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Birth of a Legend: The Story of the Charadonian Crusaders (WIP)

Started by Chris, June 08, 2013, 02:42:43 PM

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Chris

The Birth of a Legend

Tantalus IV, a Hive World which had harboured mutants and alien races for centuries. It had become a vital stop off point for anyone who intended on smuggling contraband narcotics and other illegal substances into the Imperium, however, more recently the books had shown a drastic increase in weapons and other life forms. Following inspection from the Ordo Xenos, the Imperial Inquisition had formed the report that the planetary Governor had turned from the Imperial light and had begun to form his own army. Its ranks were swelling at aliens, outcasts, rebels and mutants were flocking to his banner. It wouldn't be long until he had a force large enough to threaten the planetary system. At the request of the Inquisition, Marshal Augustu of the Black Templars had put together a Crusade fleet and set out to liberate the Tantalus system.

++Here begins a report on the liberation for Tantalus Prime, the Planet's Capital district++

Sergeant Jennings ordered his squad to stack up, the order had been given a hundred times already today, but they were making progress. The Charadonian Crusaders prided themselves at being some of the best urban fighters amongst the Imperial Guard, and they had been leading the assault into Tantalus Prime, spear heading the assault to take back the hive for the Emperor. It was hard work, and the risk of losses was steep, but each Guardsman knew the risks when each building was breached and when every room was stormed. The enemy was holding out, as their grip on this world was slowly loosening, they fought harder, as each urban block fell, so the resistance increased.

Jennings placed a breaching charge on the door and dug his shoulder into the wall. One finger in an ear the others signalling his troops to hold. The familiar crump and thud of the charge's detonation sounded and he signalled for his men to fall in and begin the clearance of the building. Occasionally they would enter an empty building. With nothing inside but ruins and dirt, more often than not these buildings would be trapped in some way. Jennings remembered how the day had started out. The first building had been so wired that he had lost a whole fire team in a single blast. As they had kicked in a door, a grenade dropped and killed five of his best men.

As the report came in that this building was clear, Jennings ordered a break. His men set up a recon team to go out and watch whilst the rest took a short break and took on refreshments. The day had been long so far, and each man was coated in a thick layer of soot and dust. A grim determination was set in each mans eyes, and a pride pounded in their hearts. Jennings sat down and took out a smoking pipe and his hipflask. The sounds of battle from the rest of the city sounded around him. Second and fifth platoon were assaulting from the east which the mechanised division and third platoon were tasked with recovering the highways. The Marshal and his Space Marines had drawn the heaviest of the Governors forces into an open battle on the plains surrounding the city. Marshal Augustu had fought a cunning war, outnumber at least ten to one, he had kept mobile and cut down the enemies forces where they were weakest. Jennings was reminded of the time when the two men had once met. It was during the Pacification of Charadonia. Just like this campaign, Marshal Augustu had led a crusade to destroy the Ork forces of Warlord Graznak. When the Black Templars arrived, he found a militia of men and women who had formed together without any real form of structure under an Imperial Veteran. Under equipped and under trained, they looked sure to be overran in a matter of days. Augustu dropped into battle immediately and broke the siege. In the weeks that followed, the Charadonian militia had aided the Black Templars in the purge of their own planet and had proved of great use to the Marshal. Once the planet had been cleansed. Commander Monroe of the Militia requested an audience with the Marshal, where he swore allegiance to the Black Templars and pledged to support and aid Marshal Augustu where ever he went. And so the Charadonian Crusaders were born, now an official Imperial regiment, they had seen glory and travelled vast distances from home. Better equipped and better trained, they had continued to prove an asset to Marshal Augustu. Of course, when ever the Inquisition had questioned the seeming bond between the two forces, Marshal Augustu simply laughed and suggested that it was a mere coincidence that both the Black Templars and the Charadonian Crusaders were always deployed together.

Their break over, Jennings rallied his men together and they once more picked up their weapons and began the process of checking their gear before settling out. A supply runner and been and replenished their ammunition and topped off their supplies. This long day looked set to get longer. Jennings looked out over the city from a high window, from his position he could see fifth platoon cutting their way through the buildings, the fighting looked particularly heavy with them, he could hear the rumble of the Armoured division as it smashed through the defences on the Highway. Soon they would be able to get armoured support of their own and the battle would be won.