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'''Isstvan III''' was a [[Hive World]] in the [[Isstvan system]]. Its destruction and the surrounding circumstances was were the first overt sign of [[Warmaster]] [[Horus]]' s turn to the forces of [[Chaos]], and the first [[Battle of Isstvan III|battle]] of the [[Horus Heresy]].

|Tithe Grade=Unknown''Aptus non''

Having been founded sometime during the [[Dark Age of Technology]] and spared many of the horrors of the [[Age of Strife]] , Isstvan III was originally assimilated into the [[Imperium]] by the [[Raven Guard]] during the [[Great Crusade]]. The Raven Guard swiftly conquered the planet, attacking from orbit at night and destroying most of its limited military capabilities in one swoop. By the time dawn rose on the [[Hive]] of '''Khry Vanak''', Isstvan III's capital, the planetary leadership and military capability had been bombed into ruin. Aftewards, the administration of the Imperium moved in the wake of the [[Astartes]] and rebuilt the planet along the lines of the [[Imperial Truth]].{{Fn|5}}

Baron '''Vardus Praal''', Imperial governor of the Isstvan system, eventually rose in revolt against the Imperium, purging Imperial elements for as long as six years before word of the rebellion reached the [[Council of Terra]]{{Fn|5a}}. The [[Emperor of Mankind]] and the [[Council of Terra]], ignorant of the change in Horus, charged the Warmaster with crushing this rebellion. Under his command were four [[Space Marine Legion]]s; his own [[Sons of Horus]], the [[Emperor's Children]] of [[Fulgrim]], [[Mortarion]] and his [[Death Guard]], and the [[World Eaters]] led by [[Angron]]. Horus and these Primarchs had fallen to Chaos and took this opportunity to purge all suspected Loyalists loyalists from their Legions.

All The planned first wave, all suspected Loyalists were loyalists, deployed with by [[Drop pods]] upon '''Choral City''', the capital of the planet. Not using the traditional [[Stormbird]]s, and cutting their communication lines to the fleet, Horus tried to ensure that none of them would survive. Afterwards, he ordered a the massive [[Virus bombs|Virus virus bombardment]] upon the planet. However, Captain [[Saul Tarvitz]] of the Emperor's Children, working on a hunch, had managed to remain in the fleet. To his horror , where he discovered the planned bombardment and managed to seize commandeered a [[Thunderhawk ]] to save his betrayed brethren. The bombardment caused 12 billion deaths among the inhabitants{{Fn|2}}{{Fn|3}}, every Loyalist that couldn't reach shelter in time (World Eaters suffering the greatest losses) and the utter consumption of all organic matter upon the planet. Thanks to Tarvitz's warning , a few hundred loyal Space Marines managed to survive inside airtight bunkers and bomb shelters. As the putrid gases resulting from the rapidly decaying organic matter filled the atmosphere, Horus ignited a firestorm on the planet which melted the hives and razed the cities. The psychic death scream of the 12 twelve billion is said to have been louder than the [[Astronomican]]{{Fn|1}}{{Fn|2}}{{Fn|3}}.

Despite this, many Loyalists loyalists of the four Legions managed to survive, and an enraged Angron, acting against Horus' s orders, led his Legion to the surface to slaughter the survivors. Horus, trying to salvage the situation, sent detachments of all his Legions to slay the Loyalists. The Loyalists, fighting tenaciously, turned the planned slaughter into a full-scale battle. Under the command of Captains [[Garviel Loken]] and [[Tarik Torgaddon]] of the Sons of Horus (redubbed the Luna Wolves), Saul Tarvitz of the Emperor's Children, and [[Ehrlen]] of the World Eaters, the Loyalists loyalists were able to mount a surprising defence in the ruins of the capital city. Ultimately, the Loyalists were completely crushed, in part to [[Lucius (Emperor's Children)|Lucius']] 's betrayal and the orbital bombardment of the Choral City, but made Horus pay dearly. The battle lasted for three months and inflicted huge losses upon the Traitorstraitors. It was a Pyrrhic Victory victory at best. While the battle raged upon the planet, a handful of Loyalists loyalists led by Captain [[Nathaniel Garro]] of the Death Guard managed to commandeer a vessel, the frigate ''[[Eisenstein]]. The Eisenstein quickly '' and fled into the [[Warp]], and Garro managed to warn the [[Emperor]] of Horus' s betrayal. Horus prepared a trap on the planet [[Isstvan V]], which was much more successful.

*{{Endn|1}}: [[Galaxy In in Flames (Novel)|Galaxy in Flames]] by [[Ben Counter]], {{Cite This}}

*{{Endn|4}}: [[Fallen Angels (Novel)|Fallen Angels]] by [[Mike Lee]], {{Cite This}}