by Gav Thorpe
‘Nah, dis ain’t runnin’ away. Dis is strat-er-jee. Runnin’ away’s only fer humies and pointy-ears. We’s just leavin’ for a bit. Da rest of da boyz is ’avin’ fun. We’ll let ’em keep da humies bizzy while we do sumfink strat-ee-jik.’
Ghazghkull bashed his fist against the button on the tellyporta device. Green lights glowed into life around the central hub and the thing began to shake in the warlord’s grip. Sparks sputtered along the wires and the warlord smelt burning plastic.
‘Is it meant to do dat, boss? Is it me–’
The warehouse disappeared and Ghazghkull found himself back in the warp for a moment. Like last time, there were all sorts of strange noises and faces leering at the warlord out of the soupy green miasma. He thought he could hear the guffaws and shouts of Gork (or possibly Mork).
Then they were back in the big room of Nazdreg’s hulk. With a puff of smoke, the tellyporta device stopped its shaking; bits of molten metal dropped onto the floor. The hall was almost empty, but the litter of the teeming horde that had been waiting a couple of days before covered the metal floor.
Still in his ornate mega-armour, Nazdreg was standing at one end of the hall, talking to his nobz. He looked up as Ghazghkull appeared in a flash of green light.
‘I wundered if dat fing would work,’ Nazdreg called out. ‘Good ta see ya again.’
Ghazghkull strode up the hall and pushed his way through the Bad Moon leaders.
‘Dis tellyporta stuff is all right, Nazdreg,’ said Ghazghkull, handing the fried piece of equipment to his fellow warlord.
‘I dunno,’ replied Nazdreg. ‘It’s a pain to get da power fer it.’
‘Just sum little problems, dat can be worked out,’ said Ghazghkull. ‘Makes me teef feel funny.’
‘Speakin’ of teef, dis little trip ’as been most good in da loot stakes,’ said Nazdreg. ‘Picked up all kinds of great gear from da humies. Plenty of dakka and teef.’
‘I didn’t too bad meself,’ said Ghazghkull. ‘Listen, if yoo don’t want ta keep da tellyporta, I will take it off yer ’ands.’
‘Fer sum extra teef…’
‘Course, fer sum extra teef. We ’ad a deal, din’t we?’
‘If da price is right, da tellyporta is yours. What do ya want wiv it?’
Ghazghkull’s mind went back many years, to a world of towering cities and choking wastes. A world that had almost been his, but for one stupid, brave, remarkable humie. This time he wouldn’t go easy on them.
‘I never did want dis place anywayz. Dis woz just practice fur da big wun. I’ve got a score ta settle…’
ORDER OF BATTLE
The Dark Angels 3rd Company at the start of the Kadillus Campaign
The 3rd Company was at full strength at the outset of the campaign. Due to its duties overseeing the final stage of recruitment from Piscina V, the 3rd Company had more than the usual number of Chaplains and Librarians attached from the Chapter Headquarters. In addition, the 3rd Company had been reinforced with many squads from the 1st, 2nd and 10th Companies.
Note on reorganisation: All forces underwent ad-hoc reorganisation throughout the campaign to account for losses and the splintering of Dark Angels across the two main fronts. This involved the battlefield promotion of several battle-brothers to the rank of sergeant and the allocation of temporary squad nomenclature (such as Exacta, Vindictus, Annihilus).
Headquarters
Master Belial, Company Commander
Interrogator-Chaplain Boreas, Company Chaplain
Brother Nestor, Company Apothecary
Brother Arael, Company Standard Bearer
Revered Venerari, Dreadnought
Additional Headquarters
Master Chaplain Uriel
Interrogator-Chaplain Sarpedon
Lexicanium Acutus, Librarian
Lexicanium Charon, Librarian
Lexicanium Hebron, Librarian
Armoury
Unrelenting Fury, Battle-barge
Zealous Guardian, Divine Judgement, Thunderhawk Gunships
Brother Hadrazael, Techmarine
Brother Hephaestus, Techmarine
4 Predator Battle Tanks
12 Rhino Transports
4 Razorback Transports
3rd Company Squads
Squad Andrael, Tactical Squad
Squad Azraeth, Tactical Squad
Squad Dominus, Tactical Squad
Squad Lemael, Tactical Squad
Squad Nemeaus, Tactical Squad
Squad Peliel, Tactical Squad
Squad Menelauis, Assault Squad
Squad Zaltys, Assault Squad
Squad Heman, Devastator Squad
Squad Scalprum, Devastator Squad
1st Company (Deathwing)
Squad Adamanta, Tactical Dreadnought Armour Squad
Squad Malignus, Tactical Dreadnought Armour Squad
Squad Vigilus, Tactical Dreadnought Armour Squad
2nd Company (Ravenwing)
Squad Aquila, Bike Squadron
Squad Laertius, Bike Squadron
Squad Orphaeus, Bike Squadron
Squad Validus, Bike Squadron
5 Land Speeders
2 Attack Bikes
10th Company (Scouts)
Squad Arcanus, Scouts Squad
Squad Astarael, Scouts Squad
Squad Damas, Scouts Squad
Squad Naaman, Scouts Squad
Squad Volcus, Scouts Squad
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
GAV THORPE has been rampaging across the worlds of Warhammer and Warhammer 40,000 for many years as both an author and games developer. He hails from the den of scurvy outlaws called Nottingham and makes regular sorties to unleash bloodshed and mayhem. He shares his hideout with Dennis, a mechanical hamster sworn to enslave mankind. Dennis is currently trying to develop an iPhone app that will hypnotise his victims.
Gav’s previous novels include fan-favourite Angels of Darkness and the epic Malekith, first instalment in the Sundering trilogy, amongst many others.
You can find his website at: mechanicalhamster.wordpress.com
A BLACK LIBRARY PUBLICATION
Published in 2011 by Black Library, Games Workshop Ltd., Willow Road, Nottingham, NG7 2WS, UK
Cover illustration by Jon Sullivan
Map and illustration of Captain Belial by Adrian Wood.
© Games Workshop Limited, 2011. All rights reserved.
Black Library, the Black Library logo, Games Workshop, the Games Workshop logo and all associated marks, names, characters, illustrations and images from the Warhammer universe are either ®, TM and/or © Games Workshop Ltd 2010, variably registered in the UK and other countries around the world. All rights reserved.
A CIP record for this book is available from the British Library.
ISBN 978-0-85787-130-5
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise except as expressly permitted under license from the publisher.
This is a work of fiction. All the characters and events portrayed in this book are fictional, and any resemblance to real people or incidents is purely coincidental.
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Table of Contents
Cover
Title Page
Warhammer 40,000
Magulanox Sector
Kadillus Map
Captain Belial
Prologue
The Tale of Boreas - Dark Cathedral
The Tale of Naaman - Cut and Run
The Tale of Nestor - Hold the Line
The Tale of Naaman - Shadow Warriors
The Tale of Naaman - Revelations
The Tale of Boreas - Battle at Barrak Gorge
The Tale of Belial - Counter-attack
The Tale of Tauno - Death by Moonlight
The Tale of Belial - Aftermath
Epilogue
Order of Battle
About The Author
Legal
eBook license
