Under the leadership of their new Chapter Master, Dalaran, the mighty Raptors, like a flock of agile eagles, left the Jesta Galaxy and raced without hesitation toward the star systems the Star Army had yet to reclaim.
When the Raptors' powerful fleet reached the outskirts of the Fulas Galaxy, it silently came to a halt beyond the system like a pack of well-trained hunters.
They were still some distance from the edge of the Fulas Galaxy. Within the vast territory of the Imperium, the technological standards of individual star systems were relatively backward, and those outdated scanning devices were simply incapable of detecting whether a powerful fleet lay hidden outside the system.
Unless the Raptors charged recklessly into the system, they would be as difficult to detect as ghosts concealed in the darkness.
Dalaran stood quietly in the flagship's command room, his gaze steady and sharp. As he stared at the enormous star chart before him, he had already mapped out a perfect battle plan in his mind.
Once the fleet had come to a steady halt, he turned and issued a grave order to Ralph, the stern-faced new captain of the Raptors' 1st Company, standing beside him:
"Ralph, the crucial part of this operation is in your hands! Lead your squad into the planets within the Fulas Galaxy at once and carry out precise decapitation strikes against their leadership.
Remember, the operation must be swift and covert. You must wipe out the enemy's core forces in one stroke. I will remain here to command the fleet, and when the time is right, we will launch a thunderous assault from within the system! We will leave the enemy utterly powerless beneath our pincer attack!"
The Raptors were like ghostly assassins in the night, entirely unlike their cousins renowned for charging