before rapidly withdrawing to safety in the smoke。 Their height made a mockery of the protection offered by the firing step；
killing scores of men with each volley； but he knew that the casualties they were inflicting were largely irrelevant。
Without the heavier guns of Battle Group Sword； their efforts here were purely a delaying tactic。 Carlsen had not believed his ears
when he heard Princeps Lierach give the order to abandon the Jourans in favour of going head to head with an Emperor class
Titan； and had listened with growing horror to the vox traffic flashing between the Battle Titans as they fought for their lives。
He and his brother Warhound were too far east to go to the aid of their brethren； and had had to content themselves with following
the Jouran armoured attack； though without the Reavers they had been forced to wait until the Imperial Guard either broke
through or were repulsed。
Las…bolts and bolter fire flared against his void shields； but he ignored them as irrelevant。 It was the enemy tanks that gave Carlsen
cause for concern。 Each time he'd gone forward； he had seen more and more of them lurking behind the trenches and knew it was
only a matter of time until the enemy commander counterattacked。
Three Land Raiders burst from the smoke； followed by a wide line of Rhinos and transports that looked like some bizarre cross
between a Chimera and a flatbed truck。 The troops crammed into them screamed as they bounced along the ground towards the
retreating Guard。
'Princeps Jancer； with me！' shouted Carlsen as he turned his Vulcan bolter on the lighter vehicles following the Land Raiders。
Shells tore up the ground； stitching a path towards them and sawing three apart in a burst of flames and blood。 All three exploded；
the shells ringing from the side of a Land Raider。 The heavier vehicle lurched sideways； smashing into one of the Chimera trucks
and flattening it with a shriek of tortured metal。
The Jure Divinu appeared at his side； its guns bellowing with thunder and raking the enemy attack with deadly shells。 Two Land
Raiders skidded away from the Titans； attempting to evade their guns； but Carlsen was quicker； lashing out with his Titan's foot
and catching the closest vehicle square in the side panels； buckling its armoured hull with ease and hurling the wreck through the
air。
The second slewed around； bringing its sponson mounted lascannon to bear and Carlsen felt the painful sensation of his void
shields collapsing as the Land Raider's gunners found their mark。
'Damn you！' yelled Carlsen； hauling backwards as the tank's guns fired again； the deadly beams flashing overhead。
'Moderati Arkian； get those shields back up！ Now！'
Carlsen walked his Titan backwards； spraying the traitor vehicles with fire； careful to try and avoid the running soldiers of the
Imperial Guard。 Sweat ran in runnels from his face as the strain of such precise piloting took its toll。
The Defensor Fidei stumbled as Carlsen brought one of its feet down upon the smashed hulk of a Leman Russ； the pilot's
compartment swaying dangerously close to the ground。 The Jure Divinu stood sentinel over its brother Titan； firing and moving as
the enemy advanced more cautiously now。
'Arkian！' bellowed Carlsen； 'Where are my damn shields？'
'Working on it； princeps！'
'Work faster！' demanded Carlsen as he saw the two surviving Land Raiders emerge from the smoke on a direct course for him。
THE IMPERATOR BELLUM was dying； but Princeps Fierach was not about to give up just yet。 Blood and sweat coated his features
and he was sure Moderati Yousen was dead。 The Emperor alone knew what was going on in the engineering decks： he had not
been able to raise anyone down there。 The Dies Irae was taking him apart piece by piece； but Fierach was not going down without
a fight； and it was taking terrible damage。 The tanks that had accompanied the other enemy Titans had swept past him； content to
allow their war god to destroy him。
Fierach just hoped that the survivors of Battle Group Sword were able to protect the Jourans and allow them to escape。
Another hammer blow fell upon him and shooting bolts of fire lanced through his skull in sympathetic pain。 What the Imperator
Bellum felt； he felt。
He brought up his chainblade； the now dulled edge scoring across the barrel of the Dies Irae's plasma annihilator。 Gouts of searing
plasma energy spurted from the enormous gun； hissing clouds of superheated vapour geysering downwards and vaporising a
hundred men in its fury。
The Dies Irae stepped in and smashed its leg against Fierach's； buckling the knee joint and destroying it in an explosion of sparks。
Graham McNeill ？Storm of Iron？
Warning klaxons blared and thick ropes of blood ran from Fierach's mouth as he bit down hard on his tongue； the pain almost
unbearable。 He vainly tried to step away from the enemy Titan； but the Imperator Helium's left leg was fused solid and he could
not escape。
The Dies Irae advanced again and hammered one of its weapon arms against the Imperator Bellum s torso。 Fierach's Titan was
slammed sideways by the thunderous blow and yet more warning lights flared into life as systems failed all over his war machine。
He fought for balance； but the external gyros were smashed and he was forced to rely on his own reeling senses rather than those
of the Titan。
Amazingly； he was able to recover his balance and faced die Dies Irae once more； swinging his chainfist； the one system he knew
he could rely on。
The blade shrieked across the Dies Irae's midsection； tearing away great chunks from the beast's armour。 Fierach knew an
Emperor class Titan's reactor was buried deep within its belly and if he could but hack through enough of its armour； then others
might later have a chance to slay the monster。 The Dies Irae stepped aside and batted away the chainblade with the barrels of its
hellstorm cannon； planting the muzzle of its weapon flat against the top of his hissing leg joint。
Incandescent fire erupted from the weapon； explosive shells bursting at point blank range against his already damaged leg。 The
joint exploded； the metal running molten like mercurial blood down the war machine's leg。 Fierach screamed as he felt his Titan's
pain as his own； the feedback along the mind impulse unit frying much of his cerebral cortex。
The mighty war machine slumped sideways； the Titan's groin hammering into the severed leg； wedging the Imperator Bellum
there at an angle。
Fierach laughed hysterically as his fall was arrested。
'Thank you； old friend！' he screamed； and with one last herculean effort； forced his dying brain to command the Titan in one last
act of defiance。
The Imperator Bellum pushed off with its one good leg； lurching forward to smash its bridge section against the Dies Irae's head
with terrifying force。
The impact smashed the armoured front of the Imperial Titan's cockpit and Fierach's last sight before the Imperator Bellum's
reactor went critical was of a single； burning green eye as he was crushed against its surface。
FORRIX WATCHED THE Warhound in front of them back off through the smoke； realising its shields must have been knocked down。
'Follow it！ Go after it！' he bellowed。 The Titan was not just an enemy war machine to him now； it was a beast from the Olympian
legends and he felt a burning； primal desire to slay it。 He almost laughed aloud at the passions seething within him。 Emotions and
desires once thought lost forever rushed to the surface of his mind like a drowning man clawing for oxygen。 He felt hate； bright
and keen； battle…lust hot and urgent； and desire as fervent as anything he had ever felt in his long life。
His new…found purpose was reawakening in all its visceral glory。
Forrix fixed his eyes on the viewing holo； watching the chaos of the battle before him。 Another Land Raider roared alongside his
own； its lascannon stabbing into the smoke。 He could see enemy infantry falling back towards the citadel； some carried on
vehicles or grabbing onto their running boards。 Here and there； pockets of resistance fired on their attackers； buying time for their
comrades to escape。
A ringing impact slammed into the Land Raider； throwing Forrix sideways and he knew they had been hit badly。 Smoke and
flames spewed into the crew compartment and as he looked back； Forrix saw a great hole torn in the side of the vehicle's side
armour。 Through the ragged tear； he could see the red sky and the looming form of another Warhound Titan coming for them。 Its
snarling face was carved in an expression of fury and Forrix was again seized by the desire to slay one of these beasts。
'Disembark now！' bellowed Forrix； as the frontal ramp dropped and four giant warriors； similarly clad in Terminator armour；
debarked from the Land Raider after their leader。
KROEGER CHARGED THROUGH the smoke； screaming a bloodcurdling battle cry as he scythed the head from an Imperial
Guardsman with a single stroke of his chainsword。 He kicked another soldier in the gut； rupturing his belly and shattering his
spine。 Terrified faces surrounded him； some screaming； some begging for mercy。 Kroeger laughed at them all； killing anything
that came partiality。
Kroeger's warriors hacked a bloody path through the men of the Jouran Dragoons； their blades soaked in gore。 This was no battle
any more； it was simple butchery and Kroeger revelled in the slaughter； feeling the surge of satisfaction hammer in his blood as he
slew。 His senses contracted until he could see nothing beyond the arterial spray and hear nothing beyond the screams of the dying。
A man fell to his knees before him； weeping and screaming； but Kroeger spun low； slashing his sword across the man's neck。 He
dropped his sword and reached down to pluck the dying man from the ground。 Kroeger tore off his helmet； raising his victim up
and allowing the spray of the man's lifeblood to spatter his face。 Blood streamed down his face in thick rivulets and Kroeger
tipped his head back to allow the life…giving fluid to fill his throat。
The hot blood tasted sublime； infused with terror and pain。
Kroeger roared with a monstrous lust； ripping the corpse in two then raising his sword high。 His senses screamed at him； every
nerve alive with hunger for more。
Always more。 There could never be enough blood。
The red mist dropped over his eyes and Kroeger set off once more into battle。
HONSOU FIRED AS he ran； leading his warriors forward。 He dived forward as a disciplined volley of las…fire blasted overhead；
rolling to his knees and firing bursts at the source of the shots。 Distorted screams echoed through the smoke as his bolts found
homes in human flesh。 His warriors darted forwards in groups； each covering the other's advance with carefully placed fire。
Men and tanks roared through the smoke； swirling banks of white clouds belching from the vehicles' smoke dispensers。
Graham McNeill ？Storm of Iron？
Honsou cursed as one of Forrix's Land Raiders rumbled past him； its sponson…mounted lascannon missing him by less than a
metre。 His auto…senses kicked in as the powerful weapon fired； flaring the smoke to vapour as it speared into the distance。
A massive burst of light from ahead told Honsou that there was a Titan there； one of its void shields now stripped away。 He
grinned as he imagi