Extract from: Imperial History XXXII, a guide to the 33rd Millenium
History of the Settlement of 0.45.29845-Pandora
Written by Adeptus Historitor G. Martinusson
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FOR THE GLORY OF THE HALLOWED GOD-EMPEROR OF TERRA
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0.45.29845-Pandora (hereafter referred to as Pandora) is a planet in the Segmentum Solar that was noticed on 095.M32 by the Cameron Imperial Fleet, that was mapping the zone after noticing that the astral records weren't up to date.
The planet was described as seeming habitable and probably resourceful. The atmosphere wasn't breathable without rebreathers, but other than that no obvious hazards were observed.The planet was classified as Feral and included on the 908th Colonial Candidate List.
The 908th list reached exploration stage on 148.M32, and a small Imperial Guard contingent (circa 2000 troops from the Tharnian 101st) was sent to the planet, along with scientists, workers and all the necessities to form a small outpost of around 2500 inhabitants.
Initial resistance was moderate, as expected from an unexplored world. The world's fauna was reported "noisy." The settlement was established without much trouble and mapping and probing of the planet started.
The world's jungle was thick and teeming with various species, mostly hostile. Various edible crops were discovered (amongst them, the fruit tree CZ5312-Praagh, standard crop in many systems nowadays).
A month into the colonization, the scientist team dedicated to geoprobing made the most remarkable discovery: deposits of adamantium and promethium were present in the planet. The promethium was sparse, but there seemed to be large quantities of adamantium ready to mine under the surface.
A request for a small quantity of mining equipment was made a week later, citing a need to evaluate the purity of the materials encountered before making further decisions.
At some point between ordering the mining equipment and receiving it, a xenos race was encountered on the planet. The little data that has survived declassified indicates that they were humanoid, coloured blue, and that they were at a technologically primitive stage (their most advanced weapons seemed to be bows and poisoned arrows). A surviving personal journal written by an Imperial Colonel (unnamed) describes them as "furry inbred spear-chucking Tau scum."
The xenos were aggressive and repeatedly attacked the outpost. The I.G. repealed them every time, surprisingly suffering losses. Records indicate that the xenos were physically superior at close combat and that their arrows could penetrate flak armour and layers of plasteel. It is widely accepted in the Historitor community that the xenos probably used adamantium to manufacture their blades and arrowheads.
One of the exploration leaders, unnamed, decided to put a part of the scientist workforce to investigate the xenos and--if possible, befriend them. Why he wasn't executed for treason and this travesty stopped is unknown to us. Possibly weak leadership, as there were no Commissars on site.
Anyhow. The scientists apparently befriended the xenos and established some kind of relationship with them, the details are unknown.
During the study of the xenos, it was discovered that the nearest settlement of them was directly on top of the biggest deposit in the zone. It was of the greatest importance to drive them out.
On 154.M32, the mining equipment arrived along with some refreshment troops and various workers, bringing the I.G. numbers back to 2000 or so.
3 months later, and seeing that the diplomatic route had been (logically) fruitless, the terraforming and mining tools were sent, along with a contingent of Guard to neutralize any hostiles. The details are hazy, but due to poor planning and some traitor scientists, the operation was a failure.
It was subsequently decided to firebomb the xenos settlement. The operation was a success, and they were driven out deep into the jungle.
However, the xenos seemed to have called out to all the nearest tribes of their kind. Shortly after the operation, a force of a reported size of 2000 xenos was amassed. They were said to be lead by one of the traitor scientists.
The outpost's commander decided to firebomb the xenos' new settlement (reasons are unclear), and sent all his troops in a spearhead attack into unknown territory, with little tactical planning.
Predictably, they walked into an ambush. Though valiant and racially superior, the Guards were killed by the savage xenos. Other races, up to then considered feral, were reported to have allied with them, reason why almost all of the planet's wildlife was later classified as abhorrent.
After decimating the Imperial ranks, the xenos (for reasons unbeknownst to this humble historian) decided to put the surviving Guards and civilians in the outpost's ships and order them out of the planet.
When the ships arrived to allied territory and the Administorum and Imperial Guard leadership were put up to date, a few resolutions were taken.
- All the surviving Guard were given the executed for surrendering alive.
- All the surviving scientists were interrogated; those found to be part of the diplomatic efforts were executed.
- Most of the surviving workers were made into servos to avoid them spreading rumours bad for morale.
- The planet was re-evaluated to Death world but due to its resources targeted for terraformation with extreme prejudice.
In consequence with the last item a small Imperial Fleet with a few hundred thousands of I.G., as well as two chapters of Ultramarines and a few squads of Titans, were sent to the planet.
The surface was divided in sectors and bombed from orbit using low-impact projectiles (to avoid damaging the resources underneath). Afterwards it was just matter of time until the planet was under control.
In 180.M32 the planet was declared free of xenos taint, and most other wildlife. Various additional deposits of adamantium of varying size were detected. The planet's heavy resource extraction period started then.
In 199.M32 the planet was re-classified as a Hive World and various Hives were settled around the globe.
For the next few centuries, the planet provided much needed adamantium for use by the Adeptus Mechanicum to make various ship parts, marine armour and weapons.
It also exported food and water, until the atmosphere became altogether too noxious with gases derived from mining operations.
Early in the 39th Millenium, the planet was declared Ghost World and its population exported to various new Hives around the Imperium.
Details about Pandora's Imperial History (including two hive wars and it's Imperial Guard units and their involvement in various campaigns) please consult the excellent record "Pandora: An ode to glory" by G. Martinusson.
An essay collection on how this happening illustrates the dangers of xenos subversion, and how it influenced the Pandorian Guard's policy on xeno encounter (their murderous zeal renowned amongst the Guard) can be found under the title of "Pandora's Settlement: Xenos and Diplomacy, Oil and Water" by G. Martinusson et al.
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ASTRA IMPERATOR GLORIAM : VICTORIUM AUT MORTIS
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