Date: 999 M41

  Location: Sol System, Luna, Mare Tempestus.

  The journey was long and bloody; the route was arduous. But finally, the Terran Crusade was in sight of its destination: the Sacred Terra where the Emperor of Mankind resides. But before reaching it, it was necessary to fight one st battle to preserve its sanctity.

  The Custodian was there with all that remained of the crusade; his golden breastpte shone like a shining beacon, a rallying point where many of the imperial forces gathered at his side, intent on selling their skins dearly only to allow the Primarch to fight and kill his corrupt brother.

  His superior mind honed by centuries of fighting, memory of the topographical conformation of the battlefield, the support of proximity sensors provided by the Machine Spirit of his armour, and his tactical acumen guided those who relied on him, causing heavy losses to the traitors of the Thousand Sons.

  They had found shelter in the rusty ruins of a Dictator-css cruiser. With a quick and calcuted strike from the Paragon Spear, the heads of six Rubricae were severed; the empty armour scattered arcane dust into the void. He got into a shooting position and fired three shots with the Bolter, hitting and killing the sorcerer who commanded that team.

  Howling, roaring Tzangors lunged at him only to be intercepted by the disciplined volleys of Skitarii's galvanic rifles behind him.

  Pointing to the left fnk where leaping Pink Horrors were trying to outfnk them, Assault Marines of the Mortificator Chapter pounced on the demons to block their encirclement action.

  ?Lord Custodian.? they called him to the vox.

  ?Speak, Sergeant Theldor.?

  ?My squad is in position. As you said, there are ideal lines of fire, and we can get a better view of the enemy advance.?

  ?Then, don't be long in coming, Sergeant. Rain death on this traitorous scum.? he said smilingly.

  ?With pleasure, Lord Custodian.?

  The sound of battle was audible everywhere, but when the repeated sound of Heavy Bolters exploded, numerous roars of pain resounded to the satisfaction of the listeners. But everyone knows that hearing a pleasant, reassuring sound, like that of an instrument of death created to make the enemy taste 998-calibre explosive projectiles, doesn't solve the situation you find yourself in. Indeed, in a universe that tries in every way to exterminate humanity, it is usually the foretaste of something far worse.

  Unnatural roars, several roars that seem like the union of animals and humans fused together in agonising torture for the pleasure of some sick sadist. Their fnk exploded, and five clumps of flesh, equipped with fangs, tentacles, eyes and the Emperor only knows what other stuff, appeared, running over some of the skitarii that offered him covering fire.

  The Custodian snapped his tongue and lunged at the Chaos Spawn, firing precise shots into their limbs, dismembering them and killing some of them. Just before he reached the st three, he unched the Paragon Spear, drilling through one of those hellish horrors and pnting it in pce. His hand went to his Misericordia, and the knife penetrated the unnatural flesh of one of the two spawn. To ensure that it was finally freed from the earthly prison that had become the body, he cut off its arm and dissected what might have been a face. The st spawn struck him with enough force to penetrate the adamantium, but the auramite of his armour was barely scratched. With a powerful punch, the Custodian struck the spawn in the stomach, bending them; with a step, he crushed the knee; and finally, his punch found what remained of a face, sending the corpse flying.

  Five Chaos Spawn, dead in 27 seconds.

  The sound of energy building up was heard, and thanks to the pure instinct that shouted at him to move away, the Custodian stepped aside and saw the spot where he had been standing explode from a dart of psma. At the origin of the shot is a Helbrute, a disgusting parody of the venerable Dreadnoughts.

  Seeing that disgusting parody, his blood boiled with cold fury, and with fluid motion, he once again took up his Paragon Spear. It took him just three steps to reach that infernal machine and sever the damned pilot's head. His cruelty was not making him realise he was already dead.

  ?Let's retreat five meters.? the Custodian ordered, his back to the infernal machine. ?Recreate a defensive perimeter.?

  ?Affirmative.? the skitarii replied in a synthetic voice.

  ?Sergeant Tybaltus, report.? he called the vox.

  ?We have exterminated the demons who tried to surround us. Jump Pack's fuel at 13%.?

  ?Losses??

  ?Some wounds, but nothing that stops us from fighting.?

  ?Keep what little fuel you have left and reach us.?

  ?Yes, Lord Custo-? the Sergeant of the Mortificators abruptly stopped ?Contact! Demons and traitorous Terminators are upon us! We can't move!?

  In the background, the vox howled amid the ughter of demons and the explosions of bullets. He couldn't leave them there under suppression fire. Among the Imperial forces that have gathered with him and follow his leadership, he cannot afford to lose an intervention team like that. His mind made a quick calcution, comparing the topography in his memory, made the most likely assumption about where the traitors were positioned to effectively suppress the assault team, identified the closest allied teams under his command, and made his choice.

  ?Squad Corionus, go up one floor and move northeast 347 meters. Cover your brothers from that position.?

  ?Understood, Lord Custodian.? said the Novamarines' Sergeant

  ?Sergeant Tybaltus, as soon as the opportunity presents itself, move. Use smoke bombs once the enemy is distracted.?

  ?Yes, sir!?

  ?Lord Custodian!? Sergeant Theldor shouted in the vox, ?The traitors are attempting another assault on your position! Hundreds of Tzangors accompanied by at least two complete squads of Rubricae.?

  They never learn. The Custodian thought, exasperated, as he prepared to welcome the new guests. But at that moment, the continuous and subsequent noise of the high-explosions caught his attention. And understood. With a simple thought, he activated the Vox on a channel he hadn't used in a long time, sure that on the other side someone was listening.

  ?You're te for the party, brothers and sisters.? he said with amusement.

  The answer to his statement did not come in words. The lunar dust in its vicinity swirled into sudden vortices due to the teleportarium's transmission energies. Shining lights shone, blinding the horde that was rushing against his position, and when it dissipated, five Custodians materialised.

  Without waiting too long, they aimed at the Lance Guardians and began firing disciplined volleys, hitting the momentarily lost horde.

  ?Team Theta-Epsilon and Gamma-Phi, bring yourselves to our fnks? the Custodian ordered. ?Quick and suppressive salvos.? he finished, walking forward as his spear's self-loading inserted fresh projectiles to be fired into the Bolter.

  ??Affirmative.?? two monotonous synthetic voices stated.

  As soon as he was one step away from the Custodian's line, without stopping shooting, they moved to both sides, leaving enough space for him to fit in. When he also aimed his Paragon Spear, the installed Bolter began to roar.

  Dozens of Tzangor died dismembered by the shots of the Bolters in the initial salvos, but by the time they reached the line of Custodian, a single movement of their spear cimed dozens of those corrupt lives as if nothing had happened.

  Before, the Custodian and the Crusade he had arrived with were fighting, intent on surviving and reciming the lives of as many traitors as possible. Now, the Imperial forces, galvanised by the arrival of the defence forces guarding the Imperial Pace, unched a violent and furious counterattack, a charge worthy of being immortalised by historians and painters.