Cracks deepen in Veers' crusade

In late 03.011M42 serious cracks began appearing in General Veers' Crusade force. The force, made up of several Space Marine chapters. Imperial Guard regiments, the Imperial Navy and other parts of the Imperial war machine, was led by the crusade council. The council itself was made up by leaders of the various forces involved in the campaign, as well as officials from the Inquisition, Ecclesiarchy, Administratum and Adeptus Mechanicus. As the campaign stalled, rifts began to appear in the naturally fractious alliance.

on 2203.011M42 the Ares campaign, already lacking in proper Imperial Guard support, suffered another setback. The Dark Angels had left on "urgent business", their victory on Ares seemingly intended as an act of show for the Space Wolves' benefit rather than a strategically thought out strike leaving the Red Angels in an almost private war against the Shadow Suns, a force Lorek was happy to leave on Ares, slowly bleeding the life out of the crusade. Skirmishes and battles flaired up along the roads between settlements, the only easy way to traverse the rugged Ares terrain, and this time the Shadow Suns caught the Red Angels by surprise, inflicting heavy casualties and forcing their way back into Ares Prime. This threatened to cut off Hepath Station once again, and Veers appealled to the Astartes chapters for further support, knowing his precious Guard regiments could not yet be freed up from important operations on Bastien.

It was at this point that news reached Veers that the Space Wolf company under the command had been attacked by his own side, ambushed at their base on Aethor by a full regiment of Praetorian Guardsmen. The Guard attack had been repulsed by the Space Marines who slaughtered their attackers, believing them to be traitors. Only when the few survivors were captured did they find out that they were under orders from a member of the Ordo Hereticus. Infuriated the Space Wolves refused to take their seats at the council and made it clear to General Veers that from now on they would follow their own path in service to the Emperor. Even the Dark Angels were outraged at the attack. Inquisitor Hathek promised to investigate the matter, but the Imperial will to prosecute the Perseus Deeps crusade was falling apart.