Libria IV: Apollo's advance

Following the success of the recent alliance offensives in Porthaven the commander of the "federal" Iron Warriors was keen to give the loyalists no opportunity to regroup. His forces were fresh, and had recently been augmented by Adeptus Mechanicum forces from a forge world loyal to Apollo's legion. This Forgeworld, as yet unknown to the Imperium, had sworn fealty to Apollo over ten millenia ago, and now honoured their allegiance, sending massive knight war engines to Libria IV. Three of these beasts were sent into the fighting on Libria IV and their effect was immediate. Apollo knew the Novgorod Guard had similar knights, but backed up by the might of the Legion itself Apollo was confident the lines could be broken once more.

General Dersky had been placed in command of all forces on Libria IV after the suicide of the previous commander . Dersky however deferred to the Imperial Fists in terms of tactical command, and the Imperial Fists themselves had committed a large force to stopping the alliance from entering Porthaven, So far they had failed. Nevertheless the astartes were once more present in the city, attempting to stall the alliance advance long enough for the imperial fleet to arrive with reinforcements.

Apollo's offensive into the East Commercia district was devastating, and the Novgorod defenders died in droves to the onslaught. There was little the Imperial Fists could do but they refused to retreat. IN two days of heavy fighting one of the imperial knights was destroyed, and the Novgorod massacred. The loyalist astartes took heavy casualties too, while none of the federal knights suffered significant damage. By the end of 2010.015M42 the alliance forces had broken through the Commercia district entirely and reached the sea port, cutting off thousands of Librian and Voslscian defenders in the "Verder-South Park" pocket. The loyalists would need to counter attack and quickly to save more of their dwindling forces defending Porthaven.