023: Endgame

 As Shale's harsh winter began to bite and night temperatures plummeted across the war zones, the campaign ground into a bloody stalemate. Imperial strategic savants calculated that a tipping point was drawing near. With faith in the Emperor and one last effort of will the Imperial forces might finally be able to turn the tide against the invading Daemons and Xenos. But if they faltered now and gave even an inch of ground then it was likely to be the beginning of the end for Imperial control of Shale.

A conclave of Inquisitors and Generals was convened and a bold plan conceived. The Imperium would strike back at heart of the Daemon incursion by attacking the mysterious centre of warp activity deep in the corrupted desert. The strike force had a lot of ground to cover and pressure on supply lines would be high. In a bid to alleviate this somewhat the advance was set to sweep through several abandoned mining outputs to forage for supplies. Ever at the forefront of the fighting, the Lamb's World 117th took the vanguard position in the advancing column.

Daemonic opposition in the form of the Cavalcade of Decay was encountered at the first settlement on the advance. The fighting amongst the ruined supply warehouses and hydroponic facilities ended in an inconclusive tactical draw, although the engagment was considered by many scholars to be an Imperial moral victory due to their comparatively light casualties and the combat readyness of their surviving forces when compared to the Daemonic host.