Imperial Memo: The Praetorian 42nd

Commanding Officer – Major-General D. Bloodnok, MC VC OBE and bar

The operational history of the 42nd has been noted by members of the Astra Militarium high command as “varied”, due to the high occurrence of conflicting orders arriving at the same time due to warp instabilities and the 42nd attempting to carry out all of their orders to their fullest. This has caused a fair about of confusion and unfortunately a few friendly fire incidents but their devotion to their duty cannot be ignored. Their campaigns on Tarsis Major, where they effectively removed the Chaos forces from the planet and withheld against the Orks, showed they are prepared to stand against all of the enemies of the Imperium, and Bloodnok still insists that his 12-year plan to retake the planet would have worked if he hadn’t been ordered to withdraw.

The organisation of the 42nd is along standard lines for armies from Praetoria, with cavalry units and abhumans supplying scouting, sniper and assault options alongside the standard infantry and armoured forces. Fresh troops and supplies had started to become a slight issue due to the limitations in warp travel due to the Interdictum, but help from the 42nd ’s long-term Rogue Trader ally Captain Estevez has meant that the 42nd are kept well resourced. The exact terms of the relationship with Estevez are known only to a very few, and due to the rights guaranteed under a Warrant of Trade it is unlikely that those terms will ever come to light. It is also rumoured that Captain Estevez has xenos working amongst his crew, but as again his Warrant does allow for this there is little that most people can do about it. Rumours also have it that Captain Estevez has control over several planets in the Koronus Expanse and has even set foot upon an Eldar Maiden World, though it is also said that some of these rumours are circulated by Estevez himself.

How the 42nd ended up at Hexis without any help or information from the rest of the Imperium forces is unknown. It has been noted that the 42nd have, in the past, had a habit for turning up unexpectedly at a war front unannounced and helping the Imperium forces, but given the recent ‘split’ within the Imperium it is difficult to use that reason for their arrival. It is, of course, possible that the 42nd had been held in reserve in order to unleash fresh troops into a critical situation, but even that seems unlikely. Nevertheless, the 42nd are at Hexis and determined to make their presence felt. As of this memo, a base has been constructed around a warp portal and further fortifications are being planned to ensure that the only faction that will win on Hexis will be the Imperium.