Battle of Ailinne

Armorial of the Iron Spears Chapter.

The **Battle of Ailinne** was a joint-Imperial campaign conducted by the Iron Spears Space Marine Chapter in defense of their Chapter home world of Ailinne, located in the Celtic Sector in the Segmentum Ultima. They fought alongside many other Chapter's of Sanguinius' line, including; the Blood Angels themselves, the Broken Wings, Flesh Tearers, Flesh Eaters, Blood Drinkers, Golden Seraphs, Blood Bearers, Crimson Raptors, Charnel Brethren, Crimson Sentinels, and the Angels Encarmine. The scions of Sanguinius were joined by the venerable Space Wolves, long time ally of the Iron Spears. Together the loyalist Chapters defended the Iron Spears' home world against a massive invasion by the Forces of Chaos, led by the Iron Spears' mortal enemies - the vile Chaos warband known as the Void Stalkers - alongside their allies from multiple First Founding Traitor Legions.

## Background

The Battle of Ailinne took place in the year 677.M39 and pitted the Iron Spears Chapter against massive Heretic army lead by the Void Stalkers (who had returned after 441 years in hiding). The Void Stalkers' army consisted of 1,200 Void Stalkers, 900 Word Bearers, 600 World Eaters, and 300 Thousand Sons. Fighting alongside the Heretic Astartes were cultist soldiers and daemonic hosts "beyond number".

The Heretical Host attacked the Iron Spears Chapter during a *'Great Feast'*, an Iron Spears tradition when the entire Chapter (including the highly independent Fennid, which numbered 114 at the time) gathers at the Fortress Monastery for a grand celebration. The surprise assault caught the Marines off guard as the entire Chapter mobilized to defend their homeworld. Before interstellar communications were shut down, the Iron Spears were able to receive aid from the Planetary Defense Forces of Brigid and Leix as well as naval elements of the System Defense Fleet. Despite their apparent lack of technological progress, the native inhabitants of Ailinne soon proved themselves to be an invaluable asset in the fight against the Traitors.

The battle was initially largely in favor of the Iron Spears, whose Monastery was protected by void shields, auto-defenses, and a natural ring of impassible mountains with only one passage. For a time the Iron Spears were able to exact heavy casualties among the Traitors until they were betrayed by Gofraid, Chieftain of the 10th Clan-Company. During the battle, Gofraid was psychically contacted and corrupted by Elymas, Arch-Sorcerer of the Void Stalkers.

After falling to chaos, Chieftain Gofraid was responsible for disabling the fortress' automatic defense systems and opening the "Blackstair Gate", allowing the Traitors to storm Dunbairrche directly. Gofraid also aided the Heretic army in surpassing many of Dunbairrche's defenses. To make matter's worse, a "second wave" of Traitors far larger than the first arrived to assault the Fortress-Monastery. It was then that High Chieftain Garmund Mor gave the order unleash the entire Chapters Death Company (which at the time contained 701 'Grimbloods') upon the enemy. Despite the loss of the automated defenses and Gofraid's betrayal, the Iron Spears prevented the enemy from breaching the inner-most sections of the Monastery where much of the Chapter was now holed up.

In orbit, the massive Chaos fleet prevented communication between Ailinne and the rest of the Imperium. However, it would seem that the grace of the Emperor was with the Iron Spears as a small Escort ship, under the command of Thane Murchadh, managed to escape the Chaos blockade. When the Escort ship was en route to Baal, it encountered a fleet of the Broken Wings. Murchadh relayed his story to the Broken Wings Captain who agreed to aid the Iron Spears. Murchadh and the Broken Wings Captain were able to recruit a strike force of 2,350 Astartes from various Blood Angels successors including; the Blood Angels themselves, Broken Wings, Flesh Tearers, Golden Seraphs, Blood Bearers, and the Charnel Brethren. The sons of Sanguinius were also joined by three Great Companies of the Space Wolves, long time allies of the Iron Spears. Among the coalition of Imperial relief forces sent to Ailinne were Imperial Guard and Imperial Navy units taken from across the Celtic Sector.

## Aftermath

The eight loyalist chapters were finally able to finally drive away the traitors (including Gofraid, now known as Talexus Battlereaver). Those Traitor forces that survived the Battle of Ailinne all joined under the ever-growing banner of the Void Stalkers

Despite successfully defending their Homeworld and Fortress-Monastery, 75% of the Iron Spears Chapter (including the Chapter Master) had perished in battle. It would take nearly a century for the Iron Spears to recoup their losses.