During the first months of 343； the Cadians saw off the greatest incursion of Chaos suffered in three hundred years。
It was almost as if the Archenemy knew something。
THE ESSENE BROUGHT me to Farness champing and eager to get on。 We were escorted through the immaterium by two other ships：
Ricci's stately steeple of a cruiser and Voke's ancient porcupine of a warship。 Endor and Grumman； along with their retinue bands；
travelled aboard the Essene with me。 It had been a long time since the Essene had carried so many people。
The Imperial Navy taskforce； a ten…ship squadron seconded from Battle…fleet Scarus for special operations under the remit of the
Battlefleet Disciplinary Detachment； was waiting for us。
THE TASKFORCE HAD already been on station for a fortnight； and its reconnaissance and intelligence operations had comprehensively
prepared the ground for us。
'We have a confirmed location for Pariah；' Lord Procurator Olm Madorthene told me over a vox…pict link from his own ship。
Pariah was the operational word we had set for Quixos。 'Or at least his seat of activity； anyway。 I'm relaying the data to you now。 Site
A is what you're looking for。'
I turned from my seat on the Essene s elegant bridge and Maxilla nodded to one of his beautiful servitors。 The map display flashed up
on the secondary screen of my console。
'I have it；' I said； turning back to look at Madorthene's slightly fuzzy image on the main bridge display。
'It's a table mountain called Ferell Sidor； literally the 〃altar of the sun〃； up in one of the remote northern wards of Hengav province。
Provincial government has declared the whole ward a Sacred Territory because the area is riddled with Second Dynasty tholos tombs。
Access is supposed to be restricted to the Ecclesiarchy； the Farnessi royal families and sanctioned archaeologists。 We believe Pariah
obtained licenses to excavate on Ferell Sidor about six years ago； in the guise of an archaeological mission from the Universitariate of
Avellorn。 The local authorities are supposed to monitor such missions； but frankly they have no idea what he's up to there。 If you look
at the detail map…'
'Yes； got it。'
'You can see the extent of the workings。 Pariah's constructed a small town up there； alongside the pit。'
'The excavation is considerable…'
'We think that's where he's buried or sited this facsimile pylon。 It's difficult to get a clear view。 We didn't want to get too close and tip
him off。'
I rose from my bridge throne and stood facing the enormous image of the lord procurator's face。 'You're set？'
'Absolutely。 You have a copy of my assault strategy there。 Make any amendments you like。'
There was no need。 Madorthene's plan was economical and efficient。 Officially； this was an operation by the Battlefleet Disciplinary
Detachment； prosecuting leads gathered during the inquest into the Thracian Atrocity。 Lord Procurator Madorthene had entered into a
co…operative pact with Commodus Voke to execute the plan。 In reality； his pact was secretly with me。 Olm was the only non…inquisitor
I had written to。
We encrypted the call…signs and command authorities for the operation； agreed the zero…hour； and wished each other luck。
'The Emperor protects； Gregor；' he said。
'I hope so； Olm；' I replied。
TWO HOURS BEFORE sunrise the next day； five hundred Imperial Guard from the Fifty…First Thracian moved in towards Ferell Sidor …
Site A – from covert forward assembly points in the surrounding hills where they had been dropped by troop ships the day before。
They advanced； silently； in three prongs； the first securing the single trackway that gave land…vehicle access to the table mountain。
When all three were in position； we woke Ferell Sidor up。
The frigates Zhikov and Fury of Spatian bombarded the mountain for six minutes； raising a ball of fire that lit the landscape as if the
sun had come up early。 In its afterglow； thirty Marauder bombers overflew Site A at low level and delivered thirty thousand kilos of
high explosives。
Another false dawn。
Despite this punishing overture； when the ground troops went in eight minutes after the last bomb； resistance was furious。 Madorthene
had feared that the best part of Quixos's strength lay underground； wormed inside the mountain； resistant to the worst aerial assaults。
In the blazing rains of the excavation township； the Thracian troops found themselves engaging fanatical and well…armed cultists。
Most wore the insignia and colours of the Mystic Path。 Many were mutants。 Initial reports estimated over eight hundred enemy
warriors。 Madorthene committed the taskforce reserve： another seven hundred Thracian assault soldiers。
BY THEN； WE were already deploying in the second wave。 Medea landed Inshabel and myself on the edge of the strike zone； along with
Endor and his two weapon…servitors。 Ricci's shielded pinnace settled in close by； kicking up dust and delivering him and Commodus
Voke； along with a bodyguard of twenty inquisitorial troops。 Grumman； using a Navy drop…ship loaned by Madorthene； was the last to
make groundfall； but the first to engage。 Grumman's ten…man squad were all ex…Kasrkin specialists。
As we hurried forward through the backwashing smoke； our landing ships rising back into the pre…dawn sky behind us； there was a
tremor and a palpable upwelling of psychic force。 Frighteningly powerful waves of psyker power erupted from the epicentre of Site A；
killing over thirty of the forward troops… and then suddenly cut off。
We had all anticipated Quixos would have vast psychic defences … he had； after all； been collecting psykers like Esarhaddon … and it
seemed likely that active psychic assaults would be a key element of his resistance； perhaps even more significant than his
daemonhosts。 I had taken no chances。
In two groups； my entire Distaff of untouchables； some fifty individuals all told； had moved in alongside the first ground…troop
advances。 Bequin； guarded by Nayl and twelve of my warrior staff； led one group； and Thula Surskova； protected by Fischig and a
dozen more fighters； led the other。
The Distaff had never been used on such a scale before； but it proved to be the weapon I had always suspected。 The blankness they
generated contained and negated the engulfing psychic storm； effectively bottling it inside Site A and preventing it from threatening
our closing forces。
WITH INSHABEL； I moved underground； down the rock…cut steps into the inner sectors of Site A。 For almost an hour we fought our way
through the smoked…swathed surface structures； a metre at a time。 Now； with the sun rising； we found our first access point to the
lower levels： a stairwell exposed by a bomb crater。
The place was strewn with smouldering debris and a few unidentifiable bodies。 In places； power cables were hanging； sparking； from
the rockcrete roof。 We both wore motion trackers； and switched left and right； gunning down cultists as they appeared。 My boltgun
was already running short of shells； and Inshabel was on to his second…to…last power cell。 The level of resistance was unbelievable。
At a junction in the seemingly random jumble of tunnels； we encountered Endor。 He had a couple of Thracian troopers and an
Inquisition guardsman with him； but he'd lost both of his slow…moving attack…servitors。 I knew what he was thinking just by the look
in his eyes。 We had come in strong and confident； but perhaps not strong enough。 I thought I had anticipated the worst Quixos could
throw against us。 Maybe I had underestimated him after all。
Ferocious bursts of shooting alerted us to a firefight in a larger chamber to the left。 We arrived in time to meet four wounded； terrified
Thracian troopers fleeing towards us。
'Back！ Go back！' they were screaming。
I pushed past them。
The chamber beyond was massive and half…filled with veiling smoke。 Green； unnatural flames were licking up the walls。 At the far
end； the already huge chamber seemed to open out into something much； much vaster。
But that was not what occupied my eyes。
Surrounded by over fifty bodies； most of them Imperial Guards； Commodus Voke was standing his ground against Prophaniti。
The old inquisitor was shuddering； his robes stiffening with psychic ice。 Corposant fire glowed from his mouth and eyes。 The
daemonhost； its cruel features just recognisable as a distortion of poor； lost Husmaan's face； hovered in front of Voke； struggling at an
invisible barrier of telekinetic wrath。
We ran forward； abruptly drawing fire from cultists spreading into the chamber from the right。 The Thracian beside me bucked and
twitched as he was hit twice； and Inshabel cursed as he was winged。
Endor urged the remaining men to advance on his lead； and took the fight to the cultists； his laspistol blazing and his chainblade
swinging。
Voke was close to breaking。 I could see him wavering under the immense pressure。
I bolstered my boltgun and stumbled across the bodies and debris to aid him； praying that my runestaff would do what it was supposed
to。
And a dizzying blast of white light and scourging heat blew me back through the air。
I TRIED TO get up； half…realising that I had been blown clean out of the chamber； through a flakboard partition into some kind of dank
chute。 Invisible forces lifted me to my feet。 L