The Third Legion's Shadow-pattern Stormbird descended rapidly as Lord Bukayo Arshavin inspected his Data Slate.
Clawhook Island's natural cliffs made it a natural fortress.
He saw defensive works densely covering the island. Most dated back to the Dark Mechanicum Era, while the few later additions were Gothic structures.
The temporary swallowtail decorations on Bal's statue fluttered in the wind. The defenders had made full use of the buildings left behind by the Ninth Legion's engineers.
Air-to-ground Hellstrike Missiles dropped by Voss-pattern Lightning fighters struck the void array like waves, their erupting energy tracing ripples across the tactical interface.
The armored housings of the antiaircraft batteries spat dense barrages at the exposed black iron birds.
Bukayo examined the terrain displayed in the hologram and selected a landing zone near Elegy Island, the lowest-lying island near Clawhook Island.
Forty black Shadow-pattern Stormbirds dived simultaneously, their twin heavy bolters roaring.
Barrage after barrage swept over the castles embedded deep in their foundations, suppressing the surrounding gun emplacements.
Yellow runes suddenly flashed. Following the indication on his helmet display, Bukayo looked through the viewport toward a black Stormbird.
The Stormbird lurched through the air as though drunk, circling unsteadily.
[Lady Hera's psychic intrusion. The pilot is fighting her and has no attention to spare for transmitting a message.] Soul Assurer Bukayo leaned back, his eyelids drooping shut over his eyes.
His breathing gradually grew long and steady. In an instant, he entered a gray, hazy world, though he remained inside the Stormbird's cabin.
The Soul Assurer was already very familiar with this world—the world of a Nightmare.
The Soul Assurer's powerful spirit snatched two scrolls made by Chief Librarian Thomas from the waist of his black Tartaros-pattern Terminator Armor.
Sensing that his spirit had not yet reached its limit, he picked up another three