MORE FLEET CLASHES

2003.007M42

Another two Tau fleets set off from Tau space last week with the intentionof breaking through the Aurelis in a series of short warp "hops" toreinforce the Tau colonies of Cernunnos and Lucardium in the Aleph Sector.Each fleet was large, consisting of a Custodian and at least four frontline cruisers, either Protectors or Hero class vessels.

The first swung tothe galactic south, attempting the longest route to the Persues Deeps viathe Norsefire empire and around Protogonus, a journey of more than threemonths but one which circumvented much of the Imperial Forces.The second fleet attempted a direct breakthrough, around the Aurelis deepsand straight to Cernunnos. While only taking a month or so to traverse the journey would be fraught with danger, as the Tau ships would be jumping back into real space well inside Imperial territory, at one point comingless than a light year from Ciprex III.

Kor'O'Vesh Myanar

The first fleet consisted mostly of new Tau vessels and only a couple ofthe older designs. Taking the long way round the fleet did not expect to encounter any Imperial resistence as it crossed the boundary of Tau spaceand entered the dark foreboding region known as the Aurelis Deeps.

However the predations of the chaotic Norsefire Empire were expected. They arrived on the fourth day.The Tau fleet dropped out of the warp in a system containing a Cepheid variable star which produced a prodigious amount of coronal mass ejections, solar flares and radiation bursts. These blinded sensors and made ordnance trips hazardous, the perfect environment for an ambush.

It was the flagship of the Tau fleet which first noticed the prowling hadesclass cruiser as it closed on the Tau position. Quickly the admiral of thefleet gave orders for the fleet to reform, and slowly the scattered elements of the Tau armada formed up into a unified whole.By contrast the chaos fleet came at the Tau peacemeal and were badly mauled, with no less than three capital ships succumbing to the massedrailgun and ion cannon fire in spectacular detonations. The rest of the chaos fleet was reduced to wreckage before the Tau, undamaged, once moremade the jump into the warp. The chaos battleship, ever at the edge of Tau sensor range, never gave battle.

Kor'Vattra Myonshi'Tal

The second Tau fleet heard via interstellar radio of their comrades' success against the chaos fleet, a success which would carve out a safepassage through the Aurelis Deeps for all Tau shipping with the addition ofWaystations to the area following the battle. However the Kor'Vattra Myonshi'Tal was a very different fleet, made up of older vessels and led by a venerable Explorer class battleship.

Their more direct route quickly saw them come into conflict with their most bitter foe, the Dark Angels chapter of the space marines.The dark Angels were thought to only have one of their fleets in the sector but this battle demonstrated otherwise!

The Tau fleet had kept together asthey exited the warp some twelve light years from Cerberex in the uninhabited system merely designated Aleph K5PP7A0*. The Dark Angels were waiting. The second fleet of the mighty Adeptus Arbites chapter fell upon the Tauwith ruthless efficiency, rendering many ships' weapons inert long before they were in range.

Once again radiation bursts interfered with communications and the battle was a confused and close quarters bludgeoning match as the two fleets closed to ridiculous distances. The two formations literally flew through each other, the marine Battlebarge missed the Heroclass Yel'di by less than three kilometres, less than the length of the ship.

The damage to the Tau fleet was considerable with over half their capital ships crippled or effectively out of action. However the marines paid a heavy price for this, losing more than nine escort class vessels and many space marine veterans, each hard to replace. With the marine fleet behind them and lacking the manoeuvrability or firepower to effectively continue the fight, the Tau disengaged as one behind the curtain of plasma which marked the scene of the battle.

The result was inconclusive. Although severely damaged every Tau capital ship survived and several days later made it successfully into dock at Cernunnos. The Dark Angels' plan to prevent the Tau from reaching their forward bases had failed.

*Aleph - subsector, K5 - spectral clas of star, P/B/M Singular, Binary ormultiple stars. P7, planets 7, A0 - alphabetical classification

MAJOR FLEET ACTION IN THE AURELIS DEEPS

Another major fleet action between Tau and Chaos forces has occurred in the dim and dark systems of the Aurelis Deeps, as the Tau attempt to reinforce their positions in the Aleph sector. Unable to make long warp jumps the Tau fleet once again re-entered real space in the territory of the Norsefire Empire. The Tau ships, some older, obselete classes had to spend several hours recharging their jump engines and were ambushed by a large force of chaos cruisers and a Despoiler class battleship.

The battle itself was intense, with the Tau fleet staying in close formation but unable to do much damage against the fast moving chaos ships. However after four hours of gruelling fighting the Tau had lost one merchant class and had all but one of their other ships crippled and forced to disengage. The chaos fleet was also forced to disengaged after two ships were hulked and another exploded. In the end this was a Tau victory but once again the battered remains of the Korvattra was forced to withdraw for Tau space.

This is the second time the Tau have failed to penetrate the Aurelis Deeps to reinforce commander Lightfoot. The Tau must defeat the chaos forces or face the long trek round to the galactic north.

ELDAR RETURN TO RAVITANE

Just a week after the eldar were removed from the planet of Ravitane, a new pirate raiding force, apparently unrelated to the first, slipped silently into the Ravitane syste. The aliens landed on the devastated island of Selimac, looting, pillaging and slaughtering with wanton abandon. The Blood Martyrs, readying their thunderhawks to leave the planet were caught off guard - the eldar pirate ships having slipped passed Torment in orbit around the planet. Hastily the fourth company put together an improvised attack but were hampered by the dense and ruinous terrain of the city itself, and the company was forced to withdraw taking heavy losses.

The eldar held the main military base of Selimac for two more days before fleeing in the face of overwhelming odds. To protect the populace the govenor of Ravitane has demanded that the Blood Martyrs station a company on the planet permanently, a demand refused by the chapter. However, in an attempt to placate the govenor three companies of Imperial Guard, due for deployment into the Perseus Deeps are to be redirected to Ravitane. This leaves operation Caterwaul seriously undermanned and Lord General Militant Xertes is under pressure to call off the late Cardinal's ambitious plans.

PENETRATORS DEFEAT ORK ATTACK ON VERNIA

The Vernia settlement marked a deep thrusting salient into ork held territory on the morning of 0303.007M42 and the warlord ork clans came together to mount a three pronged attack on the lightly defended chaos settlement. The orks thought they would get an easy victory, but as they charged through the ruined streets of the settlement the cultists who were fleeing before them revealed a whole company of Penetrators set up in defensive positions, just to the south west of the main square. The orks charged headlong into the killing fields and a massacre ensued, with a major warboss losing his life. The ork attack was stopped and now the greenskins are in full retreat on Scalius, with their backs to the dark side of the world...

DARK ELDAR SAVAGED BY HIVE FLEET TRITON

On the west side of Scalius in the deep ravines of the Callestus rocky expanse, a raiding Dark Eldar force were caught off guard by Tyranid forces while they were raiding outlying settlements close to the Tyranid front line. The massed guants and warriors, supported by hordes of geneastealers fell upon the raiders as they collected slaves from the Callestus settlement of Moor. The Dark Eldar mounted a spirited counter attack but luck wasn't on their side as more of the 'Nids appeared from the west. Those who could fled through the webway back to Commoragh while the rest were slaughter by the ravening alien horde. Moor fell and the Hive fleet is once again back on the march on Scalius.

BLOOD MARTYRS ENCOUNTER TYRANID MENACE

An action has been reported on the distant and remote planet of Amoss in the region of the Melberg system, far to the galactic east of the Aleph subsector. Whether or not the aliens are part of one of the existing hive fleets or an entirely new splinter fleet is unknown, but the planet's population of some 400,000 sent a plea for aid last week. A plea answered by the Blood Martyrs.

The tyranid infestation was caught before it could take hold, and the forces of the Adeptus Astartes easily fended of the swarms of Tyranid creatures which rushed towards the planet's main settlement. Assault cannons proved to be more than a match for the aliens' thick carapaces, while the Blood Martyrs assault troops dispelled many a myth that Tyranids could not be taken in hand-to-hand combat.

Though the Tyranid menace on Amoss has been eliminated, the Blood Martyrs did lose some valuable equipment in the defence of the colony's spaceport, proving once again that Tyranid beasts can easily penetrate even the thickest armour. Inquisition forces are now on the planet attempting to ascertain the extent and origin of this latest Tyranid incursion.