Unfortunately, the efforts to recognise the valiant dead of the Asgardia Sector don't go unnoticed. In the second year of the construction, the 1st Company of the Seraphs of Vengeance, another Dark Angels successor chapter, shows up in the Mjolnir system. These sons of the Lion have naught, but ill-intentions towards the memorial as they attempt to disrupt the construction.
Motherfucking bastards have the nerve to try and fuck with the Iron Sentinels again after all this? But at least we had them on edge, they probably didn't know these companies were at half strength and were a bit wary of getting within boarding range of us after last time.
A memorial service that will be political as much as anything else. With all three Chapter Masters, Living Saint Jorunn Forst and the Ethereal Supreme all attending, everyone with some degree of political influence in the Asgardia Sector attempts to get a place in attending the memorial service. Part of you wants to feel disgusted at them taking advantage of the situation, but the truth is that you are doing the same.
You'll be taking advantage of the memorial service to plot how to handle a similar invasion in the future with Osmadiel and Ovald. You want to tell yourself it is different for you, that you are doing it for the greater good of the Asgardian Triumvirate and not your own benefit, but does that really matter? You'll be using the memorial service to play politics like most if not all of the other attendees.
Yeah, a bit skeevy to use this situation as an excuse to politic, but it is what it is, and if it serves as a way to get people to start working with each other to prevent something like this from happening again, then all the better.
As the final preparations for the memorial take place, there is one last bit of trouble as the Kabal of the Black Reaping play their hand. Seeing the opportunity to raid a Space Marine homeworld and take many high value prisoners, the Dark Eldar attempt to split in a fleet of warships using their perfidious mimic drives to conceal their xenos nature. A cunning plan that was fortunately undone by the diligent security work of the Iron Sentinels and the Storm Avengers.
Annnd of course the damn Drukhari saw this as a perfect opportunity to kick the Iron Sentinels while they were down and make off with some valuable hostages.
Beyond the capture of the Dark Eldar warships and the totality of the victory, perhaps the biggest aspect of the engagement is when Captain Heimir Windson engages Archon Melakyth. Despite being faster and more skilled than the new captain of 9th Company, the leader of the Kabal was unprepared for the quickness of Heimir's Storm Hammer. Nullifying the effects of the Archon's clone field with a shockwave from his archeotech weapon, Heimir took advantage of the alien's surprise to reduce his upper body to a bloody pulp with a single swing.
It was a feat worthy of a Space Marine Captain and one that proved why Heimir had been chosen as Peder Freeson's replacement. A decision that none will now question, not that any questioned it before.
But alas, they met their match and weren't as clever as they thought, and thus the Looters have become the Looted.
In the end, the Ur'Iso fleet is defeated. All four Dagger-class Galleys are destroyed albeit not without cost as an eighth of the battle companies are lost in battle while the Avenging Crusader is crippled. While the strike cruiser is still fit to limp back to Midgardia, it will need years in a shipyard before the warship will be fit to go into battle again.
Unlike its escorts, the Greatsword-class Dreadnought was taken somewhat unbroken. Despite severe damage to the hull by the lances and plasma-macrocannons of the Might of Storms, the alien battleship's superstructure is intact enough to claim the wreck as salvage. Of course, it might be better to just destroy the hulk as while it could be a treasure trove of xenos technology and data, the Ur'Iso are well-known for leaving secrets and hidden traps behind.
Victory is ours, with a booby-trapped treasure to take for the spoils. That Hardlight tech sounds pretty neat, and like someone said reminds me of the Forerunners.
We have so much tech to work with the Tau alone that it could take centuries. Given all our losses, I don't trust a vengeful Xeno to not give us some form of petty revenge. I'll stick with tech from friendly Xenos thank you very much.
Well, if the research backlog is the problem, we could just give it to one of our allies in the MechSor or the Tau and let them deal with it?
I think we should have the First Storm Legion on patrol duty for a few turns until we get enough soldiers for a Second Storm Legion. That will take a while unless we invest in more recruitment though.
I don't know how effective putting a big ass group of Guardsmen regiments on patrol would be, especially if they get attacked in the void while they're on their own they're kinda screwed if their transports get destroyed.
If you're using Guardsmen, you send them to wreck face or garrison an area, so we'll send them after whatever significant event comes up next, or send them to finish off the Greenskins. Heck, maybe we could even have them work with the Coggirls or the Tau and get some favors that way
[X] Canoness Superior Jorunn Forst
[X] Ethereal Supreme Aun'Wei
[X] Fabricator-General Mirieve Sepherira
[X] The Storm Avengers send the wreck to the Mechanicus Sororitas
[X] The Storm Avengers send the wreck to the Tau.
