A Collected History of Imperial Navy Landing Party 21.10

[Master At Arms]

=I'm just coming up with some fluff for my Imperial Navy Landing Party, based off the Astra Militarum codex=

 

What follows is a general account of Imperial Navy Landing Party 21.10, otherwise known by their in theatre tactical designation of Force R. Whilst lex militarum still debate if Admiral Eduk Pellas overstepped the boundaries of his authority in creating such a force the heroism and intivative shown by its commander Captain Jamus Cookbrey and all those who served beneath him cannot be questioned. That such a relativley small and underequipped force was able to turn the tide of a system wide inusrrection is testament to the zeal and fortitude of all those who serve the Emperor.

 

The Naves System

 

The Naves System, located in the galactic west of the Segmentum Pacificus consists of the hive world Pompeus, the armoury world of Faslor and the fortress world of Plimoff. The Imperial Navy has always had a strong presence here but after the Ecclesiarchy and Inquisistion weakened the Navy's grip on Hydraphur the Navy tightened it's grip on the Naves system instead.

 

Plimoff is roughly divided between the manufactorias of the Adeptus Mechanius and the fortress garrisons of the Imperial Navy. The garrison fortress combines the roles of tactical headquarters for the sub-sector and frontier flotillas, a training establishment for new ratings and officers and a jump off point for the rogue traders, chartist captains and explorator fleets venturing into the Halo Zone.  The manufactorias are devoted to producing all that is required by the sector's ships and explorator fleets ranging from drive engines to the weapons used by the fleet's armsmen.  Adeptus Mechanius shipyards orbit Plimoff.

 

Faslor is entirely controlled by the Departmento Munitorum. The innumerable bunkers contain the vast shells and torpedos that arm the sector's ships. A planetary defense force and an Adeptus Arbites garrison guard the bunkers to ensure that they do not fall into the wrong hands.

 

The surface of Pompeus is almost entirely covered in sky scraping hiver towers. The only area free from these towers is a vast expanse known as the Graveyard. Here lie twisted remains of dozens of ships deemed no longer fit for service. The majority of the inhabitants of Pomepus are devoted to stripping these wrecks down for materials . Pomepus is the only planet within the Naves System to pay a tithe which consists solely of manpower for the various fleets that operate in the system. The majority of the tithe comes from volunteers keen to escape the drudgery of hive life and swayed by Imperial Navy recruiting propoganda. When there is a shortfall on numbers press gangs are dispatched to the surface to collect the required amount of men.  Pompeus is almost entirely surronded by wrecks and debri wiaiting to be driven to the surface and an asteroid field created by the destruction of Pompeus' two moons. A pilot station, Station Yakkon, orbits the planet and is controlled by the Imperial Navy who levy a toll on all those passing through it.  All ships waiting to dock on the planets surface must first embark a pilot from Station Yakkon as any attempt to navigate the hazards that surround the planet would surely end in demise.

 

The Imperial Navy also maintains a fortress dockyard within the system due to the system's location close to the Halo Zone. Port Nelhorn is a vast complex made up of orbital berths, a central command centre and intricate defense systems. From here intelligence gathering missions, offensive strikes and defensive missions can all be launched and co-ordinated.

 

The Battlefleet within the Naves System sector is split between five flotillas. Bulwark, Rampart, Bastion and Keep Flotillas are dedicated to the defence of Port Nelhorn, Plimoff, Pompeus and Faslor respectively. Swiftsure Flotilla patrols the boundaries of the sector, at a heightened readiness to react to situations as needed.  

 

The Naves Rebellion

 

In 998.M41 a space hulk, later identified as the remmanants of the cruisers HDMS Dark Victory and Broad Stroke, entered the sector. Before vessels from Swiftsure Flotilla could intercept it it vanished into the warp, only to reappear minutes later in orbit above Pompeus. What happened next is still subject to conjecture due to the lack of evidence however it appears Admiral Jellic, commander of the Bastion Flotilla dispatched a boarding party from each of the vessels under his command. Those who defend the Admiral state that he gave this order as he didn't want any one ship left undermanned in case of an action. Others have claimed that due to what happened next the only possible reason for the Admiral to give that order was the influence of a witch aboard the space hulk.  

[Master At Arms]

What follows is the transcipt of the eyewitness account of Han Garret, one of the pilots based on Station Yakkon. 

 

"I'd just boarded a freighter, the Load Runner, when the hulk rematerialised in orbit.  the frieghter's sensors picked it up before we eyeballed it through the main view ports. Yakkon put a hold on all orbit to surface traffic straight away, standard procedure in the case of an unidentified vessel entering the system.  I stayed onboard the Load Runner to direct the captain to his holding posistion. Once we go there there was nothing to do except sit tight and watch the show. Bastion was on the scene soon enough, the entire damn flotilla turning up. At the time I figured it was just Jellic playing it safe but after what happened now I'm not so sure. I saw the boarding shuttles leave each ship and dock on what looked the wreck of an old Imperial cruiser. They were docked for roughly an thirty minutes before they departed. It was strange, there was no way they could have searched that entire hulk in that time. I tried to raise Yakkon on the comms but I couldn't get through to the station, there was only static that was ocassionally interuppted by the strangest squeals. Something about this entire situation didn't sit right with me. I told the captain to fire up the engines and get us the hell out of there."

 

 

What happened onboard the hulk will always remain a mystery. Light is shed on what happened next however due to a record disck salvaged from the remanants of the bridge of HDMS Juster's Revenge.

 

== 0950LT PREACTION CONDITION ASSUMED/BOARDING SHUTTLES AWAY/AUTOLOG - START==

CPT. BLYTE: Yes Admiral Sir, however Juster's Revenge has most experienced boarding party within the fleet. Why send a party from each vessel? If there is a plague or taint aboard that hulk that comes back with the shuttles then the entire flotilla would be exposed!

ADMR. JELLIC: Do you pressume to question my orders captain?

CPT. BLYTE: No sir. 

ADMR. JELLIC: Then stop your mewling and report back to me once your team has returned.

CPT. BLYTE: Aye aye sir.

CPT. BLYTE: Horrad, turn that damn vox on that auto-recorder off! 

== 0953LT AUTOLOG AUDIO RECORDING INTERRUPTED/MANUAL OVERRIDE CODE CONFIRMED==

== 1020LT AUTOLOG AUDIO RECORDING REACTIVATED/MANUAL START CODE CONFIRMED ==

CPT. BLYTE: I don't like this one bit. Raise the shuttle, why the feth are they returning?

MDSHP. HORRAD: Sir, all comms are dead

CPT. BLYTE: Reroute to secondary systems. I don't want us to be deaf and mute for any longer than possible Horrad.

MDSHP. HORRAD: All systems are down sir, including the back ups. Engineering are unable to restore any of our communications packages

CPT. BLYTE: Lieutenant Smyt, sound the general alarm. I have a feeling today is about to become interesting

LT. Smyt: Aye aye sir

== 1025LT ACTION CONDITION ASSUMED/SHIELDS ACTIVATED/WEAPONS ACTIVATED ==

CPT. BLYTE: Master At Arms? I want a party ready to greet who ever steps off that shuttle. You are cleared for weapons hot.

MAA. TERUN: Aye aye sir. Any idea what we are expecting sir?

CPT. BLYTE: No Master, I haven't. Just be prepared for the worst.

== 1047LT BOARDING SHUTTLE DESIG 14A RETURNS TO VESSLE ==

MDSHP. HORRAD: Sir, I can hear a noise on the comms.

CPT. BLYTE: What do you mean a noise Horrad?

MDSHP. HORRAD: I don't know sir, it's like dozens of

CPT. BLYTE: Dozens of what Horrad? Horrad? Feth! Get that man to the infirmary now.

== 1049LT GUNSHOT DETECTED ON THE BRIDGE/ARMSMEN ALERTED/MDSHP HORRAD VITAL SIGNS - NONE ==

CPT. BLYTE: Horrad! Lieutenant Smyt lock down the bridge. Kill the power to all comms units.  Master Teurn?

MAA. TERUN: Yes sir?

CPT. BLYTE: Return to the bridge, assume defensive posture omega.

MAA. TERUN: I'm sorry sir. It's too late for that.

CPT. BLYTE: Master at Arms Terun I have given you a direct order.

MAA. TERUN: Terun is dead Captain but I shall be with you shortly.

CPT. BLYTE: Lieutenant Smyt, kill all internal comms as well.

== 1053LT ALL COMMUNICATIONS - OFFLINE/BRIDGE LOCKED DOWN ==

CPT. BLYTE: Lieutenant Smyt?

LT. SMYT: Yes sir?

CPT. BLYTE: Raise targeting co-ordinates for HDMS Indefatigable. All port batteries will be broguht to bear.

LT. SMYT: Aye aye sir.

== 1055LT PORT BATTERIES LOCKED/TARGET BEARING 0098273/SLAVED FIRE ==

== 1055LT ALERT - TARGET DESIGNATION LOCK/LOCKING VESSEL AT CO-ORDINATES 0098273 ==

LT. SMYT: Target locked and aqquired sir however the Indefatigable has also locked onto us and has unleashed a torpedo volley

CPT. BLYTE: Very good Smyt. Lower all our shields and fire as she bears

LT. SMYT: Aye aye sir.

== 1105LT RECORDING ENDS/CATASTROPHIC SYSTEMS FAILURE ==

 

WIthin just over an hour of the space hulk appearing in orbit above Pompeus the entire Bastion Flotilla was destroyed, apparently by each vessel turning its weapons on aother within the fleet.