Presiding over the carnage like renergade gods were the Titans.
Huge Warlords incinerated hundreds with fusion fire. They loomed out of the smoke of battle and where they walked there was destruction.
They illuminated the sky with flikering energies as they dueled with weapons of light. Void shields were their armour. Plasma reactors seething with the power of suns gave them strength. Angry Warhounds stalked in their wake, seeking prey.
Like insects swarming out to defend their hive, Space Marines surged forwards. A hundred thousand voices were raised, crying loyalty to the Emperor or to the Warmaster. Ten thousand men, moaned as they died.
Their comrades fought on round their corpses. Some had no time to scream, or pray, or plead. They vanished in expanding clouds of super-heated steam as the plasma bolts of the Titans fell among them. Bolters rattled and chainswords clashed with armour. Death walked at every man's sholder and in our hearts we knew it.
Rhinos and Land Raiders ploughed through the man swarm like ships through spumy sea. They left red wakes. Like great beetles they scuttled among the ant-like men. Like beetles they were crushed under foot by the towering Titans.
Under a sky of fire and ash we fought with the fury of brothers betrayed. For we were Space Marines, once united in loyalty to our Emperor. Now because of the treachery of the Warmaster, thrice accursed Horus, we battled. No quarter was asked, no quarter was given. Hatred drove us. Hatred and fear.
Aye, fear. For we were the finest warriors in the universe, elite
among elites, the chosen of humanity. Once we had aknowlaged no foe as our equal. Now we must- for were not these men the same as ourselves? Spawned from geneseed, trained by masters, armed and equipted with the best from humanity's realm. Finally we faced a foe worthy of fear, a mirror image ourselves and all we believed in. Is it any wonder we knew fear?
We fought like tigers, but were met with equal ferocity. We shot accuratly. Our eyes were like those of hawks. Yet equal numbers fell from our ranks. We met at close quarters. Weapons flashed and gouged but who was to say which was faster? For every Traitor who fell, so fell a loyal brother.
The battle surged back and forth till in the end faith prevailed and we had mastery. Yet we were slaughtered. But one in ten survived. The city was dust.
Thus it was at the scouring of Tallarn. I know, for I was there and saw it with me own eyes. I will not forget.
Ultramarines.
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