Led by the injured Daemon Prince Phaedron, his World Eater force supported by a contingent of Drukhari, assaulted Andeonium Hive. The defenders made their stand at the West walls, but suffered heavy casualties after the initial bombardment. A large force of Imperial Guard and Black Templars held the wall for a few bloody hours, but was overrun by the Khornate minions in the end. Phaedron was wounded yet again after destroying a Rhino, being hit by a Ratling’s sniper rifle and a point-blank hit from a lascannon. The newest Emperor’s Champion had his head torn off by a Greater Daemon of Khorne. The Drukhari Archaon Kael was shot by a Commissar when he and his retinue stormed the defence walls. With this victory, Chaos had entered Andeonium. They immediately fanned out and tried to move towards the centre of the hive, where the imperial palace stood.
Tag: Black Templars
21/9-2003 – Anarchy on Rhoie
In the aftermath of Abaddon’s 13th Black Crusade, war still lingered on many of the neighbouring planets and systems. Cut off from the higher command that had been Abaddon, the many warbands that his army consisted of reverted to follow their own agendas.
On Rhoie, a World Eater force supported by Daemons attacked an imperial-held power plant in order to cripple the force field surrounding Andeonium. Defended by a stalwart force of Space Wolves, the imperials managed to stall the attack long enough for a force of Black Templars to reach the area and drive the bloodcrazed followers of Khorne back. The World Eater Daemon Prince Phaedron was defeated in close combat by a charging squad of Blood Claws, led by Wolf Priest Hjalmar the Brave. The Emperor’s Champion held true to his title and claimed the lives of many traitors. The Black Templar Chaplain Holmbaud bravely held his ground, but was pulled down and taken out of action by the vicious World Eaters, moments before the Emperor’s Champion arrived. But in the ensuing mêlée the Champion was bested by the Berzerkers, although the victory was still imperial.
15/4-2003 – Abaddon departs
The Blood Angels and Black Templars pursued the Orks and Alpha Legionnaires, and finally got a confrontation between them in a rocky region of the area. The Greater Daemon of Ork killed the Grand Master of the Grey Knights, but was in turn killed by the Grey Knight Terminators. It was a close call, with the battle switching from a certain victory for Chaos and Orks in the beginning to a minor victory for the imperials.
After this defeat Abaddon returned to the Eye of Terror to consolidate his forces gathering there. His forces on Rhoie and Messen dug in, as did the imperials during the events that would later be known as the Eye of Terror campaign.
11/4-2003 – Alpha Legion lure Orks to attack
An unholy alliance between Alpha Legion and Orks are driven off by a contingent of Blood Angels and Black Templars. A greater Daemon of unknown origin, but very much bearing the resemblance of one of the Ork gods appeared. This prompted a squad of Grey Knights to teleport in and deal with it.
1/1-2003 – War on Rhoie
But Abaddon had still an unknown agenda as he directed the rest of his forces to the industrial world of Rhoie deeper in the system. This world was an important merchant world with rich mineral resources and a large spaceport. Abaddon swiftly crushed the port and landed his remaining forces on the planet, where they met stiff resistance from the local PDF and militia. The larger cities were also protected by large force fields, which were more than a match for Abaddon’s orbital barrage. As the invasion swiftly ground to a stalemate, more Aeldari and Space Marines appeared. The Blood Angels and Black Templars that had chased Abaddon arrived after defeating Abaddon’s rearguard and sent reinforcement to the loyal troops on the surface.
But then Abaddon sprang his surprise as all over the planet, local guerrilla and terrorist troops led by Alpha Legion Chaos Space Marines began attacking the force field installations and power plants. Soon, only the largest hive, Andeonium, stood. The few Aeldari troops along with the imperial and Chaos Space Marines began to converge on the hive for a final showdown.
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.
24/2-2002 – Halon’s Retreat under attack
It all began in the Corathi system, when a Chaos raiding party attacked a local Adeptus Astra Telepathica space station, Virago Telepathica, orbiting the agriworld Halon’s Retreat. The attack puzzled the local planetary commander, because Halon’s Retreat was home to one of the Imperial Navy Battlegroup Virago and the Chaos raiding party was immediately annihilated. The main planet in the Corathi system, Corathi itself, is a famous Ecclesiarchy world and is also well protected.
The reason for this suicide attack became apparent when a large Chaos fleet led by Abaddon appeared in orbit and destroyed the Imperial fleet. The imperial authorities could not send a distress signal because of the damaged relay stations. An appearing Space Marine fleet from the Blood Angels and Black Templars Chapters was badly mauled before they could disengage. The Chaos fleet lost only the strike force and a single cruiser due to a lucky hit from a Lunar class cruiser. It then proceeded to launch a planetary attack on Halon’s Retreat and board the Adeptus Astra orbital station. The attack was successful and a battalion of World Eater Traitor Marines, led by Lord Sharac Khzar, was deployed on the planet.