Afil System Ambush

The **Alfi System Ambush** was an event that occurred in the history of the Shattered Star Space Marine Chapter when they were ambushed by the notorious Wraith Claws Chaos Warband while on a routine patrol in the Afil System.

## History

While the chapter fleet was out on patrol in the Afil System, the Shattered Stars fleet was ambushed by a large fleet of Wraith Claws Heretic Astartes. The Shattered Stars fleet was hit completely by surprise as the enemy was hiding in a nearby asteroid belt that scrambled auger readings. Many Escorts vessels were almost immediately torn to shreds by both sides. While most ships were in combat with one another the Wraith Claws unleashed volleys of boarding torpedoes of cultists, Heretic Astartes and the 'Enlightened'. Heavy casualties began to take their toll on the loyalists, with many of the human crewmembers being slaughtered by hulking daemon-possessed Astartes - the so-called 'Enlightened'. With the leader of these Enlightened ones being former 3rd Company First Sergeant Heston.

Sergeant Heston and his few surviving Enlightened brothers made it to the bridge of the 4th Company's flagship, the *Forgotten Pride*. When the traitorous former brethren made it to the bridge they were attacked by the loyalists, one of which was 4th Company Captain Endior. The battle was fierce and the last three alive on the bridge was Heston, Endior, and Auger Array Specialist Khoriel Semoore. While Heston and Endior were in battle, Heston managed to used one of his mutated claws to pierce the chest of Endior. This allowed Endior the precious seconds to utilise his sword and impale Heston through his chest as well. Before Heston's death from his wounds, he would mutter his final words in the ears of Endior, his final words were lost to time but the words made Endior cry as Khoriel stated during his interrogation.

While many Enlightened died in the boarding they reaped a heavy toll within their target vessels. Lord Nethiel ordered many of his surviving cruisers to act as battering rams and then have a second wave of boarding pods with a focus on attacking the Storm Queen and strategic ships. Leading the assault on the *Storm Queen* was former 8th Captain Azeniev informally known as the "Laughing Knight", during the assault the traitors managed to take over a few of the flagships weapon batteries and unleash havoc on loyalist vessels, rather than wait for traitors to come to him Senathek and his personal guards decided to assault the traitors, during the assault the Laughing Knight lost both of his legs while Senethak lost his arm. Before Senathek delivered the killing blow to Azeniev, he got sucked into a warp portal leaving Senethak with a missing arm and a cracked sword.

During this procedure former 9th company Captain Thanik challenged Nethiel to a Death Duel for command of the warband, this duel was fierce as it attracted daemons to the battle. In the duel Nethiel proved victorious decapitating the wounded captain, Nethiel then tied Thanik's head to his bridge throne and hanged his body in the bridge in dark chains. Near the end of the battle Nethiel ordered a tactical withdrawal with the few ships he had left, while the loyalists were following the traitors, Nethiel ordered the transfer of all Astartes and important personnel to three of their best vessels and leave their remaining cruisers as cannon fodder to slow them down. who then entered the Eye of Terror. In the end both sides received heavy losses.