Sky Lords breakthrough on Goreen Alpha

Following the clearance of orks from the outer worlds the imperium turned its attention to Goreen Alpha. Major General Nikolai Ungern, in overall command of the imperial forces at Goreen, had received significant aid from the astartes in the clearing of the outer worlds and now the space marines played their part once more, leading the spearhead out of the bridgehead established by the Grey Knights in 018M42. Meanwhile Ungern concentrated on consolidating garrisons on the recently liberated worlds, and arranging for follow up forces to land at Goreen Alpha spaceport. 

The critical battle occurred at the settlement of Nova Osiris. The Sky Lords set up in a strong prepared position and waited for the inevitable Ork counter attack. They didn’t have long to wait, as the elite units of Von Bismork’s green tide approached through the ruined buildings. Battlewagons and other contraptions belched fumes into the sky as the green skins approached, but the Sky Lords drew the first blood by focussing their fire on the lead Ork vehicles. 

Led by Chapter Master Potitus, the Sky Lords had blocked the main road with their Repulsors, but had left the centre of the settlement open for the orks to take. The marine plan was to allow the orks control of territory, but to make them pay in blood for every yard. Then, once the Ork assault had been blunted, the Sky Lords would advance on the city itself. 

The Ork reply was savage, severely damaging both lead Repulsors, but crucially the vehicles remained serviceable as the orks made their main charge. Using psychic energies to teleport across the battlefield, a huge mob of green skins appeared on the Sky Lords’ left flank, obliterating the scouts holding Potitus’ flanks. However, in response the entire mob was mown down by Repulsors and Centurions, with the chapter master deciding now to deploy his Hellblasters. 

Plasma weaponry ripped into the remaining Ork vehicles while overhead Stormhawks prowled the skies, swooping in to kill the Ork warlord before being shot down by an incredible hail of mass loota fire. The Ork attack had been blunted, and now the Sky Lords began to move forward. However, having finally lost their Repulsors to sporadic Ork fire, the advance was slow, and the Space Marines became concerned that they would be unable to take the city before the orks regrouped and launched another attack. Potitus’ force would not have been able to withstand a second attack, but it never came. The Sky Lords took the city of Nova Osiris on 0605.019M42, holding onto it long enough for Ungern’s imperial guard to establish a strong front line. Only the wilderness zones now harboured orks, and the imperium now planned the final phase of operations at Goreen.