Siege of Vraks - The Return of the Red Scorpions: On 159.830.M41, Inquisitor Lord Rex's earlier diplomatic efforts to secure additional Adeptus Astartes units for the war on Vraks were finally repaid. His emissary had sought out the Red Scorpions Chapter as ordered, travelled via Terra to the Zaebus system and placed the Inquisitor Lord's request directly into the hands of the Chapter's Lord High Commander. Verant Ortys. In turn Commander Ortys had taken it to his own trusted officers in order to confer. No Space Marine Chapter commits itself to battle lightly. Each Chapter is only 1.000 brothers, the finest the Imperium has, so they must be used wisely and with care. Of course, in this case Lord High Commander Ortys already had some knowledge of events upon distant Vraks. A strike force under Commander Ainea had returned from their first operation badly damaged but victorious. Now, the Inquisitor Lord was asking that he follow up that invaluable assistance with a second deployment. The enemy was not yet defeated and the war not yet won. As an Inquisitor, Lord Rex could have demanded the Red Scorpions' presence, and sent one of his Inquisitors to indenture a strike force, but Space Marine Chapters are infamous for their fierce independence, and Chapter Masters do not take kindly to interference in their Chapter's affairs by the bureaucracy of the Imperium or the Inquisition. Their record of loyal service is enough to buy them the trust to operate beyond the many restrictions of the Administratum. Chapters are tied directly to the Imperium by a sacred oath of loyalty to the Emperor. To many Space Marines, those that have broken that oath are the worst of all enemies. Their stain of disloyalty could, and has, been seen to contaminate all. The destruction of traitor Space Marine forces is amongst the highest priority and the most glorious service any Chapter can do for the Imperium.It was this persuasive argument that Inquisitor Rex's diplomats used to convince Lord High Commander Ortys to return to Vraks. Ortys gathered his entire Chapter together to make the announcement that, after much long thought, he had decided to dispatch a large strike force back to Vraks Commander Ainea had begun the mission, but he would now personally lead a force large enough to finish it. There were still many traitors to Mankind on Vraks. vile fiends who would bring about the downfall of the Emperor's rule. Preparations were to be made for four full companies to join the war. The battle barge Sword of Ordon was to make ready for the long journey back to Segmentum Obscurus.With the precision of a well-oiled machine, the Chapter immediately went into action. It was a routine that had been practised thousands of times before The Chapter was readying for war. The Master of the Fleet would take command of his battle barge, and 400 battle brothers must be prepared for the crucible of battle against a trrible foe, both physically and spiritually. The Chaplains warned all their charges that Vraks had become the haunt of daemons, and the vile creatures would lust after the souls of each individual. They would face not only the enemy's guns, and they were many, but also the false promises and cruel temptations offered by the dark powers of the Warp. All would have to call upon the power of the divine Emperor in order to resist the morally corrupting temptations and falsehoods that would seek to break their will to fight and turn them away from their true calling as the shield of humanity. Each would be tested spiritually and morally Combat against the forces of Chaos must be won not just on the battlefield, but within each battle brother s heart and mind.Within days, arming rituals were completed and Dreadnoughts awoken from the Chapter's stasis crypts The Master of the Forge had each vehicle of the armoury blessed and litanies and purity seals attached so as to protect the machine spirits within. All was complete The battle brothers filed aboard their battle barge, its two escort ships were already in position The Lord High Commander gave the order to pull out from dock, and the Sword of Ordon made best speed for the Vraks system.The strike force arrived at 159830.M41, its arduous journey through the Warp complete. Upon achieving a safe orbit, the Sword of Ordon disembarked its entire strike force down to Vraks' surface via Thunderhawks and drop pods. High Commander Ortys met with Inquisitor Lord Rex directly and placed his strike force at the Inquisition's service. He had come to complete the mission his fellow commander had started four years ago. After a tactical briefing, the two men went into private council to discuss how best the Red Scorpions could be put to use. Commander Ortys studied the holo-maps in detail. The Citadel was a formidable objective but martial duty and pride demanded that his strike force take the toughest mission the Inquisitor could offer. It would be the Red Scorpions' honour to force the first breach into the Citadel.It was agreed that the Red Scorpions would make a strong attack up the Pilgrims Road from the now destroyed Lower Gate, up the cliff side to capture and hold the St Looms Gate. The attack would have to be directly along the road itself, under the eyes and guns of the Citadel s southern walls for every step of the way. The St Leonis Gate itself was a massive bastion of stone with its own guard towers. The outer gate led through a long tunnel - no doubt another killing zone, to an inner gate, and then on along a colonnaded procession to the Basilica of St Leonis itself. So far, due to the void shields that protected it, artillery fire had only damaged the surface of the gatehouse strongpoint Inside, the defences would be intact and no doubt full of heretics, and worse…Commander Ortys and his staff gathered to plan the attack. It would take every weapon they had at their disposal in order to succeed. The first objective would be to clear a diff-side strong point that blocked the Pilgnm's Road. This task would be given to assault squads of the 3rd and 8th Companies led by the vanguard assault squad of 1st Company under Brother Sergeant Cufln - a veteran of the first Vraks mission. Once the bunkers were captured, Ortys would lead the main strike force in Rhinos, Razorbacks and Land Raider transports up the Pilgrim’s Road at high speed. They would be covered by Whirldwind strikes and all the Land Speeders the strike force had. These small anti-grav gunships would be invaluable, not being restricted by the terrain they could engage the Citadel walls to keep the defenders suppressed whilst the armoured strike force advanced. Thunderhawk gunships would also attack the walls and the gate with bombs and rockets. As the main force began the attack on the gatehouse, supported by Dreadnoughts, son the Sword of Ordon would manoeuver into position in low orbit and begin an orbital bombardment of the Citadel, including the Basilica. The Master of the Fleet would have to unleash every gun the battle barge had to overwhelm the void shields and prevent enemy reinforcements reaching the gatehouse. The enemy had a few remaining defense laser silos still operational, but no longer possessed enough firepower to seriously threaten the massive Space Marine battleship. Also abroad the battle barge would be a coup-de-main force of Assault Terminators squads, led again by Commander Ainea of the 3rd Company. On Orty’s command, the veteran battle brothers would teleport directly into the gatehouse bastion, just as the main force was attacking from without. The combined power of the attack should see the St Leonis Gate’s defence wall.Those battle brothers not dedicated to the assault would be used for a secondary attack against the Great Gate, mostly as crew for Predators tanks and Vindicators.The Red Scorpions would not be attacking alone. The Krieg 158tth regiment would put in another strong attack from the north, whilst Inquisitor Rex, his followers and a strike force made up by more Inquisitors, Storm troopers, the Red Hunters and the Grey Knights of strike force Arturus would simultaneously be launched at the Cardinal Gate.