Hexis: The prize

The Hexis campaign was not only about control and activation of the necron device. As the key powers of the sector investigated the necron ruins, it became clear that once activated the powerful artefact would create a channel of calm in the empyrean, undoing the Cicatrix and forming a stable passage across the great rift. However, the direction and form of the channel would be directed by whoever activated the device, leading to three possible outcomes, assuming the device was activated in situ. 

The resulting channel would exit on the other side of the rift in three possible stable configurations. The first would link the Lysis system directly to the warp lane to Ultramar, bypassing the Tau empire altogether. The second would provide a direct link to the Hadron Expanse from the Tau empire, while the third would connect the new worlds of the Expanse to the chaos held Enceladus subsector. 

Clearly these three options each favoured one of the main powers fighting on Hexis, but the creation of the Foramen Ignotum world still not be sufficient to exploit the new strategic reality. As with the Foramen Interdictum control of both ends of the channel, at the points where ships would have to gather before making the jump, would be of primary importance once the new passage was created. 

Hexis Current

Eldar retake Federal base

Despite the Federal withdrawal from Hexis, the alliance had not given up on the campaign. Now chiefly led by the eldar, the alliance goals were to stop the imperium and chaos forces from securing and using the necron device. Activating the device for their own use was a secondary goal. 

On 0412.018M42 the eldar attacked the chaos held region to the south west of the city of Praxis. Lying in the shadow of the Haknur plateau this region had once been the location of the Federal base, before Warsmith Stahl had arrived. Now the eldar found the area held by roving warbands of World Eaters space marines. Stahl and the Iron Warriors had moved on, finding nothing of value in the ruins of the Librian HQ. 

The eldar found the World Eaters a difficult proposition as the fast moving xenos forces attempted to wrestle back control of the region. However, despite some initial concerns the agile eldar forces eventually managed to outmanoeuvre the traitor astartes and retake the region. This move briefly cut off the chaos forces in the heart of Praxis from any form of supply base, but this wasn’t to last. The eldar found the Federal base in ruins, a tragic reminder of the failure of the alliance campaign on Hexis so far. However now the eldar were only 60 miles from Akrash pass and linking up with their other stronghold. In between however, strong imperial forces still held the high ground. 

Emerald Serpent link up chaos forces

The Emerald Serpent showed their hand on Hexis once again in early 12.018M42 as they sought to re-establish their influence over the course of events. Led by the tzeentch sorcerer Ahriman, the forces of tzeentch, aware of the movements and intentions of the eldar in the west, new they needed to break through the imperial cordon around their positions in Praxis. Attacking through the old town region between Praxis and Menthoteph, the elite traitor forces quickly breached the imperial defences. Reacting to this an elite force of Howling Griffons and Black Templars counter attacked. 

The Black Templars, equipped with newly distributed Primaris hellblasters, managed to hold the line for a while, causing significant casualties amongst the tzeentch terminators. Ahriman himself was taken out of action by imperial shooting, but the tzeentch terminators had been a distraction.  Outflanked and out gunned, the imperial forces now had to withdraw, with the Black Templars buying Konev’s forces time to fall back to prepared positions. Their sacrifice ensured the Emerald Serpent did not make a major breakthrough, but the forces of chaos were once again linked up and the imperial cordon had been breached. 

Orks charge Praxis City. Carcharadons rescued by imperial cult

In a bizarre sequence of events the Carcharadons found themselves in the debt of the Imperial Cult on Hexis just days after they had purged the militia forces from the centre of Praxis. Following that engagement a small force of astartes had been stationed in the tight confines of the city centre ruins, ever vigilant for attack by the forces of chaos surrounding them on three sides. 

What they did not expect was an assault by the orks of Von Bismorck, who had arrived on Hexis after rumours of a “big fight” had reached the greenskin leader. After defeat at Hylas many thought this particular warband had been scattered, but the familiar greenskins turned up at Hexis and immediately threw themselves at the biggest prize right in the centre of Praxis. Whether the forces of chaos actually exerted any control over the orks is unknown, but soon despite being relatively few in number, the greenskins had overrun the centre of the ruined city and trapped the Carcharadon squad underground in the tunnels around the device chamber. 

Unable to immediately counter this emerging threat general Konev was at a loss to support the space marines, but the Imperial Cult, determined that the prize should not fall into xenos hands, launched their own initiative into the central ruins. A fierce battle erupted in the centre of Praxis as two irregular forces battled for control of the strategic heart of the campaign, as the chaos and imperial leaders looked on in surprise. The righteous fury of the imperial militia overwhelmed the orks, retaking the centre of the city and rescuing a somewhat bemused squad of carcharadons from the underground crypts. Whether this act would be enough for the imperial cult to be accepted by the hard line astartes was unknown, but the marines had the irregulars to thank for their salvation. 

Hexis movements

Imperial Factions 12.018M42

As 018M42 drew to a close the Imperium was united once more in its purpose in the Aleph Sector. Or at least, almost. 

Vorushko‘s crusade had been set up to purge a swathe of worlds considered certain to fall to chaos or the tau empire before the coming of the Cicatrix. Started as an inquisition and astartes initiative the inquisitor lord and the Minotaurs, Sky Lords, Charcaradons and Apocalypse Riders had met significant resistance from “loyalist” forces led by another inquisitor lord - Hathek. The crusade tried to capture the Librian system and strip it of its assets before the tau had the chance to sway it to their cause or invade, but Hathek’s refusal to agree with his colleague led to the Librian war. Eventually the system fell to the Tau, precipitated in no small part by the intervention of Hathek. 

During the Librian war, thousands of firebrand preachers, encouraged by Vorushko, had created a zealous militia as well as the following of several imperial guard regiments such as the Volscians. Vorushko even persuaded the Dark Angels to join her side. However when the great rift appeared, the crusading non astartes forces melted away, making pilgrimage to Terra. The Charcaradons had taken severe casualties and the Apocalypse Riders and Minotaurs chapters had both gone missing, presumed destroyed by the Noctis Aeterna. 

After Vorushko’s agents opened the Foramen Inderdictum, saving the Perseus Deeps and much of the Imperium on the wrong side of the rift, Lord Hathek claimed the credit, and opposed Vorushko once again as she tried to destroy the secondary pathway she had unintentionally created - the Foramen Minoris. This pathway she feared would be used as a back door to the imperium by xenos and the forces of chaos, but Hathek demanded it be taken in the name of the Emperor. 

Once again the remaining crusaders took up arms against Hathek and his loyalists, while sector commander Titus Luthor, appalled by two inquisitors creating an imperial civil war, went to see newly risen Roboute Guilliman for advice. Luthor was told to sort it out himself, and returned with no immediate answers. 

By this time Archmagos Dominus Cybixx had joined forces with Vorushko, apparently agreeing with her wish to close the Foramen Minoris and setting up a well defended base at Vandrax. Cybixx apparently intended to use this base in order to close of the Foramen Minoris, which Vorushko was even more keen to do following a prophecy that “traitors will come by the second path” made by a rogue psyker before Vorushko executed him. 

Upon his return to the sector Titus Luthor pleaded with Vorushko to put an end to the new war in the Foramen. The inquisitor lord agreed, called a truce and left for the Hadron Expanse chasing rumours of the Foramen Ignotum and intending to help with the new crusade of expansion in the far galactic east of the sector. 

With Vorushko out of the way, Cybixx began to act erratically, first building a strange and powerful space station and the launching a somewhat abortive invasion of neighbouring Destino. Vorushko sent queries, but given the distance across the sector no one really knew what was going on. Both sides blamed the other for hostilities and Hathek, claiming Cybixx was a heretic, hardly helped matters, his reputation already compromised by events at Libria.

So by 12.018M42 although Vorushko’s crusade was at an end a lot of bad blood remained, especially between forces who had previously been on opposing sides in the conflict between the two Inquisitor Lords. Cybixx however travelled to Hexis, searching for ancient necron technology, and was only stopped by a xenos attack. Although apparently in line with imperial aims in the Hexis campaign, on his visit to the Expanse Cybixx was able to meet with the Black Templars, Charcaradons and even Vorushko herself. At this time no one really knew the Archmagos’ intentions, and this act was the beginning of a new chapter of woe and division within the imperium. 

Librian Forces withdraw from Hexis

By 0312.018M42 General Kuwalski knew that the position of her Federal armies on Hexis had become untenable. With no forces to spare in the Hadron Expanse the Federacy would either have to wait possibly months for reinforcements from Libria, or request a large force to be sent from the Federacy itself. This was unlikely to get past the Federal Council, who were already cool on the idea of sending more forces to the Expanse, and even the federal fleet was only on loan from much needed duties in the Echo Cluster. If the alliance wanted now to take the Lysis system, it would need to be the eldar and tau that conquered it. 

Of Kuwalski’s original command of 50,000 troops, she was down to under half strength. Worse, the Librians had lost more than 75% of their armour and artillery, and her remaining forces consisted mostly of engineers and non combatant forces. The Federacy was spent. So what had gone wrong?

Kuwalski was not held accountable for the losses on Hexis. Firstly the forces the alliance had encountered were far larger than expected. The imperium’s assault in the first days of their major invasion had devastated the Librian armour, and privately the general held the eldar responsible for the strategic decisions in those early engagements. Following these events the sudden arrival of Warsmith Stahl had been the second major blow. The loss of the Federal base to the Iron Warriors was an unwinnable encounter where overwhelming chaos forces had simply overrun her positions. 

By mid 11.028M42 it had also become clear that the Tau were not prepared to send in more troops to reinforce the single cadre they had deployed to the planet. With the eldar also only able to send in rapid strike forces this left Kuwalski with the job of defending the entire alliance perimeter, with the imperium on one side and the chaos pact on the other. 

The final nail was the deployment of the Sycorax heavy tank divisions against the Librians. Although the federal army had faced issues with its ammunition and aiming equipment, even with more favourable firepower, victory against the super heavy vehicles was always going to be a struggle. The only brief glimmer of hope had been the elite forces sent into the centre of Hexis, which had managed a creditable record of victories against the imperial astartes squads. 

And so Kuwalski formally notified the alliance council that her federal armies would be withdrawing from Hexis. It came as no real surprise to the tau or eldar forces, but they were disappointed to learn that the federal fleet would also be leaving orbit, leaving the imperium in control of the system. Command of the remaining alliance territory was handed over to the eldar of Kel Sandros, and the ancient race now had to decide on their next move on Hexis, before either the imperium or chaos discovered a way to activate the necron device. 

Hexis movements 0112.018M42

Imperium push into West Praxis

At the beginning of 12.018M42 the imperium began its operation to capture the centre of Praxis. Konev had already surrounded the city but now made a concerted push against the defenders of the city itself. First Konev had to deal with the remaining Federal forces on his right flank. In order to deal with the Librian Guard, the Imperium deployed the Last of Sycorax and their super heavy tanks, despite the closeness of the terrain in the city ruins. 

The Librians were deployed in the ruins supported by artillery and Leman Russ battle tanks. Horrified at the sudden appearance of the lumbering imperial behemoths the Librian commander in the field desperately requested air cover from Kuwalski, but there was no time. A baneblade and a Shadowsword led the Sycorax advance, and within minutes two Leman Russ has been picked off and their infantry support annihilated by heavy Bolter fire. The Librians then launched a counter attack with their hellhounds and remaining Russ. However the flame tanks missed their mark, failing to strike a decisive blow against the Sycorax infantry. Worse, the combined fire of the federal elite plasma tanks and artillery barely scratch the imperial vehicles, and the monstrous war engines continued their orgy of destruction. One after another Librian tanks were silenced, left as burning wrecks with their turrets torn off by weapons designed to destroy titans. Some were flipped over by Volcano Cannon fire, but the manner of their demise was irrelevant. By 02.018M42 the Librians were in full retreat having lost all their remaining vehicles, unable to significantly dent the super heavies. 

With the Federacy broken, Konev turned his eyes to the centre of the city, only to find the militia of the imperial cult had already got their. Led by maniacal preachers, the religious zealots had massacred the Black Legion and taken the centre of Praxis, defeating the Sisters of Quartz in the process. The device chamber was now in the hands of the imperium, but now Konev had little idea of what to do next. 

Alliance stop Cybixx’s plan

Cassandros shifted his perception. Flames danced in infinity, clawing and claiming millenia of the work of the souls of his people. He felt more than saw the dreams unrealised, the labours of brilliance older than civilisations vanish in the sweeping tide of unreality that consumed all, and the sharp clarity as the foundation of the planet, alike the foundation of the people, cracked and was rent asunder. A world died, a dream died and wonders older than life ages of planets were lost.

Lorwellyn burned in the infinite madness of the Cicatrix Maledictum.

The Farseer brought himself back to the present, and the short term. Simple concerns: the humans digging towards things they did not understand, to paw like a baby creature at the fires of reality altering power, never learning that they would be burned. As they could not be allowed to continue, wheels had been set in motion. The promise of salvage had drawn the primitive Orks into the maw of the Imperials' defences, allowing his own limited but capable forces to act with impunity. It was a blunt solution, but it would suffice.

With Archmagos Cybixx digging towards the Necron crypts buried far below Hexis, the Eldar of the Alliance resolved that the Imperials could not be allowed the final piece they would need to claim victory on the planet. Farseer Cassandros and his forces moved, bribing every Ork they could find to attack the Imperial base while they set up for the killing stroke. Cybixx was not unprepared however, with his own potent forces supported by forces of the Carcharadons and Black Templars Astartes Chapters, and well set defences.

The Ork assault hit harder than the techpriest had anticipated however, swamping the front lines of their defences and turning the planned countercharge into a desperate attempt to clear their own positions. The mobility of the Astartes began to shine, with the initial waves of Ork attacks hacked down and the Warboss slain in single combat with Tyberos of the Carcharadons, and the Black Templars showing their grit and fervour. The Mechanicum troops however were beset by both the best equipped of the Orks and the direct attention of the Eldar, and in spite of their excellent marksmanship, downing the Eldar air cover, they began to be overwhelmed, not helped by a local youth in a scuba suit who had turned up and insisted they were an Imperial Assassin, before being slain by an irate Ork.

Although the Astartes were able to clear the Ork threat, the Eldar swept forward and drove off the few marines still standing, Farseer Cassandros cutting down the final Astartes as he stood over the generator site.

With Akrash pass taken, the Alliance had staved off disaster, but the fight would continue to be uphill, and the Eldar would be carrying weight they could ill afford with their limited numbers.

Harlequins stop Alliance rot

The harlequins of the Sisters of Quartz new well by now that the Alliance presence on Hexis was in trouble. They knew the remaining 30,000 or so federal troops, mainly Librians, would soon come under attack from Konev’s much larger imperial army. The small forces of the eldar, especially with the recent losses, could not help. The Sisters however did take action to make sure the webway portal in the city was not taken by the chaos forces now bearing down on it. 

To get to the portal and ensure it’s whereabouts were concealed or even better moved, the Sisters had to charge through a band of Khorne Berzerkers who had managed to avoid the wrath of the Black Legion. The shock of the arrival of the lithe and acrobatic eldar unsettled the khornate warriors, and before the World Eaters understood what was really going on they had lost more than half their force. Disorganised and unsure of what to do, the traitor astartes held their positions, impotent as the eldar disappeared once again into the ruins of the great city, moving the webway portal safely to the outskirts where Malkaor’s Tau expedition still held precious alliance territory. 

Infighting amongst allies creates uncertainty

As 12.018M42 began, infighting between the chaos and imperial forces escalated. Not content with their status as “hanger on” the recently arrived World Eaters decided to launch their own claim on the chaos device, bored of what they perceived as inactivity by Stahl while he consolidated his forces. The Black Legion however, fully committed to the warsmith’s aims, blocked the small World Eaters force and bloodshed erupted in the chaos held areas of the city, as the Khornate Berzerkers threw themselves at their chaos brethren. The khorne legion was stopped, but the Blood God got his rewards in any case. 

Meanwhile in the imperial sector the forces of the imperial cult were once again attacked and “purged” from the central ruins of Praxis. Worried that the fanatical cult were a danger to imperial plans and not entirely trusting their religious zeal, this time the Grey Knights removed the irregular forces from the city. At Nova Kazan, the imperial base, many of the Novgorod regiments and the Ecclesiarchy pleaded with General Konev to put an end to the purges, but the general had no say over the actions of the actions of the astartes. 

Hexis Latest

Charcaradons assault imperial cult

Following the imperial encirclement of Praxis, a little more information became available about the band of cultists that had joined the imperial invasion. They had arrived on freighters, cargo ships and other assorted craft following the Novgorod regiments, but now had banded together saying they had answered Archconfessor Petarious's call. Who this was and what this meant was unclear to most, but for some members of Konev’s council their behaviour and even existence was becoming a concern. The Novgorod general played down the religious fanatics, praising their religious zeal and commenting that those with faith often follow the call to arms behind Novgorod forces. Critical looks from his other commanders not from his home world soon silenced further comment. Private meetings between some astartes then started to give Konev himself cause for concern. Then the Carcharadons arrived. 

Thought destroyed by the Cicatrix Maledictum, the arrival of a squad of “Space Sharks” at Hexis at first panicked the imperial commanders, who feared a reopening of the Crusade war in the Hadron Expanse. However, without contacting anyone within the imperial hierarchy, the Carcharadons immediately attacked and defeated the Imperial Cult in the middle of Praxis, slaying many before handing the territory over to Konev’s regular army. They simply reported to Konev that the fanatic “disease” had been cleared. Konev said nothing, but realised that the astartes may have considered these forces as Ecclesiarchy forces, breaking Imperial Law, and now had divisions in his own camp to deal with once more. 

Imperium surround Praxis city

With the Grey Knights having secured Konev’s right flank the planned imperial push could begin in the centre of the imperial lines between the cities of Menthoteph and Praxis. Konev had identified a weakness between the are known as old town and Grishtar Gate. Here the chaos line was only 30km deep, with the imperium on either side. Even better for the imperium it wasn’t the elite chaos forces holding the line, but the orks who had been bribed into service by the chaos pact, as the combined force on Hexis was now known as. 

The Last of Sycorax, despite having taken severe casualties in the first battles for the planet, had been reinforced. Now they were in the front line again as their regiments and super heavy vehicles lead the push against Russtoof’s green tide. 

The orks however were far from a pushover. A determined counter attack by the greenskins’ warlord almost broke through the imperial lines, killing the Sycorax colonel and threatening the whole advance. Eventually however the giant alien was pulled down, breaking the ork horde, and by 2911.018M42 the imperial advance was underway again. The orks, their leader dead, scattered, allowing Konev’s regiments to link up at the Haknur plateau, encircling the city of Praxis. 

General Konev had surrounded the chaos and alliance forces, but the noose had not yet tightened around either. The chaos pact in particular still had supplies shipped in to the centre of Praxis via Stahl’s device, while shipments were still made to the chaos zones in the wilderness, despite the attempts of Barham’s fleet to cordon off the system. Despite the success of the guard push, in reality Konev knew the encirclement now put the imperial forces at risk, as only 20k separated the two chaos forces. 

Meanwhile in the north the Cult of the Emperor, or Imperial Cult, often just called the Ecclesiarchy, launched their own offensive against the chaos forces near the centre of Praxis. This rag tag fanatical force mostly kept to itself, except for occasional firebrand speeches or public self flagellation and was totally uncommanded and out of the control of General Konev. Their assault was deemed advantageous however, as they blasted a path for the imperium into the heart of Praxis itself, defeating a rather surprised Death Guard patrol. At the imperial HQ however, many began to question this mysterious cult. 

Grey Knights take Valkaim

As 11.018M42 drew to a close the war on Hexis had dragged on for much longer than the competing powers had hoped. The forces of chaos still controlled the device chamber while the ongoing war in the ruins raged around them. With the alliance losing ground against chaos, imperial command began to worry about encirclement by chaos, so put their own offensive plans into place. While the Guard concentrated their forces for an offensive to encircle Praxis from the east, the Grey Knights led an expedition into the northern region of Valkaim. 

In the ancient ruins the astartes soon found resistance in the shape of the eldar. This time the eldar were not from the Kel Sandros craftworld, indicating that the alliance had managed to add more members to their cause. However the grey knights saw only xenos, and assaulted them immediately. An exceptionally violent battle erupted in the north of the city, and the Ordo Malleus forces found themselves severely tested. Eventually the Imperial force overcame the xenos, defeating the eldar and once again forcing the alliance to give ground. 

Stahl fends of Howling Griffons

In space, sound did not travel beyond the confines of a ship. Nevertheless, when making stealth approaches a silence fell over the whole ship and crew, who only spoke in hushed tones. Some would think this was due to the inevitable tension before war, but this was not the case. Boasts, celebrations and oaths were cast in fury and fire before war in the Howling Griffons, but never during stealth approaches. It truly did not make sense, but Brother Captain Lord Jeremy recalled the stories of ocean submersibles from humanity's past, when the water would carry the slightest sound to give away their position to their enemies.

“We are nearly in position, Lord Captain.” The serf kept a respectful distance and their head bowed, it was a sacred duty to attend one of the Knights of the Proud Eyrie.

He'd studied the tactical significance of their sallying into the crucible of war; the traitors were about to capitalise upon their earlier victories and cut off Imperial forces. Only those of a truly noble spirit like the Griffons could stop the Heretical Monsters. The Brother Captain activated his Company Vox.

“We ready ourselves for War, our Oath - the destruction of the armour of villainy.

We sally forth into the jaws of death, unbroken, unbowed we Knights of Mancora shall claim Victory.

With the song of Death to the Heretic and Traitor, our litany of Loyalty.

For Guilliman, son of the Emperor! For the Founding Father!”

 

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Warpsmith Dimas, though stripped of most of his emotions through cybernetics, was still in a foul mood. He had vociferously argued with Tkalčec that it was heavy armour that best suited the assault on Federal Fortress, not a horde of infantry as Bezhok had allowed. “The Astartes would likely rebel if they did not get the opportunity to fight at the Warsmiths side” Tkalčec had countered, clearly relaying that idiot Bezhok's fears; who cared if the flesh were upset? Only victory mattered, flesh could be regrown, replaced if defective. 

A change in both the air and the Immaterium brought Dimas to the present; he was escorting a column of war constructs of the 144th,, intent on punching through the Imperial defences with a clear line to their fortress, a key weakness only the Iron Warriors could exploit. Moving ill-supported was a bad plan. Such terrain left them open to attack, everyone knew it. But they had been left with little choice and what's more the more “Flesh” Iron Warriors did not seem to care – emotional foolishness. Rising pressure registered in his War Constructs who started to scream against their constraints. Only Ancient Kolar remained calm, binaric canting to Dimas that they were about to be attacked from above by XIII Legion. Kolar still lived in the rebellion and did not distinguish between the thin blooded “Chapters”. Seeing now the descending drop pods, Dimas' fears were well founded as his coded data burst for reinforcements made no attempt to hide his venom.

“Prepare defensive position Gamma-30T5” intoned Dimas to his War Constructs, who started  unnatural squealing and bellowing of warhorns in excitement at the prospect of carnage, which they would have - if they survived.

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Following the brutal and overwhelming assault against the Federacy, the Iron Warriors of Stahl's 144th Grand Battalion were forced to rapidly redeploy forces to ensure no other forces could take advantage. Stahl had gambled on the success of his attack against the Federacy and, while it had succeeded in obliterating their defence, the stalwart defence of the Librians ensured the necron key remained out of Chaos hands. Others were keenly watching the unfolding events and in late 11.018M42 the Howling Griffons intervened to exploit the weaknesses in the Iron Warriors' defences.

With so many Legion Astartes deployed against the Federacy, it had fallen to Iron Warriors' various machine and daemonic constructs to plug gaps. Warpsmith Dimas, one of the three Iron Warrior Smiths on Hexis, led a heavily armoured walker force to crush the North Western city front between Marateph and Grathos, Grathos being in Imperial hands but poorly defended against heavy armour. Escorting Dimas was Experiment MVI, a “constructed” Daemon Prince of Warsmith Stahl's. The Howling Griffons had, through long range augers and more traditional infiltrating 10th Company, identified the armour column as a key weakness in the Iron Warrior deployments and one which, if destroyed, would leave the Iron Warriors' defences disastrously open. Stahl's impetus to acquire the key had had left him and his forces vulnerable.

 

In the middle of the night on Hexis, the Strike Cruiser, Inviolable Honour, used Hexis' Moon and radiation flares from its sun to mask its planetary approach. Undetected till the last moment, the Strike Cruiser unleashed a force of Howling Griffons under Command of Primaris Brother Captain Sir Jeremy. Seeing the drop ships, the Iron Warriors immediately formed defensive positions. The Inviolable Honour unleashed a fierce planetary bombardment into the city to cover the Griffons' deployment. The combined Lance and Macro Batteries eliminated the infantry support of the armoured column, leaving the Walkers vulnerable.

 

The low visibility of the early morning prevented the Howling Griffons' Hellblasters from acquiring an effective fire pattern on the Iron Warrior Decimator. The Reivers also failed to capitalise on their surprise attack as Ancient Kolar, a Contemptor Dreadnought from the Heresy, cut one Reiver down with his Butcher Cannon. Warpsmith Dimas, realising the hopelessness of his defensive position, ordered the column to break and make their escape, repairing damage to Fire Support XV on the move. Under covering fire from the column, Experiment MVI propelled Ancient Kolar forward with warp energies into the Howling Griffons, who made short work of the Griffon mobile Cavalry support and moved on to confront Brother Captain Sir Jeremy. Sir Jeremy for his part raised his sword in a chivalric salute to his Brothers before upper cutting Ancient Kolar across his carapace, sparks showing from his body before he steadied himself once more.

 

Now the smoke, ash and after flare of the orbital bombardment had cleared, the Hellblasters had no issue acquiring their target. Having sworn an oath to destroy the armour of the traitor, the Primaris Marines unleashed shot after shot into the Hellbrutes Karath the Fallen and Tong, destroying Karath. One of the Primaris, Brother Corin, lost his right arm at the shoulder to venting plasma, however with his last ounce of breath he bellowed his oath and speared Tong with a single plasma blast, sending the Hellbrute's monstrous form slumping to the ground. The Reivers, led by Ser Dagonet, took the lead and managed to isolate Warpsmith Dimas, riddling him with auto-bolt rounds. Despite the injuries the Warpsmith still stood, but Ser Bedwere's Intercessors unleashed fire  into the ruins that Dimas had taken cover in; the wall collapsed under under bolt round detonations and crushed the Warpsmith.

 

Despite the loss of the Dimas, their infantry support, and the Hellbrutes Tong and Karath, the column pressed forward with the whole line breaking into a charge directly at Brother Captain Sir Jeremy. Momentarily distracted, Ancient Kolar managed to grab the Captain with his Dreadnought fist slamming him again and again into the ground, killing him. Powered by death and absorbing the soul of the Captain, the rent in Kolar's armour healed. Fire Support XV levelled both its Butcher Cannons at the Hellblasters, raking their defensive positions and cutting down a number who further wounded the Decimator as they fell. In response to the charging beasts, the Intercessors of Ser Bedivere, Lieutenant Ser Palomides and Ancient Ser Tegyr charged. Bolt round after bolt round blasted into the injured Decimator, driving it to its knees as Ser Bedivere reversed his longsword and drove the point through its skull, slaying the daemonic machine.

 

The remains of the Iron Warriors' column was in a bad condition; with Griffons closing on all sides the battle hung in the balance. Enraged, Experiment MVI lunged forward spearing both Ser Palomides and Ser Tagyr on its claws and bisecting both. Kalor, the only true Iron Warrior left standing, butchered Ser Bedivere and his Intercessors in combat and cut down the Hellblasters with his Butcher Cannon. The power of blood, death and fleeing souls further empowered Kalor's rampage. Both Experiment MVI and Ancient Kalor escaped, leaving the Howling Griffons to collect their dead and injured.

The remaining armoured column and the already present forces of the Iron Warriors smashed through the weakened Imperial defences, taking both Hegrist and Grathos. However, if not for the intervention of the Howling Griffons, the situation would have been far worse. The Howling Griffons came within a hair's breadth of breaking the Iron Warriors forces completely.

 

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Scout Squire Maelwys had missed the battle, the Codex Astartes was clear in its application of Scout squads in such engagements; outflank and pick off officers. This role however had been given to Ser Dagonet's “Reivers”. It irked all the young Scouts - the Codex Astartes was the greatest tome ever written on warfare, as near perfect as any treatise could be, but Lord Guilliman had returned, and his “Primaris” units had swept away many of the doctrines of the Primarch's own Codex. He still had to study it of course, even those parts seemingly falling to obsolescence, his newly enhanced brain memorised much of it and the contradictions with the Primaris annoyed him. Maelwys' Codex assigned duty was now reconnaissance and intelligence, something the “Reivers” were ill-suited to. Maelwys may have been too proud to admit it but he hated the Primaris, especially the Reivers. Reivers were neither the Knights of the sky that his village elders spoke of nor Codex approved soldiers, they were murderers and terror troops. It rankled him - the proud traditions of the Griffons were sullied by such tactics. He had sworn he wouldn't accept the extra organs, even at his young age his mind was made up.

His squad had fanned out, sweeping the area under the watchful eye of Ser Yuber, picking through the ruins in Marateph behind enemy lines where the ambush had taken place. Difwich had ranged ahead, taking up a covering position far forward with his sniper rifle. At times the solitude of a sniper sounded nice... Minor shifts in the ruins and debris caught Maelwys' attention, and he snapped his bolter towards the sound. Moving cautiously, Maelwys moved towards the sound in a manner the Codex demanded. “Awareness, Discipline, Precision”, Maelwys repeated to himself, his favourite volumes and mantra. Before he could react, before even his vision could focus, a snake of steel shot up from the debris shearing  Maelwys' bolter in two. Without hesitation he went to draw his knife but a second and third snake shot up; the fanged maw of the second clasped his forearm and crushed the carapace, while the third, its snout ending in a drill, darted precisely through his lung, shunting the breath from him and preventing him from giving a shout of warning. Warpsmith Dimas' biomechanical eyes glowed as his repair systems finally brought him back online. His half broken body rose from his rockcrete tomb; with a mind impulse his Mechanidrils slammed the Griffon Scout head first into the wall behind Dimas, utterly crushing his skull. The Warpsmith's flickering display came to life: 43.22092% functional. He needed to return to safety, he thought, as his Mechanidrills were already extracting the Scout's Geneseed organs and storing them for analysis. Behzok and  Tkalčec would pay for his humiliation.

Sisters of Quartz savaged by Emerald Serpent

In the raging battles of Hexis, the Sisters of Quartz had certainly been inconsistent. Their forces were inexperienced, yet eager, and a passion for preventing the activation of the necron device was both a blessing and a curse. The Rose Quartz and Amethyt divisions had been fighting in elite teams for some time, throwing themselves at almost any foe within reach. Whilst this had lead to progress, their harlequin arrogance more often than not got the better of them, and any progress made was soon lost as they pushed too far and were defeated by the more experienced powers clashing on the planet.

The Crystal Empress had been overseeing the operation from afar, and was growing concerned at the progress her soldiers, and the Alliance as a whole, were finding themselves in. Instead of a strong Alliance foothold on the planet, Chaos controlled a large amount of the territory around the device, the Imperium were suddenly also a threat, and both had defeated the Sisters on multiple occasions. The harlequin agenda was no longer to gain territory with the thought of emerging as their own power who could keep the device firmly closed, but rather just cling to survival and ensure the lesser races didn't open it and wreak havoc.

Kill teams were no longer enough, the Empress realised; the forces needed to unite and they needed to be reinforced. Utilising the webway portal newly opened by their allies, the Crystal Empress herself emerged, flanked by her Solitaire, Jester, a small unit of the Sapphire Skyweavers and more soldiers of Amethyst and Rose. The areas they were interested in claiming were small, she thought; these troops would be enough, they would be ready.

Combat did not take its time in finding the Sisters, manifesting itself through the appearance of the Emerald Serpent; a Daemon Prince and his horde of plaguewalkers. The harlequin force had barely secured their formation before it became apparent that this battle was unlikely to end in victory. Both the jetbikers and the Solitaire rushed in, confident in their abilities, but were soon isolated from their comrades and lost to the demonic horde. The remaining Sisters banded together in a desparate seeking of strength, but the Empress and her Jester were forced to watch from above as the horde, despite losing some soldiers to the deadly acrobatics of the harlequins, overwhelmed them one by one.

Still too proud to flee, the two that remained jumped from their watching post to the ground and charged the Prince, attempting to take down as many walkers as they could in their wake. Some psychic potential in the Empress did eventually awaken, causing some damage to the Prince, but her luck had run out - she was hoisted in the air by the demon and cast aside to the jagged city ruins, her Jester soon to follow. The Emerald Serpent demons were left with relatively minor casualties, but the territory of the new Alliance bases that had been fought over with great difficulty.

Ashamed, those who managed to escape back into the webway had learned a harsh lesson on the nature of larger battles on Hexis, and that elite combat skills did not counteract sheer numbers. The Empress was distraught at the harm she had caused her sisters and daughters and ordered a formal retreat - there would be no battles larger than the previous elite kill teams to be fought by the Sisters of Quartz until a strategical overhaul took place.

Hexis movements