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'''''A Lesson in Iron''''' is a short story by [[David Guymer]] in the [[Horus Heresy: The Primarchs]] series focusing on [[Ferrus Manus]] and the [[Iron Hands]].{{Fn|1}}

==Cover Story Description==

Escorted by the [[Venom Class Destroyer]] ''[[Strontium Wave]]'', the ''[[Fist of Iron (battleship)|Fist of Iron]]'' engages a trio of [[Ork]] [[Kill Kroozer]]s near a [[Warp]] anomaly about a dozen light years from the [[Krooked Klaw Empire]]. A fourth ship unexpectedly appears on sensors, though [[Space Marine Sergeant|Sergeant]] [[Gabriel Santar]] determined it to be an [[Iron Hands]] [[Strike Cruiser]]. In response, [[Primarch]] [[Ferrus Manus]] led a boarding party composed of himself, Sergeants Santar and [[Harik Morn]], [[Mechanicum]] representative [[Xanthus]], and some [[Space Marine Scout|Scouts]].{{Fn|2}}

Scouts [[Arkal Metrician]], [[Sharik Borrgan]], [[Ruugal]], [[Jerek]], [[Lagethar]], [[Zaegerr]], and [[Scout Sergeant]]s [[Salem Hektur]] and [[Boros (Iron Hands)|Boros]] explore the bowels of the ship and encounter [[daemons|hostile ethereal xenoforms]] that cannot be harmed by normal weapons. They suffer heavy casualties in attempting to retaliate. Meanwhile as Ferrus and the others approach the bridge, Morn and Xanthus find no living crew but discover evidence that the ship came from the future, namely the exaggerated occultism in the [[servitor]]s and control interfaces and slight deviations in access protocols. Upon the command platform of the bridge they discover an Iron Hands corpse, full of [[bionics]] that Ferrus deems reminiscent of orkish crudeness. Ferrus resolves not to let this happen to his children while he lived, but then his party comes under attack from the ethereal [[xenos]].{{Fn|2}}

As with the scouts, the Sergeants' weapons fail to harm the entities, but Ferrus obliterated one with ''[[Forgebreaker]]''. Santar draws his [[gladius]] and begins stabbing at the xenos, which surprisingly injures them, causing Ferrus to think it might be the Warp conditions and maybe Santar's fury actually damaging the creatures and not his blade.{{Fn|2}} Ferrus then issues a fighting withdrawal order from the derelict. Morn was hesitant to leave a Legion ship in the hands of xenos while Xanthus thought of the technological advancements that might be discovered, but Ferrus wanted no part in the future this ship represented. For some time he had been looking for a [[First Captain]], with Morn and Santar being frontliners, and Santar's impressive performance made Ferrus settle on who gets to be promoted.{{Fn|2}}

*{{Endn|1}}: [https://web.archive.org/web/20241224121032/https://www.blacklibrary.com/the-horus-heresy/quick-reads/advent-2018-9-a-lesson-in-iron-eshort.html Black Library: A Lesson in Iron] ''(saved archive page, dated 24 December 2024, last accessed 20 February 2025, original link: archived from [https://www.blacklibrary.com/the-horus-heresy/quick-reads/advent-2018-9-a-lesson-in-iron-eshort.htmlthe original] 24 December 2024, last accessed 20 February 2025)''*{{Endn|2}}: '''A Lesson in Iron (Short Story)'''