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|Conflict =[[Horus Heresy]]
|Date =~009.[[M31]]
|Location =[[Ultima SegmentumSotha]]
|Outcome =Loyalist tactical victory
|Combatant1 =[[Night Lords]]
|Commanders2 =Captain [[Adallus]](KIA)<br>Captain [[Lucretius Corvo]] <br>Captain [[Alexis Polux]] <br>Warsmith [[Barabas Dantioch]](KIA)<br>
|Strength1 =20,000 legionaries of the [[Night Lords]] Legion<br>
|Strength2 =approx. 3,000 legionaries of the [[Ultramarines]] Legion <br> 500 legionaries of the [[Dark Angels]] Legion<br>50 [[Imperial Fists]] Legionaries<br>[[Thallax]]<br>2 [[Battle-Automata]]<br>[[Ultramar Auxilia]] elements
|Casualties1 =almost total losses of [[Night Lords]] legion
|Casualties2 =heavy losses of Imperial Forces
}}
The '''Battle of Sotha''' was a minor battle of the Horus Heresy, in which the forces of the [[Night Lords]] Traitor Legion attempted to assume control of the [[Pharos]] beacon on the planet [[Sotha]]. As the Pharos beacon was the key instument instrument in maintaining the cohesion of [[Imperium Secundus]], the battle on periphery of [[Ultima]] segmentum turned into strategically important struggle for future of [[Imperium Secundus]].
== Early Events ==
Planet [[Sotha]] was discovered by exploration fleets from [[Ultramar]] during [[Great Crusade]]. After its discovery it was planned to colonize it but these plans were put on hold and instead a small agri-colony was established together with survey expedition of archeologists archaeologists and xenoculturists. One company of the [[Ultramarines]] legion, the 199th, was assignet assigne permanently to [[Sotha]] as protective detail.{{Fn|1a}}
After the start of [[Horus Heresy]], primarch [[Roboute Guilliman]] assigned loyalist [[warsmith]] [[Barabas Dantioch]] to direct and oversee exploration of the [[Pharos]] beacon machine in order to utilize its use to benefit [[Ultramar]] and [[Imperium Secundus]]. Later in the course of events, [[Imperial Fist]] captain [[Alexis Polux]] volunteered to help Dantioch.{{Fn|1b}}
==The Battle==
=== Infiltration ===
Night Lords' invasion of Sothan System consisted of two main phases. In first phase, wreck of [[strike cruiser]] Nycton was brought on collision course with [[Sotha]]{{Fn|3a}}. The drifting wreck was intercepted by Venom-class destroyer ''[[Probity]] '' commanded by sergeant Lethicus and after short investigation it was destroyed by repeated torpedo strikes from the [[Probity]]. After destruction of Nycton, sergeant Lethicus decided to inform company and system command about the interception and destruction and ordered [[Probity]] to set course for Relay Station Seven, one of the vox-relay stations seeded throughout the system. Aboard this station, there was however force of thirty-two [[Night Lords]] legionaries under Skraivok's command that boarded the station fourteen days prior to Nycton's destruction{{Fn|3b}}. Short but intense close-quarters fight erupted when sergeant Lethicus begun to suspect there was enemy presence aboard the vox-relay station and led fifteen warriors of his squad in counter attack against the Night Lords{{Fn|3c}}. He was however ambushed and Skraivok and his force, even after sustaining significant losses, captured [[Probity]]{{Fn|3d}}.
=== Battle of Aegida Platform ===
