Liberation of Numinal - Hammer of the Deep: The attack came first not directly to Numinal, but to the system's astropathic relay station, a sprawling complex built into the polar rock plain on the barely life-sustaining dust moon of Numinal V, known as Quachil. The site had been extensively fortified by the Taghmata Cyclothrathe since their occupation, owing its strategic importance to their expansion efforts, and served now as the major Traitor-held navigational and astropathic communication nexus in the region, its transmitting power doubly important given the rising storms and turbulence plaguing the Warp.The first sign of danger was the arrival of an unexpected ramshackle flotilla of voidships, mostly macro freight-haulers and Warp dromons, but identified immediately as being led by the ruby-hulled galleass of the Rogue Trader Militant Charid Undine, a renowned and powerful vessel named the Hammer of the Deep, and one known to the Mechanicum as now serving the Warmaster Horus' cause. The Cyclothrathine magi on Quachil allowed the flotilla to approach slowly, mindful of their ultimate allegiance but warily so, and even after they were answered by vox with the relevant code cyphers and requests for trade and resupply, they would not allow the flotilla to close with the station.When it continued on its course, however, the defending magi threatened to open fire; the reply to their ultimatum came from the prow Lances of the Hammer of the Deep. Unknown to the Traitors, the former Rogue Trader Militant vessel had been seized almost a standard year previously by the Knights of House Orhlacc, when the reckless Rogue Trader had come to their homeworld of Dark Haven to deliver the Warmaster's ultimatum.Battle was quickly joined, though the out-ranging firepower of the galleass, augmented as it was with technology rumoured to be stolen from the Aeldari, was quickly proven the clear superior. Under the cover of the Hammer's guns, several of the huge Warp-dromons broke from the flotilla and made assault runs on Quachil's surface. Detaching from the lead dromon where it had hung concealed and limpet-like, a slim and predatory Legiones Astartes strike-craft, a Pilum-class Corvette barely registrable as being clad in the azure and white of the World Eaters Legion, joined the battle.The strike ship raced ahead on a strafing run to clear the way in the hostile landing zone that had become the plateau directly beyond the relay station. Behind her, the huge dromons came in all but unopposed and landed with ungainly weight onto the dust dunes, creating a minor quake with the force of their impact slamming onto the moon's surface. As the tremors still subsisted, the dromons' vast cargo bay doors opened at once to disgorge scores of Dracosan Super-Heavy Armoured Carriers and dozens of supporting squadrons of Solar Pattern Leman Russ main battle tanks.This ground attack wave comprised a full armoured cohort operating as a single unstoppable thrust. Roaring into the dust storm caused by their transports' landing that still raged ahead of them, the vehicles approached the fortifications. It wasn't until they emerged from the dust clouds that the enemy could identify them as Solar Auxilia bearing the dull bronze and dark emerald of the long-decommissioned 60th Expeditionary Fleet of the Great Crusade and the white crested-helm sigil of the Agathean Domain.Soon the Agatheans came under fire, automated cannon turrets ringing the station's outer wall turning, acquiring targets and opening up on them. Hidden Tarantula-batteries rose up from the dunes, weapons firing wildly in the wall of dust that was approaching. The armoured attack column did not stop, the heavy-tracked Dracosans smashing straight through the Tarantulas, their reinforced superstructures no match for the heavy armoured bulk of the troop transports.Once pulverised, the wrecks of the Tarantulas were carried upon the mine ploughs of the Dracosans, sending up bow-waves of dust and debris. As they closed in on the complex, Demolisher Cannon volleys battered and broke the station's curtain walls in a dozen of locations, while Leman Russ Vanquishers punched armour-piercing shells through turrets and gun embrasures alike. Under the onslaught, the curtain wall shuddered before suddenly collapsing, the attackers surging through the rubble as the war-scarred corvette hovered low above the station's central compound where its auspex towers lay.Grey-armoured figures, undoubtedly Astartes, dropped on Jump Packs towards the devastation unfolding below and quickly secured the relay. High above, in the void beyond, the Hammer of the Deep and its remaining flotilla turned and, powering up their thrusters, made for Numinal with gathering speed.