Dnatha: Gregopolis falls to the tau

With the loss of Dnatha V, it was clear the Imperial outer world of Gregopolis would come under attack before any major assault on Dnatha Prime. The dusty barren yet habitable world was home to a significant armoury and inter-planetary missile silos and attacj squadrons. Leaving this world unconquered while trying to assault Dnatha Prime would leave the Tau invasion fleet vulnerable. Well shielded and kept in underground bunkers constructed by the Imperial Fists, the forces on Gregopolis would need to be overwhelmed in a land campaign before the main invasion of the Prime world could begin.

 

To counter the threat, Percival recieved aid from the Carcharadons chapter of space marines, who would lie in wait and ambush the tau forces as they disembarked from their mantas and began preparing an assault on the underground defence bunkers. Unfortunately for the astartes, Tau intelligence managed to sieze vital information, and when the Tau landed a decoy force on the world, the Carcharadrons took the bait.

 

The space marine vanguard veterans were supposed to be setting up their own line ready to ambush the advancing Tau, but, knowing in advance of their deployment, squadrons of Sun Sharks suddenly appeared and ripped apart the marine infantry positions with a devastating display of Tau firepower. Reacting quickly, the Carcharadons sent in their mobile reserve force, launching a drop pod assault directly into the tau command units. This caused some disruption and caused a significant number of casualties, but the Tau simply had too much firepower. Eventually even the determined cataphracti terminators were cut down by the withering firepower and the Carcharadon ambush had turned into a total victory for the invading Tau. Following this victory, taking the bunkers from the Imperial Navy personell was a simple matter of mopping up. By 1405.020M42 Gregopolis was in Tau hands and the path to the invasion of Dnatha Prime now lay wide open.