Betalis III Campaign - Dark Times 055.894.M41: The full might of Battle Group Odon dominated the approach to the Tarundor Isthmus. Tanks, armoured vehicles, heavy artillery and Guardsmen stood arrayed on the Alacian Plains ready to meet the Craftworld Aeldari assault head-on.As dense black smoke billowed up from the Bregan Glacier, the wreckage from the explosion there still burning fiercely, reports were received that the host of Mymeara had swept on to the west Alacian Plains and begun its approach.Heralding their arrival, and first to come within range of the massed guns of the Astra Militarum, were their Aeldari Corsair allies, an armada of Phoenix, Hornet attack craft and Nightwings that dived down through the gathering storm clouds at break-neck speed.As at Alnitac, the troops of the Astra Militarum met the attack with a barrage of devastating firepower, Chimeras, Praetors, Baneblades, Stormblades, Shadowswords, Macharius Heavy Tanks and Leman Russ tanks lending their fury to the heavy artillery onslaught.The Corsair aircraft soared in undeterred, their agile pilots weaving and threading their craft through the air, their Shuriken Cannons and Missile Launchers returning fire as all around them shells and missiles exploded.First blood went to Betalis III's Human defenders as a Void Dragon Nightwing, its swept wing hull adorned with the symbol of its cadre, was ripped from the sky; its destroyer was a Hydra flak tank, one of the precious few deployed with the battle group.With its systems trained on the horizon, the Hydra's logic-spirit had swung the tank's Autocannons into action as soon as it had detected movement, tearing through one of the Nightwing's curved wings and sending it spiralling into a terminal dive that not even the superior skills of its Aeldari pilot could recover from.The Nightwing's destruction lifted the morale of the Guardsmen more than any rousing speech the Adeptus Ministorum priests could deliver. In that one moment they rose up from the depths of despair they had fallen into upon seeing the destruction of Battle Group Empteda earlier at Alnitac.But the rate of attrition intensified as more Corsairs came within range of the heavy guns, weapons fire from both sides causing death and unparalleled carnage at such close quarters. Amidst the furious assault, Leman Russ tanks were hit and damaged as the Corsairs found their marks and in return the xenos aircraft were blasted from the skies, straying too close to the battle group's many guns.Soon, even the most battle-thirsty Corsair pilots saw that to continue would ultimately mean their death; they broke off, speeding up through the gathering storm clouds and beyond to regroup and tend to their wounds. The opening moves of the battle had played out and the Alacian Plains were littered with its casualties.With the forces of Mymeara on the plains and reports coming in of the host of Craftworld Alaitoc now approaching from the south, General Myndoras Odon gave the order for the battle group to separate into two companies.It was a bold move, and one those Astra Militarum commanders who religiously followed the doctrines of the Tactica Imperialis would have considered foolhardy and reckless.However, as each Aeldari craftworld's force outnumbered the battle group many times over, if it remained in a single block it would be quickly overwhelmed and destroyed.The first company, code-named "Vengeance," comprised the tank squadrons: Leman Russ, Hydras and Chimeras. The second company, designated "Retribution," was mainly infantry, deployed in Crassus armoured assault transports with what little General Odon could spare in terms of Leman Russ and Praetors acting as escort.Company Vengeance had orders to head west. It was to lure in as many Aeldari craft as it could and take the inevitable first hit. This would give Company Retribution the chance to intercept the approaching Alaitoc land forces in the south.Joining Retribution and Vengeance on the Alacian Plains would be the Titans of the Legio Gryphonicus -- four Reaver-class Battle Titans and four Warhound Scout Titans -- which had just reached the warzone from Port Ryira.The original plan had been for the Legio Gryphonicus Titans to lend their much needed support to Company Vengeance's tank squadrons. Now they had a different objective.The surveillance network set up by Inquisitor Lord Hestaphus Danzk's retinue around the eastern continent had relayed back images of at least eight Aeldari Titans emerging from the Mymeara Webway portal.Amongst them and now somewhere on the northern edge of the Alacian Plains were two massive Aeldari Phantom Titans, and the princeps of the colossal god-engines of the Imperium had orders to destroy them.