The foul touch of the entity lay on his soul like a rime of black frost. It had never left him, because in truth the entity had never left, either. It was still there, deep beneath the earth, where it had lain for millions upon millions of years. The psychic bridge he'd witnessed beneath the Northwilds arcology hadn't been to draw the being through into the physical realm from the warp, like at Sarosh, but to send it back.

Zahariel knew the source of Caliban's taint.

And he knew its name.

The sky above Diamat was full of ships.

The Emperor's Legions had arrived in the Tanagra system just five days after the destruction of Horus's landing force at the Xanthus star port. With no way to secure the siege machines from Jonson's Astartes, the admiral of the raiding fleet had little choice but to withdraw back to Isstvan. The Warmaster's final gambit had failed.

Lion El'Jonson stared admiringly at the gleaming array of military power drifting gracefully beyond the reinforced viewport of his sanctum. Drops of emerald still shone on the thick glass pane. With the destruction of the forge there would be no way to replace the damage done to the viewport for some time to come. He considered it a small price to pay given all that he had accomplished here.

'When will you move on Isstvan?' he asked his guest.

The primarch stepped closer to the viewport, his armoured hands clasped behind his back. 'With all due haste,' he said in a deep, rumbling voice. 'Ferrus Manus has hastened ahead of us, hungry to claim the Emperor's vengeance against Horus.' He glanced at Jonson and frowned. 'We had hoped to provision our ships here before continuing to the combat zone.'

Jonson sighed. 'I'm sorry for that, cousin, but Magos Archoi left me no choice. The jamming had to be stopped without delay.' His expression darkened. 'Also, he lied to me. Better he had come at me with a knife, face to face, than play me false.'

The primarch nodded, turning back to the viewport and looking down upon Diamat. A vast, reddish-brown stain, like old blood, hung in the planet's ochre sky. The dust and ash blown into the atmosphere by the destruction of the forge - and to a lesser extent, the devastation of the star port, hours later - would have far-reaching effects upon the planet. The few thousand inhabitants who remained would face lean and difficult times for generations to come.

'May I ask you a question?' the primarch asked.

Jonson shrugged. 'Of course.'

'When did you learn about the existence of the siege engines?'

'Oh. That.' Jonson smiled. 'Fifty years ago. I was studying the history of the Great Crusade and saw a reference to them in a despatch that Horus sent to the Emperor. He'd commissioned them during the long siege of the xenos fortress-states on Tethonus. Horus tasked the masters of Diamat to create continental siege machines; vast artillery pieces that could devastate the most powerful fortifications.' He spread his hands. 'The war machines took much longer for the forge masters to complete than planned. By the time they were finished, the campaign on Tethonus had been over for a year and a half, and Horus had moved on to other conquests. So the weapons were put into a depot here against the day when he would come to claim them. Then came Isstvan.'

The primarch grunted in understanding. 'Then came Isstvan,' he agreed.

'When I heard about his rebellion, it was obvious to me that Horus's path must ultimately lead to Terra,' Jonson said. 'Even if he were to somehow prevail against you and the other Legions, the Warmaster couldn't claim total victory so long as the Emperor was safe in his palace. No, for Horus to triumph, our father would have to die. And that meant a long and costly siege of Terra.'

The primarch glanced at Jonson again and bowed his head in admiration. 'You have performed a master stroke, brother. Truly. Rather than confront Horus directly, you've defeated him with only a handful of troops.' He smiled slyly. 'I begin to think that the title of Warmaster was placed upon the wrong brow.'

Jonson smiled at the compliment. 'From you, brother, that means something. Thank you.'

'What now?' the primarch asked. 'Will you accompany us to Isstvan?'

'No,' Jonson said. 'I must return with all haste to the Shield Worlds and prepare the Legion for the trip to Terra. In fact, I think it best if no one outside you, I and the other primarchs ever knew I was here. I wouldn't want the Emperor to believe I did any of this with an ulterior motive in mind.'

The primarch considered this at length, and nodded. 'A prudent choice, and a very humble one.'

Jonson leaned forward in his chair. 'Well, naturally,' he said. His expression grew serious. 'I don't do this for the accolades, brother, nor for the power. Not really. I do this for the good of the Imperium. Horus became our father's favourite son for no other reason than fate. Had I been the first one he'd found, I would be Warmaster today. No offence.'

The primarch smiled. 'None taken.'

'So I can count upon your support when the time comes? I feel that the Emperor will need to choose a new Warmaster very quickly if the Great Crusade is to continue.'

'That goes without saying,' the primarch agreed.

'Then we've reached an understanding?'

The primarch bowed his head solemnly. 'The arrangement stands to benefit us both.'

'Excellent,' Jonson said. 'In that case, you're welcome to take possession of the siege guns at your convenience. On one condition, of course.'

The primarch raised a thin eyebrow. 'Oh?'

Jonson gave his guest a sly grin. 'You must promise me they will be put to good use.'

Perturabo, primarch of the Iron Warriors smiled, his eyes gleaming like polished iron.

'Oh, yes,' he said. 'Of that you may be assured.'

About the author

Together with Dan Abnett, Mike Lee wrote the five-volume Malus Darkblade series. He also wrote the acclaimed Nagash the Sorcerer for Warhammer Time of Legends.

Mike was the principal creator and developer for White Wolf Game Studio's Demon: The Fallen, and he has contributed to almost two dozen role-playing games and supplements over the years. An avid wargamer and devoted fan of pulp adventure, Mike lives in the United States.