Editing The Cleansing of Calverna (section)

==Probing actions==

The officers of the Second were not intimidated by Calverna's reputation, but their first approach was cautious.  Strikes by Imperial aircraft disabled the most obvious turrets, then elements of the famous "Old Hundred" [[Imperial Army (Hektor Heresy)|Imperial Army]] regiment Beta-Helix Gerstok infiltrated the outer reaches of the Techropolis.  Despite their gene-hanced stealth and the powerful air support available to them, the Gerstok took significant casualties securing their positions.  However, their purpose was not merely to take ground.  The most important acquisition of the Gestok were the vid-captures they dispatched to Orend Ymoro's command post.  Data profiles on the mechanical killers of Calverna was swiftly streamed to the warriors of Second Legion.  Ymoro was somewhat overly disturbed by the casualties to the Imperial Armymen under his command, but he knew that their sacrifice was essential to the mission.   As the Gerstok continued to fall the Master of Second Legion moved his command post into the Techropolis and dispatched squads of his Space Marines to stiffen resistance at key locations.  The small hunter-killer machines that had taken a toll on the Imperial Army were little threat to the Legionnaires and the situation soon stabilised.

With the outer reaches secure, Sergeant Tel Bernos was selected to head the first Legion patrol into the depths of Calverna.  As with the advance of the Imperial Army, the patrol squad's primary mission was to identify the threats within the Techropolis so that the main body of the Second Legion could advance fore-warned and fore-armed.  Squad Bernos soon encountered more significant killers than the drones of the periphery.  Not only were the machines in the interior larger and more powerful, they moved as a coordinated force.  Tel Bernos lost two battle brothers and his left hand making it back to the Second Legion lines, but the information he won was of far greater value.  Besides data on the protectors of the Techropolis and it labyrinth-like interior, the patrol's auspexes had picked up faint life signs deep within the complex.  Such was the stock that the Legion put in this intelligence that, even as the Sergeant was being fitted for bionic replacement, Orend Ymoro made a point of visiting Tel Bernos to salute his courage and achievement in person.