The Zadoc Subsector...

As 09.009M42 began, the Zadoc subsector remained at war, but the outlook had improved markedly for the Imperium in the previous six months, and with the imminent appointment of a Warmaster to look after the entire sector, the mood on the Imperial worlds of the subsector, at least on those who knew, or cared of goings on off world, was improving.

Hive fleet Nemesis had been all but broken on Betor, thanks to Inquisitor Hathek’s timely intervention and call for aid. Imperial Guard units and at least four Astartes chapters had turned the tide of the war and the Tyranids it seemed, were a spent force.

In the Shadow Worlds Coronus and Tyndareous had been returned to the Imperium, while Bothorion looked to follow. The Ork Empire, once so strong in the Mabb Nebula, had reached an apparent Nadir, and General Thaddeus Roover hoped to launch a campaign against Kallack as soon as it was expeditious to do so. Admiral Jellicoe, commander of the Imperial fleet (Zadoc), was less than enthusiastic however, as he desperately wanted to hunt down the hive ships of Nemesis, and he hankered for a showdown with the Tau, if they could be brought to battle.

Tarsis Major remained a warzone, but both the Tau and the Imperium had scaled back their efforts to “finish the job”, and the Tau fleet had no wish to be brought to battle against the numerically superior Imperial fleet. While this meant the Imperium were able to supply Cunningham in his war on the ground, fresh troops and supplies had been re-routed to Betor and the Shadow worlds. Tarsis it seemed had become a secondary priority.

The Tau meanwhile were concentrating on shoring up their holdings in the Shadow Worlds as they knew that losing these meant losing Tarsis, so badly needed supplies did not reach Tarsis. The war had entered a static phase, for now.

On Alphe the capricious Moonface and his Catechism had not launched an offensive since their defeat to General Percival’s Imperial forces, but Percival had not been resupplied since the Tyranids had invaded Betor, and his army lacked the fuel or equipment to carry out further advances. Here too Roover intended to win a victory for the Imperium, but it would have to wait until Betor had been finished.

Inquisitors Hathek and Huron, the senior Inquisitors in the sector had their own goals. Hathek had squeezed supplies to other warzones to feed the forces on Betor, while Huron moved to the Shadow Worlds to investigate the recent outbreak of Eldar activity, something which was concerning, if not an immediate threat.

So as 09.009M42 began, although the Imperium appeared to be in the ascendant, there were serious problems to be overcome, not least the obvious division of objectives between the Inquisition, the Imperial Navy and the Imperial Guard. At the same time the Adeptus Astartes, active and numerous in the subsector, followed their own objectives. Meanwhile the Imperium’s various threats, followed their own...