Arminka Lesk

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"No Cadians fight alone."

- Arminka Lesk[10]
Arminka Lesk
CHArt.jpg

Minka Lesk[1a]

Homeworld Cadia
(Former)
Born 900s.M41, Cadia
Active Period 999.M41 - Present
Species Human
Gender Female
Occupation(s) Captain of the Cadian 101st
Affiliation(s)

Arminka[2i] Lesk, who goes by Minka, is the Captain of the Cadian 101st Regiment's 7th Company.[6] She survived the destruction of her Homeworld, Cadia, during the 13th Black Crusade.[1b]

She is now the Captain of the Cadian 101st Regiment's 7th Company and has her own Command Squad. This consists of the Veteran Sergeant Grawnya Ironbrow, the Veteran Guardsman Jaromir, Confessor Talbeas, and Commissar Shand.[6]

History

13th Black Crusade

When Cadia was invaded, Lesk was a Whiteshield assigned to the Imperial forces defending her hometown Kasr Myrak.[2a] However, once the Kasr's defenses were breached, the forces of Chaos invaded in a never ending tide that overran its Imperial defenders.[2b] Soon Kasr Myrak was turned into ruins and Lesk was among six hundred Imperial survivors that came under the command of Captain Rath Sturm. Hordes of cultists and traitor guard still hunted for the survivors, however, and from their hidden base, Sturm led Lesk and the others in hunting for supplies and killing any of the invaders when they could. This came to an end, when their base was discovered and attacked by the invaders. They fought bravely, but the survivors were outnumbered and Sturm was forced to order a retreat. The forces of Chaos now had their scent, however, and the dwindling survivors were forced to repeatedly run for their lives[2c]. Eventually only Lesk, twenty four others still lived, and they were cornered with no chance of escape. As they were attacked though, a massive explosion occurred and completely leveled, Kasr Myrak. Lesk, Captain Sturm and the Guardsman Taavi were able to pull themselves from the rubble, but only they remained alive. Though they did not know it[2d], Abaddon the Despoiler had just killed Cadia by sending the remains of his Blackstone Fortress plunging into the Fortress World's surface. Its impact had begun Cadia's destruction and the Imperial forces began to evacuate the Fortress World.[2e]

Flight From Cadia

Lesk and the others knew nothing about this, and though the Chaos forces hunting them were dead, they were unsure of what to do next. Their decision was made for them though, when the dead suddenly rose and attacked the trio. As they began to be swarmed, Guardsmen Taavi fell beneath the dead's claws and Lesk and Sturm were forced to jump into a river to escape[2d]. Though they manage to evade the dead, Daemons began to appear everywhere, as they emerged from the river. Seeing this, a wounded Sturm accepted that they were going to die and asked Lesk to stop helping him walk. She refused to surrender, however, and forced Sturm to continue moving, as the Daemons fell upon anyone they came across. When Daemon hounds found their scent and began tracking them, a desperate Lesk looked around for a place for them to hide. Luckily she spotted a ship nearby and happily told Sturm they were going to survive after all. When they reached the ship however, Lesk could find no way to get aboard it and was soon forced to place Sturm next her, as the hounds closed in on them[2f]. As the Daemons attacked though, Lesk suddenly saw a winged angel and a bright light flooded the area. A tide of power then enveloped Lesk and she felt as if she has become the angel. As the Daemons snarled, Lesk yelled, In the name of the God-Emperor of Mankind and then fell to her knees. When she opened her eyes, the light was gone and so were the Daemons. Lesk then felt her faith fill her, as Captain Sturm pulled her to her feet. Their salvation then arrived in the form of the Space Wolf Skarp-Hedin, who entered the ship near them. Though he refused at first, they convinced Skarp-Hedin to allow them aboard and they all escaped the Cadian System aboard the Strike Cruiser[2g] Stiklestad.[2h]

Due to a Warp mishap, the Strike Cruiser emerged into the Chaos-invaded Agripinaa System and joined Admiral d'Armitage's forces in the Battle of Faith's Anchorage[2h]. In the battle's aftermath, the Space Wolves transported Sturm and Lesk to Admiral d'Armitage's flagship, Grand Alliance[2i], and both later journeyed to Terra aboard the Emperor Class Battleship Pax Imperialis[2j]. Sometime afterwards, Sturm was promoted to Colonel and before the needs of the Imperium separated them, he gifted a Combat Knife to Lesk, who had since become a Guardsman.[3]

Continuing Duty

Arminka Lesk leads Cadian Shock Troopers[8]

In the Battle for Markgraaf Hive against heretics, Minka and Trooper Grogar were the only survivors of her Platoon.[3] Still haunted by Cadia's destruction, Minka and the 101st were reinforced by several other shattered Regiments from the 13th Black Crusade such as the Black Dragons, Cadian 966th, and 2000th Redskulls.[7a] They were dispatched by the Imperium to the world of Potence.[7b]

On Potence, the Cadians became embroiled in the tensions of the world. Minka and the Cadians narrowly survived an explosion that was dismissed by local Enforcers as an accident and engaged in a firefight with local gangers.[7c] Later, during the Feast of Saint Ignatzio, the Cadians fell into a conspiracy by Cardinal Tobias Vettor and Confessor Harkham Pitt to summon Scourged Chaos Space Marine forces to the world.[7d] In the subsequent battle for the world, Minka and her squad fought alongside Sisters of Battle of the Order of the Ebon Chalice[7e] to repel the heretics, recapture the Astropathic Choir Tower at Nullem Apek, and rescue the returned General Isaia Bendikt, though Vettor and Pitt escaped through the portal they created.[7f] In aftermath of the battle, Lesk was promoted to Sergeant.[7g]

Traitor Rock

Sergeant Lesk and the Cadian 101st were next stationed on the world of Malouri, battling heretics near the island fortress of Crannog Mons (dubbed "Traitor Rock").[8a] Alongside Drookian Fenguard and fresh Whiteshield Conscripts, General Bendikt and the 101st took a leading role in the siege.[8b] Bendikt was confident that instead of the decades-long campaign envisioned by the Departmento Munitorum, he could take Traitor Rock before Sanguinala in less than 50 days.[8c]

In the subsequent battle the Imperials subjected Traitor Rock to heavy attacks by artillery, Imperial Navy bombers, and frontal Penal Legion assaults before the Cadians themselves were brought in.[8d] The Whiteshields took grievous losses in a bloody meat grinder but, thanks to Sisters of Battle under Sister Superior Melissya, they were able to take the first line of traitor fortifications.[8e] The 101st then launched an amphibious assault on the next traitor stronghold at Tor Kharybdis, with Minka's own Platoon capturing Tyrok Beach after a bloody fight. During the battle, Minka saved the life of her Lieutenant, Dido.[8f] Minka was subsequently forced to take command of the Platoon, capturing the rest of Tyrok Beach's central Fortress.[8g]

In the final stages of the battle, it was Minka herself who proposed using the suspension cables of a destroyed bridge to infiltrate the upper batteries of Tor Tartarus.[8h] The operation was approved, and Minka led her own Company across the cables onto Tor Tartarus as General Bendikt launched a full-scale frontal assault.[8i] Fighting downwards through the fortress, Minka and her Company set demolition charges[8j] to destroy the Fortress as General Bendikt duelled and killed the Traitor General, Lord Marshal Molzhauer.[8k] The ensuing explosion from the Cadian charges destabilised all of Traitor Rock, and Minka and her small group of survivors only survived by evacuation via Valkyrie.[8l]

In the aftermath of the battle, Dido committed suicide rather than live paralysed, and Minka was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant.[8m]

Search for the Eighth

The 101st, under Colonel Baytov, were next deployed to Cinnabar's Folly to battle Chaos Space Marines of The Scourged. Baytov was assassinated by a sniper early in the battle[9a], while Chaos Terminators wreaked havoc amongst the Cadians. In the end, Lieutenant Minka was only saved by the arrival of the Black Templars. During the battle, Minka recognised one of the Heretic Astartes as carrying the banner-pole of the Cadian 8th. Minka and her Platoon were able to recover the banner. While the Scourged army under Drakul-zar was ultimately pushed back, the Cadians took grievous losses.[9b]

After the battle, Minka and her Platoon were brought to General Bendikt with the banner of the Cadian 8th. Speculation arose that the 8th may yet still exist and that even Creed may still be alive. Minka was then interrogated by Commissar Shand, who was suspicious of her encounter with the traitors and rumours that she slew the Chaos Terminator instead of the Black Templars. During the interrogation, she was locked in a cell without food.[9c] Analysis of skulls found on the trophy racks of the slain Terminator confirmed they belonged to Cadian citizens fighting in the Ghost Nebula.[9d] It was speculated that the Cadian 8th may be deployed in the region.[9e]

The Cadian 101st then left Cinnabar's Folly, deployed instead to El'Phanor for refit. Minka was still under heavy suspicion by the Commissariat.[9f] Upon arriving at the Star Fort Imperial Heart, Minka was brought before Lord Militant Warmund, where he examined the Cadian banner. Afterwards, Bendikt promoted Minka to Captain of the 7th Company of the 101st.[9g] Shortly before leaving the Imperial Heart, she met with the retired general Ursarkar Creed, a distant relative of the famous Ursarkar E. Creed. The retired Creed believed Minka was destined to find the real Creed. General Bendikt next informed the 101st that they believed Drakul-zar had been assassinated, and that the Cadians would be deployed to the world of Telken's Rest as part of a campaign to seize key Warp Routes to cut off the Scourged's retreat.[9h]

After arriving at Telken's Rest, the 101st was quick to secure the space port and hab districts of its central city after Scourged forces had already retreated. On the world, they discovered the corpses of Cadian 8th troopers. This fuelled speculation by the Imperials that Creed may be nearby.[9i] Shortly after they engaged in skirmishes with Scourged-affiliated forces, and Minka only narrowly survived an assassin's bullet.[9j] Further searches of the area revealed the wounded Drakul-zar, who was captured and brought before Bendikt just as heretics disguised as Cadians began an attack on the Imperial headquarters in order to eliminate him before he could be interrogated.[9k]

The 7th Company were able to secure Drakul-zar and tried to prevent the remaining heretic forces from reaching him.[9l] Meanwhile, containers holding the bodies of the suspected Cadian 8th soldiers were revealed to be more heretic infiltrators, who disabled the Imperial base's Void Shields.[9m] In the final battle in the facility's habs, Minka faced a trio of Rogue Psykers dubbed the Thrice-Bound. Assailed by visions of Cadia's fall, she was able to draw strength from Creed's words to break free of her terror and kill the creatures with her Bolt Pistol.[9n] The Imperials were eventually able to re-secure the base and restore the Void Shields, while Drakul-zar was transferred off-world.[9o]

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