The Story So Far

[Akenseth]

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M42.001.687

FROM THE DESK OF BRAXTON

More fear drifted into the command post as word from the Adeptus Mechanicus came in; the Power Nexus was beginning to strain from the intense fighting. With Orks closing in on the River Quay it now seemed hopeless to fight to preserve it. The way in from the ground was blocked and Braxton had already set the Imperial Navy towards the Chaos Gate.

Already as power had been dampened the grid the communications center was loosing signal strength and all the forces under his command were now more difficult to manage. Braxton sighed, at least he was all alone; no one could bother him, and he was completely free to do whatever he pleased.

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THE AFTERMATH OF AFTERMATH - PART 1

Finally Inquisitor Fortez stood on the last battlement to the Chaos Gate. The road had been a dastartly one; every last one of his Grey Knights lie dead, smitten by the ruinous powers of Chaos. Could it be now that he was tempting the same fate, having come so close to the gate?

Behind he was death; a festering grove of total destruction. Heretic after heretic, mutant after mutant; all broken on the rocks below at the Plains of Despair. In front of him, was total Chaos.

The sinister gate seemed to mock him as he approached; the same inner power that calised the planets surface. He strove on, making his ascent of the stairs; his adamantium footings 'chanked' accenting his already heavy steps of fatigue. All was silent, save the noise his power armor made. It was very unsettling.

Checking his armaments Fortez raked the ground with his power weapon; the mono molecular blade sliced through the dirt and concrete effortlessly. He emptied the canister of his plasma pistol, and replaced it with his spare.

He advanced, moving closer to the gate. Then he heard a horrible screech; a deafening cackle coming from the other side of a mangled Basilisk. Suddenly, and without warning, the grotesque apparition that was once Varlak leaped towards him.

Fortez moved quickly; v-stepping out of the way of the chaos creature. Spinning, he took a slice with his trusted weapon as Varlak flew by, but he missed -- badly, even for an Inquisitor.

Varlak quickly caught the ground with his foot, and spun about on his heel. Taking into a rage his hands became ravenous talons, bent on destruction. He lunged at the Inquisitor, as he began to scythe through the adamantium bracing. Fortez flinched, as he swiped at the deformed Varlak. The abomination hissed, and fell to the ground as the power blade rended his flesh.

Before Fortez could strike a finishing blow, the estranged Varlak rolled out of the way. Turning himself into a mad swirl, he bounded to the air and back to his feet. Fortez fired a burst of plasma, but Varlak only laughed when it struck his chest. Any normal man would have easily been felled by such a fiery brew, but Varlak was no longer an ordinary man.

Fortez glanced at his armor; it was full of tears and scratches from the sinister talons. "With one lucky blow he could kill me." He thought.

Fortez abandoned his pistol; tossing it to the ground, disguarding his sacred instrument. Now, wielding his sword in both hands, he charged towards Varlak.

Varlak parried the first strike, when Fortez landed an overhead blow slicing apart Varlak's left arm. The appendage dribbled of black blood as it hit the cold ground and disintegrated. All that was left was a festering puddle of blood. Varlak screamed in pain, but not from the lost appendage. His skin began to tear apart on his side as a new arm burst in fleshy destruction from his ribs. Fortez was stunned.

Varlak landed the next blow, as he scrambled to use his new limb. Like a tempest he flung himself upon Fortez, carving his mark on his shoulder. Fortez tried to retaliate, but Varlak now proved much too quick for him. Another blow, this time to the lower leg. The power armor sparked as the foul talons struck deep.

Finally Fortez managed to back away, giving off a sneer. Varlak hissed once more and bounded in for the kill. Striking the Inquisitors chest, he finally made a sinking blow. Fortez gasped for breath as he shoved the mephitic atrocity from him.

Enraged that he failed to kill the Inquisitor, he flung himself upon Fortez again...

Just then a merciful screech filled Fortez's ears; the sound of a falling shell. Both he and Varlak were stunned as the shell completed its trajectory and struck the Chaos Gate. As the smoke cleared, it was clear however that the shell failed to do any damage. Varlak grinned.

Then, there was the sound of more shells falling from the sky. Fortez had no time to track them this time. Moving in, he carved across the stomach of the capitulated Varlak. Varlak leaped backwards; frustrated that he was caught unaware. More deep blood spilt to the ground. Realizing that he had been beaten, Varlak began his retreat to the gate.

Even in his wounded form, Varlak was much too fast for Fortez to catch. Fortez ran as fast as he could to rally with his Imperial brethren.

[Akenseth]

THE AFTERMATH OF AFTERMATH - PART 2

Firaith clasped the spirit stone in his hand; communicating psychically with the trapped Eldar beneath its surface. Weaving the background reverberations of the warp, he dared not use any of his talents now; no, not now, he was too close to the great enemy, and one mistake could leave him vulnerable. Still, he had seen many outcomes, but with the strong presence of the great enemy, and the Necrontyr there were some things that even this seer could not fathom.

He and his kin had hid in the webway for too long, and now was the time to strike against the Chaos Gate. Much had been lost, as many outsiders found their way into the capillaries of the web. Firaith shuddered at the damage that they would cause, but he knew that containing the great enemy here would be the most desirable path.

Glancing over his shoulder he saw his Wraith-Knights ready for battle; it was an old warriors habit he had from his earlier years as a Striking Scorpion. That path, was now an old extinct one, as he adopted the role of seer to serve his craftworld. The Great Devourer would have been the total destruction of Iyanden, if not for the Wraithguard.

The Wraith-Knights were the most formidable warriors Iyanden had to offer. All of them deceased, and all of them formally from close combat shrines. Not constrained by the wraithcannon, they were free to fight in close combat ensuing the survival of the Farseer. Armed with the Wraithblade they were capable of slicing through the enemy in a torrent of warp distortion.

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AFTERMATH OF AFTERMATH - PART 3

Braxton sat firmly in his command chair aboard the Warhound Titan. From there he was linked to many control segments and other onboard peripherals. "Bring us to segment four-seven-seven." he ordered.

"Yes sir" the pilot responded.

The Earthshaker platforms fired another volley towards the Chaos Gate. The melta shells screeched as their charges erupted onto the surface of the gate. Smoldering in a diabolical fire, the shells incinerated on the surface. Not a single scratch adorned its surface as the enigmatic powers of Chaos protected the gate from sustaining damage.

Fortez had escaped the wrath of Varlak and had closed back to friendly territory. As he arrived, his vox unit went into overdrive as the signal strength returned. A myriad of jumbled words, shoutings and warnings fizzled into existence. Fortez looked about, as the Seventeenth Aftermath Regiment fired on incoming targets.

Moving like a wave poured the Tyranids. Shot after shot fell towards the position, but only in a matter of seconds was the regiment wiped out as the swarm enveloped them. The bounding force continued onwards. More fire was diverted to the flanks as the foul creatures engulfed platoon after platoon.

More shots were directed, as the lumbering Baneblades fired into the crowd. Shots annihilated whole segments of the swarm, sending some of the succumbed corpses into the air, and vaporizing others.

Fortez moved on, and pressed towards the command vehicle assembly...

[Akenseth]

M42.001.693

As the signal strength returned, Stone's Fleet decended to Aftermath on this day. The end of the conflict was in sight, and Commander Braxton decided to make a daring move. Stone's Fleet would return to orbit with the majority of the ammunition and await instuctions for an Orbital Bombardment.

Braxton divided the planetary defence force into two detachments. One would battle for the planet, the other for the Chaos Gate. Mounting the Warhound Titan, along with Lieutenant Strack the pilot charged with the rightous duty of using the Emperors most sacred war machine, Braxton prepared to charge the lines.

Little did he know, that the ensuing battle would be not only filled with the ruinous powers of Chaos, but with Tyranids, Orks, Necrons and the Sinister Eldar.

Pressing forward, the Titan moved into life, as the mechanisms powered up. He only could hope now, that he could reach the Inquisitor in time to support him, and so that the Chaos Gate could be shut down. It would be a long trek across the Plains of Dispair, but when he arrived, he would have the might of the Emperor brought down upon the gate.

Braxton cleared his mind of everthing, save the goal at hand. Nothing else mattered and it was as it should be. Giving the signal, the Division moved forward and the for Aftermath began. "This is it, there is no going back," Braxton said over the vox unit."no time to think about what could have been done, only what can be done at this moment." He paused for a moment to gain his integrity. "I know all of you will fight, not because you chose, but because you must. The Emperor will guide us, but we must not fail him."

Braxton closed the channel, and slouched into the command chair. "Give me the status of the Planetary defence systems."

"The missile silo is operational, but lacks the armaments to fire. THey are being transfered at the moment sir."

"What about the Orbital Missile Battery?"

"Under our control as well sir. The targeting array is damaged though."

Braxton was dissapointed. Without the targetting array the missiles could miss by hundreds of kilometers. He knew that he could only use them as a last resort. As long as communication held up, his plan could be co-ordinated sucessfuly. It was a risk, but if he could pull it off, he just might save the planet.

THE AFTERMATH OF AFTERMATH - PART 4

This was it, the deciding blow. The Chaos gate surged with energy; pulsating daemonicly , ready to burst forth the incarnations of the Chaos Gods onto the surface of Aftermath. One man stood silent, determined to not let this happen; Braxton sat still aboard the Warhound Titan, ready to pounce.

Thousands of weapons were activated, as far away as a mile, where the hunter killer missiles were to strike from. In a ravenous torrent of fire the weapons bombarded the Chaos Gate. Sparks flew outward; shining like crimson blood. The gate released steam; screaming, as if it was alive and suffering from terrible pain.

Explosions mangled the gate as the inner workings of the real world gate began to colapse; dispite the help of the ruinious powers to protect them. Metal bent, earth cracked, as the outermost layers pealed away; like flesh gruesomely ripped from the bone.

As the gate suffered Varlak knew that he was beaten. He retreated and made way to evacuate. Escape it seemed would be simple, with all the warp distortions and the disturbance on the planets surface, it seemed like the perfect distraction.

He boarded his one man craft and cranked the engine to full speed; heading directly for the Warp Jump Point.

The rain of fire continued as a singualarity formed between warp and real space. Consuming the fabric of the real world the graviton flux became so focused that the Gate began to colapse under its own weight. As the gravtion field dispersed thousands of asteroids were knocked off cource and pulled towards the point. Comet Anubus shifted orbit and flew out of the system.

For a breif moment Varlak was sure he would escape, until Stones fleet began to move in his direction. Weapon batteries were fired and torpedos were launched, but with Varlak so close to the warp, the Chaos Gods scrounged the weapons and gobled them up like a small snack. Stone backed down, not willing to risk the fleet to go any further.
The gate howled, and gave off a massive burst of light as the asteroids decended striking the singularity. Buried in the asteroid pelting, the Chaos Gate never fully had a chance to be destroyed, only blocked and buried under tonnes of fused rock. The asteroids struck other targets as well, annihilating many vehicles, squads and knocking out a power distribution node.

As the effects of the Gate gave out, the Eldar webway snapped back into its normal configuration. The Tyranids retreated, no longer seing Aftermath as a potential target. Still, there were still the neumerous amount of mutants, heretics and Orks who had suceeded in taking the Giants back mountains and Research Center TK-421 among other places. Much of Aftermath was now damaged and overrun.

Fortez seemed pleased to Braxton as he removed himself from the titan after the battle. Braxton was angry to say the least; for Fortez knew full well what would happen to the gate as it came under fire.

"What have you done?!" Commander Braxton demanded of the Inquisitor.

"I have sealed away Chaos." Fortez chuckled.

"You...you! You have seen what has happened on other worlds, and surely you must know that you cannot contain those powers forever under just rock."

"There were not the forces to get close enough again to seal the gate. Would you have prefered we done nothing?" the Inquisitor jested. "Well, Commander, what I have done is bought you time; precious time that you better use wisely." Fortez said sternly. "You may rebuild you cities, factories and all that was damaged in the past few months. I have given you a gift, the Emperor has given you a gift, so that you may be prepared."

"And what of the Xenos? What will you have done with them."

"Destory them of cource."

Braxton wanted to say something about how Fortez had doomed them all, but he knew better than to insult an Inquisitor so gravely.

"No, Commander, tWe have a war to fight elsewhere now. The Tyranids are no longer interested in this planet with the gate being buried, the warp storms have virtually stopped, and even the Eldar have agreed to leave peacefully."

"There are still traitors running loose, and plenty of Orks who will not leave."

"Good-bye Commander." Fortez said as he began to walk towards his transport.

"So that's it, you're packing your bags, so long, good-bye, good luck."

Fortez turned around to face Braxton once again "I don't recall a good luck Comman-der."

Fortez pivoted on his heel as he stomped forwards and away from Braxton. Making his way onto the loading ramp and into his transport.

"We will track down Varlak, he could not have gotten very far. Battle Fleet Charon is monitoring the sector."

With that Fortez was gone. Braxton and Aftermath were now alone it seemed until one of the officers approached Braxton nervously. "Sir we have been asked to join the battle for Ultima Segmentum. Commander, what should we do?"

Braxton paused for a moment, as always he was calm and kept it brief. He face stiffened as he looked at the officer directly in the eye. "Start digging..."

[Akenseth]

M42.002.354

Eye of Terror: Aftermath : Staring into the Abyss


Warren stared briefly out the window in to the swirling Abyss. The radical changes in color were very evident at this point being so close to the Eye. The swirling patterns of pure warp energy were grossly powerful to any man, and Warren, like others feared for his life. Never before had he seen the full fury of the warp, with exception of a warp jump; but that was something entirely different. This was the scourge of all known evil in the galaxy, the plagued damnation of the Imperium and the sanctuary of the Heretic. It was here, and only here that the great battle of mankind began over ten-thousand years ago; even now, the same battle, the same pure hatred was being released into the domain of man. The same bloody feud, the same warriors who stood upon the battered Terra. Those same warriors who fell in the name of the diabolical Chaos gods and their war master Horus.

Now they had a new war master, a foul soul of pure hatred for mankind. Abaddon, lord of Chaos; he who had fought in the epic conflicts of old. He who had brought his wrath down upon the Eye of Terror, smashed through Cadia; the only way point to real space and now his ultimate goal was in reach. For he would consume the worlds of man, batter their defences and strike down his most hated enemy; the Emperor. This last hour of need by mankind is the rallying call of all worlds that reside in the Imperium of Man. Standing on the eve of destruction Abaddon's wicked tools aid him in his conquest.

Warren was but a small man in the coming conflict. His mission: rally the remaining fleets in the Obscurus Segmentum and punch through to Cadia. He had accepted the charge with great pride, but now as the time grew closer, the more he regretted the 'honour' placed upon such small shoulders. The first and easiest part of his mission was now complete, but it was the shear discerning feeling emanating from the Eye; or perhaps it was simply his nerve. Even as the fleet coasted into the Cadian Gate, he seemed on edge. The wait was unbearable.

Silence was broken by the piercing alarm. Instantly Warren knew what it must mean. He knew what fate had brought to him; for trudging into this dark place only brought one thing. Standing in his way was one of Abaddon's mighty fleets. The shear size set him into a mental panic. How could this tiny assemblage of vessels hope to penetrate the behemoth that lie before him? How could he survive the awesome might of the sinister powers that awaited his arrival? He knew not the answers to those questions. But he knew that if the Chaos fleet passed his cordon, certain doom awaited the inhabitants of real space.

With the massive volume of ships that began to flood the gate, Warren gave the only order he knew he could give: "Prepare to engage."

[Akenseth]

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M42.002.367

Fortez stomped about in an infuriated tone in his hidden fortress on Barnosh. Frustrated with the poor showing of Braxton at the conflict at Aftermath.

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The heralding cry of doom screeched throughout the galaxy this past week. Innumerable forces pounded Molov reducing the planet to mere craters. Dark legions from all factions corroded the planets defences in mere days as the collaborative effort easily smashed apart the infinitesimal Imperial resistance.

Many Imperial soldiers have abandoned their posts, have gone traitor or have mysteriously vanished. The Imperial co-ordination has suffered from the lack of forces; forcing them to spread themselves thin. Re-enforcements are expected to relieve the most desperate systems, but some planets are already beyond hope without support from their allies the Eldar and the Tau.

The Eldar Craftworld of Iyanden also suffered heavy losses. Much of the outer shell of the Craftworld has been destroyed by repeated bombardments and the hollow center remains adrift with no functioning propulsion. Among the attackers were the Eldar's sinister kin, who led the attack on the mighty starship, the Orks who smashed many kroozers attacking the Craft and the Tyranids who lended a tendril to smash the already broken shell of Iyanden.

Meanwhile a counter attack by the Imperiums forces led them to Quistol'rol, where there has been moderate resistance from the inhabitants. The attack thus far has been successful, but has yet to tip the balance of power on the planet.

The Cadian gate has begun to clog as more vessels are summoned to the area by both sides. Thousands of Chaos ships flocked to Belis Corona to destroy the shipyards and dry-docks. After a major battle inside the system, the Imperial forces were all but wiped out thanks to the overwhelming onslaught of the Chaos forces. Rumour is a Blackstone fortress is on its way to finish the job. If rumours are true, it would give a vital chance to destroy, disable or capture the Blackstone. Abaddon has broken through the Cadian gate and has moved into Segmentum Obscurus with one of his most loyal fleets. Their current course has them set to do battle against Fenris, the Space Wolves homeworld.

More forces headed straight for Cadia, as the remnants of Warrens fleet passed through the threshold to do battle above Cadian skies. Badly bruised and broken the majority of the ships will require extensive repairs after a risky warp jump to escape their pursuers.

The Tau empire felt a slight prick of a needle as Prox and Notos fell under attack. So far, it has only been more of an annoyance than an actual threat.

It looks to be a grim week for the Forces of Order, not only are they outnumbered, but their systems are falling fast. Without more preventative measures or support the Imperium for certain will be crushed as the Forces of Disorder wipe them out one system at a time.

M42.002.379

An all out war with the Forces of Chaos has emerged from the conflict with a major attack by the Forces of Order on the Maelstrom and areas in the Eye of Terror. As well a minor assault on Karsonis sanctioned by Inquisitor Fortez has begun in an attempt to find and destroy the traitor Varlak.

Weapons flared across war torn Cadia, as thousands of Imperial troops descended to the planet. Bashing apart the now scattered and fragmented Chaos forces, total victory seems at hand. Lord Creed personally led the attack that demolished the remaining Chaos Warhound Titans from the planets surface.

Elsewhere in the system, Imperial forces that had been driven into hiding rallied under the Cadian banner and began cutting themselves through the legions of Chaos. The entire system is now almost returned to Imperial Control. With the critical retaking of Cadia, it looks as if the Imperium stands to seal Chaos into the Eye for the time being while their efforts are focused elsewhere.

Attacks from all factions battered Iyanden once again, but were met with some resistance from the Tau and the Space Marines, as well as a hefty force of Wraithknights. Although the forces continue to battle, the shear weight in numbers for the Forces of Disorder is continuing to accelerate each battle, and thus continues to bring Iyanden down at an alarming rate.

Notos and Prox, the two 'guardian-systems' of the Tau Empire have fallen under siege. More Orkish forces have moved into play in the area. The Dark Eldar have staged an assault on the Sentinel worlds where they have begun to reclaim that area of the webway for their own. Combined with the already pressing assault on Iyanden, the Craftworld Eldar are dangerously close to falling.

A few Necron raiders have been spotted entering the Cadian gate and are heading to Belis Corona where an intense battle is still taking place. Eldar Farseers warn that a Blackstone fortress is about to emerge in the area, and no doubt, many will be interested in the Blackstone for reasons both diabolical, and defensive.

HOW THINGS ARE STACKING UP

Both sides seem evenly matched in their ability to win and post battles and there seems to be a constant amount pouring in each day. Already there has been over 1000 battles reported all together, and this total is looking to far surpass any campaign we have run in the past. Its plain to see that the Galactic Motif has really brought out the battling spirit of many, and the number of battles being posted clearly reflects this.

So far, both teams seem to be working well together, each concentrating on their own objectives. Both strategies are being implemented firmly, and both are effective in their own way. This has become a pure battle of wits, as each side must anticipate the others moves in order to succeed.


M42.002.412

It seems that the main conflict has shifted out of the Segmentums, and back into the Eye of Terror, as the conflict stood more than a year ago in this desolate region of space. Both forces have contributed a substantial number of wins towards the Cadian Gate; Abaddon desperate to escape his prison, and the Imperium determined to keep him there.

The battle in the Cadian system favors the Forces of Order; but only by weight of numbers. This has left other outlying areas unguarded, and the Forces of Disorder have begun to pick them off one by one.

The Eldar are grieving from their losses, but before they could shed but a single tear for their fallen kin, Imperial Soldiers began supporting their positions on several key areas, like Touleno. Eventually even the Tau joined the fight for the Eldar race.

Speaking of the Tau, their battle has taken them to their outer systems of Notos and Prox. It seems several Orks and Tyranid marauders are trying to break through their defences in an effort to weaken another of the races of the Forces of Disorder. The hit and run tactics of the Disorder forces thus far have been effective; enough to drive the Forces of Order every which way to try and keep up.

Attacks by both sides have been massive spearheads against enemy targets; maximizing each battle by supporting it by others. Enormous damage has been caused, on both sides, taking the Galactic conflict to a new level.

The Blackstone fortress has emerged in the Belis Corona System, ready to wipe out the remnants of the Naval Base. All duelling wins will now count towards the Blackstone. No matter where you place your duel, it will affect the Blackstone only. Keep this in mind when posting a duel. ONLY duels can be made against the Blackstone, no regular battles! The Blackstone is a critical piece of the campaign puzzle. To ignore its powerful D-Cannon would be folly. I need not heed the warning for each race of what would happen should the weapon be used by Abaddon for such diabolical intent.

The number of battles won has evened out again, both sides putting up a huge effort, making over 1800 wins for the campaign. Congratulations to all for your continual participation.

[Akenseth]

All "TRANSCRIPT MISSING : POSSIBLE FILE DAMAGE : INQUISITIONAL TEAMS DISPATCHED" are a result of me misplacing or possibly deleting a file...

I'll try and locate them and replace them with the apropriate text.

[Akenseth]

Barnosh has four planets: Barnosh, the only world in the system fit for human life; Zelosis, a mutagenic wasteland surrounded by layers of gas and large infant rings and inhabited by the Chrosos, which is a species with exception from Inquisitional extermination due to the natural chemical production of Galacite; Kxan, a large gasious world with a liquid core comprised of hydrogen; and Karai, which is so close to the Barnosh star that it remains in a quasi-liquid state.