STRIKE FORCE AERON By Chris Ward |
SECOND COMPANY STRIKE FORCES |
These images have been reproduced with the kind permission of Chris Ward. |
Srike Force Aeron Strike force Aeron has been sent on a recon mission into the Scyllia sector by Supreme Grand Master W in an attempt to locate the Thousand Sons warband that was responsible for the disaster on Delios IV. Traveling in the Strike Cruiser Holy Vengeance, it is the eyes and ears for Battle Group Fury which follows in its wake. The force is lead by the newly appointed Grand Master of the Ravenwing Ward, and comprises of the remnants of the company after Delios IV. Ward's battlefield promotion to Grand master of the company was Supreme Grand Master W's first act after assuming command of the Dark Angels, and Ward was sent to track the Thousand Sons so they would not escape. Ward has tracked the Thousand Sons to the sparse Thromos system and has led his force on several of the system's planets in an attempt to find the warband's base. Ward has encountered several groups of Thousand Sons so far but also forces of the Death Guard Legion. It is unsure whether the two traitor forces are working together for they have never appeared side by side in battle but the Death Guard have taken advantage of Thousand Sons raidings and some level of co-operation seems likely. |
Grand Master of the Ravenwing Ward (HQ) Equipment: Bike, Raven Sword(master-crafted power weapon) Grand Master Ward served the Ravenwing as a Veteran Sergeant of the 4th bike squad up until the massacre on Delios IV. Ward led his squad against the tide of orks, the squad's flamers causing untold green deaths before the fuel canisters ran out. Ward and his squad were separated form the main Dark Angel force by the sheer numbers of orks, and were forced to harry the ork's flanks, being reduced to running orks down when ammunition was depleted. When the 3rd company's thunderhawks touched down on Delios, Ward and Atar, the only other remaining member of his squad were there to support the evacuation, and Ward was one of the last Dark Angels to leave the planet. Grand Master Gideon of the Ravenwing was not aboard the thunderhawks when they lifted off Delios, his landspeeder Nightwing had not been seen after the initial confusion of the landings. Ward was the most senior surviving member of the Ravenwing and so was promoted to Grand Master of the company in the thunderhawk evacuation. As Ward had always preferred to battle from his bike, Firestorm and given that the Nightwing was lost, Ward chose to remain with his bike as Grand Master. |
For the last four months Ward has been tracking the Thousand Sons, riding into battle accompanied by his command squad Atar, hunting them down without mercy or remorse. |
Command Squad Atar Veteran Sergeant Atar (powerfist), Apothecary Varcon, (Narthecium, Reductor), Techmarine Dagiel, (Servo-arm) Brothers Balthial and Patha, flamers. Veteran Sergeant Atar and his squad are the bodyguard of the Grand Master, Atar has been under Ward's direct command for over 80 years, since Ward was first made a Ravenwing Sergeant. Atar's weapon of choice is the flamer, but after Ward made him his first sergeant he was forced to give up the flamer, and accepted an ancient powerfist from the Grand Master. Apothecary Varcon has served in the Ravenwing for over 100 years and is renowned through the Ravenwing for being one of it's best riders, stories are still told though-out the 10th company of the time Varcon jumped over a burning landraider in order to get to a fallen comrade. |
Interrogator-Chaplain Milne Equipment: Crozius arcanum, Rosarius, plasma pistol, bike, frag grenades. Interrogator-Chaplain Milne was Chaplain of the Ravenwing before any of its current members were space marines. Yet despite of his years he has lost nothing of his strength and passion, inspiring his fellow Ravenwing with his acts of courage and devotion, on and off the battlefield. Milne's ability to keep a calm head under even the most horrific of circumstances is legendary, the most famous example being when a great Unclean One of Nurgle attacked his force. Milne kept a bike squad from fleeing, and used the maneuverability of the bikes to ride circles around the lumbering daemon, while the squad's melta guns and plasma guns slowly but surely banished it back into the warp. Milne was one of group of Dark Angels who tried to advise the new Supreme Grand Master against pursuing the Thousand Sons, believing it wiser to return to the Rock to recuperate the heavy losses suffered on Delios. |
Grand Master Ward's mission has already uncovered several insidious plots of the Thousand Sons. Ward lead the Ravenwing against Sorcerer Lord Bargoth's forces on the Imperial world of Redun, preventing the chaos marines from moving against the world's capitol Huyden. Huyden was host of a summit meeting holding planetary lords from the whole system. Ward also alerted Battle Force Fury to the infiltrating force of Thousand Sons that was attempting to destroy the massive power generators on Serjo II. What's more, sightings of the Fallen accompanying the Thousand Sons have increased, not only fueling the Dark Angel's desire for vengeance but also adding weight to the Supreme Grand Master's belief that Cypher is working with the Thousand Sons. |
