Badab 13th Heavy Infantry

+++ Munitorum Records Upload +++
+++ Accessing Badab 13th [REDACTED] +++
+++ Cross-link Imperial Guard Force OOB - READY +++

Citizen,

A short note on the main Imperial protagonist of the so-called Safehold Anomaly - the forces and personnel of the Badab 13th Heavy Infantry (circ. 750-751.M41).

Volodin.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Badab 13th Regiment Crest - Displaying the Aquila Imperialis, crossed with the skull and sword icons of Badab.

Homeworld: Badab Primus, Badab Sector
Specialism: Heavy Infantry, Mechanised/Artillery Support, Astartes dual-deployment.
Associated Forces: Badab 1st-13th Heavy Infantry, Badab Armoured Regiments.
Historical Note: Operations with Astartes Chapters, I, VI, VII, and "Astral Claws" successor.
Commander-Regimental: Colonel Iven Petrovich (751.M41 "Safehold Campaign")
Known-as: "The Dead Men", "The Lucky Thirteenth", "Tyrant's Dogboys", "The Hanged"
Previous Noteworthy Actions: The Variax Compliance, Archmides Wars, Endymion Crusade

Hailing from the technologically advanced and progressive military culture of Badab, the Badab Imperial Guard regiments are known for their organisation and advanced (by Imperial standard) equipment. Due to long-term compliance pacts with the Adeptus Mechanicum the Badab regiments are well supplied with armoured vehicles, heavy weapons, heirloom plasma weaponry and Adeptus Cybernetica support.

Operating as a true "combined arms" force - the heavy infantry regiments are supplied with sufficient stocks of Leman Russ tanks, and artillery units to support the advance of both large-scale mechanised and standard infantry platoon deployment. These forces are noted to operate in nearly seamless manoeuvres on the battlefield to brutal effect. Favoured for fast-reaction forces, the Badab regiments are equally comfortable in mechanised/armoured engagements and garrioson or siege deployments. Due to their deployments alongside the superhuman Astartes, the Badab 13th usually deploy to battle in full "hostile-enviroment" heavy combat gear. This enhanced suite of flak-armour, respirator and NBC protection garments allow the 13th to fight in environments normally too toxic or too hazardous to standard Guard infantry deployments. Due to their familiarity with these environments, the Badab 13th would often find themselves assigned to lead the vanguard in invasions or actions in Deathworld-class deployments - a very useful asset in the Maelstrom combat zone.

Badab 13th medic and casualty during the Variax Compliance, note Mark 1 "Defiance-pattern" respirator and hostile-environment garb. Of interest, these soldiers wear the current Badab battledress including "flak-coat" and improvised carapace armour segments. Unfortunately the high-calibre weapons of the Orkoid infestation in the Variax Cluster made a mockery of such limited protection, resulting in high mortality rates despite the best efforts of regimental physicians.

Due to the combined-arms approach of the Badab regiments, Badab tank commanders are renowned for their skill not only in large-scale tank engagements, but in supporting infantry detachments. Of note, the Badab 13th boasts one of the most noted tank "aces" in the sector in Major Ilya Kuzmanovich. Unusually for a Guard force, Kuzmanovich not only commands the 13th's armoured forces, but is the second-in-command for the regiment as a whole. This is not only testament to the leadership and command abilities of the "Lion of Badab", but also his almost preternatural level of luck in surviving the most apocalpytic engagments. Kuzmanovich leads his tank forces from the turret of his venerable Mars-pattern Leman Russ. Heavily adapted and modified by the Mechanicum forces that operate with the regiment, "Ironheart" stands as an exemplar of armoured might in the Imperium, able to not only dominate enemy tanks with accurate and powerful anti-tank fire, but withstand any reprisals due to it's thrice-bonded and hexagrammically warded adamantanium shell. 

The Badab 13th operates a number of Basilisk, Medusa and Manticore platforms for artillary support - these are commanded by the veteran Captain Edyn Raikov. Operating in close conjunction with infantry command squads, the presence of Captain Raikov ensures that even though the "big guns" of Badab may not be seen, they always have an effect on the battle's outcome. 

Leman Russ - Designation "Ironheart", in action against heretic-cultist forces, Endymion Crusade. Pict-capture from drone-servitors during the reclamation of Factorum KV180988875 on Endymion. Note near total destruction of infrastructre due to high-level Navy bombing operations and Badab artillary deployments.

Infantry command in the Badab 13th is supervised by Captain Lukas Misimovich. Known as a brutal taskmaster and vicious martinet, Misimovich rules his infantry command with a fist of iron. Thankfully for him, due to the high levels of loyalty and strict belief in the "chain of command", Misimovich has avoided being "fragged" by his own troops - something that stands as a mystery to his fellow officers in the Badab 13th. In particular, the captain's extreme style of command is somewhat at odds with his more popular colleagues in the regiment - but it is brutally effective. Many forces in the Ultima Segmentum have been swept aside in a glorious bayonet charge commanded by Misimovich, or found their attacking forces utterly repulsed from expertly defended Badabian redoubts and bunkers. To replenish the very high casualty rates in his platoons, Misimovich is regularly supplied with conscripts from the Savlar regiments, and Inquisition penal-battalions. These men are little more than bullet-soaks for the more valued and trained forces of the Badab 13th, and have an almost near-total casualty rate in combat. Adeptus Mechanicus forces have also been known to supply the Badab 13th with advanced "combat-servitor" units, to supplement the infantry strength of the regiment. These hardened combat-chassis units wield high-powered lasguns, and their up-armoured and robust forms supply a dependable backbone to any infantry advance or defence.

"E" Company - 13th Badab, Infantry detachment in standard "Victory-pattern" trench deployment, Endymion Crusade. Note sparse deployment of infantry after assaulting "the death-hold" strongpoints of techno-heretek forces on Endymion.  - Infantry casualty rates under Captain Misimovich regularly exceeded the 80th percentile due to his favoured tactic of headlong assaults into enemy strongholds, hoping to defeat the enemy through relentless attrition.

Due to the close support of the Mechanicum, most Badabian forces will include veteran "Grenadier" squads - heavily armed in the finest Badab-produced carapace armour, and wielding high energy Plasma and Lascannon weaponry. In support of these advance elements, the Badab regiments typically attach "combat engineering" teams to company level forces. These armoured, and mechanised squads typically use Melta weapons and demolition equipment under the supervision of Mechanicum Enginseers to remove battlefield debris and smash defensive redoubts. Interestingly, these squads are also ideally optimised to be effective anti-tank units. Typically these mechanised elements of the Badab regiments are accompanied by Hellhound and Devildog units to assist in infantry suppression and demolition duties. Veteran units are generally commanded by "Lieutenants" of the regiment, who are junior officers awaiting promotion to a full infantry platoon command, or secondment to other Badab-affiliated regiments. Nominally, these veteran troops report to Major Valeri Domovchiyski, a hardened Grenadier officer who has overseen the deployment of mechanised Badab troops on a hundred worlds throughout the sector.

Command of the Badab 13th is currently under Colonel Ibrahym Petrovich, a noted officer from the Badabian officer-schools. These PDF academies educate and support officer training on Badab, with a view to supplying superior officers to the local PDF regiments (crossref: The Tyrant's Legion). This proving ground also provides an ideal education for future Imperial Guard officers, and ensures that the Badab forces are lead by intelligent and tactically astute commanders. Graduating bottom of his class however, Petrovich is something of an anachronism - acceptable by common standards of the Guard, he falls far short of the Badabian norm. He remains ill-liked by his superiors, and distrusted by the men under his command due to his abrasive manner, and tactical naivety. Despite this, Petrovich remains justifiably proud of his command, and the men under his command - showing great pride in their achievements and record almost in spite of their hostility towards him. 

Colonel Petrovich, upon taking command of Badab 13th Heavy Infantry - note dress uniform comprising Aquila Imperialis per Munitorum regulations, and shoulder-board decoration of skull and swords - echoing the regimental crest, and iconography of Badabian hive nobility on Badab Primus.

With an equally middling command record, and no major decorations to his name, Petrovich heavily relies upon his junior officers to assist in the command of the Babad 13th in the field. Unfortunately schemes to remove Petrovich from command have failed utterly, with a staunch support in Badab's Hivespire nobility keeping him in his command. Somewhat unsurprisingly, Petrovich and his forces are frequently seconded to Astartes-led operations by the ruling Babad High Command. His uninspired but utterly loyal command approach makes him ideal to act as de facto attache to Guard forces operating with the Astral Claws and other Astartes commands - allowing the genetically engineering Astartes to effectively take command over a highly-skilled and well-equipped, large force of Guardsmen. Despite his short-comings, the Safehold Anomaly would reveal that although uninspiring, and tactically naive, Petrovich was a brave and loyal servant of the Throne, and that he would ultimately pay the highest price for his devotion to the men under his command. 

Armoured Reconnaisance Force, Badab 13th during Archmedes Wars against Eldar-reiver forces. Initially observed during the conflicts against the swift Eldar, these "Armoured Fist" deployments provided vital intelliegence during the Safehold Campaign, and were designed to replicate similar formations witnessed in allied Astral Claw forces.

Overall theatre-command of the Badab regiments was generally subordinate to whichever Astral Claws Centurion was present at any major engagement, somewhat at odds with the spirit (and letter) of the Codex Astartes. Despite their highly trained and effective officer cadre, Badab regiments would all too willingly give up overall command of their men to Astartes interests. In due course this would lead to [REDACTED BY INQUISITORIAL ORDER], and the darker fates they suffered as consequence. 

When supervision by Astartes was not practical, or delayed, Badab regimental and force command was frequently under the control of a general-equivalent officer. Due to the time-dependant nature of the their relocation to the Tyche system, the Badab 13th were accompanied by the overall Commander-in-Chief of the Badab Guard regiments - General Sergi Kirov, the officer supervising deployment in the Endymion Crusade. Unlike many of his subordinates within the Badab 13th, Kirov was well-loved by the men of Badab, who fondly named him the "Old Man". This affectionate epithet was not only reference to his advancing age at the time of the Safehold conflicts, but to his almost parental approach to his command. Both line-infantry, veteran and officer alike shared in the knowledge that their lives were a currency spent in a miserly fashion by Kirov, and that his tactical astuteness would often save many Badabian lives even while accomplishing his required objectives. Like many of the Badab 13th - Kirov's final fate can only be guessed at following the Safehold Anomaly.

ARCHIVE COMPLETE - DO YOU WISH TO CONTINUE >>> Y/N???
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Safehold Northern Continent Orbital Survey

+++ Orbital ELINT Online +++
+++ Pict-captures compiling... +++
+++ Image resolution - COMPLETE +++

Orbital Pict-capture, Safehold 751.M41

Adeptus Munitorum Orders - Badab 13th/EYES ONLY CIC

+++ ERRORERRORSHUNTSCRAPSHUNTDOWNLOAD/ABORT/RETRY?WORKING/WORKING +++

+++ DataPack/UPLOAD-adeptusmunitorum/Badab13th-OrderfromIGCOMS +++

REC; 751M41, Pride of Badab (Lunar-class Cruiser/Transport convoy) Endymion Straits-High Anchor

MESSAGE:

13^TH BADAB AND ASSOCIATED ASSESTS RETASKED. STOP

PRIDE OF BADAD, ESCORTS AND MECHANICUS FORCES TO TRANSIT. STOP

BADAB JUMPPOINT TRANSIT DRACO SECTOR. STOP

DESTINATION DRACO JUMPPOINT. STOP INQUISITORIAL ASSESTS INBOUND. STOP

PROCEED SAFEHOLD PLANET. STOP

S&R IMERPIAL ASSETS. STOP

RECON/INT IF CONTACT ENEMY FORCES. STOP

MINING/MITHRIL FACILITY PRIORITY A TARGET. STOP

SPACEPORT AND MINISTORUM FACILTIES PRIORITY B TARGET. STOP

SOYLENT FARMS/PROCESSING PRIORITY B TARGET. STOP

PROMETHIUM PROCESSING INFRASTUCTUTE PRIORITY B. STOP

ADEPTUS ARBITES/PDF LOCATION PRIORTY C TARGET. STOP

CIVILIAN ASSETS PRIORITY NULL TARGET. STOP

FORCES ASSESSED – 13^TH BADAB HEAVY INFANTY (CMD PETROVICK), SAVLAR PENAL BATTALION, MECHANICUM SUPPORT. STOP

ASTARTES FORCES CONTACT – VI CHAPTER RESOURCE AVAILABLE?

AVAILABLE INTEL INCLUDED

May Emperor be thy guide and thy ward. 

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Tyche System, Stellar cartography/Colony Record

+++ Datastream loading... +++
+++ Stellar Cartography loaded/Colony record loaded +++
+++ Working...Working...Ready +++

Tyche System Stellar Map

TYCHE SYSTEM – First discovered in the Age of Strife, during humanities first terrified expansion into the stars, this system was named after the most ancient myth of Tyche, goddess of Fortune and Luck. At the end of their fuel, food and other vital supplies, with unrest and fear abound, the crew of the lead colonist vessel made a final desperate warp-transition into the nearest solar system – hoping for a habitable world. Translating into the nebulae and asteroids of the systems large debris belt – the colony transports pushed on, before achieving orbit above a large and more importantly, habitable, world. Landing their fleet, the colonists were not only lucky to have discovered a habitable world, but a world with rich stocks of mineral and fuel wealth. Using this as a staging point, the inevitable colonisation and expansion into the now-renamed “Tyche” system began in earnest.

Separated from humanity during the turbulent warp-storms of the Age of Strife, the system was liberated by Imperial forces during the expansions of the Great Crusade. Staunchly loyal to the Emperor, the Tyche system was the scene of several battles against the traitor Horus. These clashes were localised around the Forge-word of Loki, and the shipyard facilities of Hydra. A large scale naval conflict was fought in the orbit or the gas giant Eris, and to this day the remains of ships, and the detritus of war make up part of a significant portion of the planets ring system.

Never formally conquered by Horus, and with no formal traitor outposts or redoubts, the system was spared Exterminatus in the Scouring and was re-established as a key production system for the neighbouring Badab and Karthago sectors. 

Enemy conflicts remain at a minimum in this generally peaceful corner of the Segmentum Ultima, however increasing raids by Eldar reiver-kin, and Ork raiding parties have demanded a continued Naval and PDF presence in-system. Adeptus Mechanicus forces on Loki and Hydra maintain system-ship pickets, and their own garrison forces to defend the assets of the Martian system-lords. 

In the last few years supply ships from all over the system have been lost traversing the so-called “Challenger Deep” – the gaseous and asteroid-rich belt surrounding the local star. Rumours abound as to pirate raids, abnormal spatial weather-systems and space-bound mega-fauna.

SAFEHOLD – Named by the initial colony established late in the 30^th Millennium, Safehold provided the initial safe landing and colonisation point of the entire Draco subsector. Fading in time compared to the larger and more prosperous hiveworld of Loki, and the subsector capital of Freiya, Safehold still provides vital material and supplies in the form of its vast Mithril mineral resources and large, cultivated arable pastures. Supplying not only the raw material for the manufactorums on Loki, but the very foodstuffs to feed the subsector, Safehold remains a vital Imperial resource.

Similar in size to Holy Terra, with similar moderate M-class climatology, Safehold holds a variety of terrain and landscapes. The larger, northern continent holds the main Mithril mining facilities, and its attendant rail and spaceport facilities. This mountainous region is surrounded by the arable plains that house the many Soylent growing and processing facilities. This high-protein and nutrient rich “green” meal-pack will be familiar to any hiveworlder in the sector, and many Guard ration-quartermasters. Promethium facilities and storage bays lay scattered throughout the planet, along natural deposits of liquid and gaseous collections.

Transport across Safehold is maintained by an ancient service of hover-rails left from the original colony expansion. In addition to the planet’s spaceport facilities the largest communities are supported by regular airship and tractor-convoys. These convoys are maintained by a guild of Tech-magos oath bound from Mechanicus holdings on Loki. 

In addition to the many mining and farming communities on the planet, large communities persist in the northern continent. The towns of Junon, Mideel and Kalm surround the larger metropolis of Midgard. Named for three of the pioneer-captains, and the lead colony vessel itself, these conurbations hold the main population centres on the planet. Each conurbation has its own specialised production and refinery facilities, related to the initial speciality of colonists founding the communities.

Nibelheim Mithril Mine & Processing Refinary

SENTINEL – The natural moon to Safehold, Sentinel is largely used as a storage and spaceport facility for produce to be sent coreward to the Karthago and Badab sectors. Contrary to its name, the moon houses little in the way of planetary defences, and only a small PDF training base. Main protection of Safehold is historically entrusted to local Arbites assets, and protection-pact with blessed Astartes of the Imperial Fists.

CHALLENGER DEEPS – The closet local jump-point is in the turbulent area of space known to local traders and ship-masters as the “Challenger Deeps”, these asteroid and wreck ridden areas are frequently disturbed by warp-tidal eddies, making longer range warp-travel hazardous. Unique amongst the systems of the Ultima Segmentum, the “Deep”, is a nebulae surrounding the planets star itself, with rogue comets and meteorite fragments wandering the extensive asteroid belts. Due to the massive amounts of uncharted and in many cases, mobile debris, main trade routes bypass this area, and generally take the slow-burn coreward via out-of system jump-points. However, the long sub-light burn to coreward make transports a prime target for local pirate and indigent raiders. 

The Navy presence in this area (cross ref: Fourth Horseman/Sword-class) is usually able to stymy the worst excess and persevere the vital trade routes, however ships and crew are lost regularly. Intermittent Astartes actions have been required to stifle more robust opposition, and unconfirmed rumours suggest a 1^st Legion strike cruiser is stationed in the sector following kill-missions against the Eldar-reiver vessel “Blackheart”. Regular Mechanicus exploratory and science vessels patrol this region of space, with the newly launched deep-void Explorator vessel “Event Horizon” currently on void-trials following it’s certification from the shipwrights of Hydra.

Fourth Horseman, Beyond the orbits of Loki, and Hydra

 

THE KRAKENDOOM – A local legend tells of a large space-faring beast known locally as “Krakendoom”. Rumours abound of a massive insectoid creature, with 100m huge claws and fangs, and grasping ethereal tendrils snaring an unwary shipmaster and his cargo. No confirmed sittings exist – however, no explanation exists for the high degree of new debris and ship wreckage in the Challenger Deep area, or the recent difficulties in astrotelepathy in this region of space. Ordos Xeno specialists suggest the existence of such void-predators to be hearsay at best. 

Rumoured space mega-fauna, image copy from "One-cred-dreadfyls" popularised on Safehold and Freiya.

FREIYA – System crown-world, and main Administratum base, Freiya stands as the main location for government in the system. Spread across many large continents, the Hives of Freiya are regarded as a wonder of the Segmentum, with sub-orbital plates containing housing, fabrication and processing facilities. Below these floating-fortresses lies a largely unspoiled wilderness, with a multitude of flora and fauna. With no natural moon, Mechanicum tech-mages have created and maintained the artificial satellite of “Port Wander” above the planetary capital.

True-colour vidpict of Freiya Hive Primaris "Highwynds"

LOKI – Dark cousin to Safehold and Freiya, Loki lies as the centre for Adeptus Mechanicum forces in-system. A huge manufactorm world containing mega-processing facilities and factorum, Loki is heavily guarded and well-defended by forces of the Martian Mechanicum and within it’s ring system maintains an advanced ship repair and refitting station to support the massive fleets of transports plying the void in the Tyche system.  Unusually, the largest of the manufactories on Loki are not processing Hives as on many worlds, but ancient “Tractor cities”. Lost relics from the Dark Age of Technology, these massive tracked vehicles travel throughout the tundra wastes of Loki, collecting mineral deposits, and being serviced by a fleet of attendant airships and hover-skiffs.

Hive Manufactorum on Loki

HYDRA – Adeptus Mechanicum outpost and space-vessel manufactorum centre, Hydra remains an important world in the Tyche system, with its Tech-Magos renowned for the quality of their ship-wright skills.

Spacedock/Refitting station orbiting Hydra.

CHARON – A large, volcanic deathworld, its chaotic orbit carries it close to “the Eye” – the systems sun. During it’s closet passage to the Eye, the world is riven with titanic shockwaves and volcano eruptions that make permanent habitation on the surface impossible, leaving any settlement to the deeper mantle. In addition to its geological instability, Charon is scoured by radiation storms and electromagnetic fluctuations that greatly limit any exploration of the surface. Due to its geological changes Charon is rich in gemstone wealth, unfortunately few mining or exploratory parties return from prospecting expeditions, however a permanent Adeptus Mechanicus station remains in orbit for scientific evaluation of the planet and for plundering the gemstone veins on the planet below when possible. Due to the attentions of the Mechanicus, several deep-shaft mines core through to the planets deepest regions, these remain unihabited by Man, yet dark rumors persist of mine-expeditions being hunted in the infernal dark by many-limbed monsters of unknown providence. 

ACHERON – A small outpost world, occupied by a subterranean prison facility. Too small to support an atmosphere, Acheron remains a lifeless planetoid with nil flora or fauna of note. Too far from the sun to generate the tectonic stresses needed to produce mineral formation or metallurgical wealth, the planet holds little interest to the Adeptus Mechanicus, with the local Navy vessels the only regular visitor. Exile and imprisonment on this dark world is held by inhabitants of Freiya and Safehold as a de facto death penalty, with criminals choosing the mortality rates of enslavement in the Loki foundries or Hydra dry-docks in preference to a “stretch” on Acheron. Historically, the only way off Acheron for the inmates is banishment to an Imperial Guard prison regiment such as the Savlar Chem-dogs, or Bar-El Indentured. 

Detention Cell-block H, Acheron Detention Complex

ERIS – A super-massive gas giant at the system’s edge, Eris was the site of a large scale naval battle during the dark hours of the Heresy. It’s enormous belts are home to no indigenous life, but rumours abound that it’s dark asteroid belt is home to Eldar and Ork pirates. Due to the amount of unstable debris, and lost, unsafe munitions, Eris and her rings remain abandoned with no standing garrison or Imperial presence.

Hulk/Wreck detonation observed by Mechanium drone-recorder in Eris orbit.

NAVAL RESOURCES – Aside from the main planetary bodies, the system of Tyche acts as a transport hub for the sector at large. As such it is regularly crossed by transport vessels, and Mechanicum trade-barges. Navy protection of the system is maintained by the permanent deployment of the Sword-class frigate “Fourth Horseman” and its attendant system-defence ships and attack craft. These vessels are maintained at high-harbour on Hydra, and Port Wander orbiting Freiya. Furthermore, following Dark Angels interdiction of pirate forces in system, sightings continue of the strike cruiser “Avenger” in the system’s outer reaches. Recently launched from Hydra, the Explorator-vessel “Event Horizon” maintains scientific expedition close to Charon and throughout the Challenger Deeps. This vessel is rumoured to be the test bed for a new class of Mechanicum barge, designed and rebuilt with recovered STC data from wrecks in the Eris debris-belt. Technical specifications remain a mystery, but Inquisition probes and data-requests suggest the “Event Horizon” may be able to navigate and transition to faster-than-light travel without recourse to warp transit or dependence on the Astronomicon. Larger by several classes than even the “Avenger”, the “Event Horizon” remains an important Mechanicum asset in the Tyche system, and a masterpiece of engineering and design.

Adeptus Mechanicus research-barque "Event Horizon" traversing "Challenger Deep"

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Message End +++