Turbulence in Segmentum Tempestus

Life in the 41st millennium is not one of ease.  The single truth is that the notion of peace is never a lasting one, and sooner or later war is all we know.  The story you now read is no exception to this truth.  ~ Colonel Hans Steinweg

This is the opening act of another tale from the Imperium of Man.  On the eastern fringe of the Segmentum Tempestus lies the planet of Bakka, a long standing Imperial naval base.  As this planet lies on the very edge of the galaxy, it is no stranger to war.  The vastness of the Imperium has many planets and assets that lie undermanned and ill-equipped to defend themselves.  Unfortunately, Bakka would be one that soon recognized this terrible truth all too well.



In early 999.M41, a distress beacon was picked up by an Imperial Guard regimental orbiting the planet of Jurn.  How they came to be there is a story all it's own.

The Imperial records show the origin of the Guard Regiment was that of the Krieg "Death Korps" 33rd under command of Colonel Hans Steinweg.  A new but ruthless regimental leader, his troops were once stationed at the northern sector of Krieg as a defense force for a plasma manufactorum.  The Imperial need for plasma weaponry and fuel was considered Strategic Value: Primus.  However, after years of service under the shadow of the Manufactorum, Colonel Steinweg and his regiment were called to action elsewhere in the system.

The planet of Jurn has long since been under Ork rule.  However this rule has been closely monitored by the Ordo Xenos.  Recently, records state that in the closing days of 998.M41, an ork Warboss of the Goff clan named Gutz'masha rose to a sort of undisputed power, and soon the planet was organizing massive armies at a considerable rate.  The Ordo Xenos, in an attempt to silence the warboss before his efforts could reach fruition, dispatched an assassin to silently squelch his rule.  Nothing more is known of this mission.  However, soon after the assassin was sent, the Ordo Xenos called upon the Space Marines of the Crimson Fists to strike at the planet.  With Rynn's World being close, and the Crimson Fist's unparalleled ability to combat the Orks, it was a fairly blatant move by the Ordo Xenos.  With the involvement of a marine chapter, some speculate that the original operations of the Ordo Xenos yielded little, if any results.

The opening days of the current year 999.M41 would yield an impressive push by the Crimson Fists.  Under command of Captain Selig Torres of the chapter's 5th company, as well as Chaplain Argo, the Angels of Death quickly reminded the Orks of the origin of that name.  However, the Orks were proving just as relentless.  With the assault blunted by unanticipated Ork numbers and resilience, the captain soon sent a call to other Imperial forces in the sector for aid. Among the responding forces was Colonel Steinweg and the Krieg 33rd.

Having served in the icy northern reaches of Krieg, the Death Korps proved useful immediately as they were one of the few regiments equipped, and the only one to volunteer to serve on the frozen glaciers of the planet's orbital defense base at it's northern pole.  Within days of their arrival, the great enemy was already at their doorstep.  The Death Korps brought death by the thousands with a mixture of las, plasma, and artillery.  The assaulting Orks found the fortress to be guarded by army as stubborn as they.  After weeks of seige, the Orks were driven back by an implacable army and weather that rivaled those of Krieg's nuclear winter storms.

With the Orks in full retreat, the Colonel ordered a pursuit, stating "We shall not dishonor the Emperor by allowing his enemies time to regroup.  When they assaulted this keep, they asked for a death, and that is what we will give them!"  Setting out in the storm, the forces of the Krieg lived up to their reputation of stubborn resilience under even the harshest climate.  Their victory was found not three days later when the last of the ork forces, including the Warboss Grim'skull were slain.  For weeks the planet lay under heavy siege until word of Warboss Gutz'masha's death reached the Northern Pole.  With the immediate threat dealt with and most of the ork assets in ruin,  the Imperial Forces left the planet as it was far from purged of the ork menace, and taking it would prove of little value at the cost the Imperial forces would have to pay to take it.

After leaving the planet, Colonel Steinweg's regiment was ordered to respond to the distress beacon received from Bakka.  With the Imperial naval base under threat, and the resources at risk of falling to the enemy, there was little choice.  Upon full disclosure of the distress beacon's message, it was made clear that the planet lay at the mercy of two Xenos Fleets that had entered the system within a week of one another.  An Overlord of a Necron fleet seeking to silence the world, and a renegade Tau force under the command of O'Shovah "Farsight" seeking to take the planet for it's strategic position as well as the resources the planet offered.

Earlier in the year, Dark Eldar Raiders were able to cripple the Imperial Navy's moorings orbiting the planet.  After a short but devastating conflict, the raiders vanished into the webway, leaving what remained of the Imperial forces in disarray.  Without the proper time to repair the damages and the chain of command drowned in confusion, the planet was not prepared for the invasion of a xeno fleet... let alone two.

With few Imperial planets that far out in the sector, losing the assets its provided would cripple the Imperial presence in the sector.  This loss was considered unacceptable.  The one benefit to the defending Imperial Guard regiments was that the xeno forces seemed to be at war with one another as much as the planetary forces, causing neither to gain much ground in their assault.  Upon arriving in system, the Death Korps of Krieg soon found that an Ork Warboss seeking a fight had followed the Imperial ships, and would soon be another threat to the planet.

With the armies gathered, Bakka has become a battleground, and there is no telling who emerge victorious.



Hello everyone.  What you just read is the opening tale for a campaign that a few of us around here are getting started.  Many of us are stepping out of our comfort zones and starting new armies, and so to accompany this change of venue, I thought it'd be fun to create a campaign out of our exploits. Our current roster:

Black Legion Dave: Orks
Corvus Sanguine: Necrons
General Beardman: Planetary Guard
Godfrey: Death Korps Imperial Guard
Warmaster Havok: Farsight Tau

I plan to update the site with news and pics from each player such as new units additions/assemblies, battle reports, and hobby table articles with unique missions and terrain pieces which come out of our campaign.  If you are interested in following our exploits, these articles will be labeled with "Bakkan Campaign" along with other suitable labels.  From all of use here, we hope you enjoy the shenanigans!

Cheers!