Vespasia (Agri/War World, Acheros Salient)

+++PLANETARY DATAFAX+++

The world of Vespasia is a lush and verdant planet that could greatly assist the Sons in their quest for control of the Jericho Reach. For the same reason, it was a priority target for the Acheros Salient of the Crusade. Crusade Command wished to deprive the enemy of the planets' resources and turn it into an Imperial breadbasket which could be used to feed a larger offensive into the Anomaly.

Unfortunately, the assault on Vespasia was premature (in no small part thanks to constant nagging from the Ministorum, who dearly wished to free the planet's population from heresy), and the offensive quickly ground to a halt and turned into a massive trench slog.

Vespasia's proximity to the Hadex Anomaly for five millennia or so has had a substantial effect on the world's population. The planet's vast agricultural resources are managed by slaves descended from Imperial citizens, but these humans have long since forsaken the Imperial Creed. The vile Heretic forces of the Stigmartus provided the system's "defenses" in exchange for a generous tithe of the planet's harvests. Much of this tithe is passed on to worlds deep in the Anomaly (not all of the Hadex worlds are daemon worlds, quite the contrary).

Remnants of the Imperium's invasion force was still present on the surface when Barotta arrived, but they had not been reinforced or supplied for nearly five years, and were close to collapse. Barotta gave them supplies, then left then to rot. When he returned, years later, to lure the Black Legion into an ambush, he was very surprised to still find a few pockets of Imperial resistance. He was so impressed by their valor that he deployed his Astartes bodyguards and Daughter shock troops, broke the back of the Stigmartus forces assaulting them, and evacuated the remaining loyalists. Lifetime veterans, they have greatly improved the quality of the Sector's ground forces.

If the planet could be taken and the taint of Chaos cleansed, it could become an important addition to the Jericho Sector. It's either that, or leave it to the Stigmartus.