Second Rangdan Xenocide

The Second Rangdan Xenocide was the second war between the Imperium and the Rangdan xenos, and was much more serious than the First. Involving three legions, many more Titans, Knights, Imperial Army troops, Mechancium forces and the Emperor himself, the scale of the conflict was many times larger than the First and was one of the largest campaigns up to that point in the Great Crusade.

An Enemy Forgotten
Colonists on the world of Ophidia in the Scarus Sector picked up on some unusual Imperial fleet movements, with the signals suggesting that the fleet was heading straight for the world for no discernible reason. Anxious, yet unwilling to upset an Imperial admiral or Astartes commander, nothing was done to prepare the defences of the world. As such, when the fleet arrived, the inhabitants were horrified to see a large Rangdan fleet, which swarmed the world and scourged it.

The Call for Aid
Araphel and the Iron Revenants were in the process of campaigning alongside the newest brother to be discovered, Rang Talyc and the Shadow Warriors. Their fleet picked up on confused distress signals, some referring to a sudden and extremely serious threat with others mentioning a rebel governor and still others saying that these distress signals were lies from a faction of rebels. Figuring that there must be something wrong, the two legions headed towards the last report location, Ophidia. However, before they reached it they were ambushed by a Rangdan fleet. Unprepared for this scale of conflict, the Imperial fleet suffered heavy casualties as both Primarchs led their ships in a defensive formation. Both legions had a significant portion of their legion with them, and so Araphel was able to open up on the Rangdan with several of his legion’s heaviest weapons. The presence of two Gloriana-class battleships and two Primarchs meant that the Rangdan were outmatched, and withdrew after crippling several battleships and cruisers. The two immediately held a war council and made haste to the nearest world, sending word to the War Council that the Rangdan had returned.

It turned out that the fleet that Araphel and Rang had only encountered one of the Rangdan’s fleets, with the War Council discovering that there were at least three prongs of the Rangdan assault, though the Council was struggling to even get accurate information since there was a cloud of misinformation and very few first hand accounts surviving. The Emperor immediately began gathering together forces to fight the Rangdan, but for the moment he ordered the Iron Revenants and Shadow Warriors to hold and defend against the Rangdan.

As the Iron Revenants and Shadow Warriors began repairing their ships and deciding how best to fight the Rangdan, the xenos fleet returned and laid siege to Morox. Araphel and Rang fought on the front lines several times, the Iron Revenants using their most lethal weapons against the Rangdan and the Shadow Warriors descending from the heights of their defences to rain hell on the xenos. Despite the enormous casualties of the Rangdan, the legions found themselves falling back to deeper and deeper defences, hoping to bleed the xenos dry. After nearly a month of protracted fighting, the Imperials were back to their final ring of defences, and ammunition was running low. Araphel and Rang held the last line of defences, the bodies of the Rangdan piling high and adding to the defences. Before the defences collapsed, Theoderaf and the Marks of Fate from the Red Eyes teleported in and forced the Rangdan back. The Red Eyes arrived in numbers behind the Rangdan, and the Emperor himself arrived with his Custodes to wipe the Rangdan from the world.

The Tide Turns
The Emperor held a War Council, with himself and the three Primarchs. The plan decided was to divide the Imperial forces amongst the four and each would tackle the separate Rangdan fleets. Millions of Imperial Army regiments had been gathered, including the elite Terran Heredes, as well as several Titan Legios and Knight Households along with Mechanicum forces as well. The Iron Revenants and Shadow Warriors, due to being depleted by the siege, were to take the largest divisions of auxiliary troops to reinforce them, the mighty Legio Mortis itself volunteering to aid them.

The Rangdan assaults instantly were knocked by the renewed offensive. The Emperor and Theoderaf both launched explosive campaigns to ravage the Rangdan, slaughtering tens of thousands of xenos in void combat. The Iron Revenants and Shadow Warriors were more measured in their approach, rebuilding their strength as they wiped out the shattered remains of the initial fleet and crushed any pockets of regrouping Rangdan. The separate Rangdan fleets reacted, aiming to reunite and bring their overwhelming numbers to bear. Using sacrificial fleets and worlds to try and keep the Emperor and Theoderaf at bay, they struck at the perceived weakest fleet.

The Red Eyes and the Emperor made haste to aid the Iron Revenants and Shadow Warriors, the Emperor holding back the distraction Rangdan forces whilst Theoderaf joined the other legions and together all three faced the strengthened Rangdan threat. The three Primarchs made a stand on the feral world of Enkidu. The Rangdan started with an intense barrage of the Imperial forces, having changed their strategy from swarms of melee fighters to long ranged destruction. Knowing that the Rangdan held the numerical advantage, the three Primarchs decided that their only recourse was a full frontal assault. The three legions were forced to charge the Rangdan to try and silence their long range weaponry, Titans duelling Macrobeests and whole houses of Knights charging into combat. Thousands of mortal troops perished on the charge, whole armoured columns swallowed by the Rangdan. The legions began cutting their way through the hordes, the three Primarchs leading the charge together in an unstoppable force.

The legions managed to reach the centre of the enemy formation, confronting much larger Rangdan Cerabvores than ever encountered, and they descended on the Primarchs and their bodyguards. Araphel swung his Sagittae at all who approached, certain death to anything that got close. Theoderaf spun and hacked with his large chain axe Psyche Cleaver, Rangdan being hewn in two all around him. Rang Talyc’s movement was that of a dance, his great weapon Kal’be’Akaan moving with unerring fluidity and finesse. However, the three Primarchs could only kill so many, as they were slowly overwhelmed. At that point, one of the Reaver-Class Titans of Legio Defensor, having had both of its ranged weapons disabled, charged into a Macrobeest and overloaded its plasma reactor. The resulting explosion and then crashing wreckage and corpse hit the battlefield with a huge blast, momentarily stunning the Rangdan nearby and giving Araphel just enough time to give himself some room. He voxed into orbit and called down an immediate orbital bombardment on his location, shouting over the objections of his fleet captain.

The bombardment pummelled into the planet, smashing apart the Rangdan yet hitting some of the Imperial forces too. Araphel was caught in a blast, and Theoderaf and Rang ran to his aid. Though his armour is greatly damaged, Araphel got back to his feet and took command of the re-embarkation of troops and retrieving the wounded, whilst Theoderaf and Rang led the chasing down of the Rangdan and cleansing the world. Though there was a certain amount of criticism about Araphel’s decision, he and his sons’ willingness to sacrifice themselves worked to quell most of it. The Rangdan fleets were decimated, no longer able to overwhelm the Imperial forces as they once had.

Aftermath
The Emperor led the Imperial forces in a wide sweep of the remaining Rangdan occupied worlds, the fighting no longer an existential threat but a clean up operation. The Emperor felt the situation stable enough to leave for another front, meeting with his sons one last time before departing. The Second Xenocide was over, the Imperium was victorious. The bond between Theoderaf, Araphel and Rang was formed that day, and remained firm throughout the rest of the Great Crusade. Before the end of the Great Crusade, there would be one more test from the Rangdan, and it would be the largest one yet.

Legions

 * Iron Revenants, led by Araphel
 * Shadow Warriors, led by Rang Talyc
 * Red Eyes, led by Theoderaf

Knight Households

 * House Caraxes
 * House Franze

Titan Legios

 * Legio Defensor
 * Legio Interfector
 * Legio Metalica

Imperial Army Forces

 * Vasalius Terra Heredes
 * Aumet Revolutionary Army
 * 163rd Cohort of the Solar Auxilia, the Cthonian Basilisks
 * Welvan Scorchers

Mechanicum Forces

 * Forces from Forge World Aehiri

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