The Daicham Campaign
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| the Daicham Campaign | |
| Date | 818.M30 |
| Scale | across multiple sectors |
| Theatre | Sudest-Ayza, Daicham, Funan, and Aizyallam sectors |
| Status | Imperial Victory |
| Belligerents | |
| Aggressor: The Daichampa Republic of Man |
Defender: Imperium of Man |
| Commanders and Leaders | |
| Letaito Nagar, the Despot of Daicham Novuyen Jiap Balaraminh Chi-Quoc |
Thirteenth Legion: Uriel Starikov |
| Strength | |
| 5 billion soldiers ~20 billion militia and volunteer forces |
~71,500 Astartes
Over 50 million Imperial Army and Auxilia |
| Losses | |
| Outcome | |
The first full-scale campaign the legion participated in since it reunited with its primarch Uriel Starikov, the Daicham campaign was never intended to even be a full deployment, as the legion was still adjusting to its new doctrine and in transit to a campaign it had been designated.
In late 817.M30 the Rogue Trader Jan Houtmann van Oranje made contact with a large human empire that spread across several sectors, who later sold his information to the Administratum after having brokered his way into being named as the sole intermediary between the Imperium and the newly discovered empire. Based primarily the Daicham sector and known as the Daichampa Republic of Man, the empire had a long history that could be traced back to the start of Old Night, and it had a deeply-rooted and highly revered culture and tradition going back juts as long. The Daichampa had a strong and well-equipped military, with a strange dichotomy of modern and ancient-traditional technology and philosophies. When the Administratum sent diplomats to the empire's capital of Metnav I, they were greeted with great ceremony and after a week of diplomatic pleasantries, taken to the Despot of Daicham, Letaito Nagar. Despite the strength of the Daichampan military and the empire's long held traditions, Letaito Nagar was receptive to joining the Imperium. However, after some fierce negotiation on his future position in the Imperium, Nagar accepted Imperial rule, but on one condition. Nagar made a request to formally surrender his empire to the Emperor himself, or one of his lineage, and would not do so until given this respect.
The XIIIth legion was en route to their first designated campaign, which would coincidentally travel into the vicinity of the Sudest-Ayza sector. So the Administratum sent word to Uriel Starikov, requesting that he and a small honour guard divert to accept Nagar's surrender formally, before regrouping with their forces at their campaign target. Uriel was reluctant to accept, claiming he had had no time to conduct even basic reconnaissance or study the empire first. But after some negotiation agreed, and diverted with a small cadre of his legion to the Sudest-Ayza. The Administratum had provided Uriel with a plethora of their collected intelligence, and assured him over great length, that no further action would be necessary other than diplomacy. In transit to the Daicham Sector, Uriel's fleet ran into a small training battalion of the Iron Rangers who had been stranded in the void. The Iron Ranger's battleship had been crippled after their ships' Gellar Field was breached in warp-transit; they had narrowly avoided an unenviable fate by undertaking an emergency warp-exit. Fortunately, they suffered minimal casualties, but the ship sustained serious damage to its hull and engines. Uriel took the Iron Ranger battalion onto his small fleet, offering to provide the legion transport to the nearest spaceport for repairs after completing his diplomatic mission.
Rogue Trader makes contact
Imperium moves into to take over
Leader of Empire negotiates a place in Imperium (possibly as a multi-sector commander) demands to only surrender to the Emperor or one of his heirs.
Empy has no 'heirs' as he is immortal, so Primarch is next best thing.
Newly found and currently unoccupied Uriel passing through.
Requested to deal with Empire surrender.
Told it a quick win, agrees.
Bumps into stranded IR rookie training contingent en route. They tag along for the ride to next port.
Uriel doesn't take due diligence with intel or preparations for war assuming what he had been given had been done thoroughly.
Gets taken hostage by Empire at signing ceremony on Metnav I (capital of Empire).
Stationed honour guard attacked as base being set up, casualties alarmingly high for astartes, fleet driven out of orbit in face of overwhelming void attack.
honour guard forces scatter to the jungle.
Small security squad and surviving retinue for Uriel breaks Uriel from his captors and group flee into the jungle too, pursued by Empire forces.
Uriel angry at his own mistake, and tries to fathom the plan of the Empire. Swears to never be caught unprepared and unready again. (He keeps that promise, despite its insanity)
Astartes difficulty blending in to cities forces local civilians to be recruited to do spying and infiltration (formation of kokolny)
Counter-insurgency knowledge reversed and cross pollinated with IR strategy to pursue guerrilla war while hoping the fleet gets a message out to the Imperium of what transpired. They do, while losing 90% of the small envoy fleet in the process.
Rest of 13th legion reverse course and head for their primarch on Metnav I.
Uriel meanwhile eventually hits great success with his plans and manages to instigate a massive simultaneous offensive that captures a several key points and besieges all the rest.
Arrival of rest of 13th legion forces Empire to pull out of their capital, to face the new threat.
Campaign itself is over in a matter of days. But with the 'Metnav Incident' entire campaign lasts several months - nearly the whole year.