Arbites Enforcers enter the Charcharoth Spaceport to stop mutant rebels from stealing cargo, but the Enforcers find themselves ambushed.

“No one is happy to see an Enforcer appear . . . until the monsters begin circling. Then the appearance of an Enforcer is seen as a gift of the Emperor.“—Longstanding Adeptus Arbites  saying

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IMPERIAL VOXCAST  (6 567 437.M41)—Arbites Enforcers have clashed with mutant rebels during a raid at the Charcharoth Spaceport on the planet of Morkai.

At least three cultists were killed and two captured after an Enforcer squad entered the warehouse section of the spaceport. The raid was part of an operation to disrupt rebels from pilfering cargo for their own use, announced High Marshal Albus Sundvar, commander of all Arbites forces on the desert world.

“To stem rebel military activity, the Adeptus Arbites is determined to prevent mutant collaborators from stealing resources that could bolster the rebel army,” he said. “Having received reports of suspicious pilfering of cargo at the spaceport, we took action.”

During the Arbites raid, the Enforcer squad was ambushed. The rear of the force was attacked by a hideously deformed, three-armed mutant, but the creature was held at bay by an Ogryn auxiliary trooper named Broxus.

A full squad of Enforcers, supported by an auxiliary Ogryn, approached a warehouse on the south side of the spaceport and observed about a dozen ill-clothed—and clearly unauthorized—men removing crates from a storage facility.

“Upon advancing, the commanding sergeant ordered the suspects to drop to their bellies and spread their arms and legs,” Sundvar said. “Instead, they drew weapons and opened fire.”

Mutants used an exhaust vent to surprise the approaching Enforcers. Their initial fire proved ineffective, and the Enforcers quickly made short work of them.

It was at this point that a particularly deformed mutant—a hideous creature with three arms and sharp claws—leapt out of the shadows and ambushed the dim-witted ogryn at the rear of the Arbites force.

“Auxiliary trooper Broxus, ordered to stand as a reserve in the rear of the Enforcer squad, was attacked by this powerful mutant, along with two less-deformed rebel scum,” Sundvar said. “I was informed that what followed was an epic battle between two powerful and deadly warriors.”

At the same time, more mutants suddenly appeared out of an exhaust vent right in front of the Enforcers and opened up with autoguns and a mining laser.

“Thankfully, the body armor of our Enforcers absorbed this fire to great effect, and our Arbites troopers replied with a volley of shotgun and bolt gun fire,” Sundvar said. “These mutants finally were overcome when one Enforcer stepped forward with a flamer and engulfed the criminals with flaming promethium.”

A more-distant mutant was armed with a grenade launcher, but his skill with the weapon was clearly minimal. the high marshal added. “The mutant fired, but the grenade overshoot its target and exploded harmlessly, although the risk of flying grenade fragments forced several Enforcers to scramble for cover.”

An Enforcer with slab shield and shock baton bravely charges into the heart of the rebel force. More Enforcers followed, and mutant resistance collapsed.

One Enforcer, armed with a stun baton and slab shield, rushed forward and caved in the skull of the mutant, ending the threat, and the rest of the squad followed up with a charge that led to several mutants being killed, others captured, and the rest fleeing for their lives.

Throughout this action, auxiliary Broxus was left alone to deal with the three-armed mutant and his two comrades. But, as the Enforcers wrapped up their operation, the abhuman rejoined the squad, covered in the blood of the mutants he’d fought.

“The operation was a complete success, as should be expected of the Adeptus Arbites,” Sundvar said. “We have struck a severe blow to the criminal activities of the mutant rebels, without suffering any major casualties among our own men. Praise be the God-Emperor.”

+ END TRANSMISSION +

TheGM: This was a raid scenario using the old Shadow Wars: Armageddon rules. It’s a great skirmish game. Alas, for me, as the Arbites, I rolled a random event during setup, and the mutants were allowed to deploy several of their men within a few inches of my Enforcers. Instead of ambushing the mutants, they ambushed me!

But The Gaffer did not have the best luck. His die rolls sucked. As he played the mutant rebels as a Genestealer Cult, he had a Genestealer as a special operative—a powerful model that, unfortunately, couldn’t kill $#&*#%@#. Not only that, when his cultists fired throughout the game, they never seemed to do any serious damage.

It was a one-sided victory, but I don’t agree with the assessment of High Marshal Sundvar. There are a LOT more mutant collaborators working for the forces of the Haruspex (the mythical mutant leader of the rebellion), and the loss of half a dozen men is a drop in the bucket.

I’ll assume Sundvar’s remarks really were propaganda nonsense designed to calm the general populace.

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