'The Will of the Legion' – Andy Clark (Black Library)

As with most weeks at the moment, it's shaping up to be one of those weeks where you try your hardest to grab a few minutes reading, here and there, but you're very lucky if you get any at all... That's the way it goes sometimes but luckily for me, I've got a whole load of short stories on my Kindle and I'm a fairly fast reader. Go me :o)

I've really been enjoying the Black Library 40k (and 30k) short stories as not only are they quick and entertaining reads but they also take the time to delve into areas of the lore that the main series don't have time to (those books have more than enough story to keep them going, as you'll know only too well if you're collecting the 'Horus Heresy' series...)

When I saw that today's short story was all about one of my favourite Space Marine Chapters, the Imperial Fists (I'm a sucker for a cool name), that was about all it took for me to buy it and start reading. As an added bonus, it also features one of my favourite Primarchs, Rogal Dorn (again, sucker for a cool name). 'The Will of the Legion' isn't just about the cool names though, it's not even just about Space Marines being awesome at making war. 'The Will of the Legion' asks a pretty big question... and then leaves you to come up with the answer yourself.

As they range out into the galaxy as part of the Emperor's Great Crusade, the warriors of the 3rd Expeditionary Fleet meet a long-lost outpost of humanity – only to be attacked by those they should be able to call brother. It is unfortunate for these Driftborn that the fleet includes not just the Imperial Army, but Space Marines of the Imperial Fists – and their primarch, the unforgiving Rogal Dorn. The primarch swears to bring the enemy world to Compliance, one way or another… and his warriors wonder if he is willing to do the unthinkable in the name of victory.

'The Will of the Legion' looks at the compliance of a colony of asteroid cities inhabited by humans who don't want to embrace the Imperial Truth. These pirates (that's what they are) make a huge mistake in attacking the expeditionary fleet as not only are the Imperial Fists present in the fleet but their Primarch is with them. This, of course, makes for some stunning battle scenes where the outcome is never in doubt but you stick around anyway because it's all very well written and you're secretly wishing this was a movie.

Making war is what Space Marines are all about but a good author will push that further and see what happens... which is exactly what Andy Clark does by taking Rogal Dorn's ultimatum and examining how his men react to it. As an aside, it's a great move by Dorn to just cut through all the peripheral fighting and go straight for the jugular. That kind of move shows us exactly what Dorn is all about and what makes his men follow him.

The outcome is never in doubt but that's not what 'The Will of the Legion' is all about. We know that Dorn would have followed through with his threat but what about the Marines under his command? The fact that Captain Yonnad even asks himself the question indicates not only how much the success of the Crusade depends on moments like these but also throws the morality of the Crusade into question. And is it right to follow a Primarch who would consider this action? Why are we following this Primarch? We all know what happens when Space Marines start asking questions, don't we...?

'The Will of the Legion' doesn't give us those answers but invites us to consider the questions for ourselves. I love it when a story does this and I think 'The Will of the Legion' does it very well. I like to think that Captain Yonnad never turned traitor but it's moments like this that I think helped to kick off events leading to the Horus Heresy itself. All credit then to Andy Clark for covering it in the way that he does, a hefty dose of action leading to moments that really make you think about what you have just read.