Sabbat Worlds (Anthology)
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Sabbat Worlds, edited by Dan Abnett, is a collection of short stories set during the Sabbat Worlds Crusade.
It was first published in October of 2010.
Contents
Apostle's Creed
Synopsis
On the world of Amedeo, Chaos fliers appear as if from nowhere, inflicting grievous casualties and disappearing without a trace. Imperial tacticians are convinced that there is a hidden enemy base in friendly territory, but it remains elusive. Outnumbered, outgunned and outmanoeuvred, the Apostles must find the enemy stronghold and destroy it before the war on Amedeo is lost.
The Headstone and the Hammerstone Kings
Synopsis
Heritor Asphodel died on Verghast, killed by the heroic Colonel-Commissar Gaunt, but his legacy lives on. In a graveyard of dead technology, agents of the Adeptus Mechanicus search for anything that can be salvaged and live again in service of the Machine God. But not everything in the graveyard is Imperial in origin. Some of Heritor Asphodel's famed and feared Woe Machines lie hidden in the dark, awaiting activation and the chance to wreak havoc in the name of the Dark Gods...
Regicide
Synopsis
A member of Warmaster Slaydo's personal guard recounts his battle with Archon Nadzybar.
Setting
Set during Slaydo's assault on the High Palace of the Oligarchy on Balhaut
Characters
- Sergeant Commodus Ryland
- Warmaster Slaydo
- Archon Nadzybar
- Warmaster Macaroth
The Iron Star
By Dan Abnett
Synopsis
A weary Colonel-Commissar Gaunt must fight a life or death battle in an unknown warzone.
Setting
Set immediately after the battle at Hinzerhaus.
Characters
- Tanith First and Only
- Colonel-Commissar Gaunt
Cell
By Nik Vincent
Synopsis
The armies of the Archenemy have taken the world of Reredos. Across the planet, cells of freedom fighters work to undermine the occupying forces and destabilise the regime to prepare the way for the inevitable Imperial relief force. Ayatani Perdu, a priest of Saint Sabbat, leads one resistance cell and finds that the taint of Chaos is everywhere. When anyone can be an enemy traitor, who can he trust?
Blueblood
By Nick Kyme
Synopsis
As the war in the Sabbat Worlds drags on, the Volpone Bluebloods – an elite Imperial Guard unit known as much for their aristocratic disdain as their fury in battle – find themselves encamped with several other regiments. Sabotage and mysterious deaths signal a Chaos taint in the camp, and the Bluebloods investigate. They must overcome their distaste for the primitive warriors around them and band together to find the source of the corruption before it damns them all.
A Good Man
Synopsis
Administratum adept Zale Linder, assigned to the reconstruction efforts on Verghast, uncovers a mystery when he goes looking for a missing friend.
Setting
On Verghast, in the aftermath of the Siege of Vervunhive.
Of Their Lives in the Ruins of Their Cities
By Dan Abnett
Synopsis
On the world of Voltemand, the soldiers and commander of the recently-founded Tanith First and Only Imperial Guard regiment find themselves landed with a desultory holding duty in unpleasant conditions.
Colonel-Commissar Gaunt is aware that he's an unpopular man in his own regiment, due to his role in the Fall of Tanith, and that his career choice in accepting a regimental command rank has so far proven disastrous. Mulling over an offer of an arranged transfer from his old friend Vaynom Blenner, he decides to lead a patrol out on reconnaissance to help him decide what to do - whether to "spin this shit into gold, or get a transfer to somewhere with a desk and a driver." Taking command of three squads handpicked and led by Colonel Corbec, Gaunt heads out into the ruins of the city of Kosdorf.
It quickly becomes apparent that the dislike of Gaunt amongst the common soldiery is bordering on open insubordination, with Colonel Corbec having to act swiftly in order to keep such troopers as the morose and truculent Caffran and the unstable Larkin in line. Connected to this attitude (and unnoticed by Gaunt) is the behaviour of Major Rawne and his immediate hangers-on, who go to such lengths as stealing Gaunt's personal mail in order to find out more about their commander.
The recon unit comes under unexpected fire from what appears to be Chaos-tainted PDF troopers, becoming pinned-down in the ruins. As things look increasingly bleak, Gaunt travels amongst the men, building up a closer and better picture of their nature and characters. The recon unit is eventually rescued by a sizeable detachment from the rest of the regiment, led by Major Rawne - who, initially content to ignore the situation until the recon team was officially reported overdue, had been convinced to go looking for the unit by the advice of Chief Medical Officer Dorden... which in turn was largely based on the comments of the strange young Tanith civilian, Brin Milo.
In the aftermath, several of the Tanith troopers are more positively disposed towards their commander, who in turn decides against transferring out of the regiment.
Setting
- Voltemand - After the liberation of Voltis City, as described in Ghostmaker.
Characters
- Ibram Gaunt - Colonel-Commissar
- Colm Corbec - Colonel
- Rawne - Major
- Dorden - Chief Medical Officer
- Mkoll - Chief Scout
- Larkin - Marksman
- Murt Feygor - Adjutant to Major Rawne
- Beltayn - Infantryman
- Bragg - Infantryman
- Caffran - Infantryman
- Domor - Infantryman
- Merrt - Infantryman
- Ceglan Varl - Infantryman
- Brin Milo - camp follower