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By this point, [[Governor]] [[Varkoff]] had sent an [[astropath]]ic call for assistance. The [[3rd Company (Salamanders)|3rd Company]] of the [[Salamanders]] [[Chapter]] responded, arriving in-system aboard the [[Strike Cruiser]] ''[[Vulkan's Wrath (Strike Cruiser)|Vulkan's Wrath]]'' and deploying via [[Thunderhawk]]. At this point, the Guard had retaken the major cities of [[Nimbaros]] and [[Cumulon]], following the Cult's unexplained retreat, but were still unable to make any progress assaulting Cirrion.{{Fn|1}}
The 3rd Company's commanding officer, [[Space Marine Captain|Captain]] [[Ko'tan Kadai]], agreed to lead the next assault on Cirrion, with their primary objective to eliminate the Cult's leader, a [[demagogue ]] known as the [[Speaker]]. At first the Salamanders deployed to the interior of Cirrion in an armoured assault but, despite meeting no resistance at first, they were forced to proceed on foot and split up due to rubble blocking off most of the roads. Eventually they finally encountered the Cultists, who launched a series of expertly-planned ambushes that caught the [[Space Marines]] off-guard. Worse still for the Marines, the Cult had released a gaseous hydrogen amalgam into Cirrion's atmosphere that prevented the Salamanders using their [[Flame weapon|flame-]] and [[Melta weapon|melta-weapons]] without them backfiring catastrophically. Several Marines were lost in the ambushes, including [[Apothecary]] [[Fugis]].{{Fn|1}}
The Salamanders were forced back to [[Aereon Square|Cirrion's central square]], but the Marines rallied there, successfully defending themselves and pushing the Cultists back. After regrouping, the surviving Salamanders tried to launch an attack on the Cultists' strongpoint in the [[Aura Hieron]] temple district but were unable to penetrate the Cultists' extensive defence network. They unexpectedly received a signal from Fugis, who had survived the ambush and found a group of survivors. One of the [[Imperial citizen|civilians]], an engineer named [[Banen]] had suggested a plan to Fugis to clear the hydrogen amalgam from the city's atmosphere and deal a significant blow to the cult: if the Marines could escort Banen out of the city, he could purge Cirrion's air supply. Captain Kadai was unwilling at first, as this would result in any civilian survivors hidden in Cirrion dying from either a lack of oxygen or the extreme cold, but reluctantly agreed.{{Fn|1}}
Now able to use their heat-based weapons and with the Cult of Truth badly weakened, the Salamanders made their way to the Cult's temple. As they confronted and killed the Speaker, the true architects of the uprising revealed themselves: the [[Chaos Space Marine]]s of the [[Dragon Warriors]], lead by the [[Chaos Sorcerer]] [[Nihilan]]. Nihilan unleashed a [[Chaos]] ritual that summoned a [[daemon]], using the Speaker's body as a host. In the resulting fight, Captain Kadai was able to banish the daemon back to the [[Warp]], but was killed by a [[multi-melta]] blast before the Dragon Warriors retreated.{{Fn|1}}
The surface of Stratos is covered in oceans that produce high concentrations of chlorine gas. As a result, the inhabitants of Stratos must live in floating [[Loft-city|loft-cities]] high in the planet's atmosphere. Each loft-city has its own enclosed atmosphere and is connected to the others by a series of sky-bridges.{{Fn|1}}
===Loft-Cities===
*[[Cirrion]] - — Capital loft-city and seat of the [[Governor|Governor's]] power. Primary area of operations for the Cult of Truth during their uprising, it was later purged by the [[Salamanders]] [[3rd Company (Salamanders)|3rd Company]].{{Fn|1}}*[[Cumulon]] - — One of the three primary loft-cities.{{Fn|1}}*[[Nimbaros]] - — One of the three primary loft-cities.{{Fn|1}}*[[Pileon]] - — Minor loft-city.{{Fn|1}}
