2/1-2003 – Andeonium Hive

Andeonium Hive is roughly circular, with large habunits and mining facilities on the lower floors. The main Chaos force attacked from the South, with contingents of Alpha Legion and World Eaters circled round and advanced from the East and West. PDF troops held the city, but were harassed by Daemon and guerrilla forces. The Aeldari arrived from the Northwest at the same time as the loyalist Space Marines arrived from the East.

From an unknown source, a formidable force of Tyranids appeared in the western part of the research facilities on the upper levels, as well as some Drukhari raiders.

11/8-2002 – Chaos raids

Abaddon continued on his rampage and sent a small force from various Chaos warbands supported by cultists to intercept a Space Wolf force, led by Venerable Dreadnought Laga. Chaos triumphed and wiped the Space Wolf force from the planet after heavy fighting. A Grey Hunter Pack heroically held their ground for a long time against a Chaos Dreadnought and a Chaos Lord with retinue.

The same Chaos force later tried to ambush the Cabal of Crimson Carnage, but was thoroughly trashed. Abaddon claimed to have no part in the attack and claimed it was an independent act, committed by the unnamed Chaos Lord in charge, although he probably wouldn’t have minded not to lose the slaves he had promised Kael

2/6-2002 – Aeldari on Messen

The planet which the Blood Angel Scouts arrived upon was a giant volcanic jungle world, called Messen. It is located on the northern border of Segmentum Solar, in the vicinity to the Eye of Terror. The Imperium uses the planet to collect energy from the numerous thermal power plants established there during the Tagean Crusades. These supply power to the almost fully automated factories there to produce power cells used in various imperial energy weapons.

On the other side of the planet, a freshly recruited Dark Angel force was training. Their base of operations was one of the remote thermal plants. Suddenly, the training became real as a Drukhari force, led by Archaon Kael, appeared. After dispatching the guards, the Drukhari force easily ambushed and destroyed the arriving Dark Angels one squad at a time. The few that survived were taken as captives and set to work on rerouting the power plants energy output to power up an old deserted Webway gate. But the portal remained closed. The Haemonculi employed by the Cabal of Crimson Carnage stated that they needed more power for it to open and so Kael left him in charge as he took a contingent of troops to find another.

In the southern jungle he found what he was looking for, but as he approached it, he spotted another force making its way towards it as well. It was an Aeldari force from the Ulthwé Craftworld. Unknown to the Imperials, Messen was originally an Aeldari maiden world populated by Exodites. As long as the Imperials were content to gather energy from the thermal power plants and otherwise leaving the planet alone, the Exodites made no fuss. But as soon as the Drukhari presence was known, the strongest Exodite Lord, Isdale, had requested help from the nearest Craftworld. Eldrad Ulthran had consulted the runes and found that if Kael was not stopped, Ulthwé could be in danger. After a bloody battle, the Drukhari withdrew and the victorious Aeldari held the badly damaged power plant.

12/5-2002 – Chaos reigns on Halon’s Retreat

The World Eater force erected huge pyramids of skulls outside the cities and summoned hordes of Daemons to aid them in the slaughter of the population. The planetary governor and his aides managed to flee to an underground base in the northern mountain range and established a guerrilla force to repel the invaders.

Strangely, the Khornate worshippers sought out an old ruin on the western plains of Halon’s Retreat. The ruin was in fact an Aeldari Webway gate and the World Eaters tried to gain entrance to it, but was annihilated by an appearing force of Drukhari, led by Dhrazaryn Kael, Archon of the Cabal of Crimson Carnage. After their defeat, Abaddon struck a deal with Kael, offering slaves in exchange for limited use of the Webway to transport his fleet further into imperial space. He left behind a large force of World Eaters and used the Webway to transport the rest of the fleet away from imperial retribution.

Soon after, a combined force of the Black Templars led by Chaplain Holmbaud, and Blood Angels led by the Sanguinary Priest Lazarescu, launched a planetary assault against Halon’s Retreat after having repaired their ships. Their attack was met by a vicious World Eater counterattack. The battle ended in a stalemate as both forces suffered terrible losses, and withdrew to lick their wounds.