Van Dorn recaptures Laurier

By the end of 05.025.M42, the war for New Cerberex had shifted decisively against the T’au Empire. Following the initial setbacks and surprise defeats inflicted by the T’au during their counteroffensive in early 025.M42, the Imperium had rallied, exploiting the momentum provided by the Dark Angels’ brutal breakout to the south and now bringing the full weight of their military machine to bear.

The most significant reversal came with the recapture of the city of Laurier, a vital northern settlement and strategic node that had previously fallen to the T’au in a lightning assault. Now, under the direct command of General Van Dorn, multiple newly arrived Astra Militarum regiments were deployed to the front lines. These included hardened veterans of the Cadian 143rd and the brutal siege specialists of the Vornheim 66th, bolstered by PDF auxiliaries and artillery detachments.

The assault on Laurier was relentless. Over the course of four days, the T’au Hunter Cadre defending the city fought with typical xenos precision, executing textbook withdrawal manoeuvres and fire-and-fade tactics. However, the sheer volume of Guardsmen, combined with armoured spearheads and sustained aerial and orbital support, eventually overwhelmed the T’au defences. The city’s evacuation route was cut off by Scion drop forces, and by the end of the engagement, the entire Hunter Cadre was annihilated—either slain in battle or hunted down in the ruins.

With Laurier retaken, the Imperium now held the entire southern and central belts of New Cerberex, forming a secure front line and allowing for more efficient deployment of reinforcements via drop landers and bulk landers. This territorial control was critical: within weeks, dozens of additional Guard regiments were expected to deploy, further tipping the strategic balance.

Compounding the T’au dilemma was their deteriorating space superiority. Though the T’au fleet in the region remained intact and technically capable of contesting orbit, its commanders remained conspicuously passive. Intelligence reports suggested the reason was clear: Imperial Navy battlegroups—backed by known Space Wolves and Dark Angels fleet assets—were prowling the Mabb Nebula. The threat of a sudden and catastrophic fleet engagement loomed over any T’au attempt to assert dominance in orbit.

The T’au high command on New Cerberex now found itself isolated, outnumbered, and increasingly outmanoeuvred. The dream of converting New Cerberex into a bastion of the Perseus Expansion Sphere was fading fast, and the question was no longer how much ground the T’au could take—but how much they could possibly hold.