Hadron Expanse: Federal Battlegroup secure Echo Reach for Alliance

After consolidating their hold over New Titania, the Federal battlegroup led by the Battleship Haskell then moved on to Echo Reach, keen to aid the Tau in their conquest of that system. Echo Reach itself was already under the control of the Tau, but they had been involved in running battles against crusade forces, and now Vorushko's troops had gained a foothold on the third planet - Echo III.

Echo III had been inhabited since the great crusade, although much of it now lay in ruins. With the permission of the Tau commander of the Hadron Expansion Sphere, the Federacy and Tau decided to pool their efforts "for the greater good". In return for their help, the Federacy would be allowed to oversee the rebuilding of the dilapidated human colonies on Echo II, III and IV, while the Tau would complete the colonisation of the warm swampy planet of Echo Reach itself.

The Federal battlegroup found no resistance in space, the Crusade fleet being far smaller than the warfleet led by the Retribution class battleship, enabling the overall commander of ground forces, Commander in Chief Jakub Kuwalski,  free reign in landing his troops around the large settlement where the Volscian Guard held their headquarters on the dusty planet.

The Librian 101st regiment, newly reformed from the ashes of the Librian army that had fought against the Tau in engagements across the sector, now moved forward in strength against the Imperium instead, finding that the centre of the city was not only defended by the Volscian Guard, but by units of the astartes chapter "Angels Repentant".

Colonel Bowman, commander of the 101st, did not hesitate in moving forward in strength however, bouyed by recent Federal success at the Mimir system. He had overwhelming firepower, employing a battalion of artillery, Leman Russ battle tanks, and Hellhounds, supported by infantry. Even so the astartes launched a counter attack with predictable ferocity, employing Storm Raven gunships to deliver troops to the heart of the fighting.

From the start the astartes took heavy casualties, with the Death Company taking heavy fire from battle tanks, artillery and Hellhounds, while the airborne units were quickly dealt with. All the Crusade airborne vehicles were shot down, and those troops that did reach the Federal lines were cut down by gunfire and enthusiastic and disciplined charged by the Librian Infantry.

It was not all plain sailing for the Librian Colonel however. The federal fleet detected Crusade strike cruisers inbound, causing a flurry of communications from the overall command for Bowman to "get on with it". The Volscians put up determined resistance, and although the Librians enjoyed a firepower advantage, after a day of fighting the advance was behind schedule with the Crusade strike cruisers moving in force towards Echo III. If the Crusade garrison could hold out for just another day, they may yet be rescued. Admiral Eberhardt warned Bowman that she would not be able to support his troops on the ground and fight a battle in space, and the loss of air cover would prove disastrous for the Librians on the ground. 

Time was pressing, and the Colonel ordered all units to advance, heedless of casualties. Rushing forward with the Hellhounds leading the way, the Librians began pushing the astartes back, causing horrendous losses to the Crusade forces, but the Volscians and Angels Repentant then began a fighting retreat which at one point looked like succeeding. With minutes to spare as the Crusade strike cruisers approached maximum weapons range however, Colonel Bowman was able to report that the settlement and its vital defence lasers had been captured, and all Crusade resistance annihilated. Relieved, Eberhardt pulled her fleet into the cover of the defence lasers and invited the Crusade strike cruisers to engage. Realising this would be futile and nothing could be saved on the planet, the Crusade withdrew.

The defeat of the garrison at Echo III opened the way for Tau and federal forces to land on the remaining worlds of the system, establishing bases and defences against the return of Imperial forces. By 2205.018M42 the Echo system was fully under alliance control.