"Once the Navigation Tower was deployed to Manros, faster-than-light travel resumed."
"We learned that within a thousand light-years, the star systems near the Warp Rift couldn't even make short-range jumps. Cut off from supplies, they'd fallen into famine."
"Per capita food rations on a hundred and fifty hive worlds had dwindled to desperate levels. If we'd taken any longer to reclaim the Navigation Tower, people would have been forced to eat one another."
After returning from Manwei III, Lu Jin went to the Ragefang to find Emagran. There, he happened upon Kao, who had just met with Carly, and listened as Kao briefed him on the situation.
"Previously, the Ragefang's most important task was to use the Webway to lead food transports to various star systems. When we went to war with Huron, the faster-than-light travel network collapsed."
"Now it's clear that reclaiming the Navigation Tower was absolutely necessary—even if the Alliance paid a terrible price."
Lu Jin listened in silence, relieved that Tzeentch had directly interfered with the ritual on Badab Prime. That interference had caused the ritual to end with him being thrown into the Heart Eater Domain, rather than corrupting the Navigation Tower.
Whatever Tzeentch's reason for letting him learn about "ascension," it had unwittingly helped him.
"The Primarch has been asking for a ship as payment for helping us fight the Battle for the Navigation Tower. He says he has unfinished business, and needs a ship so he can leave."
Hearing that Lion wanted to leave, Lu Jin stopped walking. "What unfinished business?"
"Rescuing someone," Kao said. "He told me he rescued a world before somehow ending up on Badab, but there were things he hadn't finished. He wasn't willing to say more."
"Ask Lion whether it's urgent. If it isn't, I'd like him to stay