The Western Breakout – Tau Gains on Zadoc, 05–06.025.M42

After suffering a number of tactical setbacks in 04.025.M42, including the costly chaos offensives at Chettalo and the northern plains of Zadoc, the Tau Empire reassessed and reinforced its positions around its established bridgehead on the world’s central continent. The importance of Zadoc—once a loyal Imperial world, now a chaotic battleground of competing factions—meant the Tau were unwilling to relinquish their claim in what they had designated a key node in their Perseus Expansion Sphere.

In 05.025.M42, Commander Malkaor launched a bold and sweeping westward breakout from the Tau-held bridgehead, aiming to change the tempo of the campaign and seize the initiative. The offensive was meticulously planned and executed with typical Tau precision, incorporating Hunter Cadres supported by mobile armour and air assets. The Biordeosta region, a critical logistical hub for the traitor forces, fell after a short but intense engagement.

The offensive then rolled into the rugged Appenine highlands, a heavily fortified and naturally defensible region. Expecting a prolonged and grinding conflict, the Tau commanders were surprised when the resistance—composed largely of chaos cultists and scattered traitor PDF—collapsed under sustained drone strikes, pulse fire, and flanking manoeuvres by mobile stealth units.

This manoeuvre proved decisive. With the Appenine highlands lost, chaos forces in northern Zadoc found themselves isolated and in danger of encirclement. Recognising the untenable position, the Chaos commanders ordered a hasty evacuation of Andiselie, abandoning valuable materiel and infrastructure to avoid annihilation.

By 06.025.M42, the Tau Empire had gained control of the majority of the central continent of Zadoc, establishing a network of forward operating bases and expanding their sphere of influence westward and north. This campaign marked the first significant strategic reversal for the Chaos forces on Zadoc since their initial invasion, and morale among the traitor ranks visibly faltered.

The success of the western breakout significantly altered the balance of power on the world. With their forces now in a strong operational position, and the chaos front lines crumbling, the Tau appeared poised to complete the conquest of Zadoc before the end of 025.M42—if they could maintain momentum and avoid retaliation from either Chaos reinforcements or the ever-watchful Imperium.

The war for Zadoc had entered a new phase—one where Tau dominance was no longer theoretical, but material, visible in the fire-lit skies above burning hive spires.

Mordecai: Imperium take Hamen

Following the costly victory at Hamen Spaceport, General Kutuzov wasted no time in pressing the advantage. With the Imperium’s foothold in the hive sprawl secured and the supply lines running through the wastelands behind him stabilised, the next strategic target was clear: the city of Hamen Hive itself. Intelligence suggested that the hive was now heavily fortified and garrisoned by elite elements of the Emperor’s Children, the corrupted III Legion, whose cruelty and martial prowess had already bled several Guard regiments dry in earlier phases of the campaign.

Recognising the need for overwhelming force to breach such a formidable objective, Kutuzov petitioned for Adeptus Astartes support. The call was answered swiftly by the Space Wolves, long-time enemies of the Traitor Legions, whose ferocity and disdain for static warfare made them an ideal tool for the task.

The assault began in the final days of 05.025.M42, heralded by a coordinated drop pod and Thunderhawk strike into the upper spires and mid-hive levels of Hamen. The 13th Great Company, led by Wolf Lord Brynjolf Stormfang mounted on his thunderwolf Greyhowl, spearheaded the assault. In a characteristic show of Fenrisian savagery, Stormfang led his pack from the front, shrugging off fire that would have crippled lesser warriors, and personally slaying multiple noise marines in brutal hand-to-hand combat.

The impact of the Space Wolves’ assault was immediate and devastating. The Emperor’s Children, for all their twisted devotion to excess and sensation, found themselves completely unprepared for the sheer physicality and unrelenting aggression of their loyalist cousins. Demoralisation spread quickly through the traitor lines as entire units were routed, their cohesion shattered by the Space Wolves’ shock assault.

Despite stiff resistance in some hab-blocks and underhive zones, by the early days of 06.025.M42, Hamen Hive had been brought under Imperial control. The few remaining Chaos defenders were either driven into the wastes or slaughtered without quarter.

With Hamen Hive fallen, the strategic doctrine of the campaign began to crystallise. Kutuzov, now with the advantage of numbers and a steady stream of reinforcements, would direct the Adeptus Astartes to break the hardest, most entrenched targets—elite formations, command centres, and key fortresses—while the massive Guard formations under his command would follow up to consolidate territory, cleanse the wider sprawl, and push into the surrounding wastelands.

The campaign for Mordecai Primaris was far from over, but the fall of Hamen marked a turning point. Chaos resistance had proven resilient, but the momentum was now firmly with the Imperium, and the full weight of the Imperial war machine was only just beginning to roll forward.

Van Dorn recaptures Laurier

By the end of 05.025.M42, the war for New Cerberex had shifted decisively against the T’au Empire. Following the initial setbacks and surprise defeats inflicted by the T’au during their counteroffensive in early 025.M42, the Imperium had rallied, exploiting the momentum provided by the Dark Angels’ brutal breakout to the south and now bringing the full weight of their military machine to bear.

The most significant reversal came with the recapture of the city of Laurier, a vital northern settlement and strategic node that had previously fallen to the T’au in a lightning assault. Now, under the direct command of General Van Dorn, multiple newly arrived Astra Militarum regiments were deployed to the front lines. These included hardened veterans of the Cadian 143rd and the brutal siege specialists of the Vornheim 66th, bolstered by PDF auxiliaries and artillery detachments.

The assault on Laurier was relentless. Over the course of four days, the T’au Hunter Cadre defending the city fought with typical xenos precision, executing textbook withdrawal manoeuvres and fire-and-fade tactics. However, the sheer volume of Guardsmen, combined with armoured spearheads and sustained aerial and orbital support, eventually overwhelmed the T’au defences. The city’s evacuation route was cut off by Scion drop forces, and by the end of the engagement, the entire Hunter Cadre was annihilated—either slain in battle or hunted down in the ruins.

With Laurier retaken, the Imperium now held the entire southern and central belts of New Cerberex, forming a secure front line and allowing for more efficient deployment of reinforcements via drop landers and bulk landers. This territorial control was critical: within weeks, dozens of additional Guard regiments were expected to deploy, further tipping the strategic balance.

Compounding the T’au dilemma was their deteriorating space superiority. Though the T’au fleet in the region remained intact and technically capable of contesting orbit, its commanders remained conspicuously passive. Intelligence reports suggested the reason was clear: Imperial Navy battlegroups—backed by known Space Wolves and Dark Angels fleet assets—were prowling the Mabb Nebula. The threat of a sudden and catastrophic fleet engagement loomed over any T’au attempt to assert dominance in orbit.

The T’au high command on New Cerberex now found itself isolated, outnumbered, and increasingly outmanoeuvred. The dream of converting New Cerberex into a bastion of the Perseus Expansion Sphere was fading fast, and the question was no longer how much ground the T’au could take—but how much they could possibly hold.

The Vespae Encounter

As the relentless advance of Hive Fleet Poseidon continued unabated through the fragmented region known as the Rifts of Hecate in 05.025.M42, the long-ignored xenos menace began to draw the attention of the Aeldari. For millennia, the Vespae system—an isolated world held in secret by the craftworlds and their outlying allies—had been warded and watched, considered a quiet node in the ever-changing tapestry of fate. That assumption would not survive the month.

When auguries detected subtle disturbances in the biosphere and anomalous psychic echoes from Vespae’s surface, the Farseers of Alaitoc dispatched a swift reconnaissance force via the webway. Comprised of elite Aspect Warriors and guided by a seer council, the group was reinforced by the deathless might of a Wraithlord and a unit of Wraithguard—an indication of the seriousness with which the Craftworld viewed the threat.

Upon arrival, the Aeldari forces encountered the unmistakable spoor and psychic shadow of the Tyranid hive mind. The planet was not yet overrun, but vast mycetic spores had already seeded the wilds, and the leading edges of the swarm had begun to manifest. The ensuing battle was short and brutal. The Aspect Warriors were torn apart by monstrous bioforms, and the webway ingress was almost overrun in minutes. Only the Wraith units, their necrodermis bodies resisting the corrosive tides of biomass and acid, managed to retreat to the safety of the portal—battered, silent, and grievously damaged.

The survivors brought with them fragments of alien tissue and data impressions—enough for the Farseers to confirm their worst fears. The Tyranid swarm on Vespae bore the genetic hallmarks of Hive Fleet Poseidon. Somehow, impossibly, tendrils of the fleet had slipped through the Hecate Gap undetected, bypassing major Imperial and Chaos positions and establishing an advanced beachhead in a region thought to be secure.

The implications were dire. Vespae lay within an area the Aeldari had long deemed strategically vital. If Poseidon was already present beyond the Rifts, then the entire Hecate Gap could collapse in a matter of months, with the hive fleet potentially striking deep into the coreward sectors of the Hadron Expanse.

The Aeldari councils fell into urgent and bitter debate. Should they intervene directly to halt the spread? Or, more dangerously, should they reveal what they had learned to the crude and squabbling factions of the Mon-Keigh, risking their own secrecy in exchange for a broader coalition against the xenos tide?

For now, the Craftworlds remained silent. But the shadow of the Great Devourer had fallen upon Vespae—and perhaps far beyond.

The Battle of Nepheru – Gamador Campaign, 05.025.M42

As the Perseus Deeps campaign dragged into the height of 05.025.M42, the Tau Empire escalated its efforts to secure the strategic world of Gamador. With the Imperium’s Crusade under General Veers advancing steadily and threatening to undermine the Tau’s Perseus Expansion Sphere, the Ethereal Caste demanded a decisive victory. The target was the Necron-held city of Nepheru—an ancient and heavily fortified urban bastion deep within the desert wastes, reachable only from the tenuous Tau bridgehead established at Hasmaker.

The offensive was led by elements of the Dal’yth and Vior’la septs, combining highly mobile Hunter Cadres with precision orbital support. The strategy was clear: strike swiftly, bypass Necron strongpoints, and collapse their defensive network from the inside out. However, what followed was anything but swift.

The approach through the plains of Nepheru was immediately hampered by hidden monoliths, burrowing Canoptek constructs, and sudden counter-assaults by phased-in Necron units. Tau supply lines were harassed relentlessly, while Necron forces, displaying uncharacteristic tactical unpredictability, launched suicidal charges and teleportation ambushes.

As the fighting reached Nepheru’s outer walls, the campaign descended into a brutal and methodical grind. The Tau achieved numerous local victories, deploying Stormsurge units and Battlesuit Enclaves to devastating effect, but every advance was met with withering gauss fire and the uncanny resilience of Necron reanimation protocols. The sky turned to ash with the heat of plasma fire and the shimmer of shielding technology flickering under siege conditions.

After weeks of attrition, the Tau managed to breach Hasmaker and establish full control over its ancient industrial platforms. Yet the cost was enormous. Several cadres had to be withdrawn due to unsustainable losses. Crisis Suit commanders were lost in action, and even the elite Stealth Teams suffered disproportionately as Necron counter-adaptations blunted their technological edge.

Despite their tactical victory, the Tau were left bloodied, overstretched, and burdened with a pyrrhic gain. The capture of Hasmaker solidified their presence on Gamador, but the Necron grip on Nepheru itself remained unbroken.

The battle proved a grim reminder that the Gamador campaign would not be won by rapid manoeuvre or clean battles. It was a war of ancient attrition, fought in forgotten cities and silent tombs where even the Tau’s vaunted efficiency struggled against the timeless endurance of the Necron menace. And all the while, the shadow of the Crusade under General Veers loomed ever closer.

Rising Greenskin Momentum

Segmentum Ultima – Aleph Sector Archives

Compiled by the Ordo Xenos, Watch Station Altaris

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Background: Rising Greenskin Momentum

By 05.025M42, the Mabb Nebula had become a cauldron of conflict. The Imperium, Tau Empire, and Chaos warbands had turned the region into a patchwork of overlapping warzones. Amid this chaos, the Orks, long considered background noise in the wider struggle, began to stir with terrifying energy. Drawn by the sound of battle and scent of bloodshed, Waaagh! energy surged, and the greenskins began to unify under a loose network of warlords across the nebula.

Two worlds would bear the brunt of this resurgence: Bothorion and Fort Sparcos.

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The Fall of Bothorion: Tau Dislodged

The world of Bothorion, a hostile, Ork-infested planet deep within the Mabb Nebula, had long hosted a covert Tau outpost. For several years, Tau operatives of the Fire Caste had used it as a staging ground for a slow infiltration and eventual full invasion. Their hope had been to one day bring Bothorion into the T’au Empire, cleansed of its feral Ork infestation.

However, with major elements of the Tau military diverted to critical battles on New Cerberex and Hylas, the garrison on Bothorion was left dangerously understrength.

In 05.025M42, the Orks struck. An unexpected mass assault, led by a coalition of warbands loosely aligned under the banner of a rising Warlord known only as Big Mek Kradzuk, overwhelmed the Tau installations. Fire Warrior cadres were torn apart in savage assaults, stealth drones neutralised by sheer weight of numbers, and even Crisis Suits were dragged down and dismantled by mobs of enraged Orks.

Within a matter of days, the Tau presence on Bothorion was eradicated. The carefully prepared outpost was razed, and the Ork Waaagh! momentum grew as warbands began to look outward from their long-ignored world.

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Brutality on Fort Sparcos: Orks versus Chaos

Meanwhile, on Fort Sparcos, a world already buckling under the strain of a multi-faction war, the Orks launched another brutal offensive. Previously fragmented into roving bands, the greenskins had recently coalesced in response to incursions by the Death Guard. The Chaos forces had been attempting to seize strategic locations across the ruined fortress-world, including the vital spaceport complex.

In a shock counterattack, the Orks not only defended their territory but launched a devastating assault on the Chaos-held spaceport. What followed was a pitched battle of horrific attrition, as plague-infested Death Guard clashed with rampaging Orks in brutal close combat.

Despite the resilience of the Plague Marines and their unnatural endurance, the ferocity and sheer weight of Ork numbers proved too much. Several Death Guard squads were overrun and hacked to pieces, while a full detachment of plague marines was wiped out during a final charge by Nobz and a heavily modified Deff Dread mob.

By the end of the conflict, the spaceport was entirely under Ork control, and Chaos forces were driven into the labyrinthine ruins, harried at every turn by roaring greenskins.

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Strategic Outlook

The Ork resurgence in the Mabb Nebula represents a critical new threat to all factions operating in the region. Their success on Bothorion and Fort Sparcos demonstrates a growing degree of cohesion and purpose—hallmarks of a Waaagh! approaching critical mass.

For the Imperium, the T’au Empire, and the Chaos warbands, this development poses a grim dilemma: continue to bleed one another in internecine wars, or divert resources to stem the rising green tide. For now, however, the Orks rampage unchecked, fed by war, and driven by nothing but the joy of battle.

The Battle for Southrine Mines and Port Tersius

Segmentum Ultima – Aleph Sector Historical Archive

Entry: 05.025M42

Background: The Gamordal Campaign

By 05.025M42, the fighting between Veers’ Crusade and the Necrons on Gamordal had escalated significantly. This once-minor conflict zone had become a fulcrum of strategic interest for both sides, with the Imperial Crusade forces seeking to establish full planetary control and the Necron dynasties pursuing the reclamation of ancient holdings.

Two critical engagements marked this phase of the campaign—the desperate battle for the Southrine Mines, and the decisive strike at Port Tersius.

The Defence and Loss of the Southrine Mines

The Southrine Mines, located in the mineral-rich southern uplands of Gamordal, had become a key target for both sides. The Imperial defenders, comprising a detachment of House Brascion Knights, were tasked with holding the site against advancing Necron forces believed to originate from the dormant tomb complex beneath the Hasmakep Mountains.

The battle raged for several days as Necron constructs, led by Ophydian Destroyers and supported by Doomsday Arks, engaged in relentless assaults. The Imperial Knights, though vastly outnumbered, fought with honour and ferocity, holding the line through multiple breaches and executing devastating counter-charges.

However, the Necrons’ inexhaustible nature and phase-regenerative technology gradually ground down the Imperial line. By the end of the third day, the Knights were forced to withdraw, ceding control of the mines after suffering heavy losses, including the destruction of two Questoris-class engines.

The Custodes Breakout at Port Tersius

In contrast, the Adeptus Custodes, operating as part of a specialised detachment assigned to Veers’ Crusade, achieved a stunning success elsewhere on the planet. Having been held in reserve near the Imperial bridgehead, the Custodes initiated a rapid strike operation aimed at the coastal settlement of Port Tersius, a location of logistical importance and suspected Necron activity.

The operation, executed with typical Custodian precision, saw the Emperor’s chosen warriors deploying via grav-transport directly into the heart of the settlement. The Necron garrison, consisting primarily of Immortals and Canoptek constructs, was taken completely by surprise.

Within hours, the Custodes annihilated all opposition, employing pyroclastic spears, guardian blades, and superior martial skill to erase the xenos presence. Port Tersius was secured with minimal Imperial casualties, and its capture significantly expanded the Imperial zone of control on Gamordal.

The Southern Campaign on New Cerberex

Segmentum Ultima – Aleph Sector Historical Archive

Entry: 025M42.145

Background: The Escalation of War

As 025M42 progressed, the once-static conflict on New Cerberex erupted into a fully fledged campaign of movement and decisive engagements. The world, once a prosperous Imperial colony before its fall to the Tau Expansion, had become a focal point of strategic importance in the wider Zadoc Subsector War.

For many months, the Dark Angels, operating from their impregnable fortress on Mount Bone, had been conducting relentless raids into Tau territory. These culminated in a large-scale breakout operation in early 025M42, spearheaded by the First and Third Companies of the Chapter, aimed at shattering Tau control across the southern continent.

The Fall of the Southern Continent

The operation commenced with a thunderous assault upon the Angel Plateau, swiftly followed by the liberation of the city of Rideau. The Tau defenders, though initially holding the line with stoic resistance and formidable firepower, were unable to maintain their positions in the face of Astartes precision and brutality.

The Dark Angels moved with characteristic methodical ruthlessness, engaging in a rolling battle that saw one Tau cadre after another eradicated. Their focus was not merely territorial acquisition but the total destruction of enemy assets. By the end of the third week of operations, Tau forces on the southern continent had been completely routed, and the region was declared under Imperial control.

The Northern Surprise and the Loss of Laurier

In the wake of this success, General Van Dorn, coordinating the wider Imperial effort in the sector, landed several Imperial Guard regiments to consolidate the gains. These forces, including elements from the Cadian 143rd, were deployed in the north at Laurier, intended as a northern pressure point against the remaining Tau holdings.

However, the Tau had anticipated the Imperial strategy. Launching a swift and devastating counter-offensive, they struck the newly landed Imperial regiments before they could fully entrench, utilising battlesuit strike teams and orbital drone coordination to devastating effect.

The fighting at Laurier was brief but savage. Caught off-guard, the Guard regiments were nearly annihilated, and by 0505.025M42, the city had been retaken by the Tau, restoring part of their northern front.

The Battle for Albert

The Dark Angels, undeterred, launched a renewed offensive on 1205.025M42, this time targeting the city of Albert, a strategic node linking Tau defence lines across the central belt of the main continent. The Astartes struck with shock and awe, utilising teleportation strikes, Ravenwing outriders, and full-scale mechanised assaults.

The Tau defenders at Albert fought with grim determination, but the weight of the Astartes assault proved overwhelming. Resistance crumbled, and by 1505.025M42, the city of Albert was firmly in Imperial hands.

Conclusion and Strategic Outlook

With the southern continent of New Cerberex now securely under Imperial control, the Imperium had established a unified front from Rideau to Albert. However, the setbacks at Laurier underscored a bitter truth: the Tau remained a dangerous and adaptive enemy, capable of swift retaliation and asymmetric warfare.

Despite their victory, the Imperium still faced a daunting campaign to retake their former colony in full. The northern and eastern regions of the main continent remained under Tau control, and any future advance would likely require coordinated multi-theatre offensives, and careful management of increasingly strained supply lines.

Nevertheless, the victories of the Dark Angels and Van Dorn’s Guard had brought a critical shift in momentum. The reconquest of New Cerberex was no longer a dream—it had begun in earnest.

The Battle for Hamen Spaceport

Background

By mid 04.025M42, the Imperial campaign on Mordecai Primaris had advanced deep into the Hamen Hive Sprawl, a labyrinthine urban region on the northern edge of the Chaos-held territories. With the loyalist front now dangerously extended, General Kutuzov faced mounting logistical difficulties, political pressure from rival commanders, and a shifting enemy strategy.

The Chaos war machine was no longer merely the brutish madness of cultists and daemonhosts. The forces of Nurgle were increasingly asserting dominance within the warp-tainted command structure, and the emergence of the Legion of Eschar—a disciplined and heavily armed human force—had transformed the strategic landscape. With Imperial high command breathing down his neck, Kutuzov identified the Hamen Spaceport as a critical objective.

Its capture would provide an anchor for resupply and reinforcement, ensuring that Imperial vanguard elements pushing into Hamen could not be easily cut off. Recognising the significance of the task, Kutuzov elected to personally lead the assault, placing himself at the head of his elite formation: the Novgorod 1st Regiment.

The Battle

The fighting began with the Novgorod Guard advancing through shattered hab-blocks and manufactoria surrounding the spaceport, under cover of earth-shaking artillery barrages and supported by super-heavy tanks from the Mordian Armour Reserve. Morale among the troops surged with Kutuzov riding his signature white charger, visible to his men even as the hellish theatre erupted around them.

But the enemy was ready.

The Escharite Legion, demonstrating tactical proficiency rare among traitor human forces, had fortified the approaches to the spaceport with brutal efficiency. They fielded their own super-heavy vehicles, including corrupted Baneblades and traitor-pattern artillery, which rained death upon the Novgorod formations. In the dense ruins, Escharite assault troops charged Imperial positions with shocking tenacity, engaging in brutal melee combat and eviscerating squad after squad of loyalist infantry.

Despite suffering appalling losses, the Novgorod 1st did not break. Kutuzov's elite armour began a slow but deliberate counter-barrage, systematically neutralising the enemy's heavy vehicles, although the Escharite commanders showed a worrying level of restraint, often withdrawing their own armour before total annihilation.

For several days, the fighting devolved into a war of attrition. The shattered outer perimeter of the spaceport became a killing ground, each ruined building and corridor contested metre by metre.

It was only when Kutuzov himself led a decisive charge—his blade raised high, leading an armoured thrust into the Escharite rear—that the chaos lines faltered. Spearheading an assault on a key command node within the port complex, the Novgorod Guard succeeded in breaking the Escharite centre. The traitor forces, though disciplined, began to fracture under sustained pressure and retreated in disorder.

By the seventh day, the Imperium had taken the spaceport.

Aftermath

The capture of the Hamen Spaceport marked a major strategic victory for the Imperium. Supply lines were shortened, morale lifted, and the Imperium now held a vital staging ground for further operations into the Hive itself. Kutuzov had silenced his detractors—at least for now—with a daring and costly success.

Yet, the price had been steep.

Casualties on both sides numbered in the tens of thousands. Entire companies of the Novgorod Guard were obliterated, and much of the surrounding infrastructure lay in ruins. Worse still, the true capability of the Legion of Eschar had now been revealed—not as mere traitor remnants, but as a true mirror and mockery of the Imperial Guard, capable of matching the Emperor’s soldiers in firepower, organisation, and discipline.

General Kutuzov had forced open the gates to Hamen Hive—but at what cost? As the banners of the Imperium were raised above the smouldering wreck of the spaceport, the old general looked eastward, to the hive city itself—and the even greater trials that lay ahead.

The campaign on Mordecai Primaris was far from over, and it was now clear: the enemy would not be dislodged easily.

The Battle for Hamen Sprawl – 04.025M42

Mordecai Campaign Report – Ordo Militaris Dossier, Aleph Sector

In 04.025M42, the long and grinding war for Mordecai Primaris saw a renewed surge in momentum as General Kutuzov, supreme commander of Imperial forces in the theatre, received long-requested reinforcements from Sector Command. Among them marched the red-coated veterans of the Praetorian 42nd Regiment, a storied unit whose reputation had been forged in the blood of countless campaigns across the Aleph Sector.

Kutuzov deployed the Praetorians in the north, ordering them to advance through the Hamenia Wastes and seize a foothold in the Hive Sprawls of Hamen, an important logistical node and staging area for Chaos counter-offensives. The initial stages of the campaign met with minimal resistance, and the regiment’s disciplined advance seemed poised for a swift breakthrough.

The Legion of Eschar Emerges

However, as the Praetorians approached the outskirts of Hamen Sprawl, the nature of the enemy changed drastically. Instead of the expected cultist mobs or corrupted Astartes, the Legion of Eschar revealed itself—a disciplined, well-equipped, and tactically competent human army seemingly modelled on the structure of the Imperial Guard itself.

These traitor forces fielded armoured columns, including corrupted Leman Russ battle tanks, artillery pieces, and even a Chaos Knight, which tore into the initial waves of the loyalist infantry with brutal efficiency. The Praetorians, although caught off-guard by such an organised enemy, stood their ground with the typical stoicism and stubborn pride of their regiment.

A fierce battle ensued, with the Chaos Knight at the centre of the traitor advance. Imperial armoured divisions, supporting the Praetorians, eventually brought the behemoth down in a barrage of fire, its fall turning the tide of battle. The destruction of the Knight and the bulk of the Legion’s tank support allowed the Imperial forces to press forward.

Urban Warfare and Bitter Hand-to-Hand Fighting

The Praetorians were further surprised by the close-combat ferocity and tactical discipline of the Legion infantry. Well-drilled and unafraid to charge Imperial positions, these heretic soldiers forced brutal, room-by-room engagements in the ruins of Hamen. Nevertheless, the loyalist troops held key objectives long enough for their support elements to isolate and destroy the Legion’s remaining armour.

Outgunned and with their flanks compromised, the Legion of Eschar began a withdrawal, leaving the Imperial Guard in control of a key bridgehead within the sprawl, dangerously close to Hamen’s spaceport.

Strategic Implications

By 1404.025M42, the Imperium had not only secured its position in the Hive Sprawl but had also drawn closer to severing vital supply and reinforcement lines to Chaos forces in the region. However, the unexpected resistance posed by the Legion of Eschar marked a troubling development.

It was now clear to Kutuzov and Segmentum Command that the forces of Chaos on Mordecai Primaris were evolving. They were not solely reliant on corrupted Astartes and frenzied cultist mobs—organised, professional human armies had joined the enemy's ranks. The Legion of Eschar, possibly the remnants of once-loyal regiments turned traitor, represented a new and dangerous element in the Mordecai Campaign.

The war for Mordecai was far from over. But with the Praetorian 42nd's bloody victory, the Imperium had struck a firm blow—and raised serious questions about what other horrors lay entrenched in the heart of Chaos-held territory.

The Devouring of Calthingum – 03.025M42

By 03.025M42, the Tyranid menace in the Rifts of Hecate showed no sign of slowing. World after world had fallen to the merciless onslaught of Hive Fleet Poseidon, its tendrils sweeping through the region unchecked, leaving desolation and stripped planets in its wake. Though Imperial systems continued to hold out—thanks in part to hastily organised defences and renewed efforts by General Maximus—the war was far from favouring the Imperium.

One of the greatest demonstrations of Tyranid power came with their return to Calthingum, a world already reeling from prior xenos raids and internal strife. This time, the swarm descended in full force.

The Fall of Chaos on Calthingum

The planet, tenuously held by Chaos, saw its defenders—primarily the debased remnants of the World Eaters—utterly swept aside. A Daemon Prince, believed by some warp-scholars to be a manifestation or echo of Angron himself, led a frenzied defence. Accounts suggest the Khornate monstrosity managed to destroy a mere nine hormagaunts before being annihilated in spectacular fashion by the focused firepower of a Tyrannofex and Exocrine.

Despite manifesting once more during the battle, the daemon was again unable to engage the swarm meaningfully, vanishing back into the Immaterium, outpaced and overwhelmed by the biomass tide.

Necron Intervention

As the Tyranids scoured the landscape, their advance disturbed a previously unknown Necron tomb complex deep beneath Calthingum's surface. The ancient warriors rose in defence of their holdings, even unleashing a C’tan shard, whose malevolent power momentarily turned the tide. But the psychic might of the Hive Mind proved dominant. Zoanthropes, crackling with synaptic energy, obliterated the C’tan’s physical form and scattered its essence.

Faced with a foe beyond even their ancient reckoning, the Necrons withdrew, leaving behind only shattered constructs and desecrated tombs.

The Devouring Approaches Completion

By the end of the month, Chaos resistance had been completely annihilated, their strongholds reduced to mulch and ichor, and even the ancient Necron lords had abandoned their holdings. Only one force remained to resist the hive fleet: a band of Orks, seemingly drawn by the scale of the conflict and the chance for endless fighting.

Yet even they now stood alone against a force that had toppled gods, devoured kings, and now hungered for the world entire. The fate of Calthingum was all but sealed. Though Fecus Major, the Daemon World in orbit, still writhed with warp energies, it could not prevent the world below from being turned into raw biomass. The Tyranids had proven once again that no force—not daemon, not xenos, not machine—was immune to their hunger.

Calthingum would fall. It was only a matter of time.

The Setback at Vincennes: Dark Angels Ambushed on New Cerberex

For much of early 025M42, the Dark Angels had appeared an unstoppable force on New Cerberex. Launching raids and assaults from their fortified stronghold atop Mount Bone, the First Legion's operations had transitioned from guerrilla strikes to an all-out campaign of planetary reconquest. With only a single Astartes company, the Dark Angels had wrought devastation upon Tau installations, taking settlements such as Vincennes and dividing the xenos occupation zones.

The Tau Empire, still stretched thin across multiple fronts from Zadoc to the Hadron Expanse, had been unable to effectively respond. However, in late 03.025M42, the xenos struck back with unexpected precision and speed.

Utilising stealth technology, local Federacy intelligence assets, and mobile Hunter Cadre units, the Tau launched a coordinated counteroffensive against the Dark Angels' garrison at Vincennes. The attack, executed with uncharacteristic cunning, saw the Astartes force encircled and cut off from reinforcement or retreat. By the time the Dark Angels became aware of the trap, the noose had already closed.

The ensuing battle was fierce and unforgiving. Though the Dark Angels fought with grim resolve and inflicted heavy casualties upon their attackers, the xenos had the advantage in numbers, position, and tactical preparation. The entirety of the Vincennes garrison was eventually overrun, the city retaken by the Tau, and the Imperium’s momentum on New Cerberex abruptly halted.

This marked the first significant Imperial defeat on New Cerberex since the Dark Angels' campaign began, and raised serious questions within the Imperial command hierarchy. The notion that a single company of even the Emperor’s finest could single-handedly reconquer an entire world from the Tau-Federal occupation now seemed overly ambitious. Though Mount Bone remained inviolate, and the Dark Angels still possessed the capacity for future strikes, the days of unchecked advance had ended.

The Tau, emboldened by their success, began reinforcing positions in the central continent, wary now of further Imperial action. For the Imperium, and General Van Dorn, this reversal was a sobering reminder that while Astartes were the sword of the Emperor, even they could bleed and falter when outmatched by planning, subterfuge, and sheer attrition. The war for New Cerberex was far from over—and it would no longer be won by boldness alone.

The Battle for Zadoc: Chaos Strikes Back – 03.025M42

Following the strategic breakthrough by Commander Malkaor on Zadoc in 02.025M42, the Tau Empire appeared poised to push Chaos forces from the region entirely. Malkaor's lightning assault had shattered cultist defences and driven a wedge deep into enemy lines, allowing Tau forces to capture the cities of Antolovi and Guion, pressing southwards from their bridgehead near Chettalo. However, such success could not go unanswered.

By 03.025M42, the fractured forces of Chaos had regrouped, and launched a savage two-pronged counter-offensive, exploiting the fact that Malkaor's elite cadres were too few in number to consolidate all gains simultaneously.

To the south, the Death Guard, infamous for their relentless and attritional warfare, spearheaded an assault on the vital city of Chettalo. Their corrupted war engines and plague-ridden infantry surged into the streets, turning every thoroughfare into a fetid meat grinder. Though the Tau Fire Caste resisted with characteristic discipline and advanced technology, the xenos forces were worn down, suffering grievous casualties in the grinding urban conflict.

Meanwhile, to the north, across the open plains between the city belt and the Pera Sea, Chaos cultists enacted vile rituals to summon a horde of daemons dedicated to Khorne. The blood-maddened warp-spawn erupted from the immaterium in a tide of rage and brass, carving a path of destruction across Tau forward positions. The Tau hunter cadres, swift to respond, were ultimately able to eliminate the daemon incursion, but not before entire units were slaughtered, and much of their territory in the northern plains was lost.

By the end of 03.025M42, the northern continent of Zadoc had once again become a battleground of shifting fronts. Though the cities of Antolovi and Guion remained under Tau control, much of the surrounding terrain—particularly the plains north of Chettalo and the approaches to the Pera Sea—had fallen back into the hands of Chaos cults and daemonic forces.

Malkaor’s strategic brilliance had granted the Tau a moment of ascendancy, but the realities of the war in the Zadoc Subsector had reasserted themselves. The forces of Chaos, unpredictable and malign, remained a persistent blight, and now the Tau-Federal alliance would have to pay dearly to hold what they had claimed. The war for Zadoc was far from over, and every gain would have to be fought for again—in blood, fire, and suffering.

The Haven Campaign: Ork Counter-Offensive Reverses Imperial Gains

The long and grinding war for Haven, a battle-scarred world on the edge of the Rifts of Hecate, persisted into early 025M42 with no decisive resolution in sight. Locked in a brutal war of attrition between the Orks and the Imperium, the fighting across the planet’s single supercontinent had devolved into a nightmare of scattered trench lines, cratered battlefields, and perpetual offensives that rarely resulted in strategic breakthroughs.

Despite making modest gains in late 024M42, the forces under Crusade General Maximus remained chronically under-resourced. Compared to the major theatres of war in the Perseus Deeps, the Hadron Expanse continued to be treated by the Imperial High Command as a secondary front, a relative backwater even as the Tyranid threat steadily increased in the region.

Nevertheless, Maximus had managed to maintain a tenuous grip on two key bastions of Imperial presence in the region—Ergura’s Fall in the Hecate Gap, and the fortified zones on Haven itself. While Ergura’s Fall remained securely under Imperial control, the frontlines on Haven had long since settled into a grinding stalemate, with Imperial forces and Ork warbands locked in a seemingly endless cycle of attack and counter-attack.

In 03.025M42, the precarious balance on Haven was shattered when the Orks launched a massive offensive, throwing their full might against the Imperial trench networks and fortified positions. The Imperial Knights, long the backbone of Maximus’ defensive doctrine, were deployed in force to blunt the xenos onslaught. In the ensuing battle, many of these noble war machines were destroyed in brutal close-quarters fighting, as the Orks overwhelmed their positions with brute strength and sheer numbers.

With the Knights eliminated and reinforcements lacking, the Imperial lines collapsed, and the Orks were able to reclaim the hard-won territory lost in 024M42, undoing months of bloody campaigning in a matter of days. By the end of the offensive, the situation had largely reverted to the stagnant frontlines that had characterised the earlier years of the campaign.

The war on Haven had returned to a tense, static stalemate, with both sides heavily entrenched and exhausted from ceaseless combat. Though the Imperial crusade under General Maximus continued, it remained starved of resources, its efforts overshadowed by grander battles elsewhere in the sector. Yet Haven remained strategically vital, a foothold in the Rifts of Hecate, and a bastion that the Imperium could ill afford to lose.

For now, the world teetered on a knife edge, with neither side able to deliver a final blow. As 025M42 progressed, the question remained: would Haven remain a war of inches, or would some new force—be it Tyranid, Ork, or Imperial—shift the balance at last?

The Battle for Corredon Outpost: Silver Templars Strike

While the Kel Sandros Eldar pushed the Imperial forces back on Hylas, the shadow war in the Aleph Sector raged on. Across multiple war zones, covert operations and precision strikes continued to shape the conflict, with small-scale battles often proving as strategically decisive as full-scale planetary assaults.

One such engagement took place at Corredon Outpost, a sprawling Federacy-controlled installation that had become the site of fierce special operations warfare. The Imperium had long sought to establish a presence within Corredon, but entrenched Federal-aligned forces and the difficult terrain of the facility made direct assaults impractical. Instead, a prolonged battle of infiltration, sabotage, and counter-infiltration had played out for months between the Imperial Guard’s elite special operations units and their Federal adversaries.

The Silver Templars Arrive

Determined to break the deadlock and secure a permanent Imperial foothold within Corredon, the Silver Templars Space Marine Chapter deployed a force of Phobos-armoured Vanguard warriors to aid the embattled Imperial agents. These stealth specialists, trained in covert insertion and asymmetric warfare, landed deep within the hostile installation, moving swiftly to establish beacon points and secure vital intelligence caches.

However, the Imperial strike force soon encountered unexpected resistance. The Hearthkyn Salvagers, a detachment of Leagues of Votann warriors, were already present within Corredon, acting under the permission of the Federacy. Whether they were there to recover lost technology, gather intelligence, or secure resources remained unclear, but what was certain was that they had no intention of surrendering the facility to the Imperium.

A Brutal Engagement in the Shadows

The Silver Templars and Hearthkyn Salvagers clashed in the gloom-lit corridors and open industrial yards of Corredon. The Hearthkyn fought bravely, their advanced weaponry and unyielding resilience allowing them to hold the line against the Astartes incursion. Despite being outnumbered and outmatched, the Votann warriors inflicted heavy losses on the Phobos-armoured Marines, their solid projectile weaponry proving effective against the lightly-armoured Vanguard warriors.

For a time, the battle hung in the balance. The Hearthkyn’s formidable defences and strategic positioning made every Imperial advance costly, and the Silver Templars found themselves fighting for every corridor and control station within the sprawling outpost.

Yet, the Astartes were relentless. Moving with precision and speed, the Phobos Marines eventually broke through the Hearthkyn defensive lines, exploiting weaknesses in their flank and overrunning their defensive hardpoints.

The Votann warriors died bravely, taking down many Phobos Marines in brutal close-quarters combat. However, despite their valiant stand, they were unable to halt the Imperial advance.

Securing the Installation

With the Hearthkyn forces broken, the Silver Templars secured their primary objectives. They planted their beacons, establishing Imperial landing zones, and successfully decoded critical intelligence gathered by the Imperial special forces. The surviving Imperial agents, long isolated and embattled within the facility, were finally able to link up with their Astartes reinforcements.

By the end of the operation, much of Corredon Outpost was firmly under Imperial control. While pockets of resistance remained, the Federacy-aligned forces had been dealt a severe blow, and the Imperium had locked down a vital forward operating position in the region.

The shadow war in the Aleph Sector was far from over, but with the Silver Templars’ intervention, the Imperium had gained an important advantage—one that could prove critical in the battles yet to come.

The Eldar Intervention on Hylas

By early 025M42, the Farseers of Kel Sandros watched with growing concern as the Tau-Federal alliance suffered setback after setback in the Zadoc subsector. The long-term plan of the Kel Sandros Eldar had always been the eventual replacement of humanity—a species prone to psychic corruption and the temptations of Slaanesh—with the Tau, an almost psychically inert race better suited to resisting the predations of Chaos.

In pursuit of this goal, the Eldar had long maintained an alliance with the Tau Empire and the Federacy, subtly guiding their expansion efforts while working to undermine the Imperium wherever possible. However, by 03.025M42, the Imperial resurgence in the Zadoc subsector threatened not only the Tau’s long-term viability but also the hidden Eldar shadow worlds of the Mabb Nebula. Faced with the potential collapse of the Zadoc Expansion Sphere, the Farseers of Kel Sandros decreed that intervention was necessary.

The Eldar Assault on Hylas

The Imperium had gained momentum on Hylas, pushing the Alliance forces back to their original landing zone. In response, the Kel Sandros Eldar launched a devastating assault on the Imperial forces holding the cities of Benger and Desmond, striking at the Aleph Wardens regiments stationed there.

The Imperial defenders, highly mechanised and well-equipped, were confident in their armoured superiority—but they were unprepared for the speed and lethality of the Eldar warhost.

The Eldar Aspect Warriors executed flawless ambush tactics, using the terrain and their superior mobility to outmanoeuvre and devastate the Imperial armour. Fire Dragons made short work of Leman Russ tanks, their melta weaponry turning steel into slag in seconds. Meanwhile, the Eldar Jetbikes tore through Imperial formations, cutting down infantry and mechanised units alike with deadly precision.

At the heart of the assault, the Avatar of Khaine strode through the battlefield, an unstoppable force of destruction. The Imperial defenders threw everything they had at the incarnation of the Bloody-Handed God, but fate itself seemed to favour the Eldar warform. Lascannon blasts, battle cannon shells, and plasma fire that should have felled even a Greater Daemon were shrugged off as the Avatar rampaged through the enemy ranks, cutting down entire squads of Guardsmen and tank crews with every sweep of the Wailing Doom.

The Fall of Benger and Desmond

Despite their superior numbers and firepower, the Imperial forces were shattered by the relentless Eldar assault. The Aleph Wardens, unaccustomed to facing such fast-moving and highly disciplined xenos warriors, crumbled under the onslaught. By the end of 03.025M42, two full regiments of mechanised Imperial Guard had been all but annihilated, and the cities of Benger and Desmond had fallen to the Alliance.

As swiftly as they had appeared, the Eldar melted back into the Webway, leaving the Tau forces to occupy the newly reclaimed ground. The Kel Sandros warhost had achieved its goal, striking a blow against the Imperial resurgence and prolonging the survival of the Tau Expansion Sphere.

The Tau-Federal alliance—reeling from its previous losses in the subsector—gratefully accepted the Eldar assistance, consolidating their hold on Hylas. Meanwhile, the Farseers of Kel Sandros, satisfied with their intervention in the strands of fate, withdrew to plan their next move in their centuries-long war against the Imperium of Man.

The Tyranid Onslaught in the Rifts of Hecate: The Battle for Helos Majoris

By 03.025M42, the Tyranid Hive Fleet Poseidon continued its unstoppable advance through the Rifts of Hecate, leaving a trail of destruction and consumption in its wake. The Tau, still reeling from their defeats across the Hadron Expanse, made one last stand on Garmenes, fighting a desperate rear-guard action to delay the inevitable. Though the Tau defenders inflicted massive casualties on the oncoming Tyranid swarm, they were ultimately forced to abandon the planet, unable to halt the relentless momentum of the bio-fleet.

With Garmenes consumed, the Hive Fleet pressed onward, setting its sights on Helos Majoris, a critical Imperial stronghold and the seat of General Maximus’ command in the sector. If the Tyranids overran the world, Imperial resistance in the region would be crippled, allowing the swarm to expand unchecked.

The Knights’ Gallant Stand

The first to meet the xenos menace were the Imperial Knights, their towering war machines striding onto the field to repel the alien tide. The Knights waged a furious and bloody battle, their thermal lances and battle cannons carving massive swathes through the Tyranid ranks. Despite the carnage, the swarm proved inexhaustible, with wave after wave of bio-forms surging forward, overwhelming fallen war machines and dragging them down in a tide of chitin and claws.

As it became clear that the Knights alone could not contain the Tyranids, the situation was further complicated by the arrival of Chaos forces. Sensing an opportunity amidst the chaos of war, the Death Guard and Emperor’s Children launched their own raiding operations, hoping to exploit the battle and secure key artefacts buried beneath the ruins of Helos Majoris. While the traitor forces clashed with scattered Imperial defenders, the Tyranids remained focused on their primary target—the heart of the Imperial lines.

The Dark Angels’ Decisive Intervention

With Imperial defences on the brink of collapse, salvation came in the form of the Dark Angels. The Adeptus Astartes descended onto Helos Majoris with precision and fury, their Thunderhawks screaming overhead as Deathwing Terminators teleported into the heart of the Tyranid swarm.

The Dark Angels executed a flawless counteroffensive, their fire discipline and brutal melee prowess turning the tide of battle. As the Tyranids reeled under the sudden and unrelenting assault, the Chaos warbands found themselves caught between the rampaging xenos and the vengeful Astartes. The Death Guard and Emperor’s Children, unable to withstand the withering assault, were systematically purged from the battlefield, their raiding efforts crushed before they could achieve their objectives.

Victory on Helos Majoris—For Now

By the end of 03.025M42, the battle for Helos Majoris had concluded with an Imperial victory—but at a staggering cost. The Knights had been savaged, many of their noble war machines lying shattered on the battlefield. The Dark Angels had suffered heavy casualties, but their decisive intervention had saved the world from the Tyranid scourge.

For now, Helos Majoris remained in Imperial hands, but Hive Fleet Poseidon was far from defeated. The Tyranids had suffered grievous losses, but the Hive Mind was already adapting, calculating, and preparing for the next phase of the invasion. The Rifts of Hecate remained a battleground, and it was only a matter of time before the Imperium, Chaos, and the remnants of the Tau-Federal alliance would face the xenos tide once again.

Shadow War on Fort Sparcos escalates

By 03.025M42, Fort Sparcos, a once-formidable Chaos stronghold, had become a battleground of multiple factions, each vying for dominance in the increasingly unstable region. Federal special forces, primarily composed of elite League of Votann Hearthkyn, had refused to abandon their efforts to infiltrate the fortress. Their repeated incursions had kept Chaos forces on the defensive, but their latest assault was met with a dire revelation—the Death Guard, who had been struggling to hold the fort, had accidentally awakened a Necron tomb buried beneath the installation.

A Chaotic Warzone

As the Necrons emerged, the situation deteriorated further when a force of Black Templars arrived, their presence linked to General Van Dorn’s wider operations in the Zadoc subsector. Sent to reconnoitre the system and assess enemy strength, the Templars instead found themselves drawn into a brutal four-way battle.

The fighting inside Fort Sparcos was fierce and unrelenting. The Necrons, despite being outnumbered, weathered the combined assault of both the Black Templars and the Death Guard, proving their resilience and cutting down scores of warriors from both factions. The Death Guard, unwilling to relinquish their hold over the fort, committed their corrupted Astartes to the slaughter, while the Templars, undaunted, sought to purge both xenos and traitors alike.

Curiously, the Votann forces remained largely unscathed, despite being active participants in the battle. Whether this was due to sheer luck, advanced tactical manoeuvres, or something else entirely remains a mystery, but their effectiveness in direct combat was questionable at best. They failed to make significant gains, though they did manage to carve out a small foothold within the fortress.

A Pyrrhic Victory for Chaos

When the battle finally subsided, Chaos had emerged as the nominal victor. The Death Guard, despite suffering substantial casualties, had managed to reassert control over key sections of the Labyrinthine complex. The Necrons and the Votann retained isolated bridgeheads within the fortress, but neither faction had managed to dislodge the Chaos forces entirely.

The Black Templars, despite their zealous assault, were ultimately forced to retreat, unable to establish a foothold against the overwhelming tide of enemies. Their withdrawal marked a significant setback for Imperial operations in the region, as Van Dorn’s strategy for the Zadoc subsector now faced a growing and unpredictable threat at Fort Sparcos.

For now, Chaos remained in control, but Fort Sparcos was no longer the secure bastion it once was. With Necron, Votann, and even Ork warbands contesting sections of the installation, it seemed inevitable that the fortress would continue to be a battleground for some time to come.

Tau Base on Garmenes lost

At the beginning of 03.025M42, the Tau colony world of Garmenes came under a sudden and overwhelming assault from Hive Fleet Poseidon, a massive Tyranid splinter fleet that surged through the void with terrifying speed. The Tau defenders, already stretched thin due to ongoing conflicts in the Rifts of Hecate, were caught completely off guard. Within days, their defensive lines began to collapse under the sheer weight of the swarm, as Poseidon’s bioforms relentlessly pushed them back from their strongholds and shattered their once-secure bastions.

As the Tau fought desperately to stem the tide of Tyranid monstrosities, a new threat emerged—the Emperor’s Children. The traitorous warriors of Slaanesh, ever drawn to excess and opportunity, descended upon the war-ravaged world, not to defend it, but to loot and sow further destruction. They raided Tau bases, stealing technology, weaponry, and valuable resources, while slaughtering both the defenders and any surviving civilians.

With the Tau forces already struggling to hold back the Tyranids, the sudden appearance of the Chaos warbands turned an already dire situation into a total catastrophe. Unable to counter two relentless enemies at once, the Tau lines crumbled, and their retreat quickly turned into a panicked evacuation.

By 1203.025M42, any Tau who could escape had already fled, abandoning Garmenes to its fate. The Emperor’s Children withdrew as well, having taken all they could from the shattered Tau infrastructure. With no meaningful resistance left, the Tyranids began the inevitable process of consuming the world, stripping it of all organic matter to fuel the hive fleet’s continued advance.

The fall of Garmenes marked the complete collapse of the Tau expedition into the Rifts of Hecate. What had once been an ambitious expansion effort had now turned into a desperate retreat. The remnants of the surviving Tau forces fled back towards Echo Reach, carrying with them a dire warning—the Hadron Expansion Sphere itself could now be in grave danger. 

Hylas: Benger reclaimed by the Imperium

By 03.025M42, the Imperium’s counteroffensive on Hylas had gained significant momentum under General Van Dorn, pushing the Tau-Federal alliance back towards their original landing zones. The battle for the city of Benger became a critical engagement in this campaign, as Imperial forces sought to break the Alliance’s hold over their last strategic bastions.

At the forefront of the Imperial advance was the Angels of Vengeance, a successor chapter of the Dark Angels, who launched a ferocious assault on the city against the well-prepared Tau defenders under Commander Sla’uta. The Tau’s advanced firepower and defensive fortifications inflicted grievous losses on the Astartes, with entire squads cut down before reaching their objectives.

Despite these losses, the Angels of Vengeance fought with relentless fury, determined to break the Tau resistance. Close-quarters combat within the ruins of Benger turned into a bloodbath, with the Astartes forcing their way through Tau defensive lines at crippling cost. The losses among the Angels of Vengeance were severe, including the deaths of both their Chapter Master and their Chaplain, struck down by precision railgun fire and pulse bombardments.

However, the Tau also paid a steep price. Their commander, Sla’uta, was slain in the fighting, and a Stormsurge battlesuit, a key component of the city’s defence, was destroyed. With their leadership crippled and their lines collapsing, the Tau and their Federal allies were forced into a full retreat, abandoning Benger to the advancing Imperial forces.

By 1003_025M42, General Van Dorn had nearly cleared the Tau-Federal invasion from Hylas. With the loss of Benger, the alliance forces were now pushed back to their original landing zones, where their situation had become increasingly precarious. The Imperium now held the strategic upper hand, surrounding the city and cutting off supply lines, making the final collapse of the Tau position on Hylas inevitable.

Despite suffering horrific casualties, the Imperial victory at Benger marked the beginning of the end for the Tau incursion. Whether the Alliance could muster a final counterattack or would be forced to evacuate entirely remained to be seen, but one thing was clear—the Imperium had turned the tide on Hylas.

Rifts of Hecate: Current Situation

Tyranids land on Calthingum

By 03.025M42, the war-torn world of Calthingum became the latest battlefield to fall to the insatiable hunger of the Tyranids. While Chaos had long held sway over the system, bolstered by the nearby Daemon World of Fecus Major, the arrival of the xenos swarm proved to be a disaster for the Emperor’s Children, who found themselves utterly unprepared for the ferocity and speed of the attack.

The Tyranid invasion came without warning, descending upon Calthingum in a storm of chitin and claw. The Emperor’s Children, entrenched in their pleasure-warped fortresses, had been expecting raids from the Orks or the forces of the Imperium, but the arrival of the Hive Fleet caught them completely off guard.

Before the traitor marines could even properly marshal a defence, the Tyranids closed the distance with terrifying speed, overwhelming gun emplacements, Chaos warbands, and defensive redoubts in a matter of hours. The Emperor’s Children, masters of excess and ranged slaughter, were wholly unprepared for a war where their enemies refused to give them space to fight.

In the ensuing battle, the Tyranids tore through the Chaos lines with relentless fury. The close-quarters combat favoured the xenos, whose monstrous creatures and swarming gaunts ripped apart traitor Astartes before they could react. The decadent warriors of Slaanesh, typically reveling in drawn-out, sadistic battles, were instead subjected to a swift and brutal massacre. As hive beasts and warrior forms shredded the corrupted marines limb from limb, the Emperor’s Children quickly realised that no amount of excess-fuelled pleasure in battle could counter the raw biological efficiency of the Hive Mind.

With their forces in disarray and no time to mount an effective counterattack, the Emperor’s Children were forced to retreat, abandoning vast sections of their once-fortified world. By the beginning of 03.025M42, the defensive infrastructure of Calthingum lay in ruins, and the remnants of the Chaos forces were scattered and broken.

Though the Daemon World of Fecus Major still loomed nearby, it was clear that Calthingum had already been lost. Unless Chaos could muster a decisive intervention, the Tyranids would soon consume the planet entirely, adding yet another world to the ever-growing biomass of the Hive 

Drukhari Raids Sow Chaos in the Hadron Expanse

By 025M42, the war-torn Hadron Expanse had become a chaotic battleground where multiple factions vied for dominance. The forces of Chaos, the Orks, the Tyranids, and the Tau were all locked in bitter struggles across the region. Yet even as these factions clashed, another player emerged from the shadows to exploit the turmoil — the Drukhari.

The Kabalite warlords of Commorragh had long viewed the Expanse as a hunting ground, preying upon weakened forces and vulnerable outposts for slaves, resources, and sheer sport. Their latest raids struck with brutal precision, sowing further discord among the already embattled forces.

The Sacking of Calthingum

The first major raid struck the Chaos-held world of Calthingum, where the Emperor’s Children were engaged in a desperate struggle against an ever-growing Ork WAAAGH! and the relentless tide of the Tyranid hive fleets. The Drukhari, striking with lightning speed and lethal efficiency, launched a devastating outflanking assault, catching the Emperor’s Children off guard as they attempted to hold back the xenos hordes.

With their superior speed and advanced weaponry, the Drukhari decimated the Chaos forces, slaughtering warbands in precision strikes before withdrawing into the void with captives and plunder. The raid left the Emperor’s Children reeling, their defences shattered at a crucial moment, allowing both Orks and Tyranids to overrun key positions.

The Devastation of Garmenes

Meanwhile, the Tau war effort on Garmenes was already strained as they fought desperately to hold the line against the Tyranid swarms. The arrival of the Drukhari only made matters worse. The Dark Eldar struck at the Tau command infrastructure, crippling their ability to coordinate their defensive operations. Key supply depots, communication hubs, and shield generators were obliterated in a series of rapid hit-and-run assaults.

With their defensive networks in disarray, the Tau forces were left vulnerable to the encroaching Tyranids, whose relentless advance now seemed all but unstoppable.

The Mystery of the Drukhari’s Intentions

As the aftermath of these raids unfolded, Imperial, Tau and Chaos strategists alike began to ask an unsettling question: why were the Drukhari effectively aiding the Tyranids?

While the Dark Eldar cared little for the fate of other factions, their actions appeared to be deliberately weakening the strongest opposition to the Hive Fleets. Some speculated, however implausibly, that certain Kabals had struck hidden bargains with the Tyranids, offering easy victories in exchange for a steady supply of captives. Others theorised that the Drukhari simply saw the Hadron Expanse as an abundant hunting ground, and the collapse of structured resistance only made their raids easier.

Regardless of their motives, one thing was certain—the Rifts of Hecate and the wider Hadron Expanse remained prime hunting territory for the raiders of Commorragh. With so many forces already locked in brutal, grinding wars, the Drukhari would continue to strike from the shadows, taking what they pleased and vanishing before any meaningful counterattack could be mustered.

Malkaor’s Offensive: The Purging of Chaos on Zadoc

By 02.025M42, the Tau war effort in the Zadoc subsector was experiencing increasing strain. The Imperial resurgence, led by General Van Dorn, and the unexpected durability of the Chaos warbands on Zadoc itself had stalled the Tau-Federal Expansion Sphere. In response to these setbacks, the Ethereal High Command dispatched Commander Malkaor, a renowned strategist and master of rapid warfare, to Zadoc to restore momentum to the campaign.

Upon his arrival, Malkaor wasted no time in assessing the situation. While the Tau still held their bridgehead on the planet, their position was tenuous. The forces of Chaos, though fractured, were well-entrenched and threatened to turn the conflict into a prolonged attritional war. Malkaor rejected stagnation, opting instead for a decisive and fast-moving offensive, aimed at sweeping Chaos from the region in a single, devastating strike.

Malkaor’s forces struck south from the Tau stronghold at Chettalo, executing a meticulously planned Mont’ka (Killing Blow) manoeuvre. The Chaos warbands, still overconfident from their recent engagements, were caught completely off guard by the sheer speed and precision of the attack.

The Tau assault was spearheaded by mechanised Hunter Cadres, supported by Hammerhead gunships, Crisis Battlesuits, and a devastating barrage of artillery and air support. The cultist hordes and traitor militia were annihilated in the opening moments of the battle, their poorly organised defences obliterated under pinpoint railgun fire and withering pulse barrages. The more elite Chaos warbands, including a strong force of traitor Astartes, attempted to regroup, but Malkaor’s fluid battlefield command ensured that no Chaos force was allowed to consolidate its position.

With their forces in complete disarray, the Chaos armies collapsed, suffering catastrophic losses. The Tau advanced rapidly, sweeping southward and capturing key cities in quick succession. Within days, the strategic settlements of Antolovi and Guion had fallen, and Tau forces stood poised to claim the entirety of the southern continent.

The battle had been a masterclass in Tau warfare, demonstrating the effectiveness of speed, precision, and overwhelming firepower against an enemy reliant on brute strength and attrition. Commander Malkaor’s victory shattered the Chaos presence on Zadoc, solidifying the Tau foothold and allowing the Federacy to redirect resources elsewhere.

However, while the forces of Chaos had been broken, the Imperium remained entrenched. With the Dark Angels continuing their guerrilla war on New Cerberex, and Van Dorn’s offensive gaining traction, Malkaor’s success, though significant, was only one part of a far greater war, a war that was still far from over.

The Battle of the Harian Mesa: Securing the Imperial Corridor

As the Mordecai campaign entered 025M42, General Kutuzov sought to eliminate a persistent Chaos salient that threatened the cohesion of Imperial positions between Menoria Hive and Westosa Hive. The Death Guard, entrenched within the harsh and treacherous Harian Mesa, had been using the region as a staging ground for raids and counterattacks, disrupting Imperial supply lines and preventing a secure link between the two key hive cities. Kutuzov's objective was clear; drive the traitors from the mesa and establish an unbroken Imperial stronghold.

The offensive was launched with multiple regiments of Astra Militarum, primarily composed of mechanised infantry and heavy armour units. However, the nature of the Harian Mesa—a rugged expanse of crumbling ridges, rocky canyons, and deep dust traps, made large-scale mechanised movement slow and arduous. The Death Guard, well-adapted to prolonged attritional warfare, took full advantage of the environment, using ambush tactics, entrenched fortifications, and chemical bombardments to grind down the advancing Imperial forces.

The fighting was brutal. The Death Guards' resilience, combined with the Mesa’s difficult terrain, led to massive equipment losses on both sides. Tanks, transports, and artillery pieces were destroyed in droves, reduced to smouldering wrecks by precision fire, airborne plagues, or simply breaking down in the harsh landscape. The Imperial Guard, however, maintained their greatest advantage; sheer numbers. Where the Death Guard relied on heavily armed and armoured formations, the Imperium could replace its losses far more effectively, with wave after wave of infantry pushing forward despite horrific casualties.

While the Death Guard defenders inflicted staggering losses, the Imperial war machine proved inexhaustible. The sheer volume of infantry assaults, combined with constant artillery bombardments, eventually overwhelmed the Chaos forces, forcing them into a disorderly retreat. With their vehicles destroyed and their fortified positions overrun, the Plague Marines were unable to hold their ground, and Imperial forces systematically cleared the mesa, securing vital high ground and pushing Chaos remnants into the surrounding wastes.

By the end of the battle, the Harian Mesa had been fully taken, eliminating the Chaos salient that had so long threatened the Imperial corridor. At last, Menoria Hive and Westosa Hive were securely joined, forming a continuous and defensible Imperial sector in the heart of Mordecai Primaris.

With the Harian Mesa pacified, General Kutuzov and Imperial High Command were left with a difficult strategic choice. While their sector was now secure, it was surrounded on all sides by the hostile wastelands of Mordecai, with any further advance requiring long and vulnerable supply lines. The remaining Chaos strongholds - particularly the remaining hive cities of the planet - stood deep in the deserts, meaning any future offensive would be costly and logistically complex.

For now, the Imperium had secured a key victory, but the war on Mordecai was far from over. The next decision could determine the fate of the entire campaign.