Unexpected help – Night Lords invasion

After several months “off the radar”, to Imperial Intelligence the Night Lords made a spectacular return to the Aleph sector warzones on 0209.009M42 by landing on Alphe. Whether or not this was in alliance with the Catechism and the Dusk Lords was unknown, but it seemed likely that the forced of Chaos were combining once more to defeat the Imperium on the Agri world.

The first general Percival knew of the new attack was when his Garrison commander in Springbay reported the city was under attack. This came as something of a shock to the Imperial commander and at first he didn’t believe it. Then, when the Imperial Navy attaché reported capital ships in low orbit, he knew the forces of chaos were making another landing. Governor Torak was furious that the space around his world was left undefended by the Imperial Navy, but Admiral Jellicoe’s fleet could not be everywhere at once, and the Catechism were not known to employ conventional interstellar transport.

His indignance was ignored by Percival, who had more pressing matters to concern him. Snowwald Island had been the focus of the attack, and Springbay the main objective. The attack had focussed on the water processing plants to the east of the city, near the river Snorval. The garrison of Snowwald Island was lucky enough to include a company of Ultramarines, refitting after their heroics on Betor, and an Imperial Guard super heavy tank brigade. In addition a single Reaver and Warhound titan should have ensured the Island was impregnable.

The defence force however faced a highly versatile, well equipped and motivated force of Night Lords, backed up by a menacing traitor Warlord Titan. In the battle for Springbay it became apparent that the ad-hoc defence force, light on disciplined infantry, could not hope to hold the chaos forces for long. After a three day fight the Titans and the Ultramarines were evacuated. The baneblades had already been destroyed by teleporting terminators, and the Imperial Guard infantry, who had suffered appallingly when caught in the open against the Warlord titan, were left to be massacred by the Night Lords.