Fort Diligence falls to Death Guard

On Mordecai the forces of chaos continued to pile on the pressure as 08.020M42 began. Fighting was incessant along the entire front, but generally the line in the south had held. In order to prevent Kutuzov from moving reinforcements for a counter attack at the newly created salient in his lines, the Death Guard once again attacked along the southern coast of the lava sea known as the Kuneus Traps. Here the fighting reached a crescendo around the first line of defence at Fort Diligence, as the elite forces of the Death Guard were opposed by the Hammers of the Emperor.

Preferring to meet the attacking traitor astartes in open battle rather than risk a prolonged seige, the Hammers blocked the only path to the fort. The Death Guard, eager to take the fight to their bitter loyalist enemies obliged, and a bloody struggle erupted in front of the gates af the fortress, as the Hammers' indominus bladeguard fought to the death against Death Guard terminators. Plague Marines and even a Daemon Prince of nurgle joined the fray, and gradually the Hammers' defence was worn down. As chaos units on the flanks mopped up any other resistance, they too joined the colossal struggle in the centre. Eventually the Plague worshippers, with their unnatural resilience, outlasted the loyalist astartes, and with no way to supply the fort, Kutuzov ordered it to be abandoned.

The loss of Fort Diligence was a blow, and the fort itself was turned over to the ruinous powers, becoming a sick parody of its former self, a plague fort. The penetration by the chaos forces was however limited by Kutuzov's strategic planning, and now the focus shifted north, to the chaos "bulge" that had developed.