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through； spewing torn scraps of steel and sparks all across the inner sanctum of the Machine Temple。 The giant tracked machine
slewed around as Eshara lost control for a second； the enormous rig smashing into a bank of monitors and control panels。 The
amber…lit chamber was filled with pulsating machinery and barely had the drilling rig skidded to a squealing halt than Leonid；
Eshara and the four surviving members of his honour guard leapt from the rambling machine。
Leonid grunted in pain as he landed； trying to make sense of the scene before him。
Magos Naicin stood with his head boboid structure topped with a shattered vat of draining fluid。 In one
gloved hand he held his bronze facemask and； in the other； what looked like a glistening slab of wet meat。 He tossed it aside and
Leonid was horrified to see the slack features of Arch Magos Amaethon staring up at him from the floor。 After centuries of
service； the organic remains of the arch magos were finally dead。
The bulky figure that had accompanied Naicin stood atop the rhomboid； its wide； misshapen arms spread wide。 Bulging motion
undulated beneath its robes as though a collection of snakes writhed beneath them。 Even as he watched； the robes split and fell
from its body； revealing a massive； iron…black musculature that rippled in a horrific amalgamation of organic and biomechanical
components。 Was this creature machine or man； or some horrific symbiosis of the two？
'Naicin！' shouted Leonid。 'What have you done？'
The magos lifted his face and Leonid gasped in horror as he saw Naicin's true features； a swirling mass of thin； wormlike tentacles
that glistened and writhed together to form the mass of his head。 A cluster of milky and distended eyes bulged in the centre of his
features； above a sphincter…like mouth； ringed with needle teeth。
'Mutant；' spat Eshara； raising his pistol。
The four Guardsmen were transfixed in horrified wonder at the bizarre sight before them。 And their perverse fascination killed
them。
The figure atop the rhomboid raised its arms； its flesh writhing as they transformed into two massive…barrelled weapons。 A roaring
crescendo of fire erupted from the weapons； blasting through Leonid's honour guard and disintegrating them in a heartbeat。 Leonid
once more dived for cover behind the drilling rig as Eshara charged towards the giant figure at the chamber's centre。
Magos Naicin hissed and leapt to intercept him； moving with inhuman speed； his arms whipping out and toothed proboscis
erupting from his fingertips to smash Eshara from his feet。 Hissing ichor splashed Eshara's shoulder guard； the ceramite plates of
his armour rapidly dissolving beneath it。 The Space Marine captain rolled beneath the questing mouths as Naicin came at him
again； hissing acids spraying from his lashing； whip…like hands。
Leonid took advantage of the distraction to rest his pistol against the track guard of the drilling rig and take aim at the monstrous
figure that had killed his men。
The gun arms had changed again； morphing into long； ribbed cables that waved like serpents。 As he squinted down the barrel； the
figure's ribs cracked wide open； spreading apart like some ancient moss…covered gateway。 A dozen grooved tentacles of dripping
Graham McNeill ？Storm of Iron？
green metal snaked from his chest cavity and spiralled through the air as though searching for something。
Leonid squeezed the trigger； the las…blast striking the figure in the head。
But a blaze of green light flared and Leonid saw his target was unharmed。
Leonid fired again and again； but his shots were wasted。 The thing on the platform was invulnerable。 The metallic tentacles
continued to lengthen； hooking into the banks of machines around the chamber's centre。 More tentacles sprouted from the writhing
mass of biomechanical intestines； slipping through the air like branches of a tree and attaching themselves to the life…preserving
mechanics of the Machine Temple and the regulatory systems of the citadel。
Alarm bells chimed and warning lights flashed around the chamber's circumference。
Leonid knew he could do nothing to stop the vile creature without Eshara and rushed towards the Space Marine； who was fighting
the abhorrent mutant。
Eshara swung his sword at Naicin； but the thing moved with blinding speed； its dripping proboscises swaying aside from his every
blow。 The captain's bolt pistol was a molten pile on the floor and Leonid could see Eshara's armour was pierced by several
smoking round holes where Naicin's corrosive proboscis had struck。 He raised his pistol。
'Step back； Brother…Captain；' ordered Leonid。
Eshara dodged a blow aimed at his heart and rapidly backed away from the disgusting mutant。 Naicin drew back to the base of the
rhomboid platform as the chamber's omnipresent amber light dimmed； changing to a sickly green。 Leonid drew a bead on the
mutant's head。
Naicin chuckled； the sound somewhere between slurping and gurgling。 'Fools！ You cannot win。 You can kill me； but my masters
will trample your bones within the day。'
'Why； Naicin？' asked Leonid。
'I could ask you the same question；' spat Naicin。 'You do not even know what you fight to protect。'
'We fight to protect a world of the Emperor； mutant；' snapped Eshara。
Naicin laughed； a horrible retching noise。 'You think your Emperor cares about this world？ Look around you； it is a wasteland！ A
wasteland created by human hands。 This was once a fertile and bountiful world until the Adeptus Mechanicus sought to make it
their own。 Virus bombs killed every living thing on the surface of this world and rendered it uninhabitable for centuries。'
'You lie。 Why should the Adeptus Mechanicus do such a thing？'
'They wanted to make sure no one ever desired this world。 So that when they built their geno…labs here； they would be undisturbed
and forgotten。 You stand in one of the most hallowed places of the Adeptus Mechanicus and you don't even know it。 The geneseed
you prize so highly； the future of the Space Marines… this is one of only two places in the galaxy where it is created and
stored。'
Seeing the look of horrified shock on Eshara's face； Naicin laughed。 'Yes； captain； when the Warsmith and the Despoiler have
your gene…seed they will use it to create Legions of Space Marines loyal to the glory of Chaos！'
'But you won't be around to see it；' snarled Eshara plucking the pistol from Leonid's hand and pulling the trigger。
Naicin's head exploded； showering the platform with stinking yellow fluid and scraps of rubbery； tentacled flesh。 The corpse
slumped to the ground as Eshara pumped another four shots into the body。
Eshara wordlessly handed the pistol back to Leonid as alarms began shrieking throughout the chamber。 Both men looked up as the
figure on the platform was lifted from its feet； its arms spreading wide in a cruciform pattern。 More and more cabled tentacles
sprouted from its body； the green haze that filled the chamber pulsing from deep within its chest。
Explosions of jade sparks burst from the edges of the room； flickering lines of lethal electricity arcing from machine to machine as
the corruption of the techno…virus spread to every system of the citadel。
A lashing tongue of electrical discharge licked the ground beside Leonid and Eshara； and the two warriors stumbled away from
the monster in front of them。 Explosions filled the chamber and a crackling storm of lightning blazed through the Machine
Temple。 Eshara gathered Leonid into the shelter of his body as he sprinted for the ragged hole of the door。 Spears of emerald
lightning flashed around the chamber。 A bolt struck Eshara's back and he grunted in pain； diving through the doorway as forks of
green fire blasted behind him。
Eshara rolled aside as the unnatural lightning danced across the door to the Machine Temple； forming a crackling electrical web
that completely blocked the entrance。
The two scrambled away from the pulsing green light； breathless and groaning in pain。
Eshara pushed himself to his feet and offered his hand to Leonid； who gripped his wounded shoulder and pulled himself upright。
Before either man could speak； the vox…bead in Eshara's helmet crackled and the captain listened intently to the message he was
receiving。
Leonid could tell the news was not good。
'Well？' he asked； expecting the worst。
'It has begun。 The shield has gone down and the enemy are attacking once more。'
Leonid nodded and looked back into the sealed green hell of the Machine Temple。
'Then our place is on the walls；' he said grimly。
THE REMAINING TWO Titans of the Legio Mortis advanced on the citadel accompanied by a wave of Vindicator tanks and fortytwo
screaming Dreadnoughts。 Nearly six thousand battered soldiers in red uniforms sprinted amongst this armoured thrust and
dropped into the ditch； its surfaces smooth and vitrified by the plasma fire from the downed Titans。
Sunfire shells streaked into the darkness as alarms rang from the citadel and scattered shots lanced out to the charging horde。
Honsou watched from the bastions mounted atop the shoulders of the Pater Mortis； nearly thirty metres above the ground。 He saw
the Vindicators pull into their firing revetments along the third parallel and pound the weakened walls of the citadel； bringing