Tarlius: Tarlius IV taken by Imperial Fists

With the Iron Warriors having fully taken the Tarlius System, the Imperium couldn't afford to allow it to remain unassailed to act as a base for deep space operations. However, with Chaos controlling the system orbital defences and having their own large fleets in the system the Imperial forces could not simply sail in. The Imperial Fists therefore launched a daring strike, hitting Tarlius IV like a thunderbolt, claiming and entrenching the existing deep space cannons to drive away the Chaos picket ships and allow their own fleet a base to operate from.

After the sons of Dorn turned the weapons on the Chaos ships however, the Ruinous Powers intervened directly. Led by Ahriman of the Thousand Sons and a vast Lord of Change, a colossal tide of Daemons assailed the Space Marines, attempting to reclaim the orbital guns and turn them on the Strike Cruiser above.

Captain Ajax and Fifth Company, striking in a spearhead of a Spartan accompanying the Chapter's heavy relic Dreadnoughts and the recently refitted Imperial Knight Eagleheart moved to intercept the Daemons at the firing relays, hoping to hold them long enough to secure control in space. As they broke the small prancing daemons at the vanguard of the enemy attack however, the sheer number of the foe began to take a toll. Expecting Iron Warrior opposition, the Fists had not deployed the kind of firepower needed to clear the hordes quickly, and the right flank was overrun by a great wave of red hellspawn wielding glowing blades that made a mockery of Power Armour.

Having lost several squads and Lieutenant Hector dragged down in their midst, the situation looked precarious for the noble Marines, as Captain Ajax committed the reserves, striding into the forefront of the battle alongside the veterans of the First Company, their Storm Shields weathering the glowing blades, and the ancient Leviathan Dreadnought Brother Efried slaying the Daemon Prince leading the red tide in single combat.

With the Daemons struggling to bring down the heavy armour of the Imperial force, Tzeentch's attention elsewhere, and the Fists refusing to give ground around the defence guns, the two armies ground each other down, with the Dreadnoughts and Terminators emerging from the colossal melee against Khorne's minions battered and bloodied but victorious, and Ajax and Lieutenant Scipio bringing down the Changeling before succumbing to Ahriman and his Cabal, who were denied the chance to finish the Astartes Officers, driven off as the fire of the Spartan caused them to desperately summon a portal to pull themselves away and out of its' line of fire.

Only the Dreadnoughts and a handful of Marines remained standing, the Imperial Fists recovered their wounded and finished their task, forcing the remaining Chaos ships in space to limp away. They began construction of the bulwarks they would need to ensure the planet could keep the system accessible to the Imperial war effort.

Following the assault, the outer system of Tarlius was declared safe for Imperial Vessels, and as Stahl consolidated his fleet nearer the major planets, Commander D'Oyly-Hughes was able to move his Imperial battlegroup to the outer edges of the Tarlius system, along with regiments of Guard and Noble knight houses, ready for a full invasion of the Tarlius system.