The Battle of Karrik was fought when the 10th Host of the Word Bearers Legion and its auxiliary fleet and army units sought to block the Imperium's relentless pursuit of the defeated 34th Host for long enough to let their fellow Legionnaires escape.

Prior to the battle the 34th Host, fresh from a series of splendid victories in the Segmentum Solar under the Apostle Marduk, had advanced along the Spinward reaches of the Calixis sector, hoping to outflank the Imperial defenders. According to the plan laid down by Choryphaus Kol Badar the 34th Host intended to use Kulth (by many taken to be an auspicious name) as a forward base, recruit additional cult troops from the oppressed masses and mutant hordes of Sepheris Secundus, then press on and take Scintilla in one fell blow. The plan was eerily similar to the one the 10th Host had considered - and rejected.

There was, however, one crucial difference between the plans: The 34th Host under the Apostle Marduk was perhaps the strongest and most successful Word Bearer Host, whereas the 10th was far smaller and less well equipped. Mustering more than 5000 Astartes and innumerable auxiliaries the military prowess of the 34th greatly outstripped that of the 10th. In terms of fleet assets the difference was even more pronounced: Two battle barges; one of them the incredibly massive and powerful the Final Word made up the core of the Astartes ships. Two battleships (one of them a recently captured Imperial vessel) of the 1st Line and no less than twenty-two other capital ships of the 2nd to 4th Line, and many more lesser craft.

The 34th had reached Kulth early in the 6th Year of the 3rd Reaving of Finial. Finding it heavily fortified they invested it thoroughly and began preparations for planetary assault. The enemy resisted doggedly; the presence of Black Templars made a swift spear-head victory impossible. The 34th was forced commit to a full-scale invasion. Meanwhile a powerful squadron was sent to scout out the Golgenna Reach and secure Sepheris Secundus space. The squadron did not return. Without forewarning of any kind the Imperium struck back with the full might of Battlefleet Calixis. Forced to delay their withdrawal to extract their assault troops the 34th was forced into a massive space battle. The enemy admiral proved more capable than any commander Kol Badar had clashed with - and he had clashed with a lot.

After getting most of his men out Marduk began a fighting retreat back towards Finial sector, chased every step of the way by the powerful and quick squadrons of battlecruisers under the Imperium's control. Had it not been for the foresight of Castor of the 10th Host - and his willingness to sacrifice himself and his men to save their brothers - the 34th Host might well have been lost. Instead they found the 10th Host and it's allies present in force on Karrik and its moons. The 34th Host rallied and joined forces with their brothers - the Imperial would have to fight twice as hard as they had anticipated!

The Word Bearers dug in their ground forces on the inhospitable surface of Karrik, keeping their fleet close and safe from long-range attack by careful use of the moons of Karrik.  A phase of naval skirmishing followed, but the Imperials were unable or tease the Bearers of the Word out of their defensive position. Once the bulk of the Imperial fleet arrived their admiral wasted no time; twenty million Imperial Guardsmen were set down on the surface of Karrik, greatly outnumbering their opponents. Next he moved his squadrons of cruisers and battlecruisers into close range, triggering a massive fleet engagement. Despite having ships generally considered too light for Line work like this the Imperials proved unrelenting and audacious. Only the presence of four battle barges kept the Word Bearer fleet in the fight; such vessels are supremely suited for such brital close-combat work.

On the ground the situation grew more dire by the minute, as hordes of guardsmen and their machines of war rolled forward and engaged the Word Bearers. High above the battle barges twisted in unison and dove closer to the planet, launching barrage after barrage of every high-yield strategic weapon in their arsenals. Strange toxins and diseases, nuclear devices of every kind, plasma warheads and more rained upon the troops below. Only Astartes, armored units - and the Titans - had anything more than a slim chance of surviving. The tables were turned; but success did not come cheap - the battle barge Neverending Seremon took a fatal hit and plunged into oblivion.

The remaining barges rose once more and what Astartes remained aboard launched themselves at the enemy flagship. Furious fighting followed, but the Imperial ship had a contingent of Green Knights on board and the assault faltered. Many of the 34th Host were lost, and the Apostle of the 10th was teleported out in the nick of time. The Imperium, finding its Guard armies all but neutralized and the Word Bearers fleet too powerful to risk continuing a close melee with the three remaining battle barges, pulled back. It was a standoff of sorts.

The Word Bearers recovered what men they could from the surface post haste, reconstituted their fleet and made for the safety of the warp. Squadrons of fast light cruisers and frigates hounded the Word Bearers all the way to the jump threshold, picking off several straggling ships in the process. But it was a victory of sorts of the Word Bearers - they had gotten away and the 34th had been saved.

This concludes Chapter 2.