On Friday evening, I wanted to test out the actual reading functions of my Kindle Fire HD. Up until now, it was just a way to surf the web, watch Netflix, and play Plants vs. Zombies while sitting on the couch or in bed.
The Black Library is doing a series of 1000-word short stories via eBook leading up to Games Day. they're covering a lot of obscure Marine Chapters in these, so I decided to spend the $1.99 and buy one. I ended up choosing "Bastions" by Rob Sanders, largely because it was about zombies on an orbital defense station, and also because it was about the Excoriators, a chapter with little background (I think Mr. Sanders created them for his Legion of the Damned novel in the Space Marine Battles series, which I have not read).
You can buy the short story here:
http://www.blacklibrary.com/warhammer-40000/bastions.html
Without spoiling the plot, here's a general synopsis:
An Excoriators Chaplain and his human retainer are accompanied by a 5-man combat squad onto an orbital defense station that has gone silent. The station was manned by humans and Excoriators Marines, so it's odd that it is non-responsive.
When the unit boards, they discover the reason the station is silent. Zombies! It's not explicitly stated, but it appears to be the Curse of Unbelief.
There isn't a ton of character development, as these are only 1000 words long. However, the story is enjoyable despite its brevity. It's got a good ending and enough action to keep it rolling.
If you have a couple bucks to spare and want a quick read, it's worth it. Also, if you've read Legion of the Damned and are familiar with the Excoriators, you might find it a nice addition to your "collection" of Excoriators fiction.
I may grab some more of these stories in the future, as the price isn't too bad, and the Chapters covered are obscure enough to be interesting.
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