Kosmopolis, day 1, The situation, finally...

- The following is based on my original, early conception of an SRP. It is set in the city of Kosmopolis on Guinevere V in the Venthis Sector, but all you have to worry about is the city.

- Kosmopolis is abandoned and overrun with Orks. You are here to get it back -- particularly the Basilica, the Governor’s Palace, and the Spaceport.

- Both sides are fairly weak at this stage, only scouting forces have pushed forward. The orks have taken the city by dint of numbers and no more. Major General Burgan’s Cadian Division is the first major Imperial unit to arrive on the scene, and he immediately pushes into the city, trying to take as much ground from the Orks as possible and prevent them from organizing a defense in the heavy terrain.

- Molotov, the only player for the time being, will play Burgan. Once he has delayed the enemy long enough for reinforcements to arrive, other players will be allowed to join -- his objectives for now are the Railhead and the two Imperial sectors that are still holding out.

- Molotov’s division is comprised of three Cadian infantry regiments, the 118th under Garrison, the 14th under Wight and the 92nd under Rikkard. Each regiment, at full strength, has about 3,000 infantry in ten companies, plus 50 Sentinels, ten Leman Russ, ten Basilisks, and the usual supply/medical/comms/intel/HQ folks, who you don‘t need to worry about too much. The total is 10,000 men.

Each Guard regiment, including those to be added later, may choose one (1) doctrine from the IG codex, NOT including the Restricted Units. The 118th and 92nd have Iron Discipline, and will fight on despite casualties. The 14th, on the other hand, are Hardened Veterans, and have a number of specialized commando kill-teams in support.

Burgan’s Division has allies inside the city, who refused to evacuate and were surrounded as it was overrun. They are DM-controlled until rescued by Imperial forces. They are in radio communication with Burgan’s forces. They include company-sized contingents of:

- The Order of the Burning Wheel, stationed at the Basilica. 100 Sisters of Battle, 500 Frateris Militia, and 10 Rhinos.

- Kosmopolis Arbites Precinct: 100 Arbites and 10 Rhinos.

- Molotov’s opponents at present include the following warbands:

The Golden Horde -- 3,000 Bad Moons plus a lot of grots, heavily equipped with battlewagons, kustom weapons and tech gear. Currently rampaging through the Trading and Cartel districts, and sending wave attacks of Gretchin at the Arbites.

Skorznee’s Kommandoz -- 2,000 Blood Axes, even sneakier than normal ones. Few vehicles. Currently fortifying and booby-trapping the Water Purification Plants and sniping at the Imperials.

Meksnappa’s Lootaz -- 1,000 Deffskulls, all armed with looted Imperial Guard weapons and at least twenty Imperial vehicles of various types. Currently entrenching in the HQ of the destroyed 122nd Cadian, and slowly pounding the Basilica to rubble.

Assume these units are spread out -- a force’s zone of control extends beyond the space that its name covers, so combat cannot be avoided simply by going through the central Fortifications sector or north of the Water Purification Plant. Red denotes boundaries of the ork line. The Imperials may start anywhere west of the line, but regiments may not be split up.

Molotov now has the opportunity to “place” his regiments and indicate their general objectives and orders. Once this is done, I will post a modified map and the results of the Cadian actions. Keep in mind that the Orks may have their own objectives and may take the initiative if Mol isn’t swift enough.

1. Make a short speech to the troops under your command, encouraging them with stirring words before the campaign begins. "We are about to embark upon a great crusade --".

2. Assign your three regiments to assault specific locations. You may hold parts or entire units in reserve. You may also give more specific instructions, like "Advance cautiously," or "Veteran kill-teams should be on point," or "Artillery should suppress enemy during the advance."

This post has been edited by JenBurdoo on Oct 23 2007, 12:42 AM

"We are about to embark upon a great crusade; we shall eradicate the stain of the Orkoid horde from Kosmopolis. The people of this world shall have their homes returned to them. The campaign shall be difficult, but we shall prevail. We are Cadians, the elite of the Imperial Guard. For ten thousand years we have stood watch over the Imperium, and we shall protect it once more. For the Emperor! For Cadia! For Kosmopolis!"

General Burgan is rumoured to have told a Cadian soldier during a unit inspection to 'send the green-skinned bastards crawling back to whatever hole they spawned from" and to "make him proud".

As an advance note, I'm making use of this map because the grid locations will be useful for both of us. The 118th Cadian (under Colonel Garrison) and the 92nd Cadian (under Colonel Rikkard) will deploy in the North of the City around grid reference B1. Their objectives are to advance into the city, south and south-east, attacking the financial districts. Primary objectives are to claim the trading houses and to link with the Arbites precinct (and, if possible, to reinforce it and use it as a bastion from which to mount further attacks). The Bad Moons' battle-wagons could cause grievous losses, and upon sighting them, the Guardsmen should call in artillery support to crush the vehicles.

Colonel Wight's 14th Cadian are ordered to deploy across the western fringes of the city, concentrating primarily between C8 and B7. Orders are to draw the Blood Axes away from reinforcing the Bad Moons. Infiltrating Veteran Squads are ordered to cause as much havoc as possible. All effort is to be made to infiltrate through Ork lines and contact the Battle Sisters holed up within the Basillica.

Day 2, 0600: Some progress has been made. The 118th drives hard into the Cartel Houses, liberating a good deal of ground, while the 92nd pushes to within a hundred yards of the Arbites Precinct House. The sharp contours of the fortress are clearly visible, but the Orks tenaciously block the way. The Golden Horde seems, for lack of a better word, absolutely delighted to have a worthy opponent. They flock to battle, and a spirited close-range firefight erupts all along the line. Vehicles and screaming orks are everywhere. Accurate indirect fire from the two Basilisk companies is confirmed to destroy at least twelve Battlewagons, and the orks start to use their vehicles instead as strongpoints, hunkered down behind enormous piles of rubble. Morale remains high among the Cadian troops, and Burgan listens to their confident voices as they advance despite casualties. The leading companies are splintered against the orks, but the survivors are quickly recycled into other units and continue to advance.

Burgan visits a heavily bandaged trooper in hospital. Enthusiastically waving the stumps of his arms, Trooper Bran eagerly describes for you how his squad trapped and slaughtered a pack of gretchin, before the Guardsmen were hit by an ork battlecannon.

"But the Basilisks took out the tank, sir. You shoulda seen it. The orks was right on top of us, and BAM!" He grins ruefully. "That's how I lost me legs."

On the southern front, the 14th cautiously advances, attempting to draw out the Blood Axes of Skorznee's Kommandoz. The orks here are daring, and they engage in a variety of tactics, from suicide bomb attacks to cunning traps. The 14th's third company is ambushed and loses half its men before extricating itself from a pit that suddenly opened beneath its feet and dropped it down two floors into a subbasement that, luckily, was not quite filled with spikes yet.

Ork Kommandos and Guard Veteran squads engage in brief, bitter fights between the front line and the Basilica as the regiment's elite elements attempt to infiltrate. Two teams report they are in sight of the Basilica but have not yet reached it. However, they can hear defiant laud-hailer broadcasts, playing Imperial hymns from a scratchy record.

While the Sisters do not respond to communication attempts, the Arbites punch through a secured line to your headquarters and report that their defense turrets are running low on ammunition.

Just before midnight, there is a massive explosion behind ork lines, in the vicinity of the Water Purification Plant (see black starshape for location). A bright yellow flash is clearly visible, and a concussive rumble rolls through the northern part of the city. The Arbite radio comms are abruptly cut off.

1. What are your reactions to these developments?

2. Give a peptalk to the injured soldier and his buddies.

3. The Adeptus Terra send you a tersely worded message reminding you that if you do not show signs of success soon, your supplies of ammo will be reduced because you obviously aren't using all you've been given. How do you respond?

This post has been edited by JenBurdoo on Oct 27 2007, 12:03 AM

Burgan's reaction is positive, on the whole. All the regiments have performed well, and the Commanding Officers are told to pass down the news that the General's in good spirits, and is proud of his men. If possible, he'll try to visit some of the men to let them know he's proud of them and appreciative of their sacrifice.

The news from the Arbites Precinct is troubling, and the 92nd are ordered to press on to the Precinct. If the Imperial Guard can capture the Precinct, then we can fortify it and use it as a strongpoint from which to further advance. Solid Imperial Architecture!

The Fourteenth are commended and are ordered to continue with their operations. In addition, should the Hardened Veterans locate any targets of opportunity, they are authorised to call in artillery bombardment.

Burgan is quite impressed with Trooper Bran, who (despite losing all four limbs) seems to be in remarkable spirits. He relates to them a tale of how, when he was a Lieutenant in the 37th Cadian "Ironmongers" he'd earnt the nickname of "Steak-knife". As the soldiers look at him, confusedly, Burgan launches into the tale with a wry smile.

As he and the Iron Thirty-Seventh left Cadia to fight the Orks on the world of Taeloth, he'd delivered a rousing speech to his Platoon where he told them that the Orks were useless, brainless creatures, and their weapons were about as much use as a steak-knife. Which was all well and good, until their first battle against the Orks. A rampaging Ork took Burgan's left arm straight off with his blade. He was the laughing stock of the regiment!

Forced to the rear, Burgan was fitted with a rudimentary bionic arm. It wasn't a sophisticated prosthetic, but it did the job. As quickly as he was able, he returned to his platoon and led them on a raid against the Orks, destroying an Ork motorpool. (Here Burgan goes into great detail about the explosions, to the delight of the soldiers).

And even now, as a Major-General, Burgan's kept that same bulky, rudimentary bionic. The General even lets them have a look at where the metal is stitched into his shoulder. Though he promises the soldiers that the Adepts will take far more care with real heroes.

The cheek of it! Burgan apologises for attempting to safeguard the supply of ammunition, and steps up artillery-fire for his regiments.

Day 3, 0600: Progress slows. Orks are flocking to battle, especially the Golden Horde. Though you outnumber them 2-1 on the Northern Front, they use cover to advantage. The 118th steadily liberates the Cartel Houses, scattering warehouses of business records in the process. The Orks prefer to burn the paper, and casualties from smoke inhalation are increasing -- chemicals for the gasmask filters are starting to run low after two days of fighting. Ork lungs, on the other hand, thrive on the pollution.

The 92nd breaks into the northern perimeter of the Arbites Precinct House. It finds no sign of Arbites survivors here, but there are clear signs of activity in the interior of the Precinct -- more explosions and gunfire. As the 92nd presses on, its right flank is surprised by Ork kommando teams infiltrated behind. They take slugga and choppa to your forward staging areas. Ork numbers here are small, but the orks are cunning and well armed. Mines and a well-sited ambush takes out a convoy of ammo headed to the front, and the troops in the Precinct House start calling for support. Their tanks are having difficulty moving in the heavy, ruined terrain.

On the Southern Front, as the 14th pushes northeast towards the Basilica, the Orks push back. Meksnappa's Lootas finally enter the fray, pressing northwest into the 14th even as the Kommandos on the other side of the salient let up the pressure, fighting elsewhere. Captured Leman Russes give your infantry a hard time, and loyal and Ork tanks engage in a spirited but desultory battle.

Your own Veteran squads call in fire missions from the Basilisk artillery, but they don't have any particularly suitable targets among the Kommandos. Skorznee's Orks are cunning, and his personal symbol is everywhere, chalked onto the walls of the city -- a crooked cross. The Kommandos are in small bands, with no vehicles. They hit and run, delivering savage attacks, and the Guardsmen give as good as they get.

2nd Veteran Squad under Sergeant Bartram reaches the Basilica and is admitted. He reports that the defenders are in extremely good spirits, but running low on ammunition. The Frateris Militia are scrounging from the Orks for weapons, but the Sisters commanding them refuse to use anything but right good Imperial armaments. Canoness Alexia grants Sgt. Bartram an audience, thanking him for the news of reinforcements. It turns out their comms gear was sabotaged early in the siege, and the Canoness asks the sergeant and his squad to remain so that she can use his commlink to communicate with you.

She thanks you for your efforts, commends Sgt Bartram, and assures you that she will hold out until relieved, no matter how long it takes. There is no sound of reproach in her voice, only a sense of joy at being able to fight the enemies of the Emperor.

All infantry units are at 93% strength, but your tank companies are down to five vehicles apiece.

1. An officious little Adept appears at your headquarters to complain about the destruction of valuable records needed to put the city back on its feet. How do you respond?

2. How do you respond to the Kommandos in the rear of the 92nd?

3. How do you respond to the Canoness?

4. HQ asks for a report on your progress and the ork resistance. Write briefly, describing your success thus far, discussing your opponents, and any requests for support you may have.

5. What are your orders for Day 4?

This post has been edited by JenBurdoo on Oct 29 2007, 02:42 PM

A. To reassure the troops, Chief of Staff Tiranth makes the following Vid and Vox cast. Cast in a non descript foxhole with the sound of Basilisks in the vicinity and a squad of veterans standing just in frame, he explains the situation and why the General has left the battlefield. His quiet, deep, capable sounding voice rings through the war torn city.

"Soldiers of the Imperium. You have been fighting hard against the foul alien scum. They are hard fighters but men of Cadia are harder. Continue and we will yet drive the alien from this world. No doubt rumours of spread about the fate of the General Burgen. The one about the feast with the 20 Scythian cakes isn't true and neither is the one about the 14 women. The General suffered a mild heart attack as a result of stress. He has been evacuated to recover. In his absence, I have been given command of you fine men. And I intend to make full use of you to drive the aliens off. Tiranth, out."

1. You direct the Adept to the Regiment's commanding Commissar with his complaints. No doubt the godd Commissar will explain to him the term "waste of the Emperor's servants time"

2. Scouting patrols are ordered to investigate the interior further while the rest of the 92nd prepares an ambush for the orks. A convoy of tanks are to get suck from all the rubble. No doubt the Kommandos will fall upon this chance. That is when the rest of the 92nd reveal themselves and open fire. Following this, puch further on while safeguarding the remaining units in the 92nd.

3. You apologize for the absence of the general and commend her on her efforts so far. You tell her that the Sergeant and his squad will remain there and that through him she may requisition any artillery that she deems necessary. You ask her to start sending out armed forays to disrupt the Orks and find targets for the artillery.

4. Reply saying that you have acheived little and you are currently being pushed hard. The Ork resistance appears determined and purposeful. Ask for any spare troops, especially some snipers. Direct further questions to the General, saying that you are currently busy co-ordinating a number of complex manevroures.

5. Artilery is to concentrate on the Southern Front, the 118th requests and wherever the Cannoness wants. The 14th are to make use of this artillery and continue pushing on towards the Basilica, keeping an eye out for any more Kommandoz. A number of Veteran squads are to follow tanks and try to find the orks base or motorpool. If found, it is a priority one target. The 118th are to continue pushing on with artillery support. A shipment of new breathers and chemicals are to be sent under heavy guard. Tarinth will accompany it. Extremely heavy guard is to be mounted.

Day 4, 0700:

On the northern front:

-- As the 92nd spends all its effort preparing for an ambush behind its own lines, it loses ground on its right flank to the orks who notice the Guardsmen losing focus on them and promptly start pushing. On the upside, ambushing the ambushers nets about two dozen dead orks and three prisoners in exchange for no damage; the rest, estimated at about twenty, scatter and escape. One of the prisoners brazenly charged at the convoy commander and continued to fight with his one remaining arm until restrained (using his other arm as a club).

The 118th grinds forward, buoyed by the arrival of Convoy Tiranth with plenty of ammo and equipment. When they recognize the value of the activity just behind Imperial lines, the Golden Horde attack, smelling loot. A vicious hand-to-hand combat erupts along the line, and Tiranth briefly finds himself in combat before his bodyguards seize him and drag him back. Nonetheless, Tiranth is beginning to be called "Fightin' T" by the 118th who witnessed him hacking at orks with his powersword.

At last, the Arbites call in. Reduced to less than fifty men, they are holed up in the dungeons of the southern Precinct House, and report that they are hard-pressed. They call desperately for aid, and over the Judge's voice you can hear shouts, the blast of shotguns and the hammer of ork shootas.

On the southern front:

The 14th Cadian continues to push forward, deepening their salient. In response, the orks on both sides press at the base. You receive reports of increasing executions for cowardice on the perimeter; though the companies on point still seem quite successful (reporting seven looted tanks destroyed), their momentum is slowing.

A Veteran penetration squad, ranging north of the Basilica, reports signs of ork buildup in the Palace of Peace. Killa Kans, and grots with black-painted faces are in evidence. The distance is many miles in, too far for your artillery, and the Palace is a veritable fortress. Other squads, deep in the 122nd Cadian HQ, beam back images of Ork tanks. One squad says it is going to carry out a night attack -- it is not heard from again.

As you sip your caffeine at the end of the day, you receive a message from the commander of the Second Relief Division, now assembling. He asks to discuss the situation with you. (Henchman, this is your cue.)

What do you do, sir? What do you do?

Henchman and Siggy, I'd like you both to spend some time in the OOC section discussing what Henchman will bring to the campaign. But in the meantime, Siggy should continue posting here, as it will be a couple days yet before his reinforcements arrive. Good luck, and good hunting!

The 14th are to dig in. Artillery will then scour the flanks of the company where the Orks are pressing inwards. The Veterans are to draw back towards the main company (after the bombardment of the Orks is finished). Then they will continue to call down artillery on the Orks.

The 92nd are to hold the lines on the North and push back on their right flank. Tiranth is to visit them (again with heavy guard). Once there, his Sanctioned Psyker, Albert, will attempt to pry into one of the prisoners minds. Another movie is to be made, featuring the ork, recent footage of victorious fights and the execution of the Ork.

The 118th are to continue to grind forward with their new load of ammo and equipment. Artillery is to target the areas around the belegaured Arbites.

You reply to the relief division's commander, asking what units he commands, briefly describe the current situation and say you will answer any questions that he has.

Day 6, 0500

The 14th Cadian, down to 85% effectives, digs in and holds. Pressed on all sides, only the strictest discipline holds them in place through the first day. Even this is strained as ork kommandos infiltrate into the rear areas. They are low in number (extimated at a hundred at most), but they are well equipped with stickbombs and set fire to stores. Smoke rises in the rear. Artillery hammers the orks to either side, and the orks let up their attacks and go to ground. But the Cadians are clearly exhausted. The regiment's chief Commissar is missing in action.

The 92nd (90% effectives) push hard on their right flank and return to their former positions. The Kommandos ahead fade away, leaving only copious booby traps.

The 118th (90% effectives achieves the most success. Unexpectedly, the Golden Horde runs out of Gretchin and its right flank breaks. The Cadians follow up and sweep around, liberating the plains immediately north of the city. They spend day five mopping up and driving surviving orks into the city. The 118th's morale has never been higher, but having lengthened their line, they are overstretched.

During day 5, thousands of black-clad orks, supported by at least fifty dreadnoughts, descend on the Basilica from the north and slam into the Sisters. The heavy fortifications of the ancient edifice hold them up, but they are still there in the morning.

The 14th's Veterans withdraw towards the perimeter. Their reports indicate that the Kommandos' numbers, like your own, are thinning.

Finally, the Arbites report they are low on ammo, and down to forty effectives, but the orks have let up attacks and seem reduced to sniping.

Starting with this turn, each Division commander (Henchman and Siggy), may request a reconnaissance overfly of one (1) square of the battlefield apiece, each turn. Photographic recon will give you details of the enemy numbers and units in that square. This will be useful before attacks or troop drops, which is why Henchman gets a look in even though his troops haven't arrived on the battlefield yet.

Edit: Oops, forgot. The captured orks are "examined" by Psyker Albert, who reports that the orks considered the assault on the convoy to be a diversion on their part ... whatever that means.

****

"Good morning, Kosmopolis! Here's what happened on Day 4."

<images of fighting>

"Our glorious troops utterly defeated an assault on one of our convoys. Just look at those orks keeling over!" <An ork charges the camera, screaming; the camera falls over and the ork is hit by a bright burst of fire. It screams. Behind it, a Trojan carrier explodes spectacularly.>

"Prisoners were captured." <footage of Albert examining the bound ork, then announcing, "It's <static> afraid!"> <dubbed in cheers> "Then, of course, they were executed." <images of the ork's decapitated head. It winks at the camera>

"Would you like to know more?" <click>

<images of weary but happy soldiers drinking beer. The soldiers grimace as they taste the warm, generic beer.> "These brave men are rewarded with cold drinks for their valor after the hot, dusty fighting!"

"And here, General Tiranth debriefs an officer!" <The officer is half-naked, in ragged uniform, and the General seems a bit nonplussed by his appearance. The screen goes dark.>

THOSE RESPONSIBLE FOR MAKING THIS BROADCAST HAVE BEEN DETAINED BY ORDER OF THE COMMISSARIAT. PLEASE STAND BY...

This post has been edited by JenBurdoo on Dec 25 2007, 04:25 AM

Tiranth dispatches the Commissar on his staff to the 14th along with a load of supplies. This is to be guarded in the normal matter with a number of veteran teams scouting out any possible ambushes. The convoy is to get through at all costs. The 14th veterans are to conduct anti kommando patrols and raids. The rest of the 14th must hold.

The 92nd will concentrate on sector B3, wiping all enemies from it while maintaining the rest of their line.

The 118th are ordered to sweep through the city to Sector D3 and if successful, establish a new line there. This will mean abandoning the plains.

An overflight is ordered on the spaceport.

Day 7, 1800 hrs

Tiranth dispatches a supply convoy to the beleaguered 14th Cadian. The convoy arrives successfully on the afternoon of Day 6, without incident. Chief Commissar Anakin promptly sets about enforcing discipline -- bloodily. He reports that the 14th is not panicked, just tired and maybe a little surly. “They’re supposed to be happy for the opportunity to fight the enemy, not wearied of it!” he laments with apparent confusion. Then he informs you that the executions will continue until morale improves. Over the vox-tape, you can hear shooting and explosions.

Turns out it was the start of an attack on the eastern half of what your tacticae is now calling “The Salient.” Lootas attack the 14th’s right all night, but the Cadians doggedly, bitterly, hold on. The Kommandos, on the other hand, are quiet, and some units report that they seem to be gone entirely, having slipped away in the darkness. The attacking “blue-faces” preclude any exploitation, as units on the left are cannibalized to feed those on the right, on the Colonel’s own authority.

The black-clad orks continue to attack the Basilica, and in one place even manage to crack the ceracrete wall. Bloody fighting ensues as Ork dreadnoughts face down Sisters of Battle in the holy places, but the orks are driven back through the wall. Over the Canoness’s report, you can hear incessant chanting. She requests support, if you have any to spare.

The 118th withdraws from its left flank, but the famous Cadian discipline prevents any complaint, and the orks, licking their wounds, choose not to move back into it in any numbers. Instead, the Cadians hammer their way south for the next two days. The orks bitterly resist, continuing to hold the Trading Houses. Almost unconsciously, the offensive shifts eastward to the less built-up area between the Trading Houses and the great Theatre House, which rises ominously on your left flank. Orks are clearly occupying it, but they only snipe, content to stay in the protection of the ancient, flaking edifice. Instead, the 118th pushes towards the Dealers’ Accomodation from the north.

The 92nd concentrates its assault on Sector B-3, trying to take the ruins of the Arbites fortress and perhaps reach the ailing Arbites at the apex of the advance. The area, already battered by combat, is smashed to rubble ahead of the advance by the 92nd’s three surviving Leman Russes and its fully functional Basilisk company. The Kommandos, while falling in number and seemingly trying to retreat, bloody your nose at every turn. Every crumbling spire, every crater, every pockmarked bunker, seems to conceal a booby-trap if not a full-fledged ambush, but the Cadians press on. When your forward units are scarce a mile from the thirty-some surviving Arbites, the lawmen urgently request either to be relieved, or permission to attempt a breakout to your lines.

Two R-4 Pattern Lightning fighters, unarmed but equipped with an expensive array of auspexes and image-finders, overfly the spaceport. They are both bounced and shot down by what the pilots, in their last moments, report as at least ten ork fighta-bommas. They had only just begun their recon run when attacked, and the beamed-back pict-captures are spotty. But your intel people identify at least:

Two enormous Ork Landers, capable of carrying entire warbands.
Forty guntrukks.
One hundred warbikes (or possibly big guns or Warboars, it’s hard to tell from this altitude).
One hundred fifty-plus light vehicles, war-buggies and wartrakks.

The Spaceport, from the cursory glance you got at it, appears intact. But the red color of scattered ork equipment is unmistakable -- it looks like a rash.

To: Tiranth, Co. Cadian Division
From: Major General Kelso, Co. Second Division

Congratulations on your Division’s successes so far, and here’s to the continued success of our mission in Kosmopolis. I apologize on the delay of transmissions so far, but as you can well understand, the last few days have been hectic. However, that is behind us now, and we must focus on the task at hand.I have ordered my regiments immediately into the fight, and into support your units that are already engaged. The 72nd Mortant is moving to help the 14th flatten “The Salient”, going in full steam on the offensive. I’ve ordered the Colonel of the 72nd to coordinate his efforts with the Colonel of the 14th, to work out an equitable plan of assault. The 143rd, a fellow Cadian unit, has been ordered to reinforce the 92nd and 118th flattening the bump in the line. This should take some of the pressure off the right flank of the 118th, allowing them to press their attack as you see fit. Also, this may peel some of the Kommando’s off the 92nd’s leftFinally, the 5th Bonterre is going to be going on the hunt for Kommando’s on the right flank of the 92nd. They have a reputation for being professionals, and should do their job with gusto. Those Arbites need relief, and the 92nd is the closest unit to provide that.

I look forward to the first triumphs that our combined units will achieve. Good Hunting.

To: Colonel Colby, Co. 72nd Mortant
From: Major General Kelso

Colonel Colby, deploy your regiment immediately to map-gird D-8 and move to assist the Cadian 14th in collapsing “The Salient”, ref: map-grid D-7. Expect immediate hostilities with the Orks, so you’d best be prepared. Just remember that you’re going to have friends near by, so be judicious with the artillery. Coordinate with the Co. of the 14th as necessary.

To: Colonel Fournier, Co. 5th Bonterre
From: Major General Kelso

Colonel Fournier, deploy your regiment to map-grid A-4 and begin operations against the Kommando units harrying the 92nd. Your boys and girls are to drive inwards, to map-grid B-4, clearing out any pockets of resistance that you encounter. I advise maximum discretion, due to reported traps and ambushes. It’s going to be a hot welcoming, as you’re going to be drawing the attention of the Kommando’s off the 92nd. They need to relieve the Arbites.

To: Colonel Gutierrez, Co. 143rd Cadian
From Major General Kelso

Colonel Gutierrez, deploy your regiment to map-grid B-2 and hammer down the bulge of the line at C-2. If you can push the Orks further into the Trading House district, ref: map-grid C-3, do so, but avoid out pacing the 118th. Watch your right flank in case of Kommando activity. Additionally, I want infiltration teams moving beyond the lines at night. Their only objective is to obtain more accurate coordinates for any battery in range, and call in strikes as they present themselves. No heroics just yet.

To: Imperial Navy Command
From: Major General Kelso

Comrades, I am requesting a reconnaissance fly over of map-grid E-7.

++ORDERS++
The 92nd are to reach the Arbites. Tiranth will be leading the push, appropriately protected. The Arbites are told to hold for 6 more hours then attempt a breakout.

The 14th are to continue to hold. Veteran squads are to be sent to the Basilica armed with heavy weapons.

The 118th are to call down artillery on the Vogen Theatre House until it is destroyed. They are to stand by for any ork attacks and make ready to cleanse the rubble.

Flyby on E5 please, flyboys. Artillery are to target anything that the planes see. A case of the finest whiskey is sent to the Navy unit that lost 2 planes before. Of course, this is to arrive after the current missions have left

To: Kelso, CO Second Division
From: Tiranth, CO Cadian Division
I'm honoured that you and your men are joining the fight. I apologize for the briefness of the response but I am planning to lead the attack to free the Arbites. Please meet with me at my headquarters after the days combat. Then I will fully brief you on what has happened here.
May the Emperor protect,
Tiranth

Day 8, 1700:

Weather: Light wind, light clouds

General Kelso’s Second Division advances, to the evident relief of the wearying 1st Cadian Division. Shellshocked and battered, the 14th Cadian holds on by its fingernails. Chief Commissar Anakin reports that he can’t do a thing with them. Luckily, the only response is a little sniping from the gun towers -- the orks change their focus and start pounding on the 72nd Mortant instead, which advances into the massive South Citadel. Fighting furiously in the stairwells, gun emplacements and armories, their ferocity and freshness stuns Meksnappa’s Lootas. As the internal power goes out and the fighting goes on in the darkened smoky passages of the Citadel, only the expertise of the ork hunters keeps them going.

Unfortunately, it appears that freshness and skill may not be enough. The overflight of E-7 reveals 2,000 orks with blue markings, and twelve Leman Russ tanks. Rather than concentrating on the enormous Basilica of Saint Kyril, the Lootas appear to be moving southwest -- toward the 72nd.

Half-a-dozen Veteran squads of the 14th Cadian, loaded down with heavy and special weapons, slip through the silent streets to the Basilica. They see little sign of Kommandos on their way; only the crooked-cross symbol of the Kommandoz band. They do disarm several traps.

When they arrive at St. Kyril’s, they find the Sisters seem to have everything under control. 80 Sisters and 250 Militia are still alive; many are wounded but they remain high-spirited despite obvious privation. They are grateful for the support of the hardened Guardsmen, who are joined by the survivors of the scout units. All your remaining Veterans, about a hundred, are now at the Basilica.

The Sergeant commanding looks out over Angel Square to the north. Grot bodies and wrecked dreadnoughts block the crumbled breach in the walls. Across Angel Square, more dreadnoughts -- a hundred twenty, according to the overflight picts -- are marching; some south, some west. Sergeant Karter immediately opens fire. The accurate aim of the Veteran guardsmen wreaks havoc, and it is only compounded by the long-range, if somewhat inaccurate, fire of the 14th Cadian‘s surviving Basilisks. Orks on foot are nowhere to be seen, but the explosions of ork vehicles are truly gratifying. The Sisters and Militia start chanting psalms of thanksgiving, barely audible over the blasts. By the time the surviving dreads have trundled out of line of sight, sixty blazing hulks have been added to the mess. The only casualty is the pitted, cracked remains of the toppled hundred-foot statue of Sanguinius, master-crafted millennia ago by the famed artist Shalegeo of Paverna. His life’s work is turned into powder by the bombardment.

The 5th Bonterre goes into the line and presses deep into the Water Purification Plant. Matching the Kommandos for stealth and vastly outnumbering them, they nonetheless move slowly thanks to the well-laid network of ork traps and ambushes. They steadily clear out half the plant, arriving at the central control areas towards evening.

The 92nd Cadian, on the Bonterres’ left, also moves cautiously, yet firmly, retrieving twenty-seven surviving Arbites without incident. There is little resistance, but Tiranth bloodies his powerblade for the pictcaptures anyway. The regiment’s spirit, wearied by the past week’s fighting, begins to rise again.

Meanwhile, the 143rd melts into the smoking ruins of the Trading Houses, where broken chairs lie scattered about and the ashes of commercial shares drift against the walls. Blending into the dust, the Cadians steadily march forward -- and run into the Golden Horde.

The orks are outnumbered at least three to one by the Cadian 143rd, but make up for this with torrents of firepower. Luckily, most of this is loosed into thin air. Orks are heard complaining that “We can’t see da humies!” Their bosses respond by attacking in close combat, and the 143rd starts taking casualties. Nonetheless, it pushes doggedly forward. Unlike the other Cadians on their flanks, they seem supremely confident. Impromptu infiltration teams range ahead, spotting a few concentrations of orks and calling in fire. The heavy cover makes this relatively ineffective, but has the benefit of slowing down the ork counterattack.

The 118th holds fast and fires most of its remaining stock of Basilisk shells into the Globe Theater, where the famed Wil Marlow and Kit Spearshak once trod the boards. The hundred-thousand-seat audiopolis shudders, and sheds copious amounts of paint-flakes and dust. The 118th dons its masks again, then realizes it is running low on air filters.

After a couple thousand shells, the firing stops. The sturdy Globe still stands, despite a lot of large holes in the masonry. Parts of the wall have crumbled. A wave of terrified, shell-shocked gretchin appears. They are gunned down by heavy bolters.

There is no further response. The 118th prepares to advance.

Navy is requested to drop supplies on the Basilica.

5th Bonterre is to continue the advance into the city towards the Basilica, flushing out Kommandoz and disarming traps as they go along.

143rd Cadian is to continue to clear out the Trading Houses and make opportunistic use of infiltrating and artillery.

72nd Mortant is to clear house, with flamers to the front and burn the Orks out of the fortess. Engineers are to be sent in with sufficient bodyguard to fix the power situation if they can. Artillery is to fire against the advancing Orks from E-7, preferably with coordinates given by the 14th Veterans.

General Kelso will be moving to where the 14th and 72nd are. He is going to make a suitably rousing speech praising the 14th for their efforts so far, but to remind them that their duty is yet finished, and that the Emperor and their comrades still need them in the fight. From there he is going to join with the 72nd and encourage their efforts.