Nemesis (Novel)

From Warhammer 40k - Lexicanum
Jump to: navigation, search

"We live in peace and pretend at it. But in truth there are always wars, thundering unseen around us, just beyond the curve of our sight. The greatest foolishness is that no man wishes to know the truth. He is happy to live his life as silent guns cut the sky above his head."
Ignace Karkasy, attributed[2b]


Book2.jpg
 Publications Portal
Nemesis
Nemesis.jpg
Cover Illustration by Neil Roberts
Author James Swallow[1]
Performer Jonathan Keeble
Publisher Black Library
Series Horus Heresy Series[1]
Preceded by A Thousand Sons
Followed by The First Heretic
Released August 2010
Pages 507
Length 15 hours
Editions 2010 softcover:
ISBN 9781844168682

2010 ebook:
ISBN 9780857870520

Nemesis by James Swallow is the thirteenth book in the Horus Heresy Series. The novel was released in August 2010 and was the second novel in the Horus Heresy series to become a New York Times bestseller, after Graham McNeill's A Thousand Sons. It was later included in "The Novels: Volume 3" eBook collection.

Cover Description

After the horrors of Isstvan V, Horus declares outright war against the Imperium. In the shadows of the Emperor's Palace, powerful figures convene. Their plan is to send a team of assassins to execute the arch-traitor Horus and end the war for the galaxy of mankind before it's even begun. But what they cannot know is that another assassin is abroad already, with his sights firmly set on killing the Emperor.[1]

Dramatis Personae

Execution Force

Officio Assassinorum

Legio Custodes

Imperial Fists

Sons of Horus

Word Bearers

Imperial Personae

Plot Summary

Spoiler!
The following paragraphs contain spoilers for: Nemesis (Novel)

Part One: Execution

007.M31. On Gyges Prime, Venenum Assassin Tobeld's attempt to kill Horus Lupercal is foiled by Sons of Horus Luc Sedirae and Devram Korda. On Iesta Veracrux, law enforcer Yosef Sabrat starts investigating a gruesome murder with ritualistic trappings.[2c] In the Shrouds, a maze-like secret location of the Imperial Palace, the heads of the Officio Assassinorum convene to discuss their agents' failures to eliminate the Warmaster. At the suggestion of another party, later revealed to be Constantin Valdor, they agree to send a combined force to attempt the deed once more. In spite of their superiors' own agendas, Sabrat and his partner Daig Segan attempt to keep their investigation clean amid the rising tensions the civil war has been stirring in the sector.[2d] Rogal Dorn confronts Valdor about the meeting in the Shrouds, denouncing the underhandedness of such initiatives. Sabrat and Segan have to deal with another corpse and the involvement of the powerful Eurotas Rogue Trader Consortium. Accompanied by Vanus Assassin Fon Tariel, Valdor tracks down Vindicare Eristede Kell and makes him mission leader.[2e]

Sabrat and Segan get a name thanks to a blood sample: Erno Sigg, a former Eurotas employee affiliated with an illegal cult known as the Theoge. Kell and Tariel recruit Culexus Iota after she terminated an Yndonesiac warlord for the use of unsanctioned psykana.[2f] News of Dagonet's leaders declaring for the Warmaster reach Iesta Veracrux along with refugee ships. Kell's team has to subdue the Garantine, an Eversor accidentally awoken before they reach his containment base. Segan attends a meeting of the Theoge, as he himself is a follower of the Lectitio Divinitatus, and asks about Sigg. His partner and he track the man down, but the suspect runs away when an ill-advised raid scares him off.[2g] Eurotas security officer Hyssos, along with indentured psyker Perrig, arrive on Iesta Veracrux and join the investigation. In Jovian space, Callidus Koyne eliminates Mech-Lord Gergerra Rei for his involvement with the construction of the Furious Abyss, and is taken in by Kell's team.[2h] Sabrat and Segan meet Rogue Trader Merriksun Eurotas aboard his flagship Iubar and are introduced to the Consortium’s Cogitator resources. Venenum Jenniker Soalm is the final recruit of the Execution Force, in spite of Kell's objections. The assassinss mission briefing is delivered by Valdor: embed on Dagonet and terminate Horus.[2i]

Perrig uses psychometry to find Sigg, but accidentally synchronizes with the killer Spear and is obliterated by his power. Hyssos and Sabrat use her notes to track down their suspect, but Sigg has been slaughtered and Hyssos is faced with Spear, who has been impersonating Sabrat.[2j] Spear kills Hyssos and begins the process of assuming his appearance, but is interrupted by Segan whom he dispatches as well. Upon reaching Dagonet, the Execution Force realize the planet has fallen for all intents and purposes, and decide to drag out the conflict to draw Horus in.[2k] Spear as Hyssos frames Sabrat and Segan for the murders and takes his place aboard the Iubar, but must contend with remnants of Sabrat's psyche within his own. The Execution Force approach the Dagoneti resistance and liberate prisoners to gain their trust.[2l]

Part Two: Attrition

Soalm intrudes on a meeting of the Theoge in the resistance hideout and reveals herself as a follower of the Lectitio Divinitatus to their spiritual guide Astrid Sinope. Dagonet's governor announces the coming of the Sons of Horus along with their Primarch to pacify the world.[2m] Spear is incensed to find out the Warrant of Trade aboard the Iubar is a fake, as he needs the drop of blood kept in stasis inside it to imprint on his target: the Emperor himself. Coaxing the truth out of Eurotas, he heads to Dagonet where members of the Theoge are keeping it safe.[2n]

Kell assembles the Execution Force, but sends Iota after Soalm upon learning the latter decided to answer Sinope's summons to another camp, where she is entrusted with sending the Eurotas Warrant off-planet.[2o] Spear reaches the Theoge camp and, faced with Iota, goes on a rampage. The other four assassins execute their plan and terminate the leader of the Sons of Horus who just teleported into Dagonet's capital.[2p]

Spear obliterates Iota and consumes the drop of blood while Soalm barely escapes. The assassination proves a failure as the team targeted a proxy, who turns out to have been Sedirae, and they fight their way out of the city now subjected to the wrath of the XVI.[2q] The Garantine sacrifices himself during the escape, but the rest find Soalm, who explains the situation, and Tariel confirms that Spear poses a threat to the Emperor. Changing their mission parameters, they go after the Black Pariah and prevent him from leaving Dagonet, although Soalm is killed in the process.[2r]

The three remaining assassins hunt down Spear, who dispatches Tariel. Koyne fights him in a duel but is killed as well, giving Kell the opportunity to eliminate Spear.[2s] Aboard the Ultio, Kell sends his report and attempts to find and terminate Horus aboard the Vengeful Spirit. Back on Terra, the Emperor declares the Officio Assassinorum must leave the shadows, but remains a necessary tool. Horus forbids Erebus from attempting anything else like Spear again, asserting only he will kill his father.[2t]

Images

Cover art

Sources


Horus Heresy Series
Novels I Horus Rising • II False Gods • III Galaxy in Flames • IV The Flight of the Eisenstein • V Fulgrim • VI Descent of Angels • VII Legion • VIII Battle for the Abyss • IX Mechanicum • X Tales of Heresy • XI Fallen Angels • XII A Thousand Sons • XIII Nemesis • XIV The First Heretic • XV Prospero Burns • XVI Age of Darkness • XVII The Outcast Dead • XVIII Deliverance Lost • XIX Know No Fear • XX The Primarchs • XXI Fear to Tread • XXII Shadows of Treachery • XXIII Angel Exterminatus • XXIV Betrayer • XXV Mark of Calth • XXVI Vulkan Lives • XXVII The Unremembered Empire • XXVIII Scars • XXIX Vengeful Spirit • XXX The Damnation of Pythos • XXXI Legacies of Betrayal • XXXII Deathfire • XXXIII War Without End • XXXIV Pharos • XXXV Eye of Terra • XXXVI The Path of Heaven • XXXVII The Silent War • XXXVIII Angels of Caliban • XXXIX Praetorian of Dorn • XL Corax • XLI The Master of Mankind • XLII Garro • XLIII Shattered Legions • XLIV The Crimson King • XLV Tallarn • XLVI Ruinstorm • XLVII Old Earth • XLVIII The Burden of Loyalty • XLIX Wolfsbane • L Born of Flame • LI Slaves to Darkness • LII Heralds of the Siege • LIII Titandeath • LIV The Buried Dagger • Dropsite Massacre
Siege of Terra I The Solar War • II The Lost and the Damned • III The First Wall • Sons of the Selenar • IV Saturnine • Fury of Magnus • V Mortis • VI Warhawk • VII Echoes of Eternity • Garro: Knight of Grey • VIII The End and the Death (Volume I • Volume II • Volume III) • Era of Ruin
The Scouring I Ashes of the Imperium
The Primarchs Roboute Guilliman: Lord of Ultramar • Leman Russ: The Great Wolf • Magnus the Red: Master of Prospero • Perturabo: The Hammer of Olympia • Lorgar: Bearer of the Word • Fulgrim: The Palatine Phoenix • Ferrus Manus: Gorgon of Medusa • Grandfather's Gift • Perturabo: Stone and Iron • Malcador: First Lord of the Imperium • Konrad Curze: A Lesson in Darkness • Jaghatai Khan: Warhawk of Chogoris • Vulkan: Lord of Drakes • Sons of the Emperor • Corax: Lord of Shadows • Angron: Slave of Nuceria • Scions of the Emperor • Konrad Curze: The Night Haunter • Ghost of Nuceria • The Passing of Angels • The Abyssal Edge • Mercy of the Dragon • Lion El'Jonson: Lord of the First • Illyrium • The Revelation of the Word • Morningstar • Will of the Legion • Embers of Extinction • Alpharius: Head of the Hydra • Blood of the Emperor • Loyal Sons • Mortarion: The Pale King • Rogal Dorn: The Emperor's Crusader • Sanguinius: The Great Angel • Heirs of The Emperor
Horus Heresy Characters Valdor: Birth of the Imperium • Luther: First of the Fallen • Sigismund: The Eternal Crusader • Eidolon: The Auric Hammer • Zardu Layak: The Crimson Apostle
Novellas Promethean Sun • Aurelian • Brotherhood of the Storm • The Reflection Crack'd • Feat of Iron • The Lion • The Serpent Beneath • Corax: Soulforge • Scorched Earth • Tallarn: Executioner • Prince of Crows • The Crimson Fist • The Purge • Ravenlord • The Seventh Serpent • Tallarn: Ironclad • Cybernetica • Wolf King • The Honoured • The Unburdened • Garro: Vow of Faith • Sons of the Forge • Dreadwing • Spear of Ultramar
Collections Angron • The Imperial Truth • Sedition's Gate • Echoes of Ruin • Death and Defiance • Blades of the Traitor • Meduson • Betrayal at Calth • Echoes of the Imperium • Virtues of the Sons/Sins of the Father • Echoes of Revelation • Lupercal's War • Cthonia's Reckoning
Short Stories The Lightning Tower • The Dark King • Army of One • Kryptos • Distant Echoes of Old Night • Lost Sons • Death of a Silversmith • The Divine Word • The Kaban Project • The Gates of Terra • Lord of the Red Sands • Serpent • Luna Mendax • Riven • Bjorn: Lone Wolf • The Wolf of Ash and Fire • Heart of the Conqueror • Child of Night • The Shadowmasters • The Devine Adoratrice • Daemonology • Sins of the Father • The Final Compliance of Sixty-Three Fourteen • Vorax • The Value of Fear • Brotherhood of the Moon • Virtues of the Sons • Imperfect • Howl of the Hearthworld • A Safe and Shadowed Place • Gunsight • Black Oculus • Wolf Mother • Twisted • Chirurgeon • Tallarn: Witness • Ironfire • Hands of the Emperor • By the Lion's Command • All That Remains • The Phoenician • Artefacts • Ghosts Speak Not • Patience • Inheritor • Tallarn: Siren • Blackshield • Myriad • Into Exile • The Grey Raven • The Painted Count • Exocytosis • The Last Son of Prospero • Ordo Sinister • The Ember Wolves • Restorer • The Laurel of Defiance • Immortal Duty • Duty Waits • Magisterium • Now Peals Midnight • Dreams of Unity • The Board is Set • The Atonement of Fire • A Lesson in Iron • Massacre • Two Metaphysical Blades • Prologue to Nikaea • Old Wounds, New Scars • Abyssal • The Last Council • A Rose Watered with Blood • Bringer of Sorrow • Lantern's Light • The Serpent's Dance • The Lightning Hall • Eater of Dreams • Bloodhowl • Amor Fati • The Fields of Abundance • The Shel'tain Affair • Primacy • The Nine • Visage • The Last Loyalist • Anathema
Audio Dramas Raven's Flight • Garro: Oath of Moment • Garro: Legion of One • Butcher's Nails • Grey Angel • Burden of Duty • Garro: Sword of Truth • Warmaster • Strike and Fade • Veritas Ferrum • The Sigillite • Honour to the Dead • Wolf Hunt • Censure • Thief of Revelations • Khârn: The Eightfold Path • Lucius: The Eternal Blademaster • Cypher: Guardian of Order • Hunter's Moon • Wolf's Claw • Templar • Garro: Shield of Lies • Master of the First • The Long Night • Stratagem • Herald of Sanguinius • The Watcher • The Eagle's Talon • Iron Corpses • Garro: Ashes of Fealty • Raptor • Grey Talon • Red-Marked • The Either • The Heart of the Pharos • The Thirteenth Wolf • Children of Sicarus • Perpetual • The Soul, Severed • Valerius • The Binary Succession • Dark Compliance • Blackshields: The False War • Blackshields: The Red Fief • Hubris of Monarchia • Nightfane • Blackshields: The Broken Chain
Artbooks Collected Visions (2007) • Visions of Heresy (2013) • Visions of Heresy (2014) • Visions of Heresy (2018) • Art of the Horus Heresy
Script Books Horus Heresy: The Scripts: Volume I • Horus Heresy: The Scripts: Volume II
Graphic Novels Macragge's Honour
Retrieved from "https://lex.124811.xyz/mediawiki/index.php?title=Nemesis_(Novel)&oldid=719625"