Avenger (Battle Barge)
The Avenger was a Battle Barge in the Raven Guard Legion, active during the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy.[1a]
History
As the Heresy began, the Avenger was left behind with a small force of the Legion, led by Commander Branne Nev, to defend Deliverance while Corax led the Raven Guard to confront Horus on Isstvan V. When, months later, Corax and the Legion had not returned, Nev commanded the Avenger and a flotilla composed of Therion Cohort ships and the Strike Cruisers Triumph and Raven's Valour, to the enemy-held Isstvan System in search of the Primarch.[1a]
When they neared Isstvan V, Nev dispatched the Therion ships to Isstvan IV to draw off Horus' forces, while the Avenger evacuated Corax and what remained of his Legion after the Dropsite Massacre. When the evacuation was completed, Corax ordered the Avenger, Triumph and Raven's Valour to each leave Isstvan V on different headings to confuse Horus' pursuing forces.[1a]
As the Strike Cruisers successfully escaped the System and journeyed back to Deliverance, Corax ordered the Avenger to find the Therion ships which had allowed his rescue to succeed.[1a] Unfortunately, after days of searching, no trace of the Therion ships could be found, though there was little doubt that they had been destroyed and the Avenger began to leave the System.[1b] Before it escaped, however, Corax wanted to land a final blow against Horus and gave the order to begin a sudden Warp Jump near the pursuing Word Bearers Strike Cruiser Valediction. When the Avenger escaped into the Warp, the Valediction was dragged along with it without its Gellar Field activated and its crew was soon killed by Daemons.[1c]
