Chapter Summaries

Lion El'Jonson accepted Gamma World's weapons and equipment, while Gamma World continued researching Necron technology and preparing for a possible conflict with forces behind the Necrons. The chapter ended as a fleet emerged near the Milky Way's central black hole, followed by a Nanite Storm.

• Lion El'Jonson agreed to cooperate with Gamma World and returned to his warship with crates of weapons and Power Armor.
• Lion El'Jonson used Gamma World's Brown Detector to find over a hundred Chaos-corrupted people aboard the warship and revealed that Brian had been corrupted.
• Gamma World recorded Lion El'Jonson and the Fallen Angels in its database, while Lion El'Jonson prepared to gather forces before attacking Chaos.
• Gamma World continued studying the Blackstone Fortresses and Necron database, suspecting that a hidden power was guiding events and preparing for war.
• A fleet emerged near the enormous black hole at the center of the Milky Way, followed by gray matter resembling a Nanite Storm.

Cisrain freed Little Gray, a nanomachine collective from humanity’s Golden Age, and allowed her to consume a planet. Their route brought them near Cadian, a hostile world with a consciousness, as Abaddon escalated his campaign to destroy Cadia with the power of the Four Gods.

• Cisrain reflected on the Men of Iron rebellion, the origins of the Squats, and why he distrusted the Squats’ claim to the galaxy.
• Little Gray appeared before Cisrain, eager to explore the universe and consume metal and machinery after her long imprisonment in the Webway.
• Cisrain permitted Little Gray to eat a planet, while a crew member warned that the planet ahead seemed to be moving away.
• Cisrain realized the strange planet was Cadian, whose world consciousness protected its people and attacked outsiders.
• Cisrain saw that Abaddon’s forces were pursuing Cadia and that, after losing three Blackstone Fortresses, Abaddon intended to destroy the planet with the power of the Four Gods.

Cisrain weighed Cadia’s Blackstone Pylons and the unavoidable threat of the Great Rift, then led his group toward Gamma World to prepare for the coming conflict. Along the way, Little Gray devoured a factory and mine before reluctantly following the fleet home.

• Cisrain judged that Cadia’s Blackstone Pylons could delay the Great Rift but risked tearing the galaxy apart, and he decided to return to Gamma World.
• Little Gray complained that Cadia had struck her with a psychic blast after she tried to eat the planet.
• Cisrain’s group passed a populated Webway world, where Little Gray discovered its planet consciousness did not reject her.
• Little Gray rapidly consumed a factory, multiplying her nanomachines as the factory was stripped away.
• Cisrain opened a Webway passage home, and Little Gray hurried after the Gamma Fleet with a huge chunk of ore.

Cisrain returned to Gamma World with Little Gray and Adam, a living Man of Iron recovered from a black hole, while Gamma researchers studied how C’tan fragments affected the material universe. He arranged for Little Gray to consume four million tons of ore and questioned Adam about humanity’s fallen Golden Age.

• Cisrain followed the Gamma Fleet back to Gamma World after Little Gray left the planet’s mine stripped bare.
• Skaiqi’s researchers found that linking C’tan fragments increased their energy and influence over the material universe, but the tesseract construct could not contain a more complete C’tan’s full power.
• Cisrain arrived in Gamma World and asked whether the transport ships and requested mineral-rich ore were ready; his officers reported a total of four million tons.
• Cisrain sent Little Gray to proliferate using the ore and warned her not to eat the ships.
• Cisrain visited Adam, the golden living Man of Iron he had recovered from a black hole, and learned about Golden Age technology and the collapse of human civilization.

Cisrain learned more about Chaos’s role in humanity’s past and oversaw Gamma World’s growing technological capabilities. Research into the Golden Throne and the Emperor suggested a possible way to make him stand, but Cisrain recognized the catastrophic risks and decided Warp breaches near Gamma World had to be sealed first.

• Cisrain learned from Adam’s Golden Age knowledge that Chaos, especially Tzeentch, had manipulated rising civilizations and pushed humanity toward ruin.
• Gamma World completed the excavation of Energy Planet 2 and loaded its data-processing capacity into a second Megastructure Synapse Condenser.
• Little Gray happily ate metal aboard the transport ship while Gamma World transferred weapons, supplies, and Adam.
• Lion El'Jonson used Gamma World’s long-range weapons to destroy enemies and began reconsidering how wars should be fought.
• Cisrain reviewed research into Blackstone Fortresses and C'tan shards, then considered using their powers to repair the Golden Throne and make the Emperor stand.
• Cisrain recognized that the Emperor’s return could destroy humanity and resolved to seal the Warp breaches near Gamma World before pursuing the idea.

Ozrax researchers developed a containment membrane to isolate the Warp from the real universe and received approval to test it with a piece of a C'tan fragment. They chose the weakened fragment on Energy Planet 1, while the Deceiver remained trapped and Vetius continued gathering technology from engineers it beguiled.

• Brian explained that the containment membrane could seal off a star sector, though it would slow light and movement within it.
• Ozrax researchers said a C'tan fragment might help expand the membrane, and the Chief Council authorized the experiment.
• The researchers chose to cut a small piece from the weakened C'tan fragment on Energy Planet 1 rather than the stronger fragment on Energy Planet 2.
• The Deceiver continued beguiling engineers, but Gamma World's monitoring staff identified and replaced each compromised engineer.
• A monitor approved the researchers' request to cut a five-centimeter C'tan fragment after verifying the administrative order.
• Vetius compiled the technology extracted from beguiled engineers and took pride in modifying his core to draw energy from a C'tan fragment.

Vetius gave Gamma World a fragment of a C'tan shard to test whether a Warp-resistant containment membrane could repair the universe. As the sealed shard was launched toward Is III, Huron Blackheart's forces detected the incoming object in the miniature Eye of Terror.

• Vetius used Canoptek Scarabs to remove a small, powerful fragment from a C'tan shard and handed it over to Gamma World.
• Gamma World planned to seal the tesseract construct inside a Warp-resistant containment membrane and test whether it could patch the breach at Is III.
• Professor Brian approved the deployment, and Gamma World's laboratory completed the sealing, calibration, and launch preparations.
• Gamma World locked onto Is III and fired the containment device toward the planet.
• Huron Blackheart's fleet moved through the Warp to claim territory near Is III, and his scouts detected an object arriving through the void.

A C'tan shard began repairing the material universe, weakening Chaos and stirring the attention of the gods. As Malcador and the Primarchs prepared to return, the High Lords secretly sent fleets toward Cadia to protect their power, while Malcador's side learned the Eye of Terror might also be repaired.

• The C'tan shard's membrane spread into the Warp, restoring the barrier between the Warp and the material universe at the speed of light.
• On Is III, a Chaos sorcerer lost his connection to the Warp and was killed by a human Chapter Librarian as the rift healed around them.
• The Emperor stirred at the universe's repair, while Tzeentch welcomed the change and prepared to exploit divisions within the Imperium.
• The High Lords learned that the Primarchs would return and Malcador was at Cadia, then secretly dispatched fleets there while an Officio Assassinorum fleet monitored them.
• Warp storms made the fleets' journey to Cadia dangerous, and Malcador's side learned that the Eye of Terror could also be repaired.

Malcador told Archmagos Cawl that the Eye of Terror could be repaired, giving them hope of restoring the Imperium. As Imperial reinforcements reached Cadian, Chaos corrupted their battleship and turned its weapons toward the fleet and Cadian.

• Malcador told Cawl that the Eye of Terror could be repaired, and Cawl imagined humanity returning to its former glory.
• The Black Legion continued attacking Cadian while Cawl sent Adeptus Mechanicus reinforcements and word came that an Imperial fleet was approaching.
• Abaddon abandoned his plan to take Cadian as the relief fleet arrived, carrying loyal successor Chapters of the Imperial Fists, Astra Militarum soldiers, and Catachan fighters.
• The crew of the battleship Air Striker detected Chaos corruption aboard their ship as strange liquid, whispers, and blasphemous symbols appeared.
• The Chapter Masters learned that their ship's weapons were out of control and that a space torpedo was targeting Cadian.

Vashtorr corrupted an Imperial warship and forced its Mechanicus crew to launch Exterminatus at Cadia. The Cadians were destroyed just as they believed victory was within reach.

• Vashtorr appeared aboard the Imperial fleet, corrupted its machines and Space Marines, and seized control of a warship.
• Vashtorr's controlled Mechanicus priests launched a cyclonic torpedo at Cadia despite the crew's attempts to stop them.
• The Cadians learned that Exterminatus was coming and believed the Imperium had betrayed them to prevent its former Regent from returning.
• Chaos forces withdrew from Cadia, while the Cadians mistook their retreat for a sign of victory.
• The cyclonic torpedo struck Cadia, and its fires consumed the battlefield and the people sheltering in the fortresses.

Cadia’s destruction unleashed the Great Rift, extinguishing the Astronomican and cutting the Imperium off from itself as Chaos surged across the galaxy. Trazyn concluded that humanity had failed their bargain and left Cadia, while Lion El'Jonson saw the new rift and faced a vast Chaos counterattack.

• Abaddon ordered his servants to destroy the Blackstone Fortress’s core and let the fortress crash into Cadia’s Blackstone Pylons, triggering the planet’s catastrophic destruction.
• Warp energy erupted from Cadia and tore toward the Imperium’s southeast, while the Astronomican went dark and Warp storms severed communication and travel.
• Trazyn failed to capture Malcador, decided humanity had ruined their deal, and left Cadia carrying its final time scrolls.
• The Great Rift spread across the Imperium, isolating worlds and unleashing Chaos armies as other races recognized humanity’s decline.
• Gamma World’s Blackstone Pylons redirected the rift through the center of Gamma World and the Five Hundred Worlds of Ultramar, isolating Gamma World on the dark side.
• Lion El'Jonson saw the Great Rift open as Chaos reinforcements multiplied and vast Chaos armies advanced toward him and the Fallen Angels.

Gamma World abandoned plans to repair the Great Rift and prioritized completing the Second Ring and its fourth ascension phase. As Chaos forces gathered to attack Gamma, the Chief Council discussed defenses and powerful weapons for securing the worlds around Gamma.

• Chaos forces emerged from the Great Rift and massed toward Gamma, which they viewed as a major threat to their plans for the dark side of the Milky Way.
• Gamma World concluded that repairing the Great Rift would take too long and chose to share its repair technology while leaving other races to use it themselves.
• Gamma's Chief Council made construction of the Second Ring and the fourth phase of ascension its priorities after the plan to repair the Milky Way was brought to a close.
• Koro warned that daemons and Vashtorr's forces threatened the Second Ring, prompting the council to focus on defending Energy Planet 2 and purging Chaos from the Outer Ring.
• The council reviewed Neutron Sweep and the Blackstone Fortress as Colossus weapons, then identified Nanite Storm as another mobile and adaptable weapon.

Gray Tempest consumed the Gamma World's metal reserves, then received Blackstone technology and orders to clear Chaos from the Second Ring. The Gamma World declared that all life within the hundred-light-year region must evacuate within three months, while its message and Warp-sealing data gave isolated human worlds renewed hope.

• Gray Tempest devoured metal ore and evolved its nanobots to imitate powerful weapons and megastructures, then reluctantly accepted orders to serve as a cleaner in the Second Ring.
• The Gamma World equipped Gray Tempest with Blackstone Pylon and Blackstone Fortress data so she could resist corruption and fight Chaos.
• Miss Skaiqi ordered the third detachment to clear Chaos near Energy Planet 2 as Warp influence spread from the Great Rift.
• Lion El'Jonson met the pardoned Angels of Absolution and studied the Gamma World's shared data on sealing Warp rifts.
• The Gamma World broadcast an evacuation order demanding that all life within the Second Ring leave within three months.
• Fetrus and other isolated human worlds received the Gamma World's message and took heart that humanity still resisted Chaos and the Empire still existed.

Gamma World began a crusade against Chaos forces, using a spatial-jumping Neutron Sweep and Blackstone Fortress to destroy enemies across the Second Ring. On Terra, news of Cadia’s defeat fueled political turmoil and a wave of purges among the Imperium’s leaders.

• Gamma World ignored Chaos forces’ contempt for its warning and began clearing them from the Second Ring.
• Gamma World connected a Necron phase engine to its Neutron Sweep, enabling the colossus weapon to jump instantly between worlds.
• Gamma World’s Neutron Sweep and Blackstone Fortress appeared over a Chaos-held planet and devastated its surface.
• News of Cadia’s defeat reached Terra, where the Imperial Palace tightened security amid growing unrest and exterminations.
• Ursarkar Creed, Vilania de Tempest, Ilasta Eisen, and Vansir Kosov faced mounting crises and political conflicts within the Imperium.

The High Lords Council argued over who was responsible for the Great Rift while fearing Malcador’s return would strip away their power. After learning that Malcador survived Cadia, they adjourned to scheme against his influence as he prepared to return and purge the Imperium’s corrupt leadership.

• The High Lords blamed one another for the Warp corruption, the Astronomican’s failure, and the Imperium’s losses while refusing to accept responsibility.
• The council discussed how Malcador’s return could weaken the Ecclesiarchy, Astartes, Adeptus Mechanicus, Inquisition, and Officio Assassinorum.
• The High Lords learned that the Astronomican remained unrepaired and that Malcador had survived Cadia, where only tens of thousands of Cadians escaped.
• The High Lords adjourned and began planning how to preserve their influence, with some likely to attempt assassinating Malcador.
• Malcador gathered his forces on Cadia and resolved to purge the Imperium’s roots.

Ultramar faced mounting Chaos and Tyranid attacks as Calgar assessed Gamma World's Gravity Slingshot technology and learned that Malcador had begun returning to the Imperium. A message from the Angels of Absolution promised that Guilliman and the other Primarchs would awaken, while Gamma World had also hinted it possessed a way to save Guilliman.

• Gamma World offered Ultramar the Gravity Slingshot, a technology for transporting individual warships through realspace without relying on the Warp.
• Calgar considered the technology as Ultramar struggled against Nurgle's forces, Warp storms, the Great Rift, and Tyranid attacks.
• Calgar learned that Malcador had begun returning to the Imperium and received a message from the Angels of Absolution.
• The Angels of Absolution declared that a Primarch had returned and that Guilliman and the other Primarchs would awaken.
• Calgar connected the promise to Lion El'Jonson's return, while Gamma World's earlier disclosures suggested it had technology that could save Guilliman.

Lion El'Jonson arranged for the Angels of Absolution to contact Ultramar and sought Gamma World's help in reviving Guilliman, despite his fear of its dangerous research. As Lion's fleet continued its journey, Chaos raiders appeared again, leaving him to confront the seemingly endless war against the Warp.

• Calgar kept the negotiations secret while the Angels of Absolution prepared to contact Ultramar about awakening Guilliman.
• Lion El'Jonson learned that Gamma World imprisoned and studied daemons, altered Angron, and extracted Warp power using the Blackstone Fortress, which alarmed him.
• Lion reflected on Guilliman's Chaos-poisoned wound and trusted Gamma World to attempt the revival, believing The Emperor had promised the Primarchs would return.
• Lion considered the Imperium's need for the Primarchs and a renewed Great Crusade to confront the threats facing humanity.
• Chaos raiders appeared along Lion's route, and he recognized that Chaos would return unless its roots in the Warp could be destroyed.

Gamma World used Blackstone Fortress technology to recover souls taken by Chaos, proving that even souls scattered into the Warp could be reclaimed. The operation drew the attention of the Chaos Gods, while The Emperor’s forces gathered to protect Gamma World.

• Gamma World scientists captured Warp particles and discovered that the first damaged soul could not be restored because it had vanished from the universe.
• The laboratory successfully extracted a second soul from a Slaanesh worshipper’s armor and sent recovered souls to Gamma World’s Afterlife Employment Service Center.
• Cyrus learned that Gamma World could reclaim soldiers lost to the Warp and ordered the earliest fallen Gravediggers returned to service.
• The extraction drew the attention of daemons and Chaos Gods, and Gamma World’s Blackstone Fortress siphoned tiny fragments of their power.
• The Emperor sent the Cursebound Legion and thousands of Space Marines to guard Gamma World as the Chaos Gods approached.

Gamma World extracted souls from the Warp and began using them to produce soldiers, provoking the Chaos Gods when it pulled fragments of Sanguinius from their grasp. Sanguinius’s fragments returned to the material universe, ending the Blood Angels’ Red Thirst and leaving Dante able to rest as a lone Lamenter wondered at his sudden recovery.

• Gamma World drew preserved soul imprints from the Warp and rapidly manufactured new soldiers from them.
• The Chaos Gods noticed Gamma World extracting fragments of the Blood Angels’ angelic souls, and Nurgle grew angry when he sensed the theft.
• Slaanesh, Khorne, Tzeentch, and Nurgle reacted to the loss, while the hidden Aeldari gods sensed their anger.
• Fragments of Sanguinius returned to the material universe, and the Blood Angels’ Red Thirst abruptly vanished across the chapter and its successor Chapters.
• Dante killed a Chaos warrior and realized he could finally rest, while the last Lamenter drifting alone wondered why his Red Thirst had disappeared.

Gamma World advanced its Warp research while preparing to extract Chaos power from Angron and restore him. As Angron was taken to the laboratory, the Fourth Army Group arrived at a planet three thousand light-years away.

• Gamma World cultivated a winged figure and produced soldiers whose time-capsule education gave them personal reasons to defend their homeworld.
• The Fourth Army Group boarded upgraded Lunar-class cruisers and jumped toward a world once held by an Imperial Knight House.
• Gamma World's psychic laboratories pursued a method to extract a specific Chaos God's power, with Angron as their sole experimental subject.
• Researchers transported Angron's weakened, half-bodied form into a laboratory under a powerful anti-Warp field, leaving him unable to resist or contact the Warp.
• Gamma World's jump fleet crossed three thousand light-years and arrived above the target planet.