Vastrid Background

The Vastrid subsector had been at peace, in general, for a millennium. However peace on the eatern rim of the galaxy is far from quiet. Several Ork invasions had been launched from the Ork kingdoms of Keprok and Magark but most were defeated by instant responses from the Imperial fleet from the ever vigilant forts of Thrace and Ate. However the Ork warlords were forever eyeing the valuable Imperial planets and any major attack usually starts at Farport.

Rimward of the subsector lay the Aleph subsector, now occupied by the rebel UFP. Additionally Vastrid itself lies perilously close to the Perseus Deeps and the Chaos worlds within. Persephone’s status had been unknown for hundreds of years but it was assumed the world, once a populous Imperial planet, now lay under the sway of the Chaos gods.

The Imperial government had never been too keen on defeating the Orks in a bloody war of invasion, nor had it entertained the idea of a purge of the Deeps, for there were other dangers within that murky realm, Necrons, Eldar and strange alien races.

At the beginning of 008M42 the political climate within the subsector began to worsen markedly. The Dark Angels’ behaviour in the Aleph subsector, in unswervingly considering the UFP as heretical drew much quiet criticism from a number of Imperial factors, who blamed them and their sympathisers for losing the subsector. Other more fanatical agents, especially non-radical Inquisitors, considered the actions of the Adeptus Astartes to be beyond reproach, although some of the same still questioned the Dark Angels and their loyalty.

The Imperial forces in the subsector were locked in a bitter cold war, though open warfare between the factions was looked upon harshly by the sector governor and the higher ranking Inquisitors. Still, already skirmishes had taken place following the notorious Aethor incident when a low ranking radical Inqusitor and his retinue were massacred by the Dark Angels after it transpired they had been spending some time negotiating with the UFP and the Tau. By 04.008M42 the radical factions of the Inquisition were martialling their forces and contactin their allies, ready for any showdown to come.

The Adeptus Mechanicus had a particular interest in the Vastrid subsector, as they suspected that in the distant past human settlers carried with them a complete STC. This they believe was lost to the Imperium following a great crusade against an alien race which turned out to be advanced humans lost to the Imperium for millennia. It is a mistake the cult were deeply bitter about, particularly with respect to the Inquisition. Up till then though, they were pleased by the actions of the Inquisition and Dark Angels, since they considered the weaponry and technology of the UFP to be heretical.
The Tau had little interest in the Vastrid sector, but never-the-less they were beginning to send expeditions from their new colonies in the Perseus Deeps in an attempt to spread their influence by diplomacy and trade. This was bound to end in conflict with the Imperium sooner or later. Probably sooner.

The Eldar had their own agendas, some wished to sow further enmity between the other races. Others were actively and openly aiding the Tau expansion while a further group wished to maintain the Imperium against the threat of Chaos. The Chaos powers themselves had forever envied the rich Imperial worlds and many predict a new crusade is just around the corner.

At this time however no single power was strong enough to attack the others in an all out war. Instead 008M42 saw a gradual but steady increase in encounters over smaller, neutral worlds near the fringes of Imperial space. Each power striving to put themselves in as strong a position as possible for any “next phase”.