Imperial Guard regiments assembled to assault the rebellious world of Adydos III have been ordered instead to the Burning Frontier. Credit: The-Goo-Goblin at DeviantArt.

Campaign against Adydos III is cancelled

A campaign to crush rebels that overthrew the Imperial government on Adydos III has been cancelled. Instead, the six regiments gathering under the command of Lord General Corbula Sulla will be diverted to support the Mograin Crusade, a military campaign into the Burning Frontier led by the Vorpal Swords Space Marine Chapter.

This is the second military campaign cancelled by Imperial high command in recent history. Earlier this year, plans to conduct a genocidal assault on the Etheria System—and eradicate the primitive Salza species—was called off due to more serious military threats in the Corvus Cluster.

Rumors suggest Gen. Sulla was outraged at the decision. A spirited debate—some suggest a screaming argument—reportedly took place when the Lord General confronted General Vacante Jordanes, sector commander for the Astra Militarum. At one point, Gen. Jordanes threatened to place Sulla under arrest for insubordination.

Publicly, the two senior officers are presenting a common front. No longer a Lord General, Sulla will retain operational command of the six regiments, although he will be subordinate in the Burning Frontier to Captain Theron Mograin, commander of the 3rd Company of the Vorpal Swords.

Tau resources drained by ongoing Arkunasha campaign

It appears that the Tau’s military designs on the Corvus Cluster are being hampered by the demands of another war front, where the xenos are fighting to defend their own empire borders.

Military authorities say that an ork invasion of the Tau-held world of Arkunasha has forced the Tau to divert increasing military resources to this battleground, which in turn is severely limiting the availability of troops and supplies for the Tau’s efforts in the Sculptor System.

It is said that one of the Tau’s most promising officers, known as Commander Farsight, was originally handpicked to lead the Tau invasion of the Sculptor System—until he was reassigned to join the fight on Arkunasha.

His repeated victories against the orks suggest, military authorities say, that the Corvus Cluster has earned a reprieve, as the presence of such a highly skilled officer on Dar Sai could have proven a disaster for Imperial forces.

Merchant ship disappears near quarantine zone

The Lady Belliose has disappeared near the Dryilian Quarantine Zone. Credit: Dan Slider.

Lady Belliose, a merchant vessel owned by the prominent merchant lord, Count Johann Feracci, has disappeared while traveling near the Dryilian Quarantine Zone.

Although technically sailing outside the quarantine zone’s boundaries, the Lady Belliose was pushed to within 20 light years of the zone by erratic turbulence within the Warp. Forced to return to normal space, the ship broadcast an astropathic message reporting its location and its troubled interstellar voyage.

That communication was six months ago, and the vessel is now three months overdue.

Warp travel is not entirely predictable. It is not uncommon for Warp-capable vessels to arrive months or even years behind schedule, and, in rare cases, a ship can take a century or more to cross between two systems that other ships regularly complete in two months.

Still, the fact that the Lady Belliiose disappeared near the quarantine zone—a designation that Imperial authorities refuse to discuss—suggests there’s a strong possibility that the ship may be lost for more nefarious reasons.

Imperial officials linked to Balar Slavers

A vid-pict of a Balar Slaver. This criminal band has been a thorn in the side of the Corvus Cluster for many years. Credit: Jason Heuser.

Sixteen senior Imperial officials in the Bonadan System have been arrested by the Adeptus Arbites for corruption after it was revealed that were accepting bribes to overllok the activities of the criminal organization known as the Balar Slavers.

The widespread corruption was revealed by Rogue Trader Adeon Drake, who stumbled upon a slaving operation on a remote moon in the Bonadan System. Drake apparently was approached by an unidentified individual seeking to hire the merchant to transport illicit goods.

This individual apparently did not realize that Drake is known across the sector for a number of daring rescues of Imperial citizens who have fallen into the clutches of the Slavers. The reason for Drake’s animosity to the Slavers is as yet unexplained.

Although few details have been shared by the Arbites, it appears that Drake broke into an underground Slaver compound, engaged in a firefight with the criminals, and escaped with a data slate that identified Imperial officials taking bribes. To stop Drake, one high-ranking official signed a death warrant against the Rogue Trader, who had to escape arrest and make his way across the planet  on foot to an Imperial Guard military base.

Thankfully, military leaders were not part of the Slavers’ conspiracy, and with their assistance, the corrupt officials were arrested and Drake’s name cleared.

A trial for the 16 incarcerated officials has yet to be scheduled, but their execution is set for next month.

Top art: The Imperial Guard artillery, called “These people are almost as bored as I am,” is courtesy of The-Goo-Goblin, as he’s called on the DeviantArt website. Click here to see more of his great art.

Middle Art: The Warp vessel, called “Rogue Trader – Saint’s Mercy,” is courtesy of Dan Slider. Click here to see more of his great art.

Bottom Art: The Balar Slaver, titled “Hellhound,” is courtesy of Jason Heuser (Sharpwriter on the DeviantArt website). Click here to see more of his great art.

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The Corvus Cluster is a Warhammer 40K blog documenting our gaming adventures in the fantastical sci-fi universe of Games Workshop.