Battle 10: the Atonement of Angels

- Location: the desert city of Tartarus, Cerberus XIII.
- Imperial Forces: Dark Angels, 3:rd company
- Chaos Forces: Chaos, the Unhallowed 11:th
- Points value: 900 points on each side 

[Author: Jocke B]

Defeat. The green tide had swallowed Company Master Demetrious´s force. Now it was time for retreat and regrouping back at loyalist lines, eagerly followed and harried by ork forces. The wounded Demtrious was evacuated by the only thunderhawk that had managed to brave the fighters and anti aircraft guns of the traitor forces. The same thunderhawk also disgorged squad Anderfeld and Interrogator Chaplain Isiah Wrath who took command of the breakout, since only the wounded could ride out in the ship.

A group of the scattered Dark Angels, which made up the reconnoiter force that had departed the base some days before, gathered under the Interrogator´s command and formed the spearhead of the remaining forces. Those able to fight formed new squads and were placed on the flanks to cover the breakout. The surviving dreadnought Brother Anvilus and the predator tank Ignis Lux were put in the front of the force.

As the force began its move, all was calm, the gunfire from the greenskins slowly faded, artillery fire from the other fronts was barely registered. Several kilometers were traversed before something bothered the keen senses of the vanguard. Something was very wrong.
Then it came into sight. The sickly green rhino of a traitor legion and other signs of the ruinous powers: gibbering demons, a small group of traitor terminators and a group bristling with heavy weapons hiding in a high building.

Interrogator Wrath ordered the attack. They were too close to the loyalist lines to turn back and take another route, besides, the old chaplain recognized their foe: the Unhallowed 11th. Sons of Horus himself. There were no options.
Combat squads of marines took positions among the ruined buildings on both sides of the road while their brethren rode the rhinos in advance.

Fire erupted between the two forces and the chaos troops moved shouting praises to their fell gods, as the Dark Angels advanced in grim silence, letting their guns sing the praises of the Emperor.
Fierce fighting took place between traitor and loyalist among the ruins of Tartarus and many fell. Dark powers of the warp concealed a great beast of lava and metal as it appeard and tore Ignis Lux into a wreck but was then destroyed by Brother Anvilus in turn. Chaos legionnaries mowed down silent Angels with fire, bolts and boobytraps but was avenged by Isiah Wrath and Codicier Percival. The horde of pink and purple The horde of pink and purple demons was held at bay by squad Anderfeld as well as Anvilus.
The climax of the battle came when the Lord of the Sons became visible outside the ruin where Wrath and Percival was regrouping, the floors and halls full of dead from both sides. Losing no time, the two charged out to face the Lord and his terminator henchman, to finally break the chaos warband.

With a storm of blows from his devastating mace, Interrogator Wrath laid low both opponents in a matter of seconds. Shrieks came from the pack of demons as they was torn back to the warp and the surviving few of the traitors faded back into the ruined landscape. The path to Emperor hallowed ground lay clear!

Dark Angel victory 16-5