Battles in the Deeps

In the early weeks of 017M42 the Imperium faced more threats in the Perseus Deeps than they were able to deal with. Raids on colonies across the Deeps forced Sector Commander Titus Luthor to reinforce Bastion and the outlying systems with fresh units of Guard. The first of these were a force of Volscians. Luthor knew that the Volscians were fighting for the crusdade on Libria, and therefore found all Volscians under his command as unreliable. By posting them to Aethor, where the eldar attacks were at their worst, he hoped to remove them from possible altercations with other regiments fighting on the side of the loyalists. In addition he deployed additional Vedrian and Lycaon units to the planet.

Aethor had been under sustained assault from the eldar for over a year. Unknown to the imperium Aethor was a strategic target for the Eldar, and the recently emergent "Ynnari" faction were no exception. Like their heralds, the Disciples of Y'nead, the Ynnari knew that imperial "Mon Keigh" presence on Aethor was intolerable, and despite having been warned the stubborn humans remained.

The attacks, started by the Disciples, were continued by their successors, and the Ynnari gained ground at first, eliminating the Vedrian guard at an imperial outpost near a webway portal. However the Volscians were harder to crack, and managed to beat off a Ynnari attack in the north of the colony. Things remained evenly balanced on Aethor.

The Dark Eldar, led by Vlokarion, continued their own agenda, raiding and defeating the Charnovokh dynasty throughout the early weeks of the year. On Calliden, capital of the Necron empire in the Deeps, the ruler of the Charnovokh and Harakhty dynasties, Overlord Arakamen, realised that without the help of the Imperium, his empire could fall to ruin. The necrons could not afford to fight the eldar and the tyranids alone, with the alliance on their borders. Only the Imperium, who could be manipulated, would allow the necrons to defend and rebuild their empire. Arakamen needed a strong Imperium as a bulwark against his enemies. The overlord began opening his negotiations...