Ultramarines counter-attack on Mordecai

Stahl revelled in Thok's victory, as he believed this now meant that he in turn would be able to blockade the Imperials over Mordecai Tersius. However, after unloading a reasonably small force of Khorne Bezerkers who had requested a chance to slay the hated Imperium, Thok simply left. Stahl ordered him to stay, but Thok merely replied that if the Warsmith had need of a naval blockade, then he might do well to use his own fleet. Stahl could not and would not leave Minos defenseless, so had to leave the space around the planet uncontested once more. At least, he thought, the imperial fleet would be unable to meaningfully intervene in his operations. Even so, he took precautions.

Instead of holding the line close to the Imperial beachhead at Voytein, as the Imperials would expect, Stahle retreated back to Crassen behind the protective high ground around Mt Harender. Here he began to fortify, planning the long war against an enemy he believed would not abandon the assault so easily as they had done in 013M42. No, the Imperial retaliation would come, and the Khorne Bezerkers would be the ideal bait.

The Ultramarines had been informed of the naval defeat at Mordecai and decided to intervene once more in the emerging war with traitor forces in the Perseus Deeps. Knowing Thok had left the area the astartes sent a formidable force in the form of two companies. Arriving by strike cruiser the imperial forces watched with awe as the marines carried out a spectacular full force drop pod assault on the chaos lines, believing they had Stahl's traitor forces in their grip.

Stahl meanwhile watched from a safe distance as the Khorne marines - ill equipped and hopelessly outclassed - were slaughtered in an orgy of frustration as the Ultramarines realised their intended prey had escaped. IT was a victory, of sorts, and one which boosted the morale of the imperial forces on the ground, but such valuable strategic resources had been squandered for such little gain, and the Ultramarines knew it.<