The Forge World of Vniedik is one of relatively recent history for the standards of the Imperium, its first recolonization efforts dating back to a few millennia ago. If at first the planet was considered fairly bland and of very little strategic importance, that scenario began to change as during exploration of both the surface and underground the search parties were presented with large, abandoned industrial areas. Many still-intact towers of metal and machinery reached as far as to the skies only for their underground bowels to be much larger, much in the likeness of icebergs. The Adeptus Mechanicus were soon drawn to the world and although it was assessed much of the machinery had been damaged to the extent large-scale repairs were needed, the prospects were optimistic and the inhabitants of the planet joined in the efforts of the Mechanicus to restore the factories to their former glory. Those times, when the world's full capacity was first glimpsed, were called "The Discovery".
It is said much of the honor-based culture of Vniedik came from the waves of migration that crashed upon the planet during the days of the Discovery, bringing with them hardy, simple people from nearby cultures where matters of honor were still settled through duels and bare-fisted brawls. Whatever caused the first spark of such a mindset is of little importance; what does matters, however, it is that as the population learned from the Mechanicus and assisted the rebuilding efforts, many a family took the habit of writing down schedules at first, then reports akin to diaries, and finally occurrences and deeds, victories and shames. This peculiar brand of book-keeping turned into a tradition and in short order settling matters of honor as fast as possible became an implicit rule in order to avoid having an unresolved black stain recorded in a family's history.
As the factories were slowly restored to working order, one of the organizations most pleased with the state of affairs was the Imperial Guard, for reasons readily apparent if one were to analyze Vniedik's military. The few volunteer regiments coming from the world's PDF, favored by the population's assistance to the Mechanicus and by their industries, went into battle armored with state-of-the-art suits of flak armor, its sturdiness nearing carapace levels of protection while being almost two-thirds lighter than their flashier counterparts. The world was also able to produce Melta Guns, resulting in an above-average number of that powerful weapon being found in the hands of soldiers from of the regiments trained within the planet. Although the amount of soldiers the planet produced wasn't stellar due to the interest of much of the population in continuing the process of rebuilding the abandoned machinery, the quality of the troopers born in the planet and of their equipment was not something easily dismissed.
It is also worth noting a few of the first factories which resumed activities after untold years of slumber were capable of producing Valkyrie troop carriers, much to the PDF's joy. Production of these vehicles began immediately and communications were sent to the Imperial Navy; they humbly asked for the Navy's prolonged presence in the world and for a large number of pilots to remain permanently attached to their regiments in exchange for constant delivery of new aircraft units. An apparent unresponsiveness from the Navy as years passed and the fact all the equipment necessary for drop troops was left stored in massive warehouses with little use prompted a few elements of the local military to begin training on their own with the assistance of former Imperial Navy members who were never found to explain their intentions. When the Navy finally began answering the request with a very long delay, the arriving officers and pilots were baffled to discover operations had already started in their absence, with regiments already undergoing air drop drills from the top of the extremely tall metallic buildings of still-deactivated industrial areas and with the support of Valkyrie carriers.
Relations were strained, challenges for honor duels were sent, guns were drawn and, for a moment, the grim scenario seemed to indicate the imminent eruption of conflict between the Navy and the PDF forces. The conciliatory voice came from the Imperial Guard, with a number of its officers working hard to appease the moods; of course, their own interest in having much-coveted drop troop regiments with aircraft of their own and no need for calling upon the Navy was understood by many but spoken of by few. In due time, the Imperial Navy relented and their pilots began operations side by side with Vniedik-born pilots. A few centuries passed and thanks to the faithful and continued shipment of aircraft to the Navy, the matter was basically forgotten; however, to this day pilots from Vniedik and the Navy are bound to harbor feelings of rivalry at best, or despise at worst, towards each other.
Although Vniedik's PDF still trained and held several line infantry regiments, the world's image was slowly shaped by their capacity to field drop troops - a coveted, admired regiment type - with an unnatural amount of air support. The troops' own equipment reflected their fame, a good amount of the heavy weapons teams amidst their drop troops carrying Multilasers and Lascannons much like the nose-mounted ones of their trusty Valkyries. The training of troops was also honed and the focus on making every shot count present in regiments expected to act for extended periods without ground support was present through an emphasis on sharpshooting existent in a few regiments. Valkyrie variants were produced, new factories were put to work at full capacity and both guardsmen and population gained a name for themselves as centuries passed and the amount of troops sent to the Guard grew. There were little expectatives for the future aside from finally restoring the world to its top shape. Of course, that was before the green tide washed upon the planet's surface.
It is generally agreed the approaching asteroids were detected far too late, but the more intelligent or better-informed individuals are quick to point out the xenos' insidious ways were likely responsible for such a delay. When the hollowed-out asteroids heading for Vniedik were detected, Imperial Navy reinforcements were swiftly called upon by the ships already stationed in the forge world's orbit in the hopes of saving the planet. Of course, even a speedy response was not an effective response at all in face of the orks' sudden attack. The combined fire of the planet's powerful batteries and the Navy's battleships orbiting it were not enough and there was little protection from the plummeting "Roks" as they descended upon the inhabitants. Hundreds of millions of lives were lost upon the first impact and a part of the world's own surface broke off, creating a large belt of rock and metal debris around the world. Long-forgotten mechanisms hidden deep under the planet's crust were the sole reason further damage and violent weather shifts were prevented.
The survivors then had to deal with the huge invasion force of orks ravaging the land, depopulating hive cities and manufactoria alike with the speed of a bloodthirsty, war-seeking combat machine. Vniedik, which had so far trained a few regiments' worth of troops, started a massed conscription of its population into the PDF in the hope of preventing the world from falling into the greenskins' clutches. Pilots and troopers, newcomers and veterans alike, were launched into the flames of war, their finest hours ending within the merciless grinding gears of warfare. Valkyries, Vendettas and Vultures dauntlessly crossed the skies while raining fire upon the enemies and, in the case of the former two, guardsmen down the battlefields. The sheer lack of air superiority fighters from the Navy forced the slow aircraft to dispute space with the orks' crudely-made flying contraptions, the heroics of many a crew lost within the wreckage of their crashing crafts never to be told.
No matter how zealous, dedicated or numerous, Vniedik's forces were fighting a losing battle against an enemy with overwhelming numerical superiority and most of the survivors were rapidly relocated to the asteroid belt formed around the forge world even while battles for the planet's surface were held over fields littered with corpses from both sides of the conflict. Regiment upon regiment of hastily-assembled, poorly-filled ranks fell in face of the ork threat. Battered, traumatized and forced to watch as their promising, prosperous planet is taken by foul xenos, the Vniedikens have a grim future head of them.
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