Battle for Astoran

The **Battle for Astoran** was a large Imperial defensive campaign fought by the Blood Serpents Space Marine Chapter to defend their home system of Astoran from a series of successive attacks from various xenos races. This ongoing conflict was fought in three stages; the first, was against the Greenskin tide of WAAAGH! Klawcrusha, the second, was the Treachery of Kuthru Zarlan, and the final conflict was the unexpected arrival of a Tyranid Hive Ship.

## History

### WAAAGH! Klawcrusha

While WAAAGH! Klawcrusha was fairly small and would not normally be considered a threat it arrived shortly after Kuthru Zarlan had returned the sole survivor of purge of Koros, and the Blood Serpents were crowning their second Chapter Master, Cronagg. Even still despite the Ork WAAAGH! catching the Blood Serpents completely off-guard Klawcrusha quickly got lost trying to navigate the maze that is Astoran's tunnel network, allowing the Blood Serpents to out flank, and over run the Orks with minimal casualties. WAAAGH! Klawcrusha would not even have been worthy of note if it wasn't for the exceptionally high number of Blood Serpents that fell to the Black Rage during the fight.

### Treachery of Kuthru Zarlan

Shortly after the attack of WAAAGH! Clawchrusha High Chaplain Kuthru Zarlan gathered up the Death Company, telling the rest of the Chapter that he was preparing to kill them, as is Blood Angel tradition. However, Kuthru had fallen to Khorne took advantage of the high number of Death Company, and his role as leader of them to try and kill off the chapter, and create a new Cult to Khorne on Astoran.

Kuthru Zarlan convinced the Death Company that the Blood Serpents were the enemy, and turned them on their former brothers. The Death Company caught the Blood Serpents completely off guard, the initial strike wiped out what remained of the 5th company, which had suffered least from the Ork invitation. However, Kuthru's treachery would not be able to get much farther, as shortly before he died, Captain Ragos set off an alarm alerting the rest of the chapter.

Then the newly promoted Chapter Master Cronagg gathered what remained of his forces to bring down the treacherous Chaplain. The fight that followed was deadly to both sides, with all of Zarlans forces going down, but taking two loyalists for almost everyone of them. Culminating in a fight between Cronagg and Zarlan, while Zarlan never stood a chance in the fight, he did manage to severely wound Cronagg's left arm before being beheaded by Cronagg's axe.

### The Hive Ship

Five days after Kuthru Zarlan's forces had been defeated a strange living ship appeared above Astoran, and immediately attacked, and destroyed what remained of the defensive fleet above Astoran. The weird living vessel then immediately launched several spores down to the planet. The hoards of strange creatures immediately ran forwards, and found the tunnel network, poring down and overrunning the first few marines that they came across. The beasts slowly fought their way through Astoran before the Blood Serpents mount a combined assault pushing the creatures back to the surface.

Upon reaching the surface the remaining fifty Blood Serpents noticed that the ship had stopped dropping down reinforcements. However, there was one enemy force remaining, it appeared to contain: One giant monstrous leader beast, along with two groups of smaller leader beasts, along with a massive swarm of lesser creatures. The Blood Serpents devised a plan, have the two remaining Captains each take fifteen marines to attack the flanks, and remove the smaller leader beasts, before having the entire army launch an assault on the central larger leader beast.

The plan started off to a successful but rocky start, the two side teams managed to remove the smaller leader beasts, but at the cost of all but the two captains on the flanks. Additionally, the core army in the middle was taking heavy casualties. But all was not lost, for the central force pushed its way forwards, and Chapter Master Cronagg dueled with the monstrosity blocking the Blows from its mighty Sword, but then the creature lashed out with its whip and cut him down while he was blocking the sword, simultaneously the creatures two massive guns launched a barrage killing eight marines in one burst.

Then the two Captains converged on the leader alone, but they stood no chance as the creature sliced one in half while gripping the other with his whip, strangling him before throwing the unfortunate sole aside and blasting all but three of the remaining marines. Then Sergeant Skyrog stood up to the beast which prepared to swing its massive sword before its head exploded, and the beast fell over backwards crushing several smaller creatures.

The loss of the leader resulted in the rest of the creatures ran away, the remaining Blood Serpents then went on a purge of the remaining creatures. Then in space, the *Apothicron* arrived, and seeing the unknown ship, and no other Blood Serpent vessels immediately opened fire, bringing down the wounded ship.