Bastien: Tyranids held back by Imperial forces

During the first half of 12.013M42 the tyranid menace once again showed its hand on the planet of Bastien. It became apparent that the infestation was centred on the mountains around Lacunis, and to the north of Liberatia, north of the capital Sanctum Nova. General Veers ordered a concentrated attack in this area, and managed to assign a formidable force to the operation. Librian regiments, backed by baneblades, as well as a sizeable Darantine contingent, were joined by raiding forces of the Carcharadons and Apocalypse Riders. They pledged their aid, intending to flush the aliens out of their brooding areas and into the guns of the waiting Imperial Guard.

North of Liberatia the Darantine Guard was soon ambushed by the tyranids, and the imperial force suffered heavy losses even before they reached their designated objectives. Worse was to follow as the Carcharadons raid soon faced heavier than anticipated resistance. The astartes put up a dogged defence as hordes of aliens poured out of the warren like terrain of northern Bastien, but by 1212.013M42 the northern mountains had to be abandoned, the region cordoned off and declared perdita.

In the Lacunis mountains the imperial operation progressed far more smoothly. The Apocalypse riders attacked the tyranids in the rough ground and soon stirred them into action, again rather more aggressively than they had bargained for. The Riders prooved a difficult prey for the aliens however, and managed to extract themselves from the mountains having inflicted serious damage on the tyranid horde. Then they ran east towards the plains of Liberatia, the creatures of Nemesis hard on their heels.

Once in the plains the Apocalpyse Riders retreated behind the Librian guard in a pre-planned operation. The Librians then waited behind their defence lines until the alien hordes appeared. Supported by heavy tanks, basilisk artillery and Baneblade super heavy tanks, the imperial line held even as the burrowing creatures of Nemesis appeared within their own ranks. The Librians had seen this before and were waiting for it, and as soon as the giant creatures erupted from the earth the Librian general sent in his reserves. Chimeras packed with plasma and melta weilding veterans made short work of the alien monsters, and once the larger beasts were felled, it was simply a case of mopping up. In Lacunis at least the tyranid threat had been eradicated.