Sons of Wrath - Andy Smillie Read online

  More Space Marine Battles from blacklibrary.com

  THE WAR FOR RYNN’S WORLD

  Includes the novel Rynn’s World and the novella Traitor’s Gorge, featuring the Crimson Fists

  OVERFIEND

  Includes the novellas Stormseer, Shadow Captain and Forgemaster, featuring the White Scars, Raven Guard and Salamanders

  DAMNOS

  Includes the novel Fall of Damnos and the novella Spear of Macragge, featuring the Ultramarines

  ARMAGEDDON

  Includes the novel Helsreach and the novella Blood and Fire, featuring the Black Templars and Celestial Lions

  MALODRAX

  An Imperial Fists novel

  DEATH OF INTEGRITY

  A Novamarines and Blood Drinkers novel

  It is the 41st millennium. For more than a hundred centuries the Emperor has sat immobile on the Golden Throne of Earth. He is the master of mankind by the will of the gods, and master of a million worlds by the might of his inexhaustible armies. He is a rotting carcass writhing invisibly with power from the Dark Age of Technology. He is the Carrion Lord of the Imperium for whom a thousand souls are sacrificed every day, so that he may never truly die.

  Yet even in his deathless state, the Emperor continues his eternal vigilance. Mighty battlefleets cross the daemon-infested miasma of the warp, the only route between distant stars, their way lit by the Astronomican, the psychic manifestation of the Emperor’s will. Vast armies give battle in his name on uncounted worlds. Greatest amongst His soldiers are the Adeptus Astartes, the Space Marines, bio-engineered super-warriors. Their comrades in arms are legion: the Astra Militarum and countless planetary defence forces, the ever-vigilant Inquisition and the tech-priests of the Adeptus Mechanicus to name only a few. But for all their multitudes, they are barely enough to hold off the ever-present threat from aliens, heretics, mutants - and worse.

  To be a man in such times is to be one amongst untold billions. It is to live in the cruellest and most bloody regime imaginable. These are the tales of those times. Forget the power of technology and science, for so much has been forgotten, never to be re-learned. Forget the promise of progress and understanding, for in the grim dark future there is only war. There is no peace amongst the stars, only an eternity of carnage and slaughter, and the laughter of thirsting gods.

  Roboute Guilliman.

  Guilliman the tactician.

  Guilliman the warrior.

  History will remember the primarch of the Ultramarines by many titles. To us of the Blood he will have only one – Guilliman the butcher.

  With law and edict, Guilliman ripped the heart from the Legions. Even his own sons were not spared his treachery. Where Horus had sought to use a hammer blow, Guilliman used a duellist’s blade. In the end, the result was the same.

  Brother became cousin. Cousin became exile.

  Guilliman’s new chapter, his new beginning, was a sundering to all that had come before. Stripped of honour and tithe, of history and deed, we were all of us undone.

  Bastards of war and victory, we were Angels no more.

  One

  Denial

  Amit stood alone in the shadows of his cell, careful to avoid the rear wall, where a shimmering stasis field shone blue in the darkness. He stared at the suit of Terminator armour suspended in the pale strands of light, and flexed the familiar joints of his own power armour, listening to the gnarled purr of its well-worn servos. His armour was as much a part of him as the twin hearts beating in his breast.

  By contrast, the Terminator armour was a heavily bastardised suit of war-plate. Re-forged at Guilliman’s request, it had once belonged to Brother Bial of the Blood Angels First Company, but like the others whose battleplate the Terminator armour had subsumed, he was long dead. The Crux Terminatus on the left shoulder guard contained a shard of the Emperor’s own blessed armour. The storm bolters worked into its gauntlets had been taken from Brothers Aquinus and Furiel, veterans who had died by Sanguinius’s side.

  Amit stepped closer, casting his gaze over the perfectly polished ceramite. It was meant to honour the reformation, to announce that the Imperium was unbroken, that its will was as strong as ever.

  He growled.

  Guilliman was an arrogant cur. The primarch of the Ultramarines had taken from him all that he was. He had stripped him of his identity and sought to replace it with a suit of armour, with a title: Chapter Master of the Flesh Tearers.

  Amit roared and smashed his fist into the wall.

  Chosen son, captain, Blood Angel…

  He raised his hand and struck again, buckling the plasteel, sending echoes of shock through his flesh.

  Chapter Master, sire of Flesh Tearers, outcast…

  Guilliman could take his decree and choke on it.

  ‘Azkaellon.’ Amit spat the Blood Angel’s name.

  Azkaellon had been first among equals, but he had been too shaken by Sanguinius’s death, too weak to stand his ground and fight for the Legion. The rest of their brothers had shown little more conviction. He and he alone had voiced his discontent, and it had gone unheard, dismissed as the angry words of a grieving son, the rantings of a mad butcher. Amit grinned. He was both, and the universe would do well to remember it.

  The pain in Nuriel’s head would not abate. It had grown from a sharp itch to a searing fire, so that it felt as though his skull were fractured, leaving his mind to bleed through the cracks. Yet he knew the pain was not there, not real in any sense an Apothecary could measure or treat. It was a dire echo of the plight his soul felt as the Victus carried him through the warp.

  Even those of limited mind felt a gnawing ache as they sailed the tides of the immaterium. At worst their minds broke, leaving them to descend into madness. A blessed fate compared to what Nuriel risked. He was a Librarian and his soul blazed in the warp, a beacon calling the denizens of that daemon realm to feast. It would take but a moment’s laxity for him to succumb to their demagogic whispering. They would devour his soul and wear his flesh.

  ‘Not… today.’ Nuriel gritted his teeth and forced a smile. The pain was, at least, a sign that he had strength enough to resist.

  Roaring, he clasped his head with both hands and squeezed, grimacing as real pain replaced the phantom, easing his torment.

  ‘Father, armour me against corruption,’ Nuriel snarled and drove his head into the steel of the wall. The metal buckled and dented under the blow, cracking further as he repeated the motion. ‘Seal my soul against the dark.’ Blood burst from Nuriel’s forehead, slicking the wall and running down into his eyes.

  He slid to the floor and fought to stay conscious. Blacking out would bring him no respite and would deprive him of the pain he needed to stay focused. He looked across at the opposite wall. It shivered, rippling and groaning as he turned his gaze upon it. A churning sickness gripped his gut. He gagged, vomiting until there was nothing but bile dripping from his lips.

  Averting his eyes, Nuriel saw the Warrior again. The same figure who had touched each of his visions since the Gates of Terra. The Warrior exuded greatness, the warmth of triumph. Clad in blood-red armour, he was a peerless swordsman and wielded a long blade of dark metal. Nuriel followed in his wake as he cleaved his way through a horde of desperate foes, men and women dressed in the rags of outcasts. The Warrior pulled his blade from a corpse garbed in crimson and turned to face Nuriel. It was the first time he had done so, and Nuriel found himself looking up into his own eyes.

  ‘True faith is hard. The path to salvation is riven with strife,’ the Warrior said to Nuriel, his voice like the roll of thunder, eternal and charged with
power.

  Nuriel felt himself nod.

  His entire life had been a struggle, a continual test of his strength. Born on Baal Secundus, he had killed his first fire scorpion before his eleventh year. The trials to become a Space Marine had been arduous, but were nothing compared to the hardships he endured to harness his psychic talent. The Edict of Nikaea had sought to punish him further, but he had remained unbowed, fighting the daily urge to use his gifts, even at the cost of his brothers’ lives. He had survived Horus’s final treachery and the battle for Terra. He had done everything the Emperor had asked of him.

  Nuriel snarled. ‘And for what? For this? This reward?’ Digging his fingers into the Flesh Tearers symbol on his pauldron, he tried to prise it free, snarling as the bonded ceramite held fast. ‘This new threat to my sanity. A blood-madness, a black rage that is claiming the minds of my brothers. No.’ Nuriel got to his feet. ‘I will not succumb to it.’

  Slivers of hoarfrost spat and cracked as they formed and broke on Nuriel’s armour. Summoning a measure of his power, he stepped to the cell door. A thin line of energy danced over his fist before igniting, wreathing his gauntlet in obsidian fire. Grimacing, he drove his hand through the mag-lock and wrenched open the door. He had been alone long enough. Bathos and anger were poor company. He needed a release.

  ‘We cannot wait any longer. He must choose.’ Barakiel’s breath fogged in the cold air as he made his way along the corridor. Though much of the Victus was heated, allowing many of its human crew to function, this section was not. Its walkways and holy cells were meant for Space Marines. A thin layer of ice coated the walls, which seemed to be polished to the same parade-sheen as Barakiel’s armour.

  ‘He will not thank you for the interruption, brother.’ Tilonas kept pace beside him, the servos of his heavier Terminator armour drowning out the rumble of the ship’s engines.

  ‘He rarely does.’

  Tilonas smiled. ‘Your promotion has made you bold, captain.’

  ‘It is not boldness but necessity. We have wasted enough time.’

  An attendant serf flinched as the pair drew up outside Amit’s cell.

  Tilonas regarded the man. He was too thin to have been gene-bred, lacking the pronounced musculature and thick skeleton of a fully developed Chapter-serf. Likely, he was just another wretch snatched from a liberated world and pressed into service. The man knelt on the floor, his tunic loose on his frame. Curiously, he had another wrapped around his shoulders for warmth.

  Tilonas looked past the serf and grinned. ‘Ruthless little bastard.’

  The serf’s eyes widened at Tilonas’s remark. He shot a furtive glance sideways. A naked corpse lay slumped beside him, the frozen body of another serf.

  ‘He’ll still be dead before the cycle’s out,’ Barakiel grunted, and banged his fist on the cell door. ‘Lord.’

  ‘Perhaps he has left,’ said Tilonas.

  ‘No, he is in there. Why else would this wretch still be here?’ Barakiel nudged the serf with his boot and struck the door again. ‘Captain… Master Amit.’

  ‘Enter,’ barked Amit.

  ‘You go ahead. I’ll wait here.’ Tilonas grinned and gestured to the door.

  Barakiel pushed open the door and stepped into the cell. Amit’s back greeted him, the Chapter Master’s attention fixed on the rear wall. Were Barakiel not accustomed to Amit’s brooding, he might have been surprised by the mess consuming the cell. Most of the chamber’s luminators had ceased to function. The few that remained lit stuttered overhead, casting jagged patches of light over the piles of ruined battle-servitors that lay strewn around like broken dolls. Amit seemed oblivious to the orphaned head that was still stammering through its activation protocols.

  ‘Master Amit.’ Barakiel touched his fist to his breastplate in salute.

  ‘What do you want?’ Amit didn’t turn around, his attention fixed on the suit of Terminator armour suspended against the rear wall.

  ‘We are out of time, lord. Brother-Sergeant Grigori or Chaplain Varel. You must decide which–’

  Amit rounded on Barakiel, his eyes narrowing to a knife’s edge. ‘You ask me to condemn one of our great heroes to death and consign another to a living tomb? Tell me, captain, which one would I be doing the greater honour?’

  ‘With respect, Chapter Master, this burden is yours to carry.’ Barakiel moved to the pict viewer attached to the near wall. ‘You knew Grigori better than any of us. He was a valiant warrior and I am certain he would be thankful for the chance to continue to fight. Varel was a revered Chaplain, and a great orator. His sermons roused our warriors to righteous fury. In these tumultuous times, his counsel is sorely needed.’

  ‘You speak of them as though they are already dead.’ Amit spat the words through gritted teeth.

  ‘With good reason.’ The pict viewer blinked on under Barakiel’s touch. He tapped a key, manipulating the feed-selector until an image of the Apothecaries resolved.

  Grigori and Varel lay side by side on slabs of grey ceramite. Grigori was missing his left arm, his legs and most of his face. A series of tubes and automated syringes worked to maintain what remained of his torso. Varel’s body was intact save his abdomen, which looked like it had been ripped out to allow whatever had killed him access to his innards. His skin was dyed blue, an after-effect of being submerged in bio-solution. His chest cracked where the Apothecaries had tried to repair the damage.

  Amit glanced at the viewer. His face softened but his eyes remained those of a murderer. ‘Inter Grigori. I will have Zophal prepare the final rites for Varel.’

  Barakiel said nothing.

  Amit read the disquiet in his face. ‘You have something to say?’

  ‘Lord,’ Barakiel stepped towards Amit, ‘I had hoped…’ He paused and started again. ‘I know your history with Grigori but–’

  ‘But nothing!’ Amit snarled, advancing to within an inch of Barakiel. ‘Do not think me weak enough to suffer from bias in this decision. Our souls were broken on Terra. Words will do nothing to repair our honour. We need warriors such as Grigori.’

  Barakiel stood his ground. ‘Varel’s injuries are less severe. He has a greater chance of surviving the procedure. We must not waste what little of the bloodline we have.’

  Amit paced away from Barakiel and lowered his voice. ‘I was there when Grigori fell. Even broken, he continued to fight, firing from his back until the battle was won. It is not for us to surrender him to death.’

  ‘Lord, Varel is–’

  ‘You have my answer.’ A trace tremor twitched under Amit’s right eye. ‘Test me no further.’

  ‘As you wish.’ Barakiel bit down a retort and dipped his head in acquiescence.

  Nuriel slipped a blow meant to cave in his skull and drove his fist into his attacker’s nose. He savoured the wash of blood that splashed across his scarred face. Pressing the attack, he threw an uppercut, snapping his opponent’s head back before leaping forwards and slamming his palm down into his face. The other Flesh Tearer crashed to the ground unconscious, his nose a mess of ruined cartilage.

  Nuriel held his position in the middle of the duelling stone. The monolithic slab of Baallite rock all but filled the low chamber. Braziers piled with burning coals bordered its high sides and threw jagged light across its surface. Weapon and equipment racks shadowed the stone’s circumference. Three stone statues hung out from the walls like the figureheads of ancient, Terran sea vessels. The first was of Sanguinius, unarmed and garbed in a simple robe. The other two were of his sons. Each was armoured and wielded a single blade. The triumvirate represented the Tempest of Angels, the honorific duel the chamber was fashioned to host, where one combatant fought to protect Sanguinius, while the other attacked. Nuriel grunted in derision. Sanguinius was dead. Now there was only attack. ‘Who’s next?’ He turned in place, casting his gaze over the other Flesh Tearers assembled in the chamber.


  Nuriel tensed, pivoting to his left as a blade stabbed towards him. Parrying its edge with his vambrace, he speared his other hand over the top, driving his fingers into his attacker’s throat. The Flesh Tearer, Brother Manakel, gagged and dropped his weapon. ‘You insult me. I cannot be blindsided by such a careless attack,’ said Nuriel, grabbing the back of Manakel’s head, holding it firm as he drove an elbow into his face. Nuriel struck again and again, grinning as he heard the crack of bone. He released Manakel, letting him topple onto his back, and moved to finish him, raising his boot to bring it down on the prone Flesh Tearer’s head.

  ‘No!’ Brothers Vaul and Sere roared and leapt onto the duelling stone.

  Nuriel abandoned Manakel and met the other two Flesh Tearers head on. Splaying his fingers, he channelled his will into a raw bolt of telekinesis and unleashed it against Sere. The psychic shockwave struck Sere in the chest, cracking his breastplate and propelling him from the platform.

  Nuriel grinned in triumph, continuing his charge to crash into Vaul. He wrapped his arms around the other Flesh Tearer, tackling him to the ground. Pinning Vaul’s arms with his own, Nuriel used his head like a hammer, smashing it down into his opponent’s face. Vaul struggled in vain to free himself, his armour’s servos spitting in torment as Nuriel’s embrace began to crush it. Nuriel continued to attack, pounding Vaul’s skull with his own until the other Flesh Tearer’s body went limp.

  Blood dripping from his face, Nuriel got to his feet and stretched his frame. He could feel every muscle in his body as it tensed and relaxed. He had rarely felt so alive. He was stronger, faster than his brothers, a champion among champions. He snarled as a needle of disquiet burned his gut. If only Sanguinius could see him now. He knew his lord would not have made Amit’s mistake.

  Wiping Vaul’s blood from his eyes, he looked down, watching Manakel with faint amusement as the Flesh Tearer grimaced and rolled onto his front in an effort to get to his feet. A blade lay just beyond Manakel’s grasp. Nuriel paced around him as he struggled forwards, reaching for the weapon.