The city of Pevoria is made up 10 sectors, the southern 4 Sectors are devoted to industry, to north east separated by the river are 3 residential sectors, centrally located is the core sector containing government buildings and commercial facilities and to the west and north west are 2 sectors devoted to city amenities and promethium storage plants.
Pevoria City was designated a key target for Imperial forces, mostly because of the promethium storage plants designed to re-supply transport ships and fleets for export. This supply of fuel would help supplement fleet supplies for the inevitable engagements on the core planets. The 9th and 83rd and 110th Vandoland regiments had secured the 4 industrial sectors to the south, but suffered heavy casualties maintaining their foothold. Vandoland heavy armour, in the form of the 47th and 48th Armoured Tank Companies were failing to make progress in the dense city streets, rebel forces targeting the tanks as a priority and turing them into roadblocks on most advances. Due to these heavy losses the General of the ground forces requested Astartes support, his request was received by Captain Lysander. Captain Vallarn and the 5th Company were subsequently assigned to bring a swift end to the hostilities, it was essential that the early stages of the campaign were quick and efficient, momentum must be maintained for the strike on the core planets.
Captain Vallarn, 85 marines from the 5th Company and 15 Scouts from 10th Company made planet fall in the Industrial Sector in preparation for breaking the stale mate. Meanwhile aboard the strike cruiser Titus, Chaplain Vorenus and 5th companies 20 assault marines prepared for their part in the up and coming battle.
Recognising the need for a short and effective strike Captain Vallarn prepared an armoured convoy to cleave through the city, engaging resistance where ever encountered, the Vandoland regiments would support their advance mopping up any survivors and ensuring the sectors were secured in the Marine's wake. Vallarn would then secure and clear the city's core proving a foothold for the Vandoland regiments to sweep the rest of the city clean. Vallarn selected a route that would swing out into the North East of the city and down into core sector via a fright road, a far from direct route.
3 hours after landing 5th companies offensive pushed out from the Industrial sectors and into the Hab zones of the North East sectors. The convoy formed up with 3 Land Raiders to front, Rhino's in close support and predators on the flanks. The vandoland regiments followed suit with a diluted mixture of tanks and chimeras. The 10th companies scouts acted as out riders to the convoy moving at great speed through the dense streets eliminating threats where able and alerting the convoy to dangers ahead. The rebel forces had prepared for a frontal assault and thus scrambled to engage the the Convoy as it progressed East. With the land raiders making the most of the wider freight roads the convoy successfully cleaved a route through the residential sectors and arced the convoy into the central core of the city from the East.
Under sporadic gun fire the convoy progressed into the central core 19 hours after making planet fall, the high rise buildings overshadowing their approach and providing cover for rebel forces. Incoming fire from rebel armour destroyed the lead land raider and disabled another. 5th companies assault marines made a low altitude jump into the rebel positions and successfully destroyed the enemy armour.
With the road into the central core blocked the the Imperial Fist forces were required to proceed on foot through the central core of the city and on to the fuel depots. 31 hours after making planet fall lead by Chaplain Vorenus and the Assault Marines, 4 tactical squads from 5th company proceeded inside to clear the promethium storage facility, whilst the remaining marines secured the perimeter. The clearing operation made slow but steady progress through the complex, engaging over 100 rebel militia held up inside. Outside the complex minor engagements from rebel forces kept the remaining Astartes busy. 37 hours after making planet fall the battle for Pevoria City was declared over. The final casualty bill from the battle for Pevoria city totalled 13 Marines, 2 Land Raiders and 1 Rhino for an estimated kill count of over 400 rebel militia, 2 Leman Russes and 27 miscellaneous light vehicles.
41 hours after making planet fall Captain Vallarn boarded the last space bound Thunderhawk and returned to the fleet for rearming in preparation for the next engagement....
(the image is courtessy of a long google search, it is not my work)
The Vexus Crusade, Imperial Fists
