The Mandragora Helix - Mandragora

Points: 2000.

Mission: Conversion.

Secondary Objectives: Assassination, Bolster Barricades and Grind Them Down.

Opponent's Secondary Objectives: Cull Order, Grind Them Down and The Long Vigil.

Over a series of months chief librarian Uther had a number of visions regarding an xenos artefact coming to be known as the Helix. The council of librarians gathered at his command and they scoured the Warp until they locked their psychic might upon a world on the fringe of Imperial space known in the records Mandragora. Although he knew not why, Uther counselled Arthurus that the xenos population must be purged and the artefact collected and studied. Arthurus redeployed the fleet this new world. The chapter then proceeded to purge the alien population over several weeks but the artefact was never found. Shortly thereafter, three strike crusiers from the Deathwatch translated in system and ordered the Rift Wardens to leave as they had come to recover the Helix as well. Uther advised against this and against his better judgement Arthurus refused which led the chapter into another conflict with a force meant to be their allies. 

The first engagement against the Deathwatch took place over two days in the ruins of the alien capitol city. The ruined city had been occupied by the Rift Wardens as they scoured the site for their prize but they were weakly spread out which would be their undoing. The Deathwatch commander decided to launch the attack rather than engage in diplomatic proceedings to prevent an unknown alien device falling into the wrong hands. An entire chapter's worth of Deathwatch gathered for the assault.

The battle was brief and fully in the favour of the Deathwatch. The Rift Wardens, reluctant to wage war against another space marine force fought with a lack of conviction. After two days of fighting, Arthurus called a retreat order and pulled his forces away from the city centre where the fighting had been thickest. Even so, both space marine commanders vowed to be the one to find and recover the Mandragora Helix.