1,272
edits
Welcome to Warhammer 40k - Lexicanum! Log in and join the community.
Changes
From Warhammer 40k - Lexicanum
→The Palace Besieged
Despite this setback, Horus remained undeterred. He organized a massive attack by the Legio Mortis, Sons of Horus, [[Chaos Knight]]s, and [[Dark Mechanicum]] war engines against the Mercury-Exultant Kill-zone, a 150km-deep No Man's Land before the Exultant Wall which connects the Inner and Outer Palaces. This massive force was met by some 50 engines of the [[Legio Ignatum]]{{Fn|15a}}, including the ''[[Emperor Titan]]s'' ''[[Imperious Prima]]'', ''[[Exemplis]]'', and ''[[Magnificum Incendius]]''. This formidable army was aided by not only the shattered remains of other Titan Legions such as the [[Legio Solaria]], [[Legio Atarus]], [[Legio Defensor]], [[Legio Amaranth]], [[Legio Gryphonicus]], and [[Legio Invigilata]] but also dozens of [[Knight House]]s and supporting [[Imperial Army]] and [[Secutarii]].{{Fn|15b}} The [[Ordo Sinister]] also finally agreed to enter the fighting, sending a [[Warlord-Sinister]] [[Psi-Titan]] to the Ignatum's aid.{{Fn|15d}} In the ensuing apocalyptic battle, the Traitors first attacked with waves of destroyed Titans that had been resurrected through sorcery. These "zombie" Titans now walked without a living [[Princeps]], and were largely used as cannon fodder by the Traitors due to their ability to absorb enormous amounts of punishment.{{Fn|15c}} In their wake came the Legio Mortis and endless swarms of Dark Mechanicum vehicles and [[Daemon Engine]]s. They were led by the ''[[Dies Irae]]'' and its bodyguard of 7 Warlord Titans.{{Fn|15b}} Despite the devastation wrought upon by the Traitors, thanks to orbital bombardment, new [[Warmaster Titan]]s, weight of numbers, and madness spread amongst the mortal crews, the Traitors ultimately prevailed in annihilating the Legio Ignatum and its allies and reaching the Exultant Wall.{{Fn|15e}}
[[image:Battle of Terra1.jpg|thumb|right|250px|The [[Adeptus Custodes]] battle [[Daemon]]s at the Imperial Palace]]
Meanwhile, the force of Dark Angels under [[Corswain]] remained in the fringes of the Sol System, rendezvousing with Admiral [[Niora Su-Kassen]] and her hidden fleet led by the ''[[Phalanx]]''. It was agreed that the Dark Angels should make for Terra to aid the defenders, but they would need something significant in order to break the traitor blockade of the world. Su-Kassen provided the enormous Battle-Carrier ''[[Imperator Somnium]]'', the former flagship of the Emperor himself. The ship was largely evacuated of crew and sent plummeting towards the traitor fleet as the Dark Angels vessels hid in its wake. Though torn apart by enemy fire, the mighty ''Imperator Somnium'' was able to destroy four World Eaters [[Heavy Cruiser]]s and an Emperor's Children [[Battle Barge]] and after its . The explosion, it of the Emperor's ship heavily damaged the [[Terminus Est]] and the [[Conqueror]].{{Fn|15f}} The Dark Angels vessels were able to launch a [[Drop Pod]] landing operation to deliver their warriors to Terra, with Corswain's force landing upon the [[Forbidden Fortress|Hollow Mountain]]. Battling through the Emperor's Children and many warp-spawned horrors inside the Fortress including the [[Daemon]] [[Vassukella]], Corswain was able to establish contact with Dorn and announced his intent to attempt and reactivate the [[Astronomican]].{{Fn|15g}}
Horus ordered his army to push on and had the attack on the outer walls of the [[Imperial Palace]] be spearheaded by the [[Legio Mortis|Death's Head]] Titan Legion. Losing five Titans within minutes to entrenched loyalist defenses, the traitor forces would not relent and kept hammering away at the palace walls. A counterattack against the Chaos horde's flanks by loyalist titans failed, though the [[White Scars]] took advantage of the confusion it caused to sweep down at the traitor forces rear columns and wreak havoc.{{Fn|2}} The Siege of the Imperial Palace soon ground on for many days, with the two primary attacks during this time being made by Angron and his World Eaters supported by [[Daemon Engines]] in one sector and the [[Legio Mortis]] in the other.{{Fn|1c}} Meanwhile, while the traitor army had been battering at the Palace walls, [[Jaghatai Khan]] and his [[White Scars]] Legion had been busy harassing their flanks in a series of hit-and-run attacks. Now the Khan changed plans and launched a lightning nighttime raid on the [[Lions Gate Spaceport]] in cooperation with the 1st Terran Tank Division of the loyalist Imperial Army, easily overrunning the traitor garrison and reclaiming the port in the name of the Emperor. The attack managed to slow the Traitor advance on the Imperial Palace.{{Fn|1c}} In addition, Horus ordered the [[Death Guard]] to pull back from the assault on the palace to deal with the White Scars.{{Fn|2}}
