Available within either the Sedition’s Gate or War Without End anthologies [EDIT: and now as a standalone e-short], Chris Wraight’s short story Allegiance takes an interesting look at the concept of loyalty in a legionary by asking if it’s possible for a member of one legion to change his allegiance to another legion entirely. Following on directly from Scars it focuses on Revuel Arvida, the Thousand Sons legionary recuperating in the company of Yesugei and the White Scars. As he slowly heals, recovering his esoteric talents alongside his physical health, he realises Yesugei is both testing him and hoping to persuade him to join the White Scars permanently.
Arvida only appeared briefly in Scars so this is a good opportunity to see a little more of the lone Thousand Son, and Wraight shows him struggling to understand his past as much as reclaim his ability to see the future. There’s a nice continuation of the thread highlighting the contrast between the two legions, as well as Yesugei’s friendship with Ahriman, while through Arvida’s eyes we also see the aftermath of Prospero and the divisions within the White Scars. It’s a thoughtful, reflective story that provides both an interesting question and a link to what’s coming next in this story arc.
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