BEAST-CAPTAIN TORGO

Torgo is one of a line of genetically engineered warriors known as the Broolians, the product of an insane experiment by the mad geneticists of the planet Broolia. The so-called Broolian Beastmen first saw service as mercenaries in the employ of several stellar empires and have now fought in countless warzones across the Orion-Cygnus Spur. The very first batch of Broolians to see service fought alongside the 27th Shock Army of the Svargan Autocracy, and though they served well they were treated exceptionally poorly by the Shock Armys Marshall-Generals. It is estimated that ten thousand Broolians were contracted by the Shock Army for service in the Siege of Fort Glaistig. By the time that campaign was concluded and the nigh impregnable fortress at last reduced, less than a thousand Broolians remained. The Beastmens savagery and ferocity had been ruthlessly exploited time and again as they were used as a forlorn hope, thrown against the walls until at last they forced a breach. The warrior known as Torgo was amongst the survivors, and even though he served with distinction he and his beast-brothers were written out of the histories of that war, the glory and the honour for ending the war conferred upon the 1st Autocrats Guard regiment. In the aftermath of the Siege of Fort Glaistig, Torgo determined that if he and his beast-brothers were to spill their blood they would do so for themselves. Instead of returning to Broolia, Torgo led the remaining Beastmen in casting off the chains of subservience and striking out for themselves. Within a year, Torgo had formed his beast-brothers into a formidable mercenary cadre. While no great tactician or indeed businessman, Torgo is unusually gifted for a Broolian in that he is well able to judge how a potential employer intends to treat him and his force. Should he reach the conclusion that the would-be employer hopes to utilise his force as cannon fodder he is want to teach them a lesson, often a fatal one. Those who deal with Torgo fairly find in the Broolians a surprisingly loyal force, and one more than willing to participate in the most ferocious and bloody of battles. Beast-Captain Torgo insists on taking the same risks as his beast-brothers, and so is ever to be found at the forefront of the battle. He wields the same flame thrower he has carried since his earliest days of service, unwilling to take up a weapon others might think more suitable to the commander of a successful and feared mercenary force. In battle, Torgo is ferocious and savage as are all his kin, eschewing subtlety as soon as the bullets start flying and the charge is called. Few can stand up to such a charge, for the Broolians of Beast-Captain Torgo fight not for wealth, but for the sheer, savage joy that was seeded in their bestial hearts by the insane geneticists of the planet Broolia.

THE CONSTATINE SUPPRESSION

The desert world of Constantine was ruled by the Orlean Republic for many centuries before wars in nearly systems had unforeseen ramifications amongst its divided peoples. The Republic had always considered Constantine part of its core holdings and derived many

valuable natural resources from a number of mines scattered across its barren wastes. In truth however, the native people of Constantine, the descendents of a far earlier wave of stellar colonisation, resented the rule of the distant Orlean Republic, regarding its oppressors as decadent and haughty. When a score of nearby worlds succeeded in breaking away from under the yoke of one or other of the stellar empires, the people of Constantine were inspired to rise up themselves. The uprising came as a shock to those Republic units garrisoned on Constantine. While initially uncoordinated, the rebels very quickly organised themselves around a hardcore of demagogues and viziers. They won their first major victory when they overran the headquarters of the 126e Rgiment d'Infanterie, butchering the unit to a man and displaying the severed heads of dozens of troops for all to see. Inspired by this brazen act, the uprising soon spread to every settlement and city and in short order the Republic had entirely lost control. In response to this emergency, Orlean Republic high command dispatched the nearby 11e Demi-Brigade of the Colonial Corps to conduct a lightning strike against what it judged was the leadership of the uprising, while simultaneously mustering several divisions of the regular army in preparation for a major suppression operation. The Colonial Corps were bolstered at the last minute by the addition of Beast-Captain Torgos Broolian mercenaries, who took part in the landings at the Khan plateaux. It was fortunate indeed that the Broolians had been added to the Republics order of battle, for without them the 11e Demi-Brigade would have been massacred. It transpired that a number of officers within the ranks of the Constantine garrison conspired to take advantage of the anarchy gripping the world and turned against their masters. Constantine was rapidly descending into a multi-sided civil war, into which Beast-Captain Torgo found himself and his beast-brothers unexpectedly pitched. It was during the Khan Breakout against rebel Orlean Republic units that Torgo determined which of the many sides he would fight alongside. Unlike the rebellious officers and the ruthless insurgents, the Colonial Corps alongside which he and his beast-brothers fought proved themselves worthy allies. Throughout a campaign that lasted a further six months the two bodies of troops fought alongside one another through dozens of battles, each earning the eternal admiration of the other despite their nigh diametrically opposed traditions. The end of the Constantine Suppression came when the rebellious Orlean generals and their forces were at last defeated, Beast-Captain Torgo leading the assault against the very same garrison fort where the 126e Rgiment d'Infanterie had been massacred. Amidst the ruins and bones Torgo came upon evidence that the 126e had been betrayed and that the entire uprising had been orchestrated as a prelude to secession. It fell to the commander of the 11e Demi-Brigade of the Colonial Corps to execute his erstwhile officer brother according to the traditions of the republic, a deed Beast-Captain Torgo declined to witness. No Broolian would betray his brother is such a manner, Torgo knew, swearing as he took his leave of the ruined garrison that so long as he drew breath no beastman would ever lower himself to such wicked depths of treachery.

Text By Andy Hoare, Illustration By Robin Carey, Miniature sculpted By Victoria Lamb. Read more tales of the "Galaxy's Finest" at www.victoriaminiatures.com" Learn more about the event at www.Adepticon.org