Betalis III Campaign - The Intervention 048.894.M41: The defiance of the Vaust 14th's commander ended with the arrival of Inquisitor Lord Hestaphus Danzk at Port Ryira. The Inquisitor Lord, an agent of the great institution of the Ordo Xenos, swept into General Odon's command room unannounced and unchallenged. Accompanying the Inquisitor Lord was his retinue: three Cadian Guardsmen, an Adeptus Mechanicus Tech-priest upon whose arm perched a huge black bird, cables from the implants upon its skull linking it with its creator, and two Ogryns.Dragged unceremoniously between the two megalithic thugs was the pitiful sight of the young Vaustian colonel, all evidence of his former rank ripped unceremoniously from his soiled uniform.Ordered by his superiors to investigate the growing reports of Aeldari in the system, Inquisitor Lord Danzk had been en-route to Betalis III when he had intercepted the young colonel's complaints to his commanders regarding General Odon's orders.Diverting to Betalis IV, Danzk had arrested the colonel and his entire command staff and sentenced them to serve in the newly-formed Adeptus Arbites penal battalion until the end of the war.The Vaust 14th Armoured Regiment was immediately redeployed to Betalis III and within solar days their Leman Russ, Chimeras, Macharius and Ogryn Auxilia Company were reassigned to reinforce the Cadian squads.Some of the Cadian 6th Armoured Regiment's officers were also distributed throughout the new regiment's ranks, replacing the inexperienced officers drawn from the Hive World's ruling families with much more experienced Cadian sergeants and veterans. Commissars were also posted amongst the platoons to quash any dissent with their customary finality.As well as providing a solution to the army's lack of ground troops, the Inquisitor Lord had also called upon other resources, some even the new Consul Militant did not have access to. Also in the vicinity of the Betalis System was a convoy destined for the Yarant System, containing a Titan transport of the Legio Gryphonicus — the "War Griffons."General Odon forwarded an astropathic request to the War Griffons' homeworld requesting its temporary reassignment. The request was approved and in addition a strike force of Elysian Drop Troops accompanying the convoy was also diverted.The Elysians, under the command of a Captain Isarta, would provide their own airborne transports and form a mobile reserve for the defence force. En-route to the system Inquisitor Lord Danzk had also petitioned the Space Wolves Chapter for aid.There had been reports of their presence in a neighbouring system, and if the Space Marines heeded the call for reinforcements, then their added might would see a formidable force assembled for the defence of the planet.With all available options exhausted and the Aeldari Corsairs now openly mounting daylight raids on the other two continents, their populations left to fend for themselves by the order of the general, the Betalis III defence force was split into three battle groups.Colonel Empteda would take command of the first. His battle group was ordered to immediately head to the Bregan Glacier. The glacier loomed over the entrance to the Tarundor Peninsula, and if it were to fall into enemy hands then movement on and off the peninsula, where the Imperium's forces were based, would be severely restricted. It was essential that it was in Imperial hands before the war began.Meanwhile, the two other Astra Militarum battlegroups would remain on alert at Port Ryira. Only when the full scale of the enemy's forces and its intentions were absolutely clear would the largest battlegroup, led by General Myndoras Odon, deploy.The last of the three battlegroups, commanded by Colonel Vlaar, would remain at the spaceport unless the deployment of its reserve forces was deemed absolutely necessary.Until that time, the defenders of the Ice World of Betalis III prepared for war.