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Battle of Zepath

Battle of Zepath
Conflict Horus Heresy/Shadow Crusade
Date 011.M31
Location Zepath System, Ultramar
Outcome Loyalist Victory
Combatants
Imperium Secundus Word Bearers
World Eaters
Commanders
Lion El'Jonson
Farith Redloss
Stenius
Holguin
Unknown
Strength
10,000+ Dark Angels
Ultramar Auxilia
Several hundred Chaos Space Marines
Casualties
Unknown Dark Angels
near total loss of Auxilia forces
Annihilated

The Battle of Zepath was a battle during the Horus Heresy.[1]

Overview

Waged during the closing stages of the Shadow Crusade in Ultramar, the Dark Angels under Lion El'Jonson had recently arrived in the region through the Ruinstorm and had become part of Roboute Guilliman's Imperium Secundus. However after Konrad Curze escaped from the Invincible Reason (which he had been imprisoned on since the Thramas Crusade), he wrought havoc on Macragge. The Lion obsessively hunted Curze in the aftermath, believing he had managed to escape from Macragge. He traced a lead to the Zepath System, which had since fallen to traitor Word Bearers and World Eaters forces. The Dreadwing under Farith Redloss was deployed to lead the operation.[1]

In the Zepath system, the Monarch's Glory along with three corvettes, tried to battle a World Eater's battle-barge and its four escorts, including one Word Bearers ship, but the ships fled. The Dark Angels went planetside and began to fight the forces of traitor legions that were left behind, but the Lion began to have his doubts that Curze was ever in the system. Before the Lion could consider leaving, his forces on the ground sent him an image of a massive tower made from skeletons, which prompted the Lion to go planet side. Once there, Redloss said that of the 5 million citizens of the city, Antilasta, not one was alive. The Lion was disgusted at the Word Bearers' ritual. Before the Lion could order a pursuit of the fled traitors, a message from the frigate Colgrevance to report an energy signature over the southern continent in a fortification that soon attacked a thunderhawk patrol.[1]

The Lion soon ordered an attack on the fortress, joining it by stormbird. The Dark Angels forced their way into the fortress's tunnelwork and began to fight the traitor legionaries still remaining on the planet. Tanks and Land Raiders began to fire on the secondary citadel of the fortress, hitting its energy shield and laying siege. Seeing that it would take too long to take the shields, Paladin Xavis ordered a Dreadwing assault. Redloss ordered the Intolerant for focused fire as he organized his men. Redloss joined his men on a Spartan assault carrier. During the assault on the enemy fortifications, roughly 1,500 members of the Dreadwing were deployed. Redloss had the Intolerant blast the energy shield with an Annihilator Cannon, a warp-blasting weapon, as the legionaries chanted "We have come. We are death." As the legionaries reached the fortress, four Caestus assault rams were launched and smashed into it, quickly laying waste to the Word Bearers' human serfs. The traitors resisted with two World Eaters dreadnoughts and 20 legionaries. As forces on both sides were cut down, Redloss charged into one Dreadnought and brought it down with his axe before he attacked two of the World Eaters.[1]

In the capital Numentis, no one was left alive, but the Lion made it the focus of his victory. Survivors arrived, thanking the Dark Angels for their salvation but they were still afraid of legionaries and their war. This caused Holguin to doubt the Imperium Secundus, The Lion met with the people's leaders as the Dark Angels were rebuilding the city. The Word Bearers' towers were destroyed and the remains buried en masse. The Lion appointed the delegates as rulers to the world, but they were concerned that the Dark Angels would leave and not be there to protect the people further. After being dismissed, the new rulers tried to challenge Holguin about being abandoned, and Holguin reminded them that the Ultramarines would send support and that the war was started by Horus.[1]

Sources


Battles of the Horus Heresy
005-006.M31 Battle of Isstvan IIIFirst Battle of ProsperoWar Within the WebwayBattle of the Somnus CitadelUnrest on CalibanSchism of MarsBattle of DiamatDrop Site MassacreBattle of the Rangda SystemFirst Battle of ParamarManachean WarSignus CampaignTreachery at Advex-MorsSiege of CthoniaBattle for Felweather Keep‎
007-008.M31 Battle of PhallBattle of RavendelveRuin of MaerdanBattle of the Alaxxes NebulaPale Stars CampaignBreaking of the Perfect FortressChondax CampaignSecond Battle of ProsperoFirst Siege of Hydra CordatusBattle of the Furious AbyssBattle of CalthBattle of ArmaturaBetrayal at IthracaDeath of CanopusShadow CrusadeCrusade of IronDoom of BorminaDefence of TyrosDefence of the Three PlanetsBattle of UlixisAmbush at EspandorBattle of Aquila AtollBattle of Drooth IIPercepton CampaignBattle of IydrisThramas CrusadeFall of Baztel IIIBattle of VannaheimSecond Battle of ParamarBattle of Constanix IIMezoan CampaignBattle of BodtBattle of DwellErellian SubjugationSiege of Baal
009-010.M31 Battle of MolechBreaking of AnvillusXana IncursionCarnage of MoroxSangraal CampaignBattle of ArissakBattle of PerditusBattle of SothaDrussen AtrocityScouring of Gilden's StarBattle of NyrconBattle of TallarnCataclysm of IronBattle of NocturneWar of DrakesBattle of PlutoSiege of InwitBurning of Ohmn-MatBitter War
011-014.M31 Reaving of the Xibana ReachesLorin Alpha CampaignSubjugation of TyrinthMalagant ConflictBattle of the Kalium GateBattle of CatallusAxandrian IncidentBattle of the Haddon SystemJarrazr IncursionBattle of TralsakTarren SuppressionBalthor Sigma InterventionBattle of AbsolomScouring of the Ollanz ClusterBattle of ZepathSecond Battle of ZaramundBattle of AnuariBattle of PyrrhanSecond Battle of DavinArgolian MassacresBattle of TrisolianBattle of YarantBattle of KradeBattle of DelugeBattle of Heta-GladiusBattle of the Aragna ChainBattle of KallethBattle of the Diavanos SystemBattle of DesperationBattle of Beta-GarmonWar for AgaropsDefence of RyzaBattle of ThagriaPassage of AngelsThassos IncidentBattle of Zhao-ArkhadSerpent's CoilSiege of BarbarusForicaan CampaignBattle of VezdellBurning of VrexorDawn of DesolationDeath of ChemosBattle of Luth TyreYdursk IncidentFall of TenzebarSolar WarRaid on LunaSiege of TerraGreat Scouring