Prelude: The port town of Bolasku, could always have been described as important to Jornath, its shipwrights crafted expert naval vessels of all kinds, and it was a major source of planetary trade, between the merchant guilds. During the War for Jornath. It became much more than a vital seaside production and trade center, as the city was located inside the decimated stretch of land where the Ork Rokks made planetfall. Its position, placed its ship crafting facilities, and miles of material warehouses in easy reach of the Ork invaders. The threat this posed was not lost on the Imperium who stationed the 6th Kula Conservator Cohort, and 1st Royal Neohuscarl in the city. Both regiments were slain to a man defending the position in the first 18 hours of the Summer Invasion. With the orks in control of the dockyards, and threat of a breakout in the north a dangerously real possibility the Imperium sends its most elite forces to kill the Mek’s and destroy their workshops in the Dockyards.
The Raid on Bolasku.
It was not long after the last PDF unit had been overrun that the Meks of Da Magistork, and Urk's Oddz-n-Boberz set to work "modifying" existing Imperial water craft, and building their own rough shod flotsam. The intent was clear to Imperial Command, the Orks, at least a subset of the central forces that landed, were intending to find their breakout by sailing out of Bolasku. Potentially threatening every continent. A preemptive assault was planned, to stall the Orks and potentially eliminate some of their leadership, while the whole of the Imperial arsenal could be readied to obliterate this new breakout attempt. With the White Scars busy in the south, and the Blood Angels and the Jornathi Special Operations Battalion tied up in the north, the only unengaged Imperial QRF belongs to the Mortifactors under Captain Vorodivio and the Dreadmare Companions, who had only just arrived in-system. Having decided the time finally required his forces action, Captain Vorodivio struck forth
This Operation would be known as Furori Alati
The Straights of Grehazin
The delay bought the Imperial Navy the time it needed to perpare massed flight wings, ranging from marauder bombers, thunderbolts, lightings, retro fitted Aquila landers, and Jornathi Aeroscants out of Altheri Hive, all brought to bear against the Ork fleet, and the Dockyards at Bolasku. The carnage was tremendous, thousands of Xenos vessels were sent to the sea floor; but through the sheer numbers typical of their race, some aliens still remained despite the losses, and made it into South Western Nizajain's reef structures known as the Straights of Grehazin, allowing the Ork vessels to shelter from Imperial close air support for a time and gather strength. Knowing this could not be allowed to occur, the Space Marines of the Dreadmare Companions, and Kill Teams of Imperial Navy Ratings made surgical strikes on board several Ork capital ships, in a bid to cripple the Ork's momentum and begin infighting amongst the alien survivors.
The fighting on board these vessels was close and messy. Exactly the sort of fighting that Orks thrive in, but careful tactics and low cunning saw the Imperium victorious on many ships, though at a dear cost in manpower. Of the 1300 Navymen deployed to the Straights only 43 returned to Orbit, and 15 Battle Brothers of the Dreadmare Companions were rated as Epsilon Level casualties. The Orks had not been stopped everywhere however, but the surgical strikes had finally balanced the incredible numerical advantage bearing down on the Isle Guards of Nizajain.
It was up to the faith and fire of these brine soaked men to hold the strategically vital Isle against the Greenskin.
Until Next time.
-Your Favorite Madman-
