Renewed assault

   While there has been a lull in the campaign for the world of Fratribusia*, in the fluff battle is still raging. The planet was supposed to be a sacrificial delaying point while the Imperium focussed on gathering forces to protect more valuable worlds, but in recent days Fratribusia looks like it might just hold despite the Imperium's plans for it.

*while painting time has struggled recently, the last month or so Monday evenings have been prime gaming time - although getting to the venue for 8pm as other games start to wrap up.

While other delaying worlds in the Western Reaches of Segmentum Pacificus were being abandoned to the mercies of Hive Fleet Leviathan, the world of Fratribusia was a rare point of defiance that sent Imperial strategists scrabbling. As more Tyranid fleets started to be drawn to the planet, the Imperium sent more assets of it's own into the conflict.

As nearby systems fell to the unstoppable Tyranid swarms and the Solblades sent to hold the lines, slowly slipped out of doomed planets, their missions complete, the shadow of the warp grew stronger with every devoured world, until almost nothing could be heard from those planets that still held out.

One message that burned out of the minds of 4 adepts of the Adeptus Astra Telepathica on the planet Sanctum, a key Anchor World, simply said 'Fratribusia stands - For the Emperor'.

Lord Commander Solar Arcadian Leontus authorised a limited response from Solblades recently drawn back to evaluate this claim.

What was unknown to the Imperium as a whole and the remaining authorities on Fratribusia was how deep the rot had gone.

The first message was followed days later by a second, this one bypassing the normal telepathic routes and bearing a cypher that could not be easily cracked. It went to a lifeless asteroid field in the Sedna region.

As the planet's leadership waited for a response, the war carried on. The Ossuary Brotherhood conducted targeted raids on reports of Lictor Organism build ups in an attempt to disrupt the xenos.

While the Dark Angels struck at genestealer cult risings to try and push the conflict back to as few fronts as possible.

++ Message to the Watch Commander of Watch station Sedna +++

Commander

It is as we feared, the Ecrin Mission of the Order of the Fallen Angel has been infected with the taint of the enemy.

Authorise insertion of assets Valorous and Exemplar to purge the rot.

Code Gamma-Gamma-zeta-5 seal of Inquisitor Ferumor Ordo Xenos

Thought for the day: 

Ruthlessness is the kindness of the wise

 +++ Message Ends +++

While the strike team from the Deathwatch failed in their mission and the sky children cult continued its insidious spread, more ships broke from the warp at the edge of the Fratribusia system. Led by The High Lord of Terra herself, Morvenn Vahl, the fleet held the remnants of a handful of Astra Militarum regiments pulled from other doomed conflicts, Solblades from the Adeptus Astartes chapters Aurora Knights and White Panthers and a sizeable force of Adepta Sororitas.

Finding that the planet did indeed seem to be holding out, Morvenn Vahl ordered a rapid deployment of the troops under her command, with the High Lord leading a mission from the Order of the Fallen Angel straight into the teeth of a Tyranid swarm.

Thanks for reading