Fleet action at Tarlius inconclusive

Operation Scorpion was the brainchild of Martin Bessas. The general brought in by new sector commander Lord Maximus to prosecute the new campaign to force a passage through the Foramen Interdictum. Operation Restless Thunder had established a foothold in the Tarlius system, but the forces of the enemy still held on to the two major worlds - Tarlius Prime and Tarlius III. 

Tarlius Prime and the inner world of Tarlius I were heavily fortified by Warsmith Stahl, but Tarlius III was less well defended and it’s capture would push the chaos fleets and raiding craft further back in system. The imperium would then be able to protect shipping through the Foramen more effectively, though with Paradorn still held by the traitors not by any means “well”. Tarlius III could then be used as a launchpad to strike at the heart of Stahl’s domain, although Bessas was under no illusions about how difficult and bloody that would be. 

The operation to retake Tarlius III was approved, and received immediate support from the Imperial Fists, who had revenge on their minds - the world having been named “Darnath’s Folly” by a mocking Stahl. The Grey Knights also have their aid, although they kept their own secret mission - to bring down the daemon princes of the Emerald Serpent - to themselves. 

The operation comprised of three distinct phases. First, the chaos fleet based at Tarlius III would need to be neutralised. Then, the defence lasers would need to be taken out - a mission the Grey Knights volunteered for - and finally the invasion of the world itself. For the final phase of the operation, the Imperial Fists would lead adeptus Mechanicus and Imperial Guard forces in the final assault on the chaos bases around the single populated city on the otherwise desolate world. 

Admiral Gorshkov led the naval division against the Emerald Serpent fleet in the region of the target world. Both sides employed several carriers, and the space between the two fleets was soon filled with a swirling confusion of attack craft. Gorshkov suffered an immediate reversal however, as his mars class battlecruiser was wrecked by a lucky salvo. The imperial admiral pressed the attack however, and after a further hour of fighting the chaos fleet, themselves now a cruiser down, withdrew from the field. 

This was no victory for the imperium, the losses incurred on both sides in fact favoured the Emerald Serpent, but Gorshkov had manoeuvred into a favourable position, forcing the chaos fleet to disengage and paving the way for the next stage in the operation. It was enough.