Greetings honored members of the Citadel Interior Guard defense forces Board of Inquiry.

This is an Inquiry into the actions of Lieutenant the Honorable Sean Constantine of the Noble House of Constantine, commander 40th regiment, 77th company, 1st medicae support platoon, called in response to allegations of wrong doing, brought forward by Colonel the Honorable Augustus Sigmund of the Noble House of Andevar, commander Capel Tower defense post.

Background:
As the Board of Inquiry is aware, 45 std days ago Fontenmere Manufactory in the Veronian Underhive district was seized by rebel forces under the command of the heretic Angrok the Soul-Taker.

In response to this uprising Col. Sigmund, commanding officer of the neighboring Capel Tower defense post, requested additional forces to launch a counter attack. In accordance with directives from the Council of Electors, this request was denied and Col. Sigmund was ordered to fortify and defend his position. Col. Sigmund then requested and received authority to raise a civilian militia to supplement his standing forces.

15 std days ago, in response to directives from the Duke Edmund of House Thrane, liege lord of the Veronian Underhive district, the 40th regiment, 77th company, 1st medicae support platoon was dispatched to the district under the command of Lt S. Constantine with orders 1) to conduct civilian relief efforts for the refugees of the uprising and 2) to establish a forward field hospital to support future Interior Guard actions against the uprising.

Charges:
Col. Sigmund charges that Lt. Constantine acted beyond the scope of his orders and endangered the defense of the Veronian district. Specifically:

1) That Lt. Constantine failed to contact Col. Sigmund upon arrival in Veronian district and failed to coordinate his efforts with the Capel Tower defense post.
2) That, rather than establishing control over the refugee camp, Lt. Constantine dispatched the bulk of his forces into the bad zones 16 km from said camp.
3) That Lt. Constantine attacked and seized a fortified outpost held by an allied force (ref. Veronian district narco-gang: “Griffins”)
4) That the surviving elements of the allied force (ref. Veronian district narco-gang: “Griffins”)have responded to this perceived betrayal by joining the insurrectionist forces and launched reprisal attacks against Capel Tower patrols (ref. after action and casualty reports)
5) Addendum: That Lt. Constantine failed to garrison the outpost with sufficient forces to repel attacks by the insurrectionists.

Clarifications offered in Lt. Constantine’s defense:
1) That Lt. Constantine was under the direct command of Duke Thrane. Col. Sigmund is not part of his chain of command.
2) That Lt. Constantine delegated the establishment of a civilian relief post at the refugee camp to the senior medicae staff under his command and such a post has been established.
3) That Lt. Constantine did establish a forward medicae facility at the seized outpost.
4) That Col. Sigmund had not formally designated the Veronian district narco-gang: “Griffins” as an allied force prior the 40-77-1st deployment.

The Board of Inquiry is asked what actions, if any, should be taken in response to these allegations.

Dear Brethern, Lords and holders of Honours,

we say that the accused Lt. Constantine is to be verdicted as not guilty and to be redeemed by the board.

As the facts provided to his defense make it clear

- he acted upon his orders (establishment of a medical outpost & civilian relief mission completed)
- he acted in the defense of Imperial authority and order whilst acting was her HAD to perceive as hostile combatants (the narco gang).
- he was under now command nor duty to proactively request a situation briefing

The later point might be held as an argument for neglect of duty, but in the same way it can be seen as neglect of duty that the "allies" wheren´t instructed
by their liason to make themselves visible/perceivable as allies to Imperium. If there is a blame, I would place it with the command of the tower defense guard.

Lt. Constantine perceived a threat to his mission and the stability of the defenses at large and the camp in particular (a forward base of a narco gang) and moved according to the Tactica Imperials.

Finally, led me add as a personal remark: If Lt. Constantine is to be considered guilty, half of our military forces which actually operate in combat zones would have to be executed.

Thank you, my brethern, Lords and holders of Honours.

[off game: WTF???]

we say that the accused Lt. Constantine is to be verdicted as not guilty and to be redeemed by the board.

I concur, concidering the given facts.

[off game: WTF???]

I smell the foul stench of politics. Members of rival houses making the most of the situation to discredit their esteemed colleagues.

Unless there is a dissenting opinion, the board of inquiry so finds. Command thanks the members for their efforts.

OOC: It's politics... a minor noble from a distaff branch of a minor house, who happens to be the big fish in a small pond, trying to score points against a scion of a major house who is p***ing in his pond. It backfires and that's fine...

As GM, I sometimes get too close to the problem and I find it helpful to get an outside view. I couldn't figure out how best to resolve this. I was seriously considering reprimanding Constantine on the grounds that he should have at least gotten current intelligence on the ground before acting. I might split the difference... slap Constantine on the wrist for not getting current intelligence, slap Sigmund on the wrist (a bit harder) for wasting HQs time and order them both to shape up and get along.

Getting both one on the nose (and hitting Lt. Containine softer) would politcally be a googd thing. The minor noble cannot complain thereby that he is brushed over but it is made clear that he isn´t RIGHT in his accusitions.

Since he is an Imperial Guard medic standing accused it is only right and proper that the Commissariate get involved and take charge of the inquiry. Should it go to an actual inquiry (and it should, since there are conflicting Nobles and IG officers on both sides) then there will be at least THREE Commissars on the case. One as prosecution, one as advocate/defense and the third (and most senior) serving as Judge. Each takes turns presenting thier points and evidence, but minus the more cumbersome "mischief to confuse the jury" crap from modern TV dramas (there is no jury, merely the senior Commissar). Both present their case, evidence and witnesses (again, the senior can deny witnesses if they so choose) and then a ruling and sentence is made.

There is a good example of this sort of thing in "The Guns of Tanith" by Dan Abnett (part of the Gaunt's Ghosts series) where a Guardsman is accused of murder of an Imperial citizen.

If your group enjoys social and political drama then this is a golden opportunity to play out such a trial as a game session. If the presiding Commissar is reasonably fair and the defense does an adequate job then LT Constantine should probably end up having the major charges dismissed against him but be found guilty of some minor and petty infractions and sentenced to flogging, followed by a return to duty. The more trivial, stupid and hidebound the final petty infractions the better! The Imperium does not run on fairness or justice, it runs on LAW! Brutal, unflinching, sometimes self-defeating law.

Have Lt. Constantine flogged, the Emperor can stand to have a few veteran officers with scars to remind the Lt. of the Commisarriat. The Tactica Imperialis demands constant vigilance from the Emperor's warriors, Lt. Constantine should take from this the lessons of both Macharius and Slaydo, the unseen threat is the one most able to strike at you. Not Guilty, but very close to being... sloppy.

-Commissar Strontium Vakuus

(OOC i think i may take this sort of approach with some of my PCs)

1Was the Colonel the CO of the district?

2 A narcio Gang allies of the Imperium? The same who allied themselves with the rebels?

I think the unhonorable Sigismund should be shot as a traitor

warpdancer said:

Why would it be a problem to recruit a narco-gang as allies ? They're not heretics, xenos, rogue psykers or daemons. They're a bunch of guys with guns, who know how to use them and have a fortified strong point in a contested zone. Better to have them as allies than enemies. It wasn't until the narco-gang was attacked by the guard they thought were they're allies that they went over to the rebels.

LuciusT said:

Heh, heh. I believe it's called "selective-reading-disorder".