Journal Entry
Conquest of Adraxinus VII, Day 0:
My name is Natheus Stalmark. Rank: Trooper, "Catachan Devils" third squad, Catachan XXIV Regiment. I have decided to create this series of holo-logs to document my first planetary conquest. I am a native of Catachan, an Imperial Dead World which is, in fact, teeming with life. The planet itself is covered in dense jungle, and filled with all sorts of dangerous wildlife, which allows the Catachan Jungle Fighters to do what they do best: Guerilla Warfare. We are the best guerilla fighters that the Imperium has to offer. We are trained in it from the start, prowling the merciless jungle, earning each other's respect as we do so. We learn to pick up on even the slightest twitch, the snapping twig, the rustle of the leaves, and anything else that feels . . . out of place, disconnected from the rhythm of the jungle. For on Catachan, we understand: the jungle is alive, and we merely walk through its veins, visitors in its domain. If we are to be accepted by the jungle, we learn to become a part of it, and make it our home. Thus, anyone else is considered an intruder.
It is this training that makes us the perfect opening salvo for this particular conquest. Located on the edge of the Imperial front in the highly contested Frentorium sector, Adraxinus VII is a world covered from pole to pole in a massive, dense, mountainous jungle. Normally, the Imperium would pass this planet up for conquest. However, the astropaths indicated that there was a "shadow of death converging towards this planet, which will prove to be the tipping point in our conflict with the Ruinous Powers of Chaos." The Imperium quickly called upon the Imperial Guard to load up and move to conquer the planet, for use as a staging area for further conflict.
My regiment of Catachan Devils is to be the opening salvo of this conquest. We will be deploying ahead of the main force, acting as a scout force (which is what I do best). We will be the eyes of the Guardsmen, revealing the nature of this "shadow of death." We will be invisible, unrelenting in our goal. We will turn the jungle against our foes, bringing its wrath to bear upon those who would oppose the will of the Emperor.
I can hear the alarm claxons sounding, so I must go prepare. We are coming out of warp right above the planet, and my regiment will be deploying within the hour. It will probably be many days before I can record another journal entry. With luck, the Emperor will grant me the strength needed to carry out his will. We pray to him for guidance now. For the glory of the Emperor!