Battle for Chondax

New BL novel Chris Wraight. releade sping 2014.
From Horus Hresy visions


Horus addressed the traitor Primarch Alpharius of the Alpha Legion.
Alpharius. You have a vital duty to perform for me. Despite our glorious
victory on the plains of Isstvan V our enehy can yet call upon the services of
a number ofpowerful Legions. I am sure that lorgar's Word Bearers can keep
Guilliman alrd his Ultramarines busy at Ultramar for some time to come but
I am concerned about those Legions rather closer toTerra.The $7hite Scars
Legion has been operating in the Chondax systems close to Prospero where
we know the Space Wolves have been active.
'The Vhite Scars are almost at full strength and so represent a danger to us.
\X/e do not know what condition the Space Volves are in after their attack on
Prospero but we must assume that they also could prove to be somewhat of a
problem for us. Certainly, the two Legions together would be a grave threat.
'You must seek out and engage the Vhite Scars legion of Jaghatai Khan
and the Space Wolves Legion ofLeman Russ, and prevent them from joining
forces. If it is at all possible, you must annihilate them or at the very least
damage them such that their threat is removed.'



Jaghatai Khan and his White Scars legion had spent the last few years campaigning
in the Chondax System. The Space Marines had been battling
against a large army of ork raiders odginating from the moons of Throll-Henderson.
After defeating the main ork force the legion had spent the last few
months hunting down and destroying the scattered temnants of the alien
army.
The legion was in good shape, having had plenty of time to replace the
losses it had suffered in the eariy weeks of the campaign That it had been
unable to contact Terra or make any long watp-trips because of the watpstorms
had not been a particular concern to the Khan. These kinds of
disturbances were quite commonplace in this region ofspace and he had no
reason to see anlthing significant about it.
His attitude changed when he was finally contacted by Rogal Dorn and
told of the events at Isstvan V The Khans immediate reaction was to tequest
that his legion be sent to lsstvan to participate ir-r the attack on Horus. Dorn
however was adamant that he return to Terra as soon as possible' The Imperial
Fists primarch had been appointed commander-in-chief of all the loyal
Trr.s Hotus Hrr.rsv I 344
forces of the Imperium and so reluctantly, the \7hite Scars Primarch agreed
to the order and insttucted i-ris fleet to make ready for transit to larth'
As the Kl-ran's fleet was making final preparation for the warl-jumps they
received utgent astropathic signals from an unexpected quarter It wast he
Primarch of the Space lVolves, Leman Russ. The Volf Primarch told of his
mission to Ptospero, which was relatively close to the Chondax System,and
of the rebellion of Magnus the Red The Khan had been unaware of Russ!
attack on Prosperoa nd hearing of the treachety ofthe ThousandS onsa dded
to his growing sense of unease. ril/orse still, was the news that the Space
.wolves had intercepted a traitor fleet bound for Chondax. Russ told Jaghatai
that his fleet was now battling the rebel ships and warned him that somee le'
ments of their armada had broken away and were heading his way'
The two loyal Primarchs exchanged communications and discussetdh e
options open to them. They agreed that combined their two fleets could eav
ily defeat the traitors, who Russ identified as the Alpha Legion However
either of the loyal fleets would be at grave risk of defeat if they tried to fight
alone. Russ told the Kahn that he was only able to avoid being overwhelmed
by adopting hit and run tactics. This was stopping Alpharius from being able
to brir]g his greater number of ships to bear but it was doing little to slowt he
advance ofthe ttaitor fleet.