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This article, Foretta IX, was written by Spider40000. Please do not edit or 'acquire' this fiction without the writer's permission. |
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Foretta IX is a designated minor Fortress World in the frontier-east of the Ultima Segmentum. Its history with the Cadian 101st regiment has a considerable impact on their culture even during its original years as a Civilized World, and its re-categorization as a Fortress world was in response to the sector's discovery of the alien T'au Empire, and has focused most Imperial forces in-sub sector to blockading the T'au from the rest of the sub-sector. ☀
Background[]
Foundation (021.M40)[]
The foundation of the Imperial colony began sometime in the mid 40th Millennium. Discovered by Rogue Trader House [redacted], Segmentum command issued the planet, as well as its surrounding sub-sector, to be colonized by any willing Imperial citizens- with the understanding that the planets were already inhabited by multiple hostile xenos races, such as the [redacted]. The forefront of the preliminary crusade upon these worlds was the Cadian 101st Regiment, and its commander led crucial missions so that later colonization within this newly-founded sub sector of Dystia could be (relatively) safe from the hostile xenos presences. After these crusades (given the moniker of "Scourge of [redacted]"), the civilians that attended combat in the Forettan theater were given citizenship rights upon the habitable planets within the system. The Cadian regiment would also be granted colonial rights upon the planet of Foretta IX, and the men and women of the regiment had since lived upon its surface, integrating with the people they fought alongside with. Most records are lost after this time, but what is known is that the planet would later grow a reputation for having a pride of its history connecting it to one of the most fiercely loyal planets within the Imperium.
Civilization by Combat (390.M40)[]
The great pride in Foretta IX's Cadian heritage brought with it a culture that cultivated a great tradition of raising many, many regiments of Imperial Guard. This zeal made the main export of Foretta IX manpower towards the Militarum, and with this came a decrease in the other tithes expected of them. Without as strict an over-watch of their other productions, and equipment of their Imperial Guard being largely imported from other worlds, Forettans of the ninth planet would create industries of textiles and other similarly unconventional goods, neither being the nightmare workhouses of other worlds nor contributing much to the eternal war-effort of the Imperium. With their legions of well-equipped and well-trained guardsmen paying for their comfort, the world by and large was a pleasant planet to live in, growing rich with its intra-Dystian trade and growing a sense of superiority in comparison to the other worlds it shares a sub-sector with.
This had lead to a somewhat rocky relationship with their Mechanicus neighbors upon planets such as Foretta II and, especially, Picarra VI; as they would constantly not only form regiments when no one asked them to, making a near constant demand of supplying each and every single one of them; but specified that they would only use patterns similar to their Cadian ancestors, and anything different from the forges of Agripinaa and Kantrael stock was far below their expectations. In response, Picarra VI would continue to supply them with equipment that at the very least was superficially similar to M36 Kantrael Pattern equipment; but would perform much, much poorer in combat. Foretta IX has since refused to work with the forges of Picarra VI and the relationship regiments of the two planets would later have would be poor at best. If it weren't for the fact that Foretta IX has done multiple missions for the tech priests of Foretta II in the past, recovering vehicles and technology for them after combat, following regiments from Foretta IX would have become slower to form, and much worse for ware.
The Tezarda Expedition (890.M40)[]
In 890.M40, Tezarda IV experienced an embarrassing take-over of power from rebels on the planet. With the rebels making insane demands alongside their recognition, Foretta IX answered the call to arms to suppress their rowdy resistance towards Imperial authority.
Dystian forces took full control over the operation, with no assistance given from outside their space. Forming a brigade consisting of the Foretta IX 10th Mechanized Infantry, Wäture Verus 33rd Heavy Infantry, and the despised Picarra VI 5th Artillery, Forettan General Silvestre Couraal took charge of the operation on the ground. His aggressiveness served to overextend him however, and he was later replaced by the Wätrian Varien Trescar to the bitterness of Foretta IX.
The Ork Culling (915.M40)[]
In 915.M40, A massive Ork Waaagh was accumulating under the powerful, verbose Warboss known by many as Rullagh. Under his banner, the "Greatest Waaagh of Warboss Rullagh the Similarly Great" swept into Dystia's western side of the galaxy, reaching so far as the outskirts of the sizable Forettan system.
In the duration of the Waaagh's progress, already had the Foretta IX 14th, 35th, 41st, 42nd, and newly-formed 96th been operating in the desperate Imperial counters, but even with their effort they were unable to keep the Warboss from reaching the outer belt of the Forettan system. The Imperial forces chasing down the warboss were holding off from an assault, as neither were their navy ready for a clash in space nor did they have the numbers of Guardsmen to attack the orks on the ground, Dystia command still waiting for reinforcements outside of the Sub-sector to aid them.
Not wanting to stay back from the defence of their home system, the regiments of Foretta III, IV, VI, and IX among the Imperial forces lingering far behind Rullagh's fleet requested permission to deploy in the system regardless of the estimated casualties in an early deployment, their home worlds at stake should reinforcements not arrive on time. Accepting, the Navy brought the Forettan contingent forward from the Ork fleet, using their fastest ships to avoid their fire and land on the worlds in the path of the Orks to prepare for their defence. What time the fast Imperial ships bought would be prized, as every second they could afford was used in fortifying their worlds, great care taken with Foretta IX, as it was the first in the Orks' sights.
The Forettans held the line desperately, each crater-city a target for the orks to take. Those Orks that didn't crash directly into these craters landed on the surface and formed craters of their own, swarming from their crude contraptions and gathering to storm those walls that defended the human forces bunkering down for a siege in the defence of their lives. The assaults these cities weathered grinded them, and many fell in the coming days, the Orks taking their aggressive humors on their victims with uncanny glee.
Then, without expecting its arrival, reinforcements came.
These reinforcements were not those that Dystia was waiting for, however. The Gardos III and VI, of the regiments alongside those tailing the Ork fleet, also broke through to assist Foretta's defence, not wishing to wait on the wayside any longer while Imperial lives were being lost to the Orks. Finding out that against all odds some of the Forettan defences were still holding in the Waaagh's wake, Gardos forces asked where they were needed, and were directed towards a break of the final line in the crater-city of Nova Kasa. The Gardos III 41st attacked the Ork rear, taking back the outer wall and surrounding the Orks within the city; both hitting them from on high and challenging them to come to them instead of the retreating civilians. Meanwhile, the Gardos VI 12th deployed inside the city, escorting civilians to evacuate to elsewhere on the planet as they took guides from the lowlands to bait the Orks still following to attack them in the humid, foggy depths of the craters; terrain very familiar to them.
Together, The Forettans and Gardos were able to hold their lines longer, until the ever-waited for reinforcements could arrive. Rullagh's Waaagh still had steam, however; yet that steam was capped once many of his higher Nobz grew unsatisfied and impatient from staying on the world for so long, the promise of plunder elsewhere in the system not sitting well with their relative few gains, and so assassinated Rullagh after they ganged together to chop him to 23 separate pieces; the resultant 23 splinter-Waaaghs fractured the Ork unity, and they retreated back to their other holdings once the Imperial forces grew too large for them to handle. Many of the new Warbosses made promises to return even larger than "Rullagh the Previously Urnist, Verbise, Whatever He Was", but their power in the systems of Gardos, Dorrus, and Anahi, an ever-present irritant, would constantly be kept in check by Dystian forces; never again underestimating their threat again.
Before their departure, Foretta IX Governor Signe Gobrecht awarded each member of the Gardos regiments medalions in the form of aquillas, melted from the Ork choppas and shoota ammunitions; addressing the Gardos as their "Cadian cousins, yet now forevermore brothers in both Dystia and in battle."
The Blue Scare (721-750.M41)[]
At the opening of the 41st millennium, the entire sub-sector of Dystia was beginning to fear a very new and very real threat to the Eastern Fringes; the T'au Empire. At the dawn of their 2nd sphere of expansion, this alien superpower was encroaching eerily close to their lonely, isolated area of space. To counter, the several forge worlds began an increase of production of flak armor and lasgun weaponry to arm the PDF in case of invasion, and the planetary governors were pressured into training a somewhat above average PDF to effectively use the equipment. However, Sectorial administration was fearful of not only multiple PDF of equal caliber to entire guard regiments, but on planets so close to annexation by Tau. In response, the best eighth of all PDF were drafted off their worlds and put into use within the Astra Militarum; all PDF except for the worlds of Gardos VI, and Foretta IX. Instead, due to their proximity to separate threats and their above-par regimental histories, the two planets were re-categorized into Fortress Worlds.
What this meant for Foretta IX was that planetary governance would shift control from the former Governor to the hands of Lord General Silvia Garrant, leader of the Planetary Defense Force; and that in the upcoming years, they would have to work with those regiments within Dystia to address the T'au threat. What more, the civilian manufacturers would be given incentive to shift focus from basic commodities to more utilitarian goods to supply the guard upon their planet. Unsurprisingly, this caused some hostility by the locals, who once had much more freedom; but now, entire guard regiments could be called upon to address any concerns of, Emperor forbid, rebellion.
To further discourage this, the Officio Propagandae went hard at work to ensure to every imperial citizen in Dystia that the threat of invasion was very real. In fact, this reorganization was the best way to ensure that not only they would be the safest, but that it was now more important than ever to watch the other planets very carefully for their potential heresies. What they wanted every planet and, in turn, their regiments to think (more so than usual) is that any one of them could slowly be turning to their ways against The Emperor, and needed to be put under the highest of watch. As a result, if there ever was a rebellion that needed squashing, a regiment not of that planet could happily get called in to do their job and not feel a shared sectorial brotherhood with their victims.
Such policies further strengthened Foretta IX's ego being Cadian-born; these other regiments on their planet simply didn't share their glorious history, and though they would serve alongside them, they would keep a noticeable arm's reach away.
It may have been an excellent propagandae campaign to keep the commoners in check on their own worlds, but for the higher echelons of command, it remained a near-constant issue on Foretta IX with hosting many, many regiments from traditionally frontier worlds that now distrusted one another almost as much as the regiments outside even the origins of Dystia. High ranking officials such as commanders would be easier to handle, having some clearance to know the nature of the Propagandae as just a standard precaution; but their subordinates would be more difficult to handle. Nevertheless, despite general hostilities, it was understood that all guard on the planet were there to safeguard Dystia- and, of course, the Imperium at large- from the xenos threat.
In 742.M41, the anticipated full-out Human-T'au war came into effect. In the closely-neighboring Lithesh sector of contested space, the Damocles crusade went in full effect. Coordinating the Dystian regiments participating upon the Imperial crusade to demonstrate the dominable force of of Humanity was the planet of Foretta IX, with the re-founded Foretta IX 1st Regiment acting as overall command. Foretta IX would send off a regiment to coordinate each expeditionary force, making up multiple regiments to be sent to each area of the battlefield General Wendall Gauge had need of reinforcements.
After the close of the war in 743.M41, it was then realized just how dangerous this new alien threat was; and how important it was that they did not get any closer to Dystian space.
The Blue Threat[]
At the close of the Damocles Gulf Crusade, Sectorial intelligence received and, with the help of the Ordo Dialogous, interpreted a T'au transmittion searching for every unaccounted Cadre. Believing the transmission to be in essence a list of the dead, Sectorial intelligence wrote off the transmission as nothing more than a list of Imperial victories.
Half a decade later, a Tezardan trading ship would locate stray T'au warships headed towards Dystian space.
Panicked, the planet of Tezarda IV would send the newly-founded Tezarda IV 3rd regiment towards their distress signal with trading vessels, not signaling to the surrounding planets of the threat in confusion.
By the time the planetary governor of Foretta IX received any intel, it was that Picarran and Tezardan vessels were attacking each other, and that several planets in the north-eastern corner of Dystia were sending very disturbing messages to all Imperium channels.
Messages regarding succession.
Governor Garrant was said to have been exceptionally furious at the claim. Enraged, she hailed a nearby Imperial Navy fleet to bring her and several of her regiments, most of which barely recovering from the Damocles Crusade, to the worlds where this heresy was festering. After already finding Dystian ships locked in combat with one another, she felt it was in their best interests to take the matters into the hands of Foretta to solely take care of the rebellious upstarts; not knowing the loyalties of those involved, and secure in the belief that her 12 regiments under her command would be well enough to take care of these heretical PDF, believing them to be without support of the T'au Empire.
Finding a naval blockade from T'au sympathizers, they were locked into void combat for Terran days before they were able to break through; and would fight on Ranza III for three Terran months without reinforcements. By the time reinforcements were available from the planets of Tezarda III, Garvos V, Wäture III, and Bob II, their command was crippled; as Garrant, as well as the majority of her Captains and officers, were slain in combat against not only the Gue'vesa forces they were expecting, but several T'au forces as well.
Back on Foretta IX, the civilian aspects of the planet grew panicked that they were now without leadership. The Captain of the PDF was believed to have only been tasked to temporarily fill the Planetary Governor's seat, but he was now the only one left to fill the ever-important roll. Only a shadow of his aunt, Trevoris Garrant still ensured that he could live up to it.
Dystian Recovery[]
After this critical blow to the entirety of Dystia, it became more vital than ever to maintain a heavy military within the sub-sector. After the dishonor of allowing the T'au invasion to be so damaging under its watch, Foretta IX was under an even higher critical eye. Having lost so many guardsmen on this war against the T'au, Governor Garrant found that it was necessary to bring back manpower to an acceptable level, and all-the-while maintaining a reasonable number of defenses to safeguard their strategically important Forettan system. It took many mandated drafts and costed many a favor, but Garrant was able to meet both demands, although his political image was further brought down as his first acts in command hampered many of the liberties on Foretta IX that remained with his predecessor's reign. Many would call the man a tyrant; so sheltered were they from the entirety of the Imperium at large.
Nonetheless, although not even close to its former strength, a newly kindled fire burned within the next regiments to be raised. And having fought alongside many another Dystian regiment in a much closer manner, the veterans of the still-fresh T'au war were able to curb the newer recruits' superiority complex against the "lesser" Imperial forces- a way of thinking they once too held until being devastatingly crushed by the T'au only to be helped by systems such as Garvos and Bob; two fierce former rivaling systems. Although tensions were still there, the regiments of Dystia would be strong in their counter-attacks into T'au space in their combined might.
These raids, as well as assistance in taking care of the odd minor Ork Waaagh materializing within the sector, helped forge these new regiments into more of a well-trained army, generating many more a veteran to in turn train the fresher recruits into the ways of the Astra Militarum. Not reaching the height of their influence of the past, the regiments were nevertheless making steady progress in reclaiming the honor they lost when a third of the sub sector was lost under their watch.
But such raids would not go unnoticed by the T'au. With the defenses previously consisting of mostly auxiliary forces, with pathfinder teams being the most formidable of defenses, it was now obvious that fire warriors and battlesuits were of need in the forefront, before the Imperial forces could retreat after inflicting devastating damages.
But it was apparent they were already preparing for this Imperial counter-attack. Imperial sources claim that Forge Worlds within the new T'au territory were being scavenged and used as resources for the Earth Caste to use as factoral bases, already working on increasing offensive output.
The auxiliaries were only distractions for the Imperial forces to face while the T'au could build up their Fire Caste and gain more intelligence on the new sector they would conquer for their 'Greater Good.' Already having sights on the systems to their south-east, essentially surrounding the system of Foretta, the T'au would act as if they were merely bolstering their now 'weaker borders of space' to aggravate the Imperial forces in striking their raids along this line even harder while focusing the majority of their own forces on taking their true prize; the Foretta system, the very heart of Dystia, being considerably less defended.
But, as previously stated, it was Imperial sources that claimed this. Specifically, the Ordo Famulous, whom already had a number of eyes within the sector after Sectorial Command brushed off the Ordo Dialogus after their support in interpretation of enemy communicae. The Adepta Sororitas already prepared for such a strike. It seemed now was a good time as any to help strike back.
The Order of the Blossoming Light, a considerably small order thanks to their costly conflict on the Mechanicus forge world of Asterox, long had their eyes on the sub-sector. Having heard of the increased presence in Forge Worlds and AdMech fleets in the area, the order decided it best to observe the area to watch their augmented "allies" for their potential, if not inevitable, heresy. It is unknown why they didn't support the system in the initial stages of the invasion. Some sources claim they didn't know of the conflict, or at the very least were raising their numbers while the first worlds were conquered by the T'au; while more outspoken sources claim they allowed the mostly-Mechanicus influenced northern systems fall to the xenos in revenge for their Forge World cousins of Asterox. In any case, the Sororitas could not simply do nothing with their information now in the wake of the second T'au war; especially as more than the Mechanicus stood to loose should the T'au be unanswered this time again. The free advance by the T'au into the systems of Bob, Flers, and Picarra would take away the Imperium's advantage of mobility, and give the zealous xenos the upper hand in taking the Foretta system for themselves; and endanger their own position orbiting the Jane star.
With their intel and the support of full-fledged Battle Sisters, Astra Millitarum forces lead by Foretta IX were able to reach the battlegrounds on Fleurs and Bob, just in time before a repeat of the first T'au-Dystian war could happen, with their outer rim worlds being lost without their knowledge. Fighting to keep off the T'au from gaining a beacon from which to better attack the Foretta system, the forces of the Imperium were able to keep back the T'au long enough before a much more formidable threat brought the much needed attention of both away.
Locust Swarm[]
Climate and Geography[]
Due to being the ninth planet in the Forettan star-system, its distance from its sun severely hampers the heat it receives from it. In fact, if it weren't for its relatively high geothermal registers and thick atmosphere to generate and maintain enough sustainable heat (as well as being responsible for the almost constant rainfall upon the surface), the planet would become a snowball planet. The terrain itself isn't all that variable; the majority of Foretta IX is a rocky surface, with three oceans separating it. Deep within the many craters however are the lush 'forests', dominated by an alien fauna that consumes a chemical soup far below the surface; and along with the ground water, they excrete excess heat into the atmosphere, making these craters warm-spots that support a variety of organisms. Many of these lifeforms have since been purged to make way for the second wave of human expansion, but the craters all the more remain useful habitable zones, and became the focus for further development as the planetary government went on, and Foretta IX became a rich Civilized World, whose main exports where only simple materials and goods. However, when it became of need for a central military force to ready for the T'au expansion, Foretta IX filled the void, performing no need of real importance in the massive war-engine that is the Imperium of Man. Once this order came to fruition, development once again focused on the outer surface to make way for the activity of multiple guard regiments it would be hosting.
Flora and Fauna[]
Most wildlife had been cleared from the surface of Foretta IX, due to the understanding that the planet would have no need of agrarian work, as three moons of Foretta V fulfilled enough tithe as a standard agri-world; and the nearby star of Flers had two worlds of the kind. However, there still remains the life that call the deep craters within the planet home; although the outer edges of the craters were cleared for living, some scholars have made it their job to catalog the strange and bizarre creatures that dwell within. However, such scholars have had tremendous difficulty, due to the ferocity of some of the lifeforms within, the protests of the native peoples of Foretta IX, and, simply, time. As such, these Forettan scholars have requested outside sources to help track, identify, and simply theorize what living things dwell deep in the catacombs of Foretta IX, and their potential extra-Forettan; and perhaps even galactic; origins.
Canids- A breed of dogs popular amongst many planets of the Imperium. Imported possibly during the Imperial colonization of Foretta IX (with some sources claiming a time even before that), these furry, social quadruped animals have a strong bond with their "pack", which may also include humans with enough training. Granted a high position among Forettan society, these Canids, occasionally brought with their human masters on diplomatic or even combat expeditions, are typically a source of conflict when in contact with the small colony of Felinids located on Flers III; the cause of the hostility between these two creatures is still largely unknown. However, it does make relations between the people of Foretta and that particular abhuman strain estranged at best.
cormundettae augma correptos- Lacking a Low-Gothic name due to its being of importance to the common, smaller-minded folk of Foretta, this simple organism is known to consume a chemical 'goop' deep within the craters of many a Forettan planet- apart from its strange minor terraforming (or, perhaps more fitting in this case, forettaforming) qualities, in that it also excretes a noticeable amount of heat from the far depths of its planet. This unique Forettan organism was once believed to be just that- unique to Foretta and her planets. However, upon... gaining entry to Imperial records from the archives of the Command-Planet of the Sector; Mediocrates Prime to be exact; what a bold, noble group of scholars learned from an equally bold expedition into these archives- was that the substance was not unique to Foretta at all. Indeed, the material is believed to be far, far ancient; even believed to be by design by something even far more ancient. In fact, it is even stated in a scroll-USB file that the substance has marked similarities to an organism only hypothetically theorized to have existed on Holy Terra itself in its earliest of days! However, these files are to be taken with some grain of salt, as the theory of these organics was originated in humanity's primitive days close to the Third Millenium. Nonetheless, although only a theory by this nameless, intellectual group of scholars, this simple combination of carbon-based matter is speculated to be [Redacted by the Highest Mandates of the Holy Imperial Inquisition]
Unfortunately, the brave band of scholars undertook a tragic and, of unknowable cause, sudden case of death. The only surviving member of the scholarly circle was taken into the glorious (if not bland) service of the Adeptus Administratum, performing the simple duties of maintenance within the Divisio Wikuklios.
Regimental History[]
- Cadian 101st Regiment- recognized honorably by most other planets in Dystia as their honorable 0th regiment because of their actions claiming the sub sector into the Imperium; to Foretta, this is taken to another level, due to their almost direct lineage.
- Foretta IX 1st Regiment- the original was commanded by surviving members of the Cadian 101st, and were sent in to perform several actions in the act of duty. Destroyed in a forgotten conflict, but the name was reclaimed during the Damocle's Crusade for Garrant's personal retinue.
- Foretta IX 4th Regiment- an old regiment, active primarily in the Segmentum Obscurus. Due to the distance from its own world, it is supplied by other worlds. There is some conflict whenever deployed against non-Cadian conquered planets. Not present during the Damocle's Crusade, but was able to come to aid during the Blue Threat before being sent back into a far-off conflict. Current status: unknown.
- Foretta IX 10th Regiment- a mechanized infantry regiment composed of Taurox instead of the typical Chimera. Forettans claim this regiment as part of the inspiration towards the reformed Tezarda IV 4th Roadrunners, as this regiment was sent to their world to suppress an insurgency.
- Foretta IX 96th Regiment- defended its homeworld and many others in Dystia during the Ork Waaagh of Warbose Rullagh the Verbose. Formed a tight bond with regiments from the Gardos system.
- Foretta IX 49th Regiment- active in no less than five conflicts before the Damocle's crusade, earning them the status as veteran. Active in the Blue Threat, but severely crippled. Recovered in time for the Second Tau-Dystian War.
- Foretta IX 212st Regiment- formed shortly before the Damocle's Crusade, and so was deployed readily during the third wave. Took the "valorous" effort in defending the back lines, before being re-designated as a penal colony by Commissar Dulaw.
- Foretta IX 214th Regiment- the first to be formed after the recovery from the Blue Threat. Young, but ready.