The Gaian System

The Gaian system is located just west of the milky way and close to Holy Terra. The planets have
been part of the Imperium since the early days. The system itself contains 5 planets, aptly named
Gaia, Gaia II, Gaia III, Gaia IV and Gaia V. Since their location is so close to Terra, all worlds are turned
into fortresses. This was done after the Age of Apostacy when it proved Terra was still vulnerable.
The Imperial Fists oversaw the transformation of these worlds, and under their guidance the planets
where fortified. On all planets several chapter keeps where build to form linchpins in the defense,
intended for space marines, mainly those with the blood of Dorn in them, to occupy in times of need.
Many stockpiles of weapons, munitions and war machines are stored their as well, so they can hold
out if besieged until reinforcements can arrive. Its planetary defense force is highly trained and well
equipped to fight a protracted siege. They also have an older type of tank which is still in use and
produced on the planets but is rarely used elsewhere. This is the heavily armed Matilda tank which
basically performs similar to the Leman Russ tanks.
As the millennia came, so to did the pressure on the sons of Dorn and they found they could not be
all at once, let alone defend the area around Holy Terra. Constantly they where drawn into conflicts
further away, even when closer to Terra much strife and war raged. This led to the request at the end
om M40 by the chapter master of the Imperial Fists to create a new chapter from their geneseed. At
first it was not granted, the genitors preferring to use Ultramarine geneseed, but the sons of Dorn
insisted. Pleading it was they who defended the Imperial Palace during the Horus Heresy and
defended Terra and its surroundings for ages. Plus they where masters in sieges, something that was
needed in a region full with fortress worlds.
In the end the genitors agreed and thus where born the Praetors of Dorn in 184.M41 as a fleet based
chapter to protect the direct surroundings of Terra.

In recent years the system has seen small attacks by ork raiders. These raids where quickly stopped
and the orks crushed. However that was until Whaaagh Ironkrusha came into the system. The
systems fleet was forced to retreat from the ork fleet. This allowed Ironkrusha to land on Gaia V and
launch his assault. The pdf was ready for the orks and awaited in their defenses, holding the orks at
bay. In the meantime the Praetors of Dorn 4 th Crusade Company and their fleet had arrived in
system. Now they took the fight back to the ork fleet and decisively defeated them. Now the Praetors
of Dorn would land and occupy the chapter keeps, directing the defense of the planet from their and
taking the fight to the orks. As with their primogenitor chapter they excel at sieges, both in the
defense and the offence. Imperial reinforcements from the other planets of the system land as well
to bolster the defenses and offer more manpower for the inevitable counter-attack.
The orks did overran a fortress city and it is now used as their base of operations. Unlike other ork
attacks, these orks show a great deal of tactics in their assaults. The attack where the line is weakest,
put pressure on the entire line to test the defenses and rumor has it there are even orks sneaking
about and observing things. They also seem to wear the same type of greatcoats and helmets and
their vehicles look similar to one another. From what could be gathered on intel, the nobz are called
sergeantz, the leader of a host a kaptin and the leader of the Whaaagh is known as Generul
Ironkrusha. Imperial xeno-bioligists have never such high level of standardization in ork armies, even
among the blood axe clans.

This ork Whaaagh! came at a time the system was preparing itself for a tyranid invasion that was
predicted to come its way. Three of the four crusade companies of the Praetors of Dorn went out to
slow the tyranid advance while the Gaians prepared their defenses. On Gaia V at the fallen fortress
city, these defenses needed to be finished when the orks attacked. Already other sons of Dorn where
diverting resources to the Gaian system in preparation for the tyranids, leaving the Praetors of Dorn’s
4th crusade company to deal with the orks on Gaia V.
The system was quiet for a long time, but now at the closing days of M41 it seems war has found
them.