Lord Destrian looked through the armour glass of the Stormbird's cockpit as they approached the colonisation vessel, it was sixteen kilometres long, ten kilometres high and twelve kilometres wide, it looked bloated as if it would be unable to move under its own power –it was the colour of scorched grey. Lord Destrian had twenty one Stormbird's circling the colonisation vessel looking for an embarkation deck that the XX had used to dock. Joining Lord Destrian was Vendatha, the Legio Custodes brought three of his brothers on this operation but they were dispersed across the boarding parties. Lord Destrian would have favoured boarding torpedoes but he was reminded of Grimwald's words about the fragile alliance between Terra and Mars, he would minimise as much harm to the vessel as tactically possible.

Lord Destrian was clad in terminator plate, with this he was equal to the height of Vendatha, it was said that the Legio Custodes were to the Emperor what the Astartes were to their Primarch's, Lord Destrian could well believe this to be true. The Stormbird they were on was flying along the colossal flanks of the colonisation vessel, with the ship powered down it meant that the Stormbird's had to conduct an eyesight search –it was like looking for a needle in a stack of needles.

'We are being targeted!' screamed the human pilot of the dropship, suddenly warning lights began to strobe and sirens began to shriek. 'Hang on to something!'

Ruby red laser fire darted for their Stormbird but the pilot jinked the dropship into a roll dodging the defensive fire, reports flooded in that one dropship had been hit, it was dead in space but in one piece. Lord Destrian's Stormbird was so far unscathed, the dropship bucked and rolled. It seemed that only dropships in the engagement zone on this side of the colonisation vessel were being targeted, perhaps the XX legion could only get these weapons batteries warmed up, Lord Destrian had another theory.

'Pilot I want you to call off all other dropships.' Order Lord Destrian. 'Organise retrieval for the disabled Stormbird, your orders are to continue alone to find me a way in.'

'You wish to go in alone?' Asked Vendatha. 'We will never find a way in by ourselves.'

'I will not risk our force against this vessel, Emperor knows what kind of weaponry it has' retorted Lord Destrian. 'Plus they are only firing on us from a localised area, the way in is around here somewhere I know it.'

Lord Destrian's orders were carried out nineteen Stormbird's fled at all vectors and their Stormbird continued to dodge the laser fire but it was getting closer with every moment. A laser beam clipped the dropships wing sending it spinning but the pilot expertly retook control, she then dove her bird closer to the flanks of the colonisation vessel taking it within the defensive lasers firing arcs.

'I have bought us some time, sire.' Stated the pilot, she looked up from her console. 'But I cannot find a way in yet.'

'Perhaps this is merely a ploy to lure us away from their true point of ingress?' asked Vendatha.

'Or this is just a double double cross and we are in fact on the right track.' Retorted Lord Destrian, with a chuckle.

Vendatha merely shrugged, not an easy task in Artifice Armour it made a heavy clunk sound.

'I have detected a heat bloom up ahead on my auspex.' Stated the pilot. 'It could be the residual heat from the Stormbird's exhaust?'

'Close in on the heat bloom.' Replied Lord Destrian. 'If it leads to an embarkation deck do not enter or cross its path, stop short of it.'

The Stormbird slowed its speed and still hugged the flank of the colonisation vessel, the pilot being careful enough to stay away from any potential weapons ports, up ahead a clear void could be seen, it had to be the embarkation deck. The pilot stopped the dropship fifty or so metres from it then awaited further orders.

'Launch forward countermeasures.' Stated Lord Destrian.

Within seconds forward mounted flares lit of up void before the Stormbird, they shot passed the embarkation deck as they did so a barrage of missiles streaked after them lighting up space for kilometres around with their explosions as they detonated with the countermeasures.

'Launch more countermeasures, lord?' asked the pilot.

'Negative.' Replied Lord Destrian, he then looked to Custodes. 'Would you care to go for a walk Vendatha?'

'Of course.' Stated Vendatha, he donned his conical helm, his voice turn to a vox snarl. 'After you.'

'Sire?' cut in the pilot.

Lord Destrian turned to the pilot. 'Set down on the hull, when we are in the hold depressurise it then open the debarkation ramp. When we are clear stand on station and await further orders.'

Lord Destrian led the Custodes into the hold, waiting for him were thirty of his Astartes clad in Tactical Dreadnought Armour, each brother was equipped with an assortment of weapons, from power fists, chain blades, heavy flamers to storm bolters. Vendatha went into combat equipped with his Guardian Spear with underslung bolter. Lord Destrian went into combat with a stormbolter with an underslung meltagun, as well as a powerfist.

'Brothers don your helmets and activate your boots.' Stated Lord Destrian. 'We are going EVA.'

Vendatha sealed the bulkhead between the hold and the cockpit just then the Stormbird turned on its side to latch itself to the hull of the colonisation vessel. The hard docking was accompanied by a heavy impact and a thud as the Stormbird attached itself to the hull of the colonisation vessel. The pilot then triggered the ramp as ordered. Lord Destrian stomped to the front of the hold then down the ramp, followed by Vendatha and his terminator squad. The environment was surreal as they were walking sideways on the hull of the colonisation vessel. The squad closed to within ten metres then halted, from here Lord Destrian could see that it was an embarkation deck plus by the looks of it the decks integrity fields were not activated.

Lord Destrian opened a vox link with the Stormbird's pilot. 'Conduct a flyby of the embarkation deck at full speed, deploy countermeasures before you pass make yourself a target.' Lord Destrian then switched to a squad channel. 'We deploy on my order.'

Lord Destrian turned to see the Stormbird detached from the hull with fire erupting from the exhaust, it was surreal considering being this close in an atmosphere the sound would be deafening. The Stormbird shot overhead lighting the void once more with countermeasures, as it launched passed more missiles erupted from the embarkation deck.

'Deploy!' ordered Lord Destrian.

The terminator squad and Vendatha charged closing the distance with the embarkation deck in seconds, then Lord Destrian leapt into and onto the embarkation deck, followed by his terminators and Vendatha. What happened next it was hard to say who was more surprised, the lord or his enemy. Lord Destrian was confronted with the sight of three Astartes clad in the ceramite plate of the Emperor's Judgement they looked so convincing that he almost called a halt, but the interlopers broke the spell they hunkered down near the cloned Stormbird shouldering their missile launchers ready for another salvo.

As soon as Lord Destrian landed on the plasteel deck - obviously the imposters had got the gravity drive working- did the three imposters turn their missile launchers to Lord Destrian and his terminator squad. They looked set to casually obliterate the Emperors Judgment warriors and Vendatha down to their component atoms and they would have if Lord Destrian did not fire upon them first. Lord Destrian fired with his stormbolter clipping two of the Astartes and caught the third square on, his ceramite plate ruptured across the chest, then a sustained barrage of high calibre bolts took off his head. The two remaining Astartes switched to bolt pistols and chain swords, then hunkered down behind the Stormbird.

'Hold!' roared Lord Destrian over the squad vox link, ordering his brothers from getting involved in the engagement. 'Vendatha pick your favourite!'

With the order given Lord Destrian charged one side of the Stormbird with Vendatha charging down the other side, to their credit the imposters did not retreat they charged firing bolt pistols and revving chain swords. Lord Antioch could have ordered his squad to annihilate the pretenders but he would not have them draw fellow Astartes blood. Lord Destrian did not fire upon the fake Astartes for he intended on taking him alive. Vendatha on the other hand obviously did not intend to interrogate anyone for the foe was cloven from shoulder to pelvis by the Custodes Guardian spear in the opening seconds of the engagement, great gouts of pressurised oxygen rich blood burst across the deck painting the custodes armour crimson.

Lord Destrian's foe fired a full clip at him but the lord just shrugged it off, his tactical dreadnought armour was proof against such things. Instead of reloading the Astartes dropped his pistol, took his chain sword in two hands and sought to cut off Lord Destrian's head it was a bold move as a Terminator was a walking tank. The lord had other plans he swatted the chain sword aside with a wash of sparks. Lord Destrian then sent a thundering punch with his power fist to the imposters midriff sending the imposter twenty feet through mid-air before skittering with a shower of sparks when hitting the deck only to slam against the wall of the embarkation deck with a loud metallic bang.

The Astartes' chest plate was shattered by the force of the blow but he got to his feet but clearly with a lot of effort, the imposter sought to retrieve his chain sword but Lord Destrian was upon him. With one hand he took a hold of the imposter's gorget, with his power fist he ripped off the Astartes helm. The warriors face was bared to the world, it was battered and pulped, it was also one that Lord Destrian did not recognise for he knew every Astartes in the First Great Order from neophyte to veteran –this fake was neither or anything in between.

'Who are you!' roared Lord Destrian through his vox grille.

The Astartes grinned then spat blood across the lords faceplate then laughed like a mad man.

Lord Destrian roared in anger he punched the imposter in the face shattering his cheek bone and fracturing his skull but the Astartes was alive as the punch was pulled at the last millisecond. Lord Destrian then threw the Astartes bodily across the deck to the adjacent wall with such force that upon impact the imposter was rendered unconscious.

'I like your interview technique.' Quipped Vendatha, drawing level with Lord Destrian.

'Not now, Vendatha.' Retorted Lord Destrian, he was too intent on looking down to the comatose imposter. 'I have murdered a fellow Astartes I have committed the most unthinkable crime we are the Emperor's Judgement but we have always gone to the greatest lengths to avoid delivering a death blow.'

'If this is to be deemed a crime.' Put in Vendatha. 'Then I am as guilty as you are. These Astartes whoever they belong to they fired upon us first, under the laws of war set out by the Emperor of Mankind you have done nothing wrong. We were attacked and defended ourselves they were more than willing to slay us.'

Lord Destrian turned to look upon the custodes. 'It doesn't make it any easier this should never have happened what are the XX legion playing at.'

Vendatha shook his head. 'Not even the Emperor knows.'

Lord Destrian's head snapped back like he had been punched in the faceplate. 'What?'

'Even the Emperor doesn't know.' Replied Vendatha. 'Of all the Astartes the ghost legion are just as their sobriquet suggests most of their actions are not tracked because we cannot and believe me we have tried.'

'That is most unsettling.' Professed Lord Destrian.

'It is to us all but it was deemed so long as the ghosts remained loyal their methods would not be questioned.'

'What about now?' asked Lord Destrian, while gesturing to the prone imposter. 'Does this look like loyalty?'

'I have every confidence that the Emperor will look into the matter.' Replied Vendatha. 'However this is not the first time the ghosts have been suspected of foul play when it comes to inflicting damage to other legions.'

Lord Destrian cocked his head to one side at this disclosure it seemed Vendatha was in the mood to share. 'The Emperors Children?'

Lord Destrian nodded. 'They are the only ones we suspect to be capable enough of carrying out such a feat without being detected.'

'Well they aren't fucking getting away with this.' Instead of continuing the conversation Lord Destrian opened a vox link with their Stormbird. 'Land on the embarkation deck and make it quick, you are to pick up a special cargo then head back to the Hammer of Ultio.

'When you reach the flagship have a company strength Emperors Judgement force to greet you I want the imposter under lock and key under constant armed guard and have Chief Dorvus place protective wards.'

Lord Destrian then turned to his squad. 'Brothers this day I have committed the unthinkable for I have killed an Astartes. We did not start this fight we are just in our actions through the eyes of Vendatha the Emperor will see that. Even though it breaks my heart to order it but we are to take this colonisation vessel back by force if necessary and kill anyone who seeks do us harm.'

The Stormbird closed with the embarkation deck and set down within moments, Lord Destrian gestured to his squad. 'Brothers Ingmar and Hagen drag that imposter onto the Stormbird and escort him back to the Hammer, the rest of you head into the corridor and effect a perimeter.'

Within moments the Stormbird left the embarkation deck, leaving Lord Destrian and Vendatha as its sole occupants save for the corpses of the imposters.

'At least we have their means of escape.' Stated Vendatha, gesturing to the dropship.

'They aren't about to come back to this dropship.' Replied Lord Destrian. 'They will bank on us not willing to sacrifice a possible treasure trove of Archeotech by firing upon it, they will be planning on using the colonisation vessel as a means of exfiltration.' Lord Destrian then dispensed a plasma grenade from his armour and casually tossed it into the open hold of the Stormbird, then began walking away with Vendatha in toe. 'But I will not leave them with a lifeboat to flee like rats from a sinking ship.'

As they exited the embarkation deck the plasma grenade exploded taking the dropship with it, Lord Destrian and Vendatha emerged into a wide and tall corridor which that seemed to go on for kilometres, with countless room and corridors bleeding from it.

'Brother Dedrick take ten and strike for the rear of the vessel.' Ordered Lord Destrian. 'Try and find anything that might pass as the enginarium, you might have to disable it if I am unable to wrest control of the colonisation vessel from enemy.'

At Lord Destrian's orders the squad of terminators split, the lord took his greater portion of Astartes and headed to the fore of the vessel, they stomped down the corridors taking up the entire width of the corridor only allowing two terminators to advance side by side.

'You intend on striking for the bridge?' asked Vendatha, over a private vox channel.

'That I do Vendatha.' Replied Lord Destrian.

'Then how do you propose to find it?' Countered Vendatha. 'This vessel is millennia old Throne knows where the bridge would be it might even be at the rear of the vessel.'

'You have me there.' Replied Destrian, in a light tone. 'However this is a civilian vessel and countless families would have been born and brought up in this city sized craft I am guessing out of necessity that they won't have enforced military discipline and would have had to put signs up to guide the way and I am also banking on being able to read them seeing as all colonisation vessels originated from Old Earth.'

Vendatha was about to offer a verbal riposte but it died in his throat as they came across a sign several hundred metres down the corridor. It indeed did point the way to the bridge, there were also various other signs for sections of the ship that raised an eyebrow, they were armoury, research and development, artificial intelligence research department.

'We will leave those to the Mechanicus.' Stated Lord Destrian, he then led the way to the bridge.

Lord Destrian led the way through several decks as he did so the colonisation vessel began to vibrate, the lord knew that this would be the engines coming online. Lord Destrian was not worried the engines had been powered down for thousands of years if they would be going anywhere he was confident that it wouldn't be anytime soon. Lord Destrian did not rush he deliberately took his time for the imposters may have traps laid out, he and his squad kept a vigil with their auspexes and built in mapping cogitators, as they advanced towards the bridge.

They reached the fore of the ship at the middle of its decks, the spaces they passed through all had a cold and utilitarian theme to it and the foredecks were no different, however the mapping cogitator told Lord Destrian that the corridor ahead opened up into a wide space perhaps this was an atrium that served as the entrance to the bridge. Instead of heading straight to the bridge Lord Destrian took several tertiary corridors to see if there was a less obvious route to the bridge. The lord was banking on this being the case as the ship thus far had not stuck to the rigid tenets of military vessels, therefore he hoped that there would be more than one route to bridge.

After forty minutes of wandering through corridors, Lord Destrian and his squad were nearing the atrium that they had avoided earlier if the lord was correct they would emerge from a lesser corridor therefore they would be able to have a better chance of emerging unseen. Lord Destrian halted his squad a hundred metres before the atrium, out of necessity he send Vendatha to scout out ahead for he was the lightest of the armoured host and therefore the least likely to announce his presence with his tread. No sooner did Vendatha reach the edge of the corridor did his world erupt into a firestorm of ordnance, he ducked back into the corridor and sprinted from the atrium, when he closed on the terminators position Lord Destrian noticed the Custodes armour had been marred by several impacts.

'They have a dreadnought.' Stated Vendatha, on a private channel. 'And two artificial's.'

'Artificial's?' asked Lord Destrian, unsure what the Custodes meant as the Mechanicus often had a fine line between robot and true AI. 'You mean a Cybernetica maniple?'

'I mean artificials.' Replied Vendatha. 'I've never seen anything like them they are the size of the dreadnought and with four limbs but with no head section they are smooth and white. They were in a stance reminiscent of a gorilla from the long extinct jungles of Terra. Emperor knows what kind of weapons they have for only the dreadnought fired, thankfully in the atrium there are several defensible positions for cover.'

Lord Destrian switched to a squad wide band. 'We are to storm the atrium there is a dreadnought and two artificial intelligence constructs equal to the same mass of the dreadnought.' The terminators shared glances at the mention of the AI's. 'You are to converge on the dreadnought and take it out, there are defensible positions for cover. Myself and Vendatha will keep the artificials busy until the dreadnought is destroyed.'

With that Lord Destrian and Vendatha charged forth at the head of seventeen terminators, the lord entered the atrium first, they were greeted by a fusillade of autocannon rounds from the dreadnought, its sarcophagus traversed on its central axis tracking the lord, but then traversed back to track the terminators surging into the atrium. Lord Destrian charged to the far side of the atrium, with Vendatha taking the nearside and the terminators hunkering down behind the defensible positions –they were adamantium barricades designed to repel boarders- the terminators traded fire with the dreadnought whom stood sentinel before the vast sealed bridge doors.

Lord Destrian caught his first sight of the artificial, it indeed was hunched like a simian, its entire body moved to track the lord's advance, its forelimbs and hindquarters were blunt stumps. Then as the distance closed the artificial reared up on its hindquarters, its right arm stump retracted revealing a sleek gun barrel, it fired a blast of green energy at Lord Destrian. The lord had dodged to the side as soon as the artificial reared, this saved him as the energy miss him cleanly and hit the adamantium wall. The energy didn't erupt in an explosion are splash against the wall, instead it atomised the wall leaving a metre wide gaping hole in its place.

Lord Destrian fired his storm bolter at the artificial, stitching shells across its midriff, the bolts tore craters in the smooth white metal but as far as the lord could tell they hadn't penetrated. The artificial changed tack, it sheathed the energy weapon then retracted the stump of its left arm, revealing three claws glowing red, the artificial counter charged.

Lord Destrian and the artificial charged towards one another, the lords gait lumbering the artificial bounding forth on all fours, its claws gouging into the deck as it went. Lord Destrian opened up with his underslung melta gun, for a fleeting moment the melta gun and the artificial were connected by an intense beam of heat. The artificial brought up its clawed arm to protect its torso and in doing so reduced the claw stump to nothing more than molten slag –the beam continued onwards detaching the entire limb.

The artificial bounded forward but on three limbs, it unsheathed its sleek gun barrel, in doing so it had to halt for it could not ambulate on three limbs while firing, it brought up its weapon but it was too late for the lord had closed the distance. With all of his will, might and with every ounce of power he could get out of his armours fibre bundles he punched the artificial in the midriff, a myriad of cracks like a lightning strike appeared across its core while it was sent crashing on its back.

Lord Destrian kept punching the same spot as the artificial tried to rise but he kept punching, it shot with its weapons but missed. Lord Destrian punch a hole clean into the artificials chest cavity expositing its wiring and cogitator –the lord dispensed a plasma grenade from his armour and thrust it into the artificial's chest. Lord Destrian dove for cover as the artificial tried to rise, within a second the atrium and corridors for hundreds of metres around were bleached white from the blast, when the light faded there was a six metre hole in the deck and the artificial was nowhere to be seen.

Lord Destrian turned to survey the battle, his terminators were trading fire with the dreadnought but its autocannon was keeping them pinned, he checked his roster two brothers had been slain, he could see one ruptured mechanised corpse on the deck. Beyond Lord Destrian could see Vendatha, the Custodes had just cut off the second of the artificial's limb with his Guardian Spear, the Custodes then cut into the artificial's leg while shoulder barging it to the floor –Vendatha kept hacking at its chest cavity until it stopped moving.

The dreadnought sensed that it was now vulnerable on all side, the ruined Astartes within the adamantium sarcophagus tracked left and right assessing the tactical situation while still firing with its auto cannon. It then charged forward going for the most dangerous target it perceived, the rest of the lords squad, whom in turn hunkered down and returned fire. Vendatha opened up with his underslung bolter, adding his weight of fire in support of the terminators. Lord Destrian counter charged the dreadnought flanking it, he stomped behind the dreadnought and with a krak grenade in hand he attached it to the dreadnoughts armoured sarcophagus with a mighty clunk.

The dreadnought traversed its sarcophagus one hundred eighty degrees to face Lord Destrian, in that second the lord did not feel fear as the dreadnought set to render him to blood ruin with its mighty powerfist, he knew he had served his Primarch with honour and knew his squad was finish this missing. The dreadnought brought down its powerfist but before it could strike the krak grenade detonated, pitching the dreadnought onto Lord Destrian.

The krak grenade destroyed the greater portion of the sarcophagus therefore it did not crush the lord –the lord was covered with fluid as the ruined Astartes amniotic tank ruptured. The remnants of the Sarcophagus were lifted briefly by Lord Destrian's squad to free him, the lord got to his feet he checked his roster another brother had been slain.

Now Lord Destrian's blood was up he ordered that krak grenades be placed on the bridge door, within moments the grenades were in place and detonated blasting a colossal hole into the bulkhead. Lord Destrian and Vendatha surged forward shoulder to shoulder through the breach followed by his remaining squad. The bridge of the colonisation vessel was colossal, Lord Destrian could not take in it all for ten fake Emperors Judgement Astartes were hunkered down ready to repel attackers, they opened up with their weapons.

Lord Destrian's temper snapped he ordered the slaying of the imposters, both forces charged one another trading weapons fire, another of the lord's terminators was killed. Lord Destrian reduced an enemy's midriff to molten slag with his melta gun, then with a vicious strike he took the head of the shoulders of another. Within moments the engagement was over, standard Astartes power armour could not overcome tactical dreadnought armour at such close range especially when the latter outnumbered the former.

'It is a shame that we will never find out what their intentions were with this colonisation vessel.' Stated Vendatha. 'We won't be able to truly find out who they are.'

'Nonsense.' Countered Lord Destrian. 'We have a prisoner.'

'He will never talk.' Retorted Vendatha. 'He will rather die than talk.' The Custodes kicked the corpse of an Astartes on the floor. 'These imposters died rather than speak.'

'I will drag a confession from the bastard you wait and see.' Replied the lord through gritted teeth.

'He will never talk.' Repeated Vendatha.

'I think I might be able to help you with what you seek.' Stated a meek voice from behind them, the entire squad turned to look upon the one whom had spoken.

It was the colonist leader who had been kidnapped from the mountain.