Ordo Xenos Inquisitorial Report
World: Thordas
Rank Restriction: Class 5 Interrogator or higher
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Inquisitorial Override provided.
Rank Restriction lifted for authorized for Interrogator Caiten Reath acolytes only.
Situation Report now open...
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Report Codename: "Two shades of Green"
Location: Thordas, Far Cast Sector, Segmentum Tempestus
Planetary Classification: Frontier World
Geographical Terrain: 45% land, 55% water. 69% of land mass covered in mid to heavy vegetation.
Date: 0 29 998.M41
Thordas, an Imperial world established to for the purposes of Archeotech collection, sits at the edge of the Far Cast sector. After many years of development the planets population grew to a total of 3 billion, which worked to supply the dig sites with labor and necessary equipment. Out of the way of most space lanes and a relatively new colony of approximately 400 years, it never garned much attention from Malleus or Xenos elements.
In what would prove a strange act of hubris, the planetary govenor announced on [6 185 991.M41] that the planet, even if noticed by Xenos or daemonic forces, would be repelled by the highly trained members of the PDF.
In an equally strange act of galactic irony, this very sentiment would see the happenstance arrival of the Orkish Grultrak Waagh! a mere 3 months later. With the ominous words "Dis here be the world we was lookin' for? Goooooood We's been lookin' for it for awhile now. We's gonna take what we wants and make the hummies unnerstand da real meanin' of WAAAGH!" the invasion began.
The world was immediately engulfed in warfare that the PDF proved entirely incapable of dealing with. The discoveries of several ancient tech pieces as well as 3 well preserved single-purpose STC's made the world far too important to be abandoned to Orks or simply burned via an Exterminatus. Two Imperial Fleets have since arrived at the world and began a reclamation effort of the world. The strange nature regarding the Orks arrival resulted in the deployment of several companies of Deathwatch Adeptus Astartes to cull the Orks numbers. However, due to stiff resistance by the Orks, the battle became drawn out and thus attracted the attention of multiple other warbands, resulting in a near constant stream of Ork reinforcement to the world. While the assistance of the Deathwatch has stabilized the battle lines and begun to push the Orks back, the constant stream of Orks continues to press upon the world, causing foreward movement to stall frequently.
Battle Status: Victory Inevitable
Expected Date of Imperial Operation Completion: Unknown
---Report End---
*The screen then fades to black and then is replaced with a holovid of Thordas, spinning slowly on its axis, a series of of lines and shaded regions denoting attack and counter-attack motions as well as battle lines, for both side*
Stepping back up the stage Interrogator Caiten Reath turns and faces those combined retinue that he has collected for a mission on Thordas.
"Now that you have seen the official battle report, acolytes, you have some understanding of what this world is and its history. Obviously at this point what you don't have is a reason to care. The issues of galactic warfare and cleansing of worlds through mass force of arms is not something one collects a group as well trained and elite agents such as yourselves to the Ordo Xenos to do. And indeed, although to join our brothers in arms down on those battlefield to put a few extra holes in those pieces of Orkish trash would be most fulfilling, we have more pressing matters to deal with."
*pressing several buttons at the base of the projector the planet vid disappears and is replaced with the holovid of a particularly large and ugly looking Orc, armed with several large pieces of weaponry and a bionik power claw.*
"This is Warboss Grimthak. And by all proper accountings he should be dead. Ten months ago it was reported that his ship, a 'rok' as they call it, was destroyed 25 kilometers away from the atmosphere of Thordas. The ship was utterly destroyed a mere 10 seconds after he had completed a message taunting a Fleet Admiral. No pieces of the ship were left intact and no pieces of the ship ever broke off of the Rok prior to it being destroyed. In essence, no chance for escape. Two months later he was directly IDed leading an attack on the city of Pearl's Shine. While Orks are known to be tough, this goes far beyond any rational explanation. Even if he survived the blast he would not have survived the depths of space or re-entry into Thordas' atmosphere."
"So we have a ghost on our hands, sir?" a voice speaks out from the assembled.
"So it would seem. But I don't believe in ghosts and nor does MY boss, Inquisitor Tantrus. We are here to discover how this Ork survived." Reath responded.
"Is that really all, sir?" another voice spoke out. "While I do not question how we are used, did we really need to be deployed out here for what sounds like a scout's job?"
"Were it just a single isolated incidence of an Ork Warboss surviving impossible odds then we would simply have been content to have a member of the Deathwatch put a bolt between his eyes and call it a day. But there have been far too many 'coincidences' and 'happenstance' situations for us to look the other way for now. The Imperial Governor was a fool, but not a psyker. The idea that he somehow 'called the Orks' to himself by some fluke of interaction with the Warp is a pile of Grox shit. Furthermore, the words that Grultrak spoke when he entered the system aren't the words of an Ork who just happened upon a world to destroy. He knew where he wanted to be. And finally, the strange movement of Grimthak from dead in space to planetside 2 months later is out of nowhere. Something strange is up, and we don't think it is just because Orks are involved."
"What is the mission?" a female voice inquired plainly.
"You will be deposited in the city of Blade's edge. It is the closest city to Pearl's Shine that we can safely deposit you at. This should probably get you reasonably close to Grimthak. Find out anything you can about how he arrived here and then kill him."
"And then what? We charge through the Ork hordes in all their innumerable stupidity?" a questioning response came.
"The Deathwatch will smash one of the warbands in the area giving you an easy walk to the first beseiged city of Black Ridge. Ever since the Imperial CCXII Fleet intercepted and destroyed two space hulks and blocked off a large armada or Ork reinforcements you should have about 2-3 weeks to enter the countryside which shouldn't be nearly as packed with Orks as other areas are. If you keep low and stay smart about when you engage, you should be able to avoid too much trouble. If you're up agaisnt too much, just run. The forests are pretty dense, and their bulk will give you an advantage in getting away.
Any other questions?
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No? Good. I'll be heading planetside with you and will keep you updated from the ground. The rest is up to you. Good hunting and may the Eyes of the Emperor shine favorably down on you."
Wed May 20, 2009 12:48 am