Libria III: Crusade make gains

Having secured a new bridgehead in the north and taken the pressure on the crusade held terriroty in Cartasia, the crusade immediately capitalised on their victories. In the north the loyalists were still struggling to respond to the new front, and Vorushko's army were taking advantage of the lack of alliance presence in orbit by shuttling troops from one area to the other by astqartes and mechanicum vessels in low orbit. The alliance, though posessing air superiority over the loyalists, were unwilling to throw their air force into the assault against the crusade, particularly where the troop movements were from Cartasia to the loyalist front. In hindsight this may have been a mistake.

The Apocalypse Riders delivered the next savage blow to General Launceston's cause when they ambushed a force of Lunar guard near Grable. The loyalists hadn't expected the crusade to be able to cross the Pardle Bay so quickly, and were taken by surprise. In the battle the astartes were able to delay the Lunar Guard's armoured forces long enough to drive a mobile force into the loyalist artillery, neutralising their firepower. The Lunar Guard commander was killed, crushed under the weight of a Rhino's tracks, which further disrupted the loyalists ability to respond, Defeated, the loyalists pulled back. Now the crusade had two cities in the north and the loyalists were in serious difficulties.

In the south the Sisters of Battle and their indentured Librian, Vannaheim and now Lycaon Guard units continued their drive against the alliance. The crusade army had swelled to include a number of ex-imperial guard and PDF forces, but unlike the loyalists, these guard forces were never allowed to act independently, and always had astartes or sororitas leadership. Vorushko (and her forces) did not trust guard forces from bitter experience of defeat.

The crusade met stiff resistance from the alliance as they pushed north. Bitter fighting in the Cartal mountains raged for days around between the crusade army and a force of Iron Warriors supported by the Shattered Silence. A confused and at times violent engagement, eventually the crusade secured the higher peaks in the Cartal mountains and were able to shell the city of Cartal, Vorushko's previous capital. Realising this wasn't the place to make a stand, the alliance withdrew, allowing Inquisitor Vorushko to reclaim her now ruined capital.