An Unwitting Legacy

The counterattack began with the heavy footsteps of Cataphractii Terminator armor.

The armored boots struck the ground in a steady, muffled rhythm, like war drums beating against the chest. The sound carried through the lingering Smoke and dust with a reassuring, unshakable authority.

The force of the Orbital Bombardment had only just faded, and waves of heat still warped the air.

The massive alloy gate had held off the Orks' frenzied assault for so long that it was now covered in cracks and dents. With a shriek of grinding metal, it slowly rose, lifted by the blessings of Adeptus Mechanicus priests and a powerful hydraulic system.

Beyond the gate lay a battlefield plowed over again and again by bombardment, littered with craters and wreckage. Orks staggered there, shaking their green heads as they recovered from the earthshaking explosions and let out confused, furious roars.

Their crimson eyes adjusted to the blinding firelight and swirling dust, and they instinctively looked toward the opening beneath the gate.

But no panicked line of human soldiers appeared. Instead, there was a wall.

A moving wall forged from steel, Ceramite, and absolute conviction.

Dozens of Adeptus Astartes in Cataphractii Terminator armor stepped silently out of the shadows behind the gate. Like giants from ancient myth, they formed an unbreakable battle line.

Their armor was massive as a mountain, with broad pauldrons bearing Legion Insignia that remained unmistakable amid the Warfire.

In their hands were heavy weapons that even ordinary Space Marines would struggle to wield for long.

Large-caliber Autocannons spun up with a rising whine. Heavy Bolters rested in their hands with the weight of small cannons, while energy conduits on Twin-linked Laser Lascannons flickered ominously.

The Ork horde had just regrouped to charge again during the lull in the bombardment when it slammed headlong into that wall of steel. The savage grins on the Ork Boyz's faces froze.

"Fire."

The simple order went out over the internal channel.

The next instant, a storm of destruction erupted before the Terminator line.

BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG—!!!

The Autocannons roared first. Their six spinning barrels poured out a dense barrage at a staggering rate, scything through the Orks in front and shredding them along with their crude cover.

The Heavy Bolters fired in measured bursts like hammer blows. Each round blew an Ork apart in a spray of flesh and blood.

Thick beams from the Twin-linked Laser Lascannons instantly vaporized everything in their path.

Within seconds, the vanguard of the Ork horde had been wiped out by the storm of metal.

The Terminators advanced with heavy, determined steps across ground strewn with green limbs and slick with blood.

Their fire barely paused, forming a moving line of death that nothing could cross.

Any Ork that tried to approach—whether a howling Boy charging ahead or a larger Ork Warboss attempting to return fire with a heavy weapon—was torn apart the moment it entered range.

The Terminators drove forward like a red-hot knife through butter, carving a broad path paved with bodies through the Orks' disordered ranks.

At the same time, a new sound came from the sky.

It was not the howl of fighter craft, but the sharp, brief shriek of Drop Pods punching through the Atmosphere at high speed.

Boom!

Boom!

One Drop Pod after another streaked through the smoke-choked sky like enormous steel nails trailing fiery exhaust. They fell like guided meteors toward vital positions deep within the Ork lines!

Their landing sites were chosen with care. Rather than striking the crowded front, they targeted command points where Ork Warbosses and warlords had gathered, crude artillery positions, and important supply dumps.

The impacts thundered one after another. Each pod's doors blew open the instant it struck.

Before the thick steam had cleared, Word Bearers Space Marines in gray Power Armor charged out.

They moved like lightning, their objectives clear. Precise bursts from their bolters picked off the guards around Ork leaders first, while roaring Chainswords sought out the unusually large Orks bellowing orders.

For the Legiones Astartes, it was a classic surgical decapitation strike.

Deprived of command and key firepower, the Ork forces' chaotic nature ran completely unchecked.

The front line was being crushed by the Terminators, while precise strikes destroyed the command structure behind it. The vast green tide began to lose its nerve, splintering into isolated fights and even trampling itself in the ensuing chaos.

The Orks withdrew from the Hive City with remarkable speed. The Astartes' mission then shifted from counterattack to hunting down the Ork forces still inside.

Meanwhile, the Fleet in orbit continued sending down Imperialis Militia troops to fight alongside the Astartes.

Vast quantities of supplies came down as well, including relief medicine, food, and everyday necessities.

The Purge

Jungle Hive City

Underhive

Deep within the Hive City, the light was dim and the air reeked of garbage, rust, and something rotten. It was nothing like the Smoke of battle above, yet just as suffocating.

Narrow, twisted metal passages wound like the intestines of some enormous beast, choked with refuse and wreckage accumulated over countless years.

This was a forgotten corner of the Hive City, but with Warfire engulfing the entire Planet, there was nowhere to escape.

A newly built Hive City should not normally have decayed so badly, but House Horace had been far too foolish.

Just then, a small figure huddled behind a broken pipe joint. It was a boy.

Oil and grime covered him, and his tattered clothes barely concealed his body. His eyes, made to look too large by hunger and fear, were fixed on the far end of the passage.

The explosions and distant roars outside terrified him. He had been separated from his family in the chaos, and they might already be dead. Now he could only rely on himself to survive.

Suddenly, heavy, uneven footsteps and guttural muttering came from around the bend.

The boy's heart nearly leaped into his throat. He pressed himself deeper into the shadows, not daring to move.

Then a massive green figure appeared. It was an Ork Choppa Boy.

Bits of scrap metal hung from its body as crude armor. It dragged a rusted but vicious-looking cleaver, the tip screeching across the metal floor.

Its small crimson eyes swept through the gloom, searching for something worth smashing or a prize to haul back.

The Ork's gaze passed over the crevice where the boy hid. It seemed to sense something. Its nostrils twitched, and it gave a low grunt of discovery.

It strode toward the crevice. Its bulk blocked what little light there was, casting a shadow that swallowed the boy.

He squeezed his eyes shut. Terror left his body rigid, without even the strength to run.

He could smell the Ork's rank sweat and blood and hear its heavy breathing.

"Little humie... hidin' here?" the Ork muttered thickly. It reached out a huge, filthy green hand to grab the boy.

It meant to take the little thing back, whether as a slave or a trophy to show off.

Just as its rough fingers were about to touch Kais's torn collar...

Bang!

A sharp, brief crack pierced the silence of the passage—from behind the Ork!

At the other end of the passage stood a towering gray figure, motionless, his Power Armor gleaming coldly in the gloom.

A wisp of smoke rose from the muzzle of his bolter. The Adeptus Astartes warrior of the Word Bearers quickly scanned both ends of the passage. Only after confirming there were no other threats did he step forward.

He did not leave at once. He stopped beside the Ork's corpse.

He crouched, his Power Armor giving a low scrape.

He extended a huge hand encased in Ceramite, yet his movements were unexpectedly gentle as he drew the boy from the corner where he lay curled up, too frightened to move.

At the sight, the boy trembled and did not even dare raise his head.

An angel of the Emperor, someone he had only ever read about, had appeared before him. He was afraid to make the slightest move lest he offend the angel.

The Space Marine looked him over, then his gaze settled on a deep wound along the outside of the boy's thigh.

Blood still seeped from it. A twisted piece of metal was visible near the edge, embedded in the flesh. It looked like shrapnel from an explosion.

"Don't move." His voice came through a speaker, deepened by the device but not devoid of warmth.

The Space Marine took a spray canister and a pair of precision tweezers from the standard emergency medical kit on his thigh armor.

First, he sprayed painkiller and disinfectant around the wound. Kais flinched at the cool mist, but the pain soon eased.

Then his enormous fingers handled the tiny medical tweezers with astonishing steadiness and dexterity.

"What's your name, child?" the Space Marine asked evenly, trying to distract the boy. His eyes remained fixed on the wound.

"K-Kais..." the boy answered, trembling, his voice barely audible.

"Kais. A good name." As he spoke, the Space Marine guided the tweezers into the wound.

"Bear with it. This won't take long."

The tips caught the edge of the shrapnel. With a flick of his wrist and a brief stab of pain, he pulled the metal free of the muscle and dropped it on the floor with a faint clink.

He immediately covered the wound with fast-acting hemostatic foam. The bleeding stopped almost at once.

"You're brave, Kais," the Space Marine said as he covered the wound with a sterile dressing and secured it.

"You survived alone until now. You've already proved your courage."

"M-my lord angel... thank you..." Kais managed to say softly. The pain in his leg really had eased.

"We are here to do our duty." The Space Marine stood, his massive frame once again filling the passage.

He looked down at the boy. His expression was hidden behind his Visor, but his voice remained steady. "May the Emperor watch over his people. There's a temporary aid station about three hundred meters that way. Can you reach it?"

"I can, sir angel." Kais nodded firmly.

"Go quickly. It isn't safe here."

With that, the Space Marine raised his weapon again and headed deeper into the Hive City, leaving Kais alone.

In that moment, a dream of becoming a Space Marine took root in Kais's heart.