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After all the trouble I went to to save him....

Contacting Crusade Command...
BYPASS: Priority Magenta
Contact made.

Chaplain Trajan, Strikeforce Praetoria, reporting.

Despite our best Apothecaries' work to stabilise his progress, Acting-Captain Hadris Aurelius died last night.

He died fighting valiantly against Chaos Daemons in the warp itself, holding the line against the gravest odds. He was an exemplar to the strikeforce, to the Chapter, to the crusade itself and to the wider Imperium as what a true servant of the Emperor. He was well liked amongst the Imperial Coalition, as a commander, a soldier, and a friend. He will be missed.
May he be met by the Emperor at the golden gates of Terra.

Hadris Aurelius' body was ceremonially burned to ashes as per Ultramarine burial customs, and Chapter Master Marneus Calgar has been informed of Aurelius' death.
As per his order, Strikeforce Praetoria is to remain in the Crusade as Lord General Kruger Zonand's personal bodyguard, acting as a permanent retinue. Upon the sacrifice Aurelius made, the crusade will succeed, with the Lord General at it's head.

Lord Marshall Karak, you were particularly close to Aurelius. In my conversations with the young Acting-Captain, it appears he was glad to have fought by your side and could bridge the gap between the Ultramarines and the Black Templars. He would have liked to think you felt the same.
In his memory, you are always welcome in the Fortress of Hera, as an honorary of the Scions of Guilliman.

Fight well, Lord Marshall.

Transmission ceased.

Captain Julius read the report grimly. Not only were 20 of his best men lost on this hellish planet, but now Brother Aurelius had died. His death hit Julius really hard, as he wondered if he would still be alive if he had just gotten to Aurelius faster, if he had just done..... something. Julius sighed. He shouldn't have these doubts, Aurelius went down fighting, was there really any better way to go? Master Calgar had been notified of his death and his brothers in the 2nd Company would remain in the Crusade. Julius knew that the death of their captain, acting or not, would light a fire in them to avenge him. It had light something in Julius too. A burning desire to find the ones who had hurt the Ultramarines so, and see them punished for their deeds. Julius swore then that he would find the ones who were responsible for this, and see them pay, even if it took him the rest of his life. But before he could do that, he had a planet to conquer and brothers to rescue. He donned his helmet and went to prepare for the business of war.

Lord Marshall Karak was in between briefings and planning sessions when the message came through on Crusade HQ channel. Slamming a massive fist into a metal bulkhead. Damn the warp, that one was a Ultramarine but a good one, a rare talent and a rare warrior indeed who the Marshall was glad to fight alongside. if he found who did this, damn the warp, inquisition or any force dare stop him avenging the death, not even the chaos gods would save them from his anger. growling down the comms, "SGT Tangir, pass the message on to the Ultramarine battle barge Honour and strike force Petoria., tell them we Honor there fallen comrade and his name shall be named as one of out honored dead, we bestow the title of Templar Brother upon him and his name shall be carved upon our records from this day until the end of time. Also if i catch the fething traitor who did this, tell them il hand Captain Julius there fething head on a spike.

pass on, i am proud of the honour to walk in the halls of the Fortress of Hera, and would much like to study its library, particularly pertaining to the breaking of the legions and the 2nd founding. A area of interest.

Karak out, Tangir, hold my calls. meeting, Magenta only.

Out.

Brother-Pilot Vorel flew over the mist-shrouded woods and scanned yet again for his missing brothers. They had disappeared somewhere in this area after their drop pods had gone off course and they had lost vox contact with them. Then out of the corner of his eye he saw something. A plume of smoke rose from a small tight group of trees, Vorel grinned to himself, he had found them. He immediately hailed them on the vox "Brothers, this is "Righteous Fury" do you copy?" he waited for a response. A few seconds later one came. "Yes, we read you brother" a voice replied weakly. "Status report?" Vorel replied as he came around for another pass. "We're all alive" the voice came back "but none of us are combat effective, the damned retro-thrusters on our pods activated a half a second too late and our pods came down hard." He continued a few seconds later "several broken bones and contusions, but we're all still alive and ready for pick up." "Affirmative Brother" Vorel replied and then he cut the vox link and sent a message to Captain Julius informing him that he had found their missing brothers. That task being done he began to search for a suitable landing zone.

Nox was a simple mek boy no different then any of the thousands of meks on the world of Wuldgrund. The Mek laid in his hammock in his isolated shack, his only company his Gretchen assistant sleeping in a similar smaller hammock. Nox rarely had visitors occasionally a ork with a few extra teef in his pocket might stop by to have their shootas kustomized or their Trukks patched up, but once in a blue moon he might be commissioned for his true passion, the creation of kustom hogs for discerning clients. He spares no expense on each set of wheels often going over budget and losing teef on the commission. But in the ork’s speed addicted mind it is all worth it, knowing that his creations are out going fast and krumping stuff is all the payment he needs. Little did the brute know his role as a nobody mek was about to be end.

The Ork slept peacefully in his shack as the cool winds creped through the cracks of the metal hut. Overhead unbeknownst to Nox a great meteor whose crust was darker than ebony whizzed over his hut, narrowly missing the mek’s roof. The sound the impact made into what was essentially the mek’s backyard was enough to startle the ork causing him to fall stomach first out of his hanging bed. The Gretchen whose name was Gobbles shouted “what was dat?” Nox rose to his feet and grabbed his kustom auto sluga “I don’t know, but I’m gonna kill em fer waking me up.” The ork stormed outside waving his pistol, he saw no obvious enemies only the large rock that created a large crater only a few yards away from his workshop. He holstered his pistol and approached the odd boulder. Nox examined the unexpected newcomer, something was odd about it, something oddly beautiful even in the eyes of the blood thirsty beast. He put his hand to it and the diamond hard structure began to crack allowing green light to pierce through the meteor’s openings. The green light expanded all over the meteor and began to pulsate. Nox watched curiously as the foreign cluster of minerals was enveloped by these green veins. With a burst of light the rock emitted a wave that knocked the mek off his feet and onto his ass.

Serf Nemotus sat at his post aboard the Emperor’s Vengeance he looked to his console and his eyes widened, he yelled “Lord Marshall, we got an incoming warp storm, brace for impact arrival in three, two.” Then the mysterious wave on the console disappeared as suddenly as it arrived. Karak shouted his boots mag-locked to the bridges floor “Status report serf!” Nemotus spoke confused “Its, its gone there’s no proof it was ever there.” Karak approached the monitor “Where did it come from?” “Every where and nowhere. The reports make it seem like it was never there. But it was I swear.” Karak looked to the man he had never made a mistake before, but his claim was far fetched. “Serf Nemotus you stand relieved, get some rest.” “My lord I swear.” “Dismissed.” Karak looked to the screen, all seemed to be in order and none of the other ships in Eternal Crusader reported anything, ah well odder things have happened during this crusade.

Nox rose to his feet. He rubbed his eyes, the flash of light had exiled the darkness from his sight, his eyes needed to adjust. As his vision returned he saw that the meteor had split open revealing a glowing red crystal at its core. The ork was drawn to the radiating object and reached for it. The mineral was stuck in the rocks core and would not budge in the slightest. So the Mek used his brain. He returned to his sack and fetched the mechanical harness that he crafted sometime ago, a crude imitation of the servo harnesses worn by the tech marines. The harness’s robotic arm clamped down on the crystal began pulling. Nox was worried the arm didn’t have enough power to retrieve the crystal, but as the harness reached critical stress his red prize came lose stumbling the ork back, the crystal flew into the air but Nox caught it in his hand. He looked at red entity and wondered. He was utterly clueless of what he had but something in his bones told him how he could use it. Gobbles approached only armed with a wrench he could barely carry “What’s dat boss?” Nox smiled “I don’t know, but I do know what I’m going to do with it.”

Nox ran inside his workshop and began rounding up the various bitz he would need. Nox felt the divine spark of mork as he worked, he saw the end product in perfect clarity. Then tragedy struck the Mek ran out of bitz. He searched his shack desperate for a pair of Mecha Shock Compressors, then he saw that suit of red mega armor laying in wait in his workshop. It was commissioned by a Nob named GoreBoot, but it had the perfect pair of Shock Compressors. Nox didn’t hesitate to begin pulling off the armored plating of the suit, he eventually pried off the desired bit and smiled. He looked to the new bitz laid out before him saw the wealth of opportunities. A turbo gyrator perfect for powering a kustom force field, a Heavy Skorcha, Power Frame pistons perfect for overclocking that twin mega engine, and armored plates that were both both protective and relatively lightweight.

For two weeks Nox worked virtually round the clock on his bike. Finally, the ork lifted his welding mask and smiled with wicked pride. He had crafted a work even the legendary Wazdakka Gutsmek would envy. He spoke to his metallic steed “You’re a right killy beast isn’t ya.” He approached his mount and opened the engine compartment where he would place the final piece. He drew the red crystal from his trouser pocket and placed it into the engine compartment then sealing it. The ork reached for the throttle and the monstrosity roared to life. Nox smiled “I’m gonna name you Da DoomBlitza.” The bike roared as if to approve its new name.

Gobbles sat at the front porch of the shack enjoying a squig cola and petting his mouse Algernon. He looked up from his white furred companion to see a group of orks led by a nob approaching. He recognized their leader as GoreBoot. The Nob yelled “Iz Nox in, dat git better ave me armor ready.” The small orkoid spoke nervously “So sorry lads, ma boss aint in today went off to scavenge fer bitz fer yer armor, it’z almost done though.” They all heard a loud drilling noise come from within the workshop. “Aint in you say.” The nob reached down and plucked the mouse from the Gretchen’s hands. Rat and owner sqealed as the hulking ork raised it to his mouth. The brute bit the poor creatures head off and threw the remaining corpse at the Gretchen. “Algernon!” The orks laughed and then the nob spoke “Come lets see da mek.”

GoreBoot lifted the garage door and immediately saw his scraped suit of mega armor. The Ork filled with rage as he yelled “I ordered dis suit three weeks ago and you aint even alf way done!” Nox was startled “Oh hey GoreBoot, lissen I know you wanted dis mega armor done by now, and it was done. But I realy needed da bitz to finish dis…” The Nob wouldn’t have it and began his wild charge. "I’ll kill you ya stupid runt!.” Nox averted his eyes and covered his face waiting for his end. Dakka Dakka Dakka.

Nox thought he had been shot, but he probed his body for bullet wounds and found none. He looked up to see GoreBoot and his posse dead, The DoomBlitza’s twin linked Dakka Gunz still smoking. The Mek smiled this was going to be a beautiful friendship.

Aboard the Black Sword the Strike scruiser canned the skies, planet and space for any signs of the suspected blips, for the past few hours all they had found was some asteroids, a old transponder and a ship hauling bootleg amsac. "sometimes, you just wish to find some orks" "be careful what you wish for SGT " the Chaplain sternly reminding the marine. "sorry sir, but we have not found anything to colerate with the other ships blips, not even as much a single out of place warp interference" "Patience brother, keep seaching, grid Falto 56, deep scan" "aye Chaplain, scanning" Hours later the Black Sword returned to forward position fruitless, not a single trace of the suspected eldar, not even a minor out of place blip or signal. some days where boring even for space marines, not even finding a Amsac smuggler was much of a fond, and the transponder had turned out to be off a hulk like junker of a local non warp transport barge that shipped fertilizer to the planet, basically a trash hauler....

"Lord Marshall, incoming message, Magenta" SGT Tangir cut over into the vox, "put it through, what is it. SGT" "Message from the Lord general, requests you attend his flagship which inbound on our sector, says the matters of a prime import and too serious to deal with in any other way, also final request is you attend alone. " "received, infomr them i will attend, any news on Acting Marshall Ivan, has he caught that ship yet?" The Marshall was intrigued, the Lord General has never tried to say a matter was serious when it was not, he had to subsume the matter was indeed serious as he had said, you did not encode Magenta for nothing. finally the reply came, "yes, pursuit is closing, Intercept very soon, ships fast, almost too fast for a freighter" SGT Tangir added, "As of your earlier order, all watchs and patrols for serfs have been readjusted to a 4 watch rota instead of 3. only 6 hours on every 4, 12 at the most. " Excellent, keep me informed. Karak out"

****

The Sword of Dorn was closing fast on the ship, a standard, if badly maintained freighter, yet it was achieving a speed too fast to be normal, that alone had caused the Strike cruiser to head to intercept the ship. "This is the Black Templar Strike Cruiser Sword of Dorn, by order of the Chapter stop your engines or you will be fired upon. prepare to be boarded"

"This the Transport DX568H confimring, engines to halt, Boarding confirmed over"

Acting Marshall Ivan was suspecting a trap, ships where a ideal trap. confined, perfect raps. "Prepare boarding parties, full gear, this one looks like a trap, ready the assault boats"

As the first assault boats landed in the decrepit ships hanger bay, many of the hanger lights dead or failing and numerous patches and bracing littered the walls and ceilings of the bay, one entire raised platform had collapsed and was lent over, a twisted pile of metal no one had even bothered to try and repair it. "this hips a right junk heap, its worse on the inside" Several officers approached in seeming smart uniforms, most bearing Navy issue pistols and basic,Mars pattern power swords, mass produced blades of little prestige or quality. "my name is Captain Darling, please come thins way to the bridge" Only they did not get that far, soon as they turned the corner the ambush was set, only the Marines had expected it, crude auto guns proved worthless vs the power Armour as the officers ran, several cut down by bolter fire. "This is Acting Marshall Ivan, deploy the rest of the boarding force, Traitors" the final word added with a hateful force, the idiots, now they would pay.

As the Marines cleared the ship, deck by deck, the true story of the vessel came clear, chains, manicles and whips in great stashes, barred locks blocking the lower decks and thick chains across the hatches. "This is Task force 3, found lower deck, barred and locked, breaching in 1 minute" "copy 3, breach and clear, Ivan out" Heading to the bridge Acting Marshall Ivan drew his sword, the idiots on the bridge would make easy prey, it was almost unsporting, but winning never was. Metla charges reduced the locked hatch to molten metal in seconds, then came a stench that even tested the enhanced strength as with a though the Marines armour switched over to internal air supplies. "Fething slave ship, only the cargo has gone bad" "SGT, be lucky to find anything alive down here, the toxin levels are in excess of 300% for a base line human." Seaching the hold, it was piled with bodies beyond count, many so decayed, even they could not tell which was which. "Survivors, 24m ahead, front. " .

As the Marines apothecary treated them, he was surprised, they should be dead, there blood work was off the charts, the toxin counts where high, hours from death at the most. "how long till they can be debriefed apothecary?" Id like something to show Marshall Karak to prove this errands worth, "few days Ivan at the least, these humans are fragile, and hardly in the best of condition, il need a few days to get them able to tell us, thats if there minds are not already broken, also purge the hold, its a pit of filth" Acting Marshall Ivan was going to reply when another arrival interrupted him. "sorry to interrupt Acting Marshall, vital news from the bridge, we found the ships comms, and the source of this ship. the warp rift zone, theirs a planet in there, some group of traitor marines have been buying all the slaves they can get for something, i have plotted locations and maybe a name, * The Remanents * "

The acting Marshall was pleased, eager to prove his worth to the older veteran, Ivan had found something of great value to Lord Marshall ,Karak had been assigned to watch him and was a hard one to please, a grizzled veteran and high ranking member of the chapter, he had much to live up to. Though as he read the maps and data, any such raid would take much planning, after Gallor Prime debacle, the warp storms in that area where still to dangerous, though starting to lessen, it would be a while before safe passage could be made,

Lord-General Zonand sat at his desk, a holo-map of the crusade's progress floating a few inches above his head. Whilst the swathe of Imperial space was something he should be only too proud of, he was not a happy man.
Not in the slightest.

Some of his best special operations forces had abandoned him in the crusade, the Deathwatch having gone to fight another war.
His campaign veterans were weary and bone tired from the constant fighting, and the newcomers were already encountering new problems of their own.
There was a hidden enemy wreaking havoc within the crusade fleet itself: Zonand suspected the Eldar to be behind it.
The crusade's morale had nosedived following the news concerning Acting-Captain Aurelius. He only hoped that it would temper their strength against the long night.
And worst of all? One of his commanders, Hannibal Pavus, was sensing weakness like a shark, and, if the word of the war hero Commissar Sheppard could believed, was attempting to rally whatever men he could to his side in a coup.

So far, Zonand thought he had the upper hand with most of the Astartes siding with him, and Death Korps, Cadian, Catachan, Histian and some of the Faustian regiments supporting him.
However, the huge numbers of the other Faustians, and their sleeper agents, would utterly devastate the Crusade's strength, leaving them ripe for the taking by the myriads of foes they yet faced. One man's greed could easily bring the crusade to it's knees.

Of course, he knew that Pavus would not attempt to fight his way through the crusade. No, he would be a madman to attempt that, leaving the crusade in tatters. Zonand knew how he would deal with the situation. Cut off the head. Cut off the head, and the body will die. It was a tactic perfected by Captain Sicarius of the Ultramarines, and something Aurelius had attempted to do whilst he was in command. And as surely as it would work against the alien and heretic, it would work just as finely on the Lord General too.

Much as he hated diverting crusade resources, he needed to defend himself.

To this end, the warriors of Strikeforce Praetoria had allocated themselves to this role, constantly standing guard over the human general. He was pratically untouchable to all but the strongest of assaults. Something that Pavus would fine impossible to defeat in his current situation. But Strikeforce Praetoria was only fifty Astartes. Astartes, as Titus' leaving proved, were not foolproof. He needed at ensure that he would have another source of reinforcment. Someone who could act as his eyes and ears on the battlefield.

He turned to the huge blue armoured figure at his side.
"We need to let someone in. Someone who can be trusted beyond doubt." the Lord General wondered aloud.

The blue figure nodded once, it's head shrouded by a black cloth.
"I have a recommendation, Lord General."

"Yes? We need to be sure that they would not betray.. your identity."

"Exactly. I considered that."

"And?"

"Lord-Marshall Karak, commander of the Black Templar forces. He held honour and duty above all, and commands a might host of Astartes."

Kruger Zonand grinned, his pale white teeth glinting in the ambient torchlight.
"Good, yes, good. You are doing well for me. Send an encoded comminique. Tell him to meet me here urgently. Prime importance, and suchlike."

The towering figure bowed once.
"As you wish, my lord."

"And tell him he MUST come alone. It is not yet time for the crusade to see you."

The figure bowed again.
"Understood."

Lord Marshall karaks Thunderhawk raced across the void to the warship which the Lord General had made his base in the crusade. only the sentinel was with him and despite being Captain of the Honour guard was staying behind at the launch bay, the Marshall would approach alone. the guard was very high on the ship, passing several check points, defense zones and Ultramarines to enter the Generals chambers. at the last Chaplain Trajan, stopped him for a second. "Marshall Karak, yes alone, good, you may enter soon once the General is ready." "Security is high, something is definitely up even you cannot hide that, anyway i have something for you. two letters i intended for your acting captain, one i hoped to send, its value i do not know but endorsement of his captaincy and conduct. a second sadder one. the formal document bestowing him title of a a full Templar Brother, signed by myself, the High Marshall and senior Chaplains. may they be added to his honored memory. " The Chaplain took the wax sealed tube, such would be recorded. "thank you for this Marshall Karak, our Chapter is honored, i will not forget your actions nore your loyalty you have shown us. you may enter now"

Nodding, the Templer walked forward, what was going on he did not know but he would soon find out. The Generals Chambers where not so gaudy aboard this ship, still his relics and items covered many of the walls and the bottles of expensive wines and spirits that where practically regulations for any officer of a certain rank, "agh finally Lord General, what is the surprise that is so cloak and dagger, i hear news of Traitors, coups, but this, this is different" "Lord Karak, you will be pleasantly surprised, we have brought you in as you are the only one in the crusade we trust right now, my "agent" decided, and i agree. i am in need of help, and i have a surprise you will like" Choosing his thoughts carefully, the Marshall replied "agh, the coup, yes the Pavus is a arse, Shepard is aboard my ship and i will supply full reports of course. now you speak of surprises, they im my experience are bad"

"not this one Lord Karak, enter"
The figure entered the room from a side door, at first the light made it hard to tell but then.
laughing as it was the only way he could even react "Lord general, that is indeed regicide, the gall of the plan i cannot believe. damn it human, i never saw that coming. this is most excellent indeed".
"Lord Marshall Karak, it is excellent indeed" replied the figure calmly.

Contacting Lord-General Zonand
Contacting...
Contact Established

My Lord: My Company and I have made land fall on Kagrenz and the situation is as follows. The planet so far appears to be almost deserted, a thick mist shrouds the air and makes visibility on the ground nearly impossible beyond a few metres. In addition the trees and vegetation appear warped, as if something twisted them. While I have nothing to base my feelings on, something about this planet just feels.... wrong. Librarian Varos concurs with my assessment, telling me that the planet has an off cast to it. I will do my duty though and secure this world for the glory of the Imperium, and to atone for my failure to rescue my Brother Aurelius. I have also heard disturbing rumors regarding Governor Pavus, that he wishes to subvert this Crusade to his own ends, and that he wishes to secure the loyalty of the forces within the Crusade. I write this to you to affirm that the loyalty of the brothers in my company still belongs to you as the Lord-General, and if needed I will dispatch additional brothers to aid you, just like my brothers in the 2nd company have. The 3rd company awaits your orders

Regards,
Captain Julius.

 War Kitten wrote:
Contacting Lord-General Zonand
Contacting...
Contact Established

My Lord: My Company and I have made land fall on Kagrenz and the situation is as follows. The planet so far appears to be almost deserted, a thick mist shrouds the air and makes visibility on the ground nearly impossible beyond a few metres. In addition the trees and vegetation appear warped, as if something twisted them. While I have nothing to base my feelings on, something about this planet just feels.... wrong. Librarian Varos concurs with my assessment, telling me that the planet has an off cast to it. I will do my duty though and secure this world for the glory of the Imperium, and to atone for my failure to rescue my Brother Aurelius. I have also heard disturbing rumors regarding Governor Pavus, that he wishes to subvert this Crusade to his own ends, and that he wishes to secure the loyalty of the forces within the Crusade. I write this to you to affirm that the loyalty of the brothers in my company still belongs to you as the Lord-General, and if needed I will dispatch additional brothers to aid you, just like my brothers in the 2nd company have. The 3rd company awaits your orders

Regards,
Captain Julius.

Spoiler:

So the 3rd company has caught some rumors of Pavus' dirty deeds, and they're firmly on the Lord Generals, side, how will this affect things? And you'll have to try harder than that to catch us slippery elves jhe, but who is the mysterious figure? I'll laugh so hard if it ends up being one of my Eldar

 jhe90 wrote:

Spoiler:

I did a roll off on the boarding action and the sweap for the eldar. Big victory, nigh perfect and a fail on sender sweap of the area.

I found the iron warrior planet though. Space elves try to keep up lol

 War Kitten wrote:

 jhe90 wrote:

Spoiler:

I did a roll off on the boarding action and the sweap for the eldar. Big victory, nigh perfect and a fail on sender sweap of the area.

I found the iron warrior planet though. Space elves try to keep up lol

Spoiler:

Space Elves are busy saving Nova Regulus and Echion, which I might add is YOUR assigned planet, and the elves are saving it for you. Keep up Templar

 jhe90 wrote:

 War Kitten wrote:

 jhe90 wrote:

Spoiler:

I did a roll off on the boarding action and the sweap for the eldar. Big victory, nigh perfect and a fail on sender sweap of the area.

I found the iron warrior planet though. Space elves try to keep up lol

Spoiler:

Space Elves are busy saving Nova Regulus and Echion, which I might add is YOUR assigned planet, and the elves are saving it for you. Keep up Templar

Spoiler:

We are getting there, do you relise how much plasma a mile you get on a battle barge?
Get beat fuel economy at 60%
Plasma costs just went up, somthing about new taxes to rebuild cadia again

[/spoiler]

Strike Commander Ajuran was peering into the void, as if he was trying to spot the small craft they had been following with his own eyes. Somewhere in the dark expanse in front of them, a small ship was doing a very good job at hiding itself.

He sighed, before he turned to the mortal crew.

"There's no point in going on. It's been two hours since we last saw the thing, and I doubt it's planning on showing itself any time soon", he spoke to the crew, most of which were still scanning the void around their ship. "Halt the long-range scanner sweeps, and put the short-range ones back to original level. We don't want to waste even more energy on this", he continued, slightly disappointed that the trail had gone cold.

As the crew slowly started to resume its normal duties, Lieutenant Maelissa called out to him.

"Lord Ajuran, we are receiving a message from Crusade HQ", she spoke, half-yelling over the sound of the rest of the bridge.

"Patch it through, Lieutenant", Ajuran replied.

The message from Crusade HQ was short. Too short for what the message contained.

After hearing it, and hearing it a second time as he tried to process what he had just heard, he fell silent. The silence that hung over him was deafening, the entire crew gradually falling silent as well as they noticed their commander standing motionless in the middle of the bridge.

With a heavy, almost cracking voice, Ajuran spoke.

"Acting-Captain Aurelius... has died."

The words filled the room, their weight bearing down upon each and every single person in the bridge. The crew looked to one another, as they all felt a sharp sting of grief. They had all heard of the Acting-Captain of the Ultramarines, his courageous leadership and death-defying actions across the sector. Although they had never really met one another, Ajuran had looked up to the man, citing him as an example for what every Captain should be.

And now that man was gone, dead and buried.

Ajuran's voice broke the silence once more.

"Send out a message to Captain Julius. Tell him we will meet his fleet above Kagrenz soon, and that I wish to take him up on his offer to discuss the future of this Crusade."

He turned to the void again, as he knew not what else to tell his crew.

He was alive. Lilliana sighed in relief. Lilliana had received a vision that Gaius and his squad would be caught in an ambush and she had dispatched several squads of her warriors to ensure that he and his men survived the fight. It had been a rather close thing too, the Rangers had barely arrived in time to save Gaius from being cut down by a hulking Ork Nob. Gaius had still been badly injured, but he had survived. This was good because it meant that Lilliana still had a chance to ensure this world's survival, she just had to find the right person for Gaius to love, if he could find someone then the world would be saved due to his determination. But who could she find?

I wonder who he'll fall in love with... -gestures to the Eldar Farseer-

 Sgt_Smudge wrote:

Planet Backgrounds:

XV Fahren-90: Ice World.
Once a flourishing ocean world, but after being thrown out of it's orbit, it's once life filled seas froze over. However, the hardiest predators survived in the depths below the ice, and they will eat whatever comes their way.
NOTE: I hope you brought your winter jacket.

Echison VII: Garden World.
Primarily based around the production of fungus/mycelioid based food. Vast mushroom cultures are found below the gigantic tree-like 'roomroots that blot out the sun with their pale heads. Any ork incursion would be fatal to the planet's ecosystem.
NOTE: Spores from mycelioid life interferes with scanning devices.

Wuldgrund: Feral World.
Rapid tectonic disruption keeps the inhabitants of Wuldgrund constantly mobile. In fact, the longest a settlement has ever lasted on Wuldgrund's ferocious surface has been approximately one Terran month - a legend the natives remember with awe. Locals remain mobile on large, bloated quadrupedal creatures known as Lunmowers. These large grey beasts are docile, and provide sustenance for the tribe they carry on their huge backs. Most Lunmowers can transport an entire clan, usually around 10 individuals, and their personal belongings.
Natives are fierce, experts of ranged combat and hit-and-run tactics and mobile warfare. If a clan is defeated, the survivors are assimilated into the new clan as vassal warriors, and not given a place under the large verandas on the Lunmower's back. They usually roast in the sun if a vacancy isn't made for them. The roasted victims, defeated clan members and the Lunmower are eaten by the victorious clan and their Lunmower.
NOTE: Should a force gain control of these warriors, they would have an exceptional tough mobile reserve contingent. (Thoughts: Armoured Regiment?)

Novus Regulus: Lesser Hive World.
Soldiers reminiscent of ancient pre-Imperium Roman Legions. Technology level up to steel armour plating, the lasbow and power gladius are a modern innovation and only issued to elite Centurions (native commanders). Another innovation is the development of defensive trenches, which have come in great help against the overwhelming Ork Waaagh! lead by Feral Warboss Kannilus da Kunnin'.
NOTE: Research and investigate production of lasbow weaponry for mass production.

Kagrenz: Unknown.
Kagrenz was spotted by an Adeptus Mechanicus recon vessel, which attempted to assess the planet for colonisation. Since the vessel went missing in M32, there has been no reply.
NOTE: Explore with extreme prejudice.

Julla: Tau Exploratory Outpost.
Whilst Julla is in no way the sole Tau operating centre in the sector, it is the closest, and thus represents a target for any forces which do not wish to lose worlds to the Tau's superior negotiations and firepower. Scans indicate that the Cadre assigned to Julla's defence see themselves as stranded, and have fortified the moon-sized sub-planet with all manner of drone-controlled AA batteries, mobile defence lines and bunkers. Julla will be the Tau's investigation into the defensive capability of Earth and Fire Caste equipment.
NOTE: Plenty of Orkoid life present on world. Possible remnants of the splintered Waaagh! Skulkrusha fighting as mercenaries?

Other worlds: DATA INSUFFICIENT

jhe90

Spoiler:

Lord Marshall Karak, Echison VII would provide a stable, nutritious food source for the entire Crusade forces, especially given its close proximity to other key worlds like Arcturia and Trisburg.

Reclaim it with at least 60% production capacity. Promethium based weaponry or mass incendiary weapons are prohibited, due to the volatility of the atmosphere. Ork forces present must not gain a foothold, or the orkoid fungus will spread through the system.

War Kitten

Spoiler:

Captain Julius, you are tasked with investigating and exploring the world of Kagrenz. Ork forces hang in orbit above. Engage them at your discretion, but we must know what Kagrenz holds for the crusade.

Farseer Lilliana has sensed a powerful emanation from Centurion Gaius, sub-commander of the 3rd Regulus Defence Legio. This man has recently found that his wife has been having an affair with his commander, Centurion-Major Commus.
Perhaps his sparking insecurity could be fanned into a fire that would cripple the 3rd Legio, and make Novus Regulus closer to falling to the orks. Or, igniting his love for another could bolster the line and help push back the ork forces.

Tactical_Spam

Spoiler:

Hailing Chapter Master Ryus. Are you still present? There appears to be strange signals emitting from the ruined crust of Mogrok. Signs match no known records.

Explore the treacherous field of debris to find and identify the source. Beware, however. Warp radiation levels have spiked exponentially since the Vault of Gallor Prime was opened

Ezra Tyrius

Spoiler:

Commander Ajuran, the Tau have already sent envoys to the recently liberated Sandfall, hoping for them to defect to their Greater Good.
Destroy the troops as they land on Sandfall, and any humans who may be welcoming their false masters. Let the whole world, and the crusade, see what happens to xenos sympathisers. Make a show out of it. Scouting Julla would also be good for the crusade's interests.

Remnants: How should I know what your plans are?! A stable escape route into the Mare Dracarian would be useful though.
Scout around the rift and find a suitable base for your plans.

chazz huggins

Spoiler:

You need to win favour in the crusade and silence those who could prove... problematic. You've already earmarked some of these commanders: Captain Dreggan, Captain Killiars, Commissar Anderson and Lieutenant Verck. In other news, back on Trisburg, another ceremonial tourney is commencing upon Hannibal Pavus' return.

Silence the loyalists in the tourney. I am sure Captains Braddock and Reiner are eager for another round.

2JackBlack1

Spoiler:

You have successfully fortified your base on XV Fahren-90, but you have far to go before you can afford to leave. Men in the fortress tell of a beast below the ice, lurking in wait. Who can tell when it will strike?
Eliminate this wyrm before it swallows it up below the ice. You will need all the Terminator armour you can get to brave the inky depths of the seas.

Colonel Detta of the Histan 98th Infantry, we are glad you could support us in the Crusade. Kagrenz is in need of scouting and blockading. We require your men to neutralise the ork fleet over Kagrenz to allow for safe reconnaissance.
Board the ork ships, and bring them down. The tight confines will be suited well for your infantry, I am sure.

Righteousrob

Spoiler:

The Wolverines Valiant have served admirably in the crusade, but we must secure our rearguard. Your chapter has suffered greatly, and you need time to recover. Our shipping route from Crusade Forward Command to Crusade Rear Command is at risk of assault by xenos pirates and rebel humans who think they can steal what is the Emperor's by right.

Defend a convoy of men and munitions shipments to Crusade Forward Command, and a convoy of froststeel plating and natural ores to Crusade Rear Command. Beware: Dark Eldar pirates rumoured to be operating in the area.

Ashiraya

Spoiler:

The data repository seems to be centred around a single chamber, which is nulled from the warp and impervious to conventional methods of entry.

Find a way in, get the data, and let in the Warp.

Sgt_Smudge

Spoiler:

You know what to do.

All missions accounted for!

Read the mission I was given for Lilliana.

So many relationships happening in this thread

 Tactical_Spam wrote:
So many relationships happening in this thread

 chazz huggins wrote:

 Tactical_Spam wrote:
So many relationships happening in this thread

Spoiler:

I know its disgusting, next thing you know orks and tau are going to be hooking up, well technically they had an alliance way earlier in the campaign so they've already been in bed togeather.

 chazz huggins wrote:

 Tactical_Spam wrote:
So many relationships happening in this thread

Spoiler:

I know its disgusting, next thing you know orks and tau are going to be hooking up, well technically they had an alliance way earlier in the campaign so they've already been in bed togeather.

Not my fault. Blame Smudge for having Lilliana find love for Gaius

 Sgt_Smudge wrote:

Spoiler:

So, this is working nicely! I'm a little sick at moment, but I'll try and keep up to scratch with your PMs. Keep the good work coming!

Ezra Tyrius: I am glad you're happy with my portrayal of the Sorceror, I just guessed based on what he'd said beforehand.
Same with the ideals of the Remnants, I am a fan of the blog for them, and I was trying to get along an idea of what they were like.
Glad you're happy!

War Kitten: I'd be fine with writing a bit for Gaius, our little Roman friend. That is, if no-one else wants to wrote about a love-stricken Roman Legionnaire?

Tactical_Spam: Are you insinuating support of cross-species romantic relationships? HERESY **BLAM**

I am glad Aurelius' death was well-received, but where one leaves, another enters.

Who is this mysterious advisor to Lord General Zonand?
A lifetime of happiness to whoever can guess the right answer!

(Note: Smudge will not reveal answer until completely necessary. Lifetime of happiness not guarenteed.)

I'd be fine with you writing up a bit for Gaius, it'd make things more interesting, especially if he ends up seeing Lilliana
I'm also betting that the supporter is an Eldar, the "human" comment was fishy, either that or AdMech. I also need to try and wrap up Nova Regulus before the Crusade gets here. I can't fight off CSM, Orks, and whoever goes to Nova. Hopefull Zonand actually responds to the message Julius sent him.

 Sgt_Smudge wrote:

Spoiler:

So, this is working nicely! I'm a little sick at moment, but I'll try and keep up to scratch with your PMs. Keep the good work coming!

Ezra Tyrius: I am glad you're happy with my portrayal of the Sorceror, I just guessed based on what he'd said beforehand.
Same with the ideals of the Remnants, I am a fan of the blog for them, and I was trying to get along an idea of what they were like.
Glad you're happy!

War Kitten: I'd be fine with writing a bit for Gaius, our little Roman friend. That is, if no-one else wants to wrote about a love-stricken Roman Legionnaire?

Tactical_Spam: Are you insinuating support of cross-species romantic relationships? HERESY **BLAM**

I am glad Aurelius' death was well-received, but where one leaves, another enters.

Who is this mysterious advisor to Lord General Zonand?
A lifetime of happiness to whoever can guess the right answer!

(Note: Smudge will not reveal answer until completely necessary. Lifetime of happiness not guarenteed.)