The Maekla Combine's False Flag Operation/Raid
-As weapons dealers, the Maekla Combine stood to benefit from an escalation in the conflict between the Regulars and the Eternalites. They took several measures to achieve this, such as:
-Selling weapons to the Clerics Regular
-Fostering rumors of plots by both organizations to strike against the other
-Stealing artifacts and framing the other faction for the theft
-Staging attacks against officials to frame on the other faction, particularly Preacher Doran
-These false flag operations were meant to culminate in an explosive assassination of Preacher Doran during his ministrations of the Ascension Day Ceremony, using one of the Artifacts stolen from the Eternalites. This attack was meant to take place at First Landing, coincidentally (or perhaps not) atop the Volcanic Seal. However, our core personnel were able to thwart this attack; during this process, we also set precedent of promising retaliation against the Combine for their actions if they refused to cooperate. Following through on this threat lead to the raid on the Maekla Combine's Headquarters.
The Raid:
-After extensive research on the Maekla Combine forces, their leaders, and headquarters, we positioned our agents for infiltration and attack. Major St. Ardentia was stationed in the catwalks, armed with heavy ranged weaponry. Preacher Enoch prepared a distraction with a rallied mob of loyal underhive citizens. Quint used his telepathic abilities to move unseen into the facility and begin opening doors. Kelle posed as a chef, having altered her features using through our psyker's abilities, to enter the grounds and approach the leaders, while Eizen prepared to enter from alternate route through the tram station to further split the attention of security forces during the initial shock of the strike.
-Father Lightfall detected our psyker's presence during reconnaissance; however, he propose a deal to preserve his own life and lifestyle in exchange for his assistance and further service. Using these resources, we began our offensive, and were able to quickly overcome several security measures as planned.
-A combination of poison in the refreshments served by Kelle and Quint's use of the Shard Gun rapidly neutralized both VanzerGell and Beakie; the Gloam attempted escape, but was efficiently killed by las cannon fire from the Major. The Shard Host's germination challenged Carniv and would eventually kill her, despite the use of her improvised firepower. However, the Shard Host naturally had to be neutralized as well, and upon Verity's killing shot, it emitted the expected EMP.
-Ordinarily, this would have posed only minor inconveniences; however, our initial survey of the grounds had indicated that a Gellar Field had been installed to prevent a rift from forming in the oddly weakened membrane of reality between the Materium and Immaterium. Demonic entities resembling corrupted vegetative organisms, similar to those encountered in the raid on Bluehull-92, attacked our position.
-We were able to defend our position long enough to restart the Gellar Field; the remaining demonic entities were slaughtered, and purged in flame. We gathered what valuable resources we could prior to leaving the scene (including the Gloam's internal data cores), and thoroughly removed all evidence of our presence in the event.
Aftermath:
-Aside from a drug fueled attack on Bluehull-92 during the Night of Revenge, no major fallout has damaged the KG-Co in the wake of removing the Maekla Combine from Asterion. However, it should be noted that their power within infractionist circles within the system will assuredly cause a power vacuum to form in their absence. If KG-Co is unable to capitalize on this occurrence, another faction of similar capabilities is likely to replace the Combine.