Volemar Gamma Campaign

Volemar Gamma Campaign
Date	800.M30
Scale	whole planetoid
Theatre	Volemar Gamma Fortress-Asteroid
Status	Decisive Imperial Victory
Belligerents
Imperium of Mankind	Orks
Commanders and Leaders
Hektor Cincinnatus Gufarnus Altmakar Orend Ymoro	Warboss Uggut Shakgrod
Strength
elements of First Legion and Second Legion	thousands of boyz
Losses
Outcome
Volemar Gamma secured by Imperial forces

This article is about a battle in the /tg/ Heresy project, a fan re-working of the Warhammer 40k universe.

For years we had resented the First Legion, the Imperium's fortunate sons who gained while we suffered. Yet the moment that our brothers' blood began to stain that poor, barren rock, the quarrels of old Terra became as nothing.

- Orend Ymoro, Master of the Second Legion

The Volemar Gamma Campaign was a battle fought by the First Legion and Second Legion for control of a fortress-asteroid in the Sol System. Volemar Gamma was infested with foul Orks and the fight to eliminate them from the asteroid's many tunnels required the specialist skills of both Legions. Although the campaign took place close to Terra, it is still considered part of the Great Crusade.

Background

The presence of Orks in the Solar System was one of the most unsavory relics of the Age of Strife. Although it is unclear exactly when Volemar Gamma became infested by greenskins, fragmentary records on Terra and the much more substantial archives of Mars indicate that Orkish incursions were an uncommon but hardly unheard-of addition to the misery of Old Night. Following the Unity, the Emperor of Mankind set his Space Marines to purging the foul Orks from humanity's birth system while Rogue Traders began scouting nearby stars. Due to the lack of information on Volemar Gamma, Hektor Cincinnatus was given overall command of the operation and granted considerable latitude in selecting his forces.

Unsurprisingly, this meant that the core of the Imperial force was drawn from the First Legion. Hektor had initially considered taking a contingent of the Third Legion, but due to the well-known problems with that gene-line he settled on the fresh Second Legion. Second was, at any rate, eager to prove themselves after their long hiatus from the battlefield and their heroic leader Orend Ymoro had a reputation as an expert at tunnel fighting thanks to his success in the Cleansing of Calverna. As the planned operation would require much of the nascent Imperium's voidships, Lord Commander Gufarnus Altmakar of the Imperial Army himself would command the naval squadron. While personality clashes between Hektor and Altmakar would later become legendary, at this early stage in the Great Crusade their relationship still resembled that of pupil and mentor. After discussion with Altmakar, Hektor settled on a simple but flexible plan. Leonidas Manisicus would lead an echelon of First Legion, supported by the army's voidships, to seize the redoubts and entrances to the interior of the asteroid. Ymoro's Second Legion would then scour the tunnels and push any greenskins lurking below to the surface. A second detachment of Hektor's gene-sons, under the command of Erasmos Sergius, would serve as the main reserve, though the Primarch's bodyguard would also be on hand to help turn the tide of battle. This straightforward approach was intended to allow for alterations depending on the deployment and tactics adopted by the enemy.

Volemar Gamma's ruler, Warboss Uggut Shakgrod, was not expecting an attack. His experience with the 'umies of the Solar System over the last fifty years was limited to raids on the Jovian satellites. Although the Jovians were hardly lacking for courage, their lack of sophisticated weaponry and discipline made them easy prey for the Orks. So easy, in fact, that Uggut's boyz treated such excursions as a matter of mild amusement rather than a really fun scrap. Complacent and, frankly, rather bored the Orks of Volemar Gamma had no idea of the fury that the Emperor's Angels of Death were about to unleash. If they'd known, they would have looked forward to it!

Invasion

Although this new enemy has the brutal nature of a beast, we cannot discount the possibility of them acting with a low cunning.

- Gufarnus Altmakar

The battleship Unity, Gufarnus Altmakar's flagship, opened the attack by laying down a heavy bombardment of Shakgrod's ramshackle fortress. The damage done hardly worsened the look of the place, but it certainly sent the greenskins running for cover while Leonidas Manisicus's men disembarked from their Stormbirds. The low gravity conditions on Volemar Gamma made maneuvering difficult, especially for troops still getting used to their sealed Mark II armour. However, the First Legion's reputation as the elite of the elite was neither lightly earned nor lightly taken. Manisicus was the first man to enter the Orkish fort, striking down the two boyz who stood in his way with one blow and striding imperiously over their twitching bodies. The coming of genuine, right 'ard violence to Volemar Gamma had a galvanising effect on the resident greenskins. Boyz from throughout Uggut's fortress came running to battle the ded killy 'umies pouring through the breach. Manisicus's men soon found themselves locked in bitter hand to hand fighting.

Meanwhile, Orend Ymoro and the Marines of the Second Legion were leaping from Stormbird into the great maw of Volemar Gamma, quickly over-running the grots buffing up Uggut's rickety shuttlecraft and their startled orkish overseer. Ymoro wasted no time in dispatching kill-teams into the greenskin warrens. Although the majority of the boyz were swarming up to attack Manisicus's echelon on the surface, there were still plenty of Orks ready to oppose the Second. The ill-feelings from the aftermath of the Cleansing of Calverna were forgotten as Leonidas Manisicus's calm voice came over the vox to report the rapidly worsening situation above. Rather than issue complex orders, Ymoro simply commanded his men to forge a way to the aid of their battle brothers as quickly as they could. With chainswords roaring and flamers lighting their way, the Second surged forward.

In the operations room of the Unity, Hektor Cincinnatus and Gufarnus Altmakar were just as concerned with Manisicus's situation. Gufarnus recommended holding back Erasmos Sergius's division, lest the enemy spring a surprise. Hektor heeded this advice, but could not ignore the plight of his gene-sons. Leaving Gufarnus to oversee the operation, Hektor raced to the Unity's launch bays where the Chrysaspides awaited. Roaring orders to his faithful bodyguard, the Primarch boarded a Legion Stormbird and set forth to the battle on Volemar Gamma.