Battle of the Aragna Chain
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The Battle of the Aragna Chain was a battle during the Horus Heresy.[1]
Overview
The battle was the culmination of a cat-and-mouse game between the largest Shattered Legions warlord Shadrak Meduson and captain of the Sons of Horus Tybalt Marr. The two had battled one another at Dwell and Arissak and Shadrak had just narrowly escaped an ambush by Marr during an attempted Iron Hands raid on a traitor supply convoy. During the incident, Marr left a message challenging Meduson to a final confrontation. Medusan, determined to forge the Shattered Legions into a renewed Legion, had just recently defeated an attempt by crazed Iron Fathers to usurp his power with a mechanical copy of Ferrus Manus. Driven by a vengeance to avenge what had befallen his brothers on Isstvan V, he wished for a full-scale battle, not a raid, against the Sons of Horus and their allies. Meanwhile, the resurrected Vulkan had come to accompany the Shattered Legions fleet on his journey to Terra but refused to lead Meduson's war.[1]
After weeks of maneuvering back and forth, Marr's larger fleet, led by the flagship Lupercal Pursuivant, attempted to close all of Meduson's escape routes in the Sector. Drive by ambition and vengeance, Meduson decided to strike at Marr directly and make the hunter the hunted. However, many in his legion disagreed with the plan of action, Vulkan included; ultimately, as the commander, Meduson's will was enacted. The fleet was primarily composed of Iron Hands vessels, but also ships of the Salamanders and Raven Guard joined them at the Aragna Chain.[1]
Led by the Iron Heart and Gorgon's Will, Meduson's fleet charged at Marr's in hopes of negating its advantage in long-range firepower. The loyalists took vicious Torpedo and Lance fire but still advanced, managing to take out several traitor ships. At the last minute, Meduson's fleet stopped charging, all save the Servitor-crewed Saurod, which was revealed to be acting as a Fire Ship. The vessel exploded, taking out a good portion of Marr's fleet and giving Meduson the initiative. At the same time, Iron Hands Captain Lumak and Nuros of the Salamanders successfully carried out a boarding action to take and hold the bridge of the enemy ship Horus Triumphant despite a traitor counterattack led by a Contemptor Dreadnought.[1]
At this point, Marr ordered a retreat and moved a part of his fleet back to extreme range. Meduson, perhaps overly confident of victory, ordered a pursuit, ignoring calls from the Iron Fathers to regroup and finish off the rest of the enemy fleet. His decision was finalized when Marr sent a goading message challenging him to follow. After severe disagreements on a course of action with Jebez Aug, Meduson became frustrated and decided to lead the attack against Marr himself. However, this attack left the Loyalists still fighting aboard the Horus Triumphant vulnerable. A boarding attack by Justaerin terminators slaughtered all loyalists aboard the vessel save Lumak and Nuros, until only the Iron Hand captain remained standing over his dying friend as the traitors began to fire on their own vessel. Lumak shouted loyalty to both of their Primarchs as the shields collapsed, the ship's explosion devastating several nearby Iron Hands vessels and negating the Loyalist's advantage. Despite the tide turning, Meduson was determined to press his attack and left the Iron Heart in the hands of Aug, taking a boarding party aboard Marr's flagship. Having seen his forces dwindle to nothing, Aug decided to no longer play along with Meduson's reckless vendetta and began to withdraw. His Medusan Immortals killed the Iron Father Goran Gorgonson after he refused to allow Meduson to be abandoned.[1]
Aboard the Lupercal Pursuivant, Meduson's boarding party fell into a trap of automated turrets armed with Flamers, multiple bulkheads closing to prevent their escape. Meduson was captured by the traitors after the rest of his men were killed. He was brought in chains before Marr, with the Sons of Horus Captain relishing in his victory before decapitating the defiant Meduson, who still declared he would have his vengeance and never capitulate.[1]
See also
Sources
- 1: Old Earth (Novel) — Chapters 18-23
