Burning of the Carrion

The **Burning of the Carrion** was a joint-Imperial, Space Hulk purgation operation carried out by both the Heralds of the Storm Space Marine Chapter and their Progenitors, the Penitent Knights against the flagship of the Crow's Children Chaos Warband.

## History

For great many millennium, the horrendous Crow's Children Warband of heretic Astartes called the Space Hulk, the *Dark Carrion*, their den. And for all those long years, the location of the dark construct remained hidden and elusive, to both the Penitent Knights and the Heralds of the Storm. But in the mid of the 41st Millennium, the Sons had finally discovered the Dark Carrion, hidden deep within the ungoverned and wild reaches of the Asteria Sub-sector. Immediately, the young Chapter sent word to their progenitors, but also set about working to destroy the outer defenses of the Space Hulk. For not only had the Crow's Children constructed nigh-impregnable hull modifications and bastions upon the Carrion's surface, but the traitor Astartes had also built smaller fortresses and installations across the void around the Space Hulk's position. The Heralds set themselves to task by besieging the smaller fortifications in smaller strike forces, bringing down the hammer upon the anvil, as they would say. These operations were largely successful, as the small fortresses were garrisoned by mercenaries and blackguards from the Crow's Children mortal followers, with a few Astartes present to maintain control. Over the course of two standard weeks, the Heralds were then joined by the Penitent Knights.

After pleasantries and fair tidings, the two Chapters with their combined fleets managed to smash through whatever ramshackle pirate or pillaged Imperial vessels the Children had amassed for their defenses, but all became far more sobering whence both armies saw the monstrosity that was the *Dark Carrion.* On top of the incredibly sturdy hull of the Space Hulk was several layers of reinforced bulkheads, with spires and bastions that bore a striking resemblance to the Penitent Knights' fortress-monastery of Galadhor, as well as almost innumerable cannon embankments. To further the gravity of the task, the Lord Scholar of the Knights made the discovery that a cabal of Sorcerors were casting disruptions that made the use of teleportariums to reach the inside impossible. And so, the Lord Marshall of the Heralds created the plan of using the battle-barge *Valiant Scion* to smash into to Carrion and deposit the elite of his Chapter into the Children's hellish abode.

Through fire, plasma, and heretical fury, the *Scion* smashed into the hiding place, and the full force of the Chapter's elite Redeemers scoured the foul innards of the Space Hulk. Every step of the way, they were beset by Chaos Marines and the Warband's reckless and mindless followers. So bloodthirsty and dangerous were the Children that by the time half of the defense cannons were disabled, the Heralds of the Storm's force was reduced to half strength. The Lord Marshall, Aethelar Perro, ordered the wounded of the force to return to the *Valiant Scion* and hail rescue while the rest of the Redeemers continued onward. The terrible truth of what befell the large party is that the Betrayer himself, Daedelus, descended upon the loyalists and tore them apart with his Raptor chosen, in a bloody battle near the engine compartment. It is speculated that one of the Redeemers, seeing the desperation of their situation, had somehow detonated a large explosion in the compartment, starting a chain reaction across the *Dark Carrion.* Though many of the Crow's Children managed to escape the destruction due to teleportation by Peredrath the Ruiner, most of the Warband had been punished for their sins with the destruction of their den. Mourning the selfless sacrifice of the Storm Heralds' elite, the Penitent Knights declared Aethelar and his fallen brothers heroes of both of their Chapters.