Galaxy in Flames

by Ben Counter

  Iacton Qruze led them through the corridors of the Vengeful Spirit, past the Training Halls, past the Lupercal's Court and down through twisting pasВ­sageways none of them had traversed before, even

  when they had been hiding from Maggard and Mal-oghurst.

  Sindermann's heart beat a rapid tattoo on his ribs, and he felt a curious mix of elation and sorrow fill him as he realised what Qruze had saved them from. There could be little doubt as to what must have happened to those remembrancers in the Audience Chamber and the thought of so many wonderful creative people sacrificed to serve the interests of those with no understanding of art or the creative process galled him and saddened him in equal measure.

  He glanced at Euphrati Keeler, who appeared to have become stronger since their escape from death. Her hair was golden and her eyes bright, and though her skin was still pallid, it only served to highlight the power within her.

  Mersadie Oliton, by contrast, was visibly weakenВ­ing.

  'They will come after us soon,’ said Keeler, 'if they

  are not already,’

  'Can we escape?' Mersadie asked, hoarsely.

  Qruze only shrugged. 'We will or we won't,’

  'Then this is it?' asked Sindermann.

  Keeler shot him an amused glance. 'No, you should know better than that, Kyril. It is never "it", not for a believer. There's always more, something to look forward to when it's all over,’

  They passed a number of observation domes that looked out into the cold void of space, the sight only serving to remind Sindermann of just how

  tiny they were in the context of the galaxy. Even the faintest speck of light that he could see was actually a star, perhaps surrounded by its own worlds, its own people and entire civilisations.

  'How is it that we find ourselves at the centre of such momentous events and yet we never saw them coming?' he whispered.

  After a while, Sindermann began to recognise his surroundings, seeing familiar signs scraped into bulkheads, and insignia he recognised, telling him that they were approaching the embarkation decks. Qruze led the way unerringly, his stride sure and confident, a far cry from the wretched sycophant he had heard described.

  The blast doors to the embarkation deck were closed, the tattered remnants of the votive papers and offerings made to the Warmaster when his sons took him to the Delphos still fixed to the surВ­rounding structure.

  'In here,’ said Qruze. 'If we're lucky, there will be a gunship we can take,’

  And go where?' demanded Mersadie. 'Where can we go that the Warmaster won't find us?'

  Keeler reached out and placed her hand on Mer-sadie's arm. 'Don't worry. We have more friends than you know, Sadie. The Emperor will show me the way,’

  The doors rumbled open and Qruze marched confidently onto the embarkation deck. SinderВ­mann smiled in relief when the warrior said, 'There. Thunderhawk Nine Delta,’

  But the smile fell from his face as he saw the gold-armoured form of Maggard standing before the machine.

  Saul Tarvitz watched the look of utter disbelief on Captain Ehrlen's face as he took in the scale of the destruction wrought by the firestorm. Nothing remained of the Choral City as they had known it. Every scrap of living tissue was gone, burned to atoms by the flames that roared and howled in the wake of the virus attack.

  Every building was black, burned and collapsed so that Isstvan HI resembled a vision of hell, its tumbled buildings still ablaze as the last comВ­bustible materials burned away. Tall plumes of fire poured skyward in defiance of gravity, fuel lines and refineries that would continue to burn until their reserves were exhausted. The stench of scorched metal and meat was pungent and the vista before them was unrecognisable as that which they had fought across only minutes before.

  'Why?' was all Ehrlen could ask.

  'I don't know,’ said Tarvitz, wishing he had more to tell the World Eater.

  This wasn't the Isstvanians, was it?' asked Ehrlen.

  Tarvitz wanted to lie, but he knew that the World Eater would see through him instantly.

  'No,’ he said. 'It wasn't.'

  *We are betrayed?'

  Tarvitz nodded.

  'Why?' repeated Ehrlen.

  'I have no answers for you, brother, but if they hoped to kill us all in one fell swoop, then they have failed,’

  'And the World Eaters will make them pay for that failure,’ swore Ehrlen, as a new sound rose over the crackle of burning buildings and tumbling masonry.

  Tarvitz heard it too and looked up in time to see a flock of World Eaters' gunships streaking towards their position from the outskirts of the city. Gunfire came down in a burning spray, punching through the ruins around them, boring holes in the black marble of the ground.

  'Hold!' shouted Ehrlen.

  Heavy fire thudded down among the World Eaters as the gunships roared overhead. Tarvitz crouched at a smashed window opening beside Ehrlen, hearing one of the World Eaters grunt in pain as a shell found its mark.

  The gunships passed and soared up into the sky, looping around above the shattered palace before angling down for another run.

  'Heavy weapons! Get some fire up there!' yelled Ehrlen.

  Gunfire stuttered up from the gaps in partially collapsed roofs, chattering heavy bolters and the occasional ruby flare of a lascannon blast. Tarvitz ducked back from the window as return fire thunВ­dered down, stitching lines of explosions through the World Eaters. More of them fell, blown off their feet or blasted apart.

  One World Eater slumped down beside Tarvitz, the back of his head a pulsing red mass.

  The gunships banked, spraying fire down at their position.

  Tarvitz could see the World Eaters zeroing in on them as they flew back towards their position. Return fire lanced upwards and one gunship fell, its engine spewing flames, to smash to pieces against a burning ruin.

  Tarvitz could see dozens of gunships, surely the whole of the World Eaters' arsenal.

  The lead Thunderhawk dropped through the ruins, hovering a few metres above the ground with its assault ramp down and bolter fire sparking around the opening.

  Ehrlen turned towards Tarvitz.

  'This isn't your fight,’ he yelled over the gunfire. 'Get out of here!'

  'Emperor's Children never run!' replied Tarvitz, drawing his sword.

  'They do from this!'

  No Space Marine could have survived the storm of fire that blazed away at the interior of the gun-ship, but it was no ordinary Space Marine that was borne within it.

  With a roar like a hunting animal, Angron leapt from the gunship and landed with a terrible crash in the midst of the ruined city.

  He was a monster of legend, huge and terrible. The primarch's hideous face was twisted in hatred, his huge chainaxes battered and stained with

  decades of bloodshed. As the mighty primarch landed, World Eaters dropped from the other gunВ­ships.

  Thousands of World Eaters loyal to the Warmas-ter followed their primarch into the Choral City, accompanied by the war cries that echoed Angron's own bestial howl as he charged into his former brethren.

  Horus put his fist through the pict-screen that showed the transmission from the Dies Irae. The image of the World Eaters' gunships splintered under the assault as his anger at Angron's defiance boiled over. One of his allies – no, one of his subВ­ordinates – had disobeyed his direct order.

  Aximand, Abaddon, Erebus and Maloghurst eyed him warily and Horus could imagine their trepidaВ­tion at the news of Angron's impetuous attack on the survivors of the virus bombing.

  That there were survivors at all was galling, but Angron's actions put a whole new spin on the Isst-van campaign.

  'And yet,’ he said, choking back his rage, 'I am surВ­prised at this,’ Warmaster,’ said Aximand, 'what do you-' Angron is a killer!' snapped Horus, rounding on his Mournival son. 'He solves every problem with raw violence. He attacks first and thinks later, if he think
s at all. And yet I never saw this! What else would he do when he saw the survivors of his Legion in the Choral City? Would he sit back and

  watch the rest of the fleet bombard them from orbit? Never! And yet I did nothing!'

  Horus glanced at the smashed remains of the pict-display. 'I will never be caught out like this again. There will be no twists of fate I do not see coming,’

  The questions remains,’ said Aximand. 'What shall we do about Angron?'

  'Destroy him with the rest of the city,’ said AbadВ­don without a pause. 'If he cannot be trusted to obey his Warmaster then he is a liability,’

  The World Eaters are an exceptionally effective weapon of terror,’ retorted Aximand. 'Why destroy them when they can wreak so much havoc among those loyal to the Emperor?'

  There are always more soldiers,’ said Abaddon. 'Many will beg to join the Warmaster. There is no room for those who can't follow orders,’

  'Angron is a killer, yes, but he is predictable,’ put in Erebus, and Horus bristled at the implicit insult in the first chaplain's words. 'He can be kept obediВ­ent by letting him off the leash every now and again,’

  The Word Bearers may live by treachery and lies,’ snarled Abaddon, 'but in the Sons of Horus you are loyal or you are dead!'

  What do you know of my Legion?' asked Erebus, rising to meet the first captain's ire, his mask of smirking calm slipping. 'I know secrets that would destroy your mind! How dare you speak to me of deceit? This, this reality, all you know, this is the lie!'

  'Erebus!' roared Horus, ending the confrontation instantly. 'This is not the place to evangelise your Legion. I have made my decision and these are wasted words,’

  Then Angron will be destroyed in the bombardВ­ment?' asked Maloghurst. 'No,’ replied Horus. 'He will not,’ 'But Warmaster, even if Angron prevails he could be down there for weeks,’ said Aximand.

  'And he will not fight alone. Do you know, my sons, why the Emperor appointed me Warmaster?' 'Because you were his favoured son,’ replied MalВ­oghurst. 'You are the greatest warrior and tactician of the Great Crusade. Whole worlds have fallen at the mention of your name,’ 'I did not ask for flattery,’ snarled Horus. 'Because you never lose,’ said Abaddon levelly. 'I never lose,’ nodded Horus, glaring between the four Astartes, 'because I see only victory. I have never seen a situation that cannot be turned into triumph, no disadvantage that cannot be turned to an advantage. That is why I was made Warmaster. On Davin I fell, yet came through that ordeal stronger. Against the Auretian Technocracy we faced dissent from within our own fleet, so I used the conflict to rid us of those fomenting rebellion. There is no failing I cannot turn to a component in my victories. Angron has decided to turn Isstvan III into a ground assault – I can consider this a failure and limit its impact by bombing Angron and his World Eaters into dust along with the rest of the

  planet, or I can forge a triumph from it that will send echoes far into the future,’

  Maloghurst broke the silence that followed. 'What would you have us do, Warmaster?'

  'Inform the other Legions that they are to prepare for a full assault on the loyalists in the Choral City. Ezekyle, assemble the Legion. Have them ready to launch the attack in two hours,’

  'I shall be proud to lead my Legion,’ said AbadВ­don.

  You will not lead them. That honour will go to Sedirae and Targhost,’

  Anger flared in Abaddon. 'But I am the first capВ­tain. This battle, where resolve and brutality are qualities required for victory, is tailor-made for me!'

  'You are a captain of the Mournival, Ezekyle,’ said Horus. 'I have another role in mind for you and LitВ­tle Horus in this fight. One I feel sure you will relish,’

  Yes, Warmaster,’ said Abaddon, the frustration disappearing from his face.

  As for you, Erebus…'

  ЛУагтаз1ег?'

  'Stay out of our way. To your duties, Sons of Horus,’

  THIRTEEN

  Maggard

  Factions

  Luna Wolves

  Princeps Turnet listened intently as the orders came through, though Cassar couldn't hear the orders piped into the princeps's ear and he didn't want to – it was all he could do to keep from vomiting. Every time he let his mind wander outВ­side the systems of the Dies Irae, he saw nothing but the tangles of charred ruins. His consciousВ­ness retreated within the machine, pulling his perception back into the massive form of the Titan.

  The Dies Irae was coming back to life around him; he could sense the god-machine's limbs flood with power and could feel the weapons reloading. The plasma reactor at its heart was beating in time with his own, a ball of nuclear flame that burned with the Emperor's own righteous strength.

  Even here, among all this death and horror, the Emperor was with him. The god-machine was the instrument of His will, standing firm among the destruction. That thought comforted Cassar and helped him focus. If the Emperor was here, then the Emperor would protect.

  'Orders in from the Vengeful Spirit,' said Turnet briskly. 'Moderati, open fire.'

  'Open fire?' said Aruken. 'Sir? The Isstvanians are gone. They're dead.'

  To Cassar, Aruken's voice sounded distant, for he was subsumed in the systems of the Titan, but he heard Tumet's voice as clearly as if he had spoken in his own ear.

  'Not at the Isstvanians,’ replied Turnet, 'at the Death Guard.'

  'Princeps?' said Aruken. 'Fire on the Death Guard?'

  'I am not in the habit of repeating my orders, moderati,’ replied Turnet, 'and they are to fire on the Death Guard. They have defied the Warmaster.'

  Cassar froze. As if there wasn't enough death on Isstvan III, now the Dies lrae was to fire on the Death Guard, the very force they had been sent to support.

  'Sir,’ he said. 'This doesn't make any sense,’

  'It doesn't need to!' shouted Turnet, his patience finally at an end. 'Just do as I order,’

  Looking straight into Tumet's eyes, the truth hit Titus Cassar as though the Emperor had reached out from Terra and filled him with the light of truth.

  The Isstvanians didn't do this, did they?' he asked. The Warmaster did,’

  Turnet's face creased in a slow smile and Cassar saw his hand reaching towards his holstered sidearm.

  Cassar didn't give him the chance to get there first and snatched for his own autopistol.

  Both men drew their pistols and fired.

  Maggard took a step forwards, drawing his golden Kirlian blade and unholstering his pistol. His bulk was even more massive than Sindermann rememВ­bered, grossly swollen to proportions beyond human and more reminiscent of an Astartes. Had that been Maggard's reward for his services to the Warmaster?

  Without wasting words of preamble, Qruze raised his bolter and fired, but Maggard's armour was the equal of Astartes plate and the shot simply sigВ­nalled the beginning of a duel.

  Sindermann and Mersadie ducked as Maggard's pistol spat fire, the noise appalling as the two warВ­riors ran towards one another with their guns blazing.

  Keeler watched calmly as Maggard's gunfire blew chunks from Qruze's armour, but before he could fire any more, Qruze was upon him.

  Qruze smashed his fist into Maggard's midriff, but the silent killer rode the punch and swung his sword for the Astartes's head. Qruze ducked back from the great slash of Maggard's sword, the blade

  slicing though the armour at the Astartes warrior's stomach.

  Blood sprayed briefly from the wound and Qruze dropped to his knees in sudden pain before drawВ­ing his combat knife, the blade as long as a mortal warrior's sword.

  Maggard leapt towards him and his sword hacked a deep gouge in Qruze's side. Yet more blood spilled from the venerable Astartes's body. Another killing strike slashed towards Qruze, but this time combat knife and Kirlian blade met in a shower of fiery sparks. Qruze recovered first and stab
bed his blade through the gap between Maggard's greaves. The assassin stumbled backwards and Qruze rose unsteadily to his feet.

  The assassin stepped in close and lunged with his sword. Maggard was almost the equal of Qruze in physique and had youth on his side, but even Sin-dermann could see he was slower, as if his new form was unfamiliar, not yet worn in.

  Qruze sidestepped a huge arcing strike of MagВ­gard's sword and swung inside his opponent's defence, reaching around to lock his head in the crook of his elbow.

  His other arm snapped round to plunge the knife into Maggard's throat, but a fist seized Qruze's hand in an iron grip, halting the blade inches from the man's pulsing jugular.

  Qruze fought to force the blade upwards, but Maggard's newly enhanced strength was the greater and he began to force the blade to one side. Beads

  of sweat popped on Qruze's face, and Sindermann knew that this was a struggle he could not win alone.

  He pushed himself to his feet and ran towards Maggard's fallen pistol, its matt black finish cold and lethal-looking. Though designed for a mortal grip, the pistol still felt absurdly huge in his hands. Sindermann held the heavy pistol outstretched and marched towards the struggling warriors. He couldn't risk a shot from any kind of distance, he was no marksman and was as likely to hit their deliverer as their killer.

  He walked up to the fight and placed the muzzle of the pistol directly on the bleeding wound where Qruze had stabbed Maggard. He pulled the trigger and the recoil of the shot almost shattered his wrist, but the effect of his intervention more than made up for the trauma.

  Maggard opened his mouth in a silent scream and his entire body flinched in sudden agony. MagВ­gard's grip on the knife weakened and, with a roar of anger, Qruze punched it into the base of his opponent's jaw and through the roof of his mouth. Maggard buckled and fell to the side with the force of a falling tree. The golden armoured assasВ­sin and the Astartes rolled and Qruze was on top of his enemy, still gripping the knife.

  Face to face for a moment, Maggard spat a mouthful of blood into Qruze's face. Qruze pushed the knife deeper into Maggard's jaw, plunging it into his opponent's brain.