Following their victories against the Imperial Crusade on Parthenope in mid 05.011M42 the Shadow Suns mysteriously disappeared from the front line on the chaos held world. Despite being the most successful chaos faction in the pantheon it appeared the Shadow Suns held no interest in shaping the destiny of chaos as a whole in the Aleph Sector. Imperial Intelligence suggested that led by a Khornate elite, the Shadow Suns were more focussed on killing and wanton destruction than grand strategy.
Armed with this information, General Veers met with Ritchie to decide on the plan to breakout of their insecure bridgeheads on Parthenope. Ritchie's plan was direct and simple, and quickly accepted by his superior officer. The plan would see the Librian Guard drive south and west from Dalisac, along the main road to Centosar. Centosar itself was believe to be held by Claws of Lorek legionnairies, but it was thought that numerical superiority would enable the Imperial assault to largely bypass the town, with Ritchie intending to push on to Gand and cut the Chaos forces in two.
The Imperial assault began well, with Ritchie able to call upon the forces of the Librian 11th Armoured, 99th Mechanised and three infantry regiments. In addition the Grey Knights agreed to assault Gand directly, holding it until Librian forces arrived.
The drive on Centosar went well, and by 1705.011M42 the loss of territory to the Shadow Suns assault was quickly reversed. By 2005.011M42 Centosar haad been reached with the forces of chaos putting up little or no resistance. That changed once the Imperial force reached the city, as the Claws of Lorek refused to relinquish the settlement. The Imperial advance slowed and despite the support of the powerful tanks of the 11th Armoured regiment, the Librian foot soldiers found the going hard against the Claws' elite soldiers in the labyrinthine streets of the city.
The Claws of Lorek suffered horrendous casualties in the fight for Centosar, which lasted two days. Librian tanks, including Demolishers and Vanquishers, tore apart the Claws' armoured units with ease, and only a determined rearguard action by the ordinary traitor astartes (if such genetically modified superhumans can be called ordinary), slowed the Imperial advance.
Despite the heroic last stand thew Claws of Lorek were forced to abandon Centosar on 2205.011M42 and although the determined fighting had delayed the advance, the Anticross had faired badly in Gand to the Grey Knights. With his allies defeated in Gand and the loss of Centosar, the lord of Parthenope found his forces cut in two, just as Ritchie's plans had envisaged.
Seeing Lorek in serious trouble, the Covenant of Damnation began to demand concessions and a change of strategy from the chaos lord. Incandescant with rage, Lorek sent his forces in to crush the Covenant and teach them who was in charge. However the Covenant forces were prepared and the Claws of Lorek were badly defeated in an action in the Vregal Peninsular. Lorek's forces were crushed and the former master of chaos now found himself losing Parthenope and totally without influence in the Pantheon of Chaos. For now the Covenant of Damnation held the ascendancy. They would now decide whether and how to defend Parthenope.
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