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From Warhammer 40k - Lexicanum
→Destruction
===Destruction===
[[ImageFile:CadiaDestroyed.jpg|thumb|right|200px|The destruction of Cadia]]
*{{Main|Thirteenth Black Crusade}}
During the [[Thirteenth Black Crusade]], Cadia was subjected to the largest Chaos invasion since the [[Horus Heresy]]. A surprise opening attack by the [[Volscani Cataphracts]] wiped out the Cadian High Command, forcing [[Ursarkar E. Creed]] to become its sole Castellan.
After vicious fighting, only one fortress, [[Kasr Kraf]], remained. However, the tide of the battle nearly turned thanks to the intervention of [[Eldar]] and [[Trazyn]], who sought to reactivate the Pylons on the world and turn back the Warp. In the final battle beneath the surface of Cadia, Abaddon was forced to retreat as the Pylons were activating, but redirected debris from the [[Blackstone Fortress]] ''[[Will of Eternity]]'' into the planet. Cadia was shattered and, as the Pylons faltered, the planet was swallowed into the Warp. Castellan Creed and his [[Cadian 8th]] stayed behind to cover the evacuation and , making their fate remains ambiguousall but certain.{{Fn|10}}
Only a handful of its citizens were able to escape in an evacuation fleet led by the [[Phalanx]]. Of its population, fewer than three million survived.{{Fn|10}}
Although Cadia was ultimately reduced to a burning wasteland by Abaddon's assault, the worlds in the wider [[Cadian System]] fought hard to destroy the spearhead the Despoiler had plunged into their midst. The Great Exodus of Cadia had has seen swathes of the Imperial defence defences redeployed to the their sister worlds.{{Fn|11}}
Sometime after the [[Great Rift]]'s creation, the [[Adeptus Custodes]] [[Captain General]] [[Trajann Valoris]] ordered a small, fast-moving force of Custodians to travel to Cadia's remains. Details of their mission are suppressed, even amongst their comrades, but they are accompanied by a number of warriors drawn from the ranks of the [[Shadowkeepers]].{{Fn|12}}
