Eldar harlequins ransack Barham's Vespae base

After many weeks of quiet, the small team of Imperial explorators in the system of Vespae were finally nearing a breakthrough. Until now the Durkhari and Aeldari xenos had been persistently and stubbornly intervening whenever the Imperium, led by the Adeptus Mechanicus, had attempted to explore the apparent wealth of ancient archeotect that permeated the system. The dark eldar had massacred all who trespassed on the moon of the inner world, while the eldar had raided and cut down every member of the team investigating the obelisks on the outer planets.

However the Imperium were undeterred.Reports of investigations on the third planet hinted at a necron device of great power which might be harnessed for mankind. On 1807_018M42 the messages abruptly stopped.

In early 08_018M42 a company of astartes of the Hammers of the Emperor's chapter arrived in the expanse. Known by Imperial record as Imperatoris Malleo, the Hammers' presence was welcomed, but realistically one company of astartes was unlikely to be able to add to the major offensives. Instead, the captain of the company decided to independently investigate or respond to smaller events.

One Cobra class escort carried half the company to Dale, to aid the re-invasion of Palantir by the Imperium, while another travelled to the galactic east, and to the city of Vespae. What the Hammers found was no trace of Imperials whatsoever. The xenos had once again removed all trace of human investigation. As the small team of space marines investigated, the Aeldari attacked.

This time the Rillietan or Harlequins responded to the trespassing Mon'keigh as they blundered about in their clumsy armoured suits through the ruins of an ancient foe every bit as deadly as chaos. The necrons, that had so recently awoken briefly in the Perseus Deeps, cutting a swathe of destruction, were still in hibernation in the Expanse, and the eldar desparately wanted to keep it that way. Soon the graceful acrobatic forms of the Harlequin troupe met the unyielding astartes brothers in brutal close combat. Cutting them down to a single battle brother, the harlequins finally spoke to the survivor, instructing him to inform his leaders that this system and all its worlds were off limits to the race of man.