Vice Admiral Hauser von Steiermark participated in the Second Battle of Tiamat, under the command of Fleet Admiral Zeiten. Hauser was very critical of Zetien's decision to allow Vice Admiral Wilhelm von Muckenberger to participate in the battle, because Hauser did not think the battle should be fought to avenge the recent death of Muckenberger's uncle, Fleet Admiral Keltring. Personal sentiments such as that, Hasuer felt, interfered with and clouded the true meaning of the battle: the defeat and subjugation of the Free Planets Alliance.
Steirmark was arguably the most competent and certainly the most successful admiral on the imperial side during the Second Battle of Tiamat. As the FPA's forces finally shattered and routed the imperial fleet, his forces remained and served as a solid rear guard, allowing the remnants of the fleet to flee the battlefield.
He then sent a message of condoleances to the Alliance regarding Bruce Ashbey's death, an act which was condemned by the admiralty but it did not slowed his advancement beacuse of his obvious competence.