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Horus next struck at the [[Manachean Commonwealth]], a loyalist independent dominion within the Imperium to the galactic east of the Cyclops Cluster. As the traitors approached, insurrection and rebellion (perhaps instigated by the [[Alpha Legion]]) began to plague Imperial authorities throughout the region. To the further detriment of the Commonwealth, Imperial command at [[Port Maw]] dispatched the bulk of their fleet to deal with a nearby [[Ork]] force. Meanwhile, the defenses at Port Maw were undermined by sabotage thanks to the treacherous [[Archmagos]] [[Leit Mercuric]], who hid his true allegiance until it was too late. With communications and defenses in complete chaos, the traitor forces swiftly captured the base from brave but outclassed [[Solar Auxilia]] troops and what active [[Imperial Armada]] warships remained loyal. When Horus' own flagship, the ''[[Vengeful Spirit]]'' arrived, the battle in space was decided in the traitors' favour.{{Fn|1c}}{{Fn|1d}}
Near-simultaneously, the [[Sons of Horus]] began their assault on Manachea. Striking at [[Hive Ilium]] on [[Manachea Vysidae]], Horus' forces under [[Abaddon]] defeated the shocked but tenacious [[Imperial Army ]] resistance. After capturing the Palace of Light, the Manachea Commonwealth folded to the traitors.{{Fn|1c}}{{Fn|1d}} It was then that Horus, the Death Guard, and the majority of the traitor forces left the region to conduct campaigns elsewhere, leaving a smaller garrison to oversee the Commonwealth's subordination. Meanwhile, the [[Iron Hands]] ship ''[[Red Talon]]'' of [[Clan Morragul]] under [[Autek Mor]] had arrived in the system, exacting vicious retribution on traitors and their collaborators wherever they could be found, [[Gethsamaine Raid|striking at]] [[Gethsamaine Colonus]] in the [[Grail Abyss]]. In a murderous fury, Mor's troops used [[nuclear weapon]]s to depopulate Gethsamaine.{{Fn|1d}}{{Fn|2b}}
While the ruling traitor Magos under [[Draykavac]] was still busy mopping up the last remnants of resistance in his newly-conquered sectors, a loyalist reinforcement fleet from the nearby [[Agathean Domain]] arrived under [[Lord Marshal]] [[Ireton MaSade]]. MaSade struck at the recently captured world of [[Numinal]], creating a vicious conflict where his Solar Auxilia battled traitor Mechanicum forces. [[Knight]]s, used by both sides, proved the decisive factor in the battle. The loyalists held firm and slowly began to overwhelm the traitor forces, and aided by local rebellions and small amounts of [[Imperial Fist]]s and [[Raven Guard]] were able to win the day. Numinal had fallen to the loyalists.{{Fn|1d}}
