'Princeps,’ said Aruken urgently. 'Is it a biological weapon? Atomics?'
'The Isstvanians have a weapon we didn't know about,’ replied Turnet, but Cassar could tell he was lying. They're launching it soon. We have to lock down or we'll be caught in it,’
Cassar looked down at the trenches through the Titan's eyes. The Death Guard were still advancing through the trenches and bunker ruins. 'But prinВceps, the Astartes-'
'You have your orders, Moderati Cassar,’ shouted Turnet, 'and you will follow them. Seal us up, every vent, every hatch or we die,’
Cassar willed the Dies Irae to shut its hatches and seal all its entranceways, his reluctance making the procedures sluggish.
On the ground below, he watched the Death Guard continue to grind their way through the
Choral City's defences, apparently unconcerned that the Isstvanians were about to launch Throne knew what at them, or unaware. As the battle raged on, the Dies Irae fell silent.
The маш audience chamber of the Vengeful Spirit was a colossal, columned chamber with walls of marble and pilasters of solid gold. Its magnificence was like nothing Sindermann had ever seen, and the thousands of remembrancers who filled the chamber wore the expressions of awed children who had been shown some new, unheard of wonВder. Seeing many familiar faces, Sindermann guessed that the fleet's entire complement of remembrancers was present for the Warmaster's announcement.
The Warmaster and Maloghurst stood on a raised podium at the far end of the hall, too far away for either of them to recognise Sindermann, Mersadie or Euphrati.
Or at least he hoped so. Who knew how sharp an Astartes eyesight was, let alone a primarch's?
Both Astartes were wrapped in cream robes edged in gold and silver and a detail of warriors stood beside them. A number of large pict screens nad been hung from the walls.
'It looks like an iterators' rally on a compliant world, said Mersadie, echoing his own thoughts So similar was it that he began to wonder what mesВsage was to be imparted and how it would be reinforced. He looked around for plants in the
audience who would clap and cheer at precise points to direct the crowd in the desired manner. Each of the screens displayed a slice of Isstvan Р©, set against a black backdrop scattered with bright silver specks of the Warmaster's fleet.
'Euphrati,' said Mersadie as they made their way through the crowds of remembrancers. 'Remember how I said that this was a bad idea?'
'Yes?' said Euphrati, her face creased in a wide, innocent smile.
'Well, now I think that this was a really bad idea. I mean, look at the number of Astartes here.'
Sindermann followed Mersadie's gaze, already starting to sweat at the sight of so many armed warВriors surrounding them. If even one of them recognised their faces, it was all over.
'We have to see,’ said Euphrati, turning and grabВbing his sleeve. 'You have to see.'
Sindermann felt the heat of her touch and saw the fire behind her eyes, like thunder before a storm and he realised with a start, that he was a litde afraid of Euphrati. The crowd milled in eager impatience and Sindermann kept his face turned from the Astartes staring into the middle of the audience chamber.
Euphrati squeezed Mersadie's hand as the pict screens leapt to life and a gasp went up from the assembled remembrancers as they saw the bloody streets of the Choral City. Clearly shot from an airВcraft, the images filled the giant pict screens and Sindermann felt his gorge rise at the sight of so much butchery.
He remembered the carnage of the Whisperheads a nd reminded himself that this was what the Astartes had been created to do, but the sheer visВceral nature of that reality was something he knew he would never get used to. Bodies filled the streets and arterial gore covered almost every surface as though the heavens had rained blood.
'You remembrancers say you want to see war,’ said Horus, his voice easily carrying to the furthest corВners of the hall. 'Well, this is it,’
Sindermann watched as the image shifted on the screen, pulling back and panning up through the sky and into the dark, star-spattered heavens above.
Burning spears of light fell towards the battle below.
What are those?' asked Mersadie.
They're bombs,’ said Sindermann in horrified disbelief. 'The planet is being bombarded,’
'And so it begins,’ said Euphrati.
The plaza was a truly horrendous sight, ankle-deep in blood and strewn with thousands upon thouВsands of bodies. Most were blown open by bolter rounds, but many had been hacked down with chainblades or otherwise torn limb from limb.
Tarvitz hurried towards the makeshift strongpoint at its centre, the battlements formed from carved up bodies heaped between the battered forms of fallen drop-pods.
A World Eater with blood-soaked armour and a scarred face nodded to him as he climbed the
gruesome ramp of bodies. The warrior's armour was so drenched in blood that Tarvitz wondered for a moment why he hadn't just painted himself red to begin with. 'Captain Ehrlen,’ said Tarvitz. ^Vhere is he?' The warrior wasted no breath on words and simply jerked a thumb in the direction of a warrior with dozens of fluttering oath papers hanging from his breastplate. Tarvitz nodded his thanks and set off through the sttongpoint. He passed wounded Astartes who were tended by an apothecary who looked as if he had fought as hard as any of his patients. Beside him lay two fallen World Eaters, their bodies uncereВmoniously dumped out of the way.
Ehrlen looked up as Tarvitz approached. The capВtain's face had been badly burned in some previous battle and his axe was clotted with so much blood that it better resembled a club.
'Looks like the Emperor's Children have sent us reinforcements!' shouted Ehrlen, to grunts of laughter from his fellow World Eaters. 'One whole warrior! We are blessed, the enemy will run away for sure.'
'Captain,’ said Tarvitz, joining Ehrlen at the barriВcade of Isstvanian dead. 'My name is Captain Saul Tarvitz and I'm here to warn you that you have to get your squads into cover,’
'Into cover? Unacceptable,’ said Ehrlen, nodding towards the far side of the plaza. Shapes moved in their windows and between the mansions. They're regrouping. If we move now they will overwhelm us.'
'The Isstvanians have a bio-weapon,’ said Tarvitz, knowing a lie was the only way to conВvince the World Eaters. 'They're going to fire it. It'll kill everyone and everything in the Choral City,’
They're going to destroy their own capital? I thought this place was some kind of church? Holy to them?'
They've shown how much they value their own,’ replied Tarvitz quickly, indicating the heaps of dead in front of them. They'll sacrifice this city to kill us. Driving us from their planet is worth more to them than this city,’
'So you would have us abandon this position?' demanded Ehrlen, as if Tarvitz had personally insulted his honour. 'How do you know all this?'
'I just got here from orbit. The weapon has already been unleashed. If you're above ground when the virus strike hits you will die. If you believe nothing else, believe that,’ Then where do you suggest we move to?' 'Just to the west of this position, captain,’ said Tarvitz, stealing a glance at the sky. The edge of the trench system is thick with bunkers, blast proof shelters. If you get your men into them, they should be safe,’
'Should be?' snapped Ehrlen. 'That's the best you can offer me?'
Ehrlen stared at Tarvitz for a moment. 'If you are wrong the blood of my warriors will be on your hands and I will kill you for their deaths,’
'I understand that, captain,’ urged Tarvitz, 'but we don't have much time.'
Very well, Captain Tarvitz,' said Ehrlen. 'Sergeant Fleiste, left flank! Sergeant Wronde, right! World Eaters, general advance to the west, blades out!'
The World Eaters drew their chainaxes and swords. The bloodstained assault units hurried to the front and stepped over the makeshift barricades of corpses.
'Are you coming, Tarvitz?' asked Ehrlen.
Tarvitz nodded, drawing his broadsword and folВlowing the World Eaters into the plaza.
Although they were fellow Astartes, he knew he was a stranger among them as they ran, spitting battle curses and splashing through the dead towards the potential safety of the bunkers.
Tarvitz glanced up at the gathering clouds and felt his chest tighten.