The Jamais Vu Campaign
Part II: The Good Colonel
"Colonel Kylinmov, something is showing up on the monitor. Looks like we have visitors, sir. Class Emperor Battleship, preparing to acknowledge them, sir," the comm-man said.
"Jenison, good work. Ask them for identification and some kind of a purpose for being this far out in the middle of no-where," Colonel Kylinmov replied. The Colonel was a man who had made his way to the top the old fashioned way. He was not just some green recruit from the boot camp who's daddy was high up in the Imperial chain. No, Kylinmov was a true Colonel. He had entered the Imperial Guard when he was just sixteen, looking for an escape from the blights of his hive world, Anthalon III. He had formed up in the Mordian Iron Guard. Though that is not what they proclaimed themselves as on Anthalon III, he knew better. He was issued the same clothes as a Mordian, and had received the same standard issue Mordian lasgun. When Anthalon III was first attacked by Chaos, Kylinmov was the first to lead the counter charge when the Marines pressed deep into the hive world's tunnels. He was the first to see the light of the star that shined down on his planet after he pushed Chaos out from the tunnels in his sector. He was the first to lead the attack on the Chaos flank, and the first to greet General Jennison after the battle had been fought. This is where Kylinmov was first issued his bolt pistol, and the status of a Lieutenant.
It was all uphill from there. Kylinmov helped during the following times of turmoil and war in his sector. Not much is documented about what exactly happened during these times, but it has been recorded that Kylinmov helped save several detachments of the Adeptus Astartes when the campaign was at what was first thought to be the high-water mark of the campaign. Kylinmov earned much more respect but less decoration than most Lieutenants during these times, as the middle man was highly over looked. But Kylinmov stood out like a bright beacon in the Sea of Souls, followed closely by his loyal troops.
And how Kylinmov ended up on Therius II was even more of a mystery. A man who, as his men had seen it, ought to have been fully decorated several times over, ending up on a world such as Therius II was not fitting. Therius II was a world with no other planets within several months warp-time. Located just too close for comfort to the star in the system, Therius II was a world with extreme temperatures that made even the Catachans cringe at the mere thought of the planet. This was why Kylinmov had been shocked to find that a non-cargo ship of any sort was now orbiting the planet. Though it was well known that Therius II was home to a single warp gate, it had been well controlled over the years, thanks to successful counter attacks against the small bands of roaming Chaos warriors who made the mistake of getting with the range of detectors in the area. The gate had been controlled, and reinforcements had been sent casually, but never anything like an actual Emperor Class Battleship.
Another call came in from the ship above, "Surrender now. There need be no bloodshed for those who unwillingly followed the Fallen. Only the Fallen shall be judged. Give him to us, and you shall be spared." Both Kylinmov and Jenison looked at each other in disbelief. "Surrender," it repeated.
"Sir, what should we do?" Jenison asked with wide eyes.
Kylinmov stroked the end of his chin while he thought. What to do? Give up the base to whoever was above? And what was this Fallen stuff all about? Why would anyone... and then it hit him, the Dark Angels. It suddenly became so clear and so bold in his eyes. Now he knew what had to be done. "Evacuate the base, and tell the men to be ready to ambush the intruders."
"Sir! That's heresy! Do your thoughts betray you!? Repen... ugh!" Jenison cried as Kylinmov gently sliced his throat.
He grabbed the headset off of Jenison's head and put it on his own. The limp lifeless head of Jenison fell back in the seat and slid out as Kylinmov spoke into the microphone, "we are about to be under attack. This is not a drill. I repeat, this is not a drill. Evacuation procedure 144-bd, initiate immediatley. All units are to regroup at rally point delta-zulu-gamma 13. I will see you all there. Leave nothing behind for the Chaos scum to loot." Kylinmov put the head set back on Jenison's head as he lay dead on the floor at his feet.
The door from the comms room slid open, and Kylinmov stepped out. He looked around at the almost deserted command posts, as the evacuation plan had started to take effect. Only a few stragglers were left behind as the Colonel made his way out of the command room and down through flight of stairs which led him to his personal Chimera. A Commisar was waiting for the Colonel as he stepped up to enter the Chimera, the Commisar being flanked on the right by a big brute of an Ogryn. They looked at the Colonel with inquisitive eyes, trying to look for answers that wouldn't be given away.
"Colonel, sir, what exactly are we to expect?" the Commisar asked. His face had been scarred from numerous skirmishes along the warp gate's entrance so long ago. They ran deep into his cheeks and across his forehead and showed up more clearly when he spoke. The Commisar wore these scars with a mix of pity, and of honor. Pity for the fact that he had been injured, and honor for the fact that the monster that did it was no longer alive. Ever since that battle he had been accompanied by the Ogryn who stood next to him now, another sign of pity and honor mixed in an odd combination.
"Expect anything," was the reply. Though Kylinmov knew what was about to happen, he kept this information secretive to everyone but him. Knowing that the Dark Angels would land near his base was only half the battle, beating them would be the other half. As he stepped into the Chimera, he took one last look at the base. There is stood, in all it's minor glory, just another Imperial outpost in the middle of nowhere. The back of the tank closed shut and the hatch locked in place. The tank started to move, and so did the rest of garrisoned forces.
Tanks rode along side the Chimera, flanking it and giving it supreme cover from any attacks. As the tank rolled on, men passed by outside of the tank, walking in formation with their lasguns held in their hands resting on their shoulders. The Colonel was impressed by how fast the evacuation had happened. And everything going on out side of the tank was all thanks to his quick and accurate timing. There would be no chance of the enemy stopping him now.
Forwards they drove, putting more and more distance between the base and themselves. It would now be a waiting game to see when and where the enemy would land, and then they would attack, as Kylinmov saw fit.
