Purge of the Contqual Sub-sector



The Purging of the Contaqual Sub-Sector was an Imperial campaign carried out by the Iron Hands Space Marine Chapter against the Forces of Chaos. The taint of the Contaqual Sub-sector began late in the year 812.M41 when the Contaqual High Governor fell easy prey to the corruption of the Chaos God of Pleasure, Slaanesh. From their High Governor's court the taint spread quickly and within a single month the entire Sub-sector seethed with the corruption of Chaos. The cleansing of Contaqual was tasked to the Iron Hands who have always burned with hatred for Chaos in all its myriad forms since the disaster on Istvaan V. The Iron Hands stormed into the Contaqual Sub-sector with a speed akin to chained lightning, seizing several planets before resistance could even be organised by the region's Chaotics. Four Iron Hands clans were engaged throughout the sub-sector on various suppression missions.

Soon the Iron Hands identified the capital world of Shardenus as the primary source of the Chaotic corruption. The honour of cleansing this world fell to Lord Clan Commander Arven Rauth and Clan Raukaan. Though massively outnumbered and sustaining significant losses, the Iron Hands cut through the Heretics and their daemons like an ebon-armoured storm. The world was brought to heel in short order with the rest of the Sub-sector falling to the fury of the Iron Hands with equal speed, the citizens of many worlds turning on their tainted masters and pleading with the Iron Hands for mercy. But the Sons of Medusa are not known for their forgiveness and the Chapter fell on the worlds of the Sub-sector with a cleansing wrath, executing one in every three civilians in a great and bloody purge, which the Chapter intended to serve as a righteous punishment for allowing the taint of Chaos to sweep over the worlds of the Contaqual sub-sector.

History
The citizens of Contqual lived a decadent and carefree existence, believing they had created a paradise free from the ugliness found throughout the rest of the Imperium. As far as Imperial scholars can determine, the taint of the Contaqual Sub-sector began late in the year 812.M41 when the Contaqual High Governor fell easy prey to the corruption of the Chaos God of Pleasure, Slaanesh. From their High Governor's court the taint spread quickly and within a single month the entire Sub-sector seethed with the corruption of Chaos. The task of cleansing the corruption was given to the stalwart Iron Hands Space Marine Chapter who vehemently despised Chaos in all its myriad forms. Within a matter of months the Iron Hands fell upon the Chaos-tainted sub-sector. Soon dozens of worlds capitulated to the ruthless efficiency of the unforgiving Space Marines taking control of over seventy-two percent of the Contaqual sub-sector, with the enemy withdrawing across all active zones, except one. The Iron Hands soon identified the world of Shardenus as the heart of corruption, with the cancer spreading from the Hive City capital of Shardenus Prime. The task of cleansing Shardenus fell to Lord Clan Commander Arven Rauth and Clan Raukaan.

Dissension Amongst The Ranks
After conducting the first-stage assaults, the Imperial commanders gathered the enormous forces at their disposal in readiness for the assault on Shardenus’s hive spires. Planetfall had been achieved with acceptable losses, mostly due to the fire unleashed by Imperial Navy destroyers from orbit as well as clinical strikes launched by Iron Hands tactical squads. No one was under any illusion that the next stage would be as easy. The spire cluster of Shardenus Prime was void-shielded, ringed with artillery-studded walls and stuffed with millions of defenders. That fortress was the principal target, the nexus of the entire campaign, the linchpin upon which the fate of a dozen worlds and billions of lives rested. Shardenus Prime was a vision of hell, a smog-choked nightmare of hyper-industry and contamination, millions of men and women lodged there. No doubt casualties would be high amongst the assaulting Imperial Guard units. This put Lord General Raji Nethata at odds with Lord Clan Commander Rauth. It was said that the Iron Hand commander was careless of those he served alongside. Casualty rate amongst the Guard had been several points higher than normal. Nethata did not like seeing his men used as expendable adjuncts to Rauth's enthusiasm, and had boldly stood up to the Astartes on several occasions.

The Lord General advocated alternative tactics, vocally, in the strategic briefings. Shardenus was a world of hives. The Prime cluster, constituted the governing centre of the planet. Many others existed across the northern continent. They processed the planet's food and weapon stockpiles. Nethata wanted to attack them first, to starve Shardenus Prime of supplies and wait for it to weaken. They would be softer targets and would be destroyed within a month's time. Lord Clan Commander Rauth rejected this plan because he could ill-afford for the principal hives to grow hungry. The hives could be taken by direct assault, in multiple locations, enabling the Imperial forces to maintain a constantly moving front. The central hive would fall once the outer spires had been compromised. Nethata objected to this plan because he knew that his forces would be ravaged. The Iron Hands commander understood this, but he also understood that all suffer who uphold the will of the Emperor. His requirement for speed was of the utmost importance, for Rauth did not know what horrors lay beyond within the spires, but he could guess - the taint of Chaos. [[Category:B]]