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From Warhammer 40k - Lexicanum
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clean up, replaced: armor → armour
In 013.[[M31]] Horus won the massive [[Battle of Beta-Garmon]], giving him access to the strategically important route to Terra.{{Fn|5}} It was now certain that Horus would reach the Throneworld, and Dorn increased his defences with newly arrived [[Blood Angels]] and [[White Scars]] forces. Dorn and his mostly [[Human]] command staff moved their daily headquarters from the ''[[Phalanx]]'' to the [[Bhab Bastion]] of the [[Imperial Palace]]. In preparation for Horus' arrival, the [[Dark Mechanicum]] on Mars accelerated their breakout attempts and lobbed constant fire from the surface from Mars at a blockade overseen by [[Captain]] [[Camba Diaz]]. As Horus arrived, Dorn's strategy revolved around holding back and bloodying the traitors as much as possible in the hopes of [[Roboute Guilliman]]'s inbound reinforcements. The Lord of the Imperial Fists knew his own forces were too meagre to hold back the full might of the traitors, but victory would be assured should they wedge Horus' armada between the forces of Terra and [[Ultramar]]. Equally, Horus sought to capture Sol and Terra as quickly as possible before Guilliman could arrive at his rear. To save his Astartes for Terra's defence, Dorn withdrew most large space marine contingents to the Throneworld and relied heavily on [[Legiones Astartes]] ships crewed mainly by [[Human]]s or [[Imperial Army]] vessels for the greater Solar System's defenses.{{Fn|6}}
The traitor armada finally arrived at Sol on 0000014.[[M31]], the first day of the first month (Primus). As expected by the loyalists the traitors made their initial assaults on the two [[Warp]] gates into the system that allowed for the bypassing of [[Mandeville Point]]s: the [[Khthonic Gate]] at Pluto and the [[Elysian Gate]] at [[Uranus]]. Near-simultaneously, a Sons of Horus armada under [[Horus Aximand]] struck at Pluto while an [[Iron Warriors]] fleet under [[Perturabo]] assaulted the defenses of Uranus, both engaging the Imperial Fists and [[Imperial Armada]] defence fleets under [[Sigismund]] and [[Halbrecht]] respectively. At the same time, an armada of Sons of Horus, [[Thousand Sons]], [[Word Bearers]], and [[Dark Mechanicum]] under [[Ezekyle Abaddon]], [[Ahzek Ahriman]], [[Zardu Layak]], and [[Sota-Nul]] respectively moved over the galactic disc, bypassing the initial loyalist defenses and striking down into the upper crest of the defensive spheres. The loyalists had foreseen such a ploy and a force of [[White Scars]] under [[Jubal Khan (Heresy)|Jubal Khan]] was ready to meet the traitors. Across the Sol System, hundreds of small engagements erupted to make up a naval battle of titanic proportions. Though the loyalists had the advantage of preparations and large amounts of [[Orbital Defense Platform]]s and other armored armoured bastions, the traitors had the luxury of overwhelming numbers and [[Warp]]-sorcery. In addition, intelligence provided by the Alpha Legion during their earlier attacks proved critical, with Horus having personally been given a map of all loyalist defenses in the Sol System by Alpharius before he departed the traitor war effort at the [[Ullanor]].{{Fn|7}}
====First Sphere====
====Second Sphere====
At Uranus, [[Perturabo]] himself from the ''[[Iron Blood]]'' oversaw a massive traitor onslaught of over 4,000 vessels through the Elysian Gate on Halbrecht's Second Sphere Fleet and orbital defenses. Commanding the Battle Barge ''[[Monarch of Fire]]'', Halbrecht's fleet took a ranged approach, sniping from the screen of 27 fortress-moons and hundreds of gun-platforms into the arrival points of Iron Warriors vessels with their [[Nova Cannon]]s. Enormous space-minefields hindered the traitor fleet, boxing them into these killzones. Perturabo rammed three enormous mass-conveyor vessels known as ''Alekto'', ''Megaera'', and ''Tilphousia'' into the loyalist fleet of gun-platforms, using them as [[Fire Ship]]s and wiping out many of the defenders. With the way to the inner core of Uranus' defenses cleared, Perturabo fielded an enormous [[Space Hulk]] known as the ''[[Daughter of Woe]]'' which unleashed hell on the loyalists with its enormous array of weaponry. One by one the remaining defensive bastions of Uranus fell to the Iron Warriors onslaught, with the firepower from the ''Daughter of Woe'' devastating the moons [[Umbriel]], [[Uranus_Uranus#Notable Locations|Cordelia]], and [[Uranus_Uranus#Notable Locations|Oberon]]. As the Iron Warriors closed the distance with the loyalist defensive bastions, they unleashed transports filled with millions of drug-fueled Gangers, [[Pirate]]s, [[Mutant]]s, and [[Cultist]]s into their bowels. The defending forces, mostly Imperial Army and [[Servitor]]s, fought valiantly but were overwhelmed by sheer numbers. After a delaying maneuver that bought another 36-hours for the loyalists, Halbrecht ordered a retreat towards Terra. He brought with him the majority of the Second Sphere Fleet, saved in order to bloody the traitors in future engagements. The Second Sphere had fallen.{{Fn|6d}}
====Third Sphere====
