L-XIV-1182 Breaking of Centrumeh Gate
Known Allies
L-XX-3187 Alpharius - Alpha Legion - Overall Commander of Task Force
L-XX-9434 Praetor Herfi - Alpha Legion
L-XX-0913 Praetor Alaric Kekrymennos - Alpha Legion
L-XV-5060 Praetor Manetho - Thousand Sons
I-ARMY-6419 Dark Lord Kyros V’Ren - Militia
Breaking of Centrumeh Gate
With the fleet approaching the Centrumeh Gate system, it was decided that the Death Guard Marines of Mayhem would assault the planet of Raynes. It was known as a Death World and with a highly toxic atmosphere, the Death Guard were well suited to such conditions. Chaplain Salathiel Morvexus knew this was a good cover, for the world was a knight world and he knew there would be many relics to find and keep for himself. Or, at least keep them away from the Alpha Legion whom he knew he could not trust. The Alpha Legion were not the only ones able to keep their secrets. Whilst his Thousand Sons, Alpha Legion and militia allies would deploy to Westarnes and Sudeen, Morvexus and Praetor Alaric Kekrymennos of the Alpha Legion would take command of the joint detachment of Alpha Legion and Death Guard.
With the majority of his forces deployed to the surface, Morvexus was left aboard the Accipiter to remain in control of the fleet in orbit while Kekrymennos led the ground attack on Raynes. Morvexus sent Praetor Axamal Tyranicus in support to ensure the attack on the planet’s capital city, Yuron, went to plan. Knowing Kekrymennos, who knew what their real motivations and allegiances were? He was sure they had some other scheme planned.
On Raynes, Tyranicus prepared for war and deployed his heavy weapons in order to assault the huge bastion. Yuron was surrounded by massive walls that were built specifically to repel a ground assault, while the huge void shields covering the city prevented any sort of orbital bombardment that would provide the ground assault forces cover. It had been occupied by a number of Blackshields prior to his arrival, who were well dug in the bastion. Their use of siege craft weapons to defend the fortress had elements of the Iron Warriors, thought Tyranicus. Too bad, he could have used their like today.
The assault began furiously at the North Eastern gate and Tyranicus had his heavy weapons deploy mass firepower of lascannons and quad mortars against the weakest parts of the fortifications, while Kekrymennos would conduct the main assault under cover. However, before Kekrymennos could deploy any of his assault forces, the augury scanner picked up a second large force moving towards them and the fortress, from the north. It was a second Blackshield force, obviously looking to take the fortress for themselves in the confusion caused by Kekrymennos and Tyranicus’ assault. Tyranicus found himself caught in the middle of a massive grudge that he had no part in. Surrounded on both sides and with one providing a solid defensive fortress, Tyranicus withdrew from the city, his Deathshroud bodyguard cutting swathes through the Blackshield militia forces in order for Tyranicus’ forces to withdraw, and allow the two Blackshield forces to destroy each other. Kekrymennos did likewise, though where they fled, Tyranicus did not know. The losses that would be involved taking of Yuron would not be worth it and besides, whilst that may be the Death Guard way of war, their Alpha Legion allies would not take kindly to attrition warfare. They would run and leave the Death Guard on their own, Tyranicus was sure.
Aboard the Accipiter, Morvexus coordinated the void battle, sending Death Guard and Alpha Legion to assault the enemy ships. Kekrymennos’ pet, Delegatus Epiphones, who was no doubt there to spy on Morvexus was causing him a headache, questioning every order, so Morvexus made sure that Epiphones was tasked to lead the boarding forces. Morvexus stayed aboard the Accipiter to repel any boarders. Reports coming back from his forces were that the boarding actions were going extremely well with a number of White Scars and Imperial Fist ships crippled. Those White Scars forces were cunning in the ways of void warfare, however, and a number of their troops managed to board the Accipiter, disabling many of its systems. Whilst Morvexus knew he could deal with the threat, their bikes provided them much greater manouverability then the slow Death Guard forces and he recalled his Death Guard to ensure he had sufficient legionnaires in order to box the loyalists in.
Just as Morvexus re-established his ships scanners, he received word that a loyalist escort which was all but destroyed, was making a last-ditch effort to turn the fight and was on course to ram the Accipiter. It was all too late as Morvexus only received the news moments before the collision and the Accipiter erupted in explosions, with systems shutting down throughout the ship. Morvexus tried to establish communications with Epiphones, but it seemed he had ordered his Alpha Legion to teleport from the ships, leaving the Death Guard to deal with both the Imperial Fists and the White Scars on their own without a word. Morvexus cursed the Alpha Legion, knowing he should not have trusted them. With the Accipiter doomed, the Death Guard were ordered to the escape pods and to regroup on Raynes surface – those that escaped the destruction aboard the Accipiter that is.
Whilst he had lost many, Morvexus was pleasantly surprised when he consolidated his forces with Tyranicus on the outskirts of Yuron. He had found a number of Mechanicum units deployed to defend what scans reported were the remnants of a titan loader carrying a relic of some importance approximately 150kms North-North West of Yuron in an otherwise deserted and scarce area. Tyranicus knew whatever it was, it had some value given the array of forces there. Reports from Tyranicus also suggested Kekrymennos and Epiphones, having teleported to the planet, were mustering near the Mechanicum location as well. After Epiphones betrayal, Morvexus would be damned to let the Alpha Legion anywhere near the relic. Tyranicus set off with the majority of the Death Guard forces to delay a loyalist militia that was moving to that location from the South West and to distract the Alpha Legion while Morvexus conducted the assault on the Mechanicum forces. As they struggled to destroy the machine constructs with what weapons his forces were left with following their unplanned deployment on Raynes, Morvexus used his forces to delay whilst he was able to fight his way to an entrance of the huge ship. Fighting robots did not provide Morvexus quite the satisfaction that killing fellow legionnaires did. With his bodyguard and Techmarine Turiel Faxus, they entered the huge craft and Faxus set to task to restore power and find what technologies were being so heavily defended within. Faxus restored power and Morvexus looked upon the eyes of his prize from the dim light within the loader. It was magnificent, albeit not yet operational. Faxus worked relentlessly with his menials to restore function to the titan carrier while the remaining Death Guard forces continued to delay the Mechanicum as best they could. Faxus restored sufficient systems to enable to plasma drive to be engaged and allow the carrier to launch into space. Tyranicus withdrew his forces to Morvexus’ location and they withdrew into orbit, leaving Kekrymennos to make his own escape from the planet.
Though it had taken a battering, and the loss of the Accipiter would hurt, Morvexus still had Anarchy and knew he had sufficient forces to make war elsewhere. He would leave the planet Raynes to its destruction, hopefully taking the Alpha Legion scum with it. He had taken all he needed from its surface. From the bridge and with Faxus in tow, he simply stated, ‘Now get this Warlord Titan operational, Forgelord.’
