The Reclamation of Coraspect Diablo

Example

### Theatre

Waste World of Coraspect Diablo, Coraspect System, Sistec Sector, Segmentum Ultima.

### Strength (attackers)

Marsh Lions Space Marine Chapter:1st Company

2nd Company

3rd Company

4th Company

5th Company

6th Company

10th Company

Millions of Penal legionaries from the Paros Delta Penal Legion

1st Tox-Trodder Batallion

### Strength (defenders)

Millions of human Thexian loyalists
Thousands of Thexian Combat Forms

### Casualties (attackers)

Marsh Lions Space Marine Chapter:Heavy, most of 3rd and 5th Company lost.

Paros Delta Penal Legion:

Heavy, exact figures unknown.

### Casualties (defenders)

Heavy, millions of Thexian Loyalists slain. Total annihilation of Coraspect Diablo Thexian Combat forms.

### Outcome

Strategic Imperial victory. Coraspect Diablo falls into Imperial control and the Thexian Resurgance is unable to launch its planned counterattack from the planet.

The Battle of Coraspect Diablo occured in 646.M40 during the The Reclamation Years. It was one of the bloodier battles fought during the campaign, costing the Marsh Lion Chapter almost 2 full companies.

## Opening stages

After the retreat from the minor Thexian territory of Zavost the Thexian Resurgance and its loyalists gathered on the Waste world of Coraspect Diablo. Although host to a miserable collection of damned human souls the planet was largely uninhabited and lacked any value except for its strategic location in the Thexian Pass, acting as a staging ground for any offensive operations as well as anchoring the Thexian defence.

The Marsh Lions realized its strategic importance and collected most of their available forces for a direct assault on the system. The 3rd Company aboard its Strike Cruiser "Liberator Claws" and its escorts were the first to arrive, acting as a vanguard for the rest of the chapter.

## Planetary assault

Within 40 minutes of reaching the orbit of Coraspect Diablo the first 3rd Company drop pods landed on the surface and began securing the landing zone. As the following companies began descending towards the planet the 3rd Company mounted an assault, cutting deep into Thexian lines.

Unknown to the Marsh Lions, the Thexian commander, Grand Army Consul Mitentas Ruber had anticipated the attack and positioned his weaker elements in the way of the 3rd Company advance while collapsing their exposed flanks. The Penal legionaries defending the rear were quickly destroyed, unable to match the firepower of Thexian combat forms.

The 3rd Company reached their target location, a waste treatment plant overlooking the largest planetary settlement and dug in, realizing they were cut off from the Chapter. For 6 days the 3rd Company defended the treatment plant against hordes of Thexian loyalists and Thexian combat forms until relief arrived.

## The rescue of 3rd Company

Joanna Romelia after realizing the tactical error of the attack quickly volunteered for leading the rescue mission. Chapter Master Baraquel Ganymal initially hesitated, fearing the Thexians expected such an attack but allowed Joanna to gather any volunteers of the 5th Company and gave her command of the Penal Legionaries of the 1st Tox-Trodder Battalion. The Tox-Trodders were an elite formation of legionaries specialized in combat in bio-hazardous environments, ideal for combat situations such as the toxic wasteland of Coraspect Diablo.

For 6 days Joanna and her force battled through the Thexian lines. They took high casualties, partly due to the hazardous environment that barely the power armor of the Space Marines could withstand let alone the vastly inferior equipment of the Tox-Trodders but also due to Thexian counterattacks. Trying to repeat the success of their first envelopment they threw themselves at the ever stretching supply lines, threatening to isolate Joanna, time and time again she was forced to turn back to reestablish coherence with the Chapter and her own force.

When they finally reached the treatment plant and found the few survivors they began evacuating them. Many of the survivors had injuries so devastating they were taken out of action and only a handful were somewhat fit for combat. The battle of the treatment plant was written down in the 3rd Company legend, creating its battle cry: "3rd Company, hold the line!".

## The final assault

With the 3rd Company rescued the focus shifted towards launching the final assault on the Thexians. The Thexian commander had withdrawn his forces after failing in stalling the Marsh Lions and taken defensive positions around and in the planetary capital. Chapter Master Baraquel deployed a more conservative tactic, using his Penal legionaries so stab and prod at the Thexian defenses. When a weakness was spotted he exploited it by using the fast attacks of Millos Stalkers, a fast attack unit on scout bikes. They would carry out smaller operations such as destroying infrastructure, assassinations or small direct assaults then pull out before the Thexians could respond.

As the Thexian defeat became more and more apparent and the orbital blockade was in full effect many of their human subjects and natives of the planet began surrendering en masse. As the last Thexian loyalists made a desperate final stand by expending all their combat resources in the form of Thexian combat forms and Ambulls the Thexian commander made an attempt to escape but was ambushed by Millos Stalkers. Millo Strakers personally slew Mitentas Ruber, ending the conflict.

## Aftermath

The Thexian Resurgance took heavy losses in the battle and lost many of their more experienced commanders such as Mitentas Ruber, severely hampering their combat abilities. They would not recover from these losses and fought a slow retreat system after system for the remainder of the war.

The Marsh Lions lost almost 2 full companies, the 3rd Company and the 5th Company in the waste treatment plant and the following rescue. The other companies deployed also suffered losses, although not as severe.

The Paros Delta Penal Legion suffered heavy casualties, losing many of their elite elements such as the 1st Tox-Trodder Battalion. It would take time to recover from these losses, putting a temporary halt to the advance through the Thexian Pass.

The planet of Coraspect Diablo and its entire populace was found guilty of treason to the Imperium of Man. Any child fit for culling would be culled in the 5th Culling and adults fit for military service would be organized in the Coraspect Diablo Redemption Regiment under the Paros Delta Penal Legion. Adults not fit for combat duty would be made into slaves, working in the mines of the asteroid fields of Zavost 5 or in the toxic waste of their homeworld.