Month: May 2002

25/5-2002 Dragon Keep falls

The Black Templar and Blood Angel forces regrouped and after landing fresh troops, they began retaking the planet. The local ragtag guerrilla force joined the Space Marines and between them they cleansed the planet from Chaos infestation. Their last stronghold was the Dragon Keep, a fortified outpost protected by a force shield and surrounding the Aeldari Webway gate. The keep was held by a strong contingent of Alpha Legion Traitor Marines and what was left of the World Eater force, under the command of Agamemnon of the Alpha Legion.

At dawn, a Black Templar and Blood Angel force engaged the Dragon Keep. The force field proved to be almost impossible to penetrate and the attack seemed suicidal. The Traitors created a bloody killing zone in front of the keep. But the main assault was just a diversion as Thunderhawk gunships approaching from the other direction delivered a formidable force of jump pack equipped Assault Marines and the dreaded Death Company of the Blood Angels. The newly arrived Space Marines assaulted the unprepared Alpha Legion guarding the force field generator and destroyed it. Their main force rallied and pushed forward, breaking the Chaos line and trapped them in a deadly crossfire with their newly arrived brethren. The few Chaos marines that survived fled into the Webway gate. Before it closed a small force of Blood Angel scouts managed to slip in.

12/5-2002 – Chaos reigns on Halon’s Retreat

The World Eater force erected huge pyramids of skulls outside the cities and summoned hordes of Daemons to aid them in the slaughter of the population. The planetary governor and his aides managed to flee to an underground base in the northern mountain range and established a guerrilla force to repel the invaders.

Strangely, the Khornate worshippers sought out an old ruin on the western plains of Halon’s Retreat. The ruin was in fact an Aeldari Webway gate and the World Eaters tried to gain entrance to it, but was annihilated by an appearing force of Drukhari, led by Dhrazaryn Kael, Archon of the Cabal of Crimson Carnage. After their defeat, Abaddon struck a deal with Kael, offering slaves in exchange for limited use of the Webway to transport his fleet further into imperial space. He left behind a large force of World Eaters and used the Webway to transport the rest of the fleet away from imperial retribution.

Soon after, a combined force of the Black Templars led by Chaplain Holmbaud, and Blood Angels led by the Sanguinary Priest Lazarescu, launched a planetary assault against Halon’s Retreat after having repaired their ships. Their attack was met by a vicious World Eater counterattack. The battle ended in a stalemate as both forces suffered terrible losses, and withdrew to lick their wounds.