On the world is a cathedral, ancient and run down – but with an icon at its heart, a warrior-woman with a bloodied rose on her chest. Is this a symbol that Saint Mina, founder of the Order, once walked on this world? Augusta is determined to find out…

    But when his old comrade, Master Tigrane of the Dark Angels Space Marine Chapter, arrives to join the festivities and asks to hear the glorious tale told once more, Antigone seems flustered. With the details of his account cast under close scrutiny and with the judgement of the Imperium hanging over him, will his noble reputation remain intact?

    Original.

    Harried by genestealers and Space Marines of the Salamanders Chapter, they must protect the traitor tech-priest Deltrian as he completes his mission. But something is hunting them through the shadows, a predator that is more than their match... A short story from the Fear the Alien anthology.

    A den of vice and illicit deeds where the law is failing and justice is fleeting. Glutted merchant-kings turn the wheels of industry, feeding the engine of war on distant worlds while the lowly dream only of survival. As the gilded prosper, hidden behind their fortress walls, the masses must find a place within the underbelly. But regardless of station, whether criminal or law-keeper, one fact remains true – this city is dirty, and no one escapes it without a little sin.For in Varangantua, there are no good men.CONTENTSAberrant by Chris WraightExit Wound by Darius HinksThe View from Olympus by Gareth HanrahanImpurities by Graham McNeillNo Use for Good Men by Guy HaleyCold Cases by Marc CollinsAgainst the Grain by Nick Kyme

    Now recovered from the injuries sustained on his previous mission, Codicier Karras must lead Talon Squad in the hunt for a missing inquisitor. Their only clue is the name of an Imperial planet that has been taken over by the T’au. Is the missing inquisitor alive, or dead? Worse still, has she gone rogue, jeopardizing one of the Inquisition’s most secret projects? Karras must lead his team against a whole planet of hostile T’au and survive the deadly internal politics of the Inquisition to succeed in his mission, codenamed Shadowbreaker. Action, intrigue and excitement are seamlessly woven together by the master of high-octane science fiction, Steve Parker.

    Before the traitors’ relentless onslaught, the wisdom of ages past is lost and forgotten, daemons hide amongst the common people and the warp’s corrupting influence can be seen in almost every facet of the Heresy. For those who would become champions of the new order, there can surely be no redemption – only an eternity of carnage and slaughter, and the laughter of thirsting gods...Blades of the Traitor brings you five epic, action-packed tales that drive the Horus Heresy forward. Discover what the Warmaster’s allies are up to as they prepare to march on Terra: sacrifices in the bowels of Molech’s Enlightenment, Legion Navigators delving through the very Eye of Terror and horrific experiments in dark, secret labs.In this collectionDaemonology by Chris WraightBlack Oculus by John FrenchTwisted by Guy HaleyChirurgeon by Nick KymeWolf Mother by Graham McNeill

    and thrown into a battle for the fate of entire star systems.READ IT BECAUSEGuy Haley returns to tank action in a new tale of Honoured Lieutenant Bannick and his crew, weaving a tight and twisty tale as they face not only cunning enemies, but their own doubts about mankinds place in the galaxy.THE STORYArriving in the Geratomro warzone, Honoured Lieutenant Bannick and the crew of the Baneblade Cortein’s Honour are assigned as close support to a company of Shadowsword Titan hunters as they find themselves thrust into a deadly battle for the fate of three star systems. New and deadly allies throw into doubt all that Bannick has been told of the Imperium, while threatening not only his life, but also his soul...

    In the midst of a live-fire exercise, one of these human targets disobeys orders and follows the trail of a mysterious alien beast, one that could spell doom for all of Krieg if it is not stopped...ABOUT THE BOOKA brand new Death Korps of Krieg story by Steve Lyons, author of Dead Men Walking.

    And a secret objective leads to more than the lead character, tech-priest Magos Caul, could ever have bargained for.THE STORYOn the world of Phaedra, a force of skitarii - the front-line soldiers of the Adeptus Mechanicus - embark upon a dangerous mission: to assault a stronghold of the xenos tau and recover a priority asset for their tech-priest master, Magos Caul. As they face the diminutive drones and hulking battlesuits of their alien foes in the jungles of the Dolorosa Coil, their target draws nearer. But just what is Objective Skysight, and why is it so important to the tech-priest?

    Inquisitor Eisenhorn investigates, and finds that the trail laid by this unassuming servant of the Imperium leads to unexpected places and a dangerous showdown.

    In what should have been an age of enlightenment and glorious triumph, instead warriors on both sides reel from the twin agonies of betrayal and bloodshed. The hatred of a sworn foe, the ire of a primarch, or the unholy wrath of a daemon-lord - none but the mighty Space Marines can hope to weather such torments unscathed...This anthology contains five exclusive stories from across the battlefields of the Horus Heresy. Each tale ties into one of the major arcs of the series so far, from the worlds of Imperium Secundus, to the palace of Terra, and even the Warmaster’s Flagship, The Vengeful Spirit.Virtues of the Sons by Andy SmillieAmit duels Khârn and Azkaellon faces Lucius as Sanguinius's chosen sons explore the twin aspects of their nature.Imperfect by Nick KymeA simple game of Regicide between Fulgrim and Ferrus Manus is far more than it seems...Howl of the Hearthworld by Aaron Dembski-BowdenA Space Wolves pack rails at being sent back to Terra to watch over Rogal Dorn.A Safe and Shadowed Place by Guy HaleySeeking refuge, the remnants of the Night Lords fleet stumble across Imperium Secundus.Gunsight by James SwallowAn Assassin lurks on board the Vengeful Spirit. His target? Warmaster Horus himself.

    When a troupe of these deadly warrior-performers discovers a dead Craftworld festering in the webway, they are determined to find the one responsible and exact punishment. Using the ancient craft of their Shadowseer, the trail of destruction leads the troupe to the Sable Marches, a fringe realm of the dark eldar. With several possible suspects of this heinous crime, the Harlequins decide to draw out the guilty one by staging the Masque of Vyle for the archons, a performance that will expose the truth and lead, fatally, to the perpetrator.The Masque of Vyle is archaic ritual performance, used to lure out the guilty to face the fickle justice of the harlequins. Amongst the Dark Eldar however, there are plenty of guilty souls. This tale gives a fascinating insight into both the splinter realms of Commorragh, and the enigmatic rituals of the Laughing Gods followers.

    Equipped by the Ordo Xenos of the Inquisition, Deathwatch Space Marines possess war gear purposely designed for the destruction of all aliens. In the gauntleted fists of these black-armoured warriors does the sanctity of mankind rest, in their hearts the iron will to vanquish every alien predator and wipe them from the face of the galaxy.Deathwatch: Xenos Hunters is one of our classic Direct Exclusive anthologies containing 11 short stories about the Deathwatch Space Marines, and now includes Last Watch by L J Goulding. Machine Spirit by Nick Kyme The Infinite Tableau by Anthony Reynolds Headhunted by Steve Parker Rackinruin by Braden Campbell Weaponsmith by Ben Counter The Vorago Fastness by David Annandale Fearful Symmetries by Rob Sanders A Sanctuary of Wyrms by Peter Fehervari Exhumed by Steve Parker The Alien Hunters by Andy Chambers Last Watch by L J Goulding

    Three friends – Korlandril, Thirianna and Aradryan – part company to walk their chosen paths – Warrior, Seer and Outcast – little realising how the actions of one will affect the others, and indeed their world. As Aradryan’s choices bring the wrath of the Imperium down upon Alaitoc, it falls to Korlandril and Thirianna to defend their home – if they can avoid becoming stuck on their paths and being lost forever.