The Harrowing (Short Story)
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This article is about the short story; for the Chaos warband, see The Harrowing. |
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| Author | Rob Sanders |
| Publisher | Black Library |
| Collected in | Sedition's Gate War Without End |
Cover Description
The garrison world of Callistra Mundi is threatened by traitor forces – none other than the insidious Alpha Legion. Like so many before it, this attack will not come as a traditional legionary assault, but as a Harrowing. Operatives and turncoats are revealed within the Mechanicum ark freighter Omnissiax and her attendant battlegroup, and confusion will reign amongst the loyalist defenders. And only when none can tell friend from foe will the true destruction begin...
Summary
Alpha Legion warriors of the First Hort, Third Harrow under Strike Commander Dartarion Varix infiltrate the Mechanicum Ark Freighter Omnissiax and destroy the Light Frigate escort Denticilicon. The story begins with operative 55/Phi-silon awaking a group of Alpha Legion warriors within the Omnissiax early. Their mission was to take the ship and its Warmonger Titan (Abyssus Edax) as it headed to Terra for unspecified reasons. The freighter, under the command of Arkmaster Manus Cruciam, was from the Heliodyne shipyards and was transporting the Titans Legio Perennia's newly created Battle Group Astramax. The Mechanicum frigate was diverted from its mission to relieve the planet Callistra Mundi as it was in mid-rebellion instigated by a separate Alpha Legion group. Varix's men were forced to change their strategy and instead seize the ship prematurely to aide in the rebellion. Otherwise, the Mechanicum forces would have allowed the loyalists to interfere with the Alpha Legion's plans.
The Alpha Legion begin to take the ship, causing chaos and disorder wherever they can. Eventually, Varix and 55/Phi-silon travel into the bilge of the ship where a princeps and his crew are kept in cryo-stasis. The crew are activated and ordered to take control of the Warmonger Titan as the Alpha Legion proceed in their plans to seize the ship. While fighting becomes most intense, the Titan's weapons are activated and the defenders are disrupted. Varix makes his way to the command deck, first sending in servitors rigged with explosives before seizing control. Varix activiates operative Logista Minora Auxabel, who uses the ship to blast apart the undefended Dentilicon before they proceed to join the other Alpha Legions in their conquest of Callistra Mundi.
