In mid 02.019M42 general Konev began drawing up his strategic plan for overall victory on Hexis. The imperium has a strong position on the north, but were unable to shift the chaos forces out of their positions in the city of Praxis. Repeated assaults on the city centre and encircling moves between Praxis and Menthoteph had all been reversed, so Konev decided to shift his focus and attempt a more far reaching encirclement. The plan would take longer, but ought to ensure final victory.
The first stage of this plan would be to breakthrough the eastern front and drive south towards the chaos forces in the Shifting Sands. This would end the encirclement of Menthoteph and relieve pressure on the left flank of Konev’s armies.
In order to secure Andreyevich’s armies’ flanks during the advance, the titans of Legion Dominus would be employed for the first time. The open ground to the east of Menthoteph would be ideal terrain for the titans, while the conventional ground forces would be vulnerable to any sortie from ancient fort region.
The advance started well for the imperium, as the armies of O’Tek Ra had moved away from the front lines, apparently on a mission of their own design. This meant the imperial armies swiftly cleared their starting lines and surged south. Expecting no real resistance against the titans, Legio Dominus were alarmed when they detected the energy signatures of engines. Analysing the data, the Adeptus Mechanicus were shocked to find an equal force of titans from the crusade era Legio Skyphos, traitors to the imperium presumed lost in the warp.
History was irrelevant however, the traitors were intent on attacking and the loyalist Titan force, made up of a warlord, reaver and two warhounds, could not allow the powerful enemy force to break through and cause carnage in Andreyevich’s army. Legio Dominus faced off against Skyphos and took the worst of the early fire. A warhound was quickly forced to shut down after sustaining damage to its reactor, only to be knocked over by a follow up shot from the enemy Warlord. The Dominus Reaver also took heavy damage while attempting to finish off the enemy warhounds, who had taken the brunt of imperial firepower, before disappearing in a violent explosion. Nothing was left of the Titan except a smoking crater.
Reeling from this loss, the princeps of the warlord knew he had to stop the traitors from breaking through. Rushing forward with the remaining warhound, the imperial titans surprised the enemy by advancing when they had taken heavier losses. Legio Skyphos had lost one warhound, it’s leg taking critical damage and the war engine topping, its Vulcan megabolters firing wildly and catching its squadron mate in a storm of fire. Fortunately for the traitors, the damage from the friendly fire incident was minimal, and Legio Skyphos still had a 3-2 advantage. This they pressed, going after the warhound and subjecting it to a storm of fire. This however had been the loyalist’s plan.
The remaining two titans of the Legio Dominus maniple then fled north, inviting the chaos force to follow. By the time Stahl heard of the engagement and realised the ruse, it was too late. Andreyevich’s army had slipped past the enemy Titan force and dug in to the east of the chaos base, crossing the great sand sea and taking up positions in the Shifting Sands. Konev’s plan had worked, as Legio Skyphos were forced to withdraw to the ground east of Menthoteph. With a well dug in army now entrenched on the chaos flank, Stahl’s commanding position over the eastern desert had been compromised, and Konev’s grand strategy now had a solid foundation
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