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The Hammond Sector

After the end of the Heresy, the Winged Brotherhood was sent to Hammond Sector, a small distant piece of human space.  A group of five stars relatively close to each other through the warp, with nine habitable planets between them.  Chosen for the chapter planet of the Brotherhood was Kerentia 4, a forge world.  Because of the lack of free space on the planet, a space station was re-purposed to become their fortress monastery.  They were equipped with a standard group of space ships, battle barges, strike cruisers and other small vessels appropriate for a fledgling chapter.  Kerentia 3 and 5 were also habitable planets, agri-worlds that primarily support the forge world in their system.  

During their first years in the Hammond Sector, the Brotherhood fought desperately to hold that sector against enemies on many fronts.  In addition to that warp storms began to appear around the sector, cutting them off from Terra.  For nearly 10,000 years the Hammond Sector was cut off from Terra by storms in the Warp and enemies on all sides.  The Brotherhood defended the sector from all enemies, but with no reinforcement and enemies pushing in, the Chapter soon found that they need more and more marines to hold the line.  The need did not lessen as the years past, so the Chapter grew to meet the demand.  Eventually it became a Legion of Space Marines instead of just a Chapter.  

Psykers became a danger for the Hammond Sector.  Soon it fell to the Librarians of the Brotherhood to deal with them.  The Brother Librarians chose to teach them and keep them separate from most of the population.  Some of them become Brother Librarians themselves, others become pilots, and others still just stay and study in the fortress dedicated to their protection.

Fifteen years ago the first ships from the Imperium arrived in the Hammond Sector.  It started with refugees on Kerentia 5, but soon ships of the Inquisition followed.  As they learned more about the practices of the Hammond Sector, the Inquisition began to distrust the inhabitants and eventually chose to attempt to re-take control of the sector by force of arms.  The first battles were fierce and deadly, but the Inquisition forces were no match for the Brotherhood.

Meeting the 713

After the initial push, the Inquisition was repelled and the outer planets were secure. For many years after that the Hammond Sector heard nothing from the Imperium.  A few years past and an interesting thing happen on the outer edge of the sector.

  15 years ago, in orbit over Maevyn 4, a ship appeared.  The ship, packed with Imperial Guardsman and refugees, crashed into the dense jungle.  The 713th Mechanized Infantry Regiment spilled out of the crashed ship and began to set up camp.  Other Hammond sector ships in the Maevyn system called the Brotherhood to investigate.  

A rapid response detachment was dispatched from the Second Company.  Captain Michael and Echo Squad arrived with Alpha and Bravo Squads to see the veterans of the 713.  The Brotherhood attacked.

They charged the 713 and the 713 opened fire with everything they had.   A Leman Russ, Old Ironsides, rained fire down on the advancing Echo squad.  The bikes roared as they attempted to get into close combat range.  Alpha and Bravo dropped in behind enemy lines to get closer to the enemy.  

The commander, a short man called Stubs, cried "FIRST rank, FIRE! SECOND rank, FIRE!" and Alpha and Bravo were met by a wall of lasgun fire.  Bravo squad was brought down by the fire of this Imperial Guard regiment.  Alpha charged the command squad and engaged them in close combat.  The command squad surprised Alpha by taking all but one of them out of the fight. Echo squad continued to take fire from Old Ironsides, and Hyro, the only remaining member of Alpha squad weathered fired from all sides.  Hyro then took it upon himself to charge Old Ironsides, in an attempt to take it out.  He failed, but it took all the remaining fire power of the 713 to bring down Hyro.

Reinforcements from the Brotherhood, and the 713 soon arrived, and talks began.  The down warriors of the Brotherhood were pulled from the field and many of them were able to be saved, including Hyro who was promptly awarded the Heroism Medal for his courage in the of overwhelming odds and his refusal to die.

The Tau Incursion

The Enemy Skies, a battle ship of the Ashfire Cadre, jumped into the Grahoya System.  

Grahoya 7 is a small mining world, drawing minerals from the planet itself and the surrounding asteroid belts.  The fleet of small mining ships and massive defense stations work tirelessly to keep the asteroids away from the planet.  The ore from these efforts are sent in regular shipments to Kerentia 4 for the forge to turn into tools and weapons for the artisans and warriors of the Hammond Sector.  As one of these shipments was leaving a large wing appeared in orbit over Grahoya 7.  

Alerted to the strange ship by the merchants, the Brotherhood and the 713th went to investigate.  Ariana,The Heavenly Spear, a battle barge of the Brotherhood, arrived a week later to see the Enemy Skies, of the Ashfire Cadre, sending shuttles and drop ships to the planet.  Captain Micheal and the Second Company deployed to the planet in Thunderhawks, sending the Heavenly Spear on to deal with the Enemy Skies.  

As the first cannon blasts were exchanged, the Enemy Skies seemed slow to respond, prompting the marines and guardsmen to attempt boarding.  Four boarding torpedoes were prepared, two with marines and two with guardsmen.  Stubs turned to tech marines preparing the torpedoes and made a request, "I need you to put a loaded Chimera into this boarding torpedo." The techpriest stared for a moment and then began to modify a torpedo.  Modifying quickly became rebuilding and the delay caused the marines to reach the enemy ship first.  

One torpedo was loaded with five Sanguinary Guard and a Sanguinary Priest, the other was loaded with half of Delta Squad.  The torpedoes hit the Enemy Skies and opened into what appeared to be barracks.  These marines were quickly met by three squads of Fire Warriors and two Crisis Battle Suits.  Delta Squad found the selves unable to resist charging the enemy flew toward the enemy, their jump packs nearly taking them to the ceiling.  They were met by the Battle suits, and suffered heavy losses, losing three of five members before making it to the enemy.  Chain swords glanced of battle suits and armored fist failed to penetrate power armor.   The Sanguinary Guard similarly charged into battle, their armor ignoring most of the shots fired by the fire warriors.  Soon one squad fell to their power weapons, then another.  While charging the second squad one member fell, and when that squad was scattered the Sanguinary Guard helped their brothers, felling the battle suits with their power weapons.   Once the battle suits were defeated, the Sanguinary guard turned their attention to the final group of fire warriors, who managed to defeat another member of the squad before being destroyed.  Delta squad pushed deeper into the ship, looking for new enemies.  

The Enemy Skies held its own while attempting to recover all of its drop ships and shuttles, but the battle gave the tech priests time to finish Stubs' request. Two more boarding torpedoes were launched from the Heavenly Spear, huge ugly torpedoes carrying chimeras to their enemies.   The Chimeras punched through the hull of the Tau vessel and were met by three groups of fire warriors and two crisis battle suits.  The suits moved to neutralize the chimeras so that the infantry could move.  They were countered by heavy melta and las fire from both chimeras.  One chimera was blown to pieces, while the other continued to rain fire down on the battle suits, but the efforts of the suits were not enough and the fire from guardsmen and the remaining chimera destroyed both suits.  The fire warriors did not have any weapon powerful enough defeat the chimera, and 713th took control of a small portion of the ship.

Alarms began to sound as the Enemy Skies prepared to retreat from the system, and all Hammond Sector forces fell back to their boarding torpedoes and off of the ship, though some had to be dragged by their Brothers.  The Enemy Skies then successfully left the system, though it feels like they will be back someday.

Drugs and failure

The Thunderhawk set down and the Marines roared out the open doors.  “Alpha, Bravo to the right, Selaphiel you and your boys to the left, Echo with me in the middle.  Holler when you see them.  Good Hunting.” Engines growled and rockets screamed as the marines tore across the landscape.  “Captain, we are approaching a marsh,” the gravelly voice of Sergeant Carter came over the command channel, “Suggest we make our way around.” The flick of a switch brought a map to the dash of Michael’s bike, “No Sergeant, we head through.  The harvest crew was in the marsh and probably near the other side.  Fastest route.” The ground began squish and shift beneath the tires and cling to the boots of the flying marines as they left the ground.  “Entering a marsh Brother-Captain,”  Flaherty’s voice called out. “Thank you Sergeant,” The light began to dim, “How long till sunset?” “Hours at least Captain,” Flaherty responded. “Clear the channel and prepare for battle.”  Captain Michael’s power swords and storm shield cackled to life as the darkness descended around them.  To his left he could see a similar glow coming from the Glaives of the Sanguinary Guard.  All around him he could hear bolter and pistols being cleared and prepared for battle.   The swamp held ruins full of Dark Eldar, who were happy to meet the marines in battle.  Wytches surged through the ruins as jet bikes and venoms screamed toward the marines.  The Sanguinary Guard met the wytches with power weapons and bolter fire.  The bolt gun fire of Echo and the Captain fell on the jet bikes and venoms, while Alpha and Bravo found still more wytches facing them. The Guard charged into the wytches while they were still in the ruins of old processing plant.  One, more beautiful than the rest, screamed a challenge at the approaching marines, her high cold voices barely registering in the audio of their helmets.  The Guard pushed on but the Sanguinary Priest that followed answered her challenge with gusto.  His chainsword and bolt pistol flashed, but her long and dangerous blade was faster.  It found the joint in the priest’s armor, and poison screamed into his veins, the searing pain brought him to his knees, and his agony brought her joy.  In the center the reavers and the venom quickly fell to the bolters and multi-melta of Echo.  To the right Alpha took on a second venom, charging toward fire rained down on them.  Bravo found themselves under the fire of another squad of wytches, and in the center of that squad was the most terrifying sight the had ever seen.  Standing taller than any of the marines on tentacles instead of legs was the Archon of the Kabal of Capricious Scorn.  She wore sparkly purple blue armor with the heads of fallen enemies hanging from her belt and her helm a blank merciless face.  Her squad opened fire on Bravo, scattering them.  Bravo fell back and tried to regroup.  The Sanguinary Guard could not lay a sword on the wytches before them each time they came close the wytches would dodge out of the way, and their poison blades soon made their presence well known as the guardsmen slowly fell to their attacks.  Bravo soon regrouped and attacked the archon and her guard, only to be slaughtered.  Alpha made short work of the remaining venom and the kabalites inside. After killing Bravo, the Archon turned her attention to Echo and Captain Micheal.  Pistol fire rained down on the marines from one side and the crew of the downed venom unleashed on them from the other.  Soon it was down to Captain Michael and a Priest.  With no other options, Michael turn his bike to face the Archon, “Sparkle Glitter Tits, you sweet spring flower, you couldn’t hurt a fly.” he bellowed as he charged forward. She turned and made short work of the mighty Captain spearing him through the chest with her poisoned blade.  The Archon turned and quickly mopped up the remaining forces before making a hasty retreat back to her webway portal.  She took with her the entire harvest team and everything they had harvested.

Hours later the Thunderhawks from Ariana descended and found what remained of the Second barely breathing.  Quickly packing them onto the ships they saved who they could though none would be fighting anytime soon.

Flowers and Nightshade

Sunset was slowly approaching as Atropa Asvadyss lead her Kabal and their allies through a shimmering webway portal, the environment splayed before them, ripe for the taking. Chains gently clanked as a slight breeze passed while humans in the distance remained unaware of their watchers. The humans moved slowly among the marsh, their steps squelching and sloshing as they searched through the grasses and flowers seeking useful resources. That was what made this stop in the webway so lucrative, there were at least two vital resources in one area, slaves and herbs of all varieties that could be easily converted into several useful combat stimulants. Even better was the fact that if one timed their raid just so, the humans would already have harvested the plants for them. It was almost enough to cause Atropa to smile. Almost.

  The infantry arrived first, wyches quietly drifting through, though by the hands lightly thumbing at weapons it was apparent that some were hoping for more of a fight than the handful of civilians could offer. Others seemed to be nervous that perhaps this was all too easy to be true, that surely someone must be hiding in the distance. A wytch approached the archcon, inquisitive eyes framed by locks of amaranth hair that fell from the plait of hair atop her head.

  "Shall we?" The Hekatrix's voice had a slight, metallic edge to it that Atropa had grown to appreciate, preferring to have her accompany the realspace raids far more than the Succubus who lead the Cult of Sweet Iniquity. A group nearing twenty began to pool behind the archon and her companion, each itching for direction. "Calm yourselves. Nepenthes," the archon turned her blank mask towards the Hekatrix, "-take your squad and begin by scouting the ruins to the right. If nothing else, it should provide a decent amount of over before we rejoin forces. You will be followed by a squad of kabalites." She turned away from Nepenthes to face the rest of the wytches, "And you all will head left. I will meet you at the first ruin you see there."

  The soft whirring of jetbikes and venoms could be heard as they moved through the portal, followed by the light, lilting laughter of Harlequins. Atropa pushed forward and the blue vehicles glided away to clear a path, noting the intensity with which she gripped her Impaler, dripping with poison. The shuffling of limbs was an unnerving sight to behold as they continuously lunged forward from under the archon, suckers grasping whatever they could to pull the woman forward. The laughter slowed, and then in stopped as the troupe of Eldar saw her approach.

  "This is not your fight," she hissed, her darkened lips curing behind her mask.

  "No, perhaps it is not, but yet we find ourselves here!"

  "Why do you insist on accompanying us? We do not require your assistance."

  "Ah, such pretentiousness assuming we are here to assist. No, no, we are here but to watch my dear Archon, though you may wish to hurry, as it seems the humans have taken notice of us. "

  An unseen eyebrow raised. The harlequins had aided them once before, by what seemed to be chance, perhaps they were seeking something more? No matter, if they chose to be spectators the Archon would not argue. They were however quite accurate on the informing, while Atropa had been directing troops the humans had notced something was wrong, and were now rattled. She faced the troupe master for but a moment longer before turning back to her troops. guiding the venoms to split and back up the troops of wytches while the jet bikes would take the center.

  It was not long after the human's protectors arrived that battle had begun. Splinter fire rained down upon the marines as their bikes roared. At her urging, Asvadyss's troops surged forward, following the path she drew in the air with her impaler. The humans had scattered and regrouped, huddled and trembling as far away as they dare go. On the other side in the ruins of a once useful building wytches struggled to find the room to fight, but they adapted quickly under Nepenthes' cold orders. The Hekatrix's voice could be heard soaring over the field, it's high tones piercing the very air. This was not the first encounter that the denziens of Commoragh had with Blood Angels, as made clear by Nepenthe's jeering insults slung at the priest as well as the sanguinary guardsmen's head that hung limp at Atropia's side.

  The jetbikes crashed, and the venoms began to fall to the fire of the space Marines, but the wytches danced on despite the fall of their brothers and sisters at arms. The Hekatrix and Priest circled each other a moment before lunging. Nepenthes sidestepped the space marine's attacks, taking the moment to plunge her blade between his armor. Her cold eyes glared down at him as she began to smile, her blade leaving quite the deep wound. She let out a victorious cry, answered by her comrades who began to push forward with an even greater amount of blood-lust and speed, unfettered by the blows that managed to even scrape them.

  As she watched the battle around her, Atropa growled at the losses. They were few compared to the marines, but still aggravating. The tentacles below her tensed as she looked over her troops, approaching the edge of the ruins they were behind, and she saw the man who seemed to be leading the charge. She directed more splinter fire towards the bikes, who seemed to retreat to gather their wits. She continued to move forward as she hear perhaps the strangest challenge issued to an Archon. Brushing aside thoughts of correcting the poor man on her name and the state of her armor she instead sought to correct him on her skill. She was not the strongest of beings, that she knew, but if she struck just right...

  He rushed forward and in a blindly fast sweep she skewered him upon her blade. From there it was simple to dismount the Captain. He landed with a distinct thud, still caught upon the impaler which was quite firmly lodged. Tendrils moved toward him as Atropa towered over the man, emotionless masks staring at one another. She twisted the weapon slightly, and though he murmured no grunt of pain, she knew that the experience was unpleasant, and even the thought of the grimace that must have crossed his face gave her solace.

  "Now, now," she murmured at the pinned marine, "I would have thought that even a dull soldier such as yourself would know that flowers bloom alongside even the deadliest of nightshade." The poison from her blade surely had made its impact by now, so she wrenched the blade from the man's chest as violently as she could manage before leaving without another word to the Blood Angel.

  The wytches fought off the remaining bikes as Atropa looked across the battlefield. Nepenthes' wytches seemed to already be rounding up the civilians and resources, grinning to themselves like giddy children as they prodded the newly slaved humans forward. The harlequins chatted idly among themselves as the Archon approached, followed by Kabalites bearing the bodies of the fallen, hoping that Ludic could restore them, or at the very least use them for spare parts. Her eyes scanned the field, the loss of the jetbikes and the venoms still tugging at the edge of her mind.

  "Move aside or open a portal if you insist on standing in my way," Atropa seethed, a mettalic edge to her voice.

  "A fine fight that was," the troupe master said smiling, flitting on the line between sincerity and facetiousness and he flitted about the archon, "-but I thought that you were known to take trophies from your raids?"

Atropa scoffed. "That was hardly worth the time to rouse the kabal. I will not repeat myself again, fool, move or make yourself useful."

  The harlequin stepped to the side, gesturing broadly for the Archon to lead the way, and that she did, leaving nothing but the broken bodies of the silver and green armored marines behind her.

Log of Commander Stubs Imperial 713 Kerentian Mechanized