The bridge of the Alpha.
"Omega" stared at the warship emerging near the Mandeville Point.
It looked nothing like the Imperium's Gothic vessels. It resembled the trident of the River Styx from myth.
The trident of the River Styx?
An Abyss-class warship?
"Omega" recalled the three reports he had received about it.
The detailed report had come from the Sol System, sent by Alpha's infiltration agents.
Every Abyss-class warship Fabricator-General Kelbor-Hal had built for the Warmaster had been seized.
A brief report had come from Cthonia. Two Abyss-class warships had appeared, taken the Sons of Horus's homeworld, and declared that the planet would serve Nimrod.
The third had come from the Colonid Sector. The Dark Mechanicum and the Death Guard had jointly developed the Venomous Ship and dragged a Space Hulk out of the Warp, only to encounter an Abyss-class warship.
The Warmaster's decisive strike had been crushed by an Abyss-class warship.
The Wolf-Herder God had suffered his first defeat.
"Omega's" heart sank.
Whichever Abyss-class warship this was, it belonged to Nimrod's side.
His ship, the giant book, slowly opened to reveal an enormous cannon barrel.
"Lord Omega, energy readings are climbing rapidly."
"Redistributing power to the Void Shields."
A searing beam shot toward them, overwhelming every energy sensor.
One video-screen rune after another vanished, replaced by dense, rolling static.
The Lumen Lamps overhead went out at once.
"Omega" swayed slightly. A sharp crack sounded from the Servitor beside him, and the smell of burning rose from his interface.
He fixed his eyes on the hologram and gave an order.
"Restart the Auspex array. Confirm our status."
The magnetic boots of Alpharius's armor held "Omega" fast to the deck, but the impact he expected never came.
The image flickered into view, flashed rapidly, then stabilized.
The Abyss-class warship neither attacked