1st Scraxian War

The largest Scrax warband ever gathered was dispatched by covert Eldar influence against the Imperium. The battle on the large ice-world of Apate IV was as brutal as it was costly for both sides and ultimately resulted in an Eldar victory.
==Origins==
The Eldar Craftworld Nova'cor covertly hired the Scrax to attack the Imperial world of Apate IV. This was done in accordance with their “Noven Prophecies”, an ancient and twisted belief that the Imperium & Tau could one day defeat Chaos but they must be challenged & trained by force of arms.
==Forces ==
1st Scraxian Expeditionary Force: The largest gathering of Scrax forces ever by the Clan Council. It was led by Olnor the Eviscerator, a mutant Scrax who is noted for their brutality.
Craftworld Nova'cor: An Eldar craftworld the specializes in its anti-Imperial tactics. They are famous as “Space Marine Hunters”. Only a few squads were deployed to the Apate, though the Eldar set up the whole affair.
Kau'ui Ko'vash Hunter Cadre: A detachment of Tau void ships aided the Scrax at the order of Aun’El Sari. This was done in repayment for Craftworld Nova'cor’s regular service to the great Tau leader.
The Mercenaries of By’tho Se’ieg’n: A Gue'vesa force employed by the Tau to aid the Scrax. They were supposedly originally human mercenaries under the command of someone known only as “By’tho Se’ieg’n”.
===Imperial Forces===
Megamarines (1st-3rd Companies): The Megamarine are a fleet-based chapter of Space Marines that specialize in boarding actions and void space combat. They dispatched 3 full companies, each aboard their own battle barge. They were led by their Chapter Master Horatio Teg. The Captain of their 3rd company was slain by Olnor the Eviscerator.
Golems (2nd Company): The Golems are a cursed chapter of Space Marines that grow grotesque rocky growths over their body. They dispatched a company to aid in the effort.
Ubrin Regiments (4 regiments): Four Regiments from Ubrin were dispatched to Apate IV to help secure the major cities of Apate. They suffered over 90% casualties.
Jerionite Regiments (1 Regiment): The all female 9th Neo-Jerionite Regiment (The “Nephilim”) deployed to aid in the defense of Apate IV.
Spada Sacra (10 Armigner Squads): The College of the Holy Sword dispatched 10 dons/donas, along with their Armigner squads. The Imperial Duelists were noted at being quite adept at slaying the worst of the Scrax warriors. Gran Maestro Terra, Lady Fiora Barozzi herself attended the battle and helped guide it.
Inquisitor Grace Parmenion: An Inquisitor from the Ordo Xenos took command of the war and brought the skills of her retinue to the aid of the Imperials.
Sergeant Coyote (Deathwatch): An infamous Deathwatch blackshield known as “Sergeant Coyote” arrived unbidden and waged a one-man war against the Scrax. The Scrax still whisper his name is fear. Rumor has it that Inquisitor Grace Parmenion suggested that he might find a good fight on Apate IV...
==Timeline==
=== The Occupation of Apate IV===
The Scrax arrived out of nowhere, delivered by the ships of the Kau'ui Ko'vash Hunter Cadre. The initial fighting was as brutal as it was short- the planet fell in a matter of days and all resistance was squashed in weeks. The Mercenaries of By’tho Se’ieg’n secured the space around the planet with their ships and began to raid commerce. It would be two years before the Imperium would deploy troops to their aid.
===Fighting on the Rim===
The Fleet-Based Megamarine chapter would be the first to arrive. Fierce fighting occurred with the Mercenaries of By’tho Se’ieg’n on the edge of the system but eventually the Megamarines managed to push them back to the planetary orbit of Apate IV. This campaign took 6 months and allowed Imperial reinforcements to arrive.
===Mustering Forces===
The Megamarine held the system while the Golem chapter arrived and provided some much-needed backup. In time 4 regiments of Imperial Guard from Ubrin, diverted from another campaign, arrived and the Jerionites dispatched their crack 9th Regiment to aid the war effort. Squabbles began over who was in charge but when Inquisitor Grace Parmenion of the Ordo Xenos arrived she settled the affair by taking charge.
===1st Assault on Apate IV===
The Golem’s initial attempt to punch through the planet’s siege and establish a beachhead were repulsed by fierce fighting from the Tau of the Kau'ui Ko'vash Hunter Cadre. Attempts were also made to drop several squads from the Ubrin regiment but they were not adequately trained and failed to execute their mission. The Imperium, having suffered a defeat, retreated a bit and regrouped. During this time the forces of Spada Sacra, including Gran Maestro Terra, Lady Fiora Barozzi herself, arrived to aid to battle.
===2nd Assault on Apate IV ===
The 2nd attempt was met with more success. The forces of the Imperium made a coordinated attack against the Tau ships and managed to secure passage for their ground troops.
The Ubrin Regiments were deployed to fight the Scrax in the planet’s many urban centers and were moderately successful. The Golems were deployed to engage the main body of the Scrax alongside the Megamarine’s ground forces. Many of the Megamarine’s forces were tied up in boarding actions against the Tau’s ships. Reports of Sergeant Coyote showing up out of nowhere and killing enemy forces behind their lines reached Imperial ears but were discounted as propaganda.
The 9th Neo-Jerionite Regiment, supported by the 10 Armigner squads from Spada Sacra, attempted to capture the Scraxian command complex and laid siege to it for a number of weeks.
The Scrax, for their part, were stunningly effective. They were only kept at bay temporarily by the momentum gained in the initial invasion wave. Slowly they began to fight their way back, winning a war of attrition. It is said that each Scrax warrior killed 2 guardsmen and outnumbered them 3 to 1. Marines proved more difficult for them but they could eventually overwhelm them with the heavy weapons supplied to them by the Tau.
===The Turning of the Tides ===
The Imperial forces made progress on their objective for a number of weeks until Eldar units finally deployed. Though small in number the potent elite forces of Craftworld Nova'cor appeared at critical weak points and crippled the Imperial war effort.
The Golems lost their Captain to an Autarch, several key pieces of Ubrin armor were destroyed, four squads of Megamarines were wiped out without a trace, communications were cut during key engagements, and Imperial technology found itself dealing with heavy interference.
The chaos caused by Craftworld Nova'cor’s strike teams were enough for the Scrax to gain their momentum and overwhelm the Imperial forces. Though the battle raged on for several months more the Imperium never recovered their footing.
===A Fighting Retreat===
Eventually, when all hope was lost, Inquisitor Grace Parmenion elected to call a general retreat so they could regroup and try again with greater forces in the future. Many of the marines were recalled but refused. As such much higher marine casualties were suffered than expected and the Megamarines 2nd company was almost entirely destroyed. The Captain of their 3rd company, died in a duel to the mutant Scrax warlord Olnor the Eviscerator. The Jerionite Regiments retreated, though they licked their wounds with a sour disposition. The Imperial Duelists, having fought their fill, retreated with tales of glory and victory to brag about (they cared less for the overall battle and more of their person glories).
For years after the retreat was called there was still sporadic combat on the planet. Squads of Megamarines and several Golem marines waged a hopeless crusade against the Scrax until they were finally all exterminated. It is said Sergeant Coyote still returns to Apate IV to this day to seek revenge for the fallen.
Category:Scrax