Operation Thunder

Operation Thunder was led and organised by Captain Lydoro of the Imperial Fist’s 4th company. Originally intended as a shock assault to overcome all the chaos strongholds on Tarlius IV, the failure of operation Restless to neutralise chaos ground defences and garrisons, forced a late change of plan. Instead of multiple lightning assaults, the astartes would carry out a single precision strike to take possession of the planet’s space port, effectively isolating the remaining pockets of chaos resistance, which could be mopped up later. 

The major drawback of the new plan was that it was entirely predictable. The Emerald Serpent could, and did, concentrate their elite forces at the space port, intending to annihilate the attackers, dealing a fatal blow to the imperium’s hopes of reestablishing a presence in the Foramen Interdictum. 

The Loyalist Astartes began with an orbital bombardment, which caused significant damage, before following up with a massive orbital drop against the space port. The Imperial Fists dropped just outside the chaos defences, before moving en masse towards the enemy. 

The imperial attack suffered severe issues with their orbital drop. Dropping in such a small area meant some forces had to be delayed, and miscommunications meant that the initial assault went in without the support of the space marine hellblasters. This lack of firepower at the start of the assault led to the Fists taking heavy casualties. 

Worse was to follow, as the imperial knight support exploded catastrophically, injuring or killing many battle brothers, just as the astartes reached the outlying sentries. It didn’t help that the loyalists were facing not only elite gunfire and Regiments of the traitor Darrantine Guard, but the Emerald Serpents’ most powerful psykers and daemon princes. Amongst these elites, a bezerk chain weapon wielding champion of chaos managed to reach the imperial Fists’ lines as they advanced, disrupting the attack significantly and causing even more casualties. 

Eventually however, despite the death toll, the Imperial Fists fought stubbornly, massed bolter fore eventually taking its toll on the defenders. Through sheer effort of will and determination, the Loyalist Astartes reached and pushed into the chaos defences, destroying their fortifications with close combat weapons to break them open. Eventually, as 2004.019M42 the traitor resistance had been broken and the operation moved towards clearing out isolated pockets of Darrantine resistance. What remained of the elite Emerald Serpent units abandoned the space port. All those in the space port itself were massacred by the vengeful imperial angels of death. 

Heavy casualties aside, operation Thunder had achieved its main objective, and General Bessas could breathe a sigh of relief. For now. The remaining garrisons and defensive positions around Tarlius IV would still need to be dealt with before the imperium could use the space port, and its vital facilities. Tarlius IV was needed as a base to ensure convoys through the Foramen Interdictum could resume once more.