Corticant targeted

As 05.17M42 began the eyes of the major powers in the Aleph Sector were inexorably drawn to the Perseus Deeps, and on one particular planet, the strategically vital system of Corticant. This world, conquered many years ago by General Veers' crusade, had been essential in securing the victories over Chaos on Bastien, and had endured an assault by the Harakhty dynasty of the Necrons in 013M42. Now Corticant had become the strategic lifeline to Libria, as it stood on the only stable warp lane connecting imperial space to the Zadoc subsector following the fall of the Aleph Subsector decades before.The Upper Perseus Reach was now the only route to get supplies to the Zadoc subsector.

With the reappearance of Hive Fleet Nemesis in the Perseus Deeps Sector Commander Titus Luthor ordered Jellicoe to move the fleet back to the region, and now Jellicoe's fleet were en route to Corticant from their base at Caitlen station. A small window of time now opened up where Corticant essentially had no defence, as the remaining units of Jellicoe's fleet had been forced to patrol the Farport warp lane to counter any potential Hive fleet attack on Farport and the Vastrid subsector. This did not go unnoticed by the other powers in the Deeps as the great fleet slipped its moorings at Corticant and made its way hubward. Corticant was now exposed.

Titus Luthor could not know however that the Necrons, far from terminally weakened, had been reinvigorated by the arrival of the Charnovokh dynasty. The Necrons monitored the Imperial fleet movement and considered their next move. Perhaps now was the time to retake their rightful possession from the cattle that infested Corticant? Neither did Luthor know that the Eldar were aware of the Necron plans and had their own counter measures in place. They knew more about Corticant than any other race, and could not allow it to fall into the hands of their ancient foe. The imperial commander was similarly unaware that the Alliance, frustrated by the ongoing drip feeding of reinforcements into the Libria system, had come to the conclusion that taking Corticant would ensure a swifter victory to that ongoing long and bloody struggle. And no-one yet knew that the Tyranids of Nemesis had already chosen Corticant as their next axis of attack, and that cults were already in place.

Finally, the Imperial command were as yet unaware of the excavations of the Corticant badlands, and what the Adeptus Mechanicus had found there. Something ancient and extremely important was hidden beneath the rock of Corticant's mountains. Inquisitor Vorushko, leader of the crusade, was aware however, and did not intend for this device to fall into the wrong hands. No one could be trusted, least of all Titus Luthor, who had recently been visited by her nemesis, Inquisitor Hathek.

Never-the-less, Luthor wasn't stupid. He had reinforced the planet in any case should any force decide to attack the planet while it was relatively unprotected. Would it be enough however? Corticant was about to be plunged into a savage conflict which would decide the very fate of the Aleph Sector.