Xenos on Thracium VII!

 +++ RUMOR XENOS +++

+++ Transmitted: Deathwatch Frigate HALLOWED SWORD +++
+++ Received: DEATHWATCH FORT PYKMAN +++

+++ Transmitted: M41.999 +++

+++ Astartes: ATHREOS, PHOBOS Lt, Spectrus Troops  +++
+++ Subject: XENOS INVESTIGATION - THRACIUM VII +++

+++ Security Level: SCARLET +++

+++ START +++

 

 Thracium VII is infested. And worse, it is not just foul Xenos but the denizens of the Ancient Enemy stalk this world also. 

 

Kallaphrax reported signs of cult activity on the outskirts of the Hive shortly after their deployment. As soon as I received his auspicator telemetry, I dropped from the Thunderhawk. Typical Minotaur, he had already engaged the signals he was seeing.  

Brother Syrran engages the cult

 

Syrran was the first to discover the cult and, seeing an opportunity to deliver force at a point, charged the cultists outrider, destroying the vehicle in savage fashion. Advancing under overwatch fire, Kallaphrax lead his team into the fray and by the time I had landed in theater, the Spectrus Team had eliminated two squads of cultists and had engaged their heavy support.

Sergeant Kallaphrax attacks!

 

Kallaphrax cut down the Sentinel and as Syrran engaged the Tyranid abomination, it withdrew straight at my ambush position. Mercifully the Blackweave Shroud protected me from both it's psychic assault and it's claws.

The Broodlord attempts to infest Lieutenant Athreos

 

I give thanks to the God Emperor that the prowess of my battle brothers rapidly saw off the cult sentinel and, seeing the Xenos filth, they joined the battle with the Broodlord and slaughtered it under a thousand cuts. It was no more than the beast deserved.

AXIOM: Cults lead to Xenos. This is known.

 

Recommend mobilisation of VENATOR forces to Thracium VII in advance of possible Xenos insurrection or Hive Fleet interest. Inform the Ordo as well. If there is a Broodlord here then there will be others and the planetary garrison may already be under the cult sway.

 

In worse news, we have also encountered a small force of the traitorous Emperors Children. Moving through an industrial area, our point troopers spotted their advance elements so the combat squads dug in while I sent Brother Syrran to outflank the enemy. There were some machines in this locale that interfered with our multi-spectral arrays and Occulus technology. We had hoped to disable them but the enemy attacked too quickly!

 

The Emperors Children attack

 

The foul noise emitted by the traitors inflicted many wounds on Kallaphrax's men. I know even Traitor Astartes maintain the bolter discipline of my antecedents but the sheer barrage of fire coming from these particular traitors and their absurd weaponry was unreal. I had not seen the like before and I shall go the rest of my days with no desire to hear it again. 

 

Athreos is surrounded!

 

I was engaged by the enemy and, even as I struck them down they assailed our auditory sensors and our minds with their rage-filled noise but my combat blades rang true and with some aid from Kallaphrax (for once, the quietest Marine in the place!) the enemy were slain. Syrran reported that he dispatched one of their Dreadnoughts, a parody of the honoured ancestors at Pykman, and a squadron of bikers. He believes he may also have immolated one of their mock Captains but there is no remnant to confirm, at least not to our auspicators. 

 

Needless to say, I am concerned about the presence of those spawned from the heretical teachings of Horus and others. The cult I can explain, but these traitors. That suggests something else at work here. Perhaps there in an interest from...

...

...

...

...

...

Yes. 

Yes. 

I understand. 

Brother Darthan, the Comms Officer, is reporting ghost signals in the fields to our north east. We will investigate before I complete my report.

 

Computer. Pause log and enable emergency transmission.

 

 +++ LOG PAUSE +++

 

+++ DRONE IMAGERY BEGINS +++

 

We're Surrounded!

...

...

...

...

For the GOD EMPEROR! CHARGE!

...

...

...

...

 

+++ DRONE IMAGERY ENDS +++

+++ REPORT INCOMPLETE +++

 

+++ AUTOMATED TRANSMIT ENABLED +++

 

+++ COMPLETE +++

 

+++ BLESSED IS THE MIND TOO SMALL FOR DOUBT +++

+++ THE GOD EMPEROR PROTECTS +++

 

+++ TRANSMISSION ENDS +++ 

 

That last game was a tough one. I deployed the Phobos using their infiltration right in the middle of the board to set up more of a narrative of being surrounded by the Necrons and hoping to weather their fire. Which I did, for a bit. The Warsuit managed to see off the Annihilation Barge and Athreos did for a unit of Immortals. The Spectrus KT were slaughtered by another unit of Immortals with Tesla weapons. I made a lot of 3+ saves, but never enough. In the end, the game came down to Athreos charging the last Immortal and failing to kill it and the Warsuit charging a wounded Necron Lord and also failing to kill it. It was a very close game and my opponent played it very well. We've had run-ins before with these Necrons and this is the first time the Imperium has been beaten. 

So Athreos is presumed dead. He will return later in the slow-grow though. I have plans.

 

Next Time

I'll be cracking into some 15mm Flames of War Germans for an upcoming event and I'll let you all in on some meaningful science I've been doing on the topic of effective paint removal.