The Battle of Felicia
Felicia is a minor agri-world and an unlikely host for a significant conflict between the Imperium of Man and a Dark Eldar force lead by a Corsair known as Ourabros. Some minor dark eldar raids were always a possibility for such a target but it is unclear why each escalation of planetary defences resulted not in them shifting targets but simply increasing the strength of the raids.
Once it was clear that the planetary defence force was insufficient then the Imperial army was deployed. At first in small numbers - but in ever increasing numbers. The Astra Militarum deployed in fire bases - strongholds to keep them safe while allowing them to deploy forth to interdict raiders. At first the tactics worked - but soon the eldar forces were strong enough to assault and overcome the firebases before back up could arrive.
At this point the Crimson Hussar were deployed. As this was the first significant conflict of the legion since the arrival of their Primarch and as such the conflict came under a great deal of scrutiny to see what the changes there might be.
The Crimson Hussar abandoned any attempt at fixed defences and instead scattered swift moving strike groups across the planet - using their large numbers of bikes and jet packs. These groups constantly shifting and repositioning themselves - following no fixed plan but using there own initiative. A well defended area one day might be stripped of it's defences the next. Or perhaps it would be even stronger. There was no pattern the Eldar could understand. While the strike groups shifted and moved - the Legion kept it's less mobile troops in reserve.
It soon became clear that any Dark Eldar raid would find it self quickly engaged if the closest marines thought they could defeat them or harassed if they could not. A battle of speed and manoeuvre raged across the surface - one that should have played to the Dark Eldar strengths but they never seemed to be able to concentrate their forces to achieve anything. Each time they tried to focus - the reserves were deployed around them, boxing them in and putting them at risk of being wiped out. This would force them to scatter to avoid getting pinned down and ending there threat.
It was by no means a perfect defence - mistakes were made and Astartes were lost either through starting conflicts they could not win or being outmanoeuvred. Equally there was too much terrain to cover, and too many dark eldar. Some raids got through - killing, torturing or enslaving citizens. But the cost to the Dark Eldar mounted and the returns from their raids fell and so the decision was taken to cease their raids. However the pride of Ourabros would not allow him to accept being driven off - and so he ordered one last attack.
While there had been no direct encounters with Alighieri they were aware that the 'Primarch' of the legion was present and was somehow responsible for directing the reserves from orbit. Ourabros arranged a feint designed to draw the reserve out of Orbit before he personally lead an attack on flag ship of the Legions flag ship. Their primary purpose was to find and kill Alighieri - turning a defeat into a victory.
Brushing aside the few Astartes defenders present - and ignoring the pitiful humans on the ship the Dark Elder headed straight towards the bridge. Only to find that Alighieri had slipped past them somehow leaving them with only an overloaded fusion reactor. As the ships crew completed it's evacuation - the reactors exploded blasting Ourabros to smithereens.
It is reported that shortly afterwards Alighieri was asked if this was a victory appropriate to the Honour of a Primarch given the lose of his legions flag ship. His response is recorded as "Honour be Damned!"
