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The '''Fall of Badab''' was the final battle in the [[Badab War]], ending the war and restoring peace to the [[Maelstrom]] region. The [[Star Phantoms]] [[Chapter]] lead the assault on the [[Palace of Thorns]], the stronghold of the [[Tyrant of Badab]].

With loyalist forces gaining momentum in the [[Maelstrom]], the time to end the Badab War had come. Loyalist forces first destroyed the [[Ring of Steel]], the Tyrant's space defenses. This was achieved by a two-fold plan, using the arcane arts of the [[Magos of Angstrom]] and the Tyrant's growing paranoia. The entire defense network was located on a heavily defended [[star fort]] orbiting [[Badab VI]]. A loyalist armada consisting of six [[Battle Barge]]s, nine [[Strike Cruiser]]s, six [[Imperial Navy]] ships of the line, one [[Mechanicus]] [[War Caravel]] and eighty-four escorts and other strike craft entered realspace above Badab VI. Leading the assault was the ''[[Raptorus Rex]]'', towing a burning stellar core fragment torn bodily from the [[Bale Cascades]]. The ''Raptorus Rex'' proceeded to engage its main drives at maximum power, hurtling the core fragment towards the station. While the core didn't entirely destroy the star fort, it disabled its [[void shield]]s. [[Boarding torpedo]]es and [[Caestus Assault Ram|Assault Ram]]s smashed into the station, carrying with them the might of the [[Sons of Medusa]] and the [[Exorcists]]. The star fort fell and the Ring of Steel was broken.

With the star system now under Loyalist control and surviving defense ships hunted down and destroyed, deployments were quickly put into place to surround and besiege [[Badab Primaris]], with the ships of the [[Exorcists]] Chapter along with the [[Imperial Navy]] detachments breaking off to blockade the star system to ensure none would escape what was to come. The assault from orbit against Badab Primaris was to have been spearheaded by the ''Raptorus Rex'', but that was no longer possible, the strain of the core fragment attack having caused significant structural damage which destabilized the engines of the vast craft, making close-orbital operations impossible. The guns of Badab Primaris were still to be greatly feared and it was a forlorn hope that even a [[Space Marine]] [[battle barge]] would survive long if they could not be silenced quickly by orbital counter-battery fire. The Star Phantoms had asked for and been granted the glory of leading the first wave, and it was their ancient battle barge the ''[[Memento Mori]]'' which would be first to brave the guns of Badab. Further hazard to the assault was presented by the [[High Guard]] orbital station which the [[Astral Claws]] had first used as a [[fortress monastery]] before [[Lugft Huron]] had descended to take over the [[Palace of Thorns]] below. The hastily revised attack plan was to be a three-pronged offensive. The first axis of attack would be formed by two [[Space Marine Company|companies]] of [[Star Phantoms]] Space Marines attacking the High Guard orbital fortress in concert with the smaller [[Fire Hawks]] and [[Sons of Medusa]] contingents. For the second, the [[Carcharodons]] would descend in full force to the surface of Badab Primaris's [[hive]] to crush any opposition. The third and most vital attack would be formed by the bulk of the Star Phantoms, some seven companies in strength, assisted by heavy assault elements drawn from across the Loyalist Chapters and [[Inquisitorial]] [[stormtrooper]] companies. This would take the battle to the heart of the foe and besiege the Palace of Thorns itself.{{Fn|1}}