Hylas: Praetorians hold new ork offensive

On Hylas, while Uzfang had been fighting an agressive war in the west with the help of Da Verminator and the remnants of Snazzgubbins and Thruggnik's warband, Na'Porkleon had been doing very little in the east. Since his initial successes over the Salamanders, the ork commander (still widely rumoured to be two gretchin one standing on the other's shoulders) had sat with his army, sulking, behind a line of ork fortifications running from the Colleridge swaps to the Eden sea.

The ork warlord was sulking because since his defeat the Praetorians, in charge of the defence of East Hallen, Seaford and Arin, had built a parallel row of formidable fortifications blocking any ork advance. Na'Porkleon decided this wasn't sporting, and had sat sulking ever since, both sides refusing to come out and fight each other.

Uzfang grew increasingly frustrated at his ally and subordinate, so much so that in mid 05.013M42 he took a large force of orks south east to reinforce the eastern front, before launching his own ferocious attack on the Praetorian lines. Supported by Medusa artillery the Praetorians stood firm as Uzfang's orks swept across the plains and into the guns of the imperial guard. Refusing to retreat, the Praetorians died where they stood, stoically refusing to abandon their posts. The result was a bloody stalemate, with the orks failing to make a dent in the imperial defences. Collingwood and Eden't Landing remained safe and General Van Dorn urged the Praetorian commander to follow up on the failing ork assault. He refused.

Much to Van Dorn's frustration the Praetorians instead extended their lines of fortification, arguing to push forward now would simply expose them to another ork counter attack. Instead the Praetorian colonel planned to reinforce his line further so that the offensive, when it finally came, would be unstoppable. In any case the trench digging and bastion building continued, forming an even longer line of fortifications to further protect Eden's Landing. Meanwhile on the ork side, Na'Porkleon was unable to hide his amusement at Uzfang's failure as he returned to the greater part of his armies fighting in the north.