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{{otheruses|USE=[[Horus Heresy]] Battle|OTHERUSE=battle at the end of [[M41]]|OTHERPAGE=Battle of Lion's Gate}}
{{QuoteBox
|quote = '''''"[[Horus Lupercal|He]] has come to face [[Emperor of Mankind|his father]]. That is the purpose of this attack."''''' |source = --''— [[Malcador the Sigillite]]{{fnFn|9a}}''
|width = 30em
}}
|Image caption= The Emperor of Mankind battles Warmaster Horus Lupercal aboard the ''Vengeful Spirit''.
|Conflict = [[Horus Heresy]]
|Date = 119014-593014.[[M31]]{{Fn|30}} (~200 days{{Fn|22h}}{{Fn|Notes}})
|Location = [[Terra]]
|Outcome = Pyrrhic Loyalist victory
The grim outlook of the chance for victory was not shared by the White Scars and their Primarch, Jaghatai Khan, who continued to talk of life after they had won the battle.{{Fn|20a}} Not content to simply hide behind walls, the Khan at last decided at this desperate final hour to make his move. He became committed to retaking the [[Lion's Gate Spaceport]], which if captured would allow Guilliman's coming reinforcements to quickly land on Terra as well as slow the flow of traitor forces. Overworked and exhausted and knowing he could not control his brother, Rogal Dorn did not try to stop the Khan. Facing the White Scars were the bulk of the Death Guard under Mortarion, who had taken up Lion's Gate Spaceort as his new headquarters since the departure of Perturabo.{{Fn|20b}}
For the operation to recapture Lion's Gate, the Khan mustered not only nearly the entire White Scars Legion but also the [[Terran First Armored]] and the [[Sky Fortress]], the last [[Orbital Plate]] on Terra that until now was being used as an airborne carrier and fire support platform. After much careful planning, the Khan struck with an overwhelming push by thousands of Imperial Army tanks protected by White Scars infantry. In their wake came a massive charge of White Scars [[Jetbike]]s. Gold Battlefront under [[Ganzorig Noyan-Khan]] struck an arrowhead across the northern sections of the space port approaches, while Ebony under [[Qin Fai Noyan-Khan]] attacked the southern flank. Jaghatai Khan himself led Amber Battlefront through the center and directly into the thickest enemy defenses.{{Fn|20c}} The ensuing fighting was ferocious, even for the standards of the Siege. The Sky Fortress was able to fulfill fulfil its mission to provide fire and aerial support for the White Scars until it was shot down, crashing into the Imperial Fleet College and creating a massive explosion. While the White Scars and Imperial Army tanks were able to quickly push to the Lion's Gate Spaceport, inside their advance began to become bogged down by the stubborn defenses of not only the Death Guard, but also their Daemonic and Mutant allies. A war of attrition broke out, one in which the White Scars were ill-suited but the Death Guard excelled at.{{Fn|20d}}
As loyalist casualties mounted, the Khan was able to fight his way into the heart of the Spaceport and confront Mortarion himself. The old enemies exchanged few words before engaging in a final duel. Faced with Mortarion's new Daemonic endurance and strength, the Khan was brutally beaten down and nearly defenseless. However he was able to find a weakness in the Death Lord with his pride. Jaghatai Khan scolded Mortarion for being weak and giving into the powers of the Warp, while he himself had resisted the temptations of Chaos and remained true to the Emperor. Mortarion flew into a rage, which the Khan took advantage of to launch a second wave of dizzying attacks that overwhelmed the Primarch. In the end the badly wounded Jaghatai Khan was impaled on the blade of Mortarion's scythe, but simply pulled his body along its length to get face-to-face with the Death Guard Primarch. The loyalist Primarch decapitated Mortarion, who was banished into the Warp in a massive explosion similar to that of a [[Vortex Weapon]]. Later, the Khan's badly wounded body was discovered by [[Ilya Ravallion]] and [[Jangsai Khan]].{{Fn|20e}}
*{{Endn|28}}: [https://www.horusheresylegions.com/shadow-of-the-warmaster-neutral-release/ The Horus Heresy: Legions Website: Reinforcements arrive for the neutral factions (Posted on 14/04/2023)] (Posted on 14/04/2023)
*{{Endn|29}}: [[System Purge (Short Story)]] - [[Era of Ruin (Anthology)]]
*{{Endn|30}}: [[The Horus Heresy: Age of Darkness 3rd Edition Rulebook]], pgpgs. 144-149
{{HHBattles}}
