Chapter 5
In the distant mountains of Knappnai, several Lightning Fighters flew over the area, followed by Valkyries and Arvus Lighters hauling large cargo. The Lighters dropped several cargo down to the ridge of the mountains. From the large containers, thousands of guardsmen and servitors along with the techpriests of Adeptus Mechanicus poured out and began constructing their Bastion. Towering over most castles in Falmart, a large defensive tower was built in the mountains of Knappnai in matters of days.
Once the fortification was complete, an Aquila Lander soon made contact with the ground to land their VIPs. The Lord Commissar Hauss followed by the Colonel Tullman with his bodyguards exited the lander. The guardsmen stopped and hailed them.
"There is no time to waste. Ignore us and continue your work, Guardsmen!" the Lord Commissar yelled with his gravely voice. The guardsmen quickly resumed their works. The colonel laughed and continued towards the headquarter.
Once inside, the lord commissar and the colonel along with a few others began their strategy meeting. On the table before them lied a map of the land of Falmart, taken from orbit.
"This appears to be a fortification built by the locals. We have confirmed that they are not of any Imperial Guard unit. The Astropath claimed that there is a strange Warp presence located in this area as well. It is likely that they are working with the alien," Colonel Tullman explained, pointing at the JSDF base on Alnus Hill on the large map.
"Xenos sympathizers. Why am I not surprised. Is there any knowledge of the locals, Colonel?" the lord commissar asked, crossing his arms and making a bitter face.
"Yes. Our fliers suggest majority of the planet is still resides in stone castles with iron age technology. However, there are a few locations that shows signs of advancements and machines. This area, for example, is guarded by tanks and foot soldiers carrying firearm like wargear. They have also detected anti-air weapon systems and missile defenses."
Lord commissar's eyes flashed.
"Heretic guards?"
"Unlikely, my lord," replied one of the officers, "Our vox teams intercepted their communications. They speak a language unbeknownst to us."
"Nor do they bear any markings of the heretics. They might be colonizers from a lost world. In fact, they are too advanced and too few in numbers to be local planetary defenses," the colonel added.
"Yet they hide the alien..." the lord commissar condemned.
"I believe a ground assault from multiples sides is the most viable option. We can send a single company as the vanguard supported by patrol detachments sentinels and spearhead tank detachment," the colonel suggested.
The lord commissar showed signs of disapproval.
"Is that not too few in numbers? Our foe is a crafty Xenos race that foresee the future, according to the inquisitor, not to mention their newly acquired army of traitors. We should send at least an entire regiment and overwhelm their defenses. It is an open area, an ideal battlefield for our tanks and artillery."
The colonel shook his head.
"It is as you say, Lord Commissar. Our foe is cunning, as it is dangerous. We must believe that this can be a trap to lure us in. Once the 1st offensive is concluded, we may decided on our next action."
The lord commissar closed in on the colonel, revealing his scarred face under his cap. The colonel stared back with his only functional eye.
"You are too wary, Colonel. I understand that you have lost several men in the last battle against the aliens, but they are stranded and severely weakened. Foresight is useless if there are no chance of victory. We MUST press on before they regain their strength!" the lord commissar growled.
The colonel did not turn away or avert his eye.
"I have battled the Eldar many times, Lord Commissar. They do not risk the live of their people. The Xenos chose to stand their ground in open territory. This is an invitation. They must have set traps all around the fortification so that they can ruin us in one strike. We are just as damaged from the previous battle as they are. A single misplaced strike can cost both our lives, and the artifact will be lost in the hands of the Eldar. I will not allow your impulse to ruin this mission."
The lord commissar glared into the colonel's eyes. One of the colonel's eye was without colour, lost during his youth as a guardsman. The lord commissar was slightly shorter than the colonel, but his tall commissar's cap made him appear taller.
"Your cowardice is what is going to cost us this mission!" Hauss snapped.
"And your recklessness will bring us to our doom. This is caution, not cowardice. The remaining regiment will stand ready to reinforce the vanguard if necessary. The rest will man the bastions in case of a surprise attack. The Eldar can strike from anywhere with their witchcraft and trickery, have you not learned, Lord Commissar Hauss? Or are you the one who truly fears, because you under pressure by the inquisition to quickly end this battle."
The lord commissar's brows narrowed. The colonel's statement deeply offended the lord commissar. The room drowned in thick silence. All other officers quietly exchanged eye contact with one another. The Lord Commissar hand was already at his bolt pistol's grip. Then, he stormed out of the room in a violent manner. The colonel nonchalantly resumed the strategy meeting.
"Then we shall proceed to acquiring a landing zone around this area and transport them using our landers."
No other individual dared to speak a word.