Onator

General Onator was a senior Imperial military commander who served under both Warmasters Slaydo and Macaroth during the Sabbat Worlds Crusade.

History
General Onator was involved in an Imperial action that did not bode well for the Imperial forces of the Crusade. Onator met his ultimate fate on the fiercely contested world of Parthenope which would turn into a crushing defeat for the Crusade force, occurring in 767.M41. One of Archon Nadzybar's most notorious Magisters, Qux of the Eyeless, was the architect of this crushing defeat. After the flight from Balhaut in 765, Qux had re-consolidated his forces upon the contested world of Parthenope. The Imperial force charged General Onator, commanding 20 divisions, to retake this world. Some Imperial scholars believe that Onator may have been complacent following the famous Imperial victory at Balhaut only two years earlier.

Magister Qux ordered a feint, his forces appearing to collapse under the initial assault, but this was merely a ruse. Coaxing the Imperial troops into an advance across the Caterad Highlands, the Magister's forces then encircled and outflanked the General's troops. Beset from all sides, Onator sent desperate signals for assistance, and began the attempted withdrawal of his forces down from the Highlands and into the towns of Toronon and Ceylask. A single Guard division, comprised of the Samothrace 4th, the 2nd Mnenomite and the 23rd and 26th Baldackian Fusiliers, found itself cut off from the rest of the retreating force. Standing their ground in the Besh Valley, the valiant Guard division was annihilated by a sustained five hour artillery bombardment.

General Onator managed to secure Toronon but failed to hold onto Ceylask, which the Magister's forces razed during their advance. Onator's troops were besiedged fro three weeks at Toronon. Their hopes were temporarily raised when the Adeptus Mechanicus sent in support, but were soon dashed as Qux utilised a large number of war machines provided to him from one of the Traitor Legions. The Mechanicus reinforcements were utterly destroyed after a ferocious nine-day battle. The details of the final fate that befell Onator and his remaining troops was quickly suppressed by the Inquisition for morale reasons.