'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 stabbed 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.