Introduction
This is me and a friend's idea if 40K was to advance it's plot line. Please note that this is ongoing, and future chapters will be added later on. In the meantime, read and enjoy.
Dawn of the 42nd Millennium
At the dawn of the 42nd Millennium, the great war between man, xeno, and daemon continues to rage on throughout the stars, but on a scale that the galaxy has never seen before. From the Eye of Terror, the Archfiend leads his Legions of Traitors, the Fortress-World of Cadia lying broken at their feet. For the first time since the Horus Heresy, the Traitor Legions ban together beneath the Warmaster, and like they did long ago, they head straight to Terra.
From the ruins of Cadia, Lord Castellan Creed leads the majority of the Cadian populace and army to the Sol System, warning the Imperium of the threat that is approaching. With all haste, the Imperium rallies 450 Space Marine Chapters and thousands of Guardsmen Regiments to Terra. The Iron Rings of Mars are busier then ever, producing thousands of ships in preparation of the arrival of the Traitors.
Fresh from victory over the Tyranids in Octarius, the infamous Ghazhgkull Mag Uruk Thraka, the Beast of Armageddon, united over 76% of the galaxy's Orks into a WAAAGH! that's comparable only to the Beast's. With billions of greenskins, Ghazhgkull was prepared to lead them to Armageddon once more, but he discovered that this time, the Old Man of Armageddon took the fight to the Ork. Several hundred Armageddon Steel Legions were raised, and at the forefront, the legendary Commissar Yarrick leads his men to battle Ghazhgkull one more time. From the Astartes Brotherhood, the whole of the Black Templars unite for the first time in millennia, and High Marshal Helbrecht spearheads the zealous warriors. Drawn to settle their scores with the Orks, Pedro Kantor and his Crimson Fists carve their own bloody path to Octarius. With his WAAAGH! blunted, Ghazhgkull gladly leaps headfirst into the epic battles that span across nearly all of Ultima Segmentum .
Like locusts of legend, the Tyranids relentless hound the Eastern Fringe, but now their attacks have swelled in scale. From the darkness between galaxies, the first of their main Hive Fleets arrive. The number of Tyranids begin to multiply well to over hundredfold more then before, and the Imperium draws the line. Rallying nearly 500 Space Marine Chapters and any Guardsmen regiments that can be spared, the Imperium garrisons the East, determined to never yield against the onslaught.
As the Imperium prepares for the final battle, many more forces begin to surface, some seeking to ally themselves with the Imperium, others more malevolent in nature. As they enter the twilight of their race, the last of the Eldar Craftworlds put aside their grievances with Humanity, all of them dedicated to stopping Chaos at all costs. Even as their Craftworlds slowly blink out one by one, they fight on to see their enemies crushed to dust.
In the Dark City, the Dark Eldar rally to the greatest threat that has ever threatened Commorragh. Having finally breached the borders of the Webway, the Daemons of She Who Thirsts have come to wrest their souls from the foul denizens. As the two depraved armies meet in battle across the blood-slicked slums, souls of the Dark Eldar are devoured by Slaanesh, yet the deaths of the Dark Eldar reach Ynnead, the Eldar God of Death beginning to stir from his slumber.
Hailing from the most far-flung worlds, the Silent King of the Necrons returns to the galaxy he once ruled eons ago, seeking to absolve it from his sins. Leading a great host of ten Tomb Worlds, the Silent King vows to keep the C'tan from awakening, and he leads his fleet to their last battle amongst this galaxy. Allying himself to Mankind, the Silent King and his undying phalanxes defend Terra alongside the Angels of Death while their King prepares to forever lock the Dragon in its prison until the end of time.
As the Devourer approached, the upstart Tau began to negotiate with the Imperium, and a mighty alliance was forged. Granting the Tau sovereignty over 50% of reclaimed worlds that were infested with Tyranids, the full might of the Tau bolster the line. As their empire grows, their armies arm themselves and ready the defences, all knowing that this age is reaching its end. Far from his home empire, the legendary Commander Farsight leads his Enclaves into war against WAAAGH! Ghazhgkull, his Fire Warriors allying themselves with the Crimson Fists. This unity proves successful, but time is short as the Orks grow in power.
For the first time since ages long past, the Lost Primarchs return for the final battle. Imprisoned on Merdengrad for years beyond count, Rogal Dorn had finally escaped the clutches of the Iron Warriors, reuniting with his Imperial Fists in defence of Terra. Having wrecked much havoc on Commorragh, Jaghati Khan and his White Scars wage a massive war against the Hounds of Huron, the Khan of Chlogoris pitting his skill against the Tyrant of Badab. From the Eye of Terror, Leman Russ gathers to him the Space Wolves, and he leads them into war against Ghazhgkull Thraka's Orks. Finally free of the guilt that tormented him, Corvus Corax reunited with his Raven Guard, and he sends them into a secret war against the Traitor Legions. Finally awakened, Lion El'Johnson orders his Dark Angels to head to Terra to earn their forgiveness in blood. With his Nine Relics gathered, Vulkan returned to his Salamanders, and he prepared for them to battle the Tyranids in what might be their final battle. Having been slain long ago, Ferrus Manus' body was recovered by the Mechanicus, and through trial and error, they created a Dreadnought shell for the Primarch. Resurrected by his brothers, Roboute Guilliman leads his Ultramarines to defend Terra from the Traitors that gather.
Across the psychic plane of the Warp, the gods themselves march to war. Rising from their thrones, the Four Chaos Gods themselves take to battle. Leading their legions of infinite Daemons, they storm the Chaos Abyss. In defiance, the Master of Mankind brings forth his most powerful servants, the most feared warriors that have ever walked the stars. As the Four Ruinous Powers march forth, more are drawn to the battle. Long-thought to be exiled for all of time, Malal returns for the first time since the Age of Terra, vengeance burning in his heart. Seeking to absolve himself for what he had done, Magnus makes his way to the battlefield to destroy what he had once aided. Having been stranded in the Warp for so long, Kaldor Draigo knows of the coming battle, and he arms himself for what could be his last.
But the most critical stage of the war has been enacted by the notorious Alpha Legion. The twin Primarchs, Alpharius and Omegon revealed that they are truly Loyalists, and as proof, they have found an ancient relic, the Primordial Reviver. Using it to restore Guilliman and Ferrus, the Alpha Legion now races back to Terra as the Traitor Legions close in, hoping to revive the Emperor with the artifact.
Despite the heroes that defend Humanity, the days grow dark. The walls have begun to close in, and the days until the ultimate battle grow shorter. As the shadows begin to close in, Mankind takes its last breath before the plunge into the darkness. Regardless of the victors of the Three Wars, the Age of the Imperium will end, and a new one will rise from the ashes.
The Primarchs
Long venerated by the Imperium, many held onto the belief that the Loyalist Primarchs would one day return, and that they would oversee the final battles of Humanity. As such, it was with much fanfare and celebration when the Loyalist Primarchs were undeniably seen once more. As to how they returned, it was the efforts of the Alpha Legion, the secretive organization having orchestrated the return of Mankind's greatest heroes.
The first of the Primarchs to return was Ferrus Manus. While he had died long ago on the fields of Istavaan IV, his body was salvaged by a lone Tech Priest. Taking the dead Primarch to his workshop on the Forge World of Krenocht, the Tech Priest toiled nonstop in a vain effort to resurrect the Iron Hand's Primarch. At the dawn of the 42nd Millennium, Alpharius and Omegon personally arrived on Krenocht, the two of them bearing the Primordial Resurrector, an ancient Necron device capable of reviving anything within the material plane.
Using the relic on their brother, Ferrus Manus was reborn, his soul inhabiting the specially prepared Dreadnought shell that the Tech Priest had crafted for him. Initially, Ferrus did not trust the Twins, but the two still presented their case. The two of them recounted that the First Captain of the Sons of Horus, Ezekyle Abbadon, had united the whole of the Traitor Legions, and they were carving a bloody path to Terra. The news shocked Ferrus, and the Twin Primarchs then departed, stating that it was Ferrus's choice to believe their word or not. Choosing the former, Ferrus then made his way to Terra aboard the Mechanicus Ark, Unbreakable.
Once Ferrus Manus was restored, Alpharius and Omegon next made their way to Macragge. By impersonation and infiltration, the Twins reached the Primarch's Shrine where Roboute Guilliman had been in stasis for millennia. Deactivating the time-lock Guilliman was under, this attracted the attention of all Ultramarines on Macragge, and Marneus Calgar personally investigated the manner. Upon seeing the two 'Traitors' the Lord of Macragge was intending to wreck vengeance, but Guilliman stayed Calgar's wrath.
As Guilliman rose to his feet, all of the Ultramarines present kneeled before their Primarch. Guilliman then spoke to Alpharius about why they had chosen to revive him, and the Twins explained that the galaxy was under the threat of being torn asunder by a the Three Wars. They told the Ultramarine of the plight of Terra, and that Guilliman was perhaps the only one who could assume tactical command and give the Imperium a chance against the Traitor Legions. The two Alpha Legionnaires then departed, leaving Guilliman to ponder over his course of action.
Choosing the path to Terra, Calgar initially offered his aid, but Guilliman proclaimed that; "You have fought these 'Tyranids' before, and I have not. Your experience may be the deciding factor of the Eastern War, and I would trust this task to no other." Leading half of the Ultramarines and several hundred of their Successors, Guilliman and his forces headed to Terra while Calgar prepared to face the Tyranids once more.
While the return of some Primarchs was at the hand of Alpharius and Omegon, others returned through agents of the Alpha Legion. Such was the case with Rogal Dorn. Having been imprisoned ever since his alleged death, Dorn had been incarcerated on Merdengrad for centuries on end to be tortured by his most hated foes. As the 42nd Millennium dawned, Dorn finally had enough. With superhuman willpower and strength unmatched, Dorn finally freed himself from his captors and fought his way to freedom. As he did this, the Alpha Legion had assassinated the majority of Merdengrad's sentries beforehand, and they had arranged for transport for Dorn.
By luring the Imperial Fist's fleet to Merdengrad, the Fists bore witness to the return of their Primarch when Dorn highjacked a cruiser and made contact with his sons. At first he was met with joyous rancour, but all feared that he had been tainted by Chaos. Willingly allowing the Apothecaries and Librarians to exercise every test of purity they knew, Dorn was placed under the most thorough examination for an entire year onboard the Phalanx. When no sign of corruption whatsoever was found, the cries of joy that the Imperial Fists bellowed that day were unmatched. Afterwards, the Imperial Fists were contacted by the High Lords of Terra, and they presented the situation that the Imperium was in. Without hesitation, Rogal Dorn ordered for the whole of the Imperial Fists to return to their homeworld.
Concerning Corvus Corax, the Raven Guard Primarch had been locked in a secret war against the Night Lords for several millennia. When the 13th Black Crusade began, 98% of the Traitor Legionnaires left the Eye of Terror for Terra. Acting on a trail of clues left by the Alpha Legion, Corax tailed the Traitor Legions from the rear, and he began to covertly strike their rear. As he did so, he encountered the 3rd and 2nd Raven Guard companies. With their Primarch returning to them, the Raven Guard forces near Terra began to raid the Traitor Legions from behind, striking them in the arena of hidden war.
Leman Russ on the other hand had spent the majority of his time in the Eye of Terror stranded in a time-lock circle that imprisoned him in a stasis field on the Planet of Sorcerers. His suspended animation was broken when several Alpha Legion operatives were able to assassinate the Chaos Sorcerers that maintained the circle. Once Russ was freed, the Alpha Legionnaires had an unoccupied warship awaiting the Space Wolf and they had already murdered the Sorcerers that stood between Russ and escape.
Escaping the Eye of Terror, Russ immediately made his way to Fenris where he was reunited with the Space Wolves. After much celebration, Leman Russ was briefed on the situation the Imperium was in. After being told of the Three Wars, Russ decided to engage the Orks in the Northern War. Leading the whole of the Space Wolves, a Legion's worth of Space Marines marched straight into the heart of WAAAGH! Ghazghkull.
However, there are several Primarchs who returned to the Imperium through their own will and might, or were awakened by their sons. In the case of Jaghatai Khan of the White Scars, he singlehandedly carved his way to freedom. Having hunted down a Dark Eldar raiding force, the Khan slew the xenos one by one, each death spurring him onwards. Eventually, only the Archon remained, and the Khan was willing to hunt him down to the end of time. Through the winding labyrinth of the Webway, the Khan pursued his prey, the White Scar following the Dark Eldar all the way to Commorragh where he finally decapitated the Archon. However, the Khan was now trapped in the midst of the Dark City, and plenty of Dark Eldar were thirst for more torture and pain. Refusing to be a slave, the Khan highjacked various Dark Eldar vehicles and began his war against the Dark Eldar.
For several millennia, Jaghatai Khan waged a fast-paced war against the Dark Eldar, the White Scar striking at breakneck speeds atop any vehicle he could steal before disappearing into the depths of the Webway. As time wore on, his raids increased in scale as Dark Eldar slaves were liberated by the Khan, the slaves turning against their cruel masters. At the end of the 41st Millennium, the Khan's liberated army had increased in size to the point of the White Scar waging a full-scale war against the Dark Eldar. Large scores of slaves revolted, causing internal schisms within the hundreds of Kabals and Cults. With civil war erupting, no one foresaw the Warp Storm that was able to rend the Webway asunder. The Warp began to bleed into the Webway, sucking into it thousands of Dark Eldar and slaves alike. Eventually, the Khan was sucked into the rift, but not before capturing a warship. Cast into the torrential fringes of the Maelstrom, the White Scar eventually found his way back home where he learned of the threat posed by the Red Corsairs. Choosing to hunt down those of Huron's forces that dared to escape the Maelstrom, the White Scars gather their Successors in their greatest hunt.
On the other hand, Lion El'Jonson of the Dark Angels had been kept in stasis by the Watchers in the Dark since the Fall of Caliban. Sleeping in secret within the Rock, the Lion had remained undisturbed and unknown of for millennia. It was only when the Eye of Terror began to seethe and bloat that a lone Dark Angel took action. In secret he unlocked Jonson from the stasis field with a single shot from his Bolt Pistol, and he left the massive sword he carried with him at the Primarch's side. This lone man disappeared shortly before Jonson awakened, and it wasn't long before he was reunited with the Dark Angels. The reunion with his sons was brief, Grand Master Azrael recounted to his gene-sire of what had befallen the Imperium and of the Fallen. While Jonson agreed that the Fallen would have to be purged, he believed that the threat of Chaos against Terra was the greater of the two evils and that when the Emperor learns of the Fallen, their actions on Terra could be what earns forgiveness for the Unforgiven.
Leaving his Nine Relics for his sons, Vulkan of the Salamanders had disappeared for hundreds of years, none knowing where he had vanished to. While only 5 out of the 9 were found by the Salamanders, the remaining four had been lost to time, and only three; the Engine of Woes, the Obsidian Chariot and the Song of Entropy were rediscovered. Only the Unbound Flame remained, and the Tome of Fire gave no clues to where it had been hidden. However, the artificers of the Salamanders noticed something on the 8 relics they had. Lightly engraved on the artefacts were fragments of an astrological map, all of them a part of the same map. Deciphering the map fragments, they were pieced together, but still the location it spoke of was a mystery. However, the Chalice of Fire had an ancient navigational system that still operated. Entering the map coordinates into the Chalice, the map pointed to the forsaken planet of Solemnace.
While the Salamanders would willingly go to Solemnace en masse, the Three Wars meant that all but the Forgefather could be spared. Alone, Vulkan He'stan ventured into the lair of the infamous Trazyn the Infinite. Upon reaching the entrance to the Galleries of Solemnace, he was met by a lone Necron Lord. It made no hostile moves, only offered the Space Marines the Unbound Flame if he offered three relics of equal value and craft. Despite his suspicion of the Necron, Forgefather Vulkan He'stan offered the Furnace's Heart, a plasma pistol crafted by Ferrus Manus during the early days of the Great Crusade. The second artefact was a Chainaxe once wielded by a Devourer of the World Eaters during the Istavaan Massacre. The final offer were shards of the great sword wielded by an Avatar of Khaine, the fragments still radiating the fiery wrath of the Eldar God of War.
Taking the offerings, Trazyn summoned to his side a host of Canoptek Wraiths, the machines carrying a metal sarcophagus bearing dragon-motifs and forged with markings of the Salamanders Chapter. The Necron spoke of how the other 8 relics were clues to where the Unbound Flame had been hidden, and that one of the Relics was the key to opening the casket. Gesturing to the Spear of Vulkan, Trazyn revealed that he desired the spear for he found that it was the key to the lock of the Unbound Flame. He had wanted to open the coffin and to resurrect the Primarch within for the Necron was immune to the Warp-energy that kept Vulkan from healing. Despite his suspicions, He'stan used the Spear of Vulkan to unlock the Unbound Flame, revealing the dormant body of Vulkan within, an obsidian spear bearing psychic lightning piercing his heart. With his soulless nature protecting him, Trazyn wrenched the spear out of Vulkan's chest, and the wound began to heal. Cured of the madness that consumed him, Vulkan arose for the first time in millennia. While he had been dead, his dormant soul was still self-aware, and he knew of the trials both Trazyn and He'stan went through to revive him, and he thanked them both. Prepared to lead the Salamanders once more, Vulkan and the Forgefather returned to Nocturne where Vulkan was given command over the Salamanders. After being briefed on the Three Wars, Vulkan chose the Eastern War against the Tyranids to lead his sons to.
As the Primarchs return, their timing marks the coming of the final battles of mankind. Heretics, xenos, and daemons have gathered to plunder and murder the Imperium, and the Primarchs are perhaps the last chance Humanity has against the darkness that has gathered. They carved their own legends long ago during the Great Crusade, and now they must exceed those legends.
The Second Battle of Terra
With the Daemon Primarchs at his side, Abbadon was able to finally conquer Cadia. The planet brought to heel, the Cadian Gateway was finally his, and his Traitor Legions were prepared to finally storm Terra once more. With the Eight Traitor Legions and many Renegade Chapters, the Warmaster directed his armies to Terra, the bloodthirsty hordes hungry for Terran blood. For the first time since the Horus Heresy, the defenders of Terra trembled in fear. All had hoped for Cadia to stand firm, but none save their equals could defeat the united Daemon Primrachs. From his own lips, Abbadon proclaimed; 'The Imperium will end where it began'.
Having escaped with the majority of the Cadians, Lord Castellan Creed was able to warn Terra of the advancing Traitor Legions. With no time to lose, the High Lords called out for 450 Space Marine Chapters to defend Terra. Thousands of Imperial Guard regiments were raised, and the Cadian Regiments garrisoned the Imperial Palace. From Mars, the Mechanicus provided an entire Titan Legion, and the Iron Rings stepped up production to nearly double then before. Fresh from Ultramar, the newly resurrected Roboute Guilliman was given overall command over the Space Marine forces while Creed took over the Imperial Guard regiments. Recently arriving from Krenocht, Ferrus Manus aided in leading the Titan Legions while the Lion, Corax, and Rogal Dorn assaulted the rear of the Traitor Legions.
With dark forces consolidating and gathering, Daemon incursions grew lower, the Neverborn recalled to their masters. With the majority of the Daemons recalled into the Warp, large scores of Grey Knights finally return to Titan. Their numbers grew to nearly two-thirds of their full strength, and the Knights prepared themselves for the coming storm.
As the Angels of Death came, aid came to the Imperium from strange places. The Eldar offered their help, stating that their race was doomed anyways. If they were to die, then they would make their end one that the galaxy would remember for eons to come. While not initially trusting, the Eldar proved that they were trustworthy as they willingly sacrificed several Craftworlds to stall the Traitor Legions. The Craftworlds of Iyanden, Biel-Tann, and Ulthwé entered the Sol System, orbiting Terra alongside the Battle Barges and Battleships of the Imperium.
From the farthest reaches of space, the Silent King of the Necrons approached the Imperium, and he lead the strength of Ten Tomb Worlds. Rather then strike the fledging Imperials, the Silent King instead offered a deal to the Imperium; if they let the Silent King rally as much of the Tomb Worlds as he could, then the Silent King would forever imprison the C'tan Shards, and he would take his phalanxes in an exodus that would see them leave the galaxy. As a show of good faith, the Silent King initiated the safeguards that would keep the Void Dragon incarcerated until the stars turned to dust. The silver ships of the Necrons then began to flock to Terra, the Silent King determined to absolve the galaxy of the sins he had committed eons ago.
Within a month, Terra was defended like never before. Greatly bolstered by the Eldar and Necrons, the coalition stood at the ready, waiting for the arrival of the Chaos Space Marines. As the days darkened, the Astropaths of Terra felt ripples in the Warp. These ripples soon became powerful tidal waves, and soon they escalated to torrential surges of energy that greatly weakened the fabric of existence. The Balestorm soon opened, encompassing most of the Sol System except for Holy Terra, Mars, and Titan. From this baleful typhoon of raw energy, the fleet of Abbadon came forth, the Planet Killer at the head.
And so the Second Battle of Terra began.
Cruisers possessed by Daemons exchanged broadsides with those of the Imperials, titanic Space Hulks clashed with the Craftworlds, Chaos Battleships duelled Necron Tomb Ships, and the Planet Killer made its move. Spearheading the advance, the Planet Killer lead the last two Blackstone Fortresses and an escort of several hundred Grand Cruisers and a hundred Battleships straight to Terra. This raw strength was enough to plow through the Imperial defenders, the Warp Cannons destroying several Battle Barges and the Battleships of both Loyalists and Traitors were locked in battle. The second Terra was in range, the Armageddon Gun of the Planet Killer began to charge, light blue energy crackling along its muzzles as it prepared to fire.
The killing blow never fell. From within the ship, Rogal Dorn lead a hundred Terminators into battle with the Chosen of Abbadon aboard the Planet Killer. Dorn and his Imperial Fists laid waste to every control node and power conduit they found, halting the Armageddon Gun from firing and causing its systems to collapse and eventually implode. With his bodyguard tying up Dorn in brutal close combat, Abbadon teleported to his former flagship, Vengeful Spirit as the Planet Killer entered its death-throes. WIth the naval battle on a scale that none had ever seen before, Abbadon ordered for the landing of the Traitor Legions.
The first wave of the assault was one of the utmost brutality. From the orbiting warships, Chaos Terminators teleported straight into the heart of the Sanctis Starport, a major fortress that provided anti-air fire and the perfect supply line for ground forces. Wading through Lasgun, Bolter, and Gauss fire unscathed, the Terminators were able to slowly but surly seize the fortress as more Chaos Space Marine landed in Drop Pods and Chaos Thunderhawks. With the orbital guns silenced, more ground troops were landed and the first of the Chaos Titans set foot on Terra once more. Their foothold strengthening, the Loyalists attempted to wrest control back into their own hands, but their attempts were futile.
Standing on Terran soil once again, Angron lead a monstrous host of several thousand Khorne Berserkers and many more Cultists of the Blood God into a frenzy charge against the Lion's Gate Starport while Perturabo provided precise orbital bombardments. Living up to his blood-soaked legend, Angron and his Berserkers reaped a bloody harvest amongst the Imperials, but the Loyalists too were able to inflict large losses against the Khornate horde. Through a gruelling meat grinder that lasted for a month with no respite, Angron eventually established a second supply line for the Traitors.
As Angron went on his rampage, Typhus and Mortarion brought down the Biel-Tann Craftworld. Thousands of Plague Marines and millions of Zombies swarmed the massive ship, overrunning the Eldar with their virulent plagues and manifold diseases. The ship began to rot and decay, and the Terminus Est bombarded the Craftworld with deadly Life-Eater warheads. An Eldar Craftworld was then forevermore silenced, yet the battle raged on.
On Mars, Ferrus met his former brother, Fulgrim, in a battle that was eerily similar to when they last met. Entombed in a Dreadnought, Ferrus commanded the Titan Legion Legio Invictus to launch a massive assault against the Legionnaires of the Emperor's Children that had landed. The massive war machines decimated the Slaaneshi Traitors, but the Emperor's Children were not to go down easily. Having landed the Painlord Titan Agony Incarnate, Fulgrim took control over the titanic machine. In response, Ferrus was made the Princep for the Warlord Titan Iron Wrath. The gargantuan battle that ensued was one that saw the two Primarchs brush with death several times, and soon the fate of the battle was sealed forever.
His own Titan too damaged to continue, Fulgrim abandoned the Agony Incarnate and lead his Phoenix Guard to board the Iron Wrath. However, Ferrus was no fool to this. Relinquishing control the Titan to another Princep, Ferrus was interred in his Dreadnought and lead his Morlocks into battle. Throughout the Titan, the Phoenix Guard clashed with the Morlocks, neither side able to gain the upper hand. Meeting his brother once more, Ferrus was consumed in black hatred, and his wrath was as fiery as his home world. Like gods of old, the two Primarchs fought in a battle epic proportions. Their fight saw them take it to the Iron Wrath's shoulder, where the fatal blow was struck. His Laer blade unable to pierce Ferrus' metal hide, the Iron Hands Primarch raised Fulgrim with his Power Fist, and with a sickening crunch, completely crushed Fulgrim's skeleton to dust and his flesh to a bloody pulp. Casting his dead brother down, the Emperor's Children were then routed from the battle.
As the Second Battle of Terra continued, the Traitors' footholds on Terra grew. Having seized five Starports, Abbadon ordered for the assault on the Imperial Palace to commence. Having learned from Horus, Abbadon immediately ordered for the Traitor Titan Legion Mortis Titanicus to bring down the outer walls. In the meantime, the Iron Warriors provided orbital bombardments while the Night Lords organized Raptor strikes. Many legendary figures amongst both the ranks of Traitors and Loyalists lived to their reputation in this battle. Roboute Guilliman and Creed demonstrated their superb tactical brilliance in the crucible of the battle, Khârn the Betrayer singlehandedly brought an entire Assault Company of the Skull Bearers to their deaths with Gorechild, Lord Commander Dante intercepted the Night Lord attacks, Sergeant Telion's dead-eye claimed the lives of Chaos Lords with only a squeeze of the trigger, Lord Krannon and his Crimson Slaughter summoned manifold ghouls and dark ghosts, and Knight Commander Pask destroyed several Iron Warrior armoured spearheads.
As both sides vied for supremacy on Terra's surface, the war in space was just as even. The Eldar Craftworlds provided excellent launching sites and an ideal command ship while Necron warships unleashed ancient technology that cut large swathes through the Chaos Fleets. Despite this, the Chaos Fleets had the Blackstone Fortresses and several Glorianna-Class Battleships as well as 14 Space Hulks and aid from the Daemons. On Mars, Ferrus and the Silent King defended the forges of the Mechanicus from Chaos, and the Death Guard began to unleash a machine plague against the Iron Hands and Necrons.
After several months of attritional war, the outer walls of the Imperial Palace were breached. Reliving the past with bloodthirsty zeal, thousands of deranged Helbrutes were unleashed to spearhead the assault within the Outer Palace. As the rampaging machines sowed death in brutal close quarters fighting, Daemon Engines and Chaos Space Marines strode forth amongst the frothing mobs of Cultists and insane mutants. Daemons breached reality, and the forces of Chaos stormed the Palace.
In defence, Guilliman commanded over 400,000 Space Marines, Creed led several million Guardsmen, and the Necron Lords had several phalanxes at their disposal. With both forces even in number, the war would be decided by a combination of brute force and cunning tactics. While the Loyalists employed the use of strategy and superior strategies, the Chaos armies were able to simply overwhelm the Loyalists through the use of sheer power.
In the skies, the Eldar and Imperium waged an even war against the notorious Typhus and his Plague Fleet as well as the Black Legion's warships. The Terminus Est was an unstoppable juggernaut, able to survive all attempts made to sink the battleship. The Craftworlds on the other hand, were scything through lesser Cruisers and Destroyers. Even several Space Hulks were destroyed by the Eldar, inflicting major losses against the Traitors. Throughout the Iron Warrior fleet, the Imperial Fists had brought the Phalanx into a battle against Perturabo's flagship, the Iron Blood. The Iron Warriors and Imperial Fists have always harboured a strong and bitter hatred towards each other, and this battle would finally decide once and for all which of the two was superior.
On Mars, the Titan Legions held their ground against the Chaos horde, and the Necrons stood their ground against the Heretics. All across the red soil of Mars, undead machines and gargantuan war engines battled the possessed vehicles of the Chaos armory, the Traitors even going so far as to unleash the Chaos Imperator Titan Heretic Rex. As the war grinds on, machine battles machine in titanic battles that see even the mightiest engine of war brought low.
Their advance blunted, Abbadon finally took to battle himself. Assembling his Chosen, this elite force of Black Legionnaires teleported straight into the forefront, aiming to land straight at the doorstep of the Eternal Gates, but it was not to be. Through sabotage, Abbadon and his company landed within the Outer Imperial Palace, where hundreds of Space Marines greeted them with Bolter fire. Despite the clever trap, Abbadon and his Chosen fought their way through the Loyalists, carving a bloody path straight to the Eternal Gate.
At this grim hour, the days on Terra grow darker. While the Traitors had gouged great breaches into the Inner Palace, pockets of Loyalists still stand their ground in the midst of Traitors and Heretics. Complete anarchy consumes the Outer Palace as all but the Inner Palace have become charnel houses, the fight stretching from the deepest slums and alleyways to the loftiest of towers. As the Traitors gather at the threshold of the Eternal Gate, this mighty door begins to crumble. Summoning his arcane might, Ahriman bombards the Eternal Gate with the full extent of his psychic might, his hammer blows slowly causing the Eternal Gate to shatter.
Despite the encroaching darkness, all is not lost. Fresh from battle against the Red Corsairs, the Alpha Legion is in a desperate race to the Sanctum Imperalis, their Primarchs carrying the Primordial Resurrector. Having been cast off course, the warships of the Alpha Legion must now battle through the Chaos Fleets, the enemy on all sides. As the twin Primarchs make their way to Terra, time grows short. There is only days until the Eternal Gates themselves are breached, and the sands of time begin to run out.
