Available as a standalone e-short or as the first story in Inferno! Volume 1, The Unsung War sees David Annandale tackling Ultramarines Primaris Marines in a story of pragmatism and sacrifice. Deep in the bowels of the freighter Summons of Faith, two Ultramarines Intercessors are being held captive by drukhari raiders, in the wake of a disastrous mission to cleanse the ship of its tainted crew. A resourceful human stowaway offers them hope of fighting back, but in order to have any chance of victory, and avert a great tragedy, the Ultramarines may have to turn to the lesser of two evils for aid.
Annandale puts the Ultramarines in a tight spot from the off, providing a credible reason for their need to rely on the unknown quantities of ‘the Rat’, as the stowaway thinks of herself, and to risk pitting their two enemies against each other. There’s plenty of straightforward (but nonetheless entertaining) action as the Marines get stuck in, balanced by the added viewpoint of the Rat, which provides an interesting perspective on events and allows for both a bit more personality and some context for the sacrifices being made. Altogether it’s a neat, self-contained story that doesn’t try to be too wide-reaching, instead feeling focused and darkly satisfying in its own right.
Check out The Return of Inferno! to Black Library to find out how the author describes this story.
Click here to buy The Unsung War as a standalone e-short.
