CALLARAN CONTACT WITH THE IMPERIUM

From the Eastern Fringe they came, a fleet of unknown alien ships. The fleet appeared in the Vega system, emerging from a dimension unknown to Man. Their ships were only medium in size, yet they were bristling with weapons. They accelerated toward Vega IV, the main planet in the system, seemingly bent on attacking it. The Imperial fleet stationed in the Vega system, far superior in number to ths alien fleet, attacked. The Imperials fired the first shots, provoking a response from the alien ships. The response was not what they had epected. The Imperial fleet was destroyed completely.

A message was sent from Vega IV to Denebar, homeworld of the Lightning Fists Space Marine chapter, informing them of this latest alien menace. Surely this race would attempt another attack. Vega was given up as already dead, the Imperial fleet could not reach it in time. Yet the alien fleet passed on, leaving the system as it had found it, aside from the few bits of scrap metal left from the destruction of the Imperial fleet.

But the Imperials still would not believe this alien race was possibly peaceful. They saw yet another alien race bent on destroying the Imperium. And so a massive fleet was assembled to attack this alien menace.

The fleet was launched, and the aliens' realm found. They lived along the Eastern Fringe, yet they had seemingly not been attacked by the Tyranids. Why not? the Imperials wondered. Surely this alien race must be in league with the Tyranids. It was quickly decided that they had to be destroyed.

The Imperial fleet soon reported the successful destruction of one of the aliens' colonies, with minimal resistance. The fleet pressed on, and destroyed three more colonies before something very unexpected happened.

A hole opened in space around the fleet, revealing another dimension, one made of pure energy. A huge fleet emerged from this hole in space, opening fire on the Imperial fleet. The Imperial fleet was destroyed in seconds. Only one ship survived, crippled so badly by one shot that hit it that it could barely move. It had jumped into Warp space as soon as the aliens had started the attack.

Hearing the news of the destruction of their fleet, the Imperium declared full war against the aliens. But before preparations were made, the aliens attacked. They attacked many systems at once in a lightning assault, and in all attacks the defending Imperial fleet was destroyed, the planet's defences smashed, and the world taken. The Imperium sent out reactionary forces, but these fleets were destroyed with ease.

System after system fell, with no end to this conquest in site. The Imperium had to think of a fast reaction, before they lost too many worlds. But they already had problems on the worlds that hadn't been taken; planets started to revolt, feeling that the Imperium was not doing enough to stop this threat. The people felt angry at this lack of success against the aliens. The entire Ultima Segmentum seemed on the brink of rebellion.

Eventually the Imperials managed to calm down the citizens, assuring them that the Space Marines and Imperial Guard would soon defeat these alien scum. Indeed, the Space Marines even defeated an invading force on Degreva Karla, but many soldiers were lost.

The Captains of the local Space Marine chapters, and the commanders of the Imperial Guard stationed in the Ultima Segmentum, put together an information dossier about these aliens and their attacks. The alien rase was soon found to be named the Callarans, so named because they originated from a planet named Callar.

The attack information soon led to one conclusion: The Callaran fleet would come together at Denebar, the home world of the Lightning Fists. The Marine Captains gathered their chapters and their fleets, and the Imperial Navy sent its ships stationed in the Ultima Segmentum. The largest Imperial force ever gathered at Denebar for one final conflict with the Callaran fleet.

As expected, the Callarans attacked. A massive battle was fought in space, and though many Callaran ships were destroyed, many more got through, destroying the Imperial fleet. The Callarans landed on the planet, and the Battle for Denebar began.

The Space Marines of thirteen chapters fought on the planet against the Callarans. Battle raged across the planet's surface. In the streets, in the buildings, in the fortresses, and across the open plains of the poles, Imperial forces clashed with the Callarans. The battle raged for days, with no clear winner. More and more Marines and Imperial ships came to Denebar, hoping to save the planet.

Slowly, the Imperials started to make progress. The Callarans retreated, and left the planet. Before they exited the system, they laid down a barrage of firepower upon the surface of Denebar, causing even more death and destruction.

The Marines had won, and the Callaran attacks upon the Imperium ceased, but the cost was high. In some places bodies were piled so thickly and densely that they blocked tunnels, or created fields of crushed and broken bodies. Rivers of blood ran through the streets, tunnels, and plains of Denebar, leaving a red stain upon the land.

The cost was extremely high; nearly five thousand Marines lay dead or dying. Two entire chapters had been destroyed in the conflict, the others losing many men. Tens of thousands of dead Imperial Guard littered the battlefields, their bodies blasted with plasma or crushed by the mind of a Callaran psyker. The once mighty fortress of the Lightning Fists stood silently above the dead bodies, its walls blasted and scorched in many places. Yet the Imperials had won.

The Callaran advance was halted, but they were not driven out of the systems they had taken. the Callarans still control many systems in the Ultima Segmentum, but their control is uncontested. The Callarans have not attacked the Imperium since the Battle of Denebar, and the Imperium has not attacked them.