Revelation of the Silver Stars
Contritionem praecedit superbia et ante ruinam exaltatur spiritus.
[//attr. Inheritors Eighth Captain+]
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| [//False? Could anyone but a Primarch so out-manoeuvre the Astartes? You either believe in him, or claim the Pentarchy are second-rate. I would not wish to be on either side of you at that point.'+] [//edward_r/@death_of_a_rubricist+] |
A swift and decisive strike had allowed the Pentarchy and its accompanying Extinction Fleets to successfully annex the Oblitus Subsector of Sector Morqub; and establish the key systems of Oblitus Primary and Oblitus Vega – the base of the Sectorial Navy – as their headquarters.
Under the leadership of the Flesh Eaters' Chapter Master Velghor, it appeared that the Partisans had been caught off-guard, with little Astartes resistance being offered. Phase two of the Pentarchy strategy was to establish a nominal line from key system to key system between the two Sectors, stretching from the Acylus system at the anti-spinwards extent down to Ishim.
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| [+//Flesh Eaters First Company veteran+] [+//francois_v+] |
Opting for a strategy of victory by overwhelming force, Velghor deployed substantial proportions of the Flesh Eaters, Charnel Guard and Death Eagles (I) to invade Ishim. Not only was the so-called 'Blue World' the homeworld of the Partisan Red Fish chapter, but it was also the spinwards lynchpin of the Delphurnean League, a largely self-supporting and defensively co-operative micro-empire that encompassed numerous systems along the border between sectors. Tolerated for a long time owing to the Red Fish's reliability and record of service, it remained of dubious legality in the eyes of many influential members of the Senatorum Imperialis. The Chapter's declaration for the 'False Primarch' proved all the excuse the agents of High Lords needed to invade and break it up.
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| [+//Charnel Guard; Seventh Company+] [//@heretic_dave+] |
The remainder of the Delphurnean Front was heavily reinforced by the many millions of Guard regiments, Skitarii, and Ecclesiarchy forces that made up the Extinction fleets, bolstered with knots of the Pentarchy Chapters stationed in rapid-response strikeforces at key worlds. Fighting erupted across many of the contested worlds, as neutral or even Orthodox-leaning populations bridled at being occupied by the Extinction Fleets.
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| [//@mutantsnakeeyes |
Velghor planned to overwhelm Ishim and then drive rimwards, with the aim of crushing the Partisan worlds and forces between his advancing armada and the flanking Carcharadons in the rimwards region of the sector. Taking advice from his fellow Chapter Masters Gorn of the Charnel Guard and Autek Mor of the Red Talons, he tasked Chapter Master Titanus of the Death Eagles II to deploy a holding force of two companies in reserve, guarding the anti-spinwards flank of the main fighting on the Delphurnean Front.
His forces already stretched across Heliopolis, Titanus opted to make full use of the confusion caused by the twin nature of the Death Eagles chapters, and cloaked his forces in the Nonesuch Rift; leaving a tiny garrison – just twenty-three Astartes – to oversee operations on the monitoring stations on Acylus.
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| [+//Carcharodons move warily on the contested Forgeworld Kadath, engaging an unknown enemy+] [+dennis_k/@the_iron_within+] |
***
Partisan counteroffensive
Worlds that had already declared for the Returned Primarch cried out for support and defence; and it was clear that Volnoscere had no intention of allowing his gains to be reversed. His forces moved swiftly to contain the advancing swell in Oblitus.
The main strength of the Red Fish were unfortunately corralled on Ishim, blockaded in by the invaders. To the surprise of Orthodox obervers, Volnoscere was also found to be present during the siege – a report on his attempted assassination can be read here. Not knowing whether this was by chance or design, the Partisans pressed forward, deploying their Titans on Ishim and continuing to focus their force.
It was at this point that Volnoscere revealed his hand. The Quadrargenta moved to attack. Across the Oblitus bulge, the Silver Stars struck. Reports of many hundreds of marines deploying were reported across worlds spanning almost the entire Delphurnean Front – far more than were anticipated. The Inheritors also deployed in strength, concentrating on the Anti-spinwards front. Worse for the Pentarchy, the Marines Saturnine revealed their hand at this point, driving forwards alongside yet more Silver Stars craft to allow the Red Fish to evacuate the populace of Ishim in good order; holding open the rimwards route from the besieged world of Ishim.
To the growing horror of the Death Eagles II's Chapter Master Titanus, it appeared that in excess of two thousand marines and support were already moving on the thinly-held but critical Acylus system – and the Void Barons and Riven Lords still remained unaccounted for.
It was swiftly becoming clear that far from taking the False Primarch by surprise, Velghor – and by extension the Pentarchy more broadly – had been gulled into over-reaching...
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| [//paul_h/@the_midnightmare+] |
***
Fleet contact – boarding actions in the Nonesuch Rift
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| [//The Nonesuch Rift is shown at the top left of this amalgamated Sector map.+] |
The Nonesuch Rift lies between Sectors Morqub and Heliopolis; a vast area of wilderness space at the corewards and anti-spinward extremes of Sector Morqub; and rimwards of the Cambyses Subsector of Heliopolis. Beyond the pale of the Imperium, half a dozen minor xenos worlds lie here; the most notable being the Cantin of Cantine, a species against whose advances the Iron Guard and (to a lesser extent, the Star Wardens) traditionally keep watch, between the key Imperial systems of Sanctram and Gurro.
It was here that Volnoscere had launched his own counter-offensive, sending the substantial Chapter fleets of both the Void Barons and Riven Lords up and over the Delphurnean Front. While both were understrength, these void specialists crashed past the Acylus system while Inheritors and Silver Stars launched their assault on the system...
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| [//edward_r/@death_of_a_rubricist+] |
On receipt of the intelligence, Titanus sent urgent requests for support from nearby Extinction fleet and Red Talon elements, and – in desperation, summoned the help of the Star Wardens and Iron Guard. Forced to attempt to intercept the fleets, he attacked, starting a running series of harrying attacks on the splintering Partisan craft.
Like a shoal of fish, the gathered Partisan fleets splintered, with dozens of small strikeforces bypassing the Death Eagles' picket and heading deeper into Sector Heliopolis. Unable to prevent them escaping, the Death Eagles squadrons broke up in turn, individual ships pursuing the strikeforces to harry them. A number of boarding actions would occur over the following weeks.
Autek Mor and his Red Talons garrisons across the sector sat in increasing frustration as over the following weeks, reports from the Death Eagles become increasingly unclear and broken. The Red Talons, having harried and harrased the Star Wardens, Iron Guard and Storm Tyrants, now sent missives ordering them to arms; but ominously received to answer.
With no idea where the Void Barons and Riven Lords strikeforces would appear across the sector, the Red Talons and remaining Death Eagles II were divided and pinned, scattered across the Heliopolis sector until they reappeared.
As a final shock to the Orthodox commanders, a partial report was received from the Death Eagles II vessel Admonition, stating in no uncertain terms that Jade Talon elements had also been engaged...
These unfolding events marked the end of the second phase of the war, and the beginning of the third.
+++
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| [//Riven Lords Veteran Devastator //appel.='Grim Host'+] [//drybrush_mafia+] |
'The frag cannon is an experts' weapon, requiring a practiced eye to employ effectively in an urban setting. Each round self-arms approximately three metres from the muzzle, exiting at about two-hundred and forty-three metres per second.'Each round is programmable, requiring a calculation on the fly, based heavily on how large or small you judge the room to be & where you judge your foes to be hiding. Most linger close to the windows, or in corners. These rounds have a seven meter kill radius, and produce casualties within eighteen meters, more than enough for most hab-bloc dimensions.'The real art is placing the rounds for maximum effect. For mortal targets, weak and fleshy as they are, aiming for the centre of the room is sufficient. Fragments pepper them at shoulder level and is generally immediately lethal.'For our Pentarchy 'brethren', I have found aiming directly above their heads by roughly half a metre to be most effective for targets in defilade; and at the vox grille, set for impact detonation, for targets in direct line-of-sight. The gorget plate is an excellent tool for channelling shrapnel into the soft spots around the neck-seal.'
[//attr. unknown Battle Brother, Riven Lords=]