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Marduk raced up a steel staircase； taking the steps four at a time。 A las…blast struck him in the
head； scorching his pristine alabaster skull helmet； and he snapped off a shot with his pistol in
response； sending a man flying five metres backwards； a crater exploding from his back。
The enemy officers were shouting their commands； frantically attempting to rally their men and
reposition them in the face of the relentless advance of the Word Bearers； but they were panicking；
and their orders were not followed。 Men crawled backwards； attempting to find any place to hide
from the unholy fallen angels of death stalking towards them； firing off hasty shots with lasguns。
Marduk stomped onto one of the gantries and shot down two men； their blood misting the air。
With a kick； he smashed aside a stand of barrels behind which three men were taking cover； and
gunned the first two down。 The other was torn apart by a concentrated burst of bolter fire from
below； and Marduk moved on； his pistol raised before him as he fired more shots into the enemy
arranged along the gantry。
One of the white…armoured soldiers raised a melta…gun； and Marduk threw himself against the
wall as the weapon fired。 It scorched across his left shoulder pad； and warning symbols appeared
within his helmet display。 Namar…sin； coming up behind Marduk； hurled his axe； the weapon
spinning end over end and slamming into the soldier； cleaving into his face and embedding itself
deep in his skull。
Men screamed in agony as they were engulfed in flame； as Khalaxis’s 17th coterie advanced
opposite Marduk； trapping a score of soldiers on the gantry between them。 The flamer roared again；
and fire consumed half a dozen men； their flesh blistering as it burned。 Several fell over the railing；
plummeting to the floor where they smouldered and lay still。 The survivors were hacked apart as
Khalaxis led the charge into their midst； his chainaxe screaming as it tore through bone and tendon。
Marduk waded into the terrified soldiers from the other side； clubbing men to the ground and
executing them without mercy。
Less than five minutes after the bastion gates had been breached； the echo of gunfire ceased。 The
Word Bearers moved among the enemy soldiers； dispatching any who still breathed with swift
blows to the head。
Marduk came across one of the officers； his face awash with blood and his breath coming in
short； sharp gasps。 He looked up at Marduk’s inscrutable skull…faced visage in terror。
“Emperor preserve me；” he gasped。
Marduk bent down and gripped the man； his massive hand closing around the soldier’s face。
“The False Emperor as a deity is a lie；” he growled； squeezing； feeling the soldier’s skull
straining。 “No one will answer your prayers。 Where is the commander of this facility？”
“The… the lift；” gasped the man。 “Top floor。 Emperor save my soul。”
“The Corpse Emperor is not divine； and he does not care about the sanctity of your soul。 You
will see。”
Marduk crushed the man’s skull effortlessly； blood bursting from the soldier’s eyes； nose and
mouth as he died。 Standing up； he wiped his hand clean upon his tabard； and turned to face Kol
Badar； down below in the main concourse。
“I grow tired of this world。 It is time we ended this；” said Marduk； his voice booming across the
open expanse。 “Bring forth the Enslaved One； and let us get what we came for。”
As the first alarms sounded； Guildmaster Polio was taking a drink of his seventy…five year old
vintage amasec。 He almost choked on the fiery draught； and his adjutant； Leto； visibly paled。 Polio
slammed his glass down onto his table and was up and moving instantly。
The portal slid open as he approached it； and he stormed out into the adjoining room。
“What in the name of Holy Terra is going on？” he barked at his personal guard； a group of five
soldiers of the mercenary Skyllan Interdiction Force。 “Captain？ This better not be another perimeter
glitch。”
46
The captain of his guard； a tall； broad…shouldered soldier with a serious face； had his hand to his
earpiece； his brow furrowed in concentration。
“No； sir；” he replied。 “The automated turrets have identified hostile targets on approach。”
“Hostile targets？” breathed Leto from behind the guildmaster。
“Have they been identified？” asked the guildmaster。
“No； sir； not as yet。 Wait；” he said； raising his hand to forestall any response as he listened to
incoming communications。 The soldier’s face turned grim。 “What？” he asked。 “Are you sure？”
“What is going on？” asked Guildmaster Polio forcefully。
“Sir；” began the captain； “the bastion has been breached。”
“Emperor preserve us；” said Leto。
“There must be some mistake；” said Polio。
“No mistake； sir。 A heavy firefight is underway on the garage concourse level。”
The captain swore； tapping at his earpiece as it went dead。 The other soldiers of the
guildmaster’s guard looked uneasily at each other。
“We must get you out of here； sir；” the captain said； his face dark。 “The bastion is
compromised。”
He strode towards the guildmaster and his adjutant； barking orders to his men。 They responded
instantly； and their lasguns hummed as they powered into life。
“I will not go；” said the guildmaster hotly。 “How many men do you have here？”
“Only three demi…legions； sir。 The others are all out keeping the peace at the Phorcys starport； or
aiding the evacuation efforts。”
“That is still； what； three hundred men？” asked Polio。
“It will not be enough； sir；” said the captain softly。
Guildmaster Polio glared at the captain。 “The Skyllan Interdiction Force is paid damn well to
protect this fortress and hold the peace。 You are not filling me with the confidence that the guild
money is well…spent； captain。”
“My lord；” said the captain； his expression stoic in the face of the guildmaster’s simmering
anger； “the enemy below are Astartes。”
“Space Marines？” breathed Leto。 “But we… we are loyal subjects of the Emperor。 Aren’t we？”
“Of course we are； Leto；” said Polio。
“They are rebel Astartes； my lord； and I have lost all contact with the demi…legions。 We leave；
now；” he said； brooking no argument。
Polio felt a sense of panic stab at him； though he was careful to maintain a calm exterior。 He felt
the flush of amasec clouding his mind； and he cursed himself for drinking so much。 He licked his
lips； and nodded to the captain。
With clipped commands； the soldiers fell in around the guildmaster； and the group marched back
into the senior official’s office。 The captain was steering Polio forcefully by the elbow； moving him
quickly towards the reinforced door that led to his personal shuttle。
“My records；” protested the guildmaster。
“I’ll get them； my lord；” said Leto。
“No；” snapped the Skyllan guard captain； “we leave now。”
“My data…slate； Leto；” hissed the guildmaster； and his adjutant swept the book…sized piece of
arcane technology up off his master’s desk as he was hurried past。
The captain whispered the requisite prayer to the machine god as he entered the code sequence
into the door； and the circular locks slid anticlockwise with a hiss。 The soldiers lowered their visors
to cover their faces at a nod from their superior。 Then the captain leant his weight against the door。
It opened with a groan and snow billowed into the office； driven through the portal by the deafening
gale outside。
47
Guildmaster Polio covered his face with his arm as the biting chill struck him； and he took an
involuntary step backwards。
Three soldiers moved out onto the landing platform； their lasguns panning left and right。
Pointless； thought Polio。 No enemy could be up here。
His personal Aquila…class lander was perched some twenty metres away； covered in a thick layer
of snow。 The guard captain pulled an exquisite pistol of ornate design from his holster； and began
guiding Polio out onto the landing platform。
The cold was almost unbearable； and ice crystals formed instantly on his eyebrows and lips。 His
eyes stung from the cold； and even breathing was painful。
One of his guards； out in front； reached the shuttle and slammed his fist into an activation panel。
Instantly； the embarkation ramp began to lower。
With his head down； Guildmaster Polio allowed himself to be hurried towards the waiting
shuttle； his boots slipping on the ice…slick landing pad。 The captain supporting him shouted
something； but he couldn’t make it out over the roar of the wind。
Burias…Drak’shal grinned in feral anticipation as he stared down at the men ten metres below him；
battling against the gale as they made their way towards the shuttle。
He dropped down amongst them and landed in a crouch； rockcrete cracking beneath the impact。
A soldier was a step behind and to his left； and he swung around； taking the man in the head with
one of his massive； fused talons。 The force of the blow slammed the soldier into the rockcrete wall；
his skull pulverised； Burias…Drak’shal’s buried talon thirty centimetres into the rock。
Ripping the talon free； letting the soldier slump to the ground； he spun and lashed out with a
backhanded blow that ripped across the throat of another soldier as he turned towards the possessed
warrior； lasgun raised。
The man’s throat was ripped open to the spine； and he spun； blood fountaining from the mortal
wound。
Something hot splashed the back of Guildmaster Polio’s head； and he stumbled and fell to one knee。
As the captain hauled him back to his feet； he reached up and touched a hand to his head。 He stared
blankly for a second at the fresh blood on his hands； before turning to look back the way he had
come。
A daemonic beast from the deepest pits of hell had dropped down behind them。
Its bulk was immense； more than three times that of a normal man； and its lips curled back to
expose the barbed teeth of the ultimate predator。 Two men lay dead at its feet。
The captain saw the beast just as the guildmaster did； and he shouted a warning； pushing Polio
roughly towards the shuttle as he raised his pistol。
Another man died before the pistol fired； as the daemon punched a claw up through the soldier’s
sternum。
The blow lifted the soldier off his feet； and the daemon’s talons emerged from his back。 With a
dismissive sweep of its arm； the daemon hurled the man off the landing pad； disappearing in the gale
to fall the three hundred metres to the base of the bastion。
The captain’s pistol boomed； but Polio did not wait to see if he had felled the beast。 Terror
coursing through him； he half…ran； half…stumbled towards the lowering ramp leading into his shuttle；
his heart beating wildly。
The guard standing by the shuttle had his lagsun raised to his shoulder； and he fired past Polio
twice before running up the ramp to initiate the launch。 Polio heard several more shots as the other
remaining guards brought their weapons to bear； and he paused at the foot of the embarkation ramp
to look back。 He saw his adjutant crawling towards him on all fours； blood splattered across his
terrified face。
48
Without thinking of his own safety he ran to the young man。 As he helped him up to his feet；
Polio looked back through the swirling snow。
Another man was down； his head ripped from his shoulders； and the captain wa