Holder of the Keys

[Phoebus]

"Holder of the Keys", by Gav Thorpe, was released today as part of this year's Advent Calendar.

 

By now, I'm resigned to a lot of the greater story of the Warhammer 40k and Horus Heresy stories being doled out by increments every few weeks/months, as opposed to getting novels (or even series) that comprehensively detail them.  That's rather disappointing to me, as I feel the rise of Luther and the fall of Caliban could have been told in a much better way.

 

But that's neither here nor there.  "Holder of the Keys" is roughly 18 minutes long.  Its principal character is an unnamed Fallen Dark Angel.  Ezekiel contributes, but contributes only about 10% or so of the dialogue.  The story format is similar to other Black Library audio products: dialogue is joined by various sounds effects in the background.  Sometimes, that can be a detriment... but for the most part it ads to the ambience.

 

The story, without spoilers, is about the interrogation of this unnamed Fallen Dark Angel by Ezekiel.  Interestingly, the questioning involves the final battle of Caliban, fought between the loyalists following the Lion and Luther's rebels.  This is a refreshing break from the stock encounters with the Fallen, which generally amount to "repent your sins" and "curse the Lion!" back-and-forths.

 

"Holder" obviously doesn't cover the entirety of this battle, and provides only a limited, dramatic perspective over some of the conflict in space as well as on the planet itself.  It by no means offers any sort of resolution over the subject matter, but it doesn't throw any "surprise!" twists to it, either.  Don't expect, for instance, a turn akin to Astelan claiming the Lion was sitting on the fence.

 

"Holder" is a fun listen, but it has very limited value in terms of replayability.  At $7, it's basically of worth only to a completionist, such as myself.  For the casual listener, or even for the fan of all things Dark Angels that nonetheless doesn't need to hear every word on the subject, it's probably a pass.

 

Spoilers follow.  Warning, the spoilers basically spill anything of interest or note to the story:

 

 

"Holder of the Keys" is told in a roughly "backwards" fashion.  The interrogation itself is conducted psychically, and the Fallen Dark Angel sees Ezekiel in a monstrous, terrifying light (which gets worse as the interrogation goes on) until the very end.  Interestingly, no Interrogator-Chaplain is ever shown.

 

The narrator starts with the ground assault, but is later prompted by Ezekiel to back-track to the orbital fight.  Still later, he is forced to confront the opening shots of the entire battle.

 

Aldurukh is mentioned as "The Rock" by the Fallen Dark Angel narrator.  I can't recall if this was the case in Descent of Angels or Fallen Angels.  While most of the surrounding defenses appear to have been ruined by the orbital assault, the Rock and the capital around it would appear to be guarded by a defense network described as a "Gorgon-forged aegis ward".

 

As an aside, while  nothing else is mentioned about this ward, it's always neat to see tidbits like it.  They provide more detail and depth to the setting, if nothing else.  In this case, is the implication that Ferrus Manus not only came to Caliban but helped design at least some of its defences?

 

The mustering grounds by the Bronze Gate had stands that could hold 30,000 battle-brothers, who would watch jousts and duels.  Is this implying the strength of Luther's Dark Angels before the invasion?  Or the fighting strength of the Order before the Imperium's arrival?

 

As the Dark Angels push the Calibanites back (who are defending furiously and causing them dire casualties), they resort to employing phosphex weapons.

 

Prompted by Ezekiel, the Fallen Dark Angel's narrative then shifts to the orbital battles that preceded the strikes against Caliban.

 

The narrator is then shown commanding an orbital station that is being boarded by loyalist Dark Angels.  The Calibanites counter-attack in an attempt to make their way to saviour pods.  Corswain suddenly makes an appearance, as part of the loyalist boarding party.  He is described thusly:

 

"Arch-traitor.  Once the noblest of us, who should have stood at our lord's right hand.  Caliban's glorious son, now lick-spit to the filth of Terra.  Paladin.  Pure-blade.  Hound lord.  Dread Corswain."

 

Corswain wields a greatsword whose edge "spills white fire".  "Where such a sword came from, what debts he owed for its gifting, who would dare say?"  asks the narrator.  He then describes Corswain as moving in a way no other warrior he has ever seen.

 

The Calibanites had been planning on evacuating the orbital station, but the sight of Corswain slaying their best swordsman with a single blow sends them fleeing.  The dialogue between the narrator and Ezekiel implies that Corswain met his end there, though:  the Calibanites had set their reactor to overload, for their station to self-destruct.

 

Ezekiel pushes the Fallen Dark Angel to confess with a single word, "Starfire".  Interestingly, it could be interpreted as if the Fallen doesn't really recall his guilt:  the memory of what follows is "torn from the depths of his mind".  "Starfire" would appear to be the code word used to launch an attack by Caliban's orbital defenses against the Dark Angels fleet.  Ezekiel demands that the Fallen acknowledge how they initiated the battle by treacherously destroying a strike cruiser:  they lured it in with "fake protestations of surrender", and then they and other stations destroyed it.  The Fallen in question was the one who ordered the attack, despite his - as Ezekiel claims - doubts and reservations.

 

The Fallen's sanity fades at that point.  As he comes out from the psychic interrogation, he is dragged away by skull-faced Dark Angels.

 

[Isiah]

Thanks for the review Phoebus. Some interesting background details revealed to add to the bigger picture. Always seem to be on a drip drip basis <_<.

 

Cheers

I