Chapter Summaries

Chen Ye and Yao En killed Rhode after he asked for a dignified death, then teleported the captives to safety. In the fortress, Grey canceled the planned attack on the Engine Foundry and prepared to wait for communications with the Tyran System.

• Rhode asked Chen Ye to let him die with dignity, dismissed the demon after speaking to it, and asked Yao En to kill him.
• Yao En annihilated Rhode with his Shoulder Cannon, then used the Celestial Engine to teleport everyone to a safe location.
• Sevyn argued against Grey's plan to attack the Engine Foundry while Vik watched in displeasure.
• Grey received Yao En's transmission about the deaths of two Oathbreaker Warband leaders and canceled the foundry attack.
• Grey and Sevyn agreed the war was theirs to win, and Grey told Vik that a communication channel could let him contact the Tyran System.

Qin Mo developed a way to use ripples in the dimension he had created to transmit messages faster than light. He then began designing a remotely controlled Living Metal body and agreed to use Mimic in an experiment.

• Cawl, revealed to be Mimic, told Qin Mo that twenty members of the Weeping Legion could not undergo the Primaris upgrade and would die soon.
• Qin Mo explained that he had discovered how to affect his own dimension and demonstrated a communications facility that used ripples to accelerate signals.
• Qin Mo began designing a remotely controlled Living Metal avatar to overcome his inability to be in multiple places at once.
• Mimic offered to help test the avatar, and Qin Mo agreed to prepare an experiment.

Qin Mo and Mimic tested the C'tan shell in the Lonely System, where Qin Mo measured its durability and offensive power. The shell held about sixty percent of a true body's power, leaving Qin Mo wondering why his flesh-and-blood body could contain more.

• Qin Mo and Mimic traveled aboard the Leviathan to the Lonely System to test the shell in an isolated arena.
• Qin Mo sent his consciousness into the shell and adapted to controlling its five-meter-tall body.
• Mimic attacked Qin Mo to test the shell's resistance, and its Living Metal rapidly repaired the damage after Qin Mo restored the warped effects of Mimic's attacks.
• Qin Mo counterattacked with a fireball launched from cannons formed by his arm, burning a ten-kilometer area and wounding Mimic.
• Qin Mo concluded that the shell could wield only about sixty percent of a true body's power and wondered why his flesh-and-blood body could contain more.

Qin Mo learned that a soul might let him enter the Warp, while Mimic explained that the Warp was dangerous to the C'tan because it was unknowable and uncontrollable. Four days later, Vik and Sevyn were brought before a giant metal figure aboard the Celestial Engine.

• Mimic said Qin Mo's reshaped flesh-and-blood body was stronger than his Living Metal body and speculated that he had become a new form of life.
• Mimic asked whether Qin Mo was a Soulless One and explained that the Void Dragon had theorized that C'tan with souls might be able to enter the Warp.
• Mimic said the Warp threatened the C'tan through its unknowable nature, and suggested Qin Mo ask the Void Dragon about it through Vik.
• Qin Mo ended the shell-testing experiment and planned to take the shell to the Celestial Engine to meet Vik.
• Four days later, Yao En led Vik and Sevyn through the Celestial Engine to a sealed room, where they saw a giant metal figure observing Agripina Forge World.
• Yao En knelt before the giant and announced that Vik and Sevyn had arrived.

Qin Mo arrived at the Forge World and gave Vik an STC template to restore its war damage, asking him to become Arch-Dominus and await orders. Sevyn pledged to support Vik and received extensive mechanical enhancements from Qin Mo, while Qin Mo began planning to develop the Tyran Sector before Abaddon attacked Cadia.

• Qin Mo’s shell reached the Forge World after appearing in the Aes System and destroying the Ravager Fleet.
• Qin Mo asked Vik whether he had shared the STC template, and Vik confirmed that he had given it to the Forge World rather than claiming it as his own.
• Sevyn told Qin Mo that the Engine Foundry and other ancient facilities had been destroyed, and that scattered enemies were still causing damage.
• Qin Mo gave Vik a new STC template capable of restoring damaged areas and asked him to become the Forge World’s Arch-Dominus.
• Sevyn pledged to support Vik, and Qin Mo enhanced Sevyn’s mechanical augmentations and combat abilities.
• Qin Mo withdrew from his shell and considered building more warships and recruiting soldiers to develop the Tyran Sector before Abaddon attacked Cadia.

Qin Mo discussed the Tyran military’s strengths and limitations with Vanessa as he prepared for the coming war on Cadia. After Mimic appeared in Vanessa’s guise, Qin Mo asked her to use her illusion ability to convene all the Stone Men in the sector.

• Qin Mo showed Vanessa the Orbital Dock’s warship production and asked for her assessment of the Tyran military.
• Vanessa explained that the Tyran forces were powerful but costly and too specialized to sustain wars of attrition across many star systems.
• Qin Mo learned that Cadia was preparing for war and said he intended to defend it while seeking compensation afterward.
• Qin Mo told Vanessa to receive the Imperium’s Tithe fleet and try to persuade it to replace its ships’ engines with Dimension Engines.
• Mimic returned disguised as Vanessa, and Qin Mo asked her to gather all the Stone Men in the sector for a meeting, including two Inquisitors with implanted chips.

Qin Mo reviewed the Stone Men’s progress and confirmed that they had completed the Tyran Sector’s integration. He lifted the Research Ban and sent Klein back to Tyran to install an FTL Communication Facility and relay messages to Creed, then decided to develop and wait.

• Qin Mo reviewed the Stone Men’s reports and learned that they had won the loyalty of influential figures or eliminated those who resisted.
• Qin Mo confirmed that the Stone Men had integrated every world in the Tyran Sector, selected ten Custodian candidates, and prepared recruits for the army and fleet.
• Qin Mo lifted the Research Ban, allowing the Stone Men to train scientific researchers.
• Qin Mo had Mimic contact Klein on Agripinna Forge World and ordered him to return to Tyran, install an FTL Communication Facility, and find Creed.
• Klein ordered the merchant vessel’s crew to plot a route back to the Tyran System, while Qin Mo told Mimic that they would develop and wait.

Two months after the recall order, Creed and the 8th Regiment remained years away from Cadia as the Eager Advance stopped for supplies. Klein joined them as a liaison from Tyran, and Creed hoped the journey would bring him information about Cadia’s future.

• Cadian officers discussed the long trip home and the possibility of fitting the Eager Advance with Dimension Engines, while the ship’s naval officers objected to the idea.
• Creed told Kyle that rumors about Dimension Engines were likely being spread by Astropaths who feared losing their importance.
• Klein arrived to serve as a liaison with Creed for the journey, and Creed agreed to let him travel with the regiment before going ahead to Cadia.
• Creed asked Klein for more information from Qin Mo, but Klein said he had received no further message and promised that Tyran was building up its forces.
• Creed reflected on the threat of rebellion on Cadia and wished he could use a Dimension Engine to shorten the years-long journey home.

Creed returned to Cadia with Eager Advance’s troops and remembered the prophecy that the Voskany Iron Cavalry would rebel at the Tuyuko Plains. He tried to warn Fortress Lords Marrus and Calvien, but they dismissed his fears, leaving Creed to conceal his concern.

• Klein helped Ruis obtain Power Armor and a merchant license while entertaining Eager Advance’s crew with stories of Void Wars.
• Creed rode with Klein to Cadia and recalled the attack that had destroyed his home and killed his family and friends.
• Creed saw troops assembling on the Tuyuko Plains and recalled Qin Mo’s prophecy that the Voskany Iron Cavalry would rebel there.
• Creed prepared to organize a counterattack but decided not to tell others about the prophecy because they would not believe him.
• Marrus and Calvien visited the landing field, and Creed urged them to beware of traitors, but they reassured him that Cadia’s troops were loyal.

Creed kept the 8th Regiment on combat readiness while forces gathered on the Tuyuko Plains, wary that war was approaching. As the Voskany Iron Cavalry arrived, he compared their discipline with his own troops and accepted an invitation to watch the military parade from the command vehicle.

• Creed ordered the exhausted 8th Regiment to prepare for immediate combat after they landed on Cadia, and the soldiers obeyed.
• Creed told Klein that his Tyran Army had been trained for rapid mobilization and combat power, and warned Klein to protect himself and his ship when fighting began.
• After six days of reinforcements arriving on the Tuyuko Plains, the Fortress Lords organized a parade to welcome the Voskany Iron Cavalry.
• Creed delayed joining the parade while observing the plains, then studied the Voskarians as more than a thousand marched off their transport in precise formation.
• Creed told Klein that it was not yet known whether the Voskany Iron Cavalry or the 8th Regiment was stronger, then boarded a transport with Klein to watch the parade from the command vehicle.

Creed watched the Voskarians arrive and join the parade while remaining wary of their company commander. When Marrus noticed unfamiliar black flags, the commander suddenly attacked and slit his throat.

• Marrus welcomed the Voskarian company commander and offered him wine, but the commander refused to drink before the war.
• Five Transport Ships brought the Voskany Iron Cavalry to the Tuyuko Plains, and Marrus ordered the parade to begin.
• Marrus ordered the company commander to join him and watch the parade, while Creed kept a close eye on him.
• Marrus spotted black flags among the Voskany Iron Cavalry and reached for his binoculars.
• The company commander tore off his epaulet and slit Marrus's throat before Creed could react.

After Marrus was assassinated, Creed and Klein escaped the command vehicle as the Voskany Iron Cavalry rebelled and attacked the allied forces. Klein revealed his merchant ship had a teleportation device, allowing the group to reach the 8th Regiment as Creed organized a defense.

• The Voskany Iron Cavalry company commander killed Marrus, and Creed shot the commander as the cavalry opened fire on the Fortress Lord's guards.
• Creed and Klein led their guards through the fighting and into the command vehicle, where they found Voskany troops attacking throughout the ship.
• Creed ordered his followers to abandon the command vehicle and directed the 8th Regiment to form a defensive line and gather the allied forces.
• Klein revealed that his merchant ship could teleport them, and its crew sent down Protection Devices before teleporting the group to the 8th Regiment.
• Klein ordered his ship to keep its Dimension Engine ready, then stayed with Creed to serve as a liaison.

After returning to the 8th Regiment’s defensive line, Creed organized the scattered allied forces and kept command from the battlefield despite the danger. He argued that his death could strengthen morale, while the battle across the Tuyuko Plains remained desperate.

• Creed arrived at the 8th Regiment’s position by teleportation, and Kyle disbanded the suicide squad he had assembled to rescue him.
• Creed assessed the battle and ordered the 8th Regiment to hold its line, contact scattered allies, rebuild command, and prepare to retake the command vehicle.
• Caldered urged allied troops to volunteer for a suicide squad, while Klein offered orbital bombardment and Creed refused.
• Creed asked Klein to report the situation in orbit and told him to inform the Lord of Tyran, but said it was too early to request reinforcements.
• Creed walked along the defensive line under fire, and his presence inspired the 8th Regiment, allied troops, and retreating generals to rally to him.
• After a shell blast extinguished Creed’s cigar and a fragment cut his face, he told Klein that his death could raise morale and would be a worthwhile sacrifice.

Creed coordinated the 8th Regiment’s assault to retake the Leviathan command vehicle, using Klein’s teleportation Protection Devices to direct the Talons squad. After the vehicle was retaken, Creed prepared to work with newly arrived generals, including the rival Sein.

• Creed formed a two-thousand-man assault squad and borrowed teleportation Protection Devices from Klein’s merchant ship for the two-hundred-member Talons squad.
• Creed directed the assault from a Chimera APC, using reports from officers inside the command vehicle to map friendly and enemy positions and guide the attack.
• Creed told Klein that he had prepared for the Voskarians since fighting alongside them seven years earlier, but had not warned the fortress lord about the threat.
• The Talons squad teleported across the command vehicle, striking enemy officers and transport aircraft and supporting friendly troops until the command vehicle was retaken.
• Creed ordered Kyle to evacuate the wounded before he would enter the command vehicle, then learned that Sein and twenty other generals had arrived.
• Kyle offered to drive Sein away, but Creed left the APC and said that wartime cooperation mattered more than Sein’s hostility toward him.

Creed gathered the scattered forces on the Tuyuko Plains and helped stabilize the loyalist front against the rebelling Voskany Iron Cavalry. With victory approaching, the generals considered choosing a Lord Commander, while Creed sought to learn why the Voskarians had rebelled.

• Creed agreed to cover the 97th Regiment's breakout so it could reach the approaching Titan Legion, and Sein offered his anti-air units in support.
• Creed joined the generals aboard the reclaimed command vehicle and spent four days coordinating the forces converging on the Tuyuko Plains.
• Creed assured the gathered commanders that the loyalists would defeat the Voskany Iron Cavalry, but said only the Emperor knew why they had rebelled.
• The generals called for a new Lord Commander, and Creed said they would follow the traditional process before dismissing everyone to rest.
• Creed stayed behind and asked Kyle to contact Klein with a question for the Lord of Tyran about the Voskany Iron Cavalry's rebellion.

Qin Mo reviewed the Tyran Sector’s defenses and the battles across the Misty Sector, then speculated to Klein about why the Voskany Iron Cavalry rebelled. After learning that Red Corsairs survivors were fleeing toward an agricultural world, Qin Mo ordered Chapter Master Fros to capture one alive.

• Grey and Yao En reported on the defenses, and Qin Mo ordered Grey to keep the Celestial Engine and his regiments in the Agripina System.
• Adam reported that Tyran Navy losses were minimal but its forces were stretched thin across the Misty Sector.
• Klein told Qin Mo that Cadia’s victory on the Tuyuko Plains was inevitable and relayed Creed’s question about the Voskany Iron Cavalry’s rebellion.
• Qin Mo speculated that Chaos corruption had driven the Voskany Iron Cavalry to rebel and instructed Klein to pass his explanation to Creed.
• Adam showed footage of Tyran ships defeating three Red Corsairs cruisers in the Iven System, while an escape pod headed for an agricultural world.
• Qin Mo ordered Chapter Master Fros to capture one enemy from the escape pod alive, and Anreda agreed to contact him.

Fros and ten Lamenters captured Ryan after defeating a force of Chaos Space Marines on an agricultural world in the Iven System. They discovered a message from Huron offering to take Fros and his Chapter in, and Fros ordered the escape pod destroyed before returning to Tyran.

• Fros led ten elite Lamenters to the agricultural world after detecting thirty Chaos Space Marines there.
• Fros and his Terminator-armored warriors advanced under fire and killed the Chaos Space Marines who resisted them.
• Ryan, a former Star Claws captain, charged Fros, who disarmed him and knocked him unconscious for capture.
• Fros searched the escape pod and found a crate containing weapons and a recording from Huron offering the Lamenters refuge.
• Fros shot the recording screen and ordered his warriors to destroy the escape pod before returning to Tyran.

Fros destroyed the weapons-filled escape pod and brought the captured Star Claws Captain Ryan aboard the Daughter of Storm, where his strange condition thwarted the initial interrogation. Qin Mo and Anreda began questioning him, suspecting the canister attached to Ryan was linked to his agitation.

• Fros ordered his subordinates to destroy the escape pod and its crates with two melta bombs, then teleported Ryan and his men aboard the Daughter of Storm.
• Ryan mocked Fros and the Weeping Legion, then leered at Tessa and threatened her, prompting Fros to punch him before continuing to the prison.
• Fros learned that Ryan's brain had severely mutated and could not be scanned, so he waited for Qin Mo to arrive.
• Qin Mo saw that Ryan's brain had become a tentacled mass in green fluid and told Anreda to use conventional interrogation methods.
• Anreda struck Ryan and questioned him, but Ryan only grew more excited, so Qin Mo ordered the Apothecary to remove the canister attached to him.

Qin Mo and the others interrogated Ryan and learned that a sorcerer had been delivered to Abaddon after promising to channel the Dark Gods’ power into the galaxy. Concluding that the Black Crusade’s ritual could make the threat to Cadia even worse, Qin Mo sent the Weeping Legion and Adam to reinforce the Cadian Gate.

• The Apothecary removed the jar connected to Ryan, leaving him exhausted and desperate to get it back.
• Anreda promised to return the jar if Ryan answered questions, and Ryan revealed that Huron was working with Abaddon on a ritual.
• Ryan recounted how, two years earlier, he had found a sorcerer on a flesh-covered Ecclesiarchy world and taken him to Abaddon.
• Qin Mo realized the coming ritual might change the Black Crusade’s course and make Cadia’s situation more dangerous.
• Fros ordered the Weeping Legion to set a course for the Cadian Gate and promised to return if Talon came under attack.
• Qin Mo ordered Anreda to have Adam depart for the Cadian Gate immediately.

Qin Mo received a warning from the Aeldari Prophet Usulan about a sorcerer’s ritual to weaken the Veil between reality and the Warp. Usulan said the ritual threatened the Cadian Gate and left Qin Mo with the knowledge that Tyran’s people might be uniquely able to resist those who could foresee the future.

• Qin Mo learned from Klein that Creed had become Lord Commander and was gathering forces to defend Cadia.
• Qin Mo approved contact with two Aeldari who had arrived in the Lonely System claiming to bring vital information.
• Sal began recounting a cryptic prophecy, but Qin Mo ordered the captain to throw him off the ship.
• Usulan introduced himself and explained that a sorcerer was conducting a vast ritual to weaken the Veil between the physical universe and the Warp.
• Usulan warned that stopping the ritual would require enormous forces and might still fail because the emotions of the Misty Sector’s inhabitants fueled it.
• Usulan told Qin Mo that Tyran’s people could gain an advantage against beings who foresaw the future because they had no past or future.