Battle of Trachmund

### Outcome

Tyranid force repulsed and eliminated. Red Crusaders and Tysaerian Storm Dragoons depart after an uneasy truce. Stalemate between the Destroyers of Worlds and Battlement's forces.

"*Damn you Mortigar! You're really gonna waste the lives of your men in a crusade because we wiped out a tyrannical governor and gave the people of Trachmund hope? The scale of this Crusade you sent coulda conquered the Great Tyrant's hellish realm by now! You ain't know nothin' about us, only what the pig-headed Inquisition told you to believe. We ain't your enemy, but damn if I let you destroy these people for rejecting the yoke of tyranny.*"
— Executive Alexis 'Preacher' Jonesson of the Emperor's Liberators in an exchange with Chaplain Mortigar.
The Battle of Trachmund was a huge system-wide conflict over the various worlds in the aforementioned system. The Emperor's Liberators and Agents of Liberty would come to blows against the Red Crusaders led by Mortigar, the Destroyers of Worlds, and Storm Dragoons. Battlement's leadership authorized a campaign to overthrow Trachmund's strong-armed governors and bring the system under the aegis of freedom. Scholars familiar with the matter debate over whether this was a genuine pursuit to further the cause of human liberty or consolidate their position following The Reckoning. Both sides believed they had a moral high ground and became further embroiled in the war. All of these Imperial forces fought a brutal battle against the systems' liberators until the coming of a large host of Tyranids. United to fight this greater threat, by the end the Red Crusaders, who had taken the most losses and gained a respect for the agents, cut a deal and left. The Tyserians soon did the same. This left the destroyers, and they would not leave, continuing the war. However the true battle for Trachmund ended with the leaving of the Red Crusaders and Tyserians. This campaign had costly affects for just about everyone involved, especially for the poor people of Trachmund

## The Campaign

The Campaigns, while generally very similar had different outcomes and events for the many varied forces that took place in it. Both sides had their own conflicting motivations and views that led to the grand conflict in Trachmund. Historians have had to reference each respective account of events to get a more complete picture.

### Red Crusaders

Mortigar received a distress call from the fallen governors of the Trachmund system as he travelled the void for new relics. The governors warned that the Emperor's Liberators and Agents of Liberty, a now-renegade Astartes chapter and Imperial Guard regiment respectively, had found his reign 'tyrannical' and 'liberated' the system. After much debate, and the possibility that relics could be found in Trachmund, Mortigar rallied a large crusading force to retake Trachmund and secure the relics. As he arrived, the battle had already begun. The 732nd Shock Infantry and 33rd Armored Regiments from the Storm Dragoons had already begun pushing back the Agents on two worlds. They were elite shock troopers with unending waves of armor to complement their advance, and the Crusaders couldn't help but be impressed with the ruthless efficiency of the Storm Dragoons. Mortigar released his Red Crusaders on them in an effort to press the advantage. Mortigar knew that these renegades worshipped the Emperor as they did, as did the Tysaerians. However, breaking away from the Imperium is a great heresy, something that both the Agents and the Liberators had to pay for. Under the guise of seeking the renegade Reclusiarch Alexis Jonesson and slaying him in single combat, Mortigar covertly took scouts to the ruins of an imperial shrine. If his intel was correct, an ancient relic spear forged from unknown material and allegedly wielded by a primarch should be nearby. Mortigar didn't believe that, but something was undoubtably special about it. His landed there, only to find a battle already raging. Marines from the Destroyers of Worlds were engaging the Agents and Liberators, and so his men deployed straight into the ruins, the scouts guarding its perimeter as the tactical squad he took engaged the enemy. As he rummaged through the temple he heard footsteps, and the Emperor's Liberators commander Jonesson appeared. Mortigar chastised Jonesson for betraying his role as a Chaplain, but Jonesson doubled down on the belief that he was in the right and was truly serving the God Emperor's wishes. Both parties tried and failed to talk the other down, and the two pious superhumans met in a duel. The two fought with the utmost fury, grievously wounding each other as their subordinates fought similar duels and Specter Teams engaged in firefights with enemy Scout Marines. As battles raged across the worlds of the system, a greater threat arrived: Tyranids. The warring parties made a deal, and worked together to destroy the Tyranid menace. Mortigar fought beside Jonesson against the Tyranids. Out of all the Astartes chapters, his Red Crusaders took the most casualties to Tyranids due to their unflinching resolve and refusal to retreat. By the time they had beaten back the foul bugs and destroyed their ships, his crusade was severely depleted. He made a deal with the Agents and Liberators. He had gained respect for them fighting the Tyranids, and no longer had the forces to carry on the fight. Both sides would return their missing gene-seed and armors, departing with a distant but mutual respect. With the relic he wanted in hand of course. The Storm Dragoons also left while the destroyers stayed, continuing to quash the threat of the Battlement's rebellious warriors in the worlds the Destroyers had taken hold of.

### Agents of Liberty and Emperor's Liberators

The neighboring system of Trachmund was governed by strong-armed Imperial governors, to the chagrin of the Agents of Liberty. Liberating Trachmund would be risky, but Battlement's leaders thought the payoff was worth it. While Battlement's leadership and armed forces considered it their duty to bring freedom to the oppressed, those of a more pragmatic mindset saw the value in having an allied system. Executive Alexis 'Preacher' Jonesson, whose oration could sway millions, was perfect for the mission. Jonesson brought with him the marines of Fireteam Bravo, and 5,000 Agents of Liberty to form the initial wave. Reserve units were assembled on Battlement in case a swift decapitation strike and a popular uprising wasn't enough. Jonesson and a small entourage of fellow chaplains quickly went to work in inspiring a revolutionary fervor across Trachmund's planets. Within weeks, most of the system's people were ardent believers in human liberty (at least the version that the warriors of Battlement advocated for). The governors of Trachmund were now seriously lacking popular support and manpower, which allowed the Agents and Liberators to swiftly depose these tyrants. Some were unceremoniously assassinated by The Specters or Scout Marines, while others put up fierce resistance before they were killed in dramatic battles. Unfortunately, the liberation of Trachmund wasn't thorough enough. The astropathic choir on one planet managed to send a distress signal and inform any listeners of the situation. With no way of knowing who or how many people would respond, Jonesson ordered his forces to dig in and begin civilian evacuations.

The first to arrive were two guard regiments who were in transit through the Eastern Fringes. These guardsmen hailed from the world of Tysaeria, and were the Storm Dragoons from the 732nd Shock Infantry and 33rd Armored Regiments. These guardsmen were particularly brutal, known for their shock tactics and overwhelming armored formations. Realizing that the liberation of Trachmund would become a protracted struggle, he sent word for Battlement to deploy its reserve forces in support. Until then, Jonesson's troops had to make a stand against the relentless tide of Tysaerians. No matter how many casualties were inflicted, they marched on without flinching. Their brutality against the Agents was similarly fearsome, and on one planet the Agents were overwhelmed in what seemed like a storm of steel. The Agents managed to adapt to the juggernaut-like advance of the Storm Dragoons and keep the enemy pinned down thanks to disciplined volleys of fire that came from all directions. Using speed and stealth, the Agents finally managed to bring the Storm Dragoons to a standstill, albeit at great cost. The Agents weren't the only ones who faced a trial by fire. The Destroyers of Worlds, a hated foe, had also received word of the campaign by the Liberators. Jonesson wanted a chance to avenge the countless innocents lost in The Reckoning, but quickly realized that these Destroyers had forged such a horrific reputation for a reason. Jonesson violently rejected a call for surrender by the Destroyers by executing the entire messenger party, only to be repaid by a gruesome campaign called The Stalking. Jonesson and his marines faced dozens of high-speed ambushes. Although they managed to kill a number of their foes, Jonesson was devastated at the sight of his dead troops stuck on fields of pikes. The rage at witnessing these indignities drove Jonesson and his troops to fight that much harder to ensure the Destroyers could only subjugate one planet in Trachmund.

For Battlement's armed forces, the situation was looking grim. While reinforcements of their own arrived to stabilize the situation, the 3 planets they still controlled were under siege by the Destroyers and Storm Dragoons. Unsurprisingly, there was still room for the situation to deteriorate. Yet another Astartes chapter had answered the call by Trachmund's governors, and an entire Crusader Host was on its way. These red and white-clad marines were extremely fanatical based on their iconography and cries of devotion to the Emperor on the battlefield. They announced themselves as the Red Crusaders, sent on a mission by the God Emperor. Despite the great firepower they brought to bear, these Astartes were very eager to engage the Liberators in melee. What's more, they branded the Liberators as cowards for laying in ambush positions to gun down their foes rather than engage them openly and honorably. As a man with great faith in the Emperor, Jonesson hated the idea of fighting these Red Crusaders. However, his devotion to the Emperor's goal of freedom for His people hardened Jonesson's resolve. While beating back an attack by the Destroyers of Worlds at a shrine, Jonesson would encounter a particularly fiery chaplain (by the standards of his men, anyway) named Mortigar. It quickly became apparent why his nickname was 'Mad Mortigar'. He yelled with outrage in his voice at how Jonesson betrayed his vows as a man of the faith. Mortigar denounced Jonesson as a man whose resolve and discipline had eroded until it was perverted to serve such a blasphemous cause as 'freedom'. One way or another, Mortigar vowed to bring Jonesson to task for poisoning the minds of billions with such heretical ideas and breaking his oath to serve the Imperium. Jonesson angrily denied these accusations, claiming that *he* and his troops were betrayed for simply serving a less appreciated aspect of the Emperor's wishes. He sought to point out how historically the Emperor's various actions were ultimately meant to bring freedom to humanity, both for themselves and from various things like tyranny. More than that however, he would not tolerate a lecture from someone who'd rather subjugate the Imperium's people with such a massive force rather than fighting The Great Tyrant. With neither party being convinced, the two zealous superhumans fought with the full weight of their convictions behind them. With each passing minute, the injuries grew in number and severity. It would deter neither Jonesson or Mortigar.

At the height of Moritgar's duel with Jonesson, a Tyranid splinter fleet arrived. Jonesson wanted to repel these tyrants, but realized that without a unified front there would be no system to liberate. Jonesson also wanted an out, so that he wouldn't have to kill any more Red Crusaders who saw the truth of the Emperor's divinity. He was less enthusiastic to work with the Destroyers however, and made plans to humble them if this crisis was ever resolved. Over the next 8 months, Jonesson would coordinate with the other parties to respond to whatever the Tyranids threw at them. Eventually, with one final push, the Tyranids were slain. The Storm Dragoons and Red Crusaders chose to depart with a wary respect for Battlement's warriors, but the Destroyers kept forces on the 2 worlds they retook and brought them back to compliance. Thus far, they've deterred any further attempts to liberate those worlds.

## Effect

The effects of the campaign were great, mostly in losses. All of the many various sides took heavy blows to the forces they had sent there, and Trachmund was never really reclaimed for the Imperium, the war for it continued by the Destroyers and Liberators in a stalemate. Neither the Imperials or renegade warriors of Battlement achieved a true victory, either. The system was split between the two factions. The greatest effects were on the people and worlds of the Trachmund system who took heavy damage, brought to ruin by the devastating conflict of the factions, hive cities mere rubble and much of the populace decimated by war. The Emperor's Liberators and Agents of Liberty face the daunting task of rebuilding what worlds they do control while hardening their defenses.