Imperium cling on at Paradorn

Following the raid at Mordecai by Imperial forces, the situation on Paradorn was not immediately relieved. The raid caused a great deal of damage and fractures in the chaos alliance began to appear, but Warsmith Stahl and the Emerald Serpent were able to convince Admiral Thok and Lord Tragean to keep their fleets in the Paradorn system, although both admirals felt their anchorage was under threat and it took a great deal of persuasion.

With time pressing, the forces of Chaos launched a new offensive on Imperial Forces on the third planet at Paradorn. Although chaos held the inner planet, there was still hard fighting in the system, and General Patreus, now in overall command at Paradorn, was already reorganising his Novgorod and Lycaon forces to better defend the Imperial position.

On the ground, the Emerald Serpent had limited forces at their disposal. Constant daemonic incursions were challenging, so the latest offensive would be undertaken by the traitorous Darrantine Guard, a former imperial force that had completely gone over to the side of the Ruinous Powers following the coming of the Cicatrix Maledictum.

Opposing this offensive, the Lycaon Guard fought with stubbornness and tenacity, and although the offensive started well for the traitor forces, within days the advance had stalled, and the Lycaon army began relentlessly pushing the Darrantine army back, encircling them. Tragean and Thok meanwhile were unwilling to leave the safe orbit of Paradorn I, fearing another raid by the astartes which could take their only base in the Paradorn system from under them.

Without support from space, the Darrantine Guard on Paradorn III were relentlessly ground down by the loyalist forces, before being entirely encircled and eliminated. By early 06M42 General Patreus was pleased to report that the planet was now fully under the control of Imperial forces. The situation still remained bleak however, with three chaos fleets in the system preventing any realistic move to take the inner worlds. Meanwhile the eldar simply watched events unfold from their stronghold at Paradorn II.