The Sabbat Worlds Crusade: The Blood Pact Threat – Part 13

Title: The Tides of War: Conflict Escalates in the 41st Millennium

In the dark and distant future, the 41st Millennium, the galaxy is a battleground ravaged by the ceaseless crusades of the Imperium against the insidious forces of Chaos. Unraveling the labyrinthine tactics of these tumultuous times, we zero in on a pivotal figure – War Master Maroth.

As the wheel of fate turned towards the year 773 of the 41st Millennium, Maroth found himself up against a formidable adversary. The intelligence network of the Imperium had caught wind of SEK, a rogue warlord amassing an army to rival the Blood Pact. The Sons of SEK were on the rise, and Maroth knew he had to act swiftly and decisively.

In a move that confounded some and intrigued others, the War Master redeployed several of his most seasoned subordinates, including Lord Militant Cbon and Marshall Blackwood, to seemingly unimportant theaters on the outskirts of the crusade’s advance. Critics argued he was simply sidelining the old guard to allow his own favorites a shot at glory. However, given the disastrous flanking attacks in the Cabal systems and Khah group, there was a possibility that Maroth was merely preparing for another such onslaught, placing his best where they would be most effective.

With the establishment of the Second Front in the Khan group, the Crusade forces began their push forward, relentlessly driving through opposition. The War Master’s stubborn assault on the fortress world of Morland finally bore fruit at the close of the year, making an Imperial victory within the Sabbath World sector seem almost inevitable by the year 775.

Fast forward to the year 778, and the Sabbath World’s Crusade was entering a defining phase in its 23rd standard year. The Imperium had successfully advanced into the highly contested territory of the Cabal systems and was making significant headway into the Karadon cluster, the heartland of the forces of Chaos within the Sabbath worlds. High command believed that victory was just five standard years away.

However, optimism was tempered by caution. The scale of the fighting in the Cabal and Karadon regions was unprecedented, and the Khan group was still plagued by the forces of the arch enemy planning a counterstrike. In his urgency, War Master Maroth left many unresolved conflicts in his wake. The commanders of the Second Front were left to handle these archenemy forces at any cost, preventing them from flanking the Crusading forces.

The world of Lubov, a strategically useful location and believed to be a source of fuel and munitions for the archenemy forces within the Khan group, had been under enemy occupation for two and a half solar decades. Lord Militant Cbon ordered Lubov to be retaken in late 777, assigning the task to General Andreas Khide.

Khide, a seasoned Astra Militarum commander who had served under the former War Master SLO during the Kouan War, was tasked with liberating Lubov. Despite his prestigious career, Khide had fallen out of favor with the new War Master, resulting in his service during the Crusade being unglamorous and often relegated to second front command.

Khide found himself commanding an ad-hoc Liberation Army comprised of disparate units who had never served together operationally. Despite the odds, the stage was set for a critical battle that could change the course of the Crusade in the Sabbath Worlds. The outcome, however, would have to wait until our next installment. Stay tuned for more tales from the tumultuous 41st Millennium.

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