Space Marines outflank northern defences on Mordecai Secundus

After capturing the Abrax mines, General Kutusov felt a little more secure in his position, both privately and referring to the invasion of Mordecai Secundus in general. Kutusov couldn't complain about lack of astartes support, and this fact was underlined when in mid 02.020M42, two new chapter companies arrived in the system. The Ultramarines and Dark Angels made themselves available for the Mordecai operation, and increasingly the Imperial General was finding his voice carry less and less weight in planning meetings at high command, as the space marines took more of the initiative.

 

Kutuzov was able to influence the astartes' next move however, as he pointed out that the Imperium was still fighting the invasion on three fronts. To the south, the Emerald Serpent, Iron Warriors and Death Guard posed a real threat, but to the north, despite its strategic insignificance, the Imperium did not have a secure flank. Here, roving Slaanesh bands and Death Guard forces meant that a significant portion of the Imperial reserve had to be held against the threat from this direction. In the west, the high ground was still dominated by the xenos cults, although these seemed just as intent on fighting the forces of chaos, and it was to the north that Kutuzov looked for support in his operational planning.

 

The Ultramarines and Dark Angels recognised the general's strategic abilities as he explained his concerns to them, and his ability to influence the super humans of the Emperor was a key asset in the prosecution of the campaign. Convinced, the two new arrivals co-planned a new operation, to strike deep into chaos territory and lay the foundations of a subsequent operation to lock down the imperial northern front.

 

Kutusov was shown the plans as a courtesy, and he had some misgivings. The astartes plan proposed a narrow strike north, to the east of the chaos positions, driving all the way to the barren and inhospitable wastelands in the Mordecai Secundus polar regions. Once complete, it was up to Kutusov's forces to secure the shorter strike to the west, closing off the chaos pocket which could then be mopped up.

 

The Imperial general was not immediately convinced. He counter proposed that the western end of the pocket should be closed first, as this was the shorter advance. The astartes plan, Kutusov felt, would create a narrow salient which would be vulnerable to a chaos counter attack. If successful, it would be the imperial forces cut off in the north and the operation would end in total failure. Kutuzov was careful not to say "no" to the astartes, and proposed that once the western end of the chaos pocket was secured, a slower more measured advance could cut off the east. However, in the end Kutuzov was over-ruled. The space marines wanted a bold strike and pointed out that a slow advance would allow the chaos armies to the north to extricate themselves, while the Imperial General was accutely aware that his superiors wanted progress on Mordecai Secundus.

 

The operation conducted by the astartes was a total success. Not expecting the advance north, the Death Guard were caught by surprise. Their hastily organised counter offensive, despite being led by an apparition of Mortarion himself, lacked long range firepower, and the Dark Angels simply used the open terrain of the northern plains to their advantage. The destruction of the Death Guard was complete, and allowed the Ultramarines to move through the Dark Angels' position to attack the Slaanesh warbands in the extreme north.

 

The Ultramarines faced a more difficult challenge, as the forces of the Prince of chaos proved swift and numerous, able to close the distance with the Ultramarines despite their significant firepower. However, the astartes has the edge on equipment, and gradually the Slaaneshi forces were whittled down, while the super human warriors proved difficult to put down permanently. By 2502_042M42 the astartes advance had reached the extreme north, and there was now only a narrow pocket in the west connecting the northern chaos forces to the rest of the traitor armies.