The Hellfire Campaign

> Kiith Kohath - "Very well. Orders to the fleet. Target the platforms and destroy them."
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The Hellfire Campaign refers to a series of engagements between Assembly expedition forces and the Hellfire pirates in the Hydatus Teign and Vexation systems.

## Origin

In 992 ATA a mixed-species pirate clan called the Hellfires assaulted and captured several inhabited planets in Hydatus Teign, effectively taking control of the entire system.

The Hellfires originated in Vexation, a system that had been left to independent control, since its small number of settlements were not supported by any government and the Assembly was reluctant to claim territory in its own right. This lack of oversight created a natural lodestone for criminal enterprise, but since the authorities knew where to look for troublemakers, more or less, they were content to deal with the Hellfires on a case-by-case basis.

The attack on Hydatus Teign (a neutral, heavily populated system), however, was not something the Assembly could countenance. The formation of a task force capable of driving the Hellfires back and liberating Hydatus Teign was swiftly approved by unanimous vote, the first time the Assembly had acted as a unified military body since the Sentinel Rebellion more than six-hundred years earlier.

The Assembly task force comprised the Marauder 1st Fleet as the primary assault force for the campaign (including their newly constructed titan-class flagship, the DSV *Hephaestus*) and two coalition support fleets consisting mostly of Ercineans, Guardians, and Leviathans. The ground forces were augmented with Changeling commandos and Templar shock troops, and most of the logistics and supply chain issues were handled by the Terrans.

To command such a diverse coalition, a leader acceptable to all factions had to be appointed, a political impasse which eventually led the Assembly to request the services of the cyborg strategist Kiith Kohath. Since Cyborg vessels were not permitted in Assembly space, Kohath was invited to choose his personal flagship from the massed fleets, and the admiral duly selected the *Hephaestus*.

## Key event(s)

**The Retaking of Canaan One:** To secure a solid foothold and maximize the element of surprise, Kohath launched a ground assault on the main body of Hellfires dug in on Canaan One. The planet harboured the most natural resources and was the supply hub for the entire system, and was therefore also the most heavily fortified location. However, Kohath's lightning assault strategy, executed using Marauder dropships supported by highly skilled Ercinean raider wings, was a complete success, leading to the capture of the pirate's main command centre and the liberation of the principal settlement, Antioch, within four hours of initial deployment. While small pockets of pirate resistance continued for five days the planet was tactically in Assembly control at the end of day two.

For her bold and decisive actions resulting in the rescue of platoon 4C3 during the operation, Corporal Jennifer Bronwen was awarded the Bronze Star by the Marauder Marine Corps.

**The Stand-off at Hydatus Rapture:** Once the fighting spread across the entire system, the Assembly fleet found themselves stretched thin in order to protect the worlds they had already liberated while continuing to pursuing the pirates.

In one notable incident, an Assembly support fleet en route to pick up refugees from Canaan One intercepted an equally sized Hellfire fleet docked at the civilian orbital spaceport at Hydatus Rapture. With Kohath and the main fleet already committed to battle at the far end of the system, the situation quickly became a stand-off, with the pirates effectively holding the planet hostage by threatening to blow the station out of orbit. None of the Assembly officers dared to make the first move and risk killing civilians in the process.

Angered by the indecisiveness of the support fleet's command, a detachment of Templar shock troopers took matters into their own hands, deploying covertly in transports to approach the spaceport under cover of the planet's two moons, docked at the port without being detected. The events that followed have been debated on several occasions, since the Templars have never disclosed their actions, but of the several thousand Hellfire crews and civilian personnel on board, only a handful made it out alive.

Admiral Kohath subsequently declined any further assistance from the templar military for the duration of the conflict.

**The Expedition to Vexation:** Once the system was fully under Assembly military control, Admiral Kohath chose to execute one last mission to deter any future invasions. Deploying a carefully selected Marauder battle group, Kohath invaded the Hellfires' home system and raided their main base, destroying their synthesis platforms, stockpiles of materials, and a sizeable proportion of their reserve forces in a surprise attack that was completed without a single Assembly casualty.

## Aftermath

After its liberation, Hydatus Teign was formally declared as sanctuary space under the direct governance of the Assembly.

The Assembly's military reprisal cost the Hellfires most of their ships and their construction capability, reducing them once more to an annoyance rather than a significant threat. While they continue to operate, they are more likely to be found smuggling and scavenging than taking on the heavily armed escorts that now protect the shipping lanes near to their operational space.