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Perun Cross Incident

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Perun Cross Incident
Conflict Harrowing of the Night Reapers
Date 992.M41
Location Perun Cross, Laanah Rifts
Outcome Imperial victory
Combatants
Imperium Night Reapers
Commanders
Lord Asterion Moloc
Captain Danicus (KIA)
Unknown
Strength
Minotaurs Chapter
Red Templars
Grey Knights Strike Force
Majority of Night Reapers
Casualties
Substantial Minotaurs casualties
Entire Grey Knights force
Total

The Perun Cross Incident took place in 992.M41, the culmination of the three year harrowing of the Night Reapers Chapter. It is considered troubling by the Ordo Xenos Departmento Analyticus, who note that the Grey Knights and Ordo Malleus remain curiously silent about the substantial losses suffered.[1]

Prelude

The Night Reapers Chapter were declared excommunicate traitoris in 989.M41 when they were conclusively linked to the destruction of the Rogue Trader fleet of Baron Stross Yuen. The first respondents to the excommunication were a four company strong force of the Avenging Sons Chapter with Imperial Navy support, who were forced to retreat due to the Night Reapers' use of 'warp-flame weapons' that bypassed their void shields. The High Lords of Terra then dispatched the Minotaurs and Red Templars at chapter strength, supported by fleets and defence forces from neighbouring sectors. The Red Templars were the hounds to the Minotaurs' hunter, bringing the Night Reapers to battle across a dozen star systems and a score of void battles. The renegades bloodied their pursuers at every turn, employing weaponry adapted from the cursed and near-extinct Hellgrammite and making deals with the arch-enemy, but were finally cornered at the Perun Cross.[1]

The Perun Cross

The Perun Cross was a vast, derelict, pre-human construct large enough to maintain a thin atmosphere. The bulk of the Night Reapers Chapter were present, tunnelling kilometres into the ancient core in search of some weapon to turn on their pursuers. The Imperial forces encircled and besieged the wreck before the Minotaurs launched their attack.[1][2]

At the height of the battle, a Grey Knights strike force arrived aboard the Strike Cruiser Equinox Blade. Captain Danicus ordered all Imperial forces except the Minotaurs to accede to his authority and retreat, proceeding to join the Minotaurs' boarding action via a teleport assault. Shortly afterwards, the Perun Cross was riven by a series of gigaton-level nuclear explosions, breaking into fragments. The entire Grey Knights force along with a substantial number of Minotaurs squads were destroyed, with major damage to the Equinox Blade and the death of all aboard. Asterion Moloc is known to have survived the incident.[1][2]

It was initially believed that the Night Reapers were no more, but they were sighted again in 999.M41.[2]

Sources