Fate versus Faith
Many lessons had been drawn from the confused battle that followed the surprise assault of the Imperial Grey Knights. This included a realization that mon keigh forces would have to be scoured entirely from Talanis III before it could serve as a staging ground for further Craftworld operations in the sector. Autarch Uthriel dispatched wraith fighters and units of Shroud Runners on reconnaissance missions to locate any targets for this operation.
A few solar cycles later, Shroud Runners had covertly located a force of militant imperial warrior zealots in a ruined city near the equator. The scarlet-armoured troops, all female, were apparently guarding a ruined religious building and several icons and relics it contained. It was unclear how long they had been there, but they would need to be destroyed.
Still recovering from losses against the Grey Knights and Deathwatch, Uthriel deployed with an infantry-heavy force, advancing towards the enemy in a double-envelopment formation.
The Autarch, with attached Striking Scorpion Aspect Warriors, moved up the right flank. Wraithguard were deployed by Wave Serpent for a central attack, and Dark Reapers, Black Guardians and Windriders secured the rear, providing fire support. The imperials were better equipped than expected, with three crude boxy tanks lumbering forward out of the morning mist. A walker, with a hideously disfigured mon keigh corpse strapped to the front, galloped forwards spraying sticky plumes of flame as it went.
Halting the advance on the left temporarily, the Dark Reapers and Wave Serpent made short work of the grotesque walker. A centrally advancing tank destroyer was shot through by a Bright Lance from long range, as the dismounting Wraithguard detonated a boxy troop carrier on the left flank. The carrier disgorged a cargo of chanting fanatics, streaming towards the Ulthwé lines.
The only intact enemy armour pushed forward and showered the Autarch and her Storm Guardians with jets of flame. Most of the unit was destroyed and the flank appeared under threat before a timely intervention by the Wraithguard, melting the heart of the enemy tank.
Despite taking enormous losses, the enemy constantly sang religious hymns and showed no sign of faltering or falling back. A leader of some sort charged her unit of fanatics forwards, destroying a unit of Dire Avengers. As the Wave Serpent maneuvered behind her, she turned her unit around to engage it in melee combat. They fought like possessed, firing their plasma pistols until they detonated in their hands and stabbing, scraping and pounding the huge flyer until it was immobilized.
As the battle was concluding, with most of the mon keigh wiped out, a strange apparition took shape behind the Ulthwé lines. A unit of deep striking infantry was accompanied by some sort of winged monster in gleaming metal armour. This demon, lancing fire from its spear, led a fast moving attack into the backline unit of Black Guardians, wiping it out entirely. As this horror kept advancing, it was only driven off by volleys of missiles from the Dark Reapers, firing as they fell back.
Like other engagements with Imperial forces, this one had included a new challenge and surprise. The absolute fanaticism of the troops and what looked like a summoning of some sort of greater demon hinted at a depth of corruption not encountered among the Imperial forces before.
++++++ Final Result: Ulthwé 78 Adeptas Sororitas 53 +++++