Cybixx Assault on Destino 1 fails

The arrival of the Grey Knights in aid of Cybixx’s cause had significantly strengthened the Arch Magos’ plans to finally invade Destino 1, the last bastion of “loyalist” resistance in the system. If he took this world, then his control over Destino and the Foramen Minoris world be complete. Telling the Grey Knights that this was all in Vorushko’s plan, Cybixx had managed to keep the Ordo Malleus onside for now, but Hector Rex had started to have serious misgivings about the Mechanicum and had already begun his own investigations. For now though, the astartes did not intervene in the invasion of Destino 1, on either side. 

Cybixx targeted two sites for the invasion, once again managing to acquire the support of guard regiments from the Last of Sycorax, as not all the formations had been taken back under the control of the loyalists. This would lead to the tarnishing of the Last of Sycorax, who would always be seen as untrustworthy from this point on. 

Cybixx’s main assault was directed at the Primus base, defended by the Novgorod Guard. The invasion however went badly, and the Novgorod threw back the attacking Mechanicum forces, leading to a change of axis of attack by Cybixx. Now the Magos Dominus wheeled his forces around the barren western flank of imperial settlement, this time leading an assault on the secundus installation, while he threw his Sycorax forces at the Primus base, pinning down the Novgorod and preventing them from intervening in his second assault. 

The Sycorax units, despite fielding their customary super heavy tanks, were brutally dealt with by the Novgorod, who annihilated their opposing guard regiments. They were however unable to reinforce the position at Secundus, which now bore the brunt of Cybixx’s assault. 

Inquisitor Hathek, still directing events at Destino, had expected such a move however, and had secretly landed three regiments of crack Lycannon guard regiments on the world, intending to defend Destino 1 from a he machinations of the Archmagos, who he now rightly considered a traitor to the imperium. The Lycannon were deployed around the Secundus settlement and immediately counter attacked Cybixx’s armies, catching them in the open and unprepared for such strong resistance. Despite putting up a valiant fight, the Mechanicum forces were unable to penetrate the imperial defence perimeter, and by the third day of the invasion the loyalist defences still held, while Cybixx’s forces had already suffered a casualty rate nearing 40%. Irritated by the clear failure of the invasion, Cybixx’s logic dictated a withdrawal while he came up with another way of dealing with this “last bastion”. He now knew he lacked the ground resources needed to take the world, despite the overwhelming power he enjoyed thanks to the Mallem Cybbixxum.