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From Warhammer 40k - Lexicanum
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Waged against [[Galaspar]], the capital [[Hive World]] of a pocket empire, the [[human]] civilization there had refused to accept the rule of the [[Imperium]] and opened fire on [[Explorator]] vessels and Imperial envoys. Imperial officials were cautious of the power of Galaspar's Empire and given other fierce campaigns in the area initially put off waging the war for several years. However the recently rediscovered Mortarion instead volunteered his Death Guard, wishing to prove himself and seeing the tyranny of Galaspar's rulers similar to his own experiences on [[Barbarus]].{{Fn|2a}} So it was without warning that the Death Guard fleet smashed through the outer defences of the [[Galaspar system]].{{Fn|1}}
Defeating the initial enemy defenses of asteroid-fortresses and [[Fire Ship]]s, Mortarion's fleet made a direct course for Galaspar itself, ignoring the surrounding planets. Reaching Galaspar's orbit, Mortarion led the invasion of the world from his personal assault barque, the ''Forth [[Fourth Horseman]]''. The three kilometer-long craft plowed into the upper [[Hive]]s of Galaspar, toppling the city's spires and unleashing its deadly cargo of 11,000 Death Guard [[Space Marine]]s. Galaspar's primary hive fell in a night and a day, the Death Guard killing any man, woman, or child who stood before them.{{Fn|1}}
The unprepared slave-soldiers of Galaspar found themselves reeling in terror at the Astartes onslaught. Falling back to defensive redoubts, the Galaspar force's [[Stubber]]s and [[Lasgun]]s proved useless against thick Astartes [[Power Armor]]. The Death Guard seized ground, destroyed enemy counter attacks, and advanced in its wake in a cycle that broke the Galaspar defenders. The Death Guard also employed biological weapons, using [[Phosphex Bomb]]s to sow death and terror. The enemy forces began a bloody retreat into the lower depths of Galaspar's hives but, even in this noxious and dark environment, the Death Guard found and slaughtered them. With Galaspar's primary hive in firm Death Guard control, the Legion's [[Techmarine]]s took control of the main planetary orbital defenses, quickly disabling them. This allowed the orbiting Death Guard fleet to safely land even more reinforcements on the world.{{Fn|1}}
