Hadron expanse engagements widen

In the Hadron Expanse, while the eldar and necron forces continued their war to locate and obtain the necron artefacts on the tombworld of Hexis, other forces were active in the wider expanse. Since 020M42 the warp storms that once veiled the region known as the Rifts of Hecate had become increasingly becalmed, and the first tales of strange artefacts and exotic planets were beginning to emerge from those brave enough to make the crossing into an area that still posed a serious danger to anyone who entered. Many expeditions of all races did not return, but by late 10.021M42 it was becoming clear that the Rifts of Hecate may contain sufficient resources and wonders to make control over them, and access to them, strategically significant.

To access the Rifts of Hecate it was necessary to have a jumping off point in the Hadron Expanse. The Dark Eldar had several bases, but were increasingly aware of the threat posed to their favourable position in dominating the space lanes to the Hecate gap, by the Imperial presence on Vanir. This gap was the one navigable pathway into the Expanse, and the Drukhari saw an opportunity to both set back the Imperial encroachment on their access to the Rifts, and to harvest valuable slaves and engage in some wanton acts of savage violence at the same time.

The Dark Eldar raid was brutal and effective. The Adeptus Mechanicus forces had deployed expecting such a raid, but were taken by surprise following a deployment that was particularly vulnerable to a sneak attack. It is likely that the worshippers of the Machine God had put too much trust in their intelligence gathering capability and had relied on being able to react first to the appearance of the Drukhari, but this did not come to pass. The xenos struck first, and managed to enter devastating close combat and destroy vitally important tactical assets before the Mechanicum were able to respond. 

The battle soon became a massacre, and while the Mechanicum forces were able to disengage from the attack, the colonists and Administratum forces on Vanir I were not so fortunate. Fear gripped the more populous world of Vani, as the Drukhari slaughtered and enslaved thousands on the inner planet, destroying infrastructure and threatening Imperial control of the system, before melting back into the webway with the profits of their raid.

Further towards the unexplored Eastern Fringe and closer to the Hecate Gap itself, the Tau were continuing the creation of their own base on Tanis. Having secured a foothold, the Tau, lead by a force not part of the command structure involved with the Hadron Expansion sphere, had established a base. In reality these Tau had no links with Malkaor or the Expansion plans of the Tau Empire, and were acting in partnership with the Federacy, as the leaders of the technically advanced world of Tallax had been energised with the rediscovery of the Rifts of Hecate, and had sponsored an investigation of the region.

The Death Guard, continuing to establish their own presence in the area, and working hard to create the daemonworld of Fecus Major, also recognised the opportunities within the rifts of Hecate and the threat posed by a Tau/Federacy base so close to their own. In late 10.021M42 the forces of nurgle launched a raid to the Tanis system in order to disrupt the Tau operations there and gather more resources for their project in the Lysis system. The Tau deployed considerable forces to meet the chaos threat, but found their firepower severely lacking as the nurgle horde pushed inexorably towards the Tau base on Tanis III. Poxwalkers shambled into the Tau lines on the right flank while Blight Lord Terminators intervened supporting a daemon prince of nurgle in the centre. On the left flank of the engagement an elite force of crisis suits tried to push home a counter attack, but even with their advanced technology were unable to remove the ancient astartes warriors from key objectives. In response, mass Plagueburst Crawler mortar fire and entropy cannons made a mess of the suited Tau warriors, and even the mighty Riptide was taken down after being assaulted on all sides by the slow moving but relentless advance of the House of Eschar Death Guard force.

The Tau lost significant forces and their plans to create a base as a jumping off point to explore the rifts was severely disrupted, while the Death Guard continued to progress their efforts on the moon of Hexis. Soon a new plague planet would be born and the forces of chaos would have an ideal vantage point to further their plague spreading aims in the Hardon Expanse.

Imperial campaign against the orks suffers setbacks

Having secured Aspaster for the Imperium, the next move against the orks came swiftly, as ad hoc forces began probing ork defences on Magark, a large ork world that served as a sort of "capital" for ork forces in the Cerrack Nebula region of the Vastrid subsector. In 10.021M42 the campaign against the orks, ordered by Inquisitor Ezquerra, had not been organised in any strategic sense, and while the wheels of the Administratum started to turn, setting up a base on Aspaster and beginning to select an overall commander and assign Guard units, the probing attacks on Magark were conducted by hastily assembled forces which often had their own agendas.

The Blood Angels, assisted by a Knight household, were the first to test the ork defences of Magark, intending to gather intelligence and cut off the head of one of the more powerful tribes by assassinating its leader. In this at least, they were successful, managing to kill the warlord of an ork tribe in their raid. However their losses were heavy, including a Knight Castellan and their own Blood Angel's company commander, and the end result seemed to stir more orks to action so was not considered a strategic success in any way.

The Adeptus Mechanicus launched their own raid against the orks which was more profitable. Significant intelligence about the nature of the ork forces on Magark was gathered and their defences assessed, and this information was passed back to the emerging command structure on Aspaster for future campaigns against the large and populous greenskin world. The Mechanicum's real motivation however was concealed from other agents of the Imperium, as this particular Forge World was more interested in understanding the ork technology and investigating the ancient xenos ruins, thought to be of necron origin. What data they gathered on this subject they did not share, but gradually a coalition of imperial forces was beginning to come together in the Cerrack Nebula, with the intention of beginning a full scale war against the greenskins in the Vastrid subsector.

Mordecai Secundus returns to stalemate

On Mordecai Secundus following operation Sarkar, general Kutuzov was keen to shore up his right flank following the chaos counter attack into the northern Sathugar mines. Lacking Imperial Guard in this sector, the Dark Angels agreed to step in and attempt to cut off the salient the chaos advance had created.

Launching their elite forces against the Thousand Sons, the Dark Angels soon got into a vicious engagement on the rocky shores of the lava lake that dominated the area. Their Ravenwing and Deathwing units led the charge, and in a few hours the traitor astartes had been severely mauled, allowing imperial forces to cut off the salient and retake the mining complexes once more. This was a significant victory, but further south, the Thousand Sons, using their warp technology and the daemonworld of Astralis to reposition their forces, had launched a new offensive of their own.

The chaos siege of Ur'Ghar had only recently been lifted, allowing the Grey Knights to reposition and forces of the Imperial Guard and the Adeptus Mechanicus to take positions in the city. Defending the narrow corridor between the settlement itself and the rest of the imperial sector were the Adeptus Sororitas, operating out of their fortified complex fort Celestine. The tzeentch worshipping astartes now attacked in strength, and a savage battle took place across the blasted landscape of lava plains, as both sides stubbornly refused to give up easily.

After many hours of fighting, the traitor forces had managed to hold on to key objectives, and gradually the Sisters of Battle were forced back towards their defences around Fort Celestine. Once again the city of Ur'Ghar was surrounded, only now there were no elite astartes forces defending it.

Ultramarines defeat Harlequins on Hexis.

Deeply unsatisfied with their defeat, the Sisters of Quartz took some time to lick their wounds and gather  reinforcements before skulking the plains of Hexis for a rematch. It wasn’t long before they saw the signs of familiar black and gold armour, and they once again positioned themselves to pounce.

However, Captain Vicky of Varsity had been expecting such a counterattack from the bitter Eldar, and with reinforcements of their own managed to make the first move. Elegant Harlequin vehicles were snapped in two by their brutal Marine counterparts, and a lack of secure cover left the fragile Sisters open and vulnerable. What was most concerning was Varsity’s newfound speed – some of the clunky lesser beings somehow moved with more speed and agility than the Sisters and this frightened them as they were quickly surrounded, picked off by bullets and flames alike as they failed to reach with their own weaponry.

They remained stubborn despite the losses, and as if out of pure spite for the Marines the Empress and her Solitaire took several direct hits from heavier and heavier artillery without flinching – perhaps they were smirking, but the blank masks gave nothing away and that arguably made it more unnerving. Captain Vicky was not so lucky in their resilience, their flame-wielding guards shot away by dying troupe members before a Sapphire spearwoman swung by, eliminating them in a surprising turn of the tide.

This minor victory, though, was the Sisters’ last. Out in the open a tank managed to finally mow the Empress down as the Solitaire faced a similar fate from the Dreadnaught she had been locked in combat with, and without enough bodies to secure the site the Sisters tasted loss once more.

Mordecai Secundus: Current Strategic Situation

 

Dark Angels retake Abrax mines on the Eastern Front

While the main action on Mordecai Secundus was taking place further south, the Dark Angels decided of their own volition to sort out the Eastern Front. It had only been mere weeks since the forces of chaos had overrun part of the Abrax mines complex, and while the chaos forces on this front did not pose a significant risk to Fort Vengeance or imperial HQ (thanks largely to the deep imperial fortifications in the area), the loss of the mining complex was of strategic significance.

The Dark Angels drew up a focussed and limited plan to retake the mines, launching their assault simultaneously with operation Sarkar to minimise the threat of rapid redeployment by the enemy. Using their most elite troops, including their Deathwing and Ravenwing elements, the loyalist astartes were able to grab key objectives then weather the counter attack by the Thousand Sons. Although only a "side show" to operation Sarkar, the reclamation of the Abrax mines was nonetheless a welcome boost for the imperial campaign on the planet.

Chaos counter-attack in the Central Sector on Mordecai Secundus

While general Kutuzov put in place operation Sarkar in the south, this necessarily came at a cost. In the central sector the imperial front line had to be weakened as imperial guard units were sent south for the offensive. To guard against chaos taking advantage of this situation the Ultramarines and Angels of Vengeance were deployed in the vicinity to rapidly counter any chaos offensive in the area.

The forces of chaos did not take long in making the most of Kutuzov's redeployment as a force of Thousand Sons and Death Guard began to rapidly advance on the city of Festergax Primus. Led by the Thousand Sons, with the slower Death Guard following behind, the chaos forces broke through the imperial lines with ease and now Kutuzov's counter strategy came into play.

The Angels of Vengeance, new to the theatre, took on the Thousand Sons. This however went badly, and the relatively inexperienced astartes chapter were all but brushed aside by the worshippers of Tzeentch. Further south-east, the House of Eschar faction of Death Guard moved inexorably forward, countered by the Ultramarines. Initially the engagement was evenly balanced, but the resilience of the Death Guard forces began to take its toll. Unable to take down enough of the nurgle forces, the Ultramarines were slowly enveloped then ground down by the Death Guard, with the intervention of the Blightlord terminators key to unhinging the Ultramarine left flank. Unable to respond to the appearance of the terminators, the ultramarines were gradually taken out, resulting in a massacre which severely dented the chapter's fighting capability on Mordecai.

By 2010.021M42 the forces of chaos had advanced significantly towards the city of Festergax, but the biggest risk was that Kutuzov's southern right flank now lay exposed and vulnerable.

Operation Sarkar: Major imperial advance in the south of Mordecai Secundus

As 10.021M42 progressed there was no sign of an end to the stalemate on Mordecai Secundus. The strategic situation was finely balanced, but general Kutuzov was now ready to launch operation Sarkar in the southern sector of the front. His intention was to break through the chaos lines at Ur'Ghar and west of the Sathugar mines, before pushing south towards the Sarkar traps, a vast lava sea that was impassable for ground troops. This would trap several chaos armies against the shore of the lava sea and enable them to be mopped up by the Novgorod Guard.

The offensive started to the west of Fort Celestine, with the Sisters of battle taking a large formation of Thousand Sons off guard as they advanced west from their positions. The initial engagement was very one sided, with the sisters decisively defeating the chaos force and breaking through the front line.

The Sisters had not finished their role in the operation thought, as a second force was required to reach the shores of the Sarkar traps south of Ur'Ghar, before the Novgorod guard could follow through in the centre and complete the entrapment. This second advance could not be done simultaneously with the first, as the Adeptus Sororitas did not have sufficient forces to conduct these operations in parallel, so as the second offensive got underway, the Thousand Sons in the south had forewarning of the attack.

This second battle was more difficult for the Sisters of Battle, as the chaos forces fought more defensively, aware now of the threat posed and the intentions of general Kutuzov. The imperial force was still successful however, and despite not achieving the same level of victory, the Thousand Sons were obliged to move back to Burroneus. Now to avoid encirclement the Death Guard defending the Sarkar line would have to prevent the Novgorod Guard from reaching the shores of the Sarkar traps.

The final phase of operation Sarkar began with an overwhelming barrage of imperial guard firepower, as once again the Novgorod Guard got the drop on the enemy forces. The initial bombardment was fearsome and accurate, destroying many Death guard elite units and putting plagueburst crawlers - a significant threat to the vulnerable guardsmen - out of action.

The battle continued to develop favourably for the Novogorod Guard, despite the elite force of traitor astartes using their resilience and tactical excellence to full effect. Kutuzov watched from his HQ as his loyal guardsmen managed to shake off a determined counter attack as they pushed on inexorably towards the lava sea. Despite the imperial firepower, the Death Guard were by no means finished, and the success of the whole operation hung by a thread. Eventually however the imperial luck held, and the Novgorod Guard managed just barely to hold on to their positions on the Sarkar traps, cutting off all forces between them and the chaos city of Burroneus.

Operation Sarkar had been a success, and the remaining chaos forces in the pocket, trapped against the shores of the Sarkar traps, were gradually mopped up in the ensuing week of fighting. It was the largest imperial advance on Mordecai Secundus for many months.

Sisters of Quartz return to Hexis

As the Ul'Staer Craftworld continued to exert pressure on the necrons and orks on Hexis, the Aeldari force were not alone. The Sisters of Quartz had once again returned to the world seeking to prevent any of the lesser races from uncovering or using the rare and dangerous artefacts created and stored there by their ancient enemy. External factors beyond their control had lead to the Sisters of Quartz all but disappearing from the Aleph Sector for far too long. But now, reorganised and regrouped, they were back. And they wanted blood. 

A lone company of Marines by the name Varsity were the first lifeforms they encountered. An easy mission, the Sisters felt – their nimble frames could dance in, plunder or destroy their supplies, and dispatch them swiftly before their clunky armoured bodies could raise their guns in response.

And that is how the battle started: a pair of Sapphire bikers reduced a tank to ashes before it could land a single shot, as another unit ploughed through Varsity infantry. However, this success turned to arrogance that later proved their downfall. The Solitaire leapt onto another tank, staring directly into the window… and then failed to shatter the glass. The tank fell back, unscathed, to reveal a line of men with flamers waiting eagerly behind. She never stood a chance.

The Sisters were separated, spread thin in an attempt to take too much at once, and a gruelling back-and-forth of blows ensued. Varsity reinforcements dropped in mid-battle to pick off the wounded Death Jester clinging to one of the supply crates. The Rose Quartz division held another site desperately as a Dreadnaught smashed through them, and even the Sapphire bikers began to buckle under the firepower of the Marines. 

Despite the considerable losses, things were looking hopeful for the Eldar until a single shot rang out that mortally wounded the Empress. Utterly thrown, the remaining Sisters conducted a final rush, causing as much harm as they could before they were forced to retreat, unsuccessful.

Strange reports from the Expanse

The arrival of the Dragon's Sons chapter of space marines had not entirely been welcomed by all imperial forces across the sector. Unlike many other chapters of astartes the Dragon's Sons had not made any representations to the imperial high command on Mordecai and had simply deployed where they felt necessary. The information on them was almost impossible to find, and the other space marine chapters simply refused to talk about them.

General Kutuzov, already having experienced the attitudes of the Carcharadons and the Forgotten Sons' was concerned, but while this new chapter aided his conquest of Mordecai he was content not to push the matter. Further field however, the imperial high command was more concerned as reports of strange actions came in from the Hadron Expanse, where apparently a company of Dragon's Sons had also deployed.

Sector commander Titus Luthor was already borderline paranoid by this point. Inquisitor's Huron and Vorushko had disappeared, the Forgotten Son's had arrived, started attacking Imperial assets as a "warning" then vanished, and he had only recently been made aware that Lord Inquisitor Hathek had now disappeared, leaving a cryptic message that false agents of the Inquisition, backed by rogue astartes chapters, now had him and his high command as a target.

While increasing his own personal security and issuing edicts that no Inquisitor should be obeyed without his express approval (already an order in excess of his remit or power), Luthor's paranoia reached new heights as reports came in of the Dragon's Sons simultaneously battling against necron forces and a company of Dark Angels in the far reaches of the Hadron Expanse. This - Luthor could not make sense of, and the Dark Angels once again abjectly refused to comment. The Sons were victorious, but what the engagement was about, and why the Dark Angels were involved alongside the necrons (or even if this was reliable intelligence), was unknown to Luthor and extremely unnerving.

Eldar make decisive move on Hexis

On Hexis the forces of the eldar had recently lost control of their webway portal to the Imperium, but the Mon-Kiegh had not yet had the wit to find the portal, well disguised as it was by the psychic artistry of the superior Aeldari race. While this was an irritant, the real reason for the presence of the ancient race on the world was in direct opposition of the reawakening of their old foe, the necrons.

The Farseer's of the Ul'Staer craftworld had cast their powerful psychic minds into the future, and did not relish the prospect of the Skareth dynasty of necrons securing the tombs of Hexis and the artefacts that lay in the thousands of miles of sprawling catacombs under the city. In order to prevent the necrons from reaching the entrance to the tomb complex however, they first needed to deal with the greenskins.

The orks had been used by the forces of chaos as extra manpower in the initial war for the control of Hexis and the access to the Foramen Ignotum, a pathway through the Cicatrix Maledictum now lost thanks to the intervention of the Ynnari. Their chaos masters, led by Iron Warrior Warsmith Stahl, had long since left, leaving behind uncontrolled and leaderless ork tribes who were nonetheless more than willing to fight anyone trying to remove them from their territory.

The Ul'Staer Aeldari were no exception. While trying to cut the Crypteks of the Library of Silence off from the tombworld entrance the orks were simply in the way, but fought with enthusiasm and savagery. The Aeldari were however able to carve a stable path through ork territory and now lay in wait for the necrons.

The arrival of the Skareth dynasty was not long in coming, and the ensuing battle was particularly vicious and unforgiving. Old hatreds were rekindled in the streets and open areas of Praxis, as the two ancient races acted out a miniature history of a war that once raged from one end of the galaxy to the other. The battle was incredibly evenly balanced, and both army leaders were slain in a savage battle that cost the Ul'Staer craftworld many lives. The result however was eventual victory, and the eldar had managed to control the south west portions of the giant city, cutting off the necron forces from easy access to the tomb world. The Crypteks now had to choose between going up against their enemy or taking a different path to gain access to the all important crypts beneath the shattered surface of Hexis.

Joint astartes force secures Aspaster

For many centuries the orks of the Vastrid subsector had been bottled up in the Cerrack Nebula warring amongst themselves. The Imperial forts of Thrace and Ate kept watch over the region, home to two large ork worlds, guarding against an ork incursion via the major warp lanes to Perisia and Vastrid itself.

Another world, Aspaster, was less populated, but often played a part in the ongoing territorial battles between the different ork clans and tribes, but in 019M42 the situation had changed. Unknown to the sector administration (or the sector commander Titus Luthor), the Inquisition had been secretly supplying imperial weapons to the orks of the Blod Axe clan. This clan had become a focus for the orks who, united in their dislike of the Blood Axes, threatened to overwhelm them and then - now united - pose a threat to the Imperium. With the main imperial effort focussed on Mordecai and the Perseus Deeps, an unexpected ork Waagh! was not something the Imperium could risk.

Not everyone in the Inquisition agreed or approved of this approach however, and in 019M42 with Lord Huron missing, the continuation of the operation to arm the orks could not be allowed to continue. Even before Brother-Inquisitor Cyrus Ezquerra was confirmed in his position of Inquisitor for the Aleph Sector, he had taken actions to stop the shipments, and unfortunately this had led to the destruction of Fort Thrace in the process.

To mitigate this Ezquerra had left standing orders for any imperial force to conduct operations against the orks "as soon as was expedient", given their competing concerns. Finally, with his inquisition agents highlighting growing ork activity in the Cerrack nebula, the Dark Angels and Hammers of the Emperor undertook a joint expedition to suppress the orks.

Landing on the frontier scrubland landscape of Aspaster, the astartes soon found a world not riven by inter-clan war, but a world of increasing military build up. During the course of 10.021M42 the Hammers and Dark Angels launched a series of operations against the main forces of Bloodfang orks, and Orks who seemed to be loyal to a figure they called "Ludendork", though this faction also seemed to have forces far to the east in the Hadron Expanse, suggesting that once again the shared consciousness or "belief" of the orks was playing a part.

Ork ideology notwithstanding, the astartes smashed both camps of orks, killing their warlords and wiping out the greenskins. The few that escaped disappeared into the vast wildernesses of the planet, while the Imperium setup a watch on the planet and in the system, to ensure any "regrowth" of greenskin activity in the system was closely monitored. From here, a systematic watch of the larger ork worlds of Keprok and Magark began, with the possibility of a full scale invasion of them not ruled out.

Mordecai ebb and flow continues

The war on Mordecai Secundus had been going on for years with no side prepared to give any ground. The mining world was key to the supply of the system's major world of Mordecai Primaris, the Imperium's ultimate goal. With the arcane technology available to them on Mordecai Primaris, it was likely that the Imperium would be able to establish a direct warp link between the Perseus Deeps and the Vastrid subsector, something badly needed for the prosecution of the Imperium's campaigns in the Imperium Nihilis.

The forces of chaos were more than keen to avoid this happening, and the Mordecai system had been critical to the continued chaos presence in the Deeps. Along with Kendrenec, these two worlds were the strongest of the chaos holdings in the region, as they had lost Bastien and Parthenope and previous campaigns, and Calliden, a previous stronghold, had been ravaged by the Harakhty dynasty of necrons, prior to their unexpected re-hibernation in 016M42.

The other worlds in the Perseus Deeps were of lesser value, and the loss of Mordecai would bisect chaos power in the region, cutting off the Rim Worlds from their power base in the Cicatrix Maledictum. In order to prevent the Imperium from gaining Mordecai, the Emerald Serpent - dedicated to the God Tzeentch and with the patronage of Magnus the Red and the Thousand Sons, had summoned the daemon world Astralis into the system. This gave the forces of chaos relief from the imperial naval blockade without having to risk their own fleets, as supplies and forces could be moved around via the arcane energy of the warp, but this was to no avail if the crucial mining complexes themselves fell into imperial hands.

Set against this background the forces of the Emerald Serpent and their elite legion astartes were always found deployed near the crucial strategic assets, and as the Hammers of the Emperor prepared to strike at the remaining chaos presence in the Sathugar mines, the Thousand Sons managed to launch their own unexpected attack in the north, against the Abrax mines. This northern sector had been quiet for months, but using the power of Astralis the Emerald Serpent quickly mustered and army and launched an offensive on 1010.021M42 against the Adeptus Mechanicus defences.

Relatively inexperienced with the battle tactics of the Thousand Sons, the Mechanicum force fought well, but were unable to prevent the forces of chaos from overrunning the northern mines. In the south however, the veteran Hammers of the Emperor struck almost simultaneously, overwhelming the chaos armies in the southern sector and reclaiming the remaining Sathugar mining complexes. By the end of 1310.021M42 both sides had managed to gain and lose sections of these critical mines.

Hadron Expanse: Tau setback at Tanis

While the war in the Lysis system occupied the majority of factions active in the Hadron Expanse, the Tau had long since disengaged from the bitter war for the system and the ruined landscape of the planet Hexis. The Tau had made significant progress in their "Hadron Expansion Sphere", helped in part by their alliance with the secessionist human Federacy, and their patronage by the Kel Sandros Eldar. For the last few years the Tau had established a strong base at Echo Reach, and taken the key worlds around the warp junction, including Hussaria and Dnatha. The Tau however, did not want to be constrained, and had turned their attention to the next phase of their expansion. The system of Tanis, while not as critical as Lysis (and Hexis), nonetheless was inhabitable, and stood at the gateway to the Rifts of Hecate, and crucially were the Tau able to control it, would serve to bottle surround the Vanir system and keep a check on the goings on at Hexis.

The expansion had been going fairly well, but in early 10.021M42 the Tau faced and unexpected attack from the greenskins following an ork warboss known as "Ludendorkk". Unaware of the reinvigoration of the orks on Hexis - and unaware that the increasing hostilities had been attracting greenskins from far and wide, the Tau did not expect the sudden invasion of one of the outer worlds of the system.

The Tau however had at their disposal a large array of weaponry and overwhelming firepower. Swathes of orks were cut down as they charged headlong into the Tau lines, and it seemed as if the greenskins would surely have to abort whatever mission they were on. To their horror however, the orks kept on coming, heedless of their losses, and it became apparent that the hunter cadre on the outer world may be lost unless the Tau commander took immediate action. Despite inflicting what should have been catastrophic losses on the greenskins, the Tau abandoned the outer world on 0510.042M42, and had to consider whether the expedition to Tanis was worth the effort. For now though, the Tau continued to construct their bases on the inner worlds of the system.

Mordecai sees action intensify in the southern and central sectors

During 020 and 021M42 severe warp storms and an outbreak of a particularly virulent nurgle pathogen had caused serious disruption to the campaigns of the Aleph Sector. This was especially true of the Mordecai campaign where the forces of chaos were locked in a titanic struggle against the Imperium, led by General Kutuzov's imperial guard. The guard forces had suffered the most from the nurgle virus, but the forces of chaos had also struggled to contain the outbreak. In the latter half of 021M42 the warp storms abaited and the nurgle disease appeared to be under control, and both sides began funnelling reinforcements into the meatgrinder on Mordecai Secundus.

The mining world was key to the imperial conquest of the system, and in late 09.042M42 several new forces arrived to aid the war effort. A company of ultramarines and a significant force of Dragon's Sons astartes deployed in system, ready to launch themselves into missions against the enemies of the emperor, while the forces of chaos saw Fabius Bile and other chaos forces deploy via the Daemonworld of Astralis, giving the enemies of the Imperium a direct supply route Kutuzov could only dream of. Nevertheless, with a fully operational spaceport in orbit around Mordecai Tersius, and no fewer than three imperial naval battlegroups in the system, the Imperium controlled the space around Mordecai Secundus, and the strategic situation on the ground was finely balanced.

Southern Sector

In early 10.021M42 both sides began probing the front lines, looking for weaknesses. While the northern sector of the thousands of kilometre front line remained fairly quiet, battles erupted in the central and southern sectors. In the far south, near the beseiged city of Ur'Ghar, the Grey Knights launched a break out from the settlement directly into the heart of the Emerald Serpent and the Thousand Sons. Facing off against the elite of the enemy forces, the Grey Knights once again had to deal with the apparition of Magnus himself, as well as a daemon prince, a senior chaos sorceror and the animated warriors of Tzeentch themselves. The astartes were however optimised for dealing with just such a foe, and despite taking casualties, were able to overwhelm the Thousand Sons and breakthrough to the imperial lines to the west. The siege of Ur'Ghar had been lifted.

Slightly further west however, the Imperium faired less well, as the elite of the Thousand Sons pushed into the Sathugar mines, once again contesting the strategically vital resource complex. Defended by the newly deployed Dragon's Sons marines, the area was a wide front and difficult for the small numbers of astartes to hold onto. Rather than face being surrounded, the Sons withrew, allowing the forces of chaos to once again establish a foothold in the Sathugar complex.

Central Sector

In the centre of Kutuzov's front line, Fabius Bile and his followers clashed with the Ultramarines in a medium sized skirmish. The battle was brutal, but not decisive. Neither Bile nor the Ultramarines would yield to the other, and after several hours of intense fighting and moderate casualties, neither side could claim victory. Just north of this action however, another company of Dragon's Sons launched an offensive into the Death Guard faction known as the "House of Eschar". Here the fighting was partcularly brutal, and the battle swung back and forth dramatically as the critical objectives were taken, then lost, then taken again. The combat power of the loyalist astartes was impressive, able even to put down whole squads of resilient plague marines, but the intervention of the Death Guard terminators threatened to undo the imperial gains. Additionally, the nurgle deamon prince refused to die, even when charged by the company commander himself. Despite the astartes skill in combat, the blessings of nurgle could not be undone, and the leader of the Dragon's Sons was slain in combat with the foul prince of nurgle.

The loyalist space marines however had great flexibility. Using stealth and guile, their scouts were able to penetrate the chaos lines, causing disruption and confusion, and while the Death Guard right flank held up with the help of the Blightlord terminators, their left flank collapsed, largely thanks to the intervention of the space marine dreadnought and heavy firepower, although this took some time thanks to poxwalkers who had to be mown down again and again.

Eventually, with their left flank smashed, the Death Guard, despite having slain the Dragon Son's commander and dealing heavy casualties to their hated foe, were forced to withdraw to stronger defences. Now the Imperium had created a salient on the west bank of the small lava sea north of the Sarkar Traps. From here it might be possible to encircle significant chaos forces, if a breakthrough could be achieved.

War reignites on Hexis

On Hexis in early 10.01M42, the recent advances by the necron forces spurred the other factions into action on the world. The Imperium, realising the necrons were now clearly aiming for the control of the tombs under the city of Praxis. needed to link up with their forces that had been besieged in the city centre for many months. Surrounded by chaos forces, the Imperium had difficulty getting to grips with the traitors, as the high ground to the west of the city was under the control of the eldar. With the arrival of Adeptus Custodes forces, believed to be on a mission of great importance to the Emperor, general Konev was finally able to launch a meaningful  assault to gain this high ground.

The eldar, aware this was the location of a key webway portal, reacted in strength. Craftworld Ul'Staer even deployed a mighty wraithnight to oppose the Custodes now marching up the slopes to the plateau overlooking the city. Intense fighting followed, but the elite Custodes forces were able to push the eldar aside and take the heights. Now Konev had managed to almost surround the forces which themselves were surrounding his forces in the city centre.

Over near the vast sprawl of the ruined city of Menthoteph, the orks, now leaderless and uncontrolled by their former chaos allies, had managed to attract even more greenskins to the fight on Hexis. Attacking without warning, or apparent motive apart from to engage in violence, the orks crashed into the Imperial lines taking another detachment of Custodes by surprise. Unprepared for this attack, the Custodes were forced to withdraw, and it took a counter attack by the Adeptus Mechanicus to reestablish the imperial line. the war on Hexis had reignited once more, and appeared to be far from a resolution.

Welcome to the Aleph Sector Campaign

Welcome to the Aleph Sector 40k (universe) campaign. This is a sector wide "pick up and play" campaign which is largely narrative, but now has a number of specific theatres to cater for different campaign styles.

Sweeping conflict in the Perseus Deeps as the main "campaign system" allows players to simply find an opponent, play the game then record the results with the GM - this generates "points", which the overall faction commander (or the GM if there isn't one), can spend on territory, strategic raids, fortifications or anything else feasible within the campaign. The larger the game - the more points, but the better your faction is doing gives you a bonus to your win. The Perseus Deeps is the main theatre of war in the sector, as it is close to the Cicatrix Maledictum and is key to the control of the sector. 

More information here (you don't need to know any of this at all, but the GM (me) works with faction commanders to make best use of their wins, and acts as an advisor, warning against strategically "unwise" moves - though is often ignored!)

Meanwhile in the Hadron Expanse, a more "narrative" driven campaign will take place, allowing players to setup their own missions and agree with the GM what the game is "for", and how the result can be interpreted to drive the story forward.

Finally, (possibly next term), there is the opportunity to run a 40k "Crusade" in the Rifts of Hecate, as small forces delve into the secrets of this newly discovered region.

And if you want background - there is a ton on this blog to delve into. The campaign has been running now since 2001, and the blog since 2006. In this campaign - there really is only war...

Hexis: Skareth Dynasty push towards tomb complex

On Hexis in 09.022M42 the necrons had come under pressure from the Imperium pushing onto the Haknur Plateau from the north, and had faced stubborn resistance from the forces of chaos still occupying much of the ruined city of Praxis. The war on Hexis had become a tired struggle between many factions, as the ground had been turned into a nuclear wasteland and the original value of the world had been diminished with the loss of the main necron artefact or "device" and the collapse of the Foramen Ignotum - a passageway through the raging warp storm that now bisected the galaxy.

Still, there was inherent value to the world and the system of Lysis in which it existed. The system was still strategically placed at the gateway to the rifts of Hecate, a largely unexplored region believed to be rich in ancient artefacts and resources, and the planet itself was still home to a vast underground necron tomb complex, which the Imperium and chaos forces continued to skirmish within, deep in the tunnels under the city of Praxis. General Konev, starved of resources, was still nonetheless tasked with taking the world for the Imperium, while chaos forces mined the world in their pursuit of creating the Daemonworld Fecus Major.

Additionally, the eldar were concerned with retaking and securing their two webway portals, while the orks, once allied to chaos, were simply looking for a fight. In the north, the tyranids of hive fleet R'lyeh, unable to leave the world due to their lack of hive fleet, were intent on converting the planet and its meagre resources to the construction of a fleet, or a way off the barren world.

Against this backdrop of opposing factions, the necrons, now lead by the Skareth dynasty, were mostly concerned with the securing of their own artefacts, and removing the inferior life forms that now infested their tomb complex, crawling over their ancient territory and stealing things that did not belong to them. To pursue this end, the necrons first dealt a swift blow to the forces around the imperial positions on the Haknur Plateau, swarming over the imperial defences and forcing the Hammers of the Emperor to attempt a counter attack. The astartes launched a precision attack against the core of the necron army, but were unable to prevent the Skareth forces from overrunning the easternmost imperial line, and the forces of the emperor withdrew to the west.

Their left flank secure, the lords of the Skareth dynasty now pushed into their main goal, the tomb complex of Praxis. To do this, they launched a direct assault on a narrow front against the Death Guard faction known as the "House of Eschar". the nurgle worshipping astartes proved difficult to shift, but the necrons had weight of numbers and a resilience even the Death Guard could not match. The Skareth dynasty, using their superior speed, took vital objectives and inivited the House of Eschar to try to remove them. Despite unleashing their full firepower into the necron warriors in the centre, the traitor astartes could not quite shift the necron warriors, as the regenerative abilities of the ancient aliens ensured that no matter how many warriors were felled, many would reanimate themselves.

On the necron right flank, necron flayed ones caused havoc, and despite overreaching themselves and being wiped out by the intervention of the Blightlord terminators late on in the battle, by this point there was no way the Death Guard could remove the necrons from their entrenched positions. The House of Eschar retreated, and the Skareth dynasty now had a foothold in Praxis itself, in the region of Hakhor. Now the necrons planned their assault on the tomb complex itself.

The Library of Silence

Skarreth Dynasty

The Skarreth dynasty was once great and powerful and its nobility fancied themselves as warrior scholars and patrons of the arcanoscientific lores without equal. As a demonstration of his near limitless power and wealth their Phaeron, Ozymandias III, ordered the construction of the greatest repository of knowledge the universe had ever seen or ever would see. This library would contain the sum total of all knowledge and scholars and crypteks would travel from the far reaches of the galaxy to view its archives and gaze in awe upon Ozymandias' greatest triumph.

Constructed deep within the heart of the Skarreth's crownworld of Silentium the library expanded to such a degree that the planet itself became a hollow shell containing the library within. The corridors and halls were resplendent in black marble and trimmed in gold and scarlet, all surfaces were ostentatiously ornamented and the walls were filled with engraved reliefs of the most significant events in galactic history.

When the great sleep came the work was left unfinished and the Skarreth retired to their stasis tombs. As they slumbered they were powerless to act as their star went supernova, turning the surface into a sterile desert of obsidian glass and stripping the planet of its atmosphere. Left barren of even the smallest microbial life the planet was cast adrift in space to forever wander as a rogue planet unlit by any star.

The Necrons of the Skarreth dynasty survived the devastation, protected as they were by their stasis tombs constructed inside hyperspatial oubliettes buried deep beneath the planet's crust, but the damage to the tomb complexes systems was catastrophic. The planet spanning artificial intelligence at the core of the library was driven insane by data corruption and became trapped in an eternal loop of defragmentation and glitching subroutines. The personality engrams of the sleeping Necrons were likewise corrupted. On awakening even the highest ranking of the nobles were afflicted by amnesia, bouts of madness and mania, violent ticks and spasms and widespread kleptomania coupled with deeply obsessive and irrational behaviour.

Utterly insane the Necrons of the Skarreth dynasty are sure of only one thing, an overriding imperative encoded into them by the planetary AI to finish Ozymandias' great work. Unfettered by rationality this all consuming obsession leaves the nobility of the Skarreth unable to see the impossibility and hubris of their task. The library itself lies in ruins with vast continent sized tracts of galleries cut off by collapsed passageways, left abandoned and unpowered to be covered by the dust of aeons. The tesseract architecture used to give the library near infinite capacity is broken beyond repair. Entire sections of the library slip between dimensions, their layout a tortured labyrinth of contorted non-euclidean geometry. To wander through such damaged areas is to risk being ripped apart by a hyperspatial shift or to become trapped in an obscure dungeon dimension. It is even said that it is possible to become displaced in time and find oneself lost in a section of the library that hasn't been built yet.

The cascading failure of the library's tesseract architecture extended to the the hyperspatial oubliettes housing the tomb world's stasis chambers. Soaked in the chaotic energies whilst they slept the legions of the Skarreth dynasty are forever cursed to phase between dimensions, never wholley in sync with the material universe around them. To onlookers they appear to shift in and out of existence and be riven by bouts of uncontrolled visual static. Weapons blasts and blade thrusts sometimes pass straight through them as if the Necrons are just an optical illusion. Most terrifying of all is the way the legions of the Skarreth dynasty move. They march forward in the slow, ponderous manner typical of all Necrons but if an observer should blink or look away for even an instant the horrific forms of the Necrons suddenly appear much closer. This tests the sanity of the Skarreth's opponents and leads to enemy soldiers gazing at the oncoming tide of undeath in wide eyed terror, desperately trying not to blink. Nobody ever sees the instant when the Necron tide suddenly phases forward, even if onlookers ensure that someone keeps their gaze upon their adversaries at all times.

The Crypteks of the Skarreth have learnt to control this dimensional instability and cloak themselves in it, appearing as tortured spirits. Jealous of the precious contents of the library they employ the ghostly forms of the Sentinels to protect it. These wraith like beings have been left completely insane by the madness afflicting the Skarreth and replace their forearms with lethal monomolecular blades. They haunt the corridors and chambers of the library, suddenly materialising from the smallest patch of shadow to slay any intruder incautious enough to make a sound louder than a whisper.

Now fully awakened from their millennia long slumber the legions of the Skarreth dynasty hunt the length and breadth of the galaxy and employ any means in order to obsessively collect knowledge and secure it in their library, regardless of how profound of trivial that knowledge might be. The Skarreth dynasty have exterminated entire alien civilisations in order to ensure their knowledge is collected and forever preserved within the library.

The library is said to contain items as diverse as the shipping manifests of Myrenthis II, the last surviving copy of Shakespear's complete works, the only entirely accurate equation describing the material universe and entire Inquisitorial archives of forbidden texts. The Skarreth also seek physical artifacts and specimens to illustrate this knowledge or to be deconstructed for study and analysis. One chamber housing texts on selective breading contains a live specimen of every species of grox used in Imperial agriculture, whilst another housing texts on Imperial gothic architecture contains a cathedral stolen for the purpose of providing a practical example of the application of this knowledge.

The actions of the Skarreth dynasty are totally unpredictable and often without any reason comprehensible by a rational mind. This trait has made them unpopular allies with other Necron dynasties who find it impossible fathom their goals and motivations. The Skarreth dynasty also prize the knowledge and artefacts of the superior Necron race above all others, leading to frequent instances where light fingered Skarreth nobles have made off with the most valuable possessions of the other dynasties.

Mordecai: Hammers push forward front but Ur'Ghar surrounded

As 08.022M42 progressed the war on Mordecai continued to be a slow grind with advances and reversals on both sides. In the centre of Kutuzov's line, the Hammers of the Emperor spearheded an offensive against the Death Guard defences. By now, opportunities to breakout and encircle were limited as the front lines were very long, straight and backed up by deep defences, trenches and emplacements that did not lend themselves to the battles of manoeuvre that once characterised the war for Mordecai Secundus.

In addition to the front line being more static, both sides now had adequate logistics, with Admiral Bova Magnus' fleets keeping up the supply runs, and the forces of chaos now had open portals via the daemon world of Astralis. Both sides controlled significant strategic assets on the ground, and there was little difference in the numbers of soldiers or amount of equipment on both sides. Going into the latter part of 022M42, things were finely balanced.

The offensive against the Death Guard in the middle of the front was a success. The speed and hard hitting close combat power of the Hammers of the Emperor, as well as their resilience, were a match for the Nurgle Worshipping forces arrayed against them. Their assault drove deep into the chaos lines, although the casualty rate was high, as the loyalist astartes had to run a gauntlet of pestilent fire to close with their foe, where their special capabilities at close combat warfare made the difference. Both sides suffered losses, but the battle took place where the Imperium wanted, allowing the Imperial Guard to swiftly follow up. When the fighting died down, Kutuzov had moved the front line forward some 100 standard miles.

In the south however, Imperial intelligence had not spotted that the Emerald Serpent were amassing significant forces near the city of Ur'Ghar, and they had assembled a number of Contemptor Dreadnoughts armed with the deadly twin Volkite Culverins. these were unleashed on an unsuspecting imperial guard force to the west of the city - recently captured by Kutuzov's forces. Within hours the guard force crumbled, and the Thousand Sons reached the shore of the Kuneus Lava Sea, cutting off the city of Ur'Ghar and tempering the celebratory mood at Imperial HQ.

Necrons push back chaos on Hexis

Hexis, the forgotten warzone, flared into life once more in 08.021M42. Having lost ground to the Imperium with Konev's latest advance onto the Haknur Plateau, the Skareth Dynasty were becoming frustrated with their brethren from the Bahotek Dynasty who seemed to not have the same concentrated focus as the lords of Skareth. The Necron overlords disagreed on the prosecution of the campaign against the lesser races since the reawakening of their race in the Aleph Sector, and the necrons themselves still faced significant logistical difficulties.

 

The Harakhty Dynasty had been the first major force to reanimate in the region, but their return to power, while swift, had led to an equally dramatic demise, as the machinations of the old foe, the Aeldari, had resulted in the sudden rehibernation of fast numbers of necron warriors, halting the reconquest of the Harakhty Empire. Now the tombworlds of the Perseus Deeps were once more barren and lifeless, devoid of any civilisation. The Charnovokh had attempted to intercede to stop this decline, but were forced to abandon this pursuit with the coming of the Cicatrix Maledictum.

 

In the far eastern fringes of the sector, the necrons had awoken more slowly, and were still far from reaching full strength. Forces of the Bahotek dynasty had reanimated and minor lords began small raiding actions, but the Skareth, not native to the sector, had less interest in reconquering the Expanse, and far more interest in protecting the secrets of their race from the vermin that now infested their once mighty empire. Even more satisfying would be having all those valuable assets under Skareth control.

 

With acquisition in mind, the Skareth Dynasty deployed a strong force on Hexis, arriving at the gate on the Haknur Plateau. Rather than aiding the Bahotek against Konev's imperial forces however, the new necron force launched a major assault off the heights towards the south west of Praxis. the plateau itself was of no value, other than tactical and strategic location. What the overlords of the Skareth wanted, was in Praxis itself.

 

A fierce battle erupted as the necron forces swarmed into the ruins of south west Praxis, which soon saw a strong force of Death Guard terminators take up its defence. The construction of their base on the moon of Hexis was well advanced, and the traitor astartes were in no mind to relinquish the valuable necron technology they had been painstakingly studying in the catacombs under the city. The necron force however was agile and fast, and though the Death Guard proved a stubborn foe, eventually the Skareth Dynasty was able to isolate them into pockets and grind down the nurgle worshipping traitor marines. The Death Guard were forced to yield the south western ruins, and the necrons acquired at least part of the underground tomb complex. Now the necron lords had to decide whether to take the valuable artefacts, or move forward to take the rest of Hexis for themselves.

Dark Eldar raids in Expanse escalate

The dark eldar Archon known as "Stitch" or sometimes "Baron Stitch" had been making a name for himself in Dark Eldar society in 022M42. Known for his provision of exotic Xenos creatures, sometimes of his own "creation", his was one of the more depraved minds even within the Drukhari. Other Archons and Dark Eldar nobles had noted this upstart, and while his contribution to the depravity of Commoragh society couldn't be overlooked, there were some who secretly despised this avaricious and gauche faction of their civilisation.

 

Stitch and his forces had been taking advantage of the network of basis that had been installed by the patient hard work of Vlokarion in years past, and had been emboldened by the relative weakness of the Imperium and Chaos forces who remained distracted by their war at Mordecai. The Drukhari had found the Tau Empire more difficult to challenge, but the Hadron Expansion Sphere was now in a period of consolidation, and Malkaor was content to simply make the Tau look like the least tempting target for Stitch's raids.

 

The necrons, only partially reawakened and disorganised, were a prime income source for the Drukhari raiders, and this was proved once again when a raiding force plundered the tomb world of Ceti 6539 in 08.021M42. The Skareth Dynasty moved quickly to pretect key artefacts given the main force of the Bahotek remained slumbering beneath the surface, but their intervention was unsucessful. Despite taking down the raiding party's commander and inflicting some damage on the Dark Eldar raiders, the Drukhari battered the necron force, and made off with a substantial loot.

 

By 1008.022M42 the raids of Dark Eldar were growing in intensity, so much so that the Grey Knights became concerned that the loyalty of Vanir, one of the only remaining bases for the Imperium in the Expanse, would fail, as General Pervical seemed unwilling or unable to dedicate sufficient garison forces to the world. In order to prevent a revolt, and the loss of a strategic system, the Grey Knights deployed a strike cruiser full of elite astartes, and waited.

 

The wait was not long. Within days of their arrival the Grey Knights found two Drukhari raiding forces materialising from the webway, which then embarked on a spree of pillaging and enslaving across the northern hemisphere settlements. Deploying rapidly from orbit, the astartes force dealt with each in turn, in two decisive engagements that severely damaged both raiding parties, forcing them to flee and abandon their booty of raw materials and human slaves. The Grey Knights had sent a clear message to Stitch - Vanir is not your playground and the Imperium will defend its territory.

Adeptus Mechanicus hold off Necron threat

In the Hadron Expanse the Imperium had been on the defensive for some time by 08.021M42, as more and more resources were diverted to the escalating conflict in the Mordecai system. However, although general Percival had limited forces at his disposal, the Imperium were not as vulnerable as some had caluclated.

The necrons, recently but not fully awoken in the Expanse, had been infuriated and offended by the other races defilement of their worlds, and were determined to rid the infestation and reclaim their own lands and treasures. Recent raids had not gone well, but now the Necrons amassed a large army on Hexis, aiming to strike at the heart of general Konev's defences and drive north from the Haknur plateau.

Facing this new army however was not the Imperial Guard but a force highly motivated to stop the necrons from reclaiming their lost treasures and artefacts, the Adeptus Mechanicus. Not under the direct control of Percival or Konev, the Mechanicum had been diverting significant forces to the Hadron Expanse, a fact the spies of the enemy had not taken into account. When the Necrons moved down from the Haknur Plateau and into the Imperial defences, they met a very stubborn resistance.

The armies of Ryza fought valiantly and with determination. Gradually the xenos attack faltered, then reversed, and by 1208.021M42 not only had the Necrons been forced to abandon their offensive, but the Imperium now had a foothold on the plateau itself. Had it not been for the Adeptus Mechanicus interest in the artefact riches of the Expanse, the situation for Konev, Percival and their armies could have been very different. 

Disciples continue to harass Kutuzov's forces

Following the success of the Imperial raids it didn't take long for the grand chaos alliance on Mordecai Secundus to respond. Their planned offensive had been delayed, and the Imperium had rebuilt their defences. In the southern sector of the front line, one which now stretched almost from pole to pole, the Sisters of Battle were becoming a thorn in the side to the Death Guard, and the Disciples of Belakor, now largely based in the south, decided to once again disrupt the plans of their ancient enemy.

The followers of chaos undivided struck once more at the Sathugar mines, destroying recently repaired fortifications and forcing the Adeptus Sororitas into open battle. A brutal melee then erupted, that resulted in heavy losses for the Sisters of Battle, who retreated back to fort Celestine. As both sides tried to wrestle the initiative off one another, the bloody war on Mordecai had entered a deeply attritional phase.

Imperium retake initiative on Mordecai

By 08.021M42 Imperial intelligence was well aware of the rising power of chaos on Mordecai especially with the arrival of the particularly effective Disciples of Belakor. On his war council, there was some disagreement over how to proceed. Should the Imperium merely hold and wait for the inevitable chaos offensive, or should proactive measures be taken?

In the end Kutuzov decided on a moderate counter offensive to disrupt the chaos lines, particularly where intelligence had noted a large build up of enemy forces. In the south, this was conducted by the Sisters of Battle, who were facing off against the bulk of the Death Guard armies that massed around the Sarkar Traps, while in the north, the Adeptus Mechanicus prepared to conduct offensive missions against the forces of chaos massing on the Northern Howl.

In the north the Adeptus Mechanicus carried out their mission with technical precision, disrupting the chaos build up for their offensive and returning to the Imperial lines with their forces largely intact. Further south,  the Adeptus Sororitas took the Death Guard by surprise, sending in their flamer retributors with devastating effect. Poxwalkers and plague marines massing for their own offensive were obliterated, and although Typhus himself was on hand with a large force of elite terminators, his intervention was distracted by constant harrassment by rearguard forces, and the elite of the Death Guard were not in position to change the course of the battle. As they chased smaller forces around the ruins of Burroneus, the rest of the Sororitas continued to blast apart the sons of Mortarion.

Having severely disrupted the chaos offensive plans, the Imperial forces retreated to their own lines. Both missions had been successful, but Kutuzov knew that he had only bought his forces time. Time they badly needed to shore up the lines and rebuild their ruined fortifications.

Disciples target Imperial Fortifications

The next set of attacks by the chaos forces on Mordecai were soon in materialising. As predicted, the Disciples of Be'lakor were once more at the forefront of the chaos offensives, which did not seek to breakthrough and exploit for territorial gain. Instead, important Imperial installations came under attack. First Fort Rhagrim in the north, then somewhat surprisingly and swiftly fort Arbrux on the normally quite north eastern front.

 

In the north, the Black Templars reacted to the arrival of the Disciples at the Imperial fortification. However the chaos forces were ready for this counter move and the battle was a disaster for the loyalist astartes. Overwhelming force descended on the Imperial fortification, which was raised to the ground. The Black Templars force that attempted to intervene was all but wiped out in the process, severely shacking the Imperial high command's confidence and troubling Luthor at the sector headquarters at Vastrid. Things were going very wrong on Mordecai Secundus.

 

Worse still, before the destruction of Rhagrim could be processed, a surprise attack on Fort Abrux developed on the eastern front. Here, not expecting significant activity by the enemy, Kutuzov had not assigned any rapid reaction force, and the Catachan Guard defending the fortress were on their own. Once again the Disciples of Be'lakor were at the vanguard of the chaos attack, swiftly encircling the fort and severely battering the guard regiments holding the line. The Catachan losses were great, and included a much respected senior officer, severely impacting Imperial morale. Surrounded and unsupplied Fort Abrux swiftly fell, but once again the chaos forces did not advance. Instead, as the Imperial morale sank lower as their defences were smashed to pieces and casualties mounted, the chaos forces bided their time for a decisive and overwhelming offensive.

Chaos forces grow in strength

Following the fall of Ur'Ghar on Mordecai Secundus, General Kutuzov was quick to move his Imperial Guard forces into position and fortify. Chaos forces, increasingly reinforced via the daemonic portal held open by the Daemonworld of Astralis, were likely to mount a strong counter attack and soon. Kutuzov couldn't know where, but in late 07.021M42 a double strike by chaos forces severely pressured the Imperial lines.

 

In the northern sector of the line, the Thousand Sons forced their way into the Imperial lines, scattering the guard manning the defences and requiring a swift intervention by the Imperial fists. A brutal battle between loyal and traitor astartes erupted, and the followers of Tzeentch managed to get the upper hand. Reluctantly after a stubborn resistance the Imperial Fists were obliged to withdraw or be annihilated but the Emerald Serpent did not exploit the breakthrough. After destroying Kutuzov's front line defences they withdrew once more to their own positions.

 

This pattern was repeated in the south, where the Adeptus Mechanicus of the forge world Lucius were defending a section of front facing the Mekken Plateau. Here the Imperium faced a new enemy, devotees of pure chaos in the form of the Disciples of Be'lakor. Once again the fighting was hard, but the chaos forces did not breakthrough and exploit their victory once they had defeated the Mechanicum in the field. Instead they went about causing maximum destruction to the Imperial defence lines before withdrawing to their starting positions. A pattern was now emerging and with the arrival of the Disciples of Be'lakor, known for their destructive capabilities and worship of chaos undivided, it appeared the chaos gods had a single will to reverse the losses on Mordecai.

 

Kutuzov called a war council as his intelligence reports suggested the chaos forces were now engaged in a systematic and planned attempt to reduce the Imperium's capability to resist a counter attack. Rather than take ground then over-extend, as different factions played to their own agendas, it now appeared there was a new level of strategic planning in the chaos attacks. The Imperial general ordered his forces to go over to the defensive and braced himself for the next onslaught.

Drukhari continue Hadron Expanse Raids

In late 07.021M42 the Imperium was coming under increasing pressure in the Hadron Expanse. Sector Commander Titus Luthor had become almost obsessed with the war on Mordecai and continually stripped back forces from other theatres. This left General Percival with fewer and fewer forces at his disposal, removing his ability to go on to the offensive and forcing the Imperium to defend the increasingly small holdings in the Expanse with ever decreasing resources.

 

The other factions vying for power in the region noted this, and while the Tau prepared for their next offensive at the Tanis system and the forces of chaos continued to invest in the construction of a daemon base at Lysis, the Dark Eldar, aided by the bases prepared by Vlokarion, continued their raids against weakened Imperial targets. Percival was not entirely without allies however. While he was unable to secure Imperial Guard resources, his appeals for aid attracted the attention of the Adeptus Sororitas. The Adeptus Mechanicus already had an interest in the Hadron Expanse and its wealth of pre-Imperium human relics and xenos artefacts, but the Mechanicum was only interested in protecting its own. The Ecclesiarchy however was motivated by spreading the faith to the human populations of the Expanse, where Emperor worship was not as strong as in the rest of the Imperium.

 

Motivated by faith, the Sisters of Battle deployed in orbit around Vanir and waited for the next raid by Drukhari forces. When a Dark Eldar raiding party arrived the Sisters struck first, downing a drukhari flotilla in one fell swoop and obliterating half of the troops inside. The xenos force responded by sending in baron Stitch, his haemonculus and haemoxytes who then systematically worked through the sisters units, sewing them into fresh haemoxytes as they piled through their lines. More and more Drukhari fell to the Sororitas however, with the archon warlord being taken in the last moment by a crack shot from a damaged immolator. Ultimately, Baron Stitch and his haemoxytes ground out the victory, backed up by a team of Cronos Parasite Engines providing fire support. The Sisters' intervention had been unsuccessful and although Stitch had lost men and equipment, the raid proved profitable and the morale of the Vanir population sank even lower.

Grey Knights take Ur'Ghar

Despite the constant assaults on the Imperial lines, in late 06.021M42 the Imperium still held a significant strategic advantage on Mordecai Secundus. General Kutuzov was aware however that the drain on his resources in defending his lines was reducing that advantage as time went on, and the forces of chaos were growing stronger. To counter this, Kutuzov convened a war council to discuss how this might be reversed. The Grey Knights proposed a plan to take the city of Ur'Ghar on the southern shore of the Kuneus lava sea. If the Imperium could take this strategic settlement it would open up the possibility of taking the populated area near the Sarkar Traps, and consolidate the Imperium's hold on the important Sathugar mines.

 

The Grey Knights arrived without warning at the gates of Ur'Ghar, but quickly found that the enemy had recognised the importance of this city, and had chosen to deploy an elite force of Death Guard terminators in the city itself. Realising a quick victory would now be out of the question, the Grey Knights pivoted their strategy and began bitter house to house fighting for control of the settlement. Using their knowledge of the warp to full effect, gradually elite astartes force managed to push the traitor force back street by street. It was a hard slog, but by 0107.021M42 the Knights had taken the city, allowing Kutuzov's army to follow up and consolidate the Imperial hold on the southern shores of the Kuneus lava lake.

 

At the beginning of 07.021M42 the Imperium had managed to extend their line south, and Kutuzov was satisfied with the strength of his defences. However, the daemonworld of Astralis was now operating at full effect, and reinforcements were arriving directly to the chaos held territory on Mordecai Secundus via the efforts of the sorcerers of Tzeentch. The strategic advantage the Imperium had held for many months was rapidly waning, and the forces of Mankind braced for the inevitable onslaught.

Kutuzov faces increasing resistance on Mordecai

On Mordecai Secundus the Imperium once again had to resist a number of counter attacks by the forces of chaos during 06.021M42 and all major offensive actions on the world by Kutuzov's army had to be put on hold. The general was initially criticised, but his decision to hold firm to his defences would soon prove wise, as the enemy made a two pronged attack in mid 06.021M42. In the northern sector, chaos knights broke throught Kutuzov's primary line, requiring the intervention of the Wolves of Novgorod, an elite Astra Militarum Scion regiment. The scions fought extremely hard, but the firepower and sheer aggressiveness of the chaos knights proved difficult to contain. Both sides took casualties and heavy casualties, but the Novgorod were unable to prevent the destruction of key defensive posts in the northern sector as the Knights claimed victory.

Further south, hordes of chaos forces simply overwhelmed the front line, and once again Kutuzov was forced to ask for help from his reserve forces. This time the Sisters of Battle threw themselves into the fray, desparately trying to plug the gaps in the lines that the chaos forces had opened. Despite mowing down great swathes of the enemy they too were unsuccessful, and it looked increasingly likely that the chaos forces would now exploit these northern and southern breaches in the lines.

The exploitation and breakthrough never came however. By now, the Emerald Serpent and its allies understood the strategic situation on Mordecai Secundus, and realised any territory taken now would only put them in a more vulnerable position. Kutuzov, with his improved supply lines would be able to attack their flanks and potentially win back all the ground as well as net vast numbers of their troops. Instead, the chaos forces pulled back, content with the losses they had inflicted and beginning a new war of attrition on Mordecai.

Air war on Tanis

On Tanis, the war between the Imperium and the Tau had ground to a halt by mid 06.021M42. Neither side had the resources to effectively reinforce the system and its many barely habitable planets, but the Tau were keen on maintaining the pressure on the Imperium. In order to do this the Tau air caste were deployed in strength to harass and raid Imperial settlements and bases on the worlds controlled by their enemy, but they initial reponse by a well prepared imperial navy took the Tau by surprise. Dogfights raged over Tanis VII, where the Imperium had established their strongest presence, and the Tau were found wanting. Losses were heavy, and to make matters worse, the Tau air caste were ambushed by a roving Ork fighta squadron on their return, and nearly all the first wave was destroyed.

Concerned by events, including the suggestion that ork forces may be in the system as well, Tau commander Malkaor considered calling off the attacks altogether, but was convinced to make one last raid for the pride of the Air Caste. This raid was much more successful, and the Tau fighters managed to down several Imperial thunderbolt fighters before returning to base. No real damage was done to ether the Imperial or Tau installations, but Tau pride had been restored.

Dark Eldar raids prove profitable

During 06.021M42 and 07.021M42 the Hadron Expanse experienced increasing numbers of raids by the Dark Eldar. In previous years the Drukhari had established several bases in the webway which gave easy access to the Expanse for raiding forces, but since the coming of the Ynarri the Drukhari had been drawn into the campaign to acquire the necron devices, and raids by the aeldari's dark brethren had generally reduced. By the first half of 021M42 however, the Ynnari had almost completed their mission with the necron devices, and no longer needed the aid of the Drukhari. Almost immediately the cabals of Vlokarion and newcomer to the area "Baron Stitch", were active in the sector.

The first sites to suffer at the hands of Stitch were Vanir, the most exposed Imperial outpost in the Expanse, and Hexis, where Hive Fleet R'Lyeh came to the attention ofthe dark eldar for the purposes of their "sports" held in Commoragh. The Adeptus Mechanicus forces on Vanir were taken by surprise by the sudden appearance of a Drukhari raidiing force, and ultimately were out-maneuvered by the fast moving Xenos forces. The dark eldar took many slaves, a great deal of equipment and did much damage to the installations at Vanir before stronger forces were able to be deployed to encourage them to return to the webway.

On Hexis, the tyranids were a more tricky prospect. The arrival of the Drukhari raiding force triggered the Hive Fleet's defensive mechanisms, and a horde od beasts came charging at Baron Stitch's forces. For some time it looked like the raid was going to end in disaster, but the dark eldar kept their composure and managed to weather the charge by the giant alien beasts, while dealing with the host of smaller creatures accompanying them. Eventually the tyranid charge faltered, and the Drukhari managed to capture at least two of the larger creatures for their entertainment in the dark city. Their raids in the Hadron Expanse were finally proving profitable.

Necrons under pressure on Hexis

The increasing threat from the necrons in the Hadron Expanse drew a response from the Imperium and Chaos forces in early 06.021M42, as both factions realised they faced a significant threat from the ancient enemy. On Hexis, despite the Foramen closing and the necron device having been lost, there was still inherent value in having forces on the world and in the system at a strategic level. Although general Konev was now relegated to a backwater war, the imperial presence on Hexis was nonetheless important. By holding the line at Hexis, his commander general Percival was ensuring the remaining imperial worlds in the Expanse (Oreen and Vanir) did not become outflanked and isolated. The Imperium could not risk the system falling into necron hands, and there were chaos forces that needed to be resisted as well.

 

For the forces of chaos, the leader of the Iron Warriors, Warsmith Stahl, had retreated to his lair at the Charybdis system, far away from active warzones, and the Emerald Serpent was busy fighting the Imperium at Mordecai. For the Death Guard however, their plans involved the Lysis system where Hexis was the major world, as they built up their own base on Fecus Major, and their intent to create a nurgle deamon world within the system had now become clear to all factions.

 

To deal with the necrons, the Imperium attacked from the north, while the forces of chaos, led by the Thousand Sons, allied to the Death Guard in this effort, moved in from the south. Though not coordinated deliberately, these simultaneous assaults forced the necrons into a two front war, and they were defeated on both. In the north, the guard managed to overcome the strong necron forces after a protracted fight, led by elite units of the recently arrived Lycanon Guard. In the south, the Thousand Sons assault was more dramatic, wiping out a significant necron army on the Haknur plateau.