"Then it will make a louder sound when it falls," Valerius replied, his voice grating like grinding stone.
On the fourth day, the firing ceased. The silence was heavier than the noise. Then, Valerius gave the order. "Iron Within."
The story reflects their portrayal in Storm of Iron and Angel Exterminatus as rationalists trapped in a war of attrition.* If you would like to continue this story, I can: Describe the Battle of the Desirian Forests Focus on the rivalry with the Imperial Fists (Rogal Dorn) Add another character (such as a Traitor Librarian) The Fourth Legion
When Valerius finally stepped into the command center of the fortress, he did not find a desperate garrison. He found a masterpiece of engineering, now ruined by his own superior engineering.
"They have had eighteen months to fortify this position," whispered his second-in-command, Berossus, over the vox-channel. "Then it will make a louder sound when
The siege began not with a charge, but with a crescendo. For three straight days, the Iron Warriors’ artillery bombarded the walls. Thousands of shells, heavy lascannons, and specialized siege-drills tore into the outer defensive perimeter. The air smelled of ozone, pulverized rock, and promethium.
The planet of Tallarn was already a ruined landscape, but the city of still held, defended by the loyalist Imperial Fists. To the Iron Warriors, the IVth Legion, this wasn't just a tactical goal; it was a personal insult. Then, Valerius gave the order
"Record this," Valerius told his sergeant. "Bastion 4-Alpha fell in four days. The Fists are efficient, but the Iron Warriors are inevitable."