Siege of Hydra Cordatus
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This article is about the M41-era battle; for the Horus Heresy-era battle, see First Siege of Hydra Cordatus. |
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The Siege of Hydra Cordatus took place in late M41, when a battle-force of the Iron Warriors Chaos Space Marines besieged the Imperial fortress on the Forge World of Hydra Cordatus. The Iron Warriors had been ordered to take the fortress by Abaddon the Despoiler, seeking to recover the hidden store of Imperial Fists' gene-seed inside the fortress, as part of his plans for the impending 13th Black Crusade.[1] Under the overall command of The Warsmith , the primary Chaos commanders during the siege were Forrix, Honsou, and Kroeger.[2]
Though the better known siege of the planet, the M41 battle was actually the second Iron Warriors attack on the planet. The First Siege of Hydra Cordatus took place 10,000 years earlier during the Horus Heresy.
Overview
The Chaos invasion was concentrated around the fortress of Tor Christo. After brushing aside initial PDF and Imperial Guard forces, the battle became bloody when Titans of the Legio Ignatum entered the fray but The Warsmith managed to blunt their advance thanks to the aid of the Legio Mortis Imperator Titan Dies Irae. The Iron Warriors slowly pushed forward, using slave-soldiers as disposable fodder.[2]
Shortly before the final battle, Kroeger was slain by his Daemonically possessed slave. During the last stages of the campaign, Forrix was killed by a Warhound Titan as Iron Warriors stormed the complex, wiping out an entire company of Imperial Fists who had arrived as reinforcements along the way.[1] At the height of the battle, The Warsmith ascended to a Daemon Prince and abandoned his surviving forces for the Warp.[2]
Aftermath and Consequences
As the only surviving champion of The Warsmith, Honsou led the remnants of the Grand Company back to Medrengard, where the greater share of the captured gene-seed was delivered to Abaddon. However, Honsou kept a share for his own use, which provoked war with The Warsmith's former allies, Toramino and Berossus, with whom Honsou refused to share his spoils.[2]
The Imperial Fists 3rd Company was slain to a main during the battle, and had to be rebuilt under Captain Garadon.[3]
Sources
- 1: Storm of Iron (Novel) by Graham McNeill, [Needs Citation]
- 2: Dead Sky, Black Sun (Novel) by Graham McNeill, Prologue
- 3: Sentinels of Terra - The 3rd Company's Triumphs
