Tarsis Prime Saved

The Dark Angel's strike cruiser Dark Dominion arrived in the Tarsis system in mid 03.009M42 in response to an urgent request for aid to repel the orks from General Du Prez. They deployed on the outskirts of Tarsis Prime using Thunderhawk gunships and began a mechanised assault into the city. On locating the main body of orks the Dark Angels established a fortified position within the ruins and drew the orks forwards onto their guns. Even so the speed of the ork assault surprised the Emperor's finest and the outlying fire positions were overwhelmed before a withdrawal could be affected. For a while it looked like the task force would be swamped before Chaplain Gabreal El'Zekial lead Assault Squad Korvos in a devastating counter attack that butchered the first wave of the ork assault and sent the enemy realing.

Bloody close quater fighting errupted with casualties mounting on both sides but then elements of the Ravenwing swept in from the orks rear, destroying their support with a vicious lightening strike and swining the battle clearly in the Dark Angel's favour. At the height of the fighting Chaplain Gabreal lead his brothers from their bastion and cut down the ork warboss, breaking the spirit of the orks. Only those orks providing fire support were able to escape the Emperor's Wrath and the Dark Angels cleansed the capital without mercy. However, much of it now lay in ruins.

Imperial Intelligence then noted only a fraction of 4th companies full strength was deployed against the orks in Tarsis Prime and that Captain Angelus, commander of the 4th company, did not take part in the fighting. Augers and Sensorium at Imperial High Command noted that several overflights and insertions were made by Thunderhawks into the remaining chaos held area in the north of Merrin. The Dark Angels however ignored all requests for information concerning these operations and continue to pursue their own agend, leaving Du Prez to wonder just who was in command on Tarsis. Many asked the same of him.