Stalemate

Since 12.008M42 the Tau-Chaos front on Merrin had been quiet, and the Catechism had taken the opportunity to rest their best units and pull their elite troops out of the front line. On 1001.009M42 these actions led to a reveral in Chaos fortunes on the Tau front.Shadowstrike, aware via intel that Catechism units were not on the front line, launched a daring and lightning attack. The Iron Warriors, allies of the Catechism manning the south western portion of the front, were underequipped and unprepared for the onslaught. Their forces were sent realing back by Shadowstrike, giving ground to the Tau and retreating back towards the Mertock mines.

At this stage, on 1202.009M42, after two days of retreat, Moonface could not accept this failure any longer. He had been failed by the Iron Warriors before, on a number of occasions stretching back years, and it was starting to feel like history repeating itself.Ordering the Iron Warriors to stop the retreat, Moonface gathered together his best troops and most experienced veterans.

This force then smashed into Shadowstrike's right flank with alarming speed, taking the Tau by surprise. Bitter fighting ensued but the Tau were unable to stop the Catechism's vanguard Marines' advance. Reluctantly Shadowstrike withdrew his forces back totheir original start lines. The Mertock Mines had been saved and Moonface had narrowly averted disaster. Now the capricious character had to decide what to do with his "allies" who were costing him so dear.