A transport ship departed the Baron System, following a safe route marked out by the Talon naval navigation department behind the Necron war zone at the front.
The transport ship gradually left the combat zone designated by the Imperial Regent, as well as the prospective combat zone the Necrons might reach should the human front line collapse under the worst circumstances.
The ship gradually approached another major Warp Rift in the galaxy—the Maelstrom.
Vanessa was aboard the ship, standing on the bridge beside her command seat.
A massive viewport modeled after the bridge windows of the Tyran Navy flagship Glorious Humanity displayed everything in the cold void before Vanessa. She saw the swirling Warp Rift.
After the Eye of Terror had been closed, the Warp's influence on the Real Universe had been greatly weakened. Though the Maelstrom had not been closed, it too was gradually shrinking. Recently, several scattered daemon worlds had broken away from the Maelstrom, causing astronomical trouble after entering the Real Universe.
The transport ship entered a key route leading into the Maelstrom.
This route was formed by planet-sized Blackstone Constructs in every star system along the way. Like milestones on a road, these Blackstone Constructs divided the Maelstrom in two.
The Blackstone Constructs were numbered one by one. Once the ship reached the vicinity of Blackstone Construct Number 44 at faster-than-light speed, it was nearly at the end of its journey.
Blackstone Construct Number 44 floated at the heart of a star system. Vast void facilities and Talon's signature colossal starport had been built around it. From afar, the ships traveling back and forth along the key route looked like straight lines extending in every direction from the starport.
The ship carrying Vanessa was pulled into a berth by the starport's tractor beam, and the formalities