UNTHINKING JUSTICE
Andras Mill ward

AND THOSE DEDICATED to the Emperor's work will be beset upon all sides by enemies. Be vigilant, for they-
The door signal sounded. Codicier Levi, of the Librarius of the Imperial Order of Black Consuls, sighed and ran a hand through his dose-cropped dark hair. Reverentially, he closed his leamer-bound copy of the Codex Astartes, stood up and walked to the window of his spartan quarters. The landing lights of one of the Chapter ship's shuttles briefly illuminated his angular, clean-shaven features.
'Enter.' Levi continued looking out of the window, contemplating the vast starry backcloth before him and the inauspicious verse he had read in the codex. He spoke again, softly, on hearing his visitor enter his quarters. 'A good day for the Emperor's work, standard bearer.'
A short laugh came from behind him. "Your powers do you justice as always, Levi. But surely all days are fitting for His blessed work, brother-librarian. Or does your faith wane in these dark days?'
Levi turned to face his visitor. Brother Aeorum, standard bearer of the Black Consul's Third Company, stood smiling in the doorway. A powerfully built man, he was dressed as Levi was, in a black tunic edged with yellow. Levi gave a rare smile of his own. Aeorum, it's good to see you on this ill-omened day. Come in.'
Levi welcomed the unexpected appearance of the youthful standard bearer. He studied the broad face before him, the scar that ran across one cheekbone and the bridge of Aeorum's nose. The deep mark, left there long ago by a genestealer's claw, may have faded with time but the standard bearer had changed little since they had last met. Decades ago, Levi

and Aeorum had served together in the Black Consuls' Scout Company, their friendship forged in tyranid blood during the bloody and costly battle for Manalar. While Levi's psychic powers had taken him to the Librarius, Aeorum's fearsome fighting ability had led to him being the youngest standard bearer in the Chapter's history. They met infrequently these days, but the inhuman terrors they had faced together ensured that the bond between them remained as strong as ever.
Aeorum sat down opposite Levi, his muscular bulk dwarfing the plain wooden chair. 'Ill-omened? So you've heard the news?'
'Heard what?' Levi asked. He'd already picked up enough warning tremors during the previous day's preparations, but had not heard anything concrete about their current objectives. The Second, Third and Fourth Companies had been mobilised, which suggested that the Imperium was responding to the gravest of threats.
'The Black Consuls have picked up a distress call from Suracto. Nearly half the planet has rebelled, brother. The Emperor's hold on the planet is threatened and we speed to answer their call. Captain Estrus will brief us later this morning.'
Levi nodded. 'So I understand. But this is grave news indeed, and explains the speed with which we were dispatched. Suracto has been a shining beacon against the encroaching darkness we face across the galaxy. An orderly, productive planet as I recall, unquestioningly loyal to the Emperor. We cannot let planets such as these slip from the Emperor's grasp.'
'You are not idle at the Librarius, I see,' Aeorum said, though there was little humour in his voice. 'Suracto has voluntarily yielded tithes a third higher than all other neighbouring planets in the system for the last five years. To see such a planet fall to disorder and disarray is a near-catastrophe for the Imperium.'
Levi nodded. "What manner of heresy threatens the planet?'
'The rebels reject the Emperor's order and discipline. They claim His way is too harsh, too demanding. They seek a "more equitable and just way of life".' Aeorum laced his words with scorn. Their heretical ways threaten to snuff out your shining beacon, Brother Levi.'
'It shall not be so, Aeorum. Such a fundamental threat to the true order must be eradicated. Completely.' His words hung in the air. Abruptly, the codicier got up and extended his hand to Aeorum. 'In spite of the circumstances, I am pleased to see you, brother. As always, it will be a great honour to fight at your side.'
LEVI SENSED CAPTAIN Estrus struggling to dampen his annoyance with the newcomer. Less than an hour after the Black Consuls had made planetfall on Suracto, another ship had appeared from the warp, heading directly for the Space Marines' landing site, to the north of the hive city of Thuram.

The ship bore the markings of the Inquisition and immediately on landing an inquisitor, together with a small detachment of stony-faced retainers, had presented himself to the captain, demanding that all the loyal forces regroup with the Black Consuls in order to reassess the situation.
'Inquisitor Parax, I am simply not interested,' Captain Estrus was saying. His irritation seemed to deepen every furrow on his already heavily lined, tanned face. We have made planetfall, but over sixty minutes later we have still not fully deployed.' Estrus fought to make himself heard over the rumble of the Rhino engines revving behind him and the noise of a nearby squad of Tech Marines and their blank-faced servitors loading missiles onto the company's Whirlwinds.
Inquisitor Parax's lean face registered no emotion. A slightly built man, clad only in his dark official robes, he struggled to maintain some semblance of authority next to the armoured Space Marine captain towering above him. 'While I appreciate the subtler points of the codex, captain, nevertheless-' he began, but the rest of his sentence was drowned by the piercing noise of a Land Speeder squad roaring immediately overhead.
Once the craft had passed, Estrus spoke at once. 4Vith respect, inquisitor, the blessed codex is not in question here. However, your request to re-group is. We must deploy and go to the aid of the loyalist Suractan forces as soon as possible. Administrator Niall, assistant to Planetary Lord Koln, will rendezvous with us in fifteen minutes and I am sure that he will brief us all, in full. I am most grateful that...' Estrus paused, choosing an appropriate phrase. That your Eminence has chosen also to respond to the distress call but we cannot afford to wait and give the rebels any chance to gain the upper hand.'
Parax glanced at the closed faces of the half dozen members of his retinue who stood behind him, his dark eyes narrowing slightly. He gave himself a moment to think, then turned back. Very well, Captain Estrus. I accede. But I warn you that the Inquisition will frown upon any rash decisions you may make.'
Estrus's face darkened. 'Inquisitor, I can assure you that the Black Consuls have never made any rash decisions. Company sergeants, prepare to deploy.' He grabbed his helmet from a nearby Consul and strode towards the Whirlwinds.
Levi watched as the inquisitor and his retinue returned to their shuttle. An ill-omened day, indeed, he thought. The arrival of the inquisitor did little to alleviate the sense of foreboding that hung heavy over him. He hefted his chainsword, checked the armour diagnostic reading on his viewer then turned to follow the captain.
His FACE A mask of hatred, the rebel soldier brought his lasgun to bear on Levi. Reacting with preternatural speed, Levi stepped towards him and

brought his chainsword down. The sword's buzzing rose to a brief scream before the man's torso split apart, showering Levi with blood.
The faintest of sensations, at the back of the head.
Levi spun smoothly and squeezed off two bolter rounds. The two rebels behind him were hurled into the Rhino's sides, leaving a pair of dark smears on the vehicle's large white tactical arrow as their lifeless bodies slid to the ground. Catching a glimpse of the Consul's standard, he turned to see Aeoram, knee deep in rebel corpses, calmly aiming and firing his bolt pistol, felling an opponent with each shot. Like the old days, Levi thought, before taking aim with his own bolter.
The rebel ambush had caught the vanguard of the Black Consuls as it began to make its way to the rendezvous point, through the battle-scarred suburban wastes on the outskirts of Thuram City. The ferocity of the rebels had initially caught the Space Marines off-guard but very quickly the attack crumbled in the face of the Black Consuls' disciplined and dogged defence.
The attack was over in a few minutes, with no losses for the Consuls. As they re-grouped and prepared to move on, Levi studied the corpses at his feet. Strange how he could not feel any hate for these, the kind of heretical traitors that he had come to loathe during his decades as a Space Marine. He had come to expect feelings of justified anger when dealing with such traitorous vermin, but now those feelings were oddly absent. Distracted, he strode over to the command Rhino.
Captain Estrus was, once more, suppressing his irritation with the person on the other end of his comm-link. 'I don't care what you say, commander, we have fifty dead rebels at our feet. You will need to re-assess the territorial gains of the insurgent forces. No, it will not affect our ETA. Rendezvous in seven minutes.' Estrus pulled his helmet off as Levi approached and reached for an order scroll from the sergeant at his side.
'Brother codicier, you gave good account of yourself. I am pleased to see that your time at the Librarius honing your psychic skills has not softened your fighting prowess.' He glanced at the scroll in his hand, arching a dark eyebrow. 'I fear, however, that this rebellion has softened the brains of the loyalist commanders.'
Levi tilted his helmet to acknowledge the captain's remarks. 'I do only my duty as any Black Consul would, captain.' Distractedly, he looked over at a group of Black Consuls speaking to Aeorum. Yet, something troubles me.'
Estrus lowered the scroll, giving Levi his full attention. What's that, librarian? Are we to be beset by more foes before we meet Administrator Niall?'
'I apologise for troubling you, captain; I cannot pinpoint the source of my vexation.'
Very well, librarian, but keep me informed. This disorderly planet also vexes me greatly and I do not wish for further surprises. Stay at my side.' Estrus's helmet-comm crackled into life once more and he flicked the

speaker on with an armoured thumb and listened to the voice of Inquisitor Parax. He sighed. Yes, inquisitor, we proceed. No, remain in your vehicle...'
ADMINISTRATOR NIALL WAS an imposing figure, standing only a few inches shorter than the armoured figures of the Black Consuls nearby. His crimson cloak fluttered in the breeze that blew through the ruined town, the bright colour at odds with the sombre blacks and yellows of the Space Marines' armour. The distant sound of small arms fire and the more regular pounding of battle cannons drifted along the same breeze. Levi studied Niall's face as he spoke earnestly to Inquisitor Parax and Captain Estrus; the administrator's young face seemed at odds with the premature grey of his long hair and neatly trimmed beard.
'They must all be killed. Every one of them. Suracto has prided itself on its loyalty to the Imperium for decades and we must eradicate every last vestige of the smear that they have brought on our good name. I will not rest until I have personally overseen the execution of every last heretic' He indicated the ruins around him. 'Every last soul in this town was put to death when we discovered the taint of heresy behind its closed doors.'
Parax smiled grimly, his face registering as little emotion as the action could allow. Admirable sentiments and noble actions, Administrator Niall, ones with which I concur wholeheartedly. The Inquisition commends your zeal and will seek to aid you in every way possible.'
And commendable as these rousing speeches are, we do have the Emperor's work to do.' Levi said quietly. 'Let our actions speak first; self-congratulation you may indulge in later.' The three other men turned to look at him. Levi saw a flash of annoyance pass across the faces of both Niall and Parax. Captain Estrus's eyes blazed into life, stirred by his fellow Space Marine's discipline and dedication.
'Codicier Levi is right.' Estrus said. 'Pragmatism must be our watchword. We must act now, before the rebels can re-group. Administrator, what is the current situation?'
Niall continued to stare at Levi for a moment longer before turning to speak to Estrus. The main rebel force is on the other side of Thuram City. They have made some in-roads into the city itself but in the main the walls still hold. They are many, lightly armed save for a few battle cannons. However, their heretical vigour makes them formidable opponents.'
'We shall be the judge of that.' Estrus said. 'Let-'
'Let us use even greater force with which to crush them.' interrupted the inquisitor. Administrator Niall is right. Not one of them can be left standing.'
Estrus frowned. 'Inquisitor, I have warned you-'

'You dare to warn the Inquisition?'
'I have warned you that I will not brook any interference. We have the Emperor's work before us and by Guilliman, none will prevent us. Come, Administrator Niall, we have much to do.' Estrus led Niall away to the command Rhino.
Inquisitor Parax turned his thin face towards Levi. His dark eyes burned with anger for an instant, before he regained his composure. He appeared to want to speak, thought better of it, turned and walked over to his retinue, calling for his armour.
Levi turned to see Aeorum, helmet off, cleaning his bolter. The standard fluttered in the breeze an arm's length away from the standard bearer, planted in a small mound of rabble. Aeorum looked up, caught Levi's glance and raised his eyebrows. Levi nodded slowly, holding the standard bearer's gaze. Then, as if controlled by a single thought, both Space Marines abruptly looked away and went about their own tasks.
THE BLACK CONSULS were soon where they liked to be: in the thick of the battle, spilling the blood of heretics. The Second and Third Companies had each advanced around a side of the city, whilst the Fourth had moved to bolster the beleaguered loyal forces in the city itself. Beset on both sides by Space Marines, the rebels' siege was beginning to crumble.
A thick layer of battle-smoke hung over the southern outskirts of Thu-ram. The air was filled with a confusion of bolter and lasgun fire, the explosion of artillery rounds and the screams of the wounded and dying. Out of the smoky unknown, four lasgun rounds hit Levi in rapid succession, scoring the ceramite plates of his armour and singeing his over-tunic, but failing to penetrate further. He checked his IR scanner, found the sources of the shots and fired his bolter into the drifting pall of smoke. He heard the sound of the two bolter shells detonating as his infrared imaging showed him that they had found their mark - and that more rebels were closing on him from the right.
Three figures emerged from the smoke: lightly armoured men, their pale faces haggard with fatigue. The first was no match for Levi's reactions and barely had an opportunity to register the codicier's chainsword before it parted his head from his shoulders. The second man, frozen in horror at his comrade's sudden death was himself torn apart by a bolter round. The third man paused, lasgun hanging slackly at his side, gazing at his own reflection in Levi's helmet. Levi paused, dimly aware of the buzzing of the chainsword in his own hand. A distant part of his mind admired the bravery of this rebel, fearlessly squaring up to an Imperial Space Marine. His sword began to describe an arc towards the man.
'In the Emperor's name, brother.' Levi's sword arm froze. The man had not opened his mouth to speak yet Levi had heard the words as clearly as the sound of the chainsword and the battle around him. He probed with

his own mind. A psyker! He felt the man's mind coil, gathering momentum for a psychic blast. Instinctively, Levi unleashed a pummelling mental attack of his own, tearing the man's neurons apart. A small trickle of blood began to run from the man's nose before he fell to his knees in front of the Space Marine, his mind destroyed. Levi despatched him with a single thrust, before powering down the chainsword.
As he stepped over the corpse, Levi became aware of the stillness around him. In the far distance, towards the Second Company's positions, the battle still raged, but in his immediate vicinity, calm had descended. Brother Consuls emerged from the smoke, doffing helmets or re-loading weapons. A cry rang out some distance away. Moments later, an armoured apothecary sped past towards the sound of the cry. A single heavy pistol shot rang out.
Captain Estrus appeared at Levi's side, accompanied by his sergeant aide. This accursed smoke prevents us from assessing the situation, brother-librarian. We have lost two of our battle-brothers and three more are injured. Against a foe far more numerous, that is to be expected. But reports are fragmented and I cannot see the greater picture. What can you see?'
Levi reached up for his helmet. There was a sharp hiss as his helmet seals released. The sergeant stepped forward and took the ancient helm. Levi breathed deeply and reached out with his mind, probing tentatively at first, then moving further away, gathering impressions, visualising sights, sounds, smells. Satisfied, he moved his perceptions to the city.
'-rarian! Brother-librarian! What's wrong?'
Levi gradually became aware of the captain's voice once more. Even in his armour, Levi felt cold. He leaned on his chainsword for support as a momentary weakness passed through his body.
'Codicier? How do our battle-brothers fare?'
Well enough, captain. The Second Company suffers but gains the upper hand. For now, the Fourth stand their ground. But I fear we have underestimated the rebels, captain. The city, captain...'
Estrus kept his voice calm. 4Vhat of the city, codicier?'
'It lies in a dark shadow, brother-captain. The unmistakable shadow of Chaos.'
LEVI HEARD A bone crack as the inquisitor's finger jabbed one of the prisoners in the chest. Tied to a charred wooden chair, the rebel winced but continued to stare directly at Parax. His voice hoarse after nearly an hour of interrogation, the young man straggled to speak calmly to the armoured inquisitor. 'And I tell you that we fight for the Emperor, inquisitor. We are loyal to the Imperium. We are on your side. I can't say it any clearer.' The men huddled in the shadows behind him murmured in agreement. A glance from the Black Consul guard at their side silenced them.

Parax whirled and faced the others in the burnt out room where they had assembled half a dozen prisoners taken in that first exchange. Drawn and tired as they were, all the rebels had said the same thing: they were loyal to the Emperor and Chaos had taken a hold in Planetary Lord Koln's palace. Inquisitor Parax's impatience had long been exhausted and a barely-controlled rage tinged his voice as he spoke.
'Brother Space Marines, administrator: we can see clearly here how Chaos warps the mind and sullies the soul. They are compelled, against their wills perhaps, to utter these profanities and heresies, even when the truth of the matter is self-evident. Suracto's peril is grave indeed.' He paused and lowered his head, staring at the floor.
Much as he disliked the showy flamboyance and melodrama of the man, Levi felt that he had to agree with the inquisitor. Chaos had so warped the minds of these rebels that they must have had no shred of understanding left. A grave peril, indeed.
Before Parax could say anything further, the bound rebel spoke again. The biggest profanity is that Chaos walks Suracto, clothed in Imperial garb and-'
Before the noise of the autopistol shot had died away, a dozen servomotors whirred into life as the Black Consuls instinctively targeted Administrator Niall. The administrator slowly lowered his pistol and at a sign from Estrus, Levi, Aeorum and the other Space Marines lowered their own weapons. The force of the shot, hitting the prisoner in the throat, had pushed the rebel's chair over and he had been dead before he landed at his horrified comrades' feet.
'Such heresy! I could not bear to hear it.' Niall said, returning the autopistol into the folds of his cloak. 'I have spent far too long building this administration for the greater glory of the Emperor to hear such filth spoken so brazenly.'
'You have my sympathy, administrator.' Parax said, gesturing discretely. Two of his stony-faced retainers appeared in the tattered doorway. Take these vermin away and dispose of them.' Using the ends of their lasguns to prod them along, the two retainers began to herd the rebels out of the door.
'Wait a moment.' Levi stepped forward, an unwelcome sense of unease playing in his mind. 'We must not be hasty-'
Parax squared up to the Librarian. 'You plead for these traitorous scum? Where do your loyalties lie, Consul? You do not-'
'His loyalties remain true, inquisitor!' Parax involuntarily stepped away from Levi as Estrus's iron voice cut him short. 'Doubt it not. But my brother-librarian is right. We may miss an opportunity to find out more about the deployment of the rebel forces if we-' A series of lasgun shots sounded outside. Estrus groaned. 'Inquisitor, we are on the same side, yet your rash behaviour threatens to disrupt our operations here.'

Are you sure that we are on the same side, captain? Or has this cunning heresy affected you?'
As the captain's hand moved to his bolter, Levi sensed a strong psychic presence approach the ruin. He heard the crackle of Chaplain Mortem's crozius arcanum moments before the battle rod and the fully-armoured figure of his holy brother dwarfed the ruined doorway.
'Brothers, we must move out.' Mortem said breathlessly. The Second Company is overwhelmed. A counter-attack, brother-captain - and it seems like the entire planet is against us.'
A BARRAGE OF Whirlwind missiles roared overhead as the speeders of the Second Company's tenth squad screamed towards the heart of the rebel force. The rebel force had appeared unexpectedly from the south and was swarming towards a breach in the city walls. The missiles screamed into the distance; a series of explosions lit up the horizon. Satisfied that the rebels' artillery capability had been disposed of, Estrus ordered the Third Company to advance.
Aeorum, standard grasped in one hand and bolter in the other, led the first and second squads into the heart of the rebel counterattack. Possessed of an almost daemonic rage, rebels hurled themselves bodily at the Black Consuls but their attacks were in vain as black-armoured fists crushed skulls, bolter shells tore muscle and sinew apart, flamers and melta-guns incinerated skin and bone. Very soon, both squads struggled to make headway, their progress impeded by the waves of rebels dead at their feet.
Levi tore his chainsword free from a dead rebel and in one smooth movement turned and hammered the pommel into the face of his compatriot. The blow shattered the man's forehead with an audible crack, killing him before his limp body began its fall to the ground. Kicking the corpse to one side, Levi followed the men of the third and fourth squads towards Thuram's breached walls. How he wished he could take his helmet off so that he could spit out the growing feeling of the rebels' hatred, for it had become a vile taste in his mouth. The deadly hiss of a melta-gun made him glad he was still fully armoured. A wave of anguish washed over the librarian as the Black Consul next to him was reduced to dust. Levi scanned the enemy ranks for the weapon - there, less than twenty paces away, but there were too many of his brothers in the way. The melta-gun fired again and another Consul exploded into a superheated ball of flame.
Time to fight fire with fire, Levi thought grimly.
'Brother Consuls, hold your positions, hold your positions!' Unques-tioningly, the Space Marines heeded the codicier's order and stopped in their tracks. Muttering a short prayer to the Emperor, Levi focused his mental energies on the ground beneath the rebel melta-gunner. With no

further warning a white hot ball of flame erupted upwards from the ground, exploding outwards, engulfing the melta-gunner and a dozen men around him.
Seemingly unfazed by the unexpected loss of their comrades, the remaining fifty rebels regrouped and charged both squads. A woman brought her autorifle to bear on Levi, but hesitated before firing. 'Rot in hell, spawn of Chaos!' she screamed. She opened fire, the gun on full auto, spraying Levi with bullets. Levi advanced against the hail of bullets that were bouncing ineffectually off his armour. Out of ammunition, the rebel battered the librarian's chest with the butt of the gun. 'Die heretic! D-' Her words were cut short as the chainsword sliced through her waist.
Levi stared at the bloody severed torso.
This is not right. It had felt so, so wrong to kill her. Absently he fired his bolter at two men charging him down, felling both. Something exploded a few metres away, throwing Levi backwards. He landed heavily. A stream of damage data ran up his helmet readout but all Levi could see was the woman's face, distorted by rage and hatred.
'Brother, can you hear me?' Levi tried to focus on the distant voice as a pair of armoured arms lifted him to a seated position. Apothecary Mor-dinian fumbled with Levi's helmet seals and removed the helmet. His lined face cracked into the briefest of smiles. 'Ah, thank Guilliman, you are alive, brother-librarian. I took your silence for death. A frag grenade...'
'What? No, I live, as you see.' Levi still felt dazed, unsure whether it was the aftershock of the grenade blast or something else. 'How do we fare?'
'Well, librarian, well. We must have accounted for over three hundred of the rebels.' He examined Levi as he spoke. 'The Second has regrouped over there, and we await the order to - ah, you are wounded.' Levi became dimly aware of a discomfort in his right leg as the apothecary dressed the wound. He put the pain out of his mind as easily as if it was any other emotion. The apothecary helped him to his feet. 'A few minutes and the dressing will begin to- Oh, I must tend to another. Go well, brother.'
As the apothecary hurried away, Levi replaced his helmet before taking in the scene around him for the first time. Black Consuls of the first to sixth squads of the Third Company were coming together, within a few hundred metres of the city walls, a black and yellow armoured mass in a sea of torn and bloody rebel dead. He caught sight of Aeorum. The standard bearer was making his way over to him, pausing now and again to speak a few words to squad members. Levi checked his viewscreen reports before watching the fifth squad's sergeant reverently touching the edge of the standard before turning to muster his men.
'Brother Aeorum, your inspiration gives us all courage. The Second Company holds its position but the Fourth is beleaguered.'

Yes, I saw the reports.' Aeorum glanced over his shoulder. 'We move to hold the breach soon. Brother Estrus awaits the word from Captain Vanem of the Fourth. Yet you seem... distracted, brother.'
'Chaos so twists these rebels that they accuse us of heresy, of being servants of the Darkness ourselves.' Something close. The thought intruded abruptly.
'I heard their blaspheming too.' Aeorum shrugged. 'But we must hold true and must not be swayed.'
Close. Aeorum's voice faded as Levi felt a large presence looming. He fought to pinpoint it. The clamour of human minds, beyond the rise towards the city walls. He opened a channel on his helmet-com. 'Brother-captain, we are coming under attack, six hundred paces due north-west. A large force, repeat, a large force.'
'Acknowledged, brother.' The rest of Captain Estrus's reply was drowned out by a booming barrage of bolters as the Black Consuls opened fire on the seething mass of rebels appearing over the rise. Aeorum raced to join the first squad, firing with deadly accuracy as he closed with the attackers. As the standard moved through their midst, a great roar rose from the ranks of the Black Consuls. Levi, powering up his chainsword, began to follow. The air was suddenly alive with sheets of electricity. Levi's helmet visors darkened instantly. Teleport! Raw discharges of energy crackled wildly as a new presence materialised amongst the rebels.
It seemed to Levi as if a gateway to his darkest nightmares had opened up on Suracto. A squad of Space Marines had materialised in the midst of the rebel force, but to call them by that name would be a blasphemy. Their archaic armour sported all manner of grisly and morbid decorations, borne of Chaos-twisted imaginations and depraved urges: belts made of skulls hung around one waist, a rotting long-haired scalp adorned another's helmet, razor-sharp spikes encrusted most shoulder pads. But on every suit of ancient armour there was a common symbol, the hateful many-headed hydra of the Alpha Legion. It was worse than even the inquisitor had suspected. The rebels were under the sway of these foul Tzeentchian warriors.
Levi and his brother Black Consuls took all this in at a glance before turning their firepower on the new arrivals. A deadly hail of bolter shells rained on the Alpha Legionaries but though the human rebels around them were ripped to shreds, only two of the Chaos Space Marines fell before they opened fire with their own weapons. The crest of the rise was consumed in primeval savagery as the Black Consuls vented their long-suppressed anger on the twisted representations of the Emperor's warriors that stood before them.
Levi hacked his way towards the Alpha Legion squad, a cold hatred coursing through his veins. He barely gave a second thought to the rebels he despatched to the Emperor's mercies... until the slow, terrifying realisation

dawned upon him. The rebels were turning away from the Black Consuls and were also training their weapons on the Legionaries. Soon, both Black Consul and rebel alike were fighting a common enemy, the Alpha Legion. Levi tried to ignore his confusion as he fought to get closer to the middle of the fray but abruptly the fighting stopped. Only the rebels and the Black Consuls still stood.
Estrus stood amidst the carnage, a dying Alpha Legionary at his feet. The foul warrior's chest-plate had been torn open, exposing a tangled mess of charred flesh and ruined machinery. His hand twitched. Estrus calmly pointed his bolt pistol at the armoured head. As the shot rang out, Levi reached his captain's side. He looked at the grisly remains of the Legionary's head, made waste by the bolter shell.
'Captain, we have been misled.' Levi looked around, at the drawn, sallow faces of the rebels, at the Black Consuls, already beginning to round up the ragged bands, their anger spent. The harsh noise of battle sounded from beyond the city walls. 'Brother-captain, the rebel prisoners-'
Estrus raised a hand. 'I hear you, librarian. And I understand. We have been made unwitting pawns in a dark and disturbing game. I must signal the Fourth. I fear that Planetary Lord Koln's forces may be a graver danger to them than the rebels.' He signalled to a nearby Space Marine. 'Brother-sergeant, give me a casualty report and find me a representative from these rebels that I can speak to.'
'This is treachery!' Levi and Estrus span to see Administrator Niall striding towards them. The administrator flapped a hand at the stunned rebel force. They must be executed, every last man and woman. You heard what the inquisitor said!' His voice cracked as he shrieked the words.
Estrus's helmeted head turned smoothly towards the administrator. 'You saw for yourself what happened here, Administrator Niall?' Niall hesitated, then nodded briefly. 'Then you know the scourge of Chaos is upon your planet-'
'But can't you see what's going on?' Niall interrupted, exasperated. 'The rebels have conspired with the Alpha Legion -'
'But the Chaos scum fought rebel and Marine alike.' interrupted Levi.
Yes, that's what I meant. I...' He rubbed a hand across his face.
He seemed suddenly older, somehow, thought Levi.
You know your Codex, Space Marine.' said Niall. 'All those who stand with Chaos must be shown the Emperor's mercies.'
'All those who stand by Chaos must be given the opportunity to seek the Emperor's light or be shown the just and swift mercies of those who do His work. That is what the codex says.' So saying, Levi strode nearer to the administrator. Visibly shaken, Niall backed off a few paces. Administrator, how is it that you have knowledge of our blessed book?'

'It is simply something that I heard...' Niall backed further away, his voice faltering. Your duty is clear. You, you must-' The left side of Niall's head erupted outwards in a shower of blood and tissue.
The rebel holstered his autopistol and spat on the administrator's still-twitching body. 'I am Mitago.' he said, his sunken eyes burning in his ashen, unshaven face. 'I am leader of this detachment of my people. And I have heard enough lies and cant from this verminous servant of Chaos.'
As the rebel leader hurried over to talk further with Captain Estrus, Levi looked down on Administrator Niall's corpse and mused on another verse of the Codex. Swift unthinking justice profits you nothing. It shall bring only misery and the tears of the wronged.
He went to find Aeorum.
As THE THIRD Company approached the city walls, a cold and grim determination had descended upon the Black Consuls. The fourth squad had been lost completely, and but two men remained of the sixth. The loss weighed heavily on their surviving brother Consuls. Mitago, whose men now brought up the rear behind the company's Rhinos, had revealed the unthinkable truth.
'We had endured enough.' he had told Estrus. 'Koln simply asked too much. We worked hard, filled with a joyful love for the Emperor. But Koln would make speeches demanding more, telling us mat the Imperium would be angry if we did not increase our planetary tithe.'
'Then.' he said, 'the purges began. Loyal citizens disappeared as Koln's arbitrators terrorised the planet. Criminals were executed for any crime, often on nothing more than an Arbitrator's whim. 'Heresy' was found everywhere, heretics were rooted out of every house and home.
'And we knew it was wrong.' continued Mitago. The Emperor's law is hard, but in its harshness it is just. There was no justice left on Suracto and in our hearts, we knew that Koln was not doing the Emperor's work. It left us no choice.' He indicated the dead Alpha Legionaries. 'We had no idea that the taint on his soul was this abominable.'
Mitago's words had stunned the listening Black Consuls into silence. Each one knew what the implications were, but Levi knew that each Space Marine would be true to his training and his order: there would be no regrets, no accusations, no guilt. They had done nothing other than follow the Codex, however misguidedly. With their customary discipline and self control, they would shift their attention to the true enemy, and the blessed book would surely guide them along the path of righteousness.
All such thoughts quickly faded as the Third Company approached Thuram City. The Second had lost over thirty men and their armoured vehicles had borne the brant of rebel artillery before their own Whirlwinds had eliminated that threat. Both captains had agreed that the

Second should remain where they were to protect against any threat from outside the city.
Levi had joined Aeorum and the first squad as they crossed the field of rubble which marked where the city wall had been. Months of fighting had made jagged, burnt-out skeletons of the city's fine architecture. Hundreds of bodies lay strewn, blackened, bloodied and forgotten, along the pockmarked streets.
'They've made their own pretty hell here.' Aeorum muttered as they advanced up Thuram's central avenue, the valley floor of a blasted concrete canyon that stretched upwards to a sliver of skyline a kilometre above.
Levi merely nodded silently as he listened to the reports that streamed in. Things changed dramatically with each passing minute. Captain Estrus had signalled to Captain Vanem of the Fourth Company, who had made efforts to contact the rebels' leaders. They in turn had spoken to Vanem and had welcomed the new understanding - but not so the until-now loyal forces opposed to the rebellion. As soon as they had heard what was going on, they had turned on the Fourth Company.
As Levi calmly took in all that was happening, he realised that he had not seen Inquisitor Parax since the prisoners' interrogation. Parax's over-zealous fanaticism meant that he had his own part in the Tzeentchian machinations that had entrapped them all. Were it not for the seal of the Inquisition, Levi would have suspected a darker motive for Parax's actions, Holy Throne forgive the thought-
Levi's train of thought was shattered as they drew near to a scene of horrific carnage. Hundreds of rebels and Suractan loyalist forces clashed in a sprawling street skirmish; the Fourth Company, an uneasy presence between both sides, fought stoically against the red-uniformed Suractans, but were being hampered by the berserk zeal of the rebels. Unarmed rebels leapt over their dead comrades to tear at the Suractans' faces with their bare hands.
'Codex preserve us!' Estrus barked. 'We must restore some order here!' He bellowed some orders and his squads went smoothly into action. The first and second squads broke off to attack a detachment of Suractan autoriflemen. Dozens of red uniforms were mown down as the Consuls' bolters took their toll. Levi felled two men with a single chainsword stroke as, all around him, fellow Black Consuls fought with a refreshed, vigorous spirit. This was more than battle. This was atonement.
'Librarian, they retreat!' At Aeroum's call, Levi looked over his shoulder to see several dozen Suractans breaking away.
'Second squad, hold!' ordered Levi. 'First squad, standard bearer, with me!' The first squad broke away in pursuit. A dark shape in his mind's eye. The vision disappeared from Levi's mind, but its meaning was clear enough. 'First squad, slow down. We must be vigilant.' The Consuls obediently

slowed to a walk, the Suractans retreating from view. Advancing through the twilit streets, Levi noticed a change in the architecture around him. He turned to the sergeant. 'Brother, where are we?'
There was a pause as the Sergeant searched for the right information. 'In Planetary Lord Koln's palace complex, brother-librarian.'
Then we have another purpose here.' said Levi. 'Squad, halt!'
Aeorum approached Levi. 'We have lost the loyalists. What's your plan, brother?'
Levi gave no answer but bowed his head as he sent his mind out into the dark buildings beyond. A dark cancerous presence remained. They had not left.
'The Alpha Legion is still here.'
A murmur ran through the Space Marines at the codicier's words and grips tightened instinctively around weapons. Levi focused on the presence, found a direction. This way, my brothers.'
The Consuls made their way, in silence save for the whirring of servomotors and the echoes of their footsteps, into the labyrinth of corridors that ran within Koln's palace, allowing themselves to be guided by the codicier's psychic powers. Levi felt an icy rage rising within him, the rage he had felt when he first saw the Alpha Legionaries. He strove to control his feelings, even though he knew that his brother Consuls must also be feeling the same anger. He felt the presence of Chaos draw near: nothing must now dull his purpose.
'Librarian! Your arrival is timely.'
Levi signalled to his brother Marines to lower their weapons as Inquisitor Parax emerged from the shadows, accompanied by his ever-present retinue. 'What are you doing here?' Levi asked, uncomfortable that he had not sensed the inquisitor's presence.
'I fear that Lord Koln is held hostage by the Alpha Legion.'
'Hostage?' Levi asked. 'But Koln is himself a servant of Chaos.'
'Not so, librarian-'
'Brother-librarian, shuttle craft powering up.' The sergeant checked his scanners. 'Six hundred metres north-east.'
Levi glanced at his own readouts. 'I have it. First squad, standard bearer, with me. Inquisitor, do not impede us.' Parax nodded slowly and allowed the Black Consuls to pass. The Space Marines broke into a run, armoured feet pounding the floor as they strove to cover the distance. Levi checked his scans again: shuttle craft preparing for lift-off, twenty metres and closing.
The tunnels opened into a landing bay. The high-pitched whine of the shuttle craft's engines, bearing the Suractan standard, filled the cavernous room. At the foot of the shuttle's entry gantry a red-cloaked human argued vehemently with the two Alpha Legionaries that loomed over him. As Levi took aim with his bolter, one of the Legionaries lifted his

hand and placed a large gun against the human's head. The plasma pistol flashed and the human was torn apart by a glowing ball of super-heated flame.
The Legionary seemed to look at the Black Consuls for an infinity.
You have failed, Consul.
Levi heard the words clearly over the clamour of the squad's firing. Aeo-rum had already covered half the distance between the entrance and the shuttle but the Alpha Legionaries turned and fled up the gantry, the shuttle already lifting off the ground, its engines screaming.
'Get down!' Levi shoulder charged the standard bearer, throwing him to the floor, pinning him down as a white-hot stream of plasma poured from the shuttle's engines, incinerating the spot where Aeorum had been a second earlier. Helmet screens darkened as the landing bay was bathed in a brilliant light. With a monstrous thunderclap the shuttle took off.
Levi got to his feet. 'Brother-sergeant, contact the Chapter ship. That shuttle must be intercepted!' He glanced at the faint human outline scorched into the landing bay's floor as Inquisitor Parax strode over. His psychic discomfort was reaching the level of pain. 'Lord Koln?' he asked the inquisitor.
The inquisitor nodded. Yes. Another dupe in this Tzeentchian horror.' He paused, staring at the remains of the planetary overlord. 'This is a grave matter, Consul. When heresy runs this deep, it must remain a matter for the Inquisition.'
'But what if this has happened on other planets, in other systems?' Aeorum asked, removing his helmet. The Codex binds us; we must seek out such heresy.'
We cannot smoke them out too early,' Parax said. 'Swift unthinking justice shall profit you nothing, Consul.'
'Too... too early?' Levi asked, unnerved by the inquisitor's use of that particular Codex verse. He gave himself a moment to collect his thoughts, checking a report. The shuttle had outrun the Consuls' ship and jumped into the warp on Suracto's dark side. 'Do you have evidence of other plots like this?'
Parax glared at him. As I said, librarian, this is a matter for the Inquisition. Cross me at your peril.' Parax spun on his heels and walked away. Levi started to follow when an armoured hand came to rest on his shoulder. The librarian turned to face Aeorum. He released his helmet and looked around at his fellow Black Consuls, methodically checking and securing the landing bay.
'Brother Levi, we have done all we can. For now.' Aeorum indicated Koln's final resting place. 'It does seem that Koln may have been tricked, as we were. It may be the time for you to let the Inquisition do what it does best. We have freed Suracto, which is prize enough. And Captain Estrus will require a full report.' Aeorum gave a half-hearted smile.

The Codex tells us to be vigilant, to actively seek out all manifestations of Chaos, wherever they may be. As codicier of the Imperial Order of Black Consuls, it is my solemn duty.' Levi looked up at the standard in his brother Consul's hand. 'I am not best pleased at this decision.' He sighed, conceding. 'But you may be right. We have done all we can, for now.'
As he made ready to signal Captain Estrus, Codicier Levi remembered the verse he had read that morning.
And those dedicated to the Emperor's work will be beset upon all sides by enemies. Be vigilant for they are everywhere and you may depend on none but your brothers in arms to carry out His blessed work.
Levi signalled the captain.
As THE DOOR of his cabin aboard the Inquisition ship closed silently behind him, Parax wearily began to take off his armour. This time, he had narrowly succeeded in doing his master's work, though he was long used to the arduous nature of his blessed task. But if the extent to which Chaos had pervaded Suracto were to have become more widely known ... He sighed as he put his armour away. Perhaps the Exterminatus would have been his only remaining option.
He reached for his robe. For now, the Black Consuls had played their part, and order had been restored. The other planets in the system were safe. Absently, he rubbed the Tzeentchian tattoo on the inside of his forearm. Their time was yet to come.