Killing in the Dark: Retribution Campaign Battle #4
Up close and personal
Welcome back everyone!
We rejoin Task Force Kolm as they’ve finally discovered the last remaining Voidship on the planet. Will it be their salvation or is it another trap?
We will see…
The Voidcraft towers over the blasted factotum. The black iron skin mimics the cold darkness of space itself, but to Captain Kolm, it looks like salvation.
“Sergeant Tyro, give me a squad of your best soldiers. We will strike deep into the craft to kill that insane Bishop and take control of the navigation. Lt Hopps, start bringing the Task Force into the cargo bay. There is nothing left for us in this world.”
The soldiers snap professional salutes and rush to their duties. After everything they’ve been through, they are still professionals and they will die as professionals.
Only minutes later, the Kill Team is assembled. A squad of the best infantry the Task Force has, ready to lay their lives down for the God Emperor, led by Sergeant Tyro and another grizzled veteran. Two hulking ogryens lurk behind, their fanatical faith in the Emperor and massive rotary stubbers will be an asset in the claustrophobic confines of the ship.
Captain Kolm looks over this ragtag Kill Team. These soldiers have been fighting and dying on this planet for months. They fought for a lie, and now they fight for survival, and each other. Not one for motivational speeches, the Captain clears his throat and says:
“Soldiers of the Imperium. We were brought here against our will to fight our own brothers. It was not our choice. We did not choose this fate. Now we fight for each other. I know the God Emperor looks down upon us today, and he smiles. I will not leave this ship. I will fight, and if need be, die on this ship to get you to safety. I expect the same of you all.”
Captain Kolm could see the tears in their eyes as to a man they make the sign of the Aquilla. Today, this Task Force will have its Retribution.
The Kill Team deploys into the dark cargo bay of the voidship and fan out.
Killing in the Dark
For this fight, I’m using the Grim Dark Fire Fight Rules. It is for skirmish-level fighting, so 6 to 10 models on each side. The objectives for each side will be simple.
For Task Force Kolm:
To Achieve a major victory they must hold the centre console, which controls the ship, and knock out or shake the enemy leader
To Achieve a minor victory, either control the centre console or knock out/shake the enemy leader
The Bishop is bringing his dedicated and fanatical followers. They are from the army Inquisitional Agents. Once per game, each unit can decide to go again in a round.
Pretty straightforward, let’s see how it plays out.
The lights flicker. But Captain Kolm can see the shapes of his Kill Team slowly moving through the rows upon rows of cargo containers. The hulking forms of the Ogryns reassure him that he has the strength and firepower to take on anything the mad Bishop can bring.
Captain Kolm keys his vox and softly commands, “In the Emperor’s name, forward.”
The ship’s Voxcaster crackles to life, a booming voice tinged with barely concealed insanity speaks.
“You dare to defile this holy relic of Terra, Captain Kolm? You have been judged by his holy light and found wanting. You are nothing more than dirt from this chaos-infested world and I will scrape you from my boot.”
“Yeah, feth him. Keep advancing,” Captain Kolm orders.
Boots hammer metal flooring as Task Force Kolm moves deeper into the control centre of the void ship. “Contact front!” a soldier yells as laserifles flash and burn, sending a fanatic diving behind cover.
The mad bishop stomps forward, preparing to open the door to the command centre. Despite his clear insanity, he is still clever enough to not rush in.
More heretics move into the corridor to challenge Task Force Kolm. Plasma, lasefire and flamers roar between the two groups as a vicious firefight develops.
Impatient, a Corporal yells, “Charge!” The might of the Imperial Guard rushes into the fanatic but their repeated blows cannot lay the fanatic low.
On the north side of the ship, Captain Kolm moves a section of the Kill Team into position. Both lumbering brutes back him up, along with a veteran trooper.
“Breach, breach, breach!” bellows a veteran as he opens the door and tries to storm into the central chamber. Before he can move in to sweep and clear the room, a fanatic charges with a hammer. The veteran is knocked down.
Yelling a furious battle cry, Captain Kolm seeks revenge. He remembers the words of the Emperor:
Vengeance guided by discipline and purpose makes there heretic tremble.
The Captain charges the hammer heretic through the door, laying vicious sword blows and knocking him asunder.
At the top of the ship, a vicious melee erupts, with whirling blades, spinning heavy stubbers, and grinding chainswords. In the end, one fanatic is downed and one of the heavy Orgyn.
Desperation and Duty
Screams of the dying, clashes of blades upon armour and the crack of stubbers echo through the dark ship. The struggle continues, neither side willing to give in. Both leaders still breathe and the command console remains unclaimed.
The troopers of Task Force Kolm take a deep breath and ready themselves for another charge. The killing here is not at a distance, but up close and personal. They know their duty. The corporal again commands “Charge!” and the small squad rushes around the corner and comes face to face with the heretic witch.
The energy of the warp crackles and pops around her, as she literally floats off the bulkhead. The corporal, shocked at first, tightens his grip on his lasrifle and yells, “Shoot to kill!”
Lasbolts rip into the heretic, putting her down.
The End and The Death
Captain Kolm sees the command console and steps over the sputtering and dying heretic at his feet. Stepping onto the console is the heretic bishop himself.
“Captain, surely you see the error of your ways? Why do you stray so far from the Emperor’s Light?'“
“It is you, heretic, who have strayed from his light. Enough blabbing, let us end this now.”
Captain Kolm charges in, aiming strikes from his energy sword at the Bishop. But the Bishop’s armour and heretical speed proves to much.
The Bishop’s mace comes down, crushing the Captain’s skull.
The last thing the Captain thinks is of his family, left on a distant world he hardly remembers anymore…
Just then, a Task Force Kolm squad bursts in, seeing Captain Kolm dead on the metal floor, the corporal calls into his Vox, ‘The Captain is down, the heretics have the Command Console. Tell the Task Force to get the kark out of the ship before it goes Throne knows where!”
Then several things happen at once.
The insane Bishop punches in commands into the console.
The Engines of the massive void ship rumble to life.
And a deep voice comes over the Imperial Guard Vox channel:
“This is Strike Master Azruel of Strike Force Azurel. We are on this ship, and we will not abandon you, my mortal brothers.”
Thus ends Retribution, with the death of Captain Kolm and the failure of his final mission. Task Force Kolm suffered greatly through its journey on this awful planet. Lied to and betrayed. Fired on by friend and enemy alike. Forced to find its own way, Captain Kolm kept this unit together and got them onto the voidcraft, but without gaining control of the voidcraft, there is no telling where Task Force Kolm goes…
Going forward we will continue the story in some capacity, but shifting the focus away from The Imperial Guard and onto a Space Marine team as they battle through the depths of this voidship.
All is not lost.
Look to your faith and let it be your shield.
Hobby Update
I painted a frog! This is a remix from Miscast’s famous Nurgle Toad. Super easy to print, prep and paint. It’s going to be part of a future army project.
Thanks for reading along!
Good tale, one ugly frog!
They got away from the world, at least.
May Captain Kolm finally find the peace he likely never knew.