002: Heartbreak at Honduran Hive

M41.788120513
As the battle collapsed into a sullen stalemate at Honduran Tertiary, the Lamb's World CCCX renewed their efforts to liberate the hive cluster and push back the Antine Front. Fighting raged over Honduran Tertiary as Cadre Starblade attempted to resist the Imperial counter-surge.

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+Day -10: 03.30 ante meridian [Adjusted Local Time]+

Lamb's World CCCX reservists receive mobilisation orders to Hive Honduras Tertiary. 

+Day -7: 09.10 ante meridian [ALT]+

Lamb's World CCCX forces move out. Brightsword orbital drones mark the movment and alert Earth caste and Water Caste workers in the western reaches. Shas'O Starblade orders the Shas'Os Jetfire, Strongbranch and Whipshadow to organise their Cadre groups for counter-assault actions.

+Day -6: 13.07 ante meridian [ALT]+

Tau military forces in the city are diverted to aid in the Willowwind Push. Mantas pull large amounts of the Tau forces out in order to ready themselves for a surprise assault on the southern Hive Honduran Minor later in the year. Tau civilians have been restricted to the northern and eastern areas of the hive, believed safe by Shas'O Brightsword.

+Day -3: 16.40 ante meridian [ALT]+

Tau forces are reported to be heavily concentrated in the eastern quarter of the Hive. Tactical Command consults Adeptus Mechanicus advisors for a punitive strike against Tau occupation. Badtown is identified as a critical point, being a solid bulwark for the Esardo Highway into the hive.

+Day -1: 23.30 ante meridian [ALT]+

Imperial Stormtroopers of Eagle Echo are dropped into Badtown in the Western Reaches of Hive Honduras Minor. They begin to pick their way through the rubble and infiltrate the central Munitorum district to deploy vox-interference equipment supplied by Magi of the Mechanicus.

+9.30 ante meridian [ALT]+

With the Vox-Inter generator armed, comms-baffles descend over Hive Honduran Minor. Beneath the protective aegis, Xenos communications are disrupted, isolating them from support. Disconcerted, Earth caste support workers in the area begin to congregate in the open. The local Tau garrison, made up of a Fire Caste team with Broadside support, orders the civilians to gather in the western shanties.

+9.45a.m. [ALT]+ 

A junior Earth Caste engineer breaks through the baffle briefly to alert nearby forces. Shas'O Brightsword diverts a high strength fighting Cadre led by Shas'o Strongbranch to the area. Air caste forces are alerted, but communications are heavily hampered by the comms-baffles.

+10a.m. [ALT]+ 

The Imperial war machine begins to advance into no-man's land in the Western Reaches. Hundreds of men and companies of armoured vehicles prepare to retake the soil in the Emperor's name. Earth caste workers stream into the western shanties.

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+10.17a.m. [ALT]+ 

Tau reinforcements arrive in the western shanties. Cadre Fireblade, Shas'nel Luckywing of the garrison, orders her Fire Caste team to disperse through the streets on foot to protect the Earth Caste evacuees. Strongbranch diverts a mechanised cadre and Crisis team, led by Shas'El Starfall, in support. The Earth caste begin to be evacuated from the local theatre. An Imperial Sentinel pilot, Maria Czapova, is the first confirmed casualty of the conflict as her scout walker is destroyed by disciplined Tau firepower as she attempts to attack the evacuating Earth caste.

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+10.22a.m. [ALT]+ 

Imperial Stormtroopers of Eagle Echo report multiple armoured and mechanised Tau Cadres arriving to the north of the Munitorum district.

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+10.25a.m. [ALT]+ 

Tau forces waste no time and sweep in. A mechanised Cadre disgorges its Fire Warriors and Pathfinders to root out Eagle Echo Stormtroopers. In response, Rugged, an Imperial mechanised Infantry company, is dispatched in support.

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+10.26a.m. [ALT]+ 

Long range fire from the Imperial lines begins to land around the Fire Warriors in the western shanties. They hold firm, the Greater Good steadying them. Evacuating remaining Earth Caste workers disrupts their return fire.

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+10.34a.m. [ALT]+

The fighting intensifies in the Munitorum district, but the Tau are unable to root out the entrenched Storm Troopers of Eagle Echo and Rugged company. They commit more forces to the fight, including a lone squadron of hypersonic Barracudas that break through Imperial comms-baffles. Eagle Echo lose half their number, Commissar Montan amongst the slain, and they are forced to abandon their position. They fall back towards the main stretch into Badtown, Esardo Highway.
On the highway itself, Imperial Hydra batteries scan the empty skies while Mechanised and Armoured Companies advance. Long range fire is traded between the Tau and Imperial lines to little effect.

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+10.40a.m. [ALT]+

Rugged Company become further isolated as Strongbranch leads his Crisis team in a daring rush assault. Their position is encircled by a Tau recon team. Captain Grits orders recognises the danger and orders the largely-untouched company to engage the Recon force. They reluctantly abandon the vox-interference generator and the Munitorum ruins, but wipe out the light Tau vehicles. 

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+10.42a.m. [ALT]+

Rugged retreat to a nearby office building and find what cover they can.

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+10.51a.m. [ALT]+

Consolidating their position in the Munitorum district, the Tau pause to strengthen their battle line. Stealth teams reveal themselves and take up the positions lately held by Eagle Echo.

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+10.53a.m. [ALT]+

Imperial forces continue to advance along Esardo Highway. Weight of fire begins to tell, as Luckwing falls and her Fire Warrior garrison are broken by the combined firepower of the Leman Russ Company and a Sturdy company, a second mechanised group. Screened by infantry, the Shadowswords speak, ravening firepower filling the air with crackling static in their wake. As the smoke clears, a building crumbles to the ground, the Broadside teams broken and dismayed.

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+10.57a.m. [ALT]+

Sturdy company follow up and overrun the Tau garrison's position, claiming the western shanties. The Imperial are poised to claim the entire west flank, if they can drive off the Mechanised team and Starfall's elite Crisis suits.

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+11.02a.m. [ALT]+

Flashpoint. A Tau Mechanised Cadre following Eagle Echo team breaks off to open fire upon Sturdy company, leaving a number of men dead and fighting vehicles destroyed. Starfall demonstrates the mutual support for which the Tau are known and his Crisis teams heaps further damage on the mechanised company. In response, the Leman Russ company guns its engines and claims the main onramp to Esardo Highway. Imperial forces combine fire on the Tau Mechanised Cadre. Their vehicles are wrecked, but heavy cover frustrates Imperial efforts to eke the brave Xenos out of cover.

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+11.08a.m. [ALT]+

Ambushed by a combine crossfire by a Imperial infantry company rushing up the western flank and the vengeful Sentinel squadron, the Crisis group suffers heavy casualties and is broken; Starfall leading his remaining troops back to the north-east for cover. Captain Jerome of Sturdy company takes advantage of the destruction to rally his troops and send them in against the shaken Tau garrison. Outnumbered and outgunned, the dismayed Tau take heavy casualties while attempting to return fire. 

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+11.13a.m. [ALT]+

The fighting begins to slacken off as the Imperial mop up the Tau forces in the west while the Tau are pinned down in the Munitorum district; unwilling to risk the ire of the Shadowsword squadron or advance into range of the largely undamaged Resolve company.

Barracudas escort in a Tigershark wing ferrying gun drone squadrons. Sturdy company are wiped out in detail by the massed Tau forces in the east. Captain Grits is reported the last man standing, clutching the company standard defiantly amidst the smoking ruins of his command before being vapourised by Tau firepower.

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+11.15a.m.+ [ALT]

Colonel Crow of the Leman Russ Armoured company sends long range fire at the Munitorum ruins to ensure the Tau keep their heads down. He reports the Tau forces are in full retreat in the west, and have lost initiative in the east.

The Imperial have claimed the critical Esardo Highway arteries and western shanties; providing a defensible foothold to allow them deeper into Tau-held areas of the hive.

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+11.19a.m.+ [ALT]

With Sturdy's flank anchored by the Leman Russ company, Captain Jerome rallies his troops. They bring down the last of the Broadside team and claim the northern reach of the Highway. 

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+11.20a.m.+ [ALT]+

The supporting infantry company mops up the broken Crisis teams and relieve the position lately held by Sturdy company amongst the shanties. Shas'el Starfall himself is taken captive.

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+11.22a.m.+ [ALT]+

Resolve company advance threateningly towards the Munitorum district. The Tau attempt a last-ditch flanking assault on the company, but Shas'o Strongbranch is brought down by surprise enfilading fire from the Shadowswords. The apparant death of their leader takes the wind out of Brightsword Command, and they reluctantly order the retreat before more Tau lives are lost.

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+12.14a.m.+ [ALT]+

All Tau forces withdraw in good order from the area.

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+14.32a.m.+ [ALT]+

Imperial forces establish temporary garrison.

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+20.14a.m.+ [ALT]+

Perimeter sweeps miss Tau Stealthsuit operatives, allowing Stealthsuit teams through the perimeter to recover fourteen Tau casualties from the wreckage. To great joy, Fireblade Shas'nel Luckywing is found amongst the living.

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+Day +2: 01.34a.m.+ [ALT]+

Imperial forces begin to advance into the Hive...

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2-0 Victory to the Imperials.

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[Possible storyline advancements/scenarios: Rescue of Shas'el Starfall; Captain Grit's Last Stand; Luckywing's evacuation of the Earth caste; Eagle Echo's escape.]