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 Torgaddon 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 arrogance 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,

then the Warmaster will win and there won't even be the memory of this betrayal,’

Aruken shook his head in frustration. 'Cassar, if I could just make you see-'

'You're trying to tell me you haven't seen anything to believe in?' asked Cassar, turning away in disappointment. He looked through the scorched panes of the viewing bay at the assembling Death Guard.

Titus, I haven't believed in anything for a long time,’ said Aruken. 'For that I'm truly sorry, and I'm sorry for this too,’

Cassar turned to see that Jonah Aruken had drawn his pistol and had it aimed squarely at his chest.

'Jonah?' said Cassar. You would betray me? After all we have seen?'

There's only one thing I want, Titus, and that's command of my own Titan. One day I want to be Princeps Aruken and that's not going to happen if I let you do this,’

Cassar said, To know that this whole galaxy is starved of belief and to think that you might be the only one who believes... and yet to still believe in spite of all that. That is faith, Aruken. I wish that you could understand that,’

'It's too late for that, Titus,’ said Aruken. 'I'm sorry,’

Aruken's gun barked three times, filling the bridge with bursts of light and noise.

* 6B Ф

TARVITZ COULD SEE the battle from the shadow of an entrance arch leading into the Precentor's Palace. He had escaped the cyclone of carnage that Angron had slaughtered into life, to link up with his own warriors in the palace, but the sight of the World Eater's primarch was still a vivid red horror in his

mind.

Tarvitz glanced back into the palace, its vaulted hallways strewn with the bodies of the dead palace guard darkening as late afternoon turned the shadows long and dim. Soon it would be night.

'Lucius,' voxed Tarvitz, static howling. 'Lucius, come in.' 'Saul, what do you see?'

'Gunships and drop-pods too, our colours, landing just north of here.' 'Has the primarch blessed us with his presence?' 'Looks like Eidolon,’ said Tarvitz with relish. The vox was heavy with static and he knew that the War-master's forces would be attempting to jam their vox-channels without blocking their own.

'Listen, Lucius, Angron is going to break through here. The loyal World Eaters down there won't be able to hold him. He's going to head for the palace,’

'Then there will be a battle,’ deadpanned Lucius. 'I hope Angron makes it a good fight. I think I might have found a decent fencing opponent at

last,’

'You're welcome to him. We need to make this stand count. Start barricading the central dome.

We'll move to fortifying the main domes and junctions if Angron gives us that long,’

'Since when did you become the leader here?' asked Lucius petulantly. 'I was the one who killed Vardus Praal,’

Tarvitz felt his anger rise at his friend's childishness at such a volatile time, but bit back his anger to say, 'Get in there and help man the barricades. We don't have long before we'll be in the thick of it,’

THE THUNDERHAWK SPED away from the Vengeful Spirit, gathering speed as Qruze kicked in the afterburners. Mersadie felt unutterably light-headed to be off the Warmaster's ship at last, but the cold realisation that they had nowhere to go sobered her as she saw glinting specks of the fleet all around them.