Welcome back, dear readers, as we delve deeper into the cataclysmic narrative of the 41st Millennium. When we last left off, the unsung hero Urar E. Creed had just taken command of the beleaguered Imperial Guard and Planetary Defense Forces. With enemies lurking in every corner of the segmentum obscurus, Creed’s brusk demeanor and steadfast resolve proved to be the morale boost that Cadia needed to weather the storm.
Creed’s ascension to the role of Lord Castellan of Cadia was met with both admiration and resentment. Many of the traditional officer class saw his methods as overly harsh, but even they could not deny the necessity of his actions given the monumental task at hand. The Betrayal at Kaza Tiok had severely damaged Cadan morale, but Creed's fierce resolution inspired those under him, galvanizing even the most battle-weary officers into action.
As the penultimate year of the 41st Millennium dawned, the organization of Cadia's defenses continued at a staggering speed. Each world of the segmentum obscurus contributed regiments, organizing its forces into battle groups with sector high command assigning Departmento Munitorum Support Services as they became available. Cadia was fortunate that many worlds followed its example regarding regimental structure, equipment, and combat doctrine, notable exceptions being the forces from worlds such as Finr and Morant.
With an initial establishment of six to nine Imperial Guard regiments per battle group, and at least six such groups forming an army, Cadia’s high command could assign a minimum of ten army groups to defend every notable world in the region. However, as conflicts developed, these battle groups would inevitably break down once redeployment was required to meet combat needs. This was the reality of coordinating highly diverse units over vast distances.
As we delve further into the narrative, an ominous prophecy emerges from the last oration of the heretic archist of the Geth Seminary Reclus. The prophecy speaks of the 13th Black Crusade of Abdon the Despoiler, a terrifying event that would bring about the doom of mankind.
As the prophecy foretold, the worlds of the Cadia Gate were nearly crippled by internal strife and the plague of unbelief when Abdon the Despoiler launched his invasion into the Emperor's realm. This invasion unleashed a power not seen since the darkest days of the Horus Heresy.
Highly trained units of Cadan Kasak, in maintaining their constant vigil around the Eye of Terror, often ventured into the outer reaches of the Maelstrom, desperate to find some indication of where the first blow would land. Astropath divination pointed to the blighted world of Earthart, a chaos-held world whose population was sacrificed to the dark gods.
The initial scouting party found only death and zombies infected with the curse of unbelief. As they prepared to withdraw, a frantic Vox communication from their warships in orbit reported numerous vessels advancing on Earthart from the Eye of Terror. The Cadan Kasak tried to fall back to their dropship, but it was too late. The Planet Killer, a massive vessel thought lost during the Gothic War, approached the doomed world, annihilating Earthart and reducing it to spinning pieces of molten rock.
As Earthart collapsed, a chaos war fleet composed of hundreds of warships and troop transports surged from the Eye of Terror, heralding the beginning of Abdon the Despoiler's 13th Black Crusade. A psychic death scream from the doomed world of Earthart ripped through the ether, piercing the Astronomican, and heralding the arrival of the chaos war fleet.
The chaos fleet, comprised of hundreds of warships and troop transports, was on a direct course for Cadia. Rumors circulated that the Plague Claw and Terminus Est, along with a massive flotilla of Plague Hulks, had emerged in the Subiaco Diablo system. Worse, unconfirmed reports claimed that two Blackstone fortresses accompanied the chaos war fleet.
As Cadia braces for the onslaught, Imperial Naval experts began plotting worlds likely to be targeted by the Planet Killer. Intelligence from the Gothic War indicated that the Planet Killer was a ponderous vessel and its planet-cracking Armageddon gun required careful handling.
Stay tuned, dear readers, as we delve further into the saga of the 13th Black Crusade in our upcoming installments. Will Cadia stand against the surge of chaos, or will it fall to the might of Abdon the Despoiler? Only time, and the Immortal Emperor, will tell.
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