Battle of Nocturne
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The Battle of Nocturne was a battle during the Horus Heresy.
Overview
When Salamanders commander Artellus Numeon and surviving brothers of his Legion left Macragge with the body of their Primarch Vulkan in a bid to resurrect him on Nocturne, they were unknowingly followed by a contingent of Death Guard of the Vengeance Class Grand Cruiser Reaper's Shroud under Malig Laestygon while attempting to pass through the Ruinstorm. Oddly enough, it is suggested the Salamanders expedition was only able to pass the Ruinstorm thanks to the machinations of Magnus the Red. In truth, the Death Guard of the Reaper's Shroud were discarded by Mortarion after the Drop Site Massacre and were seeking to regain favor with their Primarch by finishing off the Salamanders. Malig's forces were aided by the Dark Apostle Quor Gallek[1]
After a brief battle in space when the Death Guard forces attempted to board the Salamanders vessel Charybdis to find Vulkan's body, when Laestygon realized the Primarch's coffin had been taken to Nocturne's surface he flew into a rage and began to prepare to land on the planet. Meanwhile the loyalist forces are able to land on Nocturne and link up with fellow survivors of the Legion under Chaplain Nomus Rhy'tan. As they muster their defenses, the Death Guard Cruiser in orbit attempts to destroy Nocturne by unleashing a Virus Bomb on the planet, but this is destroyed by a gigantic Flame Weapon on Nocturne's surface which burns the virus away. The Death Guard are then forced to make a land assault, where after vicious combat the Death Guard are eventually forced to flee from the planet.[1]
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