Hawke watched, horrified as the barrage continued for another three hours. By the time it was complete, there was nothing left to indicate that the citadel had existed at all.
He slumped onto his side, closing his eyes as the weight of the last few weeks crashed down upon him and he realised he was trapped on Hydra Cordatus. He squeezed shut his eyes and rolled onto his back as exhaustion finally claimed him.
Rough hands shook him awake and he grunted in pain as he felt himself being dragged to his feet. He tried to open his eyes, but they were gummed with dust. All he could make out were blurred, yellow forms and shouted questions. Shapes either side of him held him upright as an insistent voice nagged at him.
'What…?' he slurred.
'What is your name?' repeated the voice.
'Hawke,' he managed, 'Guardsman Hawke, serial number 25031971, who the hell are you?'
'Sergeant Vermaas of the Imperial Fists strike cruiser Justitia Fides,' said a voice in front of him.
He felt hands lifting his dog-tags from beneath his uniform jacket.
Hawke blinked his eyes and turned his head, seeing two giants in yellow power armour either side of him, a third standing before him without his helmet. Even in his exhausted state, Hawke recognised Space Marines and wept in relief when he saw the boxy shape of a Thunderhawk gun-ship sitting on the plain behind them.
'Where is Captain Eshara?' demanded Vermaas.
'Who?'
'Brother-Captain Alaric Eshara, commander of the Imperial Fists Third Company.'
'Never heard of him,' said Hawke.
Vermaas nodded to the Imperial Fists either side of him and Hawke was marched roughly towards the gunship as the Space Marines boarded ahead of him.
'Where are you taking me?' he asked.
'We're taking you home, soldier,' said Sergeant Vermaas.
Hawke smiled and stepped aboard the Thunderhawk.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Hailing from Scotland, Graham McNeill narrowly escaped a career in surveying to join Games Workshop, where he worked as a games developer for six years. In addition to seven novels of carnage and mayhem, Graham has also written a host of short stories. He lives in Nottingham, England.