Catechism dominates Chaos

As 11.009M42 wore on the battles on Alphe showed no sign of decreasing in their intensity. By now the Dark Angels, Venerators, Blood Angels, Space Wolves and Ultramarines chapters had all send forces to General Percival's aid, such was the determination, at least by Astartes chapters, to rid the planet, and the sector, of the Chaos stain. Over and above this, the Inquisition was keen to strike a blow at the Catechism and its enemies, for they knew the danger and expansionist designs of Moonface's strange and heretical cult.

The space marines put together a plan which Percival approved of, though the Imperial general had little if any influence in such decisions. The plan however was sound, hitting the Chaos lines at the point where the Catechism and Anticross forces met. It was presumed that the integration of defences between the two forces would be poor, and that an attack at this point gave the Imperium its best chance for a breakthrough in the north.

The Space Wolves attacked Anticross forces on the left flank, achieving significant success, pushing back the traitor forces back, out of the devastated countryside of Hulme Island and back to the lackes of North Reach. On the right flank however the Blood Angels faced the Catechism itself, and Moonface quickly brought in his most elite troops. The Blood Angels found themselves unable to deal their cunning foe a crippling blow, and every advance was turned into a deadly ambush. Three days into the advance the Astartes troops were forced to call the attack off as the Catechism launched a devastating counter attack. While their allies floundered in the north the Catechism achieved a breakthrough on the Farthing Plain, devastating the PDF forces while they played cat and mouse with their Blood Angel opponents in the north. By 2011.009M42 the Catechism had penetrated to less than 100 miles from Crystalbeach.

Imperial intelligence now realised that the plan had played into Moonface's hands. Valuable Imperial military assets had been used up attacking his allies' forces, allowing the Catechism to not only close on their next objective, but also ensuring that the influence of the Catechism in the complex intrigue of the Chaos hierarchy had been vastly increased.