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“My lord, we have received a transmission from the Galactic Watch.” Sub-Manager Savius Detrube announced as he entered the command hub bowing obsequiously.
“What do those sanctimonious prigs want?” snarled Alta-Commander Strathus Bedode Falldoth.
“They say that they will consider a new request for their military service.”
“Arrogant bastards! THEY will consider OUR requests?”
“Remember the situation on Al Gerija?” Detrube quietly hinted.
“Do you mean those lunatics from the Siccarin Brotherhood Space Marines who captured that Promethium Depot and executed a bunch of hostages?” queried Falldoth. “These Siccarin are essentially traitors. They might as well follow Chaos given how many loyal subjects of the Emperor they have killed.”
“Indeed, my lord. They are convinced that almost everyone but they are heretics. That includes 99% of the Imperium.” Detrube paused to make certain the Alta-Commander was listening. “You know the Siccarin have never been fully punished for their actions on Al Gerija.”
“Yes, because the 43rd Battle Group had to be diverted.”
“Which leaves the Galactic Watch as one of the only semi-loyal units left in the subsector.” The Alta-Commander finally saw the point his clever subordinate was trying to make.
“Brilliant!’ Falldoth exclaimed. “We can have those two pains in our collective backsides kill each other off. Send a notice to the Perillion Outlayers. Let the Galactic Watch know that Imperium Command has a “request.”
“Yes my lord!” Detrube started to leave.
“Oh, and Savius?”
The Sub-Manager paused “Yes, sir?”
“Best send a small squadron of the Imperial Navy along with the Galactic Watch to, well, keep a watch on them.”
“Indeed my lord.”
A Siccarin Brotherhood battleline on Al Gerija looked to the sky as Galactic Watch heavy transports descend to the planet. Warrior Imam Al-Kharashi reminded his troops of the glory found in death. As his men scanned the skies they saw a small Imperial ship come spinning down to the planet’s surface, apparently hit by a Flakk missile from another Siccarin force nearby. The ship appeared to crash in the ruins of a promethium facility a mere half a kilometer away.
“Brothers!” shouted Al-Kharashi “Let us see what the Emperor has dropped for us. Perhaps it is some precious geneseed to help us replenish our ranks.”
A few minutes later Lieutenant Jonsson staggered out of the wreckage of his Imperial Navy ship. He thought “I must not let anyone get a hold of my attaché case!”
The Galactic Watch Space Marine looked through a long-range viewfinder from the hatch of his rhino. “By Knoxwell’s brow there appears to be a survivor of that crash. Let’s grab him and put him to the question. I’d like to try out some of our new advanced interrogation techniques.”
A fellow marine in the rhino inquired “Brother Sergeant Joineville, is not the Imperial Navy supporting our landings? Why do we treat their personnel with such suspicion?”
“Because Brother Uessex, it is better to be safe than sorry. How do we know that naval officer might not be a Siccarin sympathizer? Either way, we should go grab him.”
To grab Jonsson (the objective) the Galactic Watch sent an armored column consisting of three tactical squads mounted in rhinos along with a devastator squad in a razorback and a vindicator. Meanwhile their leader, Grand Pastor Baxter (chaplain) and a squad of Terminators waited in low, low orbit to teleport onto the battlefield while a unit of assault marines also waited to deep strike. The Brothers Siccarin deployed their entire army consisting of 3 tactical squads, 2 scout squads and 1 assault squad led by a Warrior Iman and a Caliph (chaplains).
The Galactic Watch’s armored column approached Lt. Jonsson’s crash site while the Brothers Siccarin raced to seize him as a hostage. While the rhinos made it to the crash site first, they failed to disembarak quickly enough to stop the Siccarin from running into them en masse. The Siccarin also quickly seized Lt. Jonsson.
The Galactic Watch rhinos quickly found themselves in a sea of blue Brothers Siccarin. “Damn terrorist scum!” shouted Sergeant Joineville as he watched a tread blow off of a nearby rhino; the result of a well-place Siccarin krak grenade. “There are waves of these fanatics! Send another message to Grand Pastor Baxter. We need the reserves to come in immediately. We understand that he and his terminators and the assault marines are planning a deep strike behind enemy lines to try and grab the Imperial Navy suspect from the rear. Nonetheless we really could use them sooner than later!”
Within a short time (by turn 2) the rhinos had all been immobilized or destroyed while the razorback and vindicator hid in the rear. The dismounted Galactic Watch attempted to form a hasty battleline. Most of the Siccarin force was hopelessly mingled in a one big mass of inter-joined squads.
Warrior Imam Al-Kharashi stood proudly amongst his men. “Come brothers! We have the hostage! Get him to the rear! I will lead the advance! The day is ours!” At that moment the vindicator at the rear of the Galactic Watch column fired its massive cannon directly at Al-Kharashi. There was a horrific blast as huge chunks of flesh and shattered bits of blue power armor flew in all directions. The Siccarin survivors staggered to their feet and look for their leader. A pair of smoking boots was all they find.
With Imam Al-Kharashi’s boots still smoldering, Caliph Al-Muatanjid acted to avenge his fallen leader and assert his right to succession! He quickly led his assault marines on a successful vengeance attack against the vindicator. In his anger Al-Muatanjid promised himself that the Imperial Naval Lieutenant would be given all the treatment an infidel invader deserves. That is as soon as the captured officer would hand over the attaché case he was carrying.
The Galactic Watch assault marines who had been in reserve finally arrived (turn 4) and saw a last-chance opportunity to capture Lt. Jonsson. “Seize him!” their sergeant yelled.
The dice had other ideas though and determined that a full squad of assault marines were no match for the few wimpy scouts the Siccarin had assigned to guard. The surviving assault marines were sent packing.
Grand Pastor Baxter’s eyes cleared from the haze caused by the teleportation system. “Now the tide of battle will change!” he thought. “The commander of the Galactic Watch force has arrived with his powerful terminators! Now the terrorists will be the ones in terror! Now the…” Baxter paused in his train of thought. “Where in the warp IS the battle?” He looked around and see the fighting far away on the other side of the promethium facility. “Emperor’s Soul!” he screamed aloud. “There must have been an error in the teleporters navigational system!”
Sergeant Joineville saw his commander teleport into the battle way too far away to effect its outcome. “This is a disaster!” he thought as an adamantium Siccarin dagger plunged through his armor into his back.
With their fearless leader tucked safely away from the battle, the scattered remnants of the Galactic Watch were dragged down by waves of Siccarin.
Since the Galactic Watch were no longer a threat the Siccarin turned to their new hostage. “Give me your briefcase” said Battle Brother Tarek.
Lieutenant Jonsson bravely held up the attaché case to show that was handcuffed to his wrist. “You may want this, but to you I say ‘hands off!’” the Naval Officer boldly proclaimed.
“A good idea!” said Tarek as he reached for a blade at his waist.
A minute later the weary Battle Brother staggered up to his commander while holding the now-bloodied Imperial Navy attaché case.
“Fine work Tarek.” Al-Muatanjid nodded his approval.
Tarek becomed excited, “Perhaps it truly has geneseed!"
"Open it!" Al-Muatanjid demanded.
Tarek snapped the lock open only to see waves of papers blow out of the attaché case across the desert. Al-Muatnjid grabbed one and looked at it.
"WHAT IN THE EMPEROR"S NAME IS A TPS REPORT?!?!"
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