First Shots of the War - Hyperia Hivesprawl

 Points: 2000.

Mission: Retrieval Mission.

Secondary Objectives: Assassinate, Raise the Banners High and Thin Their Ranks.

Upon their arrival into the Vigilus system, the Rift Wardens flotilla fought through the orbital battles, ready to deploy their force to the surface of the planet. While the chapter split to different war zones initially, chapter master Arthurus lead a company of marines to the edge of Hyperia Hivesprawl in response to a call from the Adepta Sororitas. The Sororitas shrine of St Keeler's Rest was under attack by a daemonic force brought forth by the sorcerers of the Black Legion.

The crusade to purge the shrine of the daemonic infestation was lengthy and brutal but finally with aid from the Grey Knights and Sisters of Battle, the Rift Wardens were successful in defeating it. However, certain elements within the Ordo Malleus and the Inquisition felt that the chapter had seen and experienced too much. They ordered the chapter to stand down for spiritual examination but chapter master Arthurus refused saying that his brothers were needed in defending Vigilus from the various threats assaulting the hive cities. A task far more threatening than what had been encountered here.

The defenders of St Keeler's Rest took this as a sign of corruption and began an attempted purge of the Rift Wardens. The conflict was short until finally the chapter master relented and the chapter was declared free of taint, and allowed to continue the Benthic crusade, although dealings with the defenders of the shrine world remained strained during that time.

While the Rift Wardens recovered after the defeat of the daemonic hordes, the Grey Knights, who had until this point been close allies, took up arms against the loyal space marines. In retaliation chapter master Arthurus employed a sweep and scour campaign to drive the Grey Knights from the area.

The Grey Knights used a three-pronged strategy in return. Firstly, they fought to prevent the separate companies of Rift Wardens reuniting. Second, the Grey Knights dealt with any communication issues so that the chapter could not adequately communicate and lastly, wear the space marines down to better defeat them.

During this campaign, the Grey Knights were reunited with Kaldor Draigo, who although requesting a cessation of hostilities could not convince the other grand masters that the Rift Wardens were pure. Instead, he was able to persuade them that capture was preferable to death in this situation. Draigo led a force into the mountains above the shrine to Saint Keeler where the Rift Wardens were believed to be regrouping.

The initial engagement was short lived, lasting only a few short hours. The Rift Wardens sustained casualties and a number of their battle brothers were captured and taken away for further study and interrogation. The others managed to retreat. During a brief engagement between chapter master Arthurus and Kaldor Drogo, the Grey Knight commander informed the Rift Wardens master that this campaign would continue until he relented and allowed the Grey Knights to assess their purity. Both sides being stubborn, neither would listen to the other.

Victory to the Grey Knights.