Battle of the Aragna Chain
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The Battle of the Aragna Chain was a battle during the Horus Heresy.
Overview
The battle was the culmination of a cat-and-mouse game between the largest Shattered Legions warlord Shadrak Meduson and Sons of Horus Captain Tybalt Marr. The two had battled one another at Dwell and Arissak and Shadrak had just narrowly escaped an ambush by Marr during an attempted Iron Hands raid on a traitor supply convoy. During the supply convoy incident, Marr left a message challenging Meduson to a final confrontation. Shadrak Meduson was by this point determined to forge the Shattered Legions into a renewed Legion and had just recently defeated an attempt by crazed Iron Fathers to usurp his power with a mechanical copy of Ferrus Manus. He was driven by a vengeance to avenge what had befallen his brothers on Isstvan V. He wished for a full-scale battle, not a raid, against the Sons of Horus and their allies. Meanwhile, the resurrected Vulkan had come to accompany the Shattered Legions fleet on his journey to Terra but refused to lead Meduson's war.[1]
After weeks of maneuvering back and forth, Marr's larger fleet led by the flagship Lupercal Pursuivant attempted to close all of Meduson's escape routes in the Sector. Drive by ambition and vengeance, Meduson decided to strike at Marr directly and make the hunter the hunted. However many in his legion disagreed with the plan of action, Vulkan included, but ultimately as the commander of the fleet Meduson's will was enacted. Meduson's fleet of primarily Iron Hands vessels but also Salamanders and Raven Guard met at the Aragna Chain.[1]
Led by the Iron Heart and Gorgon's Will under Augos Lumak, Meduson's fleet charged at Marr's in hopes of negating its advantage in long-range firepower. The loyalists took vicious Torpedo and Lance fire but still advanced and managed to take out several traitor ships and board the Horus Triumphant. At the last minute Meduson's fleet stopped charging, all save the Servitor-crewed Saurod, which was revealed to be acting as a Fire Ship. The vessel exploded, taking a good portion of Marr's fleet with it and giving Meduson the initiative. At the same time, Lumak and the Salamander Nuros led a boarding action that took the bridge of the Horus Triumphant despite a traitor counterattack led a Contemptor Dreadnought.[1]
At this point, Marr ordered a retreat and moved a part of his fleet back to extreme range. Meduson, perhaps overly confident of victory, ordered to pursue despite calls from Iron Father's to regroup and finish off the rest of the enemy fleet. His decision was finalized when Marr sent a goading message challenging him to pursue. After severe disagreements over action with Jebez Aug, Meduson became frustrated and decided to lead the attack against Marr himself. However this attack left Lumak, still fighting aboard the Horus Triumphant, vulnerable. A boarding attack by Justaerin slaughtered all loyalists aboard the vessel save Lumak and Nuros. They shouted loyalty to their Primarch's as the traitor fleet destroyed their own vessel. The explosion of the Horus Triumphant devastated several Iron Hands vessels nearby, negating Meduson's advantage. Despite the tide turning, Meduson was determined to lead his attack on Marr and left the Iron Heart in the hands of Aug. After seeing his forces dwindle down to nothing, Aug decided to no longer play along with Meduson's reckless vendetta and began a withdrawal. Aug's Medusan Immortals killed the Iron Father Goran Gorgonson after he refused to allow Meduson to be abandoned.[1]
Aboard the Lupercal Pursuivant, Meduson's boarding party fell into a trap of automated turrets armed with Flamers, multiple bulkheads closing to prevent their escape. All save Meduson and few of his men were killed and were captured by Marr's men. Meduson was brought in chains before Marr, with the Sons of Horus Captain relishing in his victory before decapitating the defiant Meduson who was still declaring he would have his vengeance and never capitulate.[1]
Sources
- 1: Old Earth (Novel) — Chapters 18-23