10th Damocles Battle Group

**Regiments**
* 109th Oz Drop Regiment ('Hell's Belles')
 **C.O.**
 **Strength**
* 1,500 drop troops
 **Flagship**
 **Speciality**

"*First in, last out, that's us.*"
— Colonel Charles Edward Oman
A permanent Imperial Guard formation comprised of a mechanized Infantry regiment (54th Amerikon); a drop regiment (109th Oz) and an armoured regiment (the 99th Vengeance ). Along with their transport, the Carrack Class troop carrier *Triumpans.* Operating in the Damocles Gulf sectors under direct command of the Lord General the 10th Damocles is employed by him as a rapid reaction force for 'speartip' operations, counter-insurgency, etc.

## History

The battle group was first formed in 873.M41 by Lord General Ancus Martialis, then commanding the Damocles Gulf and Sectors Spinward, as a beachhead force for the invasion of Utaw. The three diverse regiment of which it was formed proved a remarkably cohesive and compatible formation in the face of numerous difficulties leading Martialis to make the group permanent and assign it a dedicated transport.

Campaigns include:

* 880.M41 - **Ansio Beachhead**
* 887.M41 - **Invasion of Amaurica**
* 891.M41 - **Invasion of Skilly**
* 942.M41 - **Siege of Montcasson Abbey**
* 945.M41 - **Battle of Bastion One**

## Combat Doctrine

The Tenth's standard beachhead strategy begins with a night drop by the 109th behind enemy lines to sow confusion by surprise strikes and sabotage against command centers and key emplacements and/or secure key positions. This is followed up at daybreak by a frontal assault by the 54th against the softened target. Their first priority being to establish a secure beach-head allowing the 99th to land their tank squadrons to crush what's left of the enemy. Needless to say matters seldom go that smoothly. These tactics have also proved useful for breaking sieges and have even allowed them to fight their way across entire continents.

The nature of this strategy makes it most appropriate for the Colonel of the 54th to be in overall command regardless of his/her seniority. Tradition has made acceptance of this state of affairs, even when it runs counter to normal practice, automatic by the C.O.s of the Crushers and the Belles.

## Transport

His Divine Majesty's Ship *Triumphans* is a Carrack-class armed transport. A product of the famous Glaswegan Shipyards in the Britannic Sector its crew are also by and large Glaswegan or Caledonians.

### Weaponry

This Carrack class armed transport is arme with two dorsal lance turrets and a port and starboard laser batteries. It has some carrier capacity, carrying on Avenger Fighter squadron, Valkyrie wing and six drop ships.

### Crew

*Triumphans* has a crew of 18,000 personnel.

#### Captain Tabetha MacDougal

This swashbuckling naval veteran has commanded the *Triumphans* for over sixty years. Captain MacDougal began her career in the Navy's Aerospace wing making her natural for a carrier transport command. In addition to landing the troops MacDougal is responsible for directing the Air cover and, tracking and surveillance of the surface and of course taking care of any enemy ships that happen along.

#### Commander Dougal MacDougal

As in many naval ships command of the *Triumphans* is a family affair. Executive Officer Commander Dougal MacDougal is the Captain's son. As exec his primary duty concerns maintaining order aboard and the day to day functioning of the ship - a formidable task with a crew numbering 18000 not to mention the 5000 troopers aboard.

#### Sr. Lieutenant Isobel MacDougal

Is the daughter of the above, she serves as Second Officer and Master of Arms aboard the *Triumphans*. Both damage control and repelling boarders come come within her responsibilities in battle.

#### Sr. Lieutenant Malcolm MacDougal

Is her younger brother and the *Triumphans* Third Officer and Portside Gunnery Officer.

### Regimental Accomodations

Three generations of troopers and tankers have made their section of the ship quite comfortable, if not luxurious. The Gropos' quarters include sufficient space for one or two more regiments, depending on make-up in addition to the three permanently assigned to the 10th.

## Spook Squad

A recent and unwelcome addition to the 10th. This quartet of sanctioned psykers has however proved its worth and slowly won a sort of acceptance.

### Raynie Claud

Sieur Claud is the overseer of the squad. Thanks to being the most rational and stable member of it he is automatically in charge of his less controlled companions. He is a formidable biomancer but surprisingly normal and pleasant in manner and behavior when he isn't throwing bolts of bio-electric energy around. He is the best accepted of the squad thanks to that apparent normality and to his ability to heal dangerous wounds.

### Harland Binge

Decidedly 'siggy' in trooper jargon Harland suffers from tourette's'-like symptoms; twitches, jerks and occasional bursts of shrill giggles. He also holds long conversations with inanimate objects - probably because they are the only listeners who don't slide away at the earliest opportunity. Binge is a telekin meaning that his tourettes' syndrome often extends to the objects around him. He is strictly forbidden to enter either command bridge, the armories or the enginarium for obvious reasons.

### Suth Bradditch

Tall and massively built with a long cadaverous face, his eyes and mouth pinched as if in constant low-grade pain Suth is the most disturbing looking of the four psykers. His powers are also most disturbing; He is a telepath and his pinched look is due to the constant background noise of others' thoughts. He is perfectly capable of blasting the sanity of any target he focuses on and nobody really trusts his self control or grasp on reality. Ordinarily he seems sunk entirely into his own little world, scarcely aware of the people around him.

### Quiana Albor

Quiana might be considered an attractive woman if her smooth face wasn't so vacant in expression and her pale and piercing eyes fixed so unnervingly on something beyond normal human perception. As a Diviner she has more contact with the warp than any of the four and is heavily augmented with protective devices, their power cables draped gracefully around her shapely figure like fashionable accessories. She carries an ancient focusing staff passed down through many generations of Diviners.

### By the 10th Damocles Battle Group

"*Listen carefully: I - do - not - want - a - Psyker!"
"I understand your concerns, Colonel -"
"No you don't, You really don't.*"
— Charles Edward Oman to Sanctioned Psyker Raynie Claud
*Feel free to add your own*

## Source

* 10th Damocles Battle Group Original article.