Dark Eldar raids in Expanse escalate

The dark eldar Archon known as "Stitch" or sometimes "Baron Stitch" had been making a name for himself in Dark Eldar society in 022M42. Known for his provision of exotic Xenos creatures, sometimes of his own "creation", his was one of the more depraved minds even within the Drukhari. Other Archons and Dark Eldar nobles had noted this upstart, and while his contribution to the depravity of Commoragh society couldn't be overlooked, there were some who secretly despised this avaricious and gauche faction of their civilisation.

 

Stitch and his forces had been taking advantage of the network of basis that had been installed by the patient hard work of Vlokarion in years past, and had been emboldened by the relative weakness of the Imperium and Chaos forces who remained distracted by their war at Mordecai. The Drukhari had found the Tau Empire more difficult to challenge, but the Hadron Expansion Sphere was now in a period of consolidation, and Malkaor was content to simply make the Tau look like the least tempting target for Stitch's raids.

 

The necrons, only partially reawakened and disorganised, were a prime income source for the Drukhari raiders, and this was proved once again when a raiding force plundered the tomb world of Ceti 6539 in 08.021M42. The Skareth Dynasty moved quickly to pretect key artefacts given the main force of the Bahotek remained slumbering beneath the surface, but their intervention was unsucessful. Despite taking down the raiding party's commander and inflicting some damage on the Dark Eldar raiders, the Drukhari battered the necron force, and made off with a substantial loot.

 

By 1008.022M42 the raids of Dark Eldar were growing in intensity, so much so that the Grey Knights became concerned that the loyalty of Vanir, one of the only remaining bases for the Imperium in the Expanse, would fail, as General Pervical seemed unwilling or unable to dedicate sufficient garison forces to the world. In order to prevent a revolt, and the loss of a strategic system, the Grey Knights deployed a strike cruiser full of elite astartes, and waited.

 

The wait was not long. Within days of their arrival the Grey Knights found two Drukhari raiding forces materialising from the webway, which then embarked on a spree of pillaging and enslaving across the northern hemisphere settlements. Deploying rapidly from orbit, the astartes force dealt with each in turn, in two decisive engagements that severely damaged both raiding parties, forcing them to flee and abandon their booty of raw materials and human slaves. The Grey Knights had sent a clear message to Stitch - Vanir is not your playground and the Imperium will defend its territory.