The battle

Zeus watched runic icons appear on his helmets internal display. Auger reports were coming in  of motion detected...

He held a hand out. Absolvus was there and did the same for his men. Bolt guns clacked as rounds were racked across the field. The hum of a razorback's assault cannon as it spun up in preperation.

The whizzing of artillery fire split the air. Still Zeus and Absolvus held their forces back.

The shells hammered down across their positions. Several marines took cover as shrapnel peppered their position. But standing tall, Absolvus and Zeus waited.

There... They could now see the forces of chaos reaching the empty no man's land ahead of them. Zeus spoke into his helmets vox a single word and threw his hand down. "Fire!"

Absolvus too swept his hand down, but he declared "Into the Fires of Battle! Unto the Anvil of War!" His command was echoed by the marines under his command.

Caladius grav tanks fired across the no man's land. Hyper accelerated shells slammed into the ranks of Haagroth's forces, soon they were followed by large caliber lastrum bolt rounds. The Razorback's weapon spoke hatred towards the forces of Chaos as well.

The weapons cut paths through the enemy's lines, but the forces of chaos surged forward. There seemed to be no end to their numbers.

Renegade Basalisks and mortars opened fire into the forces of the Custode. Custodian guard bore the brunt of the impacts on upraised Storm Shields.

A renegade Lascannon roared repeatedly. Streams of ruby light kept flashing past one of the Custode grav tanks or punched through the flare shielding. But the shielding reduced the impacts to negligable levels.
The din of battle was almost deafening as the two forces traded fire with weapons speaking hatred back and forth, but then.. Over the din, Zeus heard the sound of Mine explosions.

"Left, they're attempting to flank us. " Zeus said in a cold detached tone.  One of his grav tanks turned to bring fire on the flanking forces.

The fire forced their progress to a halt as they scrambled for cover after the Rhino that lead the effort was shredded by hyper velocity shells.

Zeus kept watching the battle. One by one a few green icons on his helmet would go red, or vanish entirely. The noose was closing. Another Rhino swept around to the other side of his forces.

Absolvus had the situation in hand. He called orders and his marines swept to meet the new threat on their flank. The Razorback as well as a storm of bolter fire tore into the chaos forces.

The battle continued for what felt like ages, but the coordinated efforts of the Custode and the Marines held their position. Eventually the numbers of the chaos forces dwindled to a point where they were forced to withdraw.

-R&H Post-

Kull shouted-- with every command, ushered forth a salvo from his weapons. Thunderous guns fired, as their mighty basilisks tore into the Imperium's finest. Indeed, from the sustained assault a Custodian unit was blown completely to a man from the storm of fire-- and further ushered his lascannons. Mortars joined this choir of battle, the hab block blasting in sequence from the untrained aim of the slave-soldiers before him.

He might have been confident, but instead he turned his gaze to the left. He watched as the frontal assault faltered, and his own orders grew more hoarse, more desperate. The pirates he had chosen to accompany him fired  sniper rounds from their concealed position-- but even their impact was negligible as one by one, the banners of chaos fell from his perched position.

He had considered retreat, but as he turned-- he saw the Grav-tanks soaring up the buildings, their arcane guns pointed immediately to their position. He looked, and shouted for his men to re-orient their guns, to bring that tower crashing to the ground!

But, at light-speed, the Grav-tank lances fired, spearing right into the basilisks. In a mighty explosion, perhaps a cruel joke by the Gods, all of their ordnance exploded, as the artillery group was simply annihilated in a mighty bathe of fire!

And, as it seemed, there was no trace left of Kull in the aftermath. What little men survived ran as they could, their already reluctant morale shattered as their lord and master seemed all but obliterated...

News spread of Kull's demise like wildfire. The valkyrie sorties were sent northward-- and nothing. It was as it seemed, an overwhelming loss for the Apostates everywhere-- their dear leader crushed.

Not for Thret, however. This could not have been better. That old fool was long over-due, his eagerness to lead a vanguard was his failure. Unlike that pompous failure of a nobleman, Thret knew war. He was a soldier, a captain, a commander, a traitor all. He knew how to win. He could lead this 5th to true glory. To commemorate this, he would need a title. So it was, he proclaimed himself the new General of the 5th Apostates!

There was no resistance, truly. The other captains were a fraction in strength-- and no doubt, the reinforcements from Kull's survivors would only bolster his strength. After analyzing everything-- numbers, contacts, timeframes, he set his army to war, as the infernal smog continued to belch.

He ordered his vox officers to be on-staff at all times, to look out for this 'Overlord' of chaos. An apt name, he thought sarcastically-- but an ally of marines would be only beneficial. If their remnants lived, perhaps they would make a suitable tarpit as the true Apostasy war machine was brought to bear.
General Kull is dead. Long live General Thret.

-Chaos Marines-
Haargroth, Warlord of the Ashen Onslaught and self Proclaimed Overlord of the forces of Chaos on this world was still at a total loss from the aftermath of the battle. Dozens of his finest Bloodbound, the most loyal of his Khorne Berserkers lie dead on the battlefield. Mortal soldiers from the Ashen Onslaught and their Turmos Apostate allies also littered the ground with their corpses. Blood had been spilled this day, but it was not those of Imperial stock. While the Blood God cares not where the blood comes from, only that it flows a devastating defeat such as this would certainly earn Khorne's wrath.

Calling for the retreat not only affected the morale of the surviving 8th regiment of the Ashen Onslaught, it also wounded Haargroth's pride. The defeated Overlord looked back at the Custodian tanks that were heavily entrenched in the buildings that they defended. He raged at the cowardly tactics of the Custodians and his mortal allies that deserted his army. Part of him wanted to throw himself back into the fray and challenge the Custodian general to single combat. But he knew he would never be granted an honorable challenge by the Imperials.

At the same time, the Gal Vorbak realized that he had severely underestimated the strength of the Custodians and the weapons they brought to bear. Never again would he underestimate this foe. But any future strategies against the Custodians would have to be decided later as they were now hunting him and his surviving Ashen Onslaught warriors. It was now time to regroup and try to return back to their base. Without hearing from their leader who had no access to a vox machine, it would only be a matter of time until the other regiments of the Ashen Onslaught warred against itself. Time was of the essence now that it was the Imperials who became the hunters and the Ashen Onslaught prey.

-After battle discussion between Zeus and Absolvus-

As the battle was coming to a close and what little of the chaos forces where retreating, Absolvus would vox in to his chapter to deploy land speeder scouts to hunt down what traitors remained

Absolvus Would approach Zeus as the battle was over now
"Your shadow keepers preformed as well as the story's say"

Zeus removed his helmet and nodded to Absolvus. "Your men fought well also. They are a credit to your chapter and Astarte. It was an honor to fight by your side, Chapter Master" He said and extended a hand.

He'd accept his hand
"Likewise shadow keeper, today we managed to cut off the head of these traitors"

"Not yet. Haagroth was forced back. But I will not believe he is dead until I see a misericordia in his throat." Zeus said in a matter of fact way. His expression betrayed a hint of rage against the heretic marines.

"indeed, typical of them to run from the emperors finest and his guardians. I shall be sending scout teams to track him down. I'll relay the Intel once we find that coward, I to have a grudge against this traitor"

Zeus almost growled the next words, "Let me." He may have been a younger member of his force, but the shame and rage of his brother ran hot in his veins.

His knuckles were white as he gripped the haft of his Keeper's Axe.

he nods at Zeus
"Very well than, I shall leave the hunt to you than"
He'd look back at his forces who where prepareing to move out
"If you would excuse my I shall rejoin my brothers"
He'd pause before speaking again
"We are currently morning the loss of one of our captains that was slain by the traitor you hunt"