Or even worse, people start assuming that Cain is the mastermind behind the 13th Black crusade;
(Because this has been bugging me. Please enjoy! Sorry about spelling.)
**Exert from "The New Warmaster: Ciaphas Cain" by Trenton Willows**
With the benefit of hindsight, even after only on a century, it is abundantly clear that the assault on Cadia by Abaddon and his black Legion, wasn't the main traitorous thrust, but nothing more than a distraction. While, Cadia did in fact fall, this was not due to appreciable application of resources, or clever tactics. Instead, as is so well known within Imperial records, the destruction of Cadia was caused by the way of an impact of a Blackstone Fortress into the planet, by the petulant order of the blighted, "Warmaster". This fortress was an artefact of such power and antiquity, that to suggest that its sacrifice was intended borders on the ridiculous.
The true aims of the 13th black crusade can quickly be deduce if one looks to what emerge during this time, and even more importantly, what forces refused to take part in the Cadian invasion. Of the forces consolidated for this invasion, the Alpha Legion, the Iron Warriors, and the Night Lords were all noticeable for their absence, amongst many many other smaller war bands. The fact that so many heard the Despoilers call to arms, and yet chose to rally to a different figure, clearly shows that as important as he might have been, there was now a new leader of the traitorous forces. This man could only be the famously Turncoat Commissar Ciaphas Cain.
While, the Black Legions gathered at the 'Eye of Terror', the Commissar assembled his own forces, hoping to cause far more damage than the lose of any single world could possibly result In. To this effect, his fleet of 'Handmaiden' class Corvettes and 'Martyrs' class frigate were joined by the ships, Marines and cultists of the Traitorous Warbands, who may have seen common heritage with a man so recent from his betrayal. Once they had accepted the leadership of the Traitor, Ciaphas Cain (supposedly after slaying a Night lord in a Duel and having a Psyker blast another to dust), he began to implement his plan. These Traitor Marines were arranged into teams of approximately 10 or so Marines each, along with whatever support they believed that they need or war-gear was available. No order mandated the teams to be of the same bloodline or warband, but instead to be composed however the Squad leader wished. This lead to many teams being either composed of nothing but brothers or of marines of varying talents and heritages.
These teams were then given their insidious mission; to land on an Imperial planet of their choice and to seize it from the Imperial Authority. They would then be relieved by larger contingents of reinforcements, although from where was not specified at the time, to prevent leaks making their way to the Inquisition. The fact that we know this shows the dark wisdom of this decision. While many within both the USN and the Warbands themselves are noted to have been concerned, the sheer confidence Ciaphas Cain had in his augmented kin forestalled these objections until the insidious brilliance of his plans became clear.
The USN was given the job of Carrying, escorting and supporting the Striketeams once they made land fall, and the USA Expeditionary Force to support them as they could. Any ship or unit not given to a specific mission was left to the command staff to allocate as they needed. This created a remarkable level of discussion between the main parties involved, who spent months debating, discussing, planning and analyzing how they could achieve their foul ends. Planets which could be taken by siege offered first to the Iron Warriors, and assured of the needed support, political subversion suggested to the Alpha Legion led teams and forces which would capitulate through fear dangled in-front of the Night Lords, and many more combinations besides.
The Date of the operations beginning was yet more evidence of the conniving intelligence behind this front of the Crusade. Cain waited a full two months to launch his operations. This was publicly proclaimed as Cowardice by vocal members of his Traitor Space Marines, but proved its merit almost immediately after his sworn forces began claiming objectives. This delay allowed for all, but the most secondary Defense forces to begin the long journey to what were seen as more critical battlefields. Fleets arrived in orbit to find no fleet capable of stopping them, and to often be greeted by detailed assessments of current situations provided by Alpha Legion Infiltration. These proved disastrous as they allowed firebrands and preachers that accompanied the USA contingents to stir up the populace into a maddened revolt, providing the Traitors with a local source of reinforcements they had not considered before. What support could not be provided by their newly created pawns on world was quickly provided by the fleets, Striketeams and armies freed up by their equally traitorous kin on other worlds. The Commissar had also expertly played to the egos and self centred nature of the Chaos corrupted. More important worlds naturally had larger or multiple forces applied to them, as Strike team leaders volunteered to join together to take on these known bigger challenges. Less glorious, but still critical target such as worlds with support infrastructure, were appropriately identified, and suggested to Striketeams that had leaders of a more strategic or big picture mindset. By the time a report of the seriousness reached the appropriate authorities, they would either be incapable of doing anything besides passing the report upwards or be already under attack themselves.
Thousands of imperial worlds, linchpins of the vast network, which makes up the logistical network that allows our glorious imperium to operate across the galaxy were simultaneously seized by uprisings in the opening moment of this campaign. Entire sub sectors of Imperial Worlds vanished into the void as the regular lines of communication fell apart and Warmaster Cain seized control of them, without any Imperial forces being able to react in time or in force. Space Marine Chapters shattered as their command structures and deeply held strategies could not adapt to the dispersed and mixed tactics of their traitorous counterparts. Imperial Guard or naval formations left a staging world to support a besieged world to find it either already conquered or surrounded by a picket of ships more numerous than their fleet by a factor of 3, often bolstered by local manpower or equipment. Even the Inquisition was so overwhelmed by the events to briefly believe it was a misinformation attempt by Abadon to draw forces away from his own position. A fair, but misinformed assessment.
Some had argued that the creation of the great rift is evident that the Despoiler was in fact to the main leader of the 13th Black Crusade, and that such prominence indicates that operations must have been centred around him. This is flagrantly improbable to the point of being comical. While many worlds have fallen in the aftermath of the rifts emerging, few, if any have fallen to the Black Legion itself. For the most part, the Traitor Legions have become disunited, as the prospect of spoils has shattered their flimsy alliances and their corrupted Primarch since more emerge, undermining Abadons leadership soundly. Further, the great rift has disrupted navigation to such a degree, that any forces not taken to secondary means of orientation, such as those found in Cains own enclave, have been thrown into complete shambles, dispelling any illusion of it being part of a larger plan. Instead, many of the worlds corrupted, show a far more 'Ciaphas' bent to their worship. These worlds have taken to the adoption of systems modelled after his own government and forces, so that while he may only now be claiming and connecting the worlds he has corrupted, his influence has spread far and wide. The fact that the Handmaiden's of Emily and their Cult of Emily have become multi system Spanning organizations should be proof that the traitorous Commisar and his patron demon, the titular Emily, are almost certainly leading such efforts. The fact that such a demon has theoretically more followers than some Saints, is disturbing in the extreme, and highlights the sheer level of devotion, this corrupted man has to his demonic Patron.