Battle of Jamerv Prime

The **Battle of Jamerv Prime** was a major Imperial campaign carried out by the Nova Wolves Space Marine Chapter against both the Forces of Chaos and the Necrons as they vied over the worlds of the Jamerv System in the Nijan Sub-Sector.

## History

In the year 847.M40, the Nova Wolves Strike Cruiser, *The Vengeance of Eternity*, intercepted a distress call from the Jamerv System in the Nijan Sub-Sector detailing an assault on its worlds from a wave of living steel coming from Jamerv Secundus. However the transmission was cut off and the Nova Wolves were the only ones to intercept it. The Strike Cruiser which was carrying the 4th Company and 2 Squads of Terminator Veterans led by the Captain of the 4th Company, Astrix Vornus, and the led Terminator Sergeant Firaxis Kinod, proceeded to travel to the Nijan Sub-Sector with all due haste to help defend it.

When they arrived in the System they were too late. To their horror almost every world in the system was destroyed save for Jamerv Secundus and Jamerv Prime. They immediately headed to Jamerv Prime as it would be the only place where any Imperial Forces would be holding out still. Captain Astrix Vornus sent a small recon team, consisting of the 3rd Tactical Squad, to an Departmento Munitorum base on the planet to gain information on what was happening in the System.

However this was not to be, as a massive arc of Green Energy shot from the surface and destroyed the Thunderhawk transporting the recon team. After this, dozens of energy beams shot from the surface, screaming silently towards the *Vengeance of Eternity*, with only one managing to connect. The resulting damage resulted in the Strike Cruiser retreating out of the System to gather help, but not before deploying all remaining Marines, weapons, vehicles, and supplies towards a ravine 500 kilometres south of the Imperial base.

After landing, Captain Vornus gathered his forces and set up a base camp within the ravine. Almost an hour after the camp was set up the Captain gathered the 2nd and 5th Tactical Squads, the 2nd Assault Squad, and the 1st Terminator Squad led by Sergeant Kinod and loaded up onto 2 of the 3 Thunderhawks they had on hand and proceeded to move towards the Imperial Base and figure out what was happening in the system.

When they arrived however, all they found was the hollow shell of what was once an Imperial military base. They proceeded to send in the Assault Squad to scout out the area before the others landed in the perimeter. After a few minutes of scanning the perimeter they found no immediate threats and relayed the all clear signal for the Thunderhawks to land. When all of the Recon Force unloaded into the base the Thunderhawks began an aerial recon of the area to spot any hostiles while the ground troops searched within the base.

An Hour later and the search had turned up no results, with only destroyed corridors and rooms, blood, and scorch marks to show that a battle had happened here. When Sergeant Haxon ,of the 2nd Tactical Squad, opened the door to the 57th Room he was fired upon by Lasguns. He immediately moved out of the way and gave the order for his men to throw flashbangs into the room and stun his attackers.

After stunning the occupants of the Room they charged in with Bolters Raised and Blades drawn. What they found however shocked them, Guardsmen. They had expected Cultists or Rebels but certainly not survivors of the Base. After relaying this to the Captain the Apothecary was sent down to assess the Guardsmen and help treat them of any injuries. Although the entire time they kept on mumbling something about *Undead Metal Xenos* and were completely hysterical. One of the Marines suggested shooting them and putting them out of their misery, but the Captain wanted them alive for questioning.

That was when the explosions were heard.

#### The Ambush

The pilot of the Thunderhawk, *Void Eagle*, never saw the missile rocketing towards him until it was to late. With a deafening explosion, the *Void Eagle* ceased to exist as its remains hit against the ground; with the destruction of the Thunderhawk, a vast horde of Chaos Cultists, as well as a few Chaos Space Marines, charged the ruined facility. The remaining Thunderhawk rocketed out of the area to get the rest of the Company, but not before deploying a group of Tarantula Turrets to hold back the Horde while the recon force got prepared for the defense.

Leaving the Guardsmen near the inner-complex entrance along with the 2nd Assault Squad, 'Squad Vidian', Captain Vornus and the others took up positions on the ruined walls of the facility and began to lay into the oncoming heretic forces.

The battle was in the favor of the Astartes as they had the high ground, firepower, and cover to withstand the Cultists. It seemed like it would be an easy defense until help arrived, that was until the Titans appeared in the distance...

#### Traitor Titans

In the distance they managed to make out the different Titan Variants: 3 Warhounds, 2 Reavers, 1 Warlord, and to the horror of Captain Vornus, an Imperator Titan marching towards them. Luckily they were out of weapons range still but that still did not make them any less of a threat to the Marines.

They did not retreat into the base as even they could not survive that many Cultists in close-quarters combat and the Titans would blast the underground complex into oblivion anyways. They decided to make a retreat into the direction of their base, hoping to link up with reinforcements. However the Cultists would just follow them and they could not afford that as they need to keep the Guardsmen alive for questioning.

It was Sergeant Vidian of the 2nd Assault Squad whom had volunteered along with the rest of his squad to hold back the tide so the others could escape. When no other option was available, the Captain reluctantly agreed and wished the Emperor's blessing upon Vidian and his squad. And with that, Vidian and his Squad charged into the fray purging the Heretics with Bolt-Pistol and Chainsword.

The others took this chance to escape. When asked if they knew of any escape routes, the Guardsmen just pointed to the Hangar Bay. After entering they had found one working Stormraven Gunship bearing the seal of the Inquisition, Captain Vornus with no time to spare charged up its ramp with the remaining Imperials and sent the two best pilots among them to the cockpit and gunner seats.

With that done, they secured themselves to the seats and awaited take-off.

#### Vidian's Sacrifice

Sergeant Vidian had heard of the Stormraven discovery and was already sending his squad to take out the few Chaos Space Marines and Cultists who possessed anti-aircraft Weaponry so that the others may escape alive. It was hard fought, but the last of the anti-aircraft wielding Heretics had been slain allowing the Stormraven to take-off and escape with the remaining Imperials. By this time only Vidian had survived the Horde as the rest of his Brothers were either Swarmed or Gunned Down by Cultists and Chaos Space Marines.

The enemy had him surrounded but left a huge gap in-between them both for some unknown reason, however it soon became clear to Vidian as what appeared to be a Chaos Champion approached him. Stopping mere meters away from him the heretic had given him a choice, Lay down his arms and surrender, or die.

Vidian chose to die rather than serve Chaos, but the Champion had other ideas as he made a gesture with his hands and a nearby Sorcerer cast foul heretic magics upon the sergeant, knocking him out. With this done, the Champion had his subordinates grab the Sergeant and return to their Thunderhawk waiting nearby while the Cultists fortified the Base.

#### Revelations

After escaping the doomed Imperial Base thanks to Sergeant Vidians Sacrifice, the rest of the party had managed to re-group with the rest of the Company that was on its way to their last location. After landing and talking with his Command Group, Captain Vornus ordered the Company to return to their FOB and attempt to gain answers from the Guardsmen.

Assigning Chaplain Davis, Apothecary Kellen, and Epistolary Varset to gaining answers from the Troopers, Captain Vornus went to the Command Tent and proceeded to discuss the events of the last few hours with the remaining 8 Sergeants and his Command Group. Not long after, Apothecary Kellen arrived and informed the Captain that they had found out what had transpired in the Sub-Sector.

Five weeks ago there was a mysterious energy spike coming from the world of Jamerv Secundus and the Imperial Forces on Jamerv Prime had sent a scouting party of guardsmen to investigate. What they had found was both shocking and confusing, they encountered a small Tau Army attempting to open a previously undiscovered gateway in the side of a mountain.

Moments after they had reported it in to command, a Tau Pathfinder team discovered them while doing a perimeter sweep. A brief skirmish broke out resulting in both the Pathfinders and Guardsmen taking heavy losses, but just as Tau reinforcements arrived a huge wave of green energy shot out from the gateway which caused the fighting to stop as both sides stared at it.

Striding forth from the gateway, came hundreds of Necron constructs, marching towards the Tau forces and engaging them, resulting in heavy Tau losses.

The Guardsmen saw this, and made a hasty retreat so as to inform their superiors of this new threat. Days after the Necrons wiped out the Tau force, they made planetfall on Jamerv Prime, marking the start of their invasion. The first battle took place at the main Citadel itself, resulting in the loss of almost 57% of the Imperial Guard forces on the planet, and the death of the entire command structure.

After this, it was a simple matter of rooting out the remaining Guardsmen and exterminating them. However, wishing to live and not die to these unholy machines, some Guardsmen turned to the Ruinous Powers and offered themselves to Chaos in exchange for the power to defeat the Necrons. After their sacrifices were complete, an entire Warband of Chaos Space Marines and a traitor Titan legion arrived via a large Warp Portal created by the Chaos Sorcerers.

Ever since then, the Forces of Chaos and the Necrons had been fighting for dominance of the world.

#### Preparations

After hearing this information, Captain Vornus begun making plans for a lengthy war against the Necrons and Chaos. Under his command was less than 80 Battle-Brothers, with all the wargear needed to sustain their battles for a long period of time. However they would need more soldiers to have any chance of winning. Unsure if reinforcements would get there in time, the 4th Company started to perform recon across the continent to find all remaining pockets of Guardsmen and bring them into the fold, while avoiding any direct confrontations with their foes.

While this was underway, the Nova Wolves began to fortify their position against any attacks from Chaos or the Necrons. Within a week the Thunderhawks of the 4th Company scoured the continent, managing to re-connect with small pockets and holdouts of Imperial Guard forces on the planet, bringing them and any heavy support they had with them, including a damaged Baneblade and Shadowsword.