Spoiler
*It is revealed later in the story the Wolves tally of victories have been retconned from being comparable to Horus, to relatively few. However, each action was said to have been shocking in its brutality without comparison.
I
The Wolves are trapped in the Alaxxes Nebula, a cloud of ammoniac gasses that are corrosive enough to overload void shields and detonate fuel lines in vessels if left in the cloud long enough. Within the cloud are ‘caverns’ and ‘tunnels’ of space as the cloud shifts from multiple gravity wells. The Wolves had fought the Alpha Legion in open void and been forced to withdraw (Scars), using the nebula as cover. The fleet hadn’t been able to repair itself after Prospero, and several missions afterwards hunting down Thousand Sons outposts on their fief worlds. The Alpha Legion has pursued the Wolves into the Nebula and the story begins with a description of the naval engagement. Lord Gunn is in command, after making the case to stand and fight to the Primarch. When the Alpha Legion draws in the wolves launch a successful boarding action against the Alpha Legion vanguard, crippling and disabling many of the first line. The Alpha Legion, playing the Wolves strengths had used the vanguard as a diversion, stripping the ships down to skeleton crews, allowing the second line of heavier vessels to fire through their own ships blunting the Wolves initiative. The Wolves realize they are already understrength and disengage, pulling back farther into the nebula knowing that if they cannot overwhelm the Alpha Legion with speed they wont be able to outmaneuver them in the confines of the cloud or win a battle of attrition against the Alpha Legion’s superior numbers.II
Russ is contemplating runes and wondering what his next course of action will be while his commanders wonder why he has withdrawn. He is having a crisis of conscious, thinking Magnus dead and lamenting the destruction of Prospero. He rails against being duped by Horus, and thinks back to his life on Fenris before the coming of the Emperor. He never felt he belonged on Fenris, and much like the other Primarchs, had difficulty coming to terms with exactly what he was. He remembers little of his creation and coming to Fenris, and he felt his life on Fenris was some kind of sham, reminiscing about how easy it was for him to kill and lead. After the Emperor arrived he was told of his purpose slowly, kept in isolation until he understood its true meaning. He was to be the Emperor’s weapon of last resort, and at one point offered to abandon Fenris because “[Fenris] is too wild for life – it will never support the armies [the Emperor] deserves”. The Emperor wanted the Wolves to come from Fenris and declined the offer, and Russ embraced Fenrisian culture and distanced himself from the other Primarchs. He knows in his heart the Wolves were made different for a purpose.* In his own analysis he feels they were created to be a failsafe against the fall of the Imperium, to avenge it should it be overthrown. He has Bjorn brought to him from the battle, because he sees Bjorn as the embodiment of embracing Fenrisian culture in a way the Legion had not before, to become what Russ estimates they were meant to be. During the conversation, Lord Gunn teleports to take command of the flagship until Russ returns with Bjorn and allows Gunn to stand his ground and cover the Wolves’ Fleet’s escape.*It is revealed later in the story the Wolves tally of victories have been retconned from being comparable to Horus, to relatively few. However, each action was said to have been shocking in its brutality without comparison.
III
Gunn sacrifices himself and his ship to destroy the Delta, an Alpha Legion capital ship. The Fleet continues on until it reaches a dead end, and prepare for a final stand, but a Dark Angels Star Fort and attendant fleet arrive to drive the Alpha Legion off. In part one and two, several sections detail a lone, unnamed operative hacking into the Wolves’ records, and it is revealed he is a Lutherite Dark Angel, attempting to discover the VI Legion’s loyalty. During the Wolves’ final stand, Russ engages Alpharius (disguised as a Terminator) allowing the operative to send a signal to the Dark Angels confirming the Wolves as loyal. After the Alpha Legion retreats, Russ meets with the Dark Angels commander, Althalos aboard the Star Fort. Luther had been raising new chapters of Dark Angels and sending them out to garrison outposts across the galaxy. Alaxxes with the 6th, and had been deployed 59 years prior to the events of the story. Althalos states the Dark Angels have swollen to a size larger than any time in the legions previous history, and the Dark Angels have a clear distinction between themselves and the Angel’s traveling with the Lion (humorously illustrated when Russ makes ready for the honor duel and Althalos has no idea what the hell he is doing). The operative is openly disrespectful when referring the Lion, because he has no attachment to him. Oddly enough, the Lutherites display the Dark Angels green on parts of their armor. Russ and Althalos pledge an alliance, the Dark Angels providing resources and equipment to refit and rearm the Wolves’ Fleet. Russ departs for Terra (to be seen in Vengeful Spirit), and Bjorn is commanded to oversee the Legion’s resupply efforts. Russ has become confident in his purpose again, and speaks to Bjorn about how the Legion will need to change its mindset to defeat the traitors.I'll answer any questions in greater depth.
Edited by Marshal Rohr, 02 October 2015 - 11:54 PM.