Solathen
Solathen was a member of the Emperor's Children Legion and served in Squad Nasicae during the Great Crusade. His squad was later chosen by their Primarch Fulgrim, to go to Isstvan III in order to suppress a revolt by the Planetary Governor Vardus Praal and were among the first wave to land upon the planet.[1a]
The squad later aided Captain Lucius[1a] in attacking Praal's bodyguard, which allowed Lucius to kill the corrupted Governor[1b]. Soon after Praal's death however, Warmaster Horus revealed his treachery and unleashed several Virus Bombs onto Isstvan III; beginning the purging of the Sons of Horus, Emperor's Children, Death Guard and World Eaters Legions, of those deemed too loyal to the Emperor[1c].
Solathen and the few remaining members of his squadron, were able to survive both the Virus Bombs and the firestorm that followed, and later regrouped with other surviving Loyalists in the Precentor’s Palace. As a result, the Palace became a target for the Traitors as they sought to kill any surviving Loyalists and Solathen defended it from countless attacks[1d]. During one such attack, traitorous members of the Emperor's Children, led by Lord Commander Eidolon, managed to breach the Palace's defenses; catching the Loyalists by surprise. During the attack, Solathen led a group of Loyalists in order to push the Traitors back, when Captain Saul Tarvitz contacted him; to ask Solathen to bring any Emperor's Children near him to the Captain's location, so they could launch an ambush on the Traitors. However, when Solathen and his Loyalist group located Tarvitz, they found the Captain engaged in a losing duel with Lucius. When Tarvitz saw Solathen and his group, he told them to fire upon Lucius, who had betrayed the Loyalists and had allowed the Traitors into the Palace, in exchange for being allowed to rejoin his Legion. Once he heard this, Solathen and the Loyalist Emperor's Children fired upon Lucius and wounded him, but they were unable to stop the traitor from escaping. With the Captain saved, Solathen and his group of Loyalists joined Tarvitz in launching an ambush on Eidolon and the Traitorous Emperor's Children[1e], which forced them to retreat from the Palace. Afterwards, he would continue to be a great aid to the Loyalists, until the end finally came; when the Traitors ended their attacks and began returning to their ships in orbit. When his surviving forces were completely evacuated, Horus gave the order to begin an orbital bombardment on Isstvan III, to ensure the Loyalists were killed. In the Precentor's Palace, Solathen was huddled with Tarvitz, and the hundred surviving Loyalists that still remained, when he asked the Captain if their efforts had hurt the Traitors. As the bombardment began to strike Isstvan III's surface, Tarvitz assured Solathen that they had, just before the Palace suffered a direct hit and was destroyed.[1f]
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