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{{CSMPortal}}{{DarkAngelsPortal}} The [['''Battle of Numarc]]] ''' was a raid by the [[Crimson Slaughter]] on the [[Dark Angels]] Recruitment World of [[Numarc]]. The [[Chaos Space Marines]] hoped to plunder the planet of its [[gene-seed]].{{Fn|1}}

The [[Warp]]-visions of Sorcerers aided Crimson Slaughter [[Chaos Lord]] [[Kranon]]’s search for the [[Dark Angels]] recruiting worldbest suited for attack. On the ice-covered planet of [[Numarc]], the Dark Angels had built thefortress of '''New Redemption'''. Although the star system was heavily populated, Numarcwas furthest from the sun – a frozen world where the small human population fought theelements and ferocious beasts to survive. Those harsh conditions made for excellentrecruits, where the Dark Angels could select the best warriors from the savage wastelandsand turn them into new [[Space Marines]]. It was also a location that the Crimson Slaughtercould raid and get away from before the full might of the Imperium could be rousedagainst them.{{Fn|1}}

Kranon knew there was trouble with the plan the moment the Crimson Slaughter attackfleet materialized out of Warp. Klaxons blared to warn of nearby enemy vessels. In orbitabove Numarc were four Dark Angels spacecraft. Further warnings announced spreads oftorpedoes were already rocketing towards them. It would have been prudent for Kranonto re-engage the Warp engines, for with his fleet already spotted the element of surprisewas gone. Even if they won the space battle, the [[Defence Laser]]s on Numarc would be fullyprimed, making planetfall a deadly proposition. Dark Angels reinforcements mightalready be on the way. Yet not for nothing was Kranon called the Relentless. Hecommanded the fleet forward; already the gun decks were blazing away at the distanttargets.{{Fn|1}}

There were six ships in the Crimson Slaughter fleet, but two of them were primarilytransports. The largest of the vessels was the flagship ''[[Red Honour]]'', but perhaps the mostdangerous was the heavily shielded ''[[Scimitar]]'', which mounted a brutal prowblade forramming. Although several of their [[torpedo]]es struck home, the Dark Angels ships werenot prepared to stand before the oncoming foe. With all haste, they were alreadymaneuvering to put the planet Numarc between themselves and the fast approachingChaos fleet. This played into Kranon’s hands, for it was not a space battle he had intended. He wishedto drive off the enemy fleet, denying them orbital support while he landed his own groundforces. They must hit hard, ideally completing their mission before the opposing fleetcould re-engage. It would not take them long to discern what the Crimson Slaughter wereaiming for – an assault on the stronghold of New Redemption. The Chaos fleet was notpowerful enough nor did it have a large enough numerical advantage to fight a battlewhile deploying or extracting troops.{{Fn|1}}

As planned, the speedy [[escort]]-class ''[[Ironwasp]]'' was the first to enter Numarc’s orbit. As thesmallest and fastest of Kranon’s [[attack craft]], it stood the best chance of avoiding fire fromthe planet. The three warbands it carried were soon planetbound. It was their task tosilence the three gunbases that covered this section of the hemisphere. As there was scanttime, Kranon ordered the next wave in straight away. The transports ''[[Helbound]]'' and''[[Deathbringer]]'' entered orbit and immediately jettisoned their transport and assault craftbefore the steady beams of defence laser fire began to pierce the thick atmosphere andlance upwards from the planet. [[Nephilim Jetfighter]]s scrambled to intercept the incoming assault craft. They were notexpecting metallic, winged monstrosities to drop out of the cloud banks. The [[Heldrake]]sstruck, their six-barrelled [[Hades Autocannon]]s spitting death, sending half of the DarkAngels air support spinning downwards on fiery contrails. In the fierce dogfight thatfollowed, the remaining ships were likewise dispatched, sent to crash below by rendingclaws or scythe-sharp wings. A few landing craft were caught by crisscrossing beams of ground fire – blasted apart bymacro cannons or pierced by defence lasers. Already, however, the ground-fire wasslackening as each of the orbital gun platforms came under attack by Crimson Slaughterforces. Enough of the assault boats had landed that the angel-winged tower of NewRedemption was soon surrounded. From out of screaming snow squalls emerged squadsof red-armoured renegades, scuttling [[Defiler]]s and roaring [[Helbrute]]s. There was nosubtlety to the attack – for there was no time. The Crimson Slaughter had come to takewhat was stored within the well defended stronghold, and they needed to do so before theDark Angels fleet returned.{{Fn|1}}

For their part, the stalwart Dark Angels knew that if they could hold out long enough,their distress calls would be answered with reinforcements. With robes whipping in thefreezing winds, they deployed to the outer trenches and prepared to hold off the invaders. Explosions blossomed on the snow plains, sending up geysers of ice shards. Great [[Forgefiend]]s reared out of the storm. They never haltedtheir firing, but as they advanced they stitched the loyalist battlelines with shot, flameslingering like tracers in the wake of their furious salvoes. Above the din could be heardthe battlecry of the [[Khorne]] [[Berzerker]]s – the same chant that had heralded untoldmassacres for ten millennia.

The Dark Angels’ only hope was to deplete their attackers’ numbers before they couldclose. The snow squalls and incoming fire made it difficult to aim, but the Space Marineshad equipment and training to counter such adversity. What they were not prepared for,however, was the spectral wave of phantasmal forces that washed over them, throwing offthe shots of even the most disciplined. Too soon and too fast the red wave of deathreached them – it swept over defence lines and moved ever towards the inner citadel. Alast counter-attack of half-trained Scouts and armoured vehicles was crushed in turn bypain-maddened Helbrutes. With its great pincer arms, a Defiler ripped open the sealeddoorway into the stronghold’s inner cloisters. While squads rushed in to plunderthe halls, Sorcerers and Dark Apostles stalked amongst the dead, callously extractinggene-seed from their fallen foes. As the other warbands had destroyed all three of thedefence lasers, the Crimson Slaughter fleet easily entered orbit to extract the CrimsonSlaughter their forces when their looting was complete. On Numarc, not a single Dark Angelremained alive.{{Fn|1}}