The Second Siege of Agratha - Tales from the Front (Conclusion)

3 Days Later

Gravis awoke in a cot, the medicae bay was in darkness.

Everything hurt like hell, though his leg felt oddly cold, he couldn’t quite remember why, in the darkness his mind wondered.

He remembered. Praetorian Guardsmen he did not recognise jumping from the Vendetta Gunship attached to his own regiment as it hovered precariously at the edge of the ruined Leviathans battlements.

He remembered. Being physically thrown into the small transport compartment a Corpsman desperately working at his legs, as the gunship pulled slowly skywards. Those same Guardsmen gave their lives to stop the Orks atop his ruined Leviathan from bringing the then vulnerable flyer to ruin as it slowly lifted skyward again.

He remembered. Seeing from the hatch 4th Mechanised in action from above, the remaining Guard strengths disengaging, the Orks themselves too depleted to do more than snap at the heels of the Imperial soldiers.

He remembered. The news on the vox that the banner of the 24th Cadian had fallen. That Admiral Drax himself was gone.

Gravis’ closed his eyes, and dreamt of vengeance.


So concludes the story of the Second Siege of Agratha! The final score saw the Orks win the scenario by 1 VP, based on three primary objectives and a number of secondary objectives - amongst those two Ork Warlords and two Imperial Commanders, for one of whom it would appear to be the final battle (Don't do it Admiral Drax!).

We had a fantastic time fighting the game out over the weekend, not to mention extending the narrative! Plus it was a real joy to take to the field with only painted miniatures, so a huge thanks to all concerned, Chris, Matt, Mike, James & Phil!

Don't forget to check out the blogs of Colonel Winterborn & Admiral Drax for even more pictures and write ups of the battle!

The end? Definitely not, there has to be a part two now... anyone free next summer!?!

Yes? You better get painting then!

We've got loads of loose ends to tie up, and after setting the bar we can only make it both bigger and better!

• Warlord Gorblud & Colonel Winterborne still have unfinished business in their long running and bitter rivalry.

• The Ork's will be determined to press their advantage and conqueror more of the world, and beyond, but the Imperium can't possibly allow the Orks to keep what they have taken, let alone take more.

• Even in victory Gorblud will surely be outraged that Big Sod claimed the wreckage of his Skulhamma, not to mention the prize of the wrecked Leviathan, think of the monstrosity that the Ork's could build with it - if its not wrecked further by their own squabbling!

• Meanwhile for the Imperium in defeat, blame must be attributed somewhere, rightly or wrongly, while avoiding self-incrimination. Political influence will be wielded like a weapon as the surviving commanders seek to avoid implication in the eyes of the Commissariat. Of course that assumes that those involved have the restraint to act more rashly or directly...

10 Days Later

"Sir... Sir! You can't just..."

The officer slammed the door behind him, stiffly marching forward, dressed in dress breaches and white undershirt. The new augmetic replacement leg had grafted well, but it was too soon to be walking on it and every stride made him grimace. The pain focused his mind on his thoughts from over these past few days.

The gaggle of Officers ahead parted, one amongst them stepping forward hand outstretched.

"Gravis! Up and about already! Good to see yo..."

The officer glared at Winterborne raising his voice above his fellow regimental commanders.

"Where in in the Emperor's name were you?!"

Winterborne was taken aback, dropping his hand. To address a fellow officer in front of his subordinates in such a fashion. Such a lack of respect. Unthinkable. Un-Praetorian.

"Agratha fallen. Drax missing, probably dead. Hundred's of casualties. My Leviathan wrecked, and probably being defiled by the Orks as we speak. All of it, all of it for the want of a few more guns on the line when it really mattered....!"

A sense of awkward tension hung in the air.

"Where were you and your vaunted Mechanised? Waiting for the perfect moment? Letting mine and Drax' men do the bleeding before coming to save the day and steel the glory? Was that it?"

Winterborne mastered himself, Gravis was clearly unhinged....

"Colonel... I think you should return to the Medi...."

Gravis' right fist connected with Winterborn's face with a spurt of blood and the crack of a breaking nose. The unexpected blow sent him reeling backwards against his desk, before slumping to the floor against it.

Scowling at the fallen commander of  the 4th Mechanised, Gravis turned away awkwardly marching back out of briefing room, as the door slammed shut behind him the junior Officers let out a collective breath and moved to aid their commander.

There would be hell to pay later Gravis mused as he made towards his own regiments barracks.

Official censor, definitely. Significant punishment, possible, but unlikely. 

A regimental feud, inevitable.

But right now - right now it felt good.














 

The Second Siege of Agratha - Tales from the Front (Part 5)

On the Front

The Doomsday Cannon roared once more, and Ork bodies were thrown high into the air.

Still the Orks swept forward.

Shots pattered off the mega-armoured nobs closing upon the Leviathan, both the battlements of the Leviathan, even as the Storm Troopers were annihilated by Skorchas, nothing seemed able to stop them. Private Bone placed a well-aimed shot from his meltagun, turning one giant into little more than molten slag and then they were obscured by the command vehicles own armoured prow.

There was a thud, the odd sound of a drill, more thuds, bangs, the tearing of metal.

For a moment the world stopped.

With a massive explosion what could only have been the Leviathans magazine shaking the whole vehicle, the mighty machine came apart at the seams. Only thickly armoured internal bulk heads shielded those upon the fighting platform, the Leviathan now little more than a hulk of metal.

Away on the other side of the field, Admiral Drax was fighting for his life...

While at long last the 4th Mechanised was finally arriving in force...

With an Infantry force disembarking from their Chimera transports and taking up position in the still smoking Stompa, flanking the Orks before the ruined Leviathan.

Blinking away the retina searing flash Gravis stared downwards as shadows loomed up amongst the smoke, a bestial roar becoming a deafening crescendo.

“REPEL BOARDERS!”

The surviving Orks sprung up over the ruined battlements onto the deck with unnatural agility, a dozen all that remained of the horizon spanning horde which had first swept towards them, but amongst their number came at least two hulking warbosses. One, a giant in mega armour was intercepted by Lord Commissar Draven.

Gravis drew his Powersword, thumbing the activation rune as he did, and met the other brutes charge headlong.

Time slowed. Gravis swung his blade, aiming to drive it deep into the Orks flank, but the blade had not had time to fully charge and did little more than score the beasts thick hide. Enraged, its side blackened and sizzling with energy burn, it swung its heavy powerfist straight at Gravis’ head. With a feat of desperate effort that saw his blade skitter away Gravis half blocked the strike and dodged beneath it – straight into the teeth of the enraged Squiq at its masters feet.

Hitting the deck with a crash, Gravis’ vision blurred. Fighting to focus he saw Draven explode as a powerklaw closed around him, his refractor field shorting in an instant, he saw the company standard turn instantly to fire as a burner roared. Closer at hand he saw the squig beast now had a human leg, bitten off the calf, which it was messily devouring.

It took a moment to realise with an odd sense of detachment it was in fact his own.

Gravis’ vision faded to darkness as a tremendous roar rising in his ears – it did not fade.

The Second Siege of Agratha - Tales from the Front (Part 4)

At the Front

The smoke cleared.

For a moment Gravis' was dumbstruck, where once there had been nought but green bodies now, now there was a sea of green, backed up by a multitude of vehicles - and now the artillery fire had ceased entirely they were swarming forwards en mass.

It was time to be bold, to gamble, before all was lost.

The Leviathan smashed aside the ruined Stompa in order to bring its main gun to bare. Winterbournes troops were starting to arrive in greater numbers, but it was nothing like enough, and nothing like in time. Out of options and out of time Gravis committed his final reserve, massed cavalry as the Leviathan drove forwards.

The Doomsday Cannon fired again, the earth trembling at its impact as the first cavalry wave charged.

Unbeknownst to Gravis, all across the battlefield the Orks pushed forward again, Admiral Drax had lead his men forward, aiming to link up with a massed Stork Trooper detachment which had deployed ahead of the Guard lines.

Now the Storm Troopers were surrounded, while Drax himself was over extended and badly exposed.

In the Air

Lieutenant Pearson opened the throttles to his Vendetta fully and pushed the stick forward. As he dived the targeting reticule was locking in on the Ork Fighta, it had already downed the Thunderbolt running CAP over the battlefield, and moments ago had splashed the Valkyrie from Pearsons flight as it conducted a ground attack run.

At the last second the Ork pilot spotted him, but it was too late. All three Lascannons spat white hot, two of them striking true.

“YES! Splash on… oh hell!”

The Fighta sped on, turning towards the Vendetta.

Pearson started to evade, pulling up rapidly. A volley of fire spat upwards from the ground and the Ork flyer exploded in mid air.

Pearson relaxed – just as heavy fire started to hammer the Gunships armoured flank, he cursed pulling away as rapidly as the ailing flyer would let him.

At the Front

Gravis looked on helplessly as the cream of the Praetorian cavalry were cut to pieces, despite the massive casualties inflicted upon the green tide, the brave horsemen who had lead the charge had ultimately not stood a chance against the enraged greenskins.

Nothing now stood between the Orks and Gravis' Leviathan, either they would break against its armoured hide, or...