Perseus Deeps Activity

While the Imperium fought the Orks in the Shadow worlds and the Tau on Tarsis Major, reports were starting to come in of new and vigorous Chaos activities in the Perseus Deeps. Imperial High Command, led by General Thaddeus Roover, was disinclined to take much notice, as they had enough problems on Alphe with Chaos. "As long as their in the Deeps making trouble, they aren't here are they now!" was the General's only comment. Inquisitor Nikopolidis however did not wish to "let things lie".

Gathering a force of Imperial Guard and the services of a company of Reaper Angels space marines, the Inquisitor set off on the dangerous trip to the Perseus Deeps at the end of 10.009M42. En route to Yaasha, a minor world where his psychic advisors had suggested something of great importance was occurring, the Inquisitor heard reports of several Chaos operations occurring in the Deeps.

On 0711.009M42 a small force of Imperial Guard supporting an Adeptus Mechanicus expedition on Sentinel was unexpectedly attacked and severely mauled by Chaos forces. Later on the same day there were reports of Night Lords forces battling with orks on Ares. However the main reckoning with Chaos came on 1111.009M42.

Inquisitor Nikopolidis landed his small but powerful force on Yaasha on that day, with the Reaper Angels securing a perimeter around the landing shuttles. Cautiously the Inquisitor approached the area containing the highest concentration of psychic aura, amongst the ruins of several failed previous human settlements. Then the forces of Chaos launched their ambush.

The Claws of Lorek had seen the approaching Imperial vessels and had chosen to wait for them to land before unleashing their forces. Though the Imperial force was small, some 3,000 men plus a company of space marines, this force outnumbered th traitor marines raiding force on Yaasha. They would need reinforcements... Or allies.

In a secret blasphemous pact the leader of the Claws of Lorek promised the world itself to the powers of the warp and in return a major incursion of daemonic entities joined the traitor marines in their attack on the Imperial expeditionary force. In the brief but brutal battle the Reaper Angels were mercilessly hacked apart, while the Inqusition forces fell back towards their shuttles. Over one thousand were killed but the remaining forces managed to escape along with the inquisitor. Nikopolidis had indeed uncovered something rotten on Yaasha, but he was unable to prevent the Claws of Lorek from completing their ritual. As he left, Nikopolidis recorded that the world itself would fall under the sway of the warp in a very short period of time. quietly he marked the world for a later exterminatus.