Libria IV: Decisive Alliance push

With their position on Libria IV secured the Alliance felt it was time to try and land a knock out blow. Their offensive in the south had been highly effective, driving deep and drawing in the remaining Imperial reserves. Stretched thin the Imperium was in a poor position to react to a sudden change in focus.

Imperial HQ was a fortress, surrounded by rings of Aegis lines, bristling with gun emplacements and manned by crack regiments of loyalist Librian guardsmen. It posed a formidable obstacle for the Alliance who's military doctrine favoured mobile warfare and the destruction of the enemies ability to resist over petty territorial gain. Until now that had kept the Alliance focused on easier targets but now it was as vulnerable as it was ever going to be.

The Federacy unleashed its secret weapon. Long held in reserve, their existence long a strictly guarded secret legions of battle robots from the golden age of mankind marched implacably towards the defensive lines surrounding Imperial HQ. Impervious to light arms, incapable of fear and unquestioningly obedient the mechanical constructs could do what the other Alliance forces could not – fight a brutal battle of attrition.

The super human Adeptus Astartes might have been able to stop their advance but they were all in the south fighting the Alliance's thrust there. The Titan Legions of the Collegia Titanica could have blasted them to dust but they had been withdraw following the disaster inflicted by the Ultra Marines Legion. Mere men stood no chance and the Imperial defences folded before the relentless advance.

A company of Space Wolves was in position to attack the alliance mechanicum forces but their flanking assault was easily beaten off by the mechanised warriors. In addition the Space olves were forced to retreat to safer positions rather than be enveloped and destroyed by advancing alliance forces. By the end of 2810.016M42 the Imperial HQ had once again been seized by alliance forces.

With Imperial HQ secured the Tau launched a fresh offensive into the newly opened breach. Lightening fast mechanised units supported by suits and light skimmers thrust unopposed deep into the city, quickly securing the regions water plant. In a last desperate bid a company of the Blood Angel's Chapter was air lifted to Arbites HQ in an attempt to stop the advance but they were heavily outnumbered and had left behind most of their heavy equipment in the rapid relocation. Only a solitary knight supported them and although it wreaked bloody carnage on the Tau's most elite forces it was eventually surrounded and brought down, never seeing the Stealth team that ambushed it from the city ruins and fired a fusion beam into its reactor housing.

Arbites HQ fell to the Alliance. Their advance was now dangerously strung out, vulnerable to being cut off and encircled but the Imperium only had a narrow window to respond before the Alliance forces secured the main power plant and with it the last hopes for victory of the Imperium on Libria IV.