For over a year various eldar forces had been targetting the small imperial colony of Aethor. Most recently the eldar of Iyanden had been active on the world, destroying several settlements and in 03.014M42 had inflicted a rare defeat on the Apocalypse Riders. Not a chapter to forgive and forget, the riders returned in company strength in 06.014M42 and found the eldar had also increased their numbers on the imperial world, and a full scale invasion looked likely in the future. With no outside support, the astartes company planned their attack anyway.
Their first action was to conduct a raid against Iyanden, deep behind their front lines. The force dropped from orbit in the mountains then used their manouverability to close with what they had identified as key elements of the eldar army. Early in in the action they scored a success, destroying a Wraithknight and the eldar commander. However the Riders then found themselves surrounded and extricated themselves only with extreme difficulty and heavy losses. The price for decapitating the eldar army had been high, but ultimately worth it.
In the hours which followed the raid the Apocalypse Riders' launched a frontal attack. This coordination was possible through the use of sanctioned telepaths in the Riders' ranks, and allowed the astartes chapter to time their assault perfectly. The Iyanden forces brought in Hornets to try to counter their fast-moving foes, but they were caught out of position by the surprise attack and picked off piecemeal as they appeared on the flanks after the main action was over. Much of the lack of coordination of the eldar forces was pinned on their leaderless position, and the tactics of the Apocalypse Riders appeared to have been vindicated. By the end of 06.014M42 the imperial governor of Aethor was informed his world was clean of Eldar forces, and the space marines left to continue their crusade against the Xenos of the Perseus Deeps elsewhere.
No comments:
Post a Comment