Kildrech Crusade 40K

The creation of the Kildrech Crusade

Under the command of Colonel Drache, a combined Imperial Guard force made up of the 84th Vengeance and 31st Brimlocks launch a campaign to begin reclaiming worlds lost to the Orks deep in the Australis Ultima Sector. Targeting Kildrech as an initial insertion point for the invasion the Imperial Guard forces decimate the unprepared Ork presence on the world, securing it within weeks and creating a beach head to stage further sorties into the surrounding system.

During cleanup operations and the securing of a base of operations, a reconnaissance force from the 31st Brimlocks discovers an abandoned keep heavily inscribed with the iconography of the Black Templars. Knowing that there are Black Templar forces on campaign in the Sector Colonel Drache immediately informs the Astartes Chapter of the discovery via Astropathic comms, thinking that an active Templar Keep would be beneficial for the defence of their own base of operations. The communique is acknowledged and within weeks two thunderhawks arrive, delivering a contingent of Marines to reclaim and activate their slumbering fortress. No more than three days latter, the Ork forces launch a counter attack, catching the Imperial forces completely unprepared and causing huge casualties amongst the scattered Guard units.

Rallying to the Templar Keep, the remaining Guard forces form a defensive perimeter around the ancient fortress using it as a solid backing to their defence. Although few in number, the Templars within the Keep spread themselves amongst the Imperial lines, lending superior force to the fight. By the time the Templar Techmarine managed to coax the Keeps Machine Spirit into activity and bring the void shields online, the Impieral losses are huge. Even with the mighty defenses of the Keep and their Astartes allies, the combined regiments of the Imperial Guard begin to buckle under the continuous Xenos onslaught. Weeks of sorties and defensive counter attacks reduce both Guard regiments to under quarter strength a piece and the Templars themselves have lost fully half their numbers, with no Apothecary in the force the lose of the geneseed is devastating. Although the Orks took equal, if not more, losses their numbers seemed unending and it would only be a matter of days before they breached the citadels defenses.

Five weeks into the siege, the Greenskin forces gather themselves for a final assault, committing all their reserves to the attack; the defenders brace themselves for the coming end. However, before the Ork assault gathers any momentum, the sky splits and rains black steel as Drop Pod after Drop Pod hammers into the midst of the enemy forces. Additional Black Templar Thunderhawks carrying heavy armour descends and releases their zealous payloads in hastily secured landing zones.

Seizing the opportunity the besieged Imperial Forces rally out and smash into the confused Ork forces. Within hours the Xenos scourge is broken and flees. Even as the last remaining resistance is being crushed the Templar Marshal summons Colonel Drache to his forward command post. Having received a full background report on the Imperial Guards actions in defending the Templar Keep, the Astartes Marshal thanks the General for his sacrifice for the Emperor and grants him and all his surviving troops the honour of baring the Templar Cross upon their heraldry so that all would know of his valour.

Humbled but inspired by the mighty Astartes soldiers around him, the Colonel gathers the remaining Imperial Guard forces and reforms them into a new regiment, the 1st Kildrech Crusaders, the Templar Cross being the center piece to the new regiments heraldry. Remaining on Kildrech along with the Templars, the Crusaders continue their original mission; to cleanse the Kildrech system of Ork and reclaim the worlds for the Emperor.

Uncovering the Truth Bolstered by the, now, seconded Imperial Guard forces operating under the new designation of the 1st Kildrech Crusaders, the Kildrech Crusade under the command of Willem de Molay began sweeping the world clean of the Greenskin infestation. With the Xenos forces broken at the siege of the fortress the eradication of the scattered orks was a relatively simple, albeit time consuming, one.