Both sides in the Hive City war were preparing to secure victory.
At this time, the Orbital Dock had yet to be transported into orbit, and the fleet controlled by the Governor had not yet returned to the Tyran System.
So no one noticed when a purple rift was torn open in the tranquil void of the Tyran System. A Vagabond-class cargo ship emerged from the Warp, and the rift behind it immediately sealed shut.
Inside the cargo ship's bridge, every crew member, including the captain, stood holding their breath as they watched the metal panels around them continuously fold away and rise, until they could see the boundless void beyond the ship.
"Ah... praise the Emperor!" The captain dropped to his knees in excitement. "Emperor above, we finally saw the void of the real world again."
"Praise the Emperor, praise the Emperor..."
"Our survival through the Warp Storm must have been a miracle bestowed by the Emperor!"
Everyone else on the bridge fell to their knees as well, bowing before the Double-headed Eagle that symbolized the Imperium.
Soon, footsteps sounded, and the bridge doors opened. Ten officers entered.
They wore green carapace armor, and every one of them had purple eyes.
When they saw the void outside, they too began praising the Emperor.
A Warp Storm was terrifying for humans who used Warp Engines. It meant they might be forced to remain in the Warp and become playthings for those dreadful Warp creatures.
Then all sorts of horrific things might happen aboard the ship. A crew member might suddenly begin conducting rituals, or everyone aboard might start doing mad things.
Even if they escaped the Warp Storm and returned to the material universe, they might find that hundreds or thousands of years had already passed.
"Which system are we