War for Sequuntur Somnia

The **War for the Sequuntur Somnia** was a compliance during the Great Crusade conducted by the Dune Serpents. In the midst of a long voyage, and fresh from meeting their Primarch on the dunes of Dhul’hasa, the 32nd Company and the Expeditionary Fleet to which it was attached came upon the human world of Sequuntur Somnia.  A small taskforce of Serpents were sent down to bring the world into compliance.  It seemed to be fairly peaceful and not heavily armed, but nonetheless, preparations for battle were made.

The people took little persuading.  Within a matter of days, the world had agreed to be a part of this fledgling Imperium, and the Dune Serpents gathered fuel and food to sustain them for the coming journey.  Meanwhile, Imperial Army regiments were placed on the surface, to occupy Sequuntur Somnia until its trust had been earnt.

Just as the fleet was ready to move on to the next system, reports of missing platoons began to emerge.  The captain of the 32nd company, Jon Lawrenz, ordered departure to be delayed, at least until these reports were verified.

In the following days, these reports escalated and even began to include claims of small, isolated towns and villages being raided and put to the torch.  With the help of his advisers, Lawrenz was able to connect the attacks with areas under which passed the sprawling fuel pipelines, designed to transport oil from its extraction points to the larger cities.  Using this, Lawrenz extrapolated three possible areas for the next attack to take place, and stationed lookouts.

That evening, he received word that his third location, a settlement nestled within a vast expanse of mangrove, had been infiltrated.  Travelling by storm eagle, Lawrenz and his personal moritat cadre made their way to the site.  Not willing to risk detection by low flying, Lawrenz ordered the transport to hover in the region of ten kilometres above the settlement.  Ordering his brothers to equip their jump packs, he leapt from the rear exit and plummeted through the clouds.

Landing quietly in the water, Lawrenz led his detachment to the village, wading through the cloudy waters.  He caught sight of the attackers fairly quickly, humanoid figures clad in black wearing white facemasks.  The marines engaged all in sight, felling many with flaming blasts of volkite energy.  Quickly, the Serpents had the attackers surrounded in the central square of the settlement.  Then, and before their very eyes, the figures dissipated into the night.

Lawrenz’s temper endured several fleeting engagements like these before finally breaking.  In rage, he deployed all available human and Astartes units into the fuel pipelines, even receiving support from volunteers from the local population.  They swept the pipes and surrounding tunnels, coming across little but rodents.  Then, an Ifrit declared over the vox that they had recovered spent las cartridges, and had found remains bearing the insignia of a missing army platoon.  Lawrence ordered his men to be ready for engagement.

Sure enough, within minutes masked figures pulled themselves sluggishly from the great currents of black liquid, and assaulted the force sweeping the tunnels.  They fought with scavenged imperial weapons and improvised blades and clubs, overwhelming the lines of the Imperial Army.  Then, the widowmaker squads that had lain concealed around corners began pelting the figures with nerveshock rounds, felling many.  Lawrenz himself was the first to tear the mask from a nearby attacker.  The attacker was human.

At that moment, the volunteers raised the weapons entrusted to them by the marines, blasting through the ranks of khaki armoured men, cutting down any who escaped.  As he was surrounded by these new foes, Lawrenz and any surviving Serpents teleported away.  As Lawrenz left, he dropped a frag grenade into the current, obliterating all within.

The newly appointed planetary governor was shocked by the news that his own people would turn on their saviours.  He deduced it was some form of anarchist cult.  But, after the events in the pipelines, it seemed to all like the violence had ceased.  Although at the cost of many lives, Sequuntur Somnia was freed.

As the fleet readied to leave, thousands gathered to watch. The Dune Serpent detachment paraded down the streets of the capital city to the cheers of the crowds.  Then, the cheers turned to screams.  Slowly, Lawrenz spotted white facemasks.  Blades.  Blood.  Then, all at once, a tidal wave of cultists surged forward, chanting a word from an unknown language.

The Serpents were vastly outnumbered.  And, instead of fighting, they fled to their ships, desperately trying to take off before they were swamped and inevitably killed.  As they left, Lawrenz was claimed to have said: ‘None can be trusted.  So deep a deception I have never seen.’

‘Load virus bombs.’