Battle of Titarious 9

Armorial of the Gray Hussars Chapter.

The **Battle of Titarious 9** was an Imperial castigation campaign that was a part of the much larger Indomitus Crusade, and spearheaded by the Gray Hussars Space Marine Chapter against the vile Death Guard and their Chaos cultist allies.

## Background

During the reinforcing of the Titarious System with the coming Death Guard warband the First Division reinforced the helpless system, drawing on their Primarch's great mind for defensive warfare, forming rings of defense, starting with the outlining world of Titarious 9 with the Veterans of the First and Third Brigade along with local defense forces from the Civilized World of Titarious 3 dug into the only continent of the world not plagued by raging storms and poisoned lands. When the Death Guard translated in orbit from the warp the fleet of the Division harassed the Death Guard, louring them towards Titarious 9 while the Second Brigade rallied the local Defense Forces to reinforce the defenders of the outlining world. The Death Guard landed outside the range of the garrison's guns deep within the storms of the world.

Their Cultists and Plague Marines summoned the spawns of Nurgle marching with millions towards the Gray Hussars fortress. The cultists and plague bearers managed to march ahead of the plague marines, surrounding the Gray Hussars and human defenders they frantically charged in up the hill that the fortress rested upon. Bolters, lasguns, lascannons, stubbers and artillery rained upon tens of thousands of cultists and daemons fell before reaching the first trench, engaging the human defenders in a brutal melee. When the first last cultist ran up the hill the Third Brigade strung their trap. The Thunderhawks transported their Assault Marines and bike Marines drove out of underground trenches to surround the cultists from the rear. Cutting them down with speed and a solid defense, the Gray Hussars slaughtered the attackers while only losing a few battle-brothers.

The Gray Hussars prepared for the next wave when they could spot the first Plague Marines coming over the horizon they dropped fuel over the soil and corpses around the fortress grounds. The Plague Marines rallied their hordes of cultists, charging forward from all sides. The Gray Hussars held their fire. When the entire attacking wave stepped within the perimeter one bolter round fired, sparking the ground a blaze. Most of the cultists were incinerated on the spot, their bodies disintegrated. The Plague Marines and Plague Bearers kept charging, reaching the wall and ascending. The Terminator Veterans of the First Brigade drew blades and their storm-shields fighting a furious melee giving the Third Brigade time to surround the second wave. Their bikes struck hard into the formation from the Northern slope while the Assault Marines jump-packed onto the walls to overwhelm the Plague Marines before they could even get atop the walls. The second wave took its toll, with thirty Veterans of the First Brigade perishing in the defense and ten bike marines of the Third Brigade dying.

Lord-Knight Fredrick von Stuarck ordered the Third Brigade to retreat and wait for reinforcements through their underground tunnel systems leading behind the Death Guard's line. The Death Guard Lord grew frustrated by the tenacity of the Gray Hussars ordering a final assault led by himself and the entirety of his warband forces Charging towards the main gate defended heavily by the Human and Astartes defenders. Like a hammer, they broke the gate with unstoppable force as five hundred Plague Marines and ninety thousand cultists stormed the fortress. The Veteran Astartes put up a furious defense in faith they would by the other Brigades enough time to gather a counter-attack. The Rest of the Division arrived in orbit with elements of the Local Defense Forces and ships from Battlefleet Saras able to destroy the Plague vessels in orbit. The Second and Third Brigades along with two hundred thousand soldiers of the local defense forces landed to engage the Death Guard, too late.

The First Brigade slaughtered a man not before inflecting immense casualties on the warbands ranks. The Second Brigade finished gathering reinforcements with the Lord-Knight of the First Division ordering the Second Division a Drop Pod Assault on the Chaos Warband's landing sight bringing out all their Division heavy weaponry and Contemptor Dreadnoughts to slaughter the defending Death Guard Plague Marines. They linked up with the survivors of the Third Brigade surrounding their old fortress now lying in the ruin of the Death Guard. When the three hundred thousand Planetary Defense Forces dug around the base.

The Marshall-Knight of the Second Brigade and Emperor's Champion, Josef von Kludds, lead the charge of the Gray Hussars upon the breached gate. Emperor's Champion Josef von Kludds carved a way to the Chaos Lord while the Knights of the Gray Hussars fought in furious close-quarters combat, they dueled with the powers of their Primarchs behind them. The swordsmanship of the Emperor's Champion fought the cleaving scythe. Eventually, the Blessed Black-Blade pierced the chest of the Chaos Lord, curling the blade skyward, bisecting the Death Guard Lord.