Imperium position becomes precarious on Va'Doran

Ever since the destruction of the Imperial beachhead at Run'al 5 the Tau had held back from further major actions, instead content to take a steady toll on Imperial forces and wait for their supplies to become critically low. However, when Shadowstrike received intelligence from his fleet in orbit that an armoured column was making its way unsupported through the valleys beneath Mesme Tol the opportunity to inflict major losses was too good to pass up.

As the armoured column entered the outskirts of a destroyed settlement the Tau struck. Their ambush was perfectly timed and most of the Librian's APCs were destroyed in the opening salvo. Most would have retreated before such heavy losses, but the Librian Guard displayed suicidal bravery by continuing to press onwards. The Tau maintained their hail of fire and one by one the Imperial tanks detonated as hyper-velocity rounds punched through their armour as if it were paper.

As soon as they received the distress call from the armoured column a formation of Prozan Cavalry was dispatched in an attempt to save the company. When the Tau air cover picked them up on their scanners the ambushers retreated, their job done. The Librian company had been almost totally annihilated for near no loss to the tau, but their bravery and stubborn resistance had prevented a major Tau breakthrough. The Librian commander was posthumously awarded the Imperial Cross for his valour and resolve.