Intervention on Auchtous

Armorial of the Gray Hussars Chapter.

The **Intervention on Auchtous** was an Imperial excoriation campaign carried out by the Gray Hussars Space Marine Chapter against the vile Black Legion Traitor Legion upon the Imperial shrine world of Auchtous.

## Background

Auchtous was an Ecclesiarchial World homeworld to a Lesser Orders Militant of the Adepta Sororitas, the Order of the Iron Cross. The world was also guarded by a Temple Garrison Squad of the Gray Hussars Chapter guarding the Cathedral at the heart of the Planetary Capitol. The world fell under the assault of the forces of the chaos led by the Black Legion. Sending a distress message from every Astropath not gone insane for the daemons leaching into reality with the tide of the dark forces. The Astartes fought hard, in the defense of the Cathedral of Saint Grevier before falling after a two-month siege where the Black Legion eventually gave up on taking the Cathedral and the Chaos Sappers blew the foundation, toppling the Cathedral till it was rubble.

The Apothecary being the only survivor of the Garrison Squad. The message didn't go unheard, received by the Gray Hussars 4th Division, which relayed it to all Imperial Forces that the most sacred of worlds were under assault, for the salvation of Mankind they must rally to its defense and slay the vile traitors and cleanse the world of all heresy. The 4th Division Fleet joined the raging naval engagement still in play in orbit between elements of the Black Legion and the Imperial Navy. The Gray Hussars fleet made for the planet, blowing through the Chaos vessels and dispensing the 11th Brigade to the surface in a Drop Pod Assault, their target, the Adepta Sororitas fortress that had been weathering a siege by the traitor forces for three months, their order being reduced to a partial 200 of its original 1000 strength. Breaking the skyline the drop pod dispensed the entire Brigade surrounding the cultists, cutting them down by the tens of thousands as they burned down their siege camps.

The Black Legionnaires decided to let the Cultists be the distraction and make one final attempt at taking the keep at the center of the Sororitas fortress. Emperor's Champion Valeer von Gesner knew the Black Legion had pushed inside and that the Sororitas stood no chance alone. The Gray Hussars pursued while the 10th and 12th Brigades were brought down in Thunderhawks, the Predators, Landspeeders and Bike Squads routing the Cultists by the sudden strike by the Knights of Dorn. Valeer von Gesner pushed forth, cutting down the Black Legionnaires in his path with his holy Black Blade. Duelling the warbands Lord he decapitated him in the innermost sanctum of the Keep, all but a singular young Sister of Battle having been slain, saved from the teeth of a Chainsword by the encrusted Black Blade of Valeer von Gesner. Her leg was broken by a mighty blow from a Traitor Astartes. The Apothecary rendered her medical aid and gave her pain medications on the champion's orders. The Sister was named Adali. She was carried out of the fortress, seeing her Sister mutilated corpses as they passed by, bringing her to tears and embracing the artificer armor of the Emperor's Champion. Many of the Astartes were off put by the Sister and even more by the emotional display by their Champion. The Astartes fleet and the Imperial Navy of Battlefleet Saras destroyed the chaos fleet, with many devastated vessels fleeing into the void to avoid annihilation. The Imperial Guard dispatched a regiment of Death Korp Guardsmen to assist the planetary defense forces and Astartes destroy the now disorganized Chaos forces.

Driving forth towards the Capitol that had turned into a slaughterfield, street-by-street, spire-by-spire. The flew Black Legionnaires planned revenge against the Champion. They set an ambush when the Champion lead an assault on a habitation block the Sister's leg having healed requested to fight alongside the Champion, developing an unorthodox relationship with the Champion. Walking into a preset ambush Twelve heretic Astartes ambushed the Emperor's Champion squad. The Squire bearing the Ancient was the first to be slain followed by the Two Veteran-Knights and lastly, the Apothecary, until it was only the Emperor's Champion and Sister Adali. The fighting was fierce. Being dazed Emperor's Champion Valeer von Gesner fell, and Sister Adali was blown back by a powerful punch from a Black Legionnaire, she screamed. In a blind flash she was given the powers of the Emperor, infused with his essence filling her to save the Valeer von Gesner. The blessing of the Emperor took away her mortal form, giving her the power of a living Saint.

Slaying the Black Legionnaires she rushed to Valeer von Gesner's side and embraced him with her angelic wings, healing his wounds with a kiss of the blessed. The Champions Apprentice, rushing to his master's position was awestruck. Kneeling before the living Saint glowing in the blessing of the Emperor, muttering his prayers. The Saint would become the beacon for which the Imperial Forces would rally around to purge the Hive in the course of the month. Saint Adali raised the spirits of all and fought alongside the Emperor's Champion in what was described as loving devotion to each other, which was a common rumour among the Imperials who bore witness to the two. In the next two years, the last of the cultists would be purged and hunted down by the living Saint in every corner of Auchtous.