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.
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