Changes

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 instrument in maintaining the cohesion of [[Imperium Secundus]], the battle on the periphery of [[Ultima]] segmentum Segmentum turned into a strategically important struggle for the future of [[Imperium Secundus]].

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 a survey expedition of archaeologists and xenoculturists. One company of the [[Ultramarines]] legion, the 199th, was assigne assigned permanently to [[Sotha]] as a protective detail.{{Fn|1a}}

After the start of [[Horus Heresy]], primarch Primarch [[Roboute Guilliman]] himself assigned the loyalist [[warsmithWarsmith]] [[Barabas Dantioch]] of the [[Iron Warriors]] 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 Captain [[Alexis Polux]] volunteered to help Dantioch.{{Fn|1b}}, for despite their respective chapters' animosity they developed a strong comradeship.

Without knowledge of either Unbeknownst to Dantioch, Polux , or captain Adallus, commander of the 199th company's commander Captain Alladus, a blind spot near a local Mandeville point was designated as the rendezvous point for [[Night Lords]] fleet elements during the [[Thramas Crusade]]. After their fleet was scattered following their defeat by the [[Dark Angels]] , several vessels, including the [[Umber Prince]], [[Dominus Noctem]] and [[Shadow Blow]] used this rendezvous point to regroup and repair battle damage. At the time of [[the Pharos]] ' activation , only [[Umber Prince]] under command of clawClaw-master [[Gendor Skraivok]] of the 45th Company remained on station , but some time later a Night Lords fleet translated into the Sothan System. It This fleet was a [[Night Lords]] fleet commanded by the [[Kyroptera]] member, Captain [[Krukesh the Pale]] captain of 103rd Company. Witnessing the activation of [[Pharos]] the beacon, Krukesh decided to invade the system in order to secure it and determine its function of the beacon.{{Fn|2}}

The Night Lords' invasion of the Sothan System consisted of two main phases. In the first phase, wreck the wreckage of [[strike cruiser]] Nycton was brought on a collision course with [[Sotha]]{{Fn|3a}}. The drifting wreck was intercepted by the Venom-class destroyer ''[[Probity]]'' commanded by sergeant Sergeant Lethicus and , after a short investigation , it was destroyed by repeated torpedo strikes from the [[Probity]]. After destruction of NyctonFollowing this, sergeant Lethicus decided to inform company and system command about the interception and destruction and ordered [[Probity]] to set a course for Relay Station Seven. However, one of the vox-relay stations seeded throughout the system. Aboard aboard this station, there was however a force of thirty-two [[Night Lords]] legionaries under Skraivok's command that had boarded the station fourteen days two weeks prior to Nycton's destruction{{Fn|3b}}. Short A short but intense close-quarters fight erupted when sergeant Lethicus begun began to suspect there was an enemy presence aboard the vox-relay station and led fifteen warriors of his squad in a counter -attack against the Night Lords{{Fn|3c}}. He However, he was however ambushed and Skraivok and his force's troop, even after sustaining significant losses, captured [[the Probity]].{{Fn|3d}}

The second phase of Sothan System the invasion consisted of the use of the captured destroyer [[Probity]] to neutralize [[Ultramarines]] Ultramarine legion forces aboard an orbital station called ''[[Aegida]]'' Platform. [[Probity]] approached the station and ; after vox contact was established one of its crew members was , under torture , was forced to mislead Captain Adallus into allowing [[Probity]] to dock with Aegida Platform. Once a boarding force, again under command of [[Gendor Skraivok]], gained entry to Aegida Platform, the presence of the [[Night Lords]] fleet was revealed. The boarding force Skraivok managed to quickly overwhelm defences of [[Ultramarines]] the defenses aboard the orbital station and managed to capture captain , captured Adallus , and kill killed or capture captured half of the 199th Company{{Fn|3g}}. Only one the 55th [[Neophyte]] [[Scout squad]], the 55th, of 199th Company's Scout Cohort managed to escape Aegida Platform{{Fn|3e}} using a [[Thunderhawk]] gunship and land , landing on Sotha where they started to harrass [[harass Night Lords]] forces.{{Fn|3i}}

While the battle raged aboard Aegida Platform, the remaining forces under Krukesh's command performed a combat landing on Sotha without much opposition: the [[Night Lords]] deployed the majority of 20,000 legionaries in at least seven companies with siege tanks and support vehicles.{{Fn|3g}} This force quickly overran the 199th Company's planetside castellum and killed all but approximately hundred [[Ultramarines]] of the 199th.{{Fn|3g}} Their second target was the city of Sothopolis, where individual warriors or whole squads of [[the Night Lords]] either massacred much of the city's population or captured , capturing some civilians and subjected subjecting them to torture. Some of the city's inhabitants were evacuated into the safety of [[Mount Pharos]] by soldiers of the Sothan First Auxilia.{{Fn|3f}}

After subjecting Sothan population to torturethis, at least seven Night Lord companies (7th, 19th, 23rd, 45th, 89th, 103rd and 104th){{Fn|3j}} launched an all -out attack on Mount Pharos. Pharos facility's defence was defenses were designed by warsmith [[Dantioch]] himself and commanded by captain [[Alexis Polux]]. Captain Polux , who had at his disposal one hundred and twenty 120 legionaries, comprised of survivors of the 199th Company and members of Polux's his own Imperial Fists Lightkeepers.{{Fn|3g}} Defenders The defenders used several blind caves cave ploys to lure [[the Night Lords]] attackers into launching assaults on these well defended positions, inflicting heavy losses,{{Fn|3h}} while the Sothan First Auxilia units and Aegida Company's Scouts conducted reconnaissance patrols and launched ambushes from more concealed positions higher on the slopes of the mountain.{{Fn|3i}}

Due to heavy anti-aircraft fire from Mount Pharos's fortification, Emperor's Watch, and the interference of Pharos's beam, an aerial or teleport assault on the Pharos facility was not possibleimpossible.{{Fn|3j}} However, a daemon, using the body of [[Librarian]] Berenon the Night Lords's 45th Company's librarian, managed to strike a deal with [[Gendor Skraivok]]. In exchange for possession of Skraivok's body for his survival of Sothan Battle, the demon daemon revealed a means to gain a teleport lock inside Mount Pharos, and breaking the stalemate was broken.{{Fn|3j}}

Without revealing the source of his information, Skraivok shared his this knowledge of how to invade the mountain with Krukesh, who decided to launch and lead an immediate teleport teleportation assault accompanied by his company's Terminator Claw. Simultaneously, Skraivok rejoined the ground assault that finally succeeded to gain in gaining access inside the Mount Pharos and into facility, capturing both [[Dantioch]] and [[Polux]] in the process.{{Fn|3k}}

Once primarch [[Guilliman]] was made aware of the situation via Pharos' communication beam, he ordered [[Dantioch]] to contact captain Captain [[Lucretius Corvo]], the hero of Astagar and commander of 90th 'Nova' Company, who was nearby in the Beremin system with two and a half [[Ultramarines]] companies and [[a Dark Angels]] demi-company, to move with his squadron and companies forces to Sotha. Per Guilliman's orders , he was to launch diversionary attacks to slow down [[the Night Lords]] ' advance. Corvo's diversionary attacks were , to provide buy more time to Mount Pharos' defenders , and also to allow a larger relief force under Guilliman's personal command to arrive to Sothan system and defeat the traitors.{{Fn|3g}}. Corvo and his squadron left the Beremin system immediately after receiving his orders and set a course for the Sothan System using the Pharos beam to guide his course through the [[Ruinstorm]]. At the time when When Pharos was captured by [[Night Lords]] ' final assault, Corvo's squadron experienced a sudden drop of speed and he ordered immediate activation of immaterium their warp drive to enact emergency translation into realspace. All of his vessels were damaged by the emergency re-entry into realspace and one ship, [[Spear of Hermia]], was destroyed after her reactor detonated. The However, the squadron was however only nine hours of flight from Sotha.{{Fn|3k}}Corvo ordered his ships to launch a salvo of torpedoes and missiles that preceeded them. Thanks to having translated out of immaterium with high residual velocity, it caught the [[Night Lords]] fleet by surprise. Several [[Night Lords]] vessels were damaged and other were provoked into pursuit of [[Ultramarines]] vessels. This created window of opportunity for Corvo's flagship, the [[Glorius Nova]], and for [[Dark Angels]] vessel, the [[Watcher]]. While [[Watcher]] engaged remaining [[Night Lords]] vessels and was destroyed in the process, Corvo led a strike force of hundred and twenty-six legionaries of his company to relieve defenders of Mount Pharos. On the surface of Sotha, Corvo's strike force linked up with Sothan First Auxilia soldiers and Scouts of 199th Company. Scouts led the strike force into caverns under Mount Pharos while soldiers of Sothan First Auxilia engaged [[Night Lords]] pursuit force and delayed them before they were destroyed.{{Fn|3l}}

Corvo ordered his ships to launch a salvo of torpedoes and missiles. Thanks to having translated out of the immaterium with high residual velocity, this caught the Night Lords fleet by surprise. Several Night Lords vessels were damaged and others were provoked into pursuing the Ultramarines vessels. This created a window of opportunity for Corvo's flagship, the [[Glorius Nova]], and for the Dark Angels vessel the [[Watcher]]. While Watcher engaged the remaining Night Lords ships and was destroyed in the process, Corvo led a strike force of a hundred and twenty-six of his legionaries to relieve Mount Pharos. On Sotha's surface, Corvo's strike force linked up with the Sothan First Auxilia soldiers and the 55th Scouts of 199th Company. The Scouts led the strike force into the caverns under Mount Pharos while the Sothan First Auxilia engaged a Night Lords pursuit force, delaying them at the cost of their own lives.{{Fn|3l}} Not knowing that the relief force is was only a few hours from rescuing him, warsmith [[Dantioch]] located the Gloriana-class battleship [[Nightfall]], the flagship of the [[Night Lords]] legion , after being tortured and blackmailed by threats to [[against Polux]]. Krukesh , knowing that his forces above the planet were engaged hopelessly outgunned by [[Ultramarines]] vessels , decided to use Pharos and transport himself and Skraivok aboard the [[Nightfall]]. [[Dantioch]] used this opportunity to tune overload the Pharos beacon into overpower that killed , killing most of the [[Night Lords]] legionaries in Primary Location Alpha, transported blinded Krukesh and Skraivok to [[Nightfall]] and disabled the majority of shipboard systems and power armour systems on the planet and in orbit above it. This way, Thus he turned the tide against the traitors and enabled [[an Ultramarines]] victory costing [[Dantioch]] with the sacrifice of his life.{{Fn|3m}}

The last light of Pharos ' beacon enabled second Guilliman's relief force led by [[primarch]] [[Guilliman]] to translate directly into the Sothan System. This second fleet reinforced Corvo's vessels forces and hunted down disabled [[the last of the Night Lords]] vessels in the system. [[Guilliman]] himself posthumously awarded [[Dantioch]] the title of "Hero of the Imperium, " inducted the neophytes who survived the battle into the Ultramarines legion , and promoting their leader to the rank of [[Reconnaissance Squad]] [[Sergeant]]. Under [[Polux]]'s guidance a partial functionality of , the Pharos beacon was partially restored and [[Guilliman]] announced the construction of a larger fortress to guard Mount Pharos. The 199th Aegida Company of the Ultramarines was awarded by Guilliman with an emblem of two crossed scythes, which would eventually form their basis to become the [[Scythes of the Emperor]] chapter after the implementation of the [[Codex Astartes]].{{Fn|3n}} However, Krukesh and Skraivok were successfully transported to the Nightfall, which then fled the Sothan System.