The Device Campaign: Introduction

The three day battle of Bastien occurred between 0812.011M42 and 1212.011M42, when four major factions converged on the Imperial outpost following the revelation that Inquisitor Lord Xanthus had almost completed construction of a second "device", capable of creating stable portals between worlds thousands of light years apart.

Inquisitor lord Hathek had been spying on Xanthus for months, and when his spies were sure of what Xanthus was up to, they sent a message to their master who immediately gathered as many forces as he could to converge on Sentinel. Time was short, so hathek could only call on one regiment of Praetorian Guard and a company of Space Wolves.

To increase his forces, Hathek leant heavily on the Tau. Eventually they consented to sending one hunter cadre, but Shadowstrike ensured it was made up of their most inexperienced and expendable troops. The Tau had fullfilled their treaty obligations, but only just.

On the way to Sentinel Hathek received a strange message. The necrons had learned of Xanthus plans, but also knew what would happen were the device to fall into the wrong hands. They too craved the destruction of the blasphemous machine, and offered an alliance with Hathek. After much negotiation Hathek agreed, to the consternation of the Space Wolves. However Hathek's retained his imperial authority and now his "alliance" had the forces required to overwhelm Xanthus and destroy the device.

Unfortunately for Inquistor Hathek, he was not the only force aware of the creation of the device. The forces of Chaos felt the nascent device's call in the warp, and, affronted that the Imperium would dare to replicate something of theirs, resolved to steal it. To improve their chances, Lorek secured help from the Catechism, Conquerer's of Gorgoroth, the Covenant of Damnation and two Ork forces including those of Warboss Thrugnik. The ramshackle fleet had already assembled in the Cerrack Nebula and departed for Sentinel days before Hathek was even aware of the device's existence, but distance and fate meant both forces would arrive on the same day.

the eldar, especially the Rillietan, had been manipulating events for months, waiting for this day. Their farseers had forseen this day, when three factions would converge at the same time and clash over the device. This they had intended all along. While the three sides fought amongst themselves, the eldar and dark eldar would gather, move swiftly to their objectives and steal the device from under the noses of the Imperium, Tau, Necrons, Chaos and Orks.