One of those bullets got lucky, striking the marine in the eye. He was dead before his armor sounded loudly against the iron plating of the bridge deck.

“Tydeus!” Haemon would call out, but his brother would not answer. By this point, the Chapter-Master had seen his once-proud and principled chapter whittled down to a mere handful of marines. He knew every one of their names and the details of each of their service. Every loss was personal and he knew all too well that each death brought his brothers closer to oblivion.

Then he saw the culprits, Ork Freebooters, and his heart yearned for vengeance, but it was made quickly apparent just how overwhelmed they would be. . . even if they defeated the Orks on the bridge, thousands more awaited elsewhere in the bowels of the ship.