Flenching of Skythykos

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

The Trectos Sector in 864.M30 was swarmed by Greenskins coming from the nearby Skythykos cluster. The neighboring sector of Assur was home to Crematoria, which held the newly formed Sons of Fire Legion. With their scarred Primarch Inferox leading them, they saved both Trectos before lasting damage could be done and ended the threat of the Greenskins in the Skythykos cluster forever.

Background

The Trectos Sector had no rising powers, or dangerous Xenos civilizations growing to compete with the arising Imperium. The worlds were a few Agri-worlds and a Mining-world, all meant to send supplies to a federation of humanity long lost to the sands of time. The Expedition Fleets swore in the planets without any difficulty, integrating them into the Imperial Truth with ease. Trectos was an unbecoming sector that held valuable resources to aid the growing Crusade to unite all of mankind. However, with the increased presence of the Emperor's domain had drawn the attention of Rennugg the Fat, a Warboss of overindulgent size. Rennugg understood that if they struck at the Imperium's supply planets, they would send their Boyz into a proper fight with him. Exactly like Orks respond to a raid on their squigs.

The Imperial Army regiments stationed in Trectos were of the Solar Auxilia, some of the finest mortals in service in those days. But no Astartes. Though Lord Commander Stephan Rolx held out for six entire solar months, Rennugg's hordes of fresh Boyz tore into the ranks of the Imperial Army without stopping. It would have been decided here. A quiet region of space overwhelmed by the rampant lust of the Greenskin for senseless destruction. But Trectos was fortunate to be close to the Assur sector, which held Crematoria, and a young Inferox willing to prove to all he was a Primarch not to be underestimated.

The Campaign

The Sons of Firewere still suffering the birthing pains of their reorganization when news came of the Greenskin assault. Word spread among the ranks of the Legion that the Orks were so unchallenged, and bored on the worlds, that they would sometimes going on 'Ollie-dey'. These were random sprees of violence filled with drunken bouts of fist-fighting between the Ork Boyz. Lord Commander Stephan Rolx, leader of the Expedition Fleet which had discovered not only Crematoria itself but the Trectos Sector had been imprisoned by the Warboss of the WAAAAGH, as a sick joke. This news made known by Rennugg himself, who passed along the news that every day the Imperium didn't send worthy warriors, he would eat ten Army soldiers.

There was no time wasted by Inferox in mustering up the full might of his fledgling Legion. The orders from the War Council were to merely defend the worlds until reinforcements arrived from the War Scribes. Inferox made it known to Dilshad, his Legionary Equerry, that they would not simply garrison these worlds while citizens of the Imperium died. But purge the entire sector utterly of any taint of the Ork. This would be the trial to his Sons, same as the one he faced as a babe, testing them in the furnace of a demanding campaign.

Trectos's capital of Telephos was saved after a two month long siege. The Sons of Fire attacked without warning, leaving just as quickly as they arrived. No time was wasted in getting bogged down in a protracted conflict, merely striking at the Orks' fleets before departing again into the warp. The intent was to relieve the Imperial Army forces, fulfilling their given orders but still pressing deeper. Rennugg never received the fight he wanted, as the Sons bypassed him entirely. Their true target was beyond the world he'd chosen for the staging ground of his mighty WAAAAAGH.

In the Skythykos cluster where the WAAAAAGH originated, the Sons of Fire descended on the Ork spawning-planets with their festering pits of fungus and spores. Inferox led his Legion from the forefront, molding them by example with the new methods of warfare his legion would specialize in. No longer would they take cover or outflank, but instead they would come head on as an unstoppable tide of cleansing fire. Flamers would protect their flanks, chainsword and chainaxe would clear a path in front. If the enemy was too far away, then they would resort to their bolters which now carried an incendiary shock to the Orks.

When Rennugg turned to face them, he came into a trap laid out by Karesna knowing the exact trajectory the Warboss would take after studying his movements. Though outnumbered, the Sons of Fire fleet with elements of the Expedition Fleet first sent to Trectos wiped out the Orks with few casualties. The entire cluster in a month was reduced completely to ash, the battle so great the Legion was forced to pull the Imperial Army away from the beleaguered worlds they had so rigidly defended. The act cemented Inferox's hold on the Legion, birthing the Sons of Fire from the ashes of the Hammers of Terra.