Planet Killer

"And furthermore it is our conclusion that such a machine therefore does not exist and any personnel claiming to have seen it are deluded. It has been proven to a high degree of probability that the destruction of Kharlos II is wholly the result of coincidental seismic activity."

- From the conclusions of the preliminary report on the destruction of Kharlos II by the Imperial Commissar for Mortal Truth

The Planet Killer is a massive stellar vessel that served as Abaddon the Despoiler's flagship during his 12th Black Crusade, otherwise known as the Gothic War from 139.M41-160.M41. Built around a central energy cannon of immeasurable magnitude, the aptly named Planet Killer was able to destroy entire worlds with its powerful main weapon known as the Armageddon Gun. It supposedly was destroyed in 154.M41 by the Imperial Navy Omega Squadron, freshly arrived from outside the Gothic Sector, but its ultimate destruction could not be confirmed.

History
The origins of the massive Chaos vessel known as the Planet Killer are a mystery to Imperial Navy authorities. It bears no resemblance to any Imperial ship design and is assumed to have been constructed by Abaddon's forces, just prior to the Gothic War. Many amongst the Adepts of the Machine God attest that it could only have been fabricated within the Eye of Terror, so blasphemous to all the laws of nature is its construction. This formidable vessel was built around a central energy cannon, aptly named the "Armageddon Gun," a monstrous weapon capable of directing a focussed blast of what is hypothesised to be the very stuff of the Warp. This weapon is capable of bringing about the destruction of worlds, for its blast is powerful enough to bore through the crust of any planet, causing catastrophic instability within the core, literally ripping it apart. It is also studded with numerous long range lances, weapons batteries, and torpedo launchers. Well armoured and protected by a plethora of shield generators, the Planet Killer's only weakness seemed to be its ponderous speed.

In 978.M40, Abaddon overthrew Lord Teknos of the Dark Mechanicus Forge World of Raji IV. The Hereteks swear allegiance to the Despoiler and return with him to the Eye of Terror. By 982.M40 the renegade tech-priests begin construction of a massive stellar vessel within the Eye, using data recovered by Abaddon's forces from the halo world of Lanamorgstein. By 139.M41, the construction of the Planet Killer is completed and a massive effort begins to find enough crew to man it. Abaddon's advisor, Zaraphiston, binds several Daemons to the huge vessel, greatly reducing the manpower needed to run it. As Warp Storms begin to engulf the Gothic Sector, Abaddon commands his subservient Warmasters to attack, thus heralding his 12th Black Crusade into the realms of the Imperium.

The Gothic War
Abaddon enters the Gothic Sector in 143.M41, using the mysterious Chaos artefact known as the Hand of Darkness to capture the Blackstone Fortress at Rebo V. He then makes a rendezvous with the Planet Killer and takes it as his flagship. His first target is the world of Savaven, populated by members of the Ecclesiarchy. Cardinal Klein orders the Imperial Commander to refuse Abaddon's demand for unconditional surrender. The Despoiler uses Savaven as a trial for the Planet Killer's Armageddon Gun, destroying the planet in less than an hour and killing fourteen billion souls. One year later, the Planet Killer arrives at Saviour, a highly populated system in Lysades sub-sector. After revealing the Planet Killer, Abaddon demands that Saviour's orbital docks begin producing ships for his Chaos fleet. The commander of Saviour has little choice but to agree, to save the lives of eleven billion people at stake.

With the threat of the Despoiler's Planet Killer looming over them, many Imperial worlds chose to surrender without a fight. Multiple sub-sectors fell out of Imperial control and with them a number of shipyards and orbital docks. As the Imperium faced increasing difficulties in repairing its own vessels, building new ones became ever more unlikely. with its critical early strikes, Chaos may well have won the war before it had even started. Abbadon takes the Planet Killer to Fularis, where Blackstone I orbits the world of Fularis II. At first the Imperials were optimistic as Abaddon's fleet had attacked from the other side of Fularis II, which meant that they would have to dare the orbital and planetary defence systems to get to Blackstone I. The Imperial forces had recently upgraded their weapons of Fularis II for just such an occurrence and they doubted that even with two Fortresses in his possession, the Despoiler would not survive. But Borgia's early optimism was to be cruelly shattered as once again, Abaddon rendered the Imperial Navy's defences woefully ineffective. The two Blackstones took up station some seventy-five thousand leagues from Fularis II and just out of range of the weapons platforms, except for the torpedo launchers. An energy surge was soon picked up between the two Fortresses. Other recovered evidence pointed towards an energy beam being unleashed towards Fularis II. The Imperial vessel Vindictive was caught full on, her shields overloaded instantly and outer hull vaporised as the energy wave passed over the ship. Fularis II was later found with its atmosphere stripped off and the surface scoured to a rocky plain. Of Blackstone I, there was no sign.

In 146.M41, the Planet Killer is spotted moving towards the Imperial world of Stranivar in Bhein Morr. Stranivar has been blockaded for two years, but still refused to surrender. Communications were lost with Stranivar and when an investigating fleet arrived to determine the planet's fate they discovered much to their horror that much of the Hive World had been devastated by meteors created by the destruction of all three of its moons. One year later, an Imperial flotilla encounters the Planet Killer as it leaves warpspace, entering the Corain System. They attack immediately before the rest of Abaddon's fleet can arrive. After causing considerable damage, the Imperial fleet is driven off by the Planet Killer's immense arsenal. Abaddon's forces invade Corain VI and take over its mines. Loyalist guerrilla fighters report that considerable amounts of trikali crystal are shipped into orbit, where the Planet Killer is stationed. Trikali crystal is mainly used in the anti-magnetic containment fields of warp generators and plasma reactors.

Abaddon invades the Drakulu System in 148.M41 and enslaves the two million inhabitants of the system's main planet, an Agri-World. It is widely believed that many of these slaves end up as ritual sacrifices for Zaraphiston's fell magics, the remainder being forced into service as crews on the Planet Killer and other vessels. By 150.M41, Zaraphison predicts that the warp storms will end soon. Abaddon quickly moves his fleet out of Drakulu and meets with the Blackstone Fortresses. News reaches Abaddon of reinforcements gathering in the Tamahl Sector, ready to counter-attack through the Tarantis jump point. The Despoioler sends the Blackstone Fortresses to destroy the Tarantis star and thereby prevent enemies from using the jump point, while he takes the Planet Killer to neighbouring Boetia. Using the power of the Planet Killer, Abaddon eradicates the Adeptus Astra Telepathica facility in Boetia's asteroid belt, cutting off the navigational beacon that would have helped any Imperial ships daring to jump through the warp storms.

Battle of Gethsemane
Abaddon leaves the Planet Killer under the command of Warmaster Malefica Arkham and travels with the Blackstone Fortresses to Schindlegeist to attack Blackstone V in 151.M41. The Planet Killer is despatched to attack Arimaspia as a diversion. With a formidable fleet composed of 17 capital ships (including 2 battleships and 2 battlecruisers) and 20 escorts under his command, Imperial Navy Lord-Admiral Cornelius Ravensburg pursued the enemy fleet into the Gethsemane region. Realising their plight, the Chaos forces attempted to head out-system again to try to get far enough from Gethsemane's star to attempt a warp jump. Ravensburg detached the fastest vessels in his fleet to pursue and a week-long chase ensued.

As the Imperial vessels followed the fleeing Chaos fleet, signals came in warning of another enemy fleet on a closing course. The Imperial ships had been lured into a cunning trap. Bolstered by a further 12 ships, the Chaos fleet turned on the Imperial vessels and it was all they could do to evade the bulk of the enemy. Realising their plight, the Chaos forces attempted to head out-system again to try to get far enough from Gethsemane's star to attempt a warp jump. Ravensburg detached the fastest vessels in his fleet to pursue and a week-long chase ensued.

As the Imperial vessels followed the fleeing Chaos fleet, signals came in warning of another enemy fleet on a closing course. The Imperial ships had been lured into a cunning trap. Bolstered by a further dozen ships, the Chaos fleet turned on the Imperial vessels and it was all they could do to evade the bulk of the enemy. Even with all of their big guns in Lord Ravensburg's command, there was little else they could do but run. Blythe and his battlegroup headed back towards the vicinity of Ravensburg's main fleet, but even with his other capital ship, the Imperial forces were still outgunned to a serious degree.

For three days the two fleets circled and dodged each other through the system, neither fleet commander prepared to commit the bulk of their ships against an enemy whose exact position was unknown. Three weeks after arriving in-system, Ravensburg's fleet and the Chaos armada clashes. At the height of the battle, Eldar ships appeared in front of the Chaos fleet as if from nowhere. Even as the Imperial fleet attempted to haul onto a new heading, their dread became ecstatic happiness as the Eldar attacked the enemy. Caught between the attacking Eldar and Ravensburg's fleet, the Chaos ships were annihilated, although a dozen more of the Emperor's vessels were crippled or destroyed before victory was finally attained. Why the Eldar decided to lend their weight to the Imperial cause was never discovered, though it is a common belief that they had finally heard of Abaddon's capture of the Blackstone Fortresses and had seen an alliance as their only chance for survival. By the end of 151.M41, Abaddon is defeated at Schindlegeist, but the Planet Killer succeeds in destroying two of the five planets that make up the Arimaspia system.

With Abaddon's fleet gone, the attention of the Imperial Navy was turned on the other Chaos fleets. The warp storms had decreased to almost their normal level and scores of ships poured into the Gothic Sector. Many of the Chaos Warmasters followed Abaddon and fled back to the Eye of Terror, to nurse their hatred and bitterness until another opportunity to attack came. However, the fight was never truly finished, for there are worlds within the Graildark Nebula that still await the Emperor's fleets to free them. There are scattered Chaos ships and even two or three fleets that still roam the darkness between the stars of the Hammerhead Deeps and the Cyclops Cluster, waiting for their chance to strike again.

By 154.M41, Malefica Arkham, having been abandoned by Abaddon, attempts to use the Planet Killer to carve an empire of his own. The world of Gonnacrash in the Quinrox Sound swears sovereignty to his rule, but, as he moves the Planet Killer to Kharlos II, Warmaster Arkham is discovered by the Imperial Navy's Omega Squadron, freshly arrived from outside the Gothic Sector. With no vessels to support him, Arkham still decides to attack, but the Planet Killer is eventually destroyed by salvo after salvo of continuous torpedo fusillade of the four Lunar-class Cruisers. Two years later, an Imperial expedition is launched by Inquisitor Horst to recover the hulk of the Planet Killer for study by the Adeptus Mechanicus. No trace of it can be found, and there are worrying rumours of a Black Legion vessel being sighted in the vicinity. The ultimate destruction of the Planet Killer could not be confirmed, yet in the years since the Gothic War there had been no confirmed sightings of it either. Whether this devastating weapon was still at Abaddon's disposal it was impossible to conclusively say with any certainty, for if it remained operational, then the Imperium might once again shudder before its awesome might.