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 imagined the desperate crew within； frantically trying to raise that shield as the Iron Warriors continued their attack。
The soldiers pressed into their service sprinted alongside Honsou； the Warsmith deeming his company in need of support from
such rabble。 It angered Honsou that these scum fought beside his men； but he would not lower himself to voicing his outrage at
this latest insult。
He worked the fire of his bolter left and right； deliberately catching a few of the red…clad soldiers in his volley； and rose to his feet。
He sprinted forward； joining a firing squad of Iron Warriors。 They had a large number of Imperial Guardsmen pinned in a dusty
crater； its lip wreathed in barbed razorwire。 A missile slashed from the crater； slamming into a rumbling transport vehicle behind
him and blasting it open with a ringing clang。
Seconds later another missile streaked from the crater； but foolishly； the weapon team had not displaced before firing again and an
answering volley of gunfire ripped the two…man team apart in a hail of bullets。
Keeping low； Honsou ran over to where a rabble of men in crimson overalls squatted behind shattered rockcrete tank traps。 They
fired crude； bolt…action rifles over their tops towards the crater。 Honsou gripped the back of the nearest man's overalls and hauled
him level with his helm。
'You are wasting ammunition； fool！ Dig them out with your blades。'
The man nodded frantically； too terrified of Honsou to reply。 Honsou hurled the wretch aside； wiping his gauntlet against his thigh
armour and returned to his squad。
LIEUTENANT COLONEL LEONID lay on the slopes of a cratered ridge； firing his lasgun as the first platoon sprinted back to the next
rally point。 His face was blackened and lined with fear…induced fatigue； but he was still alive and fighting； which was something
given the confused nature of this battle。 Sergeant Ellard lay beside him； pumping shot after shot into the indistinct shadows
running through the smoke。 The terror and threat of being surrounded； cut off and overwhelmed was a physical thing； and Leonid
had to consciously fight to remain calm。
He had to lead by example； and though his chest was a knotted mass of pain； he fought it to set a good one to his men。
'Front rank fire！ Rear rank withdraw！' he shouted as Ellard pushed himself to his feet and began chivvying the rear rank back
towards the next rally point。 Volley after volley of las…gun fire hammered through the ranks of the red…coated troopers charging
through the madness of the battle； who were dropping by the dozen。 So far he was holding the retreat together； but it was
balancing on a knife…edge。 The men were stretched to the limits of their courage and they had performed as well as he could ever
have asked。 But they were nearing the end of their reserves and could not hold forever。
It was a race against time as much as anything as to whether they could get back within the cover of the citadel's guns before that
courage was exhausted。
Guardsman Corde crawled over to him； yelling over the crack of gunfire and rumble of tanks and explosions。 The vox slithered
around on his back as he crawled and he carried a hissing plasma gun； steam drifting from the coolant coils on its barrel。
'Sergeant Ellard reports they're at the rally point； sir！'
'Very good； Corde；' said Leonid； slinging his rifle and shouting； 'Front rank； let's get the hell out of here！'
The Jourans did not need to be told twice。 They scrambled back down the slope as covering volleys of lasgun fire from Ellard's
section stabbed into the smoke。 Leonid waited until the last of his men had withdrawn before he and Corde moved to join the rest
of the platoon。
A roar； like that of a Jouran carnosaur； came from the slope behind him and Leonid turned to see a legion of horrifying iron
behemoths lurch over the ridge； slamming down with teeth…loosening force。 The tanks were huge； perverted Leman Russ variants；
their armoured flanks daubed with obscene symbols and their turrets grinding with the squeal of ancient gears。 A wide…barrelled
gun mounted on the nearest tank's forward hull chattered； spewing high velocity shells down the slope and ripping across the
blasted ground。 Leonid grabbed Corde and dropped； bullets sawing through the air above them。
He raised his head and terror flooded him as the tank rumbled forwards； ready to crush him under its bronze tracks。 More bullets
filled the air and the main gun fired with an ear…splitting crack； followed seconds later by a distant explosion。 The track rumbled
towards Leonid and he rolled in the only direction he could。
He rolled beneath the hull of the tank； its roaring metal underside passing a whisper from his head。 Hot gasses and stinking
exhaust fumes belched and he gagged。 Something splashed him and he felt warm wetness cover his face and arms。 He covered his
ears and pressed his face into the dust； flattening his body as much as he could。
'Emperor protect me…' he whispered as the monstrous tank rumbled overhead。 A protruding hook of metal caught on a fold of his
uniform jacket and Leonid grunted in pain as he was dragged along the rough ground beneath the tank for several metres before he
was able to work himself free。
Suddenly he was clear and the tank rumbled onwards； leaving him shaking with fear and relief。 He took a deep breath and crawled
back to Corde； who lay unmoving behind him。
Leonid felt his stomach rise and vomited explosively at the sight of Corde's mangled corpse。 Corde had not been as lucky as he
had； his lower body crushed to an unrecognisable pulp by the tank's mass。 Blood still flooded from his mouth and Leonid dryheaved；
realising what the wetness that had splashed him under the tank had been。
The vox was crashed； but Corde's weapon was still intact and Leonid snatched it from the dead trooper's hands。 A towering rage
filled him at the thought that Corde's murderers probably didn't even know that they had killed someone。 Leonid pushed himself to
his feet and staggered drankenly after the iron monster。
The thing wasn't hard to find； it was rumbling slowly after his men； slaughtering them with bursts of gunfire and shells from its
main gun。 Leonid screamed himself hoarse at the traitors within； skidding to a halt less than ten metres from the rear of the tank
Graham McNeill ？Storm of Iron？
and raising Corde's plasma gun。
He squeezed the trigger twice in quick succession； sending bolts of white…hot plasma energy towards the tank。 The shots impacted
squarely on the thin rear armour and punched through it easily； instantaneously igniting the tank's fuel and ammo。 The tank
exploded in a red fireball； the turret buckling from the pressure of internal detonations。 The Shockwave swatted Leonid down； his
chest searing in pain as he fell。
Black smoke plumed from the ruptured tank and Leonid screamed in fury as another shape came running towards him through the
battle。 He swung the plasma gun up； but it was still recharging。 Angrily； he tossed the weapon aside and reached for his lasgun as
Sergeant Ellard emerged from the smoke。
The sergeant didn't waste any time； hauling his commanding officer to his feet and dragging him away from the blazing wreck。
CARLSEN CRUSHED ANOTHER vehicle beneath his heavy tread and sidestepped as another tried to ram him。 He groaned with effort
as he spun the agile Warhound on its central axis and unleashed a short volley into the tank's rear。 The ammo requirements for his
main guns were eating into the reserve hoppers and he knew that； at this current level of engagement； his guns would be empty in
minutes。
And then this battle would be all over。 Moderati Arkian had worked miracles； coaxing the Machine Spirit to invest their shields
once more； and without a second to spare as that damned Land Raider had come at them again。 Once again it had stripped him of
his protective shields before the Jure Divinu had flanked it and blown it back to the warp。 Some warriors had gotten out； but
before he could bring his weapons to bear and finish them off； they were swallowed up in the smoke and confusion。
If they could just hold on a little longer； then they would be back within the visual range of the citadel and its guns。 Then they
would be safe。
FORRIX CHARGED ACROSS a crater； a loop of razor wire trailing from his leg； and worked the fire of his storm bolter across the
backs of some cowering Guardsmen sheltering in its base。 Across the battlefield he could see Kroeger slaughtering a clutch of
soldiers unlucky enough to have been outpaced and cut off。
Forrix paused in his charge and his eyes narrowed as he watched the slaughter…maddened frenzy with which the young…blood
butchered the enemy soldiers。 His silver armour； gleaming and pristine before the battle； was now soaked in gore； its iconography
obscured by glistening blood。 Kroeger was going too far now； the call of the Blood God too strong for him to resist。
Honsou appeared on his right flank； leading his men forward in good order； firing and moving； firing and moving。 Much as he
hated to admit it； the half…breed was an adept commander； despite his mixed blood。
The battle had devolved into a series of smaller engagements now that the main Imperial offensive had been routed。 There was
little point in continuing the pursuit； those units that had escaped were so badly mauled that they were unlikely ever to regain field
readiness。
All that remained was to slay the Titan。
With blissful synchronicity； the smoke parted and there it was before him； its red and yellow carapace blazing in the sunlight。 Its
snarling face challenged him to fight it。
'You task me…' he whispered； 'You task me；' and set off to meet this armoured monster； but as suddenly as it had appeared； it
turned and set off at speed into the smoke。
Cheated of his prey； Forrix halted and whispered； 'Another time； beast…'
LEONID STUMBLED AND lurched across the wasteland before the citadel； each breath hot in his chest。 Were it not for Sergeant
Ellard's support； he would surely have collapsed。
He could hear the cries of the enemy close behind； and the screams of those they had caught。
Suddenly he caught sight of three massive forms standing just at the edge of sight before him and； as Ellard continued pushing
him forward； he almost laughed with relief as the shapes resolved themselves into the welcome form of two Reaver Battle Titans
and a Warlord。
But as he drew nearer he saw； with a mounting sense of horror； that the Titans were horrendously damaged。 Their carapaces were
buckled and scorched by repeated weapon impacts。 What had happened to these war machines？ As he took in the scale of the
damage he realised again the terrible nature of the foe they faced here and the folly of underestimating them。 Flow many lives had
been lost today because of such a mistake？
Two Warhounds lurched backwards through the smoke and dust； their weapons firing controlled bursts into the ranks of the
enemy。 Both were damaged； their armoured flanks scored and burned； but both were still fighting。
He watched as the Reavers and the Warlord opened fire and the air exploded with the shocking n