War in the Zadoc Subsector

While the Space Wolves battled the Tau on Hylas, the other races in the Aleph sector were also making war with one another in the largest upsurge of violent conflict for more than two years. Da Verminator was sighted again, this time raiding several outposts in the Rim Worlds for reasons unknown. The chaotic leaders of the Rim Worlds called their brethen for aid, and within three weeks of the call the mighty warfleet of Grand Admiral Thok had docked at the rapidly growing Iron Warrior fortress world of Aornis.

Confident of victory against the Orks Thok formed his battle line on 1802.012M42, when Da Verminator arrived in strength in the Aornis system, eager for a fight against "real" opposition. The Ork constructs, only loosely resembling "vessels" rushed headlong into Thok's guns at a speed which the grand admiral was quite unprepared for. This shock was also felt on many of his capital ships' bridges, as fire from the chaos vessels proved sporadic and inaccurate as the orks approached. Da Verminator had gambled and won. Now at close range the ridiculously overpowered and cumbersome ork weapons came into their own, pummelling Thok's ships and forcing the grand admiral to flee, his battle line irreparably shattered and his fleet in disarray. The orks then plundered the space docks of Aornis before setting course for the Ork strongholds in the Mabb Nebula.

Some of the Orks landed on Aornis itself, spoiling for a fight "up close and personal". Some were identified as previously belonging to Thrugnik's warbands, raising the real possibility that the two Ork warlords were not enemies, or worse, were even working together. In any case the Iron Warriors managed to fend off the ferocious Ork assaults, holding their ground and after defeating the greenskins, reusing as much of what passed for equipment to shore up the defences of Aornis.

Prior to the Ork attack the Eldar had also attempted to raid the fortress world, but the stout defence of the Iron Warriors had prevented them from doing any real damage. This raid and the Ork invasion had taught the Iron Warriors just where their fortifications were lacking, and towards the end of 02.012M42 they were confident that Aornis was now as strong as it could be.

The Eldar did not confine their raids to the Iron Warriors on Aornis however. Just days after the engagements at Aornis, the Eldar appeared at Fort Sparcos in the Mabb Nebula. Quite why they were attacking the Orks was a mystery to the major powers in the region, as the last time the Eldar had attacked on Fort Sparcos was to aid the Orks in their defeat of the original Imperial defenders. None-the-less, the Orks were up to the task, defeating the Eldar raiders and sending them packing back into the webway. Just as with the Chaos raid the Orks capitalised, restrengthening their defences and increasing their forces on the world. Perhaps this had been the Eldar intention all along, although without the cost of so many Eldar lives...