MISSION BRIEF
A Land Train escorting over 1500 civilians, including several vip's from Hive Machavius to Deimos Space Port for of-planet evacuation has been classified with a high risk assessment.
M5 High Command believes that the Land-Train poses a tempting target for the enemies of the Imperium. - Especially the Dark Eldar and the Forces of Chaos.
Due to this, High Command has ordered an escort for the Land Train and it has fallen to the Guardian Angels Chapter to provide the escort on this run.
The Land Train consists of 30 wagons and is pulled by three engines.
The train moves along skids, and while Command believes the railway is at low risk due to it's value to the enemy as a predictable resource of evacuated civilians, they have posted several small recon patrol groups of Imperial Guardsmen at key sites along the route to ensure that the path the train travels along is safe. - These patrols are to report in every five minutes as well as if they come upon an incident.
Patrols that do not report in are considered as an incident and are to be checked out before the train is allowed to pass through their area.
The train itself is lightly armoured and is guarded onboard by four minour Imperial guard Tropps; 120 Imperial guardsmen in all.
In addition to this the Guardian Angels Chapter will have one covert Scout posted in each wagon, 30 Scouts in all. - These are to help protect the civilians and ensure the Imperial Guardsmen's courage and loyalty should the need arise.
The Chapter's main contribution to the Land-Train's safety however is an air-born escort consisting of three Thunderhawks following the train.
These Thunderhawks will carry a large detachment of Marines backed up by vehicles and other necessary resources; potentially also backed up by a Quick Response Force stationed in orbit.
The Land Train and escort will also be monitored from the Chapter's own defensive network in orbit.
Should a threat to the Land-Train be identified, the Train is to be halted until it can make a break-through and escape run after it's route of escape is open. - Even if that means going close to an ongoing battle.
Once a threat is located, the escorting Thunderhawks are to land and dispatch the Land based escort team that will move in to engage the enemy.
The Thunderhawks are to stay on station for an airlift or quick redeployment.
Once on the ground, the land based task-force should engage and destroy the enemy, preferably luring them away from the trains tracks to let the train pass and to keep the tracks safe from harm.
The safety of the civilians is this missions highest priority and the Chapter has been given Charte Blanche to ensure their safety.
Best of Luck!
Daniel D'Angelo
Commander in Chief
Guardian Angels M5 Task Force.
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MISSION INTRO STORY:
The engines of the Thunderhawk roared as it moved along over the Land-Train below, coming into a tight roll to keep straight over the train while it passed through a relatively sharp turn.
Captain Ensis of the Guardian Angels 4th Company was standing in the Thunderhawk's forward cargo bay, leaning at a sideways angle, one hand held firmly against the side wall to better resist the G-forces that kicked into effect as the huge hull of the Thunderhawk banked to the side.
The magnetic couplers of his heavy boots kicked in and his Power Armour's servos whirred to life in order to help keep him upright through the tight turn, but despite the powerful forces that where in effect, the proud Captain's attentions where elsewhere.
For everyone else in the cargo bay it appeared like the Captain was staring at the cargo bay's front hatch, but in reality his blue eyes where monitoring the situation outside.
Ensis' optical sensors where currently connected to the Thunderhawks forward belly cam, and only a small window in his optical sensory input was reserved for the dark interior of the Thunderhawk's cargo bay. - For all other intentions it seemed to the Captain that he was hovering some twenty meters above the train, looking down at its long reach of wagons as they fled through the luscious green landscape at tremendous speeds.
Within his signature Mk6 Corvus style helmet, Captain Ensis' vision was flooded by the blue light of a clear sky and the clear, sharp sunlight of daytime stood in stark contrast to the vision of a world that was soon to die a terrible death.
Captain Ensis let his attention be drawn into the Thunderhawk's interior for a moment, enlarging his Power Suit's rear cam view of the dark cargo bay to engulf his vision fully, watching the Land-Train and the escort's two companion Thunderhawks disappear, only to be replaced by the strange vision of Lieutenant Commander Alexander Peracer.
The Lieutenant Commander was more machine than man. - Essentially still a Marine, but Captain Ensis knew that his armoured body was more than that.
The Lieutenant Commander had been mortally wounded in a previous mission, and for some reason, Chapter Master Metatron and Commander D'Angelo had decided to expend countless resources to bring Alexander back to life in a body that was almost completely mechanical, but that was more than regular bionics. - Lt. Commander Peracer's body was more akin to a miniature dreadnought.
Every external part of his unique body was artificial and heavily armoured; the parts of his Torso alone had cost more than a Land Raider and Captain Ensis couldn’t help but think that expending such resources to save the life of one Marine was an unreasonable waste. Then again, 4th Company was the Chapter's technological flagship and to ensure that the Company had a miniature Dreadnought on it's staff crew somehow seemed right; After all, Chaptermaster Metatron Caelestis himself was one of the Chapter's mighty Archangels - The Dreadnoughs.
Despite his dislike of what he saw as a waste of resources, Captain Ensis was glad to have the power and wisdom of Alexander within the Company. - He was a good friend and an invaluable resource of knowledge.
Despite his almost Necron-like appearance, Alexander was also second in Command of the mission and for a moment it struck Captain Ensis as foolish that they where both in the same Thunderhawk. - If their Hawk was to be shot down... Ah, but then this was a Thunderhawk. It would take tremendous fire power to take one down, let alone three, moving in combat formation at high speeds.
Captain Ensis was just about to return his vision mode to the external view when his wox sparked to life.
"Four-One-Two, this is ground control.
One of our location based recognisance patrols has failed to report in and we are halting the package's forward movement until its path has been secured.
Satellite imagery of the area is cloudy and we suspect that the area may be compromised.
Please proceed to zone sixty-two for visual confirmation and neutralize any threat to the package.
Once the tracks are confirmed as clear, the package will make a breakthrough-run.
Do you copy? Over."
Captain Ensis turned to face Lt. Commander Peracer and gestured for him to start debriefing the Marines in the Thunderhawks on the current situation and to get them ready for deployment.
Switching to external cam view, Ensis could already see the Land-Train slowing down as he opened the hailing link to ground control.
"Copy that Ground Control; we are moving in!"
Ensis once more turned his vision over to normal mode and started striding towards his men, seeing that they where already at full readiness as he switched to the pilot's channel.
"Did you get that Velorian?" he asked the pilot, his voice crackling across the vox link.
The snappy reply came back immediately.
"Vector locked in! - ETA to LZ is fourty seconds. Stand by, we are going in hot!"
Mission 01 Aftermath.
