Monday, October 16, 2017

Vandrax 1: Dark Angels and Vostroyans clash

By 1810.017M42 the inner planets of the Vandrax system had come under invasion from Crusade forces following the completion of the space port on Vandrax 3. Vandrax 2, the planet most likely to form the basis of a colony in the system, had already been landed upon by the Crusade, but on Vandrax 1, a hot mostly barren world of endless savannah, the Crusade did not arrive first. Hathek, determined to encircle the Crusade to "contain" the threat sent a force of Vostroyans to set up a listening post on the world, and to establish the beginnings of a base for future expansion and colonisation.

As with the Cerberex Guard on Vandrax 2, the Vostroyans were immediately beset by a host of daemons, as the denizens of the warp clearly felt that mortal imperial domination of Vandrax could not be allowed to go uncontested. However the necron device creating the Foramen also limits the amount of time Daemons can exist in the real world within the pathway, so although the daemonic hordes attacked aggressively, they were unable to deal with disciplined ranks of Imperial guard and overwhelming Vostryoan firepower.

Inquisitor Vorushko soon found out about the daemonic incursions on Vandrax 1 and 2, through astropathic communication with Inquisitor Constantine. The Cerberex Guard, she concluded, were low risk, but the Vostryans would likely need to be purged following their contact with daemons, as well as the obvious fact that Hathek was now laying the foundations of bases in order to encircle her and the Crusade base on Vandrax 3. It was Constantine who suggested that she, along with her accompanying Dark Angels company, could make a landing on Vandrax 1, demand the Vostroyans submit to cleansing and should they refuse, eliminate the force.

Vorushko thought about this suggestion. Clearly Constantine was allying herself to the Crusade and Vorushko's cause. She had also suggested a way that might allow the Dark Angels, while officially not taking sides in the Aleph Inquisiton War, could lend support to the Crusade for which they had overwhleming sympathy - without crossing swords with other astartes chapters. It would also allow a vacant Vandrax 1 to be occupied by Crusade forces. The question was, what did Constantine have to gain from this?

Upon landing there was a tense standoff between the Vostroyans, the Dark Angels and Constantine, and for a while it looked as if the Guard were willing to submit to "cleansing". However this wasn't something Constantine actually wanted, so the Inquisitor gave the harshest terms imaginable to the Novgorod general. More than 75% of the regiment were to be "purified" and the Vostroyans had 30 standard minutes to reply. This was enough time for the Novgorod commander to contact Hathek, who countermanded the inquisitorial order with some surprise. Who was Constantine? Outranking her considerably he flatly rejected what he considered to be a lacky of Vorushko, and ordered the Vostroyans to resist any action by the Inquisitor.

However, critically, the Novgorod failed to inform Hathek of the Dark Angels presence, and on 1510.017M42 the astartes force, led by Constantine moved aggressively towards the Novgorod lines. Eventually there came a decision point and with no other options, the loyalist guardsmen opened fire on Inquisitor Constantine and her retinue. The Dark Angels immediately ordered them to desist in further attacks and return to barracks, resulting in the Novgorod launch an all out attack against the them. Massively outnumbered the Dark Angels were defeated, the last of them forming a ring against a horde of guardsmen in brutal close quarter fighting. Inquisitor Constantine and many wounded Dark Angels were then taken prisoner by the Novgorod Guard. Constantine's own assassin escaped into the wilderness and the Dark Angels Chaplain who commanded the force also escaped, managing to make his way back to the rest of his company to make a full report.

The Dark Angels and inquisitor Constantine were handed over some hours later to a rather exasperated Inquisitor Lord Hathek. Amid furious calls from the Dark Angels for the immediate and unconditional return of their Marines, calling the action on Vandrax 1 a "traitorous rebellion we shall name the Vostroyan Heresy" deserving of the "Emperor's justice", Hathek had no choice but to respond by immediately returning the astartes prisoners to their chapter, stating:

"The Vostroyan "heresy" is no heresy. Perhaps the Dark Angels should investigate Inquisitor Lord Vorushko's own heresy and the renegade Adeptus Mechanicus she has building her a base on Vandrax 3. A base the Ultramarines have attempted to investigate twice and been fought by the Mechanicum. Or perhaps Vorushko's forces apparently trying to prevent the Imperial Fists from establishing a base on the outermost planet?"

The Dark Angels made no reply. Constantine meanwhile remained in the custody of Hathek, while he attempted to ascertain who she was and more importantly - what connections she had...




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