tended to. They would live to fight again. Interlude In the darkness of space, hidden behind a small moon in the Xaron planetary system, a ship waits in silence. It is a large vessel, old and majestic. Skulls adorn its hull and huge guns await the order to spew forth death and destruction. On the bridge of the warship, an armored man stands patiently waiting. He is gigantic, and the armor has become a part of him, much like a second skin. His visage is terrible to behold, and his stare could freeze the hottest blood. A hooded and cloaked figure emerges onto the bridge and
cautiously approaches. Sinule, sorcerer of Slannesh whines, "The scouts on the planet report that the Black Templars have succeeded in securing a fortification on the planet, and are forming up for an attack on the Orks. The Orks have put up some resistance, but have been destroyed at every meeting with the Templars, though they have caused some losses. It is expected that unless the Orks hold against the attacks, they may flee back to their hulk and give up the planet." Kreagh scowls, his already horrible face taking on a more daemonic look. "We cannot allow them to leave before they have cleared the planet. Have our scouts watch the battle closely. If the Orks begin to lose, they must inform us immediately. Send word to the rest of the fleet. Have them prepare to attack the Ork fleet on my command." "What about the Templars' fleet? Will they not detect our attack?" "The Ork ships are hidden on the other side of the planet from the Templars, and have so far avoided detection. That's the only really intelligent thing they have done. If we make our approach from the other side as well, we will be able to destroy that motley fleet before the Templars even know it is there. Now go." * * * Aboard the Iron Cross flagship, Grand Martial Michael examines
a holographic representation of the planet and the various forces
on it. Brother John, the Iron Cross's Chaplain speaks up, "This Temple must be cleansed. I will handle this personally." Michael looks up at the Chaplain. "Very well. Go now to the planet and take command of the assault force." * * * Ork narrative by Joey Martin Warlord Skez Durg Mik Zorgposga (the boys just call him 'Da Boss') shook his head at the stormboy standing at attention in front of him. "Wort do ya mean ya's did'n get da bunka?" he asked in his most authoritative voice (in this case a loud shout). The stormboy looked up at his commander in chief. "Boss, Sir, Dey wuz waitin' fer us in battle formation, Dey hid de bunka wit der own troops. Our boyz kilt lots o dem marines, but dem heavy wepuns humies knocked out all our hevy stuff real quick like. Dey just had too much firepoer Boss, Sir." Da Boss looked ruefully at the boy in front of him, pulled his slugga and shot him right in the forehead. He then shot him four more time just to be sure. The grots around him huddled together in fear until he turned to them and said, "Nar, I ain't got no rezon to kill youze. Now, get out er here, I gotta think". The grots gratefully obliged at full speed. Skez (he often called himself 'Da Boss' because he sometimes forgot his own name) sat down on the nearest thing, which was the stormboy's body. He fondly remembered his group of fellow Nobz back home and the bet they had made. Ten Nob teeth to the first one of them to capture an imperial planet. Why did he have to pick the one with all these darn humie marines on it? He sent one of his 'Friguts' to check on one of the other boys, he seemed to be having little problem with the unarmored humies he was fighting. At least his ship reported that Skarghool, the Nob who had amassed the largest fleet and army had met an unfortunate end at the hands of some panzee eldar croozer's gunz. Skez noted that he was sitting on something uncomfortable and got up for a second to see. He picked up what the stormboy had under the back of his armor vest. It was an imperial bolt pistol with little white crosses on it. Skez gave the body another incredulous look as he put the pistol in his boot and sat back down. He made a mental note to search the body after he was done thinkin'. If the next battle goes badly, the boyz might be better off headin' to another planet further away from the huimies... Maybe those short humeis might die a little easier than these. At least he had his ships in orbit above him, packing the boyz up and leaving was easy with the meks behind the teleporters, especially since he had less buggies now. He glanced at the few small dots in the sky and then began looting the body under him. Chapter 3 - Strong Point Attack Chaplain Brother John's assault force raced to the ruined chapel, eager to destroy the despoilers. If mercy were in their vocabulary, they would have forgotten the word this day. With a mighty cry, "For the Emperor!" they attacked. * * * The battle over and the Orks having fled, Brother John began
the cleansing of the area with Sacred Fire. Chapter 4 - Deliverance A horrible roar echoed throughout the corridors of the Destroyer of Worlds. Lord Kreagh had just been informed of the Orks' failure to hold the ruined temple so important to his plans. "All ships, full ahead! We will crush those incompetent greenskins! Their failure has been only a minor setback, but they shall pay!" Around the moon of Xaron, a dark foreboding fleet hurtled through space towards the Ork hulk. Without any warning, the entire fleet opened up on various Ork ships, destroying many of the smaller vessels in the first volley. The Orc fleet tried to respond, but there is no coordination, and the fleet attacked piecemeal. A couple of the Orcs crude ramships managed to get through the defenses and a Chaos escort was destroyed, and a cruiser damaged. The weapons fire brought down the shields on the Chaos battleship, but it sailed though the explosions with only minor damage. The Chaos fleet disgorged flights of fighters and bombers, which attacked the Orc fleet mercilessly. * * * Aboard the Iron Cross Battlebarge, a sensors officer reported
strange energy readings from the other side of the planet. Grand Martial Michael is informed of the findings. <>"All ships, full ahead. We must determine the source of
this. Possibly it is the Orc fleet we have been searching
for." * * * The battle between the Orcs and the Chaos fleet raged on. More escorts were destroyed, more Orc ships reduced to flaming wrecks by the Chaos fleet's fire. A Chaos cruiser exploded as an Orc ramship plunged into it, destroying both vessels. In the confusion, a single Orc cruiser disengaged, and dives towards the planet. "Lord Kreagh, we have demolished most of the Orc fleet. Only a few crippled ships remain, and the hulk is now defenseless." Kreagh smiled hideously. "Let the rest of the fleet take
care of the stragglers. I want to destroy that hulk myself." * * * "Force Commander, we are detecting another energy disturbance, this time from close to the planet. If we were not moving towards the other energy readings, we may have not noticed it. These readings are indicative of crude Orc teleporter technology." A communications officer reported an incoming transmission. After reading the numbers, Michael orders, "The remaining planetary militia should be able to handle these few remaining Orcs. Brother Jerome and Brother John, Thunderhawks are in-route to pick you up. Gather all of your troops and equipment and return to the ship as soon as possible." * * * Lord Kreagh himself pressed the firing switch on the battleship's weapons. Every weapon on the ship that could be brought to bear on the hulk fired, the gun batteries and high-powered cannons blasted into the hulk's hull starting fires and opening gaping holes. Then the full torpedo spread slammed into the Orc ship, sending it into a slow spiral towards the planet. "Ah, excellent," growled Kreagh. "Let the hulk slam into the planet. More blood for the Blood God! All ships, this battle is won. We shall return to base and prepare for our next conquest." "But what of the Artifact, Lord?" asked Sinule, the Sorcerer. Kreagh smiled, "This piece of the Artifact can wait for now. We shall return at another time. This planet will be awhile dealing with the stranded Orcs, and the accursed marines cannot stay here forever for such a minor thing. Oh, yes. We shall return. And when we do, this planet shall suffer. When we have the Artifact, then everyone will suffer!" * * * The Chaos fleet withdrew to the other side of the moon and began its journey. Unnoticed, a single Orc cruiser sliped through the wreckage and disappeared into the depths of space. The Orc hulk continues its descent towards the planet, slowly picking up speed. The Black Templars fleet finally rounds the planet and
encounters the huge debris field left by the battle. As the flagship comes out of the debris field, the crippled
hulk comes into view. The entire fleet fired on the hulk, blasting it over and over at it descends. Finally, the hulk is reduced to rubble, most of which burns up in the planet's atmosphere, giving the inhabitants a grand light display. Some pieces are too large to burn up, and hit the planet, causing minor damage, but none of it in an inhabited area. "Excellent work. Inform the planetary governor that his planet is hereby delivered back unto him. Once everyone is back aboard, we will continue our crusade. The Emperor willing, we will always be as successful as we have been here." * * * The planetary governor continued to have skirmishes with the new Orc colony on his planet, but it was little more than that. Eventually, the Orcs would have to be exterminated, but at that time, they were nothing more than a nuisance. The debris was analyzed, but only revealed that the Orcs battled with a fleet of Chaos ships, and obviously lost. It was unknown what the Chaos fleet was here for, or why they attacked the Orcs. The Iron Cross continued its crusade throughout the sector, fighting for the Emperor.
The End (for now...)
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