Uzfang leads the charge on Hylas

In late 09.012M42, while General Brooke was coming to terms with his new promotion to overall commander of the Zadoc subsector, and wondering whether this was indeed a promotion or a death sentence, the orks continued their renewed advance in the Mabb Nebula.

Ork Warlord "Na'Porkleon" had already landed several thousand troops and taken the cities of Brockley and Finlay in an orgy of bloodshed, pushing the Imperial guard back hundreds of miles from the original ork "drop zone" (crash zone). Now, on 2809.012M42, new forces identified as loyal to Uzfang began a terrifying assault on the town of Desmond, which if succesful would take all of West Hallen and firmly entrench the greenskins on the planet.

With the Imperial Guard reeling at the ferocity of the ork attack, it was left to the astartes to halt the tidal wave now breaking over the defenders. Brooke detailed General Gault to take overall command on Hylas, and the veteran of the Vork Ork wars of 989M41 quickly set up a defence line south of Collingwood in the east, and another protecting Benger in the south. Here he would wait for the next ork attack. In the meantime the Ravenguard determined to retake Desmond, eliminating several key members of the ork leadership in the process.

The Ravenguard attack was a disaster. The insertion of the astartes went well but the marines were soon overwhelmed by a very responsive ork army, and found themselves in an attritional fight they couldn't hope to win. Suffering heavy casualties, the Ravenguard abandonned the venture, much to the delight of the orks and the despair of General Gault.