Ulkein Expanse

Ulkein Expanse is an area located in the Eastern Fringe around the Ulkein Worlds sub-sector. It is a vast area of largely unexplored wilderness space north of the Vigilius sector and east of the Arteside sub-sector. It has a bad reputation of hosting a large amount of ork spore worlds that have during the long millennia spawned at least few major Waaaghs! that have hit the surrounding Imperial space.

Overview
Located in an area of deteriorating nebula, area hosts a number of young, bright stars. Ulkein Expanse is clearly visible by naked eye from most of the Vigilius sector because of its relative brightness and worlds with lower levels of technology have all sorts of superstitions related to Ulkein Expanse and its bright stars.

Ulkein Expanse was named after Rogue Trader Harrold Ulkein who had allegedly received his Warrant of Trade from the Emperor himself. Rogue Trader Ulkein found the cluster of inhabitable worlds in late-M31 and settled them with the aid of the aristocracy of Lova Regal. He seated his cousin, to whom he had an amorous relation, as the governor of the Ulkein Worlds but continued to map the areas nearby by himself. Rogue Trader Harrold Ulkein was declared missing in 956.M31 after failing to answer any calls for twenty five years. Heartbroken, Governor Franciscus Ulkein retired and his seat was passed on to the aristocracy that had moved on Ulkein Worlds from Lova Regal. Efforts to map the surrounding space were halted as the new governors stressed the importance of keeping the warp lane from Ulkein Worlds to Cerbera secure. Since then the areas around the Ulkein Worlds had been known as the Ulkein Expanse.

Cerbera Lane
From the fortress world Cerbera a long and stable warp route crosses most of the Ulkein Expanse from Vigilius sector to the Ulkein Worlds. Its security has been considered as the matter of life and death for the Ulkein Worlds which led in M34 to the establishment of the Battlefleet Ulkein.

Iota-Omicron region
Considered as part of the Ulkein Expanse, Iota-Omicron region is an area of at least twelve ork spore worlds. It is roughly located between the sub-sectors Ulkein Worlds and Arteside and has been a menace for both of them.

Power Groups
Ulkein Expanse is not a sub-sector or a sector but a large area of ill-mapped and dangerous wilderness space. Therefore it does not have a large Imperial presence but it has been a continuous subject of interest for many rogue traders, including the Ulkeins themselves and the Stormrulers.

Imperial Navy
The area has no designated battlefleet of itself per se but its borders are constantly patrolled by the Battlefleet Vigilius, Battlefleet Arteside and Battlefleet Ulkein. Some free chartist captains, as well as rogue traders, have been known to utilise the less known warp lanes that cross the area but these bold captains are rare.