Zerithon Prime

Zerithon Prime is a unique planet on the Inner most edge of the Segmentum Obscurus. The planet possesses an exceedingly rare rotation which keeps half of the planet cast in perpetual darkness as it completes its transit around the star it orbits. On the lit side of the planet, Zerithon prime thrives with plant and alien animal life forms. Under the sweltering heat of the painfully bright sky, which stems from their red giant star, the surface is continually blasted with solar radiation leading to high mortality and mutation rate in the inhabitants and life forms calling Zerithon home. On the dark side of the planet, temperatures abruptly plummet at the light/darkness line and no life exists on the surface of the planet in the 'darkness'. Periodic storms and terrible earthquakes also ravage the surface of Zerithon due to the uneven heating the planet experiences. For the past 6 centuries an imperial mining collective has toiled their pitiful lives away on the lit surface of Zerithon Prime and only recently have they begun to try to delve below the surface of the dark side of the planet. It was here that they discovered unique black crystals found growing in underground chambers.

The most recent imperial tithe collection vessel dispatched 160 years ago, the 'Precipice Rose', has not returned with taxable goods and no communication has been received. Further, an astropathic distress call hastily flung into the warp was recently received by Imperial choir. The distress call hinted at the miners uncovering a series of geometrically cut symbols on the planet in an underground Gem uncrusted Geode. The symbols seemed to resonate with a singing voice in the very minds of the workers. Thereafter, it appears that the collective came immediatly under attack from a threat with no clear identity.

The manner in which the distress call was sent was terribly crude even by alien standards and most certainly involved the sacrifice or suicide of the astropath in question. The death of the psychic sent out waves of pyschic energy in a terrible reverberating scream into the warp. Such an open and disgusting communication was most assuredly intercepted by any number of individuals or races interested in the archeotech on the planet. Numerous units of Imperial Guard and Several Chapters of Space Marine have been hastily mobilized in the past 20 years, under inquisitiorial authority to investigate and reclaim the planet and place the site under immediate quarantine. Unfotunately a second rival Xenos inquisitor has also ordered numerous resources to the planet to expedite the artifacts safe removal. Such a situation will assuredly lead to blood shed as imperial factions vie to find and control the 'find' and alien races descend on the planet to reclaim, steal or study the find for themselves.

Dropping out of the warp with a series of jerks and lurches, the crews of the Imperial ships find themselves blinded by the intense light from the near critical mass star in the solar system. For only a brief instant the sickening green color of Zerithon Prime can be seen below. Suddenly, the ship claxons sound and massive metal shutters snap closed around the windows of the bridge, blocking out the painful light and solar radiation. Preliminary scans began to pour out across the picters in the control room, and streams of annoited reed paper pour from cogitators mounted throughout the bridge. The confusing clicking and hissing of servitors reveal that this ship is not alone in the system.

Imperial forces trained to work in rad heavy zones locate and board a drifting freighter vessel bearing the isignia of the 'Precipice Rose'. The ship is found stranded in an irregularl elilpitical orbit around Zerithon prime. As the crews board and begin to explore the derilict, they find the vessel to be void of any life sustaining functions, the fuel source completely depleted, and not a single sign of life on board. The vessel seems as cold and lonely as a tomb, and even the holds and foot lockers have all been emptied. No sign of the mysterious crystals are located, nor can any record be found of what has occurred. The screeches from rad detectors continually remind the Imperials just how long this craft has sat in orbit in the high radiation zone and that their searching should not last long.

The search of the 'Precipice Rose' is conducted as quickly as possible, and turns out to be a waste of time. As the commander of the Imperial forces sends astropathic word back to the inquisitorial command, he also makes ready to descend on the surface of Zerithon Prime.