Valdor raised his Power Spear high. His movements were precise and elegant, without a trace of wasted effort, like an artist performing onstage.
But that performance ended in death.
The spearhead traced a graceful arc through the air and easily pierced a Thousand Sons warrior's breastplate. Beneath the point of the Power Spear, the psychically reinforced armor was as flimsy as paper.
Then he twisted his wrist and swept the spear sideways, cutting the Thousand Sons warrior in two. The two halves of the corpse flew apart under the force of the blow, tumbled several times across the rubble-strewn ground, and lay still.
This was not the first time Valdor had done such a thing.
As Captain-General of the Adeptus Custodes, as one of the Emperor's most trusted guardians, he had fought countless battles and slain countless enemies.
The last time he had turned his weapon on Space Marines, he had been fighting alongside the Word Bearers to put down the Second Primarch's rebellion.
That had been a war officially erased from the Imperium's history, a civil war between brother Primarchs, steeped in betrayal and bloodshed.
In that war, Valdor had first aimed his weapon at Space Marines who should have fought at his side.
And today, he had no choice but to do so again.
Valdor led a mixed force of Adeptus Custodes, Sisters of Silence, and Space Wolves toward the Pyramid where Magnus awaited.
Their objective was clear: break through the Thousand Sons' defenses, reach the Pyramid, and capture Magnus alive.
But in a district dozens of kilometers from the structure, they encountered a combined defense mounted by the Thousand Sons and the Legion's Imperialis Militia.
The Thousand Sons warriors used collapsed buildings and barricades as cover, blocking the mixed force's advance with accurate fire and lethal psychic