Ben Counter - Galaxy in Flames

Loken watched the Sons of Horus landing on the far side of the Sirenhold. His Space Marines – he couldn't think of them as 'Sons of Horus' any more – were arrayed around the closest tomb-spire in a formidable defensive formation.

His heavy weapons commanded the valley of shrines through which attackers would have to advance and the Tactical Marines held hard points of rains where they would fight on their own terms.

But the enemy was not the Isstvanian army, they were his brothers.

'I thought they'd bomb us,’ said Torgaddon.

They should have done,’ replied Loken. 'Some­thing went wrong,’

'It'll be Abaddon' said Torgaddon. 'He must have been itching for a chance to take us on face-to-face Horus couldn't have held him back,’

'Or Sedirae,’ echoed Loken, distaste in his voice. The afternoon sun hung in veils between the shad­ows cast by the walls and the tomb-spires.

'I never thought it would end like this, Tarik,’ said Loken. 'Maybe storming some alien citadel or defending… defending Terra, like something from the epic poems, something romantic, something the remembrancers could get their teeth into. I never thought it could end defending a hole like this against my own battle-brothers,’

'Yes, but then you always were an idealist.'

The Sons of Horns were coming down on the far side of the tomb-spire across the valley, the optimal point to strike from, and Loken knew that this would be the hardest battle he would ever have to fight.

'We don't have to die here,’ said Torgaddon.

Loken looked at him. 'I know, we can win. We can throw everything we have at them. I'll lead them in from the front and then there's a chance that-'

'No,' said Torgaddon. 'I mean we don't have to hold them here. We know we can get through the main gates into the city. If we strike for the Precentor's Palace we could link up with the Emperor's Children or the World Eaters. Lucius said the warning came from Saul Tarvitz so they know we are betrayed.'

'Saul Tarvitz is on Isstvan III?' asked Loken, sudВ­den hope flaring in his heart.

'Apparently so,’ nodded Torgaddon. 'We could help them. Fortify the palace,’

Loken looked back across at the tangle of shrines and tomb-spires. 'You would retreat?'

'I would when there's no chance of victory and we can fight on better terms elsewhere,’

'We'll never have another chance to face them on our own terms, Tarik. The Choral City is gone, this whole damn planet is dead. It's about punishing them for their betrayal and the brothers we have lost,’

We all lost brothers here, Garvi, but dying need­lessly won't bring them back. I will have my vengeance, too, but I'm not throwing away the few warriors I have left in a knee jerk act of defiance. Think about this, Loken. Really think, about why you want to fight them here,’

Loken could hear the first bursts of gunfire and knew Torgaddon was right. They were still the best trained, most disciplined of the Legions and he knew that if he wanted to fight those who had betrayed him, he had to fight with his head and not his heart.

'You're right, Tarik,’ said Loken. We should link up with Tarvitz. We need to get organised to launch a counter-attack,’

We can really make them suffer, Garvi, we can force them into a battle and delay them. If Tarvitz got the warning out here, who's to say that there aren't others carrying a warning to Terra? Maybe the other Legions already know what's happened. Someone underestimated us, they thought this would be a massacre, but we'll go one better. We'll turn Isstvan III into a war,’ 'Do you think we can?'

"We're the Luna Wolves, Garvi. We can do any­thing,’

Loken took his friend's hand, accepting the truth of his words. He turned to the squads arrayed behind him, scanning the valley through their gun-sights.

'Astartes!' he shouted. 'You all know what has happened and I share your pain and outrage, but I need you to focus on what we must now do and not let passion blind you to the cold facts of war. Bonds of brotherhood have been shattered and we are no longer the Sons of Horus, that name has no meaning for us now. We are once again the Luna Wolves, soldiers of the Emperor!'

A deafening cheer greeted his words as Loken continued, *We are giving the enemy this position and will break through the gates to strike for the palace. Captain Torgaddon and I will take the assault units and lead the speartip.'

Within moments, the newly re-christened Luna Wolves were ready to move out, Torgaddon barking orders to put the assault squads up front. Loken gathered a body of warriors to him, forming a pocket of resistance in the shadow of the tomb-spire.

'Kill for the living and kill for the dead,' said TorВ­gaddon as they prepared to move out.

'Kill for the living,' replied Loken as the speartip, numbering perhaps two thousand Luna Wolves, moved out across the tombscape of the Sirenhold towards the massive gates.

Loken turned back to the valley, seeing the shapes of Sons of Horus moving towards him. Larger, darker shapes loomed in the distance, grinding the battle-scarred shrines and statues to dust as they went: Rhino APCs, lumbering Land Raiders, and even the barrel-shaped silhouette of a dreadnought.

He felt he should be filled with sadness at the tragedy of fighting his brothers, but there was no sadness.

There was only hatred.

Aruken's eyes were hollow and he was sweating. Cassar was shocked to see his normal, cocky arroВ­gance replaced by fear. Despite that fear, Cassar knew that he could not fully trust Jonah Aruken.

This has to end, Titus,’ said Aruken. 'You don't want to be a martyr do you?' 'Martyr? That's a strange choice of words for : someone who claims not to believe.'

A small smile appeared on Aruken's face. 'I'm not

: as stupid as you think, Titus. You're a good man

and a damn good crewman. You believe in things,

which is more than most people can manage So,

I'd rather you didn't die.'

Cassar didn't respond to Aruken's forced levity. 'Please, I know you're just saying that for the prin-ceps's benefit. I've no doubt he can hear every 1 word,’

'Probably, yes, but he knows that as soon as he opens that door you'll blow his head off. So I guess you and I can just say what we damn well like,’

Cassar's grip on the gun relaxed. 'You're not in his pocket?'

'Hey, we've been through some scary shit recently, haven't we?' said Aruken. 'I know what you're going through.'

Cassar shook his head. 'No you don't, and I know what you're trying to do. I can't back down, I'm making a stand in the name of my Emperor. I won't just surrender,’

'Look, Titus, if you believe then you believe, but you don't have to prove that to anyone,’

'You think I'm doing this for show?' asked Cassar, aiming his gun at Aruken's throat.

Aruken held out his hands and walked carefully around the princeps's command chair to stand across the bridge from him.

The Emperor isn't just a figurehead to cling to,’ said Cassar. 'He is a god. He has a saint and mira­cles and I have seen them. And so have you! Think of all you have seen and you'll realise you have to help me, Jonah!' 'I saw some odd things, Titus, but-' 'Don't deny them,’ interrupted Cassar. 'They hap­pened. As sure as you and I are standing in this war machine. Jonah, there is an Emperor and He is watching over us. He judges us by the choices we make when those choices are hard. The Warmaster has betrayed us and if I stand back and let it hap­pen then I am betraying my Emperor. There are principles that must be defended, Aruken. Don't you even see that much? If none of us take a stand,