Parthorum Wars
 This article is about a battle in the /tg/ Heresy project, a fan re-working of the Warhammer 40k universe. |
| Parthorum Wars | |
| |
| Date | 811-823.M30 |
| Scale | sector-wide |
| Theatre | Parthorum Sector |
| Status | Imperial Victory |
| Belligerents | |
| Imperium of Mankind | Osroene Empire rebel forces |
| Commanders and Leaders | |
| Hektor Cincinnatus Zorr Yenser |
Empress Etuili Sevoold local leaders |
| Strength | |
| First Legion | armed forces of the Osroene Empire Irregulars |
| Losses | |
| Outcome | |
| Parthorum Stream secured for Imperial shipping, worlds in this region eventually brought into Compliance | |
The Parthorum Wars were a series of military conflicts fought by the Imperium of Mankind in the early years of the Great Crusade. The conflict centered on the Parthorum Stream, a long stable current in the Warp close to Terra. This region's strategic significance is underscored by the deployment of a mighty Expedition Fleets of the First Legion to this sector in the three major actions of the wars. The personal leadership exercised by the Primarch Hektor Cincinnatus also points to the importance of the Parthorum Stream. Although they were relegated to a subordinate role, formations of the Imperial Army played an important part in the Imperial war effort and some of the regimental patterns that would go on to great renown were tested in the obscure battles of the Parthorum Wars.
Background
Following the Treaty of Mars and the conquest of the remaining outposts of the Solar System, the Imperium's Expedition Fleets began to bring systems near to Sol into compliance. These first steps of the Great Crusade were accomplished using short "calculated" Warp jumps of no more than 5 Light Years at a time but they were nonetheless successful. Meanwhile, the Emperor prepared to launch his Legions further out into the Galaxy. On ancient Terra, the master of mankind set about the construction of a great beacon into the Warp, the Astronomican. This miraculous device would provide a fixed point of reference allowing mutant Navigators to guide humanity's ships through the Warp for hundreds of Light Years in a single jump.
As the Astronomican's psychic light began to penetrate the Warp, Rogue Traders Militant began to scout ahead of the crusading Legions. Adela Exard's Cruiser Black Joke was the first vessel to explore the Parthorum Stream, a stable warp current that began some 33 Light Years Galactic North of Sol and flowed nearly 250 Light Years Galactic Northwest. Exard also found dozens of largely human-populated worlds spread out across the Parthorum Stream, though the rulers of these planets belonged to the Xenos Osroene. Contact with the Osroene was peaceful and the Black Joke returned to the fringe of Imperial space with trade goods and substantial diplomatic information.
The question of the Parthorum Stream was debated in the Imperium's War Council for months. Lord Commander Gufarnus Altmakar, Bellipotent of the Unification Wars, observed that the Osroene were not aggressive and despite the significance of the Warp Current he argued they could be overlooked while other, more hostile worlds were subdued. Hektor Cincinnatus differed sharply, claiming that the conquest of the Osroene's empire, with its large human populations, would fuel further expansion. With the Emperor and Malcador reserving their judgment, the council largely sided with Gufarnus, but Hektor did not surrender the point. The Primarch took to ending all of his speeches to the War Council with the remark, "In conclusion, it is my opinion that we must have the Parthorum Stream." Although this tactic infuriated Gufarnus, it repeatedly drew the matter back to the debating table and some of the War Council began to move in favour of commencing hostilities with the Osroene. Hektor's persistence eventually paid off when the Emperor declared a compromise. Rather than settle the argument between Gufarnus and Hektor, He commanded that the Expedition Fleets would have be given greater latitude of action, with each fleet commander choosing his or her own objectives and carrying them through. The War Council would no longer attempt to direct an inter-galactic Crusade, but would be satisfied with organising and supervising the efforts of the Imperium's warlords.
Parthorum Xenocide
Hektor had anticipated the Emperor eventually ruling in his favour and spent considerable time preparing a campaign against the Osroene. The First Legion's contact with the tech priests of Mars was common and assertive, with Hektor often going over the heads of Forge Lords to address Fabricator General Kalkas Tygian directly in his pursuit of war material. His intellectual preparations were no less rigorous. The Primarch carefully surveyed the reports of Adela Exard and other Rogue Traders who had visited Osroene worlds, attempting to draw up a proper picture of the Xenos Empire's capabilities. His eventual strategy was bold, perhaps even reckless, but the calculus of warfare demanded such an approach. The Xenos had vast legions, but Hektor successfully used his Astropaths and Navigators to out-maneuver his foes at every turn. By bringing their forces to bear on a locally inferior enemy, First Legion inflicted two crushing defeats in the void at the First Battle of Kopt Dara and the Second Battle of Kopt Dara. These victories gave the Imperials free reign through much of the Osroene Empire and several systems were occupied before Hektor's miraculous conquest of War Fortress Tzor. Confronted by such a terrible foe, the Empress Etuili Sevoold offered the Imperium terms - but by this stage the demise of her people was inevitable. Within a year, the Osroene had been reduced from a sector-spanning Empire to shattered remnants.
Parthorum Sector Compliance Actions
Although the Imperium declared victory after Hektor's campaign, the Osroene had not been completely defeated. Imperial Army formations organised into Compliance Groups spent years reducing the last holdings of the Xenos. Many newly-raised Army formations, such as the First Expeditionary Front of the Kondrus Aeroguard, saw their first deployment in this intermediate period. Nor did the human population of the Sector take easily to the Imperial Truth. Small-scale rebellions simmered away despite the best efforts of Imperial Iterators and soldiers.
Second Parthorum Pacification
In 817.M30, a succession of planetary revolts overwhelmed their Imperial garrisons. The rebel elites on Sulas-7 proclaimed an "Osroenate Republic" that claimed eight whole systems at its greatest extent, but their achievement was short-lived. With Hektor Cincinnatus diverted to Tiberia V and the eventual recruitment of the Primarch Uriel Salazar, it was left to Leonidas Manisicus and the 6th Expedition Fleet to carry out a short, sharp punitive action against the rebels in 818.M30. The 6th's vengeance fell particularly hard on Elimod, the first world to revolt.
Third Parthorum Pacification
The 6th's victory proved fleeting. Although the worlds punished in 818.M30 remained passive in this revolt, five other systems including vital Kuniat raised the flag of revolt in 822. Unlike the revolt of the Osroenate Republic, the leaders of the 822 rebellion did not declare or demand their independence. They were prepared to acknowledge the Emperor as their suzerain, provided that the ancient privileges they had enjoyed under the Osroene would be restored. As such privileges would have given the rebels the right to practice religion and otherwise remain non-compliant with the Imperial Truth, Terra's representatives refused to negotiate. Local auxilia were able to check the new revolt, the rebel systems would not be restored to order until the arrival of Hektor's own 3rd Expedition Fleet the next year. Perhaps the most surprising turn of the war was the Primarch's scrupulous respect for civilian targets and patience in obtaining surrenders from the rebel leaders, many of whom were granted Warrants of Trade.
Aftermath
The success of the Parthorum Xenocide elevated Hektor's prestige, but more importantly it demonstrated the superiority of Imperial communications. From this point on the commanders of the Great Crusade would proceed boldly, confident that they would be able to achieve local superiority even when fighting far more numerous opponents.
First Legion's experiences in the Second and Third Parthorum Pacifications would temper their approach to compliance actions. Hektor and his gene-sons would no longer assume that they could conquer a world and move on. Instead, the Legion began to seed its conquests with military colonies known as Cleruchies. For decades, these outposts of Terran civilisation would help to bind the Segmentum Solar together - but in the time of the Hektor Heresy, they would help the Traitors to tear the Imperium apart.