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  Even at such a late hour, the cadre went almost unnoticed in the bustling activity surrounding the fortress. Cargo lifters and shuttles came and went between the space ports and the harbours in high orbit, ferrying supplies and personnel destined for the front lines. The Dark Angels passed long convoys of ordnance haulers and supply trucks on their way to and from the landing fields. Platoons of armoured vehicles roared past, heading for the marshalling yards south of the fortress or to the training grounds for the Legion’s auxiliary Imperial Army units. Once, a regiment of new Army recruits stopped in its tracks and shuffled quickly off the road to let the Astartes pass. The young men and women in their crisp new battle-dress stared open-mouthed at the marching giants and the golden-armoured figure who led them.

  They marched through the rain and the wind for ten kilometres, passing through curtain walls made from permacrete and studded with defensive shield projectors and automated weapon emplacements. The closer they drew to Aldurukh, the denser and higher the structures grew, until finally the Astartes found themselves marching down man-made canyons lit solely by globes of artificial light.

  Yet Aldurukh rose above all else, a bastion of strength and tradition surrounded by a sea of constant change. Its granite flanks had been scraped bare by Imperial construction machines; even now, titanic excavators scaled its sheer sides, carving out ledges and boring tunnels deep into the rock as the fortress continued to expand into the heart of the mountain itself. Zahariel had heard of plans to one day create a series of gates at the foot of the mountain that would provide access to the fortress’s subterranean levels as well as lifts that would carry passengers up into the centre of the fortress within seconds. For all its efficiency, the notion seemed vaguely offensive to him; the path up the Errant’s Road to the castle gates had been trod by the knights of the Order for centuries, and had taken on great spiritual significance in their legends and lore. His brothers could ride the lifts if they preferred; he intended to walk the path built by his elders for as long as he was able.

  To his relief, the fortress hadn’t yet changed so much in the years he’d been away. At the base of the mountain, rising incongruously to either side of a narrow, paved lane that passed between two towering barracks facilities, stood the ancient, weathered menhirs that marked the foot of the old road. The old stones depicted the beginning and ending stages of a knight’s journey: the left menhir was carved in the likeness of a proud knight striding forth into the world, pistol and chainsword in hand; the one on the right showed a battered and weary warrior, his armour splintered and his weapons broken, kneeling wearily but with head held high as he contemplated his return home. Zahariel smiled to see Luther brush his fingertips lightly against the right-hand menhir as he passed by, a tradition that reached back to the earliest days of their brotherhood. He repeated the gesture, feeling the smooth stone beneath his fingertips and thinking of the generations of his forbears who had done the same, stretching back for millennia.

  The storm broke as they trod the narrow, winding road, though the wind still tangled their surplices and tugged at their hoods as the clouds paled with the first light of dawn. The climb, though long, passed quicker than Zahariel expected. After what seemed like only a couple of hours he found himself upon a broad, paved square that in times past had been a forested clearing, where aspirants to the Order once spent a long and harrowing night before the castle gates.

  Now those gates were thrown wide open as the Dark Angels approached, and Zahariel saw with surprise that the courtyard beyond was filled with ranks of young recruits, arrayed to create a processional that led to the feet of the castle’s outer citadel. The recruits had been assembled in haste; many of them stared at the new arrivals with an equal mix of curiosity and surprise.

  Luther led his warriors down the length of the processional as though he’d expected the impromptu assembly all along. At the far end of the long line of recruits waited two figures: one wasted and bent with age, the other clad in dark armour and a surplice hemmed with gold. He stopped at a respectful distance from the two, and behind him the cadre of Astartes came to a thundering halt.

  As if on cue, the assembled recruits sank to one knee and bowed their heads to the golden knight. A trumpet pealed from the castle gatehouse, the traditional signal for a knight home from a long and dangerous quest. Master Remiel, of late the Castellan of Aldurukh, knelt before Luther as well. Behind Remiel, Lord Cypher inclined his head respectfully to the Legion’s second-in-command, though Zahariel could not help but notice a faint glitter of amusement in the warrior’s eyes.

  Cypher was not a name, but a title; one that went back to the earliest days of the Order. His role was to maintain the traditions, customs and history of the brotherhood, as well as maintaining the integrity of the Higher Mysteries – the advanced tactics and teachings shared with the senior initiates. Because he was the literal personification of the Order and its beliefs, once a man took the role of Cypher he gave up his proper name from that moment forward. He was the brotherhood’s touchstone, a knight of great experience and wisdom who held little real power but wielded enormous influence within the organisation.

  The current Lord Cypher was even more of an enigma than most, not least because of his youth and lack of seniority within the brotherhood. When Lion El’Jonson became Grand Master of the Order it had been expected that he would name Master Remiel to the position; instead, he raised up a little-known knight younger than Luther or many other high-ranking peers. It was said that the new Cypher had been trained at one of the Order’s lesser fortresses, near the beast-haunted Northwilds, but even that was little more than rumour. No one could fathom Jonson’s decision, but no one had found cause to complain about it, either. By all accounts, the current Cypher was more of a reclusive, scholarly figure than previous bearers of the title, spending long hours poring through the libraries and record vaults hidden within the castle – though the paired pistols at his belt hinted that he was as capable a fighter as anyone else in the brotherhood.

  Luther seemed genuinely surprised by Master Remiel’s gesture of fealty. He stepped forward quickly, extending his hand. ‘Do your knees trouble you, Master?’ he said. ‘Please, let me help you up.’ He looked left and right, taking in the ranks of kneeling recruits. ‘Rise, all of you, in the Lion’s name,’ he said, his voice ringing from the walls of the citadel. ‘We are all brothers here, with no man set above another. Is that not so, Lord Cypher?’

  Cypher inclined his head to Luther once more. ‘It is indeed,’ he replied in a quiet voice. The faintest of smiles played across Cypher’s face. ‘Something we would all do well to remember.’

  Master Remiel stared at Luther’s outstretched hand for a moment. Reluctantly, he accepted the offer and rose stiffly to his feet. He had aged a great deal in the past few years, Zahariel saw, and seemed almost diminutive between the towering figure of Cypher and Luther’s enhanced stature. Like most of the senior members of the Order, Remiel had been accepted into the Legion, but was far too old to receive the Dark Angels’ gene-seed. Strangely, he had also refused even the basic physical augmentation and rejuvenation that men such as Luther had received. He remained a product of a bygone age, one fading quickly into the mists of time.

  ‘Aldurukh welcomes you, brother,’ Remiel said to Luther. His voice was hoarse with age, which made his tone all the more stern and forbidding. ‘The captain aboard the Wrath of Caliban informed us of your impeding arrival, but there wasn’t enough time to arrange a proper welcome.’ He stared up at Luther, his pointed chin thrust out in a proud, almost defiant pose. ‘The recruits stand ready for inspection. I look forward to hearing your appraisal.’

  For the first time Zahariel noted the faint air of tension in the courtyard; from the slight straightening of Luther’s shoulders, it was clear he sensed it as well. The young Astartes surveyed the assembly carefully, and realised that Remiel’s impromptu welcome might be designed to send a message to the cadre as well.

  Master Remiel
thinks the Lion has lost faith in him as well, Zahariel thought. Why else send Luther and half a chapter of Astartes all the way back to Caliban to take over the training of recruits?

  Never before had Zahariel questioned the orders of his primarch. The very idea that Jonson could make a mistake seemed inconceivable. But now, a cold sense of foreboding sent a shiver along his spine.

  Luther, however, seemed unaffected by Remiel’s tone. He chuckled, gripping the master’s arm warmly. ‘You have forgotten more about the training of fighting men than I will ever know, Master,’ he said, loud enough for everyone to hear. ‘We’re here to help train more recruits, not train them better.’ Luther turned to the assembled men and smiled proudly. ‘The Emperor himself has spoken, brothers! He expects great things from our Legion, and we will show him that the men of Caliban are worthy of his esteem! Glory awaits you, brothers; have you the loyalty and honour to earn it?’

  ‘Aye!’ the recruits answered in a ragged shout.

  Luther nodded proudly. ‘I expected no less from Master Remiel’s students,’ he said. ‘But time is short, and there’s much work still to be done. The Great Crusade waits on no man, and before long I and my brothers here will be called back to the thick of the fighting. We intend to bring as many of you with us as we can. The Lion needs you. We need you. And starting today you will be tested as you never have before.’

  A stir went through the assembly – not just the recruits, but the Dark Angels surrounding Zahariel as well. Everywhere he looked, he saw expressions of determination and pride. Luther’s challenge had transformed the atmosphere of the courtyard in a single instant; even Master Remiel seemed moved by the conviction in Luther’s voice. The cadre felt it, too. For the first time, they saw a noble purpose in what they’d been sent to do. They hadn’t been forgotten. Rather they would soon return to their brothers out among the stars at the head of an army that they’d helped create, one that would propel the First Legion into the annals of legend.

  Luther spoke again, this time with an iron tone of command in his voice. ‘Brothers, you are dismissed,’ he ordered. ‘Return to your morning meditations and prepare yourselves for the today’s training cycle. You can expect to encounter a host of new challenges as the day progresses, so be prepared for anything.’

  Under Master Remiel’s watchful eye, the recruits dispersed quickly and quietly from the courtyard. The Astartes of the training cadre remained in ranks, awaiting word from Luther. Zahariel watched him speak a few quiet words to Remiel after the last of the recruits had left. Lord Cypher had vanished at some point during Luther’s short speech; Zahariel couldn’t say how or when he’d left.

  After a few moments, Remiel bowed to Luther and took his leave. Luther turned to the waiting Astartes, his expression businesslike. ‘All right, brothers, now you can see the challenge that lies before us,’ he said with a faint grin. ‘The sooner we’re done here, the sooner we can return to the fight, so I don’t plan on wasting a single minute. Report to the training grounds at once. We’re going to put these young ones through their paces.’

  Luther’s honour guard bowed their heads and broke ranks, and the rest of the cadre followed in quick succession. Zahariel was turning to go when Luther caught his eye. ‘A word, brother,’ the knight said, beckoning to him.

  Zahariel joined Luther as the cadre filed from the courtyard. Speaking quickly, Luther summarised the parts of his training plan that he intended to implement over the course of the day. ‘Coordinate with Master Remiel to ensure that all of the instructors are informed of the changes,’ he said. ‘I’m going to have to leave matters of implementation entirely in your hands, brother. For the time being I’m going to have my hands full reviewing everything that’s happened here at the fortress in our absence.’

  ‘I’ll see to it,’ Zahariel said, both surprised and honoured that Luther would place so much trust in him. Despite the responsibility that had been placed on his shoulders, he was surprised to find that his spirits were lighter than they had been since the battle at Sarosh.

  For the moment, the two were alone in the vast courtyard. Luther was gazing across the empty space, his mind turning to other matters. On impulse, Zahariel said, ‘That was well done, brother.’

  Luther glanced quizzically at the young Astartes. ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘What you said a moment ago,’ Zahariel replied. ‘It was inspiring. To tell the truth, many of us have been in low spirits since we left the fleet. We… well, it’s good to know that we won’t be here for long. All of us are eager to get back to the Crusade.’

  As Zahariel spoke, the light seemed to go out of Luther’s eyes. ‘Ah, that,’ he said, his voice strangely subdued. To Zahariel’s surprise, Luther turned away, glancing up at the cloudy sky. ‘That was all a lie, brother,’ he said with a sigh. ‘We’ve fallen from grace, and nothing we do here will change that. For us, the Great Crusade is over.’

  ONE

  ALARUMS AND EXCURSIONS

  Gordia IV

  In the 200th year of the Emperor’s Great Crusade

  THE PRIMARCH’S SUMMONS found Brother-Redemptor Nemiel at the Seventh Chapter’s forward base in the Huldaran foothills, just twenty kilometres south of the planetary capital. Dawn was only two hours away, and the chapter’s battle brothers were completing their final checks on their weapons and equipment. The last survivors of the Gordians’ battered heavy divisions had finally halted their long, bitter retreat and decided to make a stand amid the steep, iron-grey hills. The Dark Angels sensed that this would be the last battle in the months-long campaign to bring the stubborn world into compliance.

  It had been a hectic night on the windswept plains. The Seventh Chapter had travelled two hundred kilometres on the previous day, harrying the Gordian rearguard, and there was little time to prepare for a dawn assault against fortified enemy positions. Nemiel had spent much of the time shuttling back and forth between the chapter’s four assembly areas, speaking with each of the squads, evaluating their readiness and, when asked, receiving their battle-oaths in the name of the Lion and the Emperor. He had only just reported to Chapter Master Torannen and certified the chapter fit for combat when the message was sent down from the fleet: Brother-Redemptor Nemiel and squad to report aboard the flagship immediately. Transport en route.

  The Stormbird touched down less than fifteen minutes later, just as the Imperials’ preliminary bombardment began to fall on the enemy’s forward positions. Surprised and somewhat bemused, Nemiel could only clasp hands with Torannen and accept the chapter master’s battle-oath, then watch the Seventh Chapter’s armoured vehicles rumble northward without him and his men.

  Within minutes, the dropship was climbing skyward again. After a single orbit of the war-torn planet, climbing high over its storm-tossed oceans and soaring, white-capped mountain ranges, the Stormbird’s pilot had adjusted his course and was closing on the Imperial squadrons anchored above Gordia IV – only to be shunted into a temporary holding pattern while the battle barge completed a resupply evolution and cleared its embarkation deck. After all the haste and urgency, Nemiel was left to sit and wait, contemplating the grey-green world below and wondering how the battle was faring for Torannen and his chapter.

  A half-hour passed. Nemiel listened idly to the vox chatter over the fleet command net and turned his attention to the constellation of warships and transports that surrounded the primarch’s battle barge. He could remember a time, fifty years past, when the 4th Expeditionary Fleet numbered no more than seven vessels; at Gordia IV the flagship was accompanied by twenty-five ships of various types, and that was barely a third of the fleet’s total complement. The remainder were organised into discrete battle groups that were in action across the length and breadth of the Shield Worlds, fighting the Gordian League and their degenerate xenos allies.

  The warships anchored around the flagship constituted the fleet’s reserve squadrons, plus vessels damaged in recent actions against the League’s small but powerful space navy. Te
nders were pulled alongside the grand cruisers Iron Duke and Duchess Arbellatris while repairs were underway on their battle-scarred flanks. Plasma torches twinkled coldly in the dark as hundreds of servitors repaired damaged hull plating and wrecked weapons emplacements. After several minutes of idle study, Nemiel noticed frantic activity around a dozen other warships as well. Cargo lifters and supply shuttles were flying back and forth from the fleet’s huge replenishment vessels, delivering everything from reactor fuel to ration tins at breakneck speed. For the first time he felt a twinge of uneasiness, wondering if the League had managed to launch a surprise counter-offensive that had caught the Legion off-guard.

  When the Stormbird was finally granted priority clearance to land, the tension Nemiel felt in the air of the cavernous embarkation deck only served to deepen his unease. Harried-looking officers and ratings were hard at work organising hundreds of tonnes of supplies and getting them stowed as rapidly as possible. Shouted orders and angry tirades from impatient petty officers were drowned out by the loud crackle of the deck’s magnetic barrier as two more Stormbirds came aboard in rapid succession and touched down directly behind Nemiel’s ship.

  The drop ship’s assault ramp quivered beneath the weight of armoured feet, and Brother-Sergeant Kohl led his squad out onto the deck. The Terran had removed his helmet and clipped it to his belt, and he surveyed the frenetic activity with a bemused scowl. Nemiel glanced over at Kohl as the squad leader joined him at the base of the ramp. ‘What do you make of all this?’ he asked.