Taros Campaign - Day 2: The second day dawned with the red haze of fires illuminating the smoke-blackened sky over Tarokeen. Except for the sporadic patrol clashes the night had been quiet. Dawn would see that change. With their infantry-led attack repulsed yesterday, the Tau now moved their heavier weapons into position to lead the second attack. With jet engines whirring, the Tau Hammerheads, Devilfish and Battlesuits slowly moved through the streets, Drone-controlled Burst Cannons covering the buildings as they manoeuvred into position to bombard the Governor's Palace. It seemed that if the Tau could not drive the Space Marines out, they would pound them with destructive fire.For the Avenging Sons the battle for the Governor's Palace was now a bitter struggle for survival, but their mission was not complete, so Captain Armaros was determined to fight on. To do so he needed assistance and called on the Proxima Justus. Aboard the Strike Cruiser, the hangar decks were full with Thunderhawk gunships and Thunderhawk Transporters loaded with armoured fighting vehicles, all waiting for the order to launch. But with only a small secure perimeter to land in, sending the transporters was judged to be too risky. The Thunderhawks, armed for a ground attack mission, would be of great assistance, but with Tau Barracudas already over the combat zone, they risked a dogfight. For now, the Thunderhawks must be kept safely in reserve in case an evacuation mission was required. Only if Armaros' situation became critical would the Thunderhawks be called upon.The first day of the battle had been fierce, day two would see the intensity increase even further. The Tau had used the night-time full to reinforce their mauled Hunter Cadre. Now they would throw everything they had at the Space Marines to destroy them. At first light, the Barracudas were ready for new strikes on the Governor's Palace, then the ground assault would resume. Attacks would commence from all directions, but the main weight of today's attack would be aimed at the gate. Crush resistance here, and the Space Marine forces could be broken into small pockets to be mopped up later, but the battle would be won.As with day one, the Tau attack was presaged by a flight of Barracudas whose missiles and Burst Cannons strafed the Space Marines' positions amongst the rubble. Lacking any form of anti-aircraft defence, the Space Marines could do little against the Barracudas, except stay low in their cover and wait for the attack to end. After several low passes the Barracudas departed to re-arm, and the Tau ground bombardment began. With their distinctive whip-crack sound, Railgun rounds slammed into buildings. Burst Cannon pulses ricocheted of walls and rubble. A phalanx of heavy fire hammered the palace, round after round, relentless and merciless. The Tau were blasting the Space Marines out from a distance, building after building was targeted. Roofs collapsed, walls cracked, rounds punched through masonry to explode within. The noise was deafening as the buildings of the Governor's palace were systematically destroyed. A choking cloud of dust rose to blanket the battleground. Opposite the main gate two Hammerheads slowly manoeuvred through the streets constantly firing on the move. The impact of round after round eventually caused the gatehouse to collapse. The Devastator squad within returned fire with their Missile Launchers and Lascannons, but the weight of fire kept them pinned down. It was punishment not even the mighty Space Marines could withstand for long. It seemed the Tau were attempting to match their enemy's brutality. The bombardment lasted all morning and well into the afternoon. Captain Armaros had little to respond with, except his own man-portable heavy weapons. It was an uneven match. With no other option open to him, the Captain contacted the Proxima Justus to request air support. TheThunderhawks were still prepared and ready to launch. It was a risk, but the situation on the ground was deteriorating. An air strike by the Thunderhawk's bombs and missiles was quickly planned. The Barracudas were still in the sky overhead, but the Thunderhawks would have to run the risks to assist their embattled brothers on the ground.All five Thunderhawk gunships on board the Strike Cruiser launched and made for the Governor's palace. It was a powerful strike force, enough to keep the Tau at bay, but first it must run the gauntlet of the Barracuda fighters. As the squadron vectored in on Tarokeen, descending rapidly, weapons primed, the Barracudas climbed to intercept. The Thunderhawks dove through the fighter screen, Heavy Bolters blazing as the Barracudas opened fire with Burst Cannons. Despite the repeated impact of pulse rounds, the formation did not waver, keeping their formation tight and on course, trusting their thick ceramite armour plating. The Barracudas' fire was ineffective. Calmly the Space Marine pilots kept their aircraft on course until over the city, whilst the gunners located targets and prepared to open fire with their main weaponry. The flight of Thunderhawks roared down onto the city, strafing with Battle Cannons, Turbo-Laser Destructors and Heavy Bolters before releasing their bombs. The guided bombs ripped into the palace surroundings. Explosions rippled through the buildings, tearing great holes in roofs and walls, flames and shrapnel engulfing whole blocks. Buildings across the city were rocked by the concussion of the bombing. Now the destruction was radiating outwards from the palace. The air strike must have caused the Tau Commanders serious concern, as in the aftermath their attack died down to sporadic sniping and skirmishing. What damage it actually caused was unknown, but as the roar of the Thunderhawks faded, the Tau withdrew again. It was a brief lull in the battle that did not last long, but it had bought Captain Armaros' men precious time to reorganise their defences.It was at the gate that the hammer-blow eventually fell. Hammerheads and Battlesuits led the way, attacking at full speed they crashed through the rubble of the gate house. The lead Hammerhead was immediately hit by Lascannon fire and exploded in a blossoming orange fireball. Fire from the second grav-tank killed the Lascannon gunner in return. A krak missile destroyed a XV88 Broadside Battlesuit but, after the brief firefight, only three remaining Devastator squad members were alive to withdraw. Devilfish-mounted infantry close in behind the Tau armoured vanguard.Captain Armaros realised he was losing his hold, and his perimeter was in danger of breaking. Faced with no other choice, he committed the Terminator squad to the fight. Wading through fire and smoke, the veterans met the assaulting XV8 Crisis Battlesuits head-on in an exchange of fire. Both sides suffered heavy losses. The Space Marines fought for every inch, but the Tau’s heavier weapons could not be matched. Three of the veteran Terminators died in the fighting, as did four Battlesuits. Brothers Hakael and Caim joined the battle, destroying the second Hammerhead with their heavy weapons before Brother Caim sustained a hit which tore off his left leg toppling the Dreadnought to the ground, leaving it stranded and a sitting duck for following shots. For an hour the fight at the gate raged. Led by Chaplain Baraqel, the defenders fought heroically. Pressure was intense, and with the commitment of the Dreadnoughts and Terminators, there were no more reinforcements to give. Bolter rounds and missiles whined through the air, holding the Fire Warriors at bay. Meanwhile, the Tau continued to launch secondary attacks all around the perimeter, pinning Space Marine squads in position, units that could otherwise be used to bolster the defence of the gatehouse. Captain Armaros knew that his position was hopeless. The Tau had bled his force and now heavy casualties and a lack of ammunition were forcing him to accept that withdrawal was the only course open to him if he wanted to save his company. It galled him, but resistance here was now greater than his company could match. He had no idea of the enemy’s total strength. He knew that his men might hold out for days only to eventually be overwhelmed by their numbers, and for what gain? The Governor of Taros was now beyond his reach and the Avenging Sons were facing annihilation. Armaros needed to evacuate the survivors and rescue what he could from the mission.After a brief command meeting in the ruins of the Governor’s residence, Armaros informed the Proxima Justus of his decision to evacuate. At nightfall, the Thunderhawks were to be launched for an extraction mission. Orders were given to all the squad leaders, or stand-in leaders in those squads that has lost their sergeants. At nightfall there would be a staggered withdrawal to the inner courtyard, where one by one the Thunderhawks would land, load up, and carry them back to their Strike Cruiser. It was an operation fraught with difficulty, and needed to be done swiftly so as to give the encircling Tau forces minimum time to respond. Captain Armaros himself would lead the rearguard and be the last to board a Thunderhawk.