Before I go into detail about the squad, I must explain who they serve. Several decades ago, Governor Shona Ameliana Han of the Draconis Cluster seceded from the Imperium. A common enough act in and off itself. Also common was that her secession was planted into her mind by a treasonous chaos worshipper, Brathus Vect- a powerful sorcerer of Tzeentch.
This is where the story gets different.
As part of Vects master scheme, he conducted a ritual to unlock Governor Han’s psychic power. She became a conduit of massive power. But, he could not foresee what happened next. She used her new power to destroy him, utterly, and threw off the shackles of chaos, disavowing them as she had the Imperium. She declared herself Empress of the new Draconis Empire, and set about expanding her borders. Like fire, she conquered worlds bordering her cluster, often without a shot. So powerful was her rhetoric, those who heard and saw her loved her. She swayed an entire Astartes chapter, The Warden’s of Wrath and converted an order of Sisters of Battle, who renamed themselves the Order of the Emerald Fire.
The Imperium finally mustered a crusade that stopped the Empress cold. Things seemed lost for The Draconis Empire, when the Empress made a critical deal. She allied herself with the Tau Empire, and gave several xenos specis, notably the Kroot, colonization and hunting rights in her dominion. So now, the borders of her Empire have stopped and the war is a bloody draw.
Now onto the squad: The Draconis 75th, under Colonel Killborn, were a newly created unit sent out to reinforce the defenses of Dracha IV. While on the planet, The system is attacked by a ork WAAAAGH!. The Imperial garrison, smelling blood, also threw their forces, hoping to cripple both the greenskins and the Empire’s defenses.
Captain Ryon Greystone- Ryon is a Fifteen year combat veteran who served in the Draconis military back when they were an Imperial Guard Army. His career has been rife with catastrophe that is entirely out of his hands, not his fault. His first combat drop was a disaster, and his entire regiment was slaughtered except the support staff and one fellow soldier. He was then transferred, by a munitorium error, into an all female regiment. Over his tour with the Turanis 302, he was wounded five times before finally being promoted. He was transferred to the newly minted Dracha 75th. He had command of Platoons three and four. He was sleeping at the command post, with Platoons 1 and 2 being commanded personally by Colonel Killborn in a low-intensity skirmish three klicks away. Platoon 4 was guarding the HQ, and platoon 3 was on a routine recon. The command post was attacked and destroyed, and he and the survivors of platoon 3 are currently cut off behind enemy lines.
Lt. Myles Grissom- The platoon commander of 3rd platoon. They were reasonably close to the command post when it was attacked, and they received a distress signal. Lt. Grissom hurried the platoon back and right into an ambush. His men were decimated and scattered, but he and several others made it through to the Captain.
Lt. Marina Theiss- Marina, a veteran, originally part of the Turanis 302nd, an all womans regiment. She was also one of Ryon’s only allies when he was accidently transferred to the 302nd. When she made Lt., Greystone requested that she become his aide-de-camp, and she was transferred soon after.
Sgt. Mikhil Vorgess- Another veteran. Mikhil has been with Greystone from the start, back when they were both troopers in the Imperial Guard. While the Captain had always been good at making nice and moving up the ladder, Mikhil hadn’t. He was a bit of a drunk, and everytime he was promoted, he got demoted soon after for some charge or another. That said, he is an excellent fighter, and is extremely loyal to Captain Greystone.
Sgt. Xander Norris- The NCO in command of 2nd squad, 3rd platoon. Xander was always a hard, but fair Sgt.- so his men always looked out for him. It also meant that when most of them where wiped out in the ambush he took it personally. He hasn’t said very much since he reunited with the Captain, and the squad is worried that he might do something… rash.
Specialist Bejamen Corassi- 2nd squads flamer specialist, Ben is a stoic fellow who happens to be very good at burning things. When 3rd platoon was ambushed, Ben took point and- covered by his best friend Marcus, burnt his way to the command post.
Trooper Marcus Raith- Marcus was the last survivor of 2nd squad. Commonlu held as the platoons joker, he showed his steel in the ambush and stuck close to his buddy Ben.
Medical Officer Lara Nacarius- Lara is an oddity. Unlike most professional soldiers, she retained her light almost annoyingly cheerful personality. As such, she quickly became something of a platoon mascot. Her happily humming a tune, while performing surgery as bullets and shells whistle overhead was a common sight. That was what she was doing after her platoon was ambushed. She didn’t notice the grenade that fell in the mud behind her. Trooper Ruusen did, and managed to throw the grenade away. Lara attached herself to her new heroine, and though Ruusen complains loudly and a great deal, it seems half hearted.
Trooper Isabel Ruusen- Isabel was always the least favirote member of 3rd platoons 1st squad. She is sarcastic, short-tempered, and cynical in the extreme. So it surprised everyone when she saved the platoon medic’s life during the ambush. In a sense of karmic justice, she was the only member of 1st squad to make it too the command post.
(What d'ya think? Too much?)