Editing Latoti Crusade (section)

===Imperial Preparations===
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<center>'''BITTER BROTHERS'''</center>
[[File:AlexandriOfTheSilverCataphracts.jpg|160px|left]]
After the Latoti Crusade, Alexandri of Rosskar and Gaspard Lumey began a long and heated argument. Both parties agreed that the Silver Cataphracts' 98th Expedition Fleet had been engaged in routine Pacification efforts not far from Pandora when the Ork threat was detected. According to Gaspard Lumey, the 98th had been called on to help and refused. Alexandri claimed that this was a slander and that the 98th had received no such request.

The War Council ruled that a communication had been attempted and lost to the vagaries of the Warp, but the two Primarchs would remain suspicious of one another for years to come.
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In the days of the Great Crusade, warnings of a potential Xenos incursion drew a swift response. The Imperium's frontiers had not been established and government consisted of little more than a military organisation. Le Gall's reports were relayed by the Astropaths on Pandora to the [[Al-Sherar Sector]], base of the [[Void Angels|Fifth Legion]]. At this point, [[Gaspard Lumey]]'s gene-sons were yet not the famous Void Angels or even the glorious "Winged Victory" of the late Crusade. When they were spoken of politely, they were "Fifth Legion". Other names were more common.

Gaspard Lumey's own 25th [[Expedition Fleets (Hektor Heresy)|Expeditionary Fleet]] was in Sector, taking on fresh troops after detaching veteran battle brothers to form the core of 581st Expedition Fleet. The Primarch received news of an Orkish threat coolly and met with advisers on [[Ciban IV]] to determine a strategy. Le Gall's reports were trustworthy but the path and full strength of the Xenos would have to be assessed by closer contact. This task fell to Lumey's Space Marines. However, if the greenskins were moving in force towards Imperial Space, the 25th Expedition Fleet couldn't stop them alone. The 581st Expedition Fleet, together with new cohorts of Auxiliary forces from the Markian Pact, would move to Pandora to fortify the planet. Finally, the techpriests of [[Al-Sherar]] agreed to activate their mighty god-machines and dispatch a maniple of [[Legio Antsar]] Titans with their supporting forces under the command of Kazi Hassan 6b6'16262-656c.

The 25th made good time through the Warp arrived at LG52b without any mishap. Even before emerging into Realspace, the Fifth Legion's psykers had sensed the feral presence of the Orkish WAAAGH! and confirmed Le Gall's warning. Careful readings of the portents at LG52b suggested that the Orks were moving irregularly but generally heading in the direction of nearby and vulnerable Imperial conquests. Although the Fifth had little experience in fighting Orks, Gaspard Lumey had studied dispatches from as long ago as the [[Volemar Gamma Campaign]] and believed that he had the measure of the Xenos foe. The Primarch divided his force into four combat groups, each tasked with making hit-and-run attacks on the Orks intended to lure the enemy towards Pandora.

While Gaspard Lumey was setting his plans into action, Rani Stolarz was disembarking the first echelon of [[Ciban Chasseurs]] at Pandora. The venerable Force Commander had been considered for retirement from front-line duties after the [[Curis-4 Compliance]] but Lumey had felt that her talents for organizing and motivating hastily-trained forces would be invaluable. Stolarz's initial brief was to train a militia and prepare fortifications on Pandora, ostensibly to serve as an Imperial base for further crusading efforts. However, her mission was quickly expanded to transforming the planet into a killing ground. Cities were transformed into gigantic military garrisons. Where possible, civilian populations were evacuated from Pandora on macrotransporters returning to the Al-Sherar Sector, though not for any humanitarian reasons. Stocks of food and medical supplies would have to be rationed throughout the coming battle with the Orks and non-essential personnel would be an unwelcome burden.