Federal forces uncover the location of the Lysis system

By late 10.018M42 the exploratory teams of the Federacy had still found nothing other than the necron key. Studying the key had led them to the Hadron Deeps, but they still lacked critical information as to the whereabouts of the key’s counterpart - the necron device. 

The next phase of the expedition, carried out independently of the tau but with their consent, centred on dim worlds near to the warp disturbances close to the Cicatrix. While investigating an uninhabited barren rock for traces of the ancient Bahotek Dynasty, the federal forces were suddenly engaged by astartes forces. Without their knowledge a single Hunter escort had been shadowing the federal vessel, and seeing the explorator team only lightly defended, attempted to remove the federal presence and administer the emperors justice to the traitors, as well as prevent the hated separatists from gaining access to the device. 

The federacy were defended by a small squad of highly trained Federal special ops troops, who engaged the astartes in a rugged area of terrain. Fighting centred around a single gulley, where the federal troops were able to pick off the astartes one by one. They were helped by a mysterious effect which saw plasma guns on both sides unexpectedly explode in the bearers hands, but the space marines were resilient to the standard weaponry carried by the special ops team. Receiving intel that reinforcements were in their way, the federal force launched an all out near suicidal charge against the space marines, losing men but buying enough time for the explorator teams to get to safety. The Hammers of the Emperor withdrew and the federacy continued their search, but found nothing of interest. 

On the next world the federacy came to, they had to fight off a force of Black Legion astartes and cultists who were actively searching a set of ruins that seemed to indicate an underground power source. The cultists and their marine contingent were forced to flee after federal gunfire took down more than half the combat ready troops, and the federal scientists were able to open a gate into an underground vault. Here the federacy found what they were looking for, an ancient necron xenovault detailing the layout of the Bahotek Dynasty. Within the data, the separatist scientists found the location of the device in the Lysis system, on the planet of Hexis. Immediate plans were drawn up to send an expedition to the system, deep in the Hadron Expanse.