Great Scouring (Hektor Heresy)

This article is about a battle in the /tg/ Heresy project, a fan re-working of the Warhammer 40k universe.

Great Scouring
Date	014.M31 to 021.M31
Scale	Galactic
Theatre	The Milky Way Galaxy
Status	Imperial Victory
Belligerents
Imperium of Mankind	Chaos
Commanders and Leaders
Alexandri of Rosskar Roman Albrecht Shakya Vardhana Arelex Orannis Brennus Gaspard Lumey Golgothos Onyx the Indestructible	Aubrey The Grey The Voidwatcher Cromwald Walgrun Inferox "The Burned King" Johannes Vrach Uriel Salazar Rogerius Merrill Tollund Ötztal
Strength
The depleted Loyalist Space Marine Legions and supporting forces.	The depleted Traitor Space Marine Legions and supporting forces
Losses
tens of thousands of Space Marines approximately one and a half trillion other military casualties	tens of thousands of Space Marines approximately one trillion other military casualties
Outcome
Chaos forces driven from the Imperium. Most Traitor Legions head to the Eye of Terror.

The Great Scouring was a massive counter-offensive by the Imperial forces loyal to the Imperium of Mankind against the Traitor Legions that had backed Hektor Cincinnatus in the Hektor Heresy. Although the Loyalists succeeded in their campaign, by the end of the Scouring their forces were exhausted.

Prelude

Hektor's betrayal ended the Great Crusade of Makind and ravaged the Imperium. His Traitor Legions divided and battered the Loyalist Legions, starting with the near-destruction of the Scale Bearers and the death of their Primarch Tiran Osoros. The stubborn resistance of the defenders of Terra, led by the ruthless Alexandri of Rosskar staved off Hektor's attack on humanity's capital until Loyalist forces from the fringes of the Imperium could concentrate for a counter-attack. Though Hektor was slain by the Emperor at the gates of the Imperial Palace, Aubrey The Grey succeeded in rending the Warp in the catacombs of Terra. The Emperor's psychic might was enough to seal the breach and prevent a new Eye of Terror from opening, but this task exhausted Him and by the end of the campaign humanity's great leader was a withered husk interred in the Golden Throne. His last order to the Loyalist Primarchs was to take the fight back to the Traitors and drive them from the Imperium.