Biel Tan arrive in Vastrid subsector

War returned with a vengeance to the Vastrid subsector as the eldar of the Biel Tan craftworld began acting more aggressively towards various forces in the region. At first the attacks were small and unsuccessful, with the Novgorod regiment posted to Glossop V easily fending off the surprise attack which occurred on 0410.014M42. The success was short lived however, as the eldar forces returned in larger numbers and with more powerful forces, destroying another imperial guard force at one of the outposts protecting the capital and only spaceport. The eldar then melted away into the vast wilderness areas of the largely uninhabited world, but the commander on the ground suspected they would be back.

At the same time another force of Biel Tan arrived unexpectedly on the Corsair planet of Gabriel's World, although they had not been contacted by their brethren and made no attempt to communicate with them. As soon as they had landed the eldar host moved swiftly towards their objective, uncovering a previously unknown minor tyranid infestation. By their actions however, the previously covert actions of the tyranids soon turned more aggressive, and the alien creatures launched a ferocious defence, almost annihilating the Biel Tan host that had come to eradicate them.

The actions of the Biel Tan resulted in a swifter than usual response from the imperial navy. Concerned by the recent attacks and convinced there must be a significant eldar naval presence in the area, admiral Jellicoe consented to the dispatch of Admiral Pendragon's fleet as well as Commodore Sommerville's battlegroup. The combined fleet, the largest deployed to the Vastrid subsector in many years, soon found more than they had bargained for. By their deployment the dark eldar of Drift became alarmed that their activities would be uncovered, and that they may even lose Slaughterpoint station, which although did not belong to the Shattered Silence kabal, was still coveted by their Archon.

The imperial fleet soon found itself being shadowed by the dark eldar of the Shattered Silence, and attempted to bring their combined force to bear on the smaller xenos fleet. However just as battle was joined, a large host of Biel Tan warships, the very ones the imperium had been looking for, arrived and quickly entered the fray. The imperial vessels were totally outmaneuvered by their opponents, and were sooon chasing shadows as they weaved crazily across the void, all the while being harassed by the combined eldar/dark eldar force. During the engagement the imperium lost three vessels, all reduced to hulks, while the rest were either crippled or fled the field. Only Pendragon's flagship, the Sir Gallahad, escaped with no damage at all, and the remaining battered fleet returned to dock at Vastrid, where admiral Jellicoe administered a stern rebuke to his subordinate. For now the eldar had the upper hand in the Cerrack Nebula, and Jellicoe had few resources to spare hunting down the eldar threat.