War in Sector 135: A Joint Strike and a Hidden Threat

 The Wave Serpent slowed and the rear boarding hatch extended and lowered with a growling hiss, part of its mechanisms had been damaged by crude plasma weaponry earlier in the battle. A squad of Dire Avengers flowed out and immediately took up defensive positions. One of the aspect warriors gave the "all clear" hand signal and Farseer Elros Mithrandir descended the ramp. Before him stood the heavily damaged and still smoking desecrated tower that had served as the Chaos Space Marine base of operations until mere minutes earlier, the Obliterators had tried and narrowly failed to destroy it after it was clear they would be unable to stop their enemies from taking it. The Farseer smiled from within his Ghosthelm as he watched Delbaeth flawlessly leading his team of Warp Spiders along the defensive walls of the Chaos compound, supported from below by valiant Guardian Defenders from the Autarch's own war host. There were still a few small groups of cultists hiding in the recesses of the ruins near here. Some had gone into a frenzy, utterly convinced that their dark gods would give them the strength to repel the Eldar invaders and others lay wailing, paralyzed and lamenting that they had obviously been forsaken. A part of the Seer felt pity for their small, polluted minds, having been drowned in the lies and corruption the forces of Chaos had offered. Swift execution was the only mercy he could offer them. In the distance, he heard a Heavy Wraithcannon discharge, followed by another explosion. It would appear that one of the Wraithknights had discovered something additional lurking on the battlefield. The towering construct must have found its mark because only silence followed.
Though the battle had gone exceptionally well, the victory did not bring the sense of relief that Mithrandir had hoped for. Most of the Chaos army originally stationed on this world had pledged themselves to She Who Thirsts, more than enough reason to strike here with overwhelming force, but the defenders of this unholy lair had not been of that particular persuasion. This meant that there was still a significant threat that remained undetected, and it was at large within Sector 135. This weighed heavily upon Mithrandir, playing on personal fears.
Shaking away the dull echoes of a future nightmare from his mind, he gave a final order to the Crimson Hunter overhead to leave combat airspace and resume aerial recon of the surrounding area. The day was won and only tedious battlefield tasks remained, best to leave that in the capable hands of one of his Exarchs, so the Farseer relinquished operational authority. With the pressure of command temporarily relieved, Mithrandir walked across the blackened, bloodsoaked ground, observing the corpses and strewn remains of the tainted garrison. He reflected on both the past and the present, mostly within the contexts of the likely futures before him. Pausing on the very recent past, his mind drifted to Delbaeth. The Autarch's aggression during this mission was concerning. Mithrandir wondered if his ally had been taking pleasure in murdering the twisted humans and half-Daemons. There was no way to know. Not at this point, anyway.

Once back on Tiarna Cruinne, the Farseer would have much meditation before him. Unfortunately, there was so little time.

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A fourth planet successfully taken by the Eldar. No other faction controls more than one, if I remember correctly. So the space elves are really kicking some tail out there on the battle board.

 
And a special thanks goes out to Grajo for giving me this link to the original artist of this Farseer artwork which was featured in the last post.