Hussaria II rearguard ends in failure

Tau forces had rapidly advanced across the surface of Hussaria, making use of their highly mobile and flexible style of warfare to outmanoeuvre and encircle the lumbering Imperial war machine. As Imperial forces were forced back in to a shrinking pocket they were able to able to take advantage of the reduced perimeter of their defensive lines to dig in and fortify. The Tau advance ground to a halt, not defeated but unwilling to to endure the massive loss of life needed to breach such heavily defended positions.

As the stalemate stretched boredom began to set in amongst the Imperial defenders and their commanders devised regular surprise drills to keep them alert and prepared. But when the Tau finally made their move it was not to attack the fortifications frontally. In the dead of night wings of Barracuda and Remora launched seeker missiles into the anti-aircraft batteries and sensor posts stationed around the Imperial positions and AX-1-0 Tiger Sharks struck at hardened command bunkers and radar stations. Behind them the massive forms of Mantas and Orcas swept over the blazing positions, running blacked out to drop their payload into the heart of the Imperium's last position on Hussaria.The Mantas dropped off massed Cadres of battlesuits, supported by mechanised infantry and massive riptides. These heavy breakthrough Cadres immediately swept onwards to target supply dumps and cut off the humans from any hope of extraction. 

The Orcas penetrated even deeper to insert roving patrols of kroot and fire warriors into the open stretches of countryside with orders to ambush troop and convoy movements and provide intelligence to guide the powerful breakthrough cadres.

Realising that the Imperium stood on the brink of total defeat the Sky Lords mustered their remaining strength and fell back towards the extraction point. If they could seize it and hold their positions for long enough it would allow the withdrawal of Imperial forces to the fleet in orbit. Hussaria would be lost but the fighting strength of the regiments on its surface could be preserved.

The Sky Lord's Scouts crept ahead of the main body of their armoured convoy, silently killing the roving pickets they encountered but their luck didn't hold up and the alarm went up when a kroot warrior blundered into them around a street corner. With incredible swiftness a Tau breakthrough cadre responded and moved to head off the Sky Lords.

Abandoning caution the Astartes barrelled towards the landing pads visible in the pre dawn gloom but their enemy were even faster, the imposing forms of multiple Riptide class battlesuits barring their path. As the convoy was surrounded the Sky Lords made their final stand, but they were heavily outnumbered and outgunned and all that remained to them was to die with honour in accordance with their oaths of moment.

With the spaceport in Tau hands all hope of withdrawal from Hussaria was lost. Some Guard regiments fought to the death but many mutinied against their commissars and surrendered en mass. The Tau took tens of thousands of prisoners and secured massive hauls of armoured vehicles, equipment and supplies. Hussaria II would become a new Sept world for the Tau's expansion sphere in the Hadron expanse.