Imperial Agents removed from Ork Fort Aerin

In 10.024M42, the Imperium succeeded in establishing a precarious foothold on the contested world of Aerin, a planet plagued by an entrenched ork presence. The initial Imperial assessment deemed the orks as uncoordinated and disorganized, leading to a strategic decision to rely on small elite forces rather than deploying the overwhelming manpower and firepower typical of the Astra Militarum. The Deathwatch, specialists in xenos eradication, were selected to spearhead operations against the orks’ heavily fortified base.

The Deathwatch’s mission was straightforward: infiltrate the ork stronghold, neutralize key defenses, and pave the way for follow-up extermination campaigns. Confidence was high, as the Deathwatch had carried out similar operations with success across the Imperium. However, their assumptions about the orks’ lack of organization were quickly proven disastrously wrong.

Upon breaching the fortress’ outer perimeter, the Deathwatch encountered fierce resistance in the form of well-coordinated ork kill teams. These greenskin squads demonstrated an uncharacteristic level of tactical discipline, using chokepoints, ambush tactics, and overwhelming firepower to stymie the elite space marines. Heavy losses were sustained as the Deathwatch squads fought to extricate themselves from the ork-infested corridors.

The unexpectedly high level of resistance forced the Deathwatch to withdraw from the fortress. Their reconnaissance revealed the ork base to be far more formidable than anticipated, with reinforced structures, kill zones, and a high concentration of ork warbands under a capable warboss. The Imperial presence on Aerin, centered around a small forward operating base, was deemed untenable without significant reinforcements. As a result, the foothold was abandoned shortly thereafter.

The failed assault on the ork fortress presented a significant setback for the Imperium on Aerin. Without the ability to deploy significant Astra Militarum forces or Titans to batter the fortress into submission, the Imperium was left scrambling for an alternative approach. The Deathwatch, though bloodied, provided vital intelligence on the ork forces, but their reports painted a grim picture: the greenskins were more organized and dangerous than previously thought.