Donatos War - Imperium Resurgent: The Adrastapolian Knights formed three oversized lances that advanced on three parallel fronts leading to the heart of the Valle Electrum. In the centre, the High King himself led, whilst his sister Gatekeeper Jennika Tan Draconis and his father's most trusted friend, Herald Markos Dar Draconis, led the other two formations on his flanks. Nine of Polluxis' Land Crawlers still followed them, their ammunition stores nearly depleted, but the High Sacristan's presence was a necessity, as only his knowledge and instruments could track the Chaos scrap-code transmissions to their source.As they advanced deeper into the enemy's stronghold they encountered little opposition. The signs of battles were many -- mountains of corpses in the defiled uniforms of the Donatosian Planetary Defence Forces, the burned-out shells of their armour squadrons and Daemon Engines. They also passed the shattered remains of Renegade Knights, most of them in the acid-green livery of House Wyvorn. The worst they had to deal with were the city's automated defence turrets which occasionally stalled their advance until one of the Knights could eliminate them. True to their word, the High Kings' troops obliterated every anti-air battery they encountered, but the true enemy had yet to reveal himself.Soon the three broad avenues crossing the city combined into a great bridge leading over a deep chasm. A quick consultation of their maps revealed that the Knights had reached the great forges of the Manufactorum Omnissi. The forges were burning, spitting dark clouds of smoke which occluded what lay beyond. Wary of a possible ambush, High King Danial halted the advance. The attention they had drawn by activating the city's automated defences had alerted the enemy to their presence, yet they had to press on. The bridge offered the quickest path to do so, but the thick smokescreen would mean they would quite literally be attacking blind.Danial's Auspex showed him various thermal signatures, but the massive heat output of the city's forges obscured their meaning. With no other path before the Knights, the High King knew he had to risk crossing the bridge, his feelings of foreboding quickly confirmed as the lead Knights came under fire. Their Plasma Reactors having been set to their minimal power settings, and hidden by the dense screen of smoke and fire, a detachment of House Wyvorn Knight stood on the other side of the bridge. Their first volley would have annihilated the High King's small group if a whisper from his Throne Mechanicum had not prompted him to order all of his Knights to turn their shields to the front.As it was the ambush still succeeded in slaying Sire Jeremial Dar Pegasson and destroying Sire Rikhardt Dar Minotos' main weapon, his Knight Crusader's Avenger Gatling Cannon. Luk's Knight, Sword of Heroes, had also taken damage on the carapace and hip. With the bridge funneling their Loyalist opponents into a congested killing zone, the House Wyvorn Knights fired everything they had at their foes. The Loyalist advance slowed to a crawl as more power was needed for their Ion Shields. The rear ranks of the Imperial formation retaliated in orderly fashion, coordinating their strikes to bring the Renegade Knights down one after the other. In stark contrast, House Wyvorn's fire-discipline quickly broke down. They grew panicked as the loyal Knights crawled into charging distance.Despite suffering several more casualties, the Imperial line advanced, ever so slowly. The Renegade Knights reasserted themselves, bringing all their weapons to bear, but were suddenly attacked from the rear by Renegade PDF-tanks that had remained faithful to the Word Bearers. Using this momentary diversion for full effect, the Adrastapolian Nobles charged, Danial's and Jennika's lances striking home while Markos' Knights bypassed the melee to rake the foe in enfilade. At the centre of the fight, Oath of Flame, Fire Defiant and Sword of Heroes reaped a bloody tally even as the Traitor militia was quickly annihilated.With the Loyalists gaining the upper hand at close quarters, those Renegade Knights that were able chose to disengage. Danial's small force had lost twelve of their number, with four additional Knights too damaged to press on. Polluxis' Sacristans quickly set to work, doing what they could, but those four stragglers would remain behind to protect the Crawlers. Only ten Knights still pressed on, pursuing the fleeing House Wyvorn Renegades. Their number included the High King and his faithful friend, the Knight of Ashes, Lady Jennika Tan Draconis and the old herald Markos Dar Draconis. With them came Lady Suset Dar Draconis and Sires Garath and Percivane. A single Pegasson Knight was still fighting, Lady Tamsane Dar Pegasson, as well as the two last Minotos Knights, Sires Federich and Rikhardt. These ten brave warriors pressed on to the Square of Martyrs and the heart of darkness.