Battle of Vandrax 2: The Eldar intervene

Believing she had the advantage, Vorushko's guard and mechanicum forces initiated the attack on the major Vandrax city, soon facing concentrated fire from the Lycaon and Novgorod gun line arrayed against them. Early losses on both sides were light however, and the Crusade had the numerical advantage, or so they thought.

It was only when the crusade reached the outskirts of the main settlement that it became apparent that eldar forces of the Rillietan and another unknown Craftworld had intervened on the loyalist side. While this made the Volscians and Vostroyans even more determined, the firepower of the lolyalists combined with their eldar allies soon saw the Crusade assault on the now ruined cities grind to a halt. The loyalist and eldar forces quickly repelled Vostroyan and Volscian advances while in the forests and hills to the north of the settlement, webway portals allowed the eldar to begin harrassing the Crusade rear line, taking out artillery and conducting running battles amongst the trees.

After a day of heavy fighting the Crusade were on the back foot, and unable to secure enough of a clear space between the two armies to put into action the final part of Vorushko's plan. In orbit the Grey Knights waited for an opportunity to intervene decisively, but still the no mans land between the two armies remained covered with crusade guardsmen and eldar skirmishers. Taking matters into their own hands the Grey Knights sent an immediate urgent communication to all front line officers. Clear a path for their arrival and kill anything and anyone in the outskirts of the city.

The Sky Lords intervened to aid this, arriving by Thunderhawk and landing a squad of elite terminators. However the loyalists had an immediate response. After the first pass of the Astartes assault craft, which had not been as successful as hoped, they revealed a previously camouflaged super heavy platoon, comprising of a Baneblade and a titan killing Shadowsword. After being softened up by Manticore AA missiles, the Thunderhawk was swatted out of the sky by the Shadowsword, while the Sky Lords made little impact in the city itself. Eventually however, thanks largely to the mechanicum, the land between the Crusade and loyalist lines was finally cleared, allowing Vorushko to make her last desperate gamble for victory on Vandrax 2.

Battle of Vandrax 2: Prelude to battle

In early 11.017M42 the most important planet in the Vandrax system, Vandrax 2, had been invaded by forces of the loyalists and crusade, in response to Magnus' appearance on the world. The chaos forces had been eradicated from the world, but now the planet was host to two imperial forces with wildly differing agendas.

The indigineous population, numbering just over a million, had seen their world overturned. For centuries the planet, while nominally imperial, had existed outside the Pax Imperialis, centred around one major city, simply known as "the city". Now their home had been all but destroyed. First by the Cicatrix Maledictum, and now, following the opening of the Foramen, by the new arrivals. It was in the city and its surrounding area that the key battle for Vandrax two would take place.

By 1411.017M42 the crusade, by virtue of having their base on "Cybixx Alpha", had amassed a much larger force on Vandrax 2 than the loyalists. Hathek's forces comprised of mainly guard forces, principally regiments of the veteran Novgorod and Lycaon Guard, who had been instrumental in securing much of the imperial gains in the Foramen Interdictum. On the opposing side the loyalist commander knew he was up against fanatical Volscians and at least one regiment of Vostroyans, supported by Cybixx's mechanicum forces. What the loyalists were not aware of, was that Vorushko had managed to secure limited Astartes support from the Sky Lords, and that the Grey Knights had arrived at Vandrax, and were horrified at what they considered a "lax" approach to daemon exposure by the loyalists and Hathek.

Federacy lose Destino II

Having failed to establish a bridgehead in the Destino system, and still avoiding an all out battle with the Loyalist fleet, General Elliott, commander of the Destino task force, found himself in a difficult position. Facing pressure from the Federal Council and lacking any real support from the rest of the "alliance", he knew that he had to make gains before the end of 017M42 or the operation to secure Destino for the Alliance would be over, and the chance to control a vital connection between the Federacy and the Tau Enclave would be gone.

Elliott landed troops on Destino II, backed up this time by the Federal Fleet, hoping to provoke the Imperium. Unfortunately it worked, but it was not only Enkvist's battlegroup that intercepted the federal force, but also a newly arrived force under Admiral Jellicoe himself. Outnumbered 2-1 the admiral of the Federal fleet withdrew, although the Tallaxian air force and storm trooper regiments would remain to provide air cover on the ground on Vandrax II.

With the Imperial fleet dominant over the planet, the Novgorod Guard landed with ease, and soon the battle lines were drawn on the world. Bombardments from both sides failed to inflict significant damage but an early charge from the Novgorod cavalry disrupted the Librian mobile firepower. The Federacy responded, but were unable to match the Imperial firepower, despite landing a precision drop of Tallaxian storm troops.

Thousands of Novgorod conscripts died and the imperium lost valuable tanks, but these could be replaced. Lacking a secure supply line the Librians were unable to hold their objectives and were gradually driven back into the wilderness of the planet. By 1611.017M42 they held nothing of value, and were asked to surrender. Realising there was no hope of escape many of the Librians gave up the fight, with a minority of Federal troops taking to the dusty wastelands of the world, disappearing into the nomadic tribes that roamed the plains. The Imperium had secured yet another planet in the system and the prospects for Federal victory looked bleaker than ever.

Chaos forced out of Vandrax system

Magnus' plan on Vandrax was only partially successful. He had managed to incite full scale war between the Crusade and Loyalists on Vandrax 2, and both sides were drawing up battle lines against each other. However, to leverage the results of this new conflict, Magnus needed to maintain a presence on the world himself. The Imperium knew this, and immediately launched an attack led by the Novgorod Guard into the chaos lines. Cultists were scattered, but soon Magnus arrived with his host of daemons known as the Emerald Serpent Cohort. 

The battle became intense as the Novgorod Guard advanced implacably into the chaos held bridgehead on the planet, and after days of fighting the daemonic entities had been worn down and once again Magnus had been banished back to the warp. Furious at his Iron Warriors "allies", who he accused of abandoning him for their own gain, Magnus was left once again brooding in the Warp as the forces of chaos were forced out of yet another of the important systems in the Foramen Interdictum.

Imperial Command 1611_017M42

Blood Feud at Tarlius

The Imperial Fists had last engaged Stahl's Grand Company on 10.014.M42 and had lost a whole Battle Company at Bastien, now reinforced by the Indomitus Crusade they were eager for revenge. In early 11.017M42 the Imperial Fists completed translation into the Tarlius system, fighting their way through the blockade flotilla and defence lasers they made planetfall on the night side of the largest systems moon. The Iron Warriors set out to meet the sons of Dorn just beyond their construction sites. The Imperial Fists struck first, their aerial support cutting into Havoc squads who were unable to respond in the darkness, damage to the Iron Warrior Rhino's were swiftly repaired by Warpsmiths though. Both sides, despite their hatred of one another kept disciplined firing solutions. First blood went to the Iron Warriors as targetting augers designated the Dreadnought Fulgencio as a priority target who was left as a broken heap from Lascannon and Krak Missiles. 

Despite the the loss of  Fulgencio, the Imperial Fists had the advantage, and were slowly closing the noose around their bitter cousins. The most bloodthirsty Iron Warriors sprinted the dead ground between two forces with alarming speed into the Imperial Fists lines, cutting down whole squads. Imperial Fists maintained discipline and continued engage the Iron Warriors with a combination of Bolter and blade. The Iron Warriors had pushed back and for a time neither side could truly had the upper hand, the Iron Warriors dark ferocity being matched the Imperial Fists cool bolter drills. The turning point came when an Iron Warrior mortal cohort were able sneak behind the battle lines of the Imperial Fists and encircle them. On their own the cultists were no threat, but along with the Champions of the Iron Warriors assaulting from the front and continual fire from the IV's lines, the Imperial Fists found themselves trapped. 

Score of mortal fanatics beat the Imperial Fist Intercessors into the ground, and along with the maul of an Iron Warrior slave master, collapsed the  Imperial Fists left flank. If the Iron Warriors had broken earlier in the night and retreated when the advantage belonged to the Fists, but the Iron Warriors refused to give in and kept coming, regardless of casualties, their hatred knowing no bounds. The end came when Stahl demanded over the vox to Slave master Barghest to take the Imperial Fist Captains head, charging headlong into the warrior who had already cut down the Sorcerer Dweorgar. Barghest quickly discovered why the Sorcerer had failed as his blows clashed harmlessly off the Captains reinforced armour and was cut down by the Fist leader while the the remaining Imperial Fists charged the horde of slaves with Barghest and cut them down. The Captain success was short lived however, as criss crossing Lascannon fire bisected him, leaving the surviving Fists leaderless.

The morning sun revealed the carnage, yellow and steel bodies littered the battlefield, more Imperial Fists than Iron Warriors. The battered and bloody survivors were forced to retreat to orbit, leaving their slain. The Iron Warriors had gained Geneseed, Primaris corpses for their Warsmith to study and most of all, time to complete their fortifications.

Vandrax Strategic Positions

Raid on Federacy aids Imperium

While the Imperium and chaos were embroiled in the war over Vandrax, a new force arrived in the Aleph Sector in 11.017M42. They arrived via the Valitane subsector, after having received astropathic messages from the Dark Angels of Magnus and his daemonic forces in the Foramen Interdictum. The Grey Knights had arrived.

As they approached the Foramen Warzone from the south however, to get to Vandrax they would first have to traverse the Foramen Minoris via Destino, where Federacy forces had repeatedly tried - and failed - to gain a foothold. Although having no involvement with the daemons the Knights were interested in, the Imperial force would still need to ensure their path was not blocked by the Federal fleet or worse, a full on invasion force.

With their transit of the Foramen in mind, the Grey Knights organised a lightning raid against Federal forces on the Alliance base at Protogonus. Here Librian, Tallaxian and other Federal regiments were equipping and training for the next Alliance assault on the Foramen, so on 07.11.017M42 the Grey Knights launched a surprise attack on an unprepared Librian force.

The initial assault shocked the Librian force to the core, with their armoured Leman Russ battle tanks proving unable to deal with the imperial firepower. As the Librians retreated in disarray, the Tallaxian Stormtroopers attempted an aerial assault behind the Knights in order to buy their federal allies some time to regroup. but the Grey Knights simply ignored the Tallaxians and completed the destruction of an entire Librian regiment before evacuating.

To their satisfaction, the Grey Knights noted the Federal Fleet communication as the Alliance pulled their naval assets back to Protogonus, fearing a full scale invasion of a critical strategic outpost. This left the Ordo Malleus task force with no opposition as they made the jump into the Foramen Interdictum. Destination Vandrax.

Stahl aids Magnus at Vandrax, defeated by Crusade

Having a Daemon Primarch active in the Aleph Sector was a matter of consternation for Warsmith Lycurgus Stahl as, along with the Cicatrix Maledictum, they put his position as the Master of Chaos forces in the Aleph sector in serious jeopardy. Matters were only compounded when Magnus sent emissaries to Minos to demand Stahl render aid to Vandrax over furthering his conquest of Tarlius.

Stahl could not afford a war with Thousand Sons, and so agreed to send a force. However Stahl had no intention of simply rolling over for the Cyclops. Under the command of Rybax, a Lord out of Stahl's favour, the Iron Warriors made landfall in the Vandrax system on 04.011.017M42. Within hours the Iron Warriors found themselves ambushed by the Cerberex Guard supported by Valkyries and the Tempestus Scions. Nearly half the Iron Warriors force was cut down before they could even respond, and when they did their heavy weapons were malfunctioning or sabotaged; Lascannons barely scratching the Guard vehicles. Rybax and Slavemaster Cerika attempted to break through the ambush, slaughtering their way through the Tempestus Scions Company and Imperial Guard infantry platoon, only for Rybax to be caught in the crossfire of the Imperial armoured spearhead and obliterated. The raid was a complete failure, Magnus would have to face the Imperium alone at Vandrax.

Vandrax - invasions of Vandrax 2

Closely following the Imperial Fists the loyalist fleet arrived at Vandrax on 05.11.017M42. Their arrival alarmed Archmagos Cybixx, who was unaware of the Loyalist's ongoing struggle with Magnus, and the Adeptus Mechanicus forces loyal to Vorushko's crusade merely interpreted their arrival as a reinforcement of Hathek's loyalist forces. Cybixx decided to strike at the landing Lycaon Guard, and two major set piece battles took place on the plains of Vandrax 2 as the Lycaon landed and began expanding their perimeter.

The Lycaon Guard however had be re-equipped by the fragment of the Indomitus crusade that had arrived in the Aleph Sector, and were well prepared for Cybixx's intervention. Furious battles raged across the front line for two days but the guard were unphased by Cybixx's ancient technology, and dealt the Archmagos two heavy defeats, forcing the crusade back and allowing the Loyalists to secure a significant bridgehead on the planet.

The Adeptus Mechanicus did not try to sway the Lycaon Guard to the Crusade cause, and the Imperial Fists were outraged by the act of unprovoked aggression towards their Imperial brethren. Determined to put the Mechanicum in their place the Astartes then immediately prepared a raid to complete the destruction of Cybixx's recidivist forces on Vandrax 2.

The Imperial Fists' raid was however an unmitigated disaster. Cybixx had forewarning of the attack from spies in the loyalist force and was able to effectively ambush the Astartes force before they were prepared. The initial mechanicum firestorm was crippling, with the Imperial Fists losing much of their armour and equipment. Realising there was no chance of success the remaining space marines withdrew, leaving Vandrax 2 contested between Crusade, Loyalist and chaos sectors of control.

Emerald Serpent Cohort chased from Paradorn to Vandrax

In the early part of 11.017M42 the loyalist imperial forces continued to prosecute their war against the forces of Chaos in the Paradorn system. Chaos forces had been cleansed from the system in 10.017M42, but on 02.11.017M42 Magnus himself returned at the head of the "Emerald Serpent Cohort", a force which included daemons as well as the traitorous Darrantine Guard. Initially, Magnus once again tried to wrestle control of the Paradorn system from Imperial control, but a violent battle against the Lycaon Guard on Paradorn 1 put an end to the daemon Primarch's hopes of gaining a significant hold of the system. The imperium was simply too strong in the system.

Aided by his alliance with Tzeentch, Magnus concocted a new plan. If Paradorn could not be taken, where the Imperium were united, then Vandrax seemed vulnerable. Leaving an obvious trail for the loyalists to follow, Magnus transitted through the warp to the Vandrax system where the Crusade had already made a significant base on Vandrax 3, now named Cybixx Alpha. Landing on Vandrax 2, far from the initial invasion of the Crusade, Magnus now waited. The Imperial Fists took the bait and arrived in system some days later. However Magnus was ready and in a brutal opening engagement the forces of chaos inflicted a significant defeat on the Astartes, forcing them to withdraw. Magnus now dug in, hoping that the presence of the Imperial Fists would result in more clashes between the Crusade and the Loyalists. He would not be disappointed.

Tarlius current

Tarlius: The Dark Angel's Assault

Now free of Inquisitor Constantine's meddling the Dark Angels were free to return to their primary objectives and continue the fight against the heretic Astartes plaguing the sector. Acting on intelligence of a high value target in the Tarlius system the Dark Angels deployed a rapid strike force with the goal of eliminating it.

The target was a mastadon, a mighty super heavy transport dating back to the dark age of technology, now daemonically possessed and put to foul usage by the traitor legions of the heretic Astartes. Annihilating it and its deadly cargo would deal a severe blow to the Chaos efforts on Tarlius.

The Dark Angels attacked with their customary speed and ferocity, focused beams of lascannon energy slamming into the might war machine as the Ravenwing sped forwards to engage it. Crippled and boxed in amidst the dense ruins the mastadon disgorged its cargo, a wave of enraged and blood crazed Bezerkers who sprinted towards the Dark Angel's positions.

Wave after wave was mown down and the traitor forces sustained severe casualties, but so did the Dark Angels who were unable to match Khorn's chosen warriors in unbridled rage. Despite being heavily crippled in the opening seconds of the engagement the mastadon proved impervious to further harm, seemingly blessed by its foul patron. As the Dark Angel's casualties mounted they shifted their fire away from it, hoping to preserve their forces and retain control of the battlefield. In this they were partially successful but it came at the cost of ending the mastadon's vile existence.

Accepting that to persist would only result in their own destruction the Dark Angels reluctantly withdrew and left the forces of Chaos battered but triumphant.

Carnage at Tarlius - The Iron Warriors make gains

Sector Commander Titus Luthor realised the rising threat in Tarlius system, after the Novgorod Guard had managed to stall the Iron Warriors without support, Luthor was confident that with in system support they could smash the Chaos advance. Answering their call for aid the Dark Angels sent in a Strike Cruiser for the fresh offensive.

On 2810.017M42 the strike force advanced in system. The Novgorod made planetfall their assault upon the Iron Warriors. The Imperial plan was a hammer and anvil assault, the Novgorod occupying traitor forces while the Dark Angels attack broke through elsewhere.  The Novgorod attack went initially as planned, preliminary bombardments provoking a response from the Iron Warriors who inflicted heavy casualties in return. Colonel Mikhailov in the field callously ordered his Conscripts into the path of the Iron Warriors who obligingly slaughtered them before tearing into the veteran Novgorod. Novgorod cavalry outflanked but were too caught out by the Iron Warriors. It appeared that stalemate of attrition and slaughter would once again repeat as planned. However Stahl had heavily fortified and supplied his positions, meaning constant resupply and rearmament utterly outclassed the Guardsman who found themselves rapidly overwhelmed despite inflicting casualties. The last pict recordings of the battle to command was from Colonel Mikhailov’s ocular implant as he was beheaded by a Berzerker. 

In a simultaneous battle the Dark Angels fared little better, expecting little resistance the Dark Angels were confronted by a single massive Mastodon Assault Transport. The Dark Angels directed all their firepower into the monstrous vehicle damaging but not destroying it. The Khornate Bezerker horde within charged from the Mastodon, first crashing into the Raven Wing screening the main force then into the line itself. The Mastodon was heavily damaged but any hope of a break through attack was an abject failure and the Dark Angels were forced to withdraw.

Rather than slow the Iron Warrior advance, the Imperial forces instead strengthened the Stahl’s position as further Chaos forces were drawn under Stahl’s banner, the planet and fortified. Activated defence lasers that began targeting the orbiting Imperial fleet forcing a full withdraw from the Tarlius system.

Foramen Campaign: Latest events

Cybixx aids Ultramarines in defence of Destino

Despite the Crusade being involved in open war with Hathek’s “loyalists” in the Vandrax system, Vorushko and her allies were still fiercely loyal to the Imperium. In late 10.017M42 Archmagos Dominus Cybixx informed Inquisitor Vorushko, now making her way to the Foramen war zone from the Hadron Expanse, that Hathek had been taxing Titus Luthor’s forces to the point where both the Destino and Tarlius system’s were becoming vulnerable to external threats. Cybixx had already used his knowledge of the Foramen to swiftly deploy and prevent the Iron Warriors from consolidating their hold on Tarlius, but now turned his attention to Destino. Taking a considerable risk, Cybixx returned from Tarlius then immediately embarked on a new mission, hearing that the Ultramarines had engaged the Necrons on Destino 1. 

The Ultramarines learned of the necron victory over the Imperial guard force on the innermost planet of the Destine system and despatched much of their strength to counter the alien threat. The Ultramarines assault went well, with the Charnovokh defeated and sent into full retreat, but this left the outer systems vulnerable to the Federal Battlegroup. Realising this, General Elliott of the Federal Task force immediately seized on the opportunity and landed in strength on the outermost terrestrial world of the system. However, by this time Cybixx battlegroup arrived. Faced with a superior Mechanism fleet the Federal vessels were obliged to withdraw or risk critical damage to their task force, but warned their troops on the ground to dig in and expect immediate attack.

The attack duly came, led by Cybixx himself, but the Librians, supported by the Tallaxian Air Force which gave valuable spotting information, were prepared. The Federally had an elaborate agent network within the Imperium, and they knew Cybixx’s preferred methods and strategies. Immediately the battle robots came under concentrated fire, and the lighter mechanics ground forces took terrible punishment from Liberian small arms fire. The Mechanics still managed to put up a hail of fire themselves however, with the Knight in their army performing a critical role dealing with Liberian armour. Soon the Liberians had lost their entire tank compliment, but almost managed to break the Mechanicus assault by instigating a well timed air drop of elite Tallaxian stormtroopers. The federal force fought hard, inflicting serious harm on the Mechanics, but eventually Cybixx himself and the Knight were the difference between the two armies. 

By 2310.017M42 the Federal force had run out of heavy weapons and armour to deal with the giant walker, and soon found themselves in full retreat. Most were rescued by the Tallaxian Air Force who managed to airlift the remaining Librians and rejoin the fleet, but were forced to abandon their equipment and remaining tanks. Cybixx, the job done, did not waste any time consolidating his position. By now the Loyalist fleet were aware of the battle on the planet and would be moving to investigate. Unsure how the Destino fleet would react to the Crusade presence, Cybixx left for Vandrax. He had prevented the Federally from gaining a foothold and potentially helped the Loyalist cause, but if Vorushko’s plan should fail, then better for the Imperium to control the Foramen Minors than the heretical Federacy and their Tau allies. Meanwhile the morale in the Federal Battlegroup reached a new low, as the Alliance considered their response to yet another failure.

Lycaon offensive smashes chaos at Paradorn

After repeated engagements with the forces of Chaos the Lycaon Guard removed the final chaos presence from Paradorn 1 in a series of small engagements in mid 10.017M42. This now left Paradorn 3 as the major site in the system remaining with a chaos presence.

The warp strength in the Foramen operated within normal level thanks to the influence of the Necron Device on Corticant, meaning the chaos forces were subject to the physical laws of logistics and resupply. This was in fact the promary reason for Magnus' interest in the world. He aimed to claim Paradorn as a staging post to domination of the Foramen, before assaulting Corticant itself, already a warzone, and removing the device.

The Lycaon's however landed on Paradorn 3 with a large force, supported by the Imperial battlegroup which gavce them total command of the air. Regiments of Lycaon bore down on the heretic Darrantine Guard, and despite the appearance of Magnus himself at the head of a host of daemons, sheer overwhelming firepower was brought to bear on the traitor forces and within hours the main assault had smashed the chaos forces on the world.

Thousands of Darrantine were rounded up and executed, while Magnus fled once again to the warp, his plans in tatters. By the end of 10.017M42 the loyalist imperium were in control of most of the system's planets, and had begun construction of several outposts and bases. Next Titus Luthor planned the construction of a space port and to turn the system into an imperial base, securing one end of the Foramen. However first he would have to deal with the Eldar...

Novgorod continue offensive on Hylas

Van Dorn's offensive on Hylas continued in 10.017M42 with a drive south into the plains of West Coast towards Berkeley. Out on the rolling open plains the Novgorod Guard spearheading the offensive found the greenskin counter rushes easier to deal with, as artillery and massed lasgun fire cut down the orks in swathes.

Van Dorn did note however that the orks he was encountering were not Von Bismork's and that Warboss Kogh had sent at least some of his boyz back to Hylas. This was unsettling to the Imperial General, as he had hoped to close out the war against the orks by the end of 017M42. Now that was looking increasingly unlikely.

Even so as the Novgorod war machine rolled into Berkeley there was cheering from the remaining human population, who had been put to work as slaves for the greenskin race. Ugly alien "modifikashuns" to buildings were torn down, remaining Xenos were hunted down and mercilessly dispatched, and the war on Hylas continued to tip in the favour of the Imperium.

Iron Warriors face resistance at Talius

After the raids against their Manufactoria in the Tarlius system, the Mechanicus, no longer trusting the capabilities of the Astra Militarum, tightened their defences, with Archmagos Cybixx himself making the short warp jump from Vandrax to Tarlius via the Foramen. Having laid a trap the next Iron Warrior raiding force took the bait on 2210.17M42. The Archmagos had taken personal command of the Mechanicum forces and directed the early fusillade against the Iron Warrior landing zone, obliterating two thirds of the Legionaries mortal cohort in the opening minutes. Simultaneously a Callidus Assassin briefed to infiltrate the traitor forces launched an attack in an attempt to replace Stahl's lieutenant. The Callidus failed in her mission, being caught by the remaining cultists and though she took most their number down she was beaten to death with rifle butts. 

The Iron Warrior Berzerkers raced forward in armoured carriers as Havocs return fire crippling the Mechanicum’s knightly support. The Berzerkers tore into the Mechanicums centre line as cultist reinforcements flooded the area, the Archmagos had momentary pause as the sheer slaughter brought by the blood mad killers threw off it's calculations. Wrecked robots lay at the Berserkers feet as one scaled the side of the Knight to rip it's pilot from her hatch and take her skull. New orders circled the noosphere and the Mechanicum reformed, recalculated and reloaded, cutting down the Berzerkers finally stopping the chaos assault. Bloodied and crippled, the Iron Warriors abandoned their raid on Tarlius 1. The Mechanicum, having put down the raids in the Tarlius system, returned to Vandrax. Cybixx had no interest in the system for the Crusade, but without a significant reinforcement he understood that the efforts of Vorushko in her crusade would be for nothing if chaos took the northern route of the Foramen. Cybixx returned to the fortification of Vandrax, while notifying loyalist forces nearer to Tarlius.

Within 24 hours, the Iron Warriors had returned, but this time the Loyalists had arrived. A force of Novgorod Guard had been sent to prevent the undocumented system from falling into chaos hands. On an unnamed planet in the system, Imperial and Iron Warrior forces both moved to secure it for themselves, having found a human settlement existing on the world outside the rule of the Imperium. Two Novgorod regiments landed opposed by Iron Warrior Legionaries. For days both sides laboured on earthworks, trenches and fortifications around a forgotten city, punctuated by defensive shelling of their opposites and sending civilians fleeing the now ruined hab blocks. On the 8th day the Novogorod scouts reporting the IV Legion were preparing to assault, and so pre-emptively launched a preliminary bombardment. The traitors in response rose up and charge forward, the Warsmith commanding his pet Helldrake to teach the human general a lesson. 

The Helldrake screeched from the skies and roasted the Novgorod General alive before tearing into the offending Basilisks responsible for the bombardment. To their credit, or more accurately the Commissars, the Novgorod kept their heads. Conscripts and Cultists flooded the ruined city, as Obliterators tore a hole in reality to unleash fire upon the Novgorod tank support. The left flank of the Novgorod was at risk and the cavalry scouts appeared behind enemy lines, with half their number appearing behind the Iron Warriors on their left flank. With Berzerkers screaming into Novogorod conscripts and support teams the day was a slaughter, punctuated by retreats, firefights and barked orders. The Novogorod Cavalry succeeded in taking the Iron Warriors right flank but the Iron Warriors tore through the Guard centre, heedless of casualties. As the Guard and Cultists fell upon each other all semblance of order left the battle. The slaughter went on for half a day seemingly driving all blood mad, one notable where a company of Novgorod, bouyed by their regimental priest performed a massed bayonet charge into Khorne Berzerkers, who beheaded everyone including their irksome priest before moving onto the Commissars. Neither side could get the upper hand and as night fell the battered remnants of the armies fell back, neither making any headway save for slaughter and carnage. Khorne was pleased, as regardless of victory, the blood flowed.

Realising that the Warsmith Stahl had a significant force in the system and these were not just raids, Sector Commander Titus Luthor readied yet another battlegroup to move into the Tarlius system. Meanwhile the Novgorod withdrew, fearing becoming trapped in system with no fleet support. Meanwhile Lord Inquisitor Hathek continued fortifying the planets he already had a foothold on, conscious now that Vorushko was far from his only threat.

The Crusade: Current force disposition