Special Operations in the Aleph Sector: 01.025M42

While the major warzones of the Aleph Sector remained embroiled in large-scale conflicts, the shadow war of special operations and clandestine engagements continued unabated into 025M42. Across multiple contested worlds, elite forces from various factions vied for control in brutal, close-quarters skirmishes that often proved as decisive as the grand campaigns raging elsewhere.

On Gamador, the Necrons launched a series of infiltration operations aimed at disrupting the T’au foothold on the world. Their silent advance into the depths of the Hasmakep Tomb Complex went largely undetected at first, until T’au forces encountered sudden disruptions in their supply chains and communications networks, indicative of a hidden enemy operating within the tunnels beneath them.

Recognising the deadly underground threat, the T’au called upon their Votann allies, the Kin of the Leagues of Votann, to assist in the ensuing vicious tunnel warfare. The Hearthkyn warriors, hardened by centuries of subterranean conflict, fought with determination, deploying advanced scanning technology and methodical fire discipline to counter the Necron infiltration teams.

However, the Necrons' advance proved difficult to halt. Their superior knowledge of the tomb complex, combined with their reanimation protocols, allowed them to overwhelm the Votann forces in several key areas. By the end of the campaign, the Necrons had successfully driven the Votann from critical sections of Hasmakep, weakening the T’au-Federal grip on the planet and threatening their strategic positions.

Meanwhile, on Hylas Reach, the Federacy found itself engaged in an intense battle against Ork Kommandos, who had infiltrated the station’s interior and begun raiding vital installations. As expected, the arrival of Votann Hearthkyn warriors had only increased the Orks’ interest in the station, as the brutal xenos relished the chance to test themselves against these stubborn and well-armed warriors.

The Votann kill teams, unwilling to tolerate the Ork menace, launched a ruthless clearance operation. Fighting room by room, they methodically pushed the Kommandos back, but the greenskins proved tenacious, forcing every engagement to the death. Despite their disciplined assault, the Hearthkyn found themselves in need of additional firepower to secure the final sections of the station.

At a crucial moment, Kroot Mercenaries arrived to reinforce the Votann effort, proving invaluable in the close-quarters combat against the Ork infiltrators. In one pivotal confrontation, a Kroot pistolier, renowned for his lightning-fast reflexes, executed a quick-draw kill, neutralising a key Ork leader just in time to secure a vital control terminal. This moment allowed the Federacy forces to lock out the remaining Ork Kommandos, effectively sealing off the key sectors of Hylas Reach from further greenskin incursions. With the station firmly under Alliance control, the Federacy had won an important victory in the shadow war of the Aleph Sector, ensuring Hylas Reach would serve as a critical staging ground for future operations.

While the larger wars in the Perseus Deeps, Hadron Expanse, and Zadoc Subsector continued to dominate military strategy, these small-scale but significant battles shaped the strategic landscape in ways few outside the elite circles of command could fully appreciate. Whether it was the Necrons chipping away at the T’au foothold on Gamador, or the Votann and Kroot working together to secure Hylas Reach, the shadow war of special operations remained a decisive theatre of conflict in 025M42.

New Cerberex: Dark Angels continue breakout

By early 025M42, the once dominant position of the T’au Empire in the Mabb Nebula had begun to unravel. Just a year prior, the T’au had been poised to establish a Zadoc Expansion Sphere, having secured New Cerberex, launched an invasion of Hylas, and maintained a tense but stable front against Chaos on Zadoc itself. However, as the war expanded across the Zadoc Subsector, it became clear that the T’au and their Federal allies were overextended.

While the T’au had defeated the Imperial fleet and enforced a blockade within the Mabb Nebula their grip on the subsector was not absolute. Astartes fleets, refusing to engage in pitched battles, continued to operate freely, slipping past T’au naval patrols to deploy reinforcements and supplies. The T’au and their allies simply lacked the naval coverage to maintain control over three major war zones simultaneously—the Perseus Deeps, the Hadron Expanse, and the Zadoc Subsector. Seizing upon this weakness, General Van Dorn, now commanding the Imperial war effort in the Zadoc subsector, exploited the overstretched enemy. His offensive on Hylas forced the T’au-Federal alliance to divert precious resources, further weakening their defensive hold over New Cerberex.

Despite the T’au’s claim of having secured New Cerberex, they had never eliminated the Dark Angels or breached their fortress monastery on Mount Bone. Recognising the fragility of the T’au position, the Dark Angels Chapter launched a devastating assault in 01.025M42, striking from their stronghold on Deathwing Ridge. With speed and precision, the Astartes descended upon T’au defensive positions at Vincennes and Albert, their rapid-strike doctrine overwhelming the surprised defenders. The T’au attempted a counter-offensive, but their forces were soon bottled up in Albert, unable to manoeuvre effectively against the fast-moving Space Marine formations. With their defences shattered, the T’au were unable to prevent the fall of Vincennes, a vital settlement that cut their forces in two.

Despite this setback, the T’au still controlled the key strategic locations on New Cerberex, including New Feducia, New Grasx, and the spaceport, but the notion that the world had been fully integrated into the T’au Empire was crumbling. The Dark Angels’ lightning assault proved that the Imperium could still contest the world, and the illusion of T’au security was shattered. Now, the T’au-Federal alliance found itself fighting on two major fronts in the Zadoc subsector—against Van Dorn’s renewed offensive on Hylas and the Dark Angels’ resurgence on New Cerberex. With the war effort stretching their resources thin, the T’au’s grand ambitions in the Zadoc Expansion Sphere were beginning to collapse under Imperial pressure.

Mordecai: The Battle for south east Westosa

As 025.M42 dawned, the war for Mordecai Primaris remained a brutal and attritional struggle, with the Imperial Guard working tirelessly to secure key positions in the ongoing campaign against the forces of Chaos. After weeks of consolidation, the Imperium had successfully established a critical supply corridor between Menoria and Westosa, a lifeline that allowed General Kutuzov’s forces to stabilise their southern front. However, a significant Death Guard formation still lurked on the outskirts of Westosa, posing a severe threat to the Imperial flank.

Recognising the need for decisive action, the Hammers of the Emperor—a Primaris Adeptus Astartes Chapter—launched an offensive to eradicate the entrenched Death Guard elements and ensure the security of the Imperial advance.

The Hammers of the Emperor initiated their attack with characteristic speed and aggression, deploying armoured transports to rapidly close the distance with the enemy. Understanding the dangers of prolonged engagement against the Death Guard’s infamous resilience, the Chapter sought to use shock and momentum to overwhelm the traitors before they could fully react.

Upon reaching the outer defences, however, the Loyalist Astartes quickly discovered that their foe was more entrenched than expected. The Death Guard, their corrupted power armour bloated with the blessings of Nurgle, absorbed tremendous punishment and fought with unrelenting tenacity. Even under sustained bolter fire and the devastating impact of Primaris bladework, the Plague Marines refused to yield easily.

The battle descended into gruesome, close-quarters combat, with Loyalist and Traitor Astartes clashing amid the ruins of Westosa’s outer districts. The stench of decay and corruption filled the air as the Hammers of the Emperor fought through toxic clouds unleashed by their foe, cutting down diseased monstrosities in relentless waves. Yet for every Death Guard warrior felled, another fought on, seemingly immune to pain or fatigue.

Despite the difficulty of the engagement, the Primaris Marines methodically pushed the traitors back, securing key fortifications and clearing large sections of the battlefield. However, their advance stalled when they encountered the Death Guard Terminators, led by a Chaos Lord of Nurgle. These elite warriors, heavily armoured and wreathed in foul warp energies, proved nearly impervious to conventional weaponry, shrugging off bolter fire and even sustained plasma barrages.

Realising that continuing the engagement risked unacceptable casualties, the Hammers of the Emperor consolidated their gains and withdrew to more defensible positions. The Death Guard Terminators and their Chaos Lord remained undefeated, holding onto a portion of the battlefield just south of the Harian Mesa, but the main body of the traitor force had been obliterated.

While not an overwhelming victory, the engagement successfully removed the immediate Death Guard threat from Westosa’s outskirts, securing the Imperial southern flank and allowing General Kutuzov to refocus his offensive as 025.M42 began. The war for Mordecai Primaris continued, but the Imperium had struck another blow in its long and bloody struggle to reclaim the world from Chaos.