Ben Counter - Galaxy in Flames

'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 sub­ordinates – 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 sur­prised 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 thinks 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 Abad­don 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 obedi­ent 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 bombard­ment?' 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 Mal­oghurst. '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 Abad­don.

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 Lit­tle 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

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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 out­side the systems of the Dies Irae, he saw nothing but the tangles of charred ruins. His conscious­ness retreated within the machine, pulling his perception back into the massive form of the Titan.