The front lines were in dire straits, and the rear was in even worse shape.
Normally, Hogg would have raised fuel prices and made a killing. But he considered himself a man who understood the bigger picture, and he wouldn't hold up a critical expedition.
On the newly built orbital spaceport on Boreas, a hollowed-out starship lay sprawled across the site. Blackwatch forces occupied it in droves, directing Adeptus Mechanicus members to divide up the various sections and mark key areas on the Psychic Network.
Some Rick Robo-Cats, with Silver Skulls symbols printed on their bellies, joined in as well. Their two short, transformable arms turned into plasma cutters, slicing through unnecessary but precious materials.
To get the powerless warship out, Hogg had thrown himself into the job, physically pushing it through the Dimensional Pocket. He'd even drilled a huge hole into the planet's surface.
Zarasusa, who had lost his beloved collection to a thief, was also dragged along by Hogg, who found the C'tan Shard buried in the tomb's power core.
Like in other Necron Dynasties, most Shards of the Burning One were used as power sources because of their violent nature. Just like the first one Hogg had discovered, they were kept inside a miniature Dimensional Magic Box.
But in Hogg's eyes, the Burning One was an old friend. This good brother had given him his first fortune and helped him take his first step toward becoming a C'tan. So when they met again, Hogg didn't hesitate—he swallowed it whole.
Scorching energy began to burn through Hogg's flesh, but his powerful regenerative abilities restored it in an instant. Semi-energized veins then extended from his body, winding around the shard and rapidly absorbing it.
When Hogg entered that illusory dimension again, he was no longer the nobody he'd once