View source for Somnus Citadel

{{ImperiumPortal}}
The '''Somnus Citadel''' was the headquarters of the [[Sisters of Silence]] during the [[Great Crusade]]. Based on [[Luna]], it contained launch bays for [[Black Ship]]s and was an impressive fortress armed with automated gun-drones. In addition, parts of the citadel could be separated and lowered underground in case of attack.{{Fn|1}}

==History==
During the early stages of the [[Horus Heresy]], the survivors of the ''[[Eisenstein]]'' were interred within the Somnus Citadel on the orders of [[Rogal Dorn]]. Battle in the citadel took place when the terminally ill ''Eisenstein'' survivor [[Solun Decius]] gave himself over to [[Nurgle]]. Mutating into a [[Warp]] abomination, Decius slew numerous Sisters of Silence and loyalist Death Guard until he was killed by [[Nathaniel Garro]]. After the incident, the Somnus Citadel was used as the base of operations for [[Malcador (Character)|Malcador]]'s newly formed [[Knights-Errant]].{{Fn|1}}

Shortly before the [[Siege of Terra]], the Sisters of Silence abandoned the Somnus Citadel in order to fortify the [[Imperial Palace]] instead.{{Fn|2}} Following the fall of Luna to the Traitors in the [[Solar War]], it was taken by the [[Sons of Horus]] and [[Selenar]]. During the [[Retaking of Luna]] in the [[Great Scouring]], [[Ultramarines]] [[Chief Librarian]] [[Titus Prayto]] led the storming of the Citadel and personally killed Sons of Horus [[Chief Apothecary]] [[Vardesh Kraiya]]. Underneath the Citadel, the Imperials discovered large numbers of [[League of Black Ships|Black Ships]] ready for use.{{Fn|5}}

After the Heresy the Citadel was subsequently said to be ruined and abandoned, but apparently descendants of the [[Selenar|Selenites]] known as the [[Fellowship (Sisters of Silence)|Fellowship]] remained.{{Fn|3}} The only part of the citadel that was properly maintained during this time were the orbital docking spikes for the Blackships.{{Fn|4}} At the dawn of the [[Indomitus Crusade]] on the orders of the recently resurrected [[Roboute Guilliman]], the Somnus Citadel was restored.{{Fn|3}} Despite its renovations, many old cracks and unrepaired sections still remain.{{Fn|4}}

==Sources==
*{{Endn|1}}: [[The Flight of the Eisenstein (Novel)]], Chapter 15
*{{Endn|2}}: [[The Buried Dagger (Novel)]], Chapter 2
*{{Endn|3}}: [[Watchers of the Throne: The Regent's Shadow]], Chapter 6: Aleya, Chapter 18: Aleya
*{{Endn|4}}: [[Hand of Abaddon (Novel)]], Chapter 7
*{{Endn|5}}: [[Ashes of the Imperium (Novel)]], Chapter 38

[[Category:Battles (Daemons)]]
[[Category:Battles (Sisters of Silence)]]
[[Category:Places]]
[[Category:Segmentum Solar]]
[[Category:Terra]]