After the Catastrophe

Kairos Fateweaver's rout was like pulling the backbone out from Chaos's side.

Without the willful command and psychic suppression of that powerful daemon lord, the remaining Tzeentch daemons immediately fell into disarray.

Seeing that things had turned bad, the Red Corsairs let out several roars filled with unwillingness and fear before turning their remaining assault craft around like beaten dogs and plunging desperately into the shadows of the debris field.

Before Roboute Guilliman, whom no one could restrain; before the five Hilling Valkyries, who had descended like divine punishment; before the Imperium expeditionary force, whose morale was soaring as they launched a valiant counterattack, the outcome of this ambush was already decided.

The Emperor's Sword's golden flames spread like a wildfire, purifying every inch of deck tainted by corruption.

Celestine's holy flames, Evelyn's psychic power, the Space Marines' bolters and Chainswords, and the Valkyries' precise, lethal fire support worked like an efficient combine harvester, swiftly clearing away the stubbornly resisting daemons and Red Corsairs too late to flee.

The clamor of battle gradually subsided, replaced by the groans of the wounded, the wail of engines, and the hiss of cooling deck plates.

The bridge of Macragge's Honour, the core area that had just endured a hellish battle, was now a complete mess.

The Adamantium deck plates were covered in scorch marks, shell craters, and gouges left by energy weapons. Fragments of equipment lay scattered everywhere, while faint ripples from psychic impacts still lingered in the air.

Guilliman's towering figure stood in the center of the battlefield, the Emperor's Sword planted against the ground, its golden flames not yet fully extinguished.

He looked around at the exhausted yet resolute soldiers, then at the five Valkyries standing quietly nearby. Though they had withdrawn their combat stances, they still radiated formidable power. Finally, his gaze fell upon Obi-Wan Kenobi, who looked equally weary.

He drew a deep breath, suppressing the exhaustion churning within him and the lingering fear after the fierce battle. His steady, respectful voice rang out through the noise of the bridge:

"Master Obi-Wan Kenobi, and you powerful warriors." Guilliman nodded to each of the five Valkyries in turn. "At our darkest hour, when the Imperium fleet stood on the brink of destruction, you extended your aid in time. With the force of thunder, you crushed a powerful enemy, saved the lives of countless loyal warriors, and preserved the last flame of hope for the Imperium of Man. This debt of gratitude weighs as heavily as a mountain. I, Roboute Guilliman, in the name of the Regent of the Imperium of Man, offer the deepest thanks of all survivors to the Hilling Empire and to each of you!" He placed one hand over his chest and bowed slightly in a solemn Imperium salute.

Despite being trapped within the Warp Maelstrom amid such harsh conditions, this was gratitude he had to express.

"It was our duty, sir." Prince of Wales gave a slight nod. Her voice remained cool, though it carried a trace of acknowledgment.

Glory returned the gesture gracefully, a gentle smile on her face.

Prinz Eugen lazily waved a hand, while Nimi curiously examined the towering Primarch.

Joan of Arc placed a hand over her chest and dipped slightly. "May the light of faith guide those who have lost their way."

Just then, a muffled groan of pain rang out.

Everyone turned toward the sound and saw the members of the Spartan Squad gathered around the unconscious Captain Carter.

Carter's condition was extremely dire.

His Mjolnir power armor had been completely ruined in the brutal battle. A Chaos power sword had pierced through his chest and abdomen, leaving a horrifying hole. The armor and flesh around the wound bore ominous blackened, corroded marks, and blood had soaked through the temporary bandages.

The squad medic had already injected him with the powerful medical agents they carried, but his condition showed no improvement. Carter's vital signs were rapidly declining, and his face was pale as paper.

"Captain! Hold on!" one Spartan shouted anxiously.

An Imperium medical officer hurried over with several Tech-Priests.

After examining the wound, the medical officer's expression turned grave. "Penetrating trauma! Chaos energy residue remains in the wound and has severely eroded his internal organs! Conventional medical treatment is ineffective! He must undergo immediate emergency organ removal and mechanization, or he won't last an hour!"

"No!" The squad members refused almost in unison, their voices resolute. "Captain Carter will not accept such modifications! And we will not let him accept them!"

Spartans regarded their bodies as their final line of defense. Unless there was absolutely no alternative, they would never willingly undergo unnecessary mechanical modification, especially not modifications from outside the Hilling Empire.

The situation reached an impasse.

The Tech-Priests fell silent, unable to understand such attachment to flesh.

The medical officer was helpless as well. Without the proper medical pods and purification equipment, there was truly nothing he could do.

Then a soft voice, gentle yet carrying unquestionable authority, spoke up. "Let me."

Glory had somehow already walked over.

Her magnificent, elaborate gown was somehow completely spotless despite the battle. She had put away her powerful ship rigging, retaining only the core crystal atop her staff, which emitted a faint, soft glow.

Ignoring the astonished looks around her, she crouched beside Carter and extended a slender hand covered by a white lace glove, holding it above his terrible wound.

The crystal atop her staff lit up with a soft golden glow like the dawn.

The light was not dazzling, yet it carried an indescribable vitality and purifying power.

Like a warm spring, the light slowly flowed into Carter's gruesome wound.

Then a miracle occurred!

The blackened and corroded traces around the bleeding wound rapidly faded beneath the golden light like melting ice and snow! The tissue necrotized by Chaos energy seemed to regain life, and tender new flesh began growing within the wound at a visible rate! Severed blood vessels reconnected and repaired themselves in the light! That fatal penetrating wound was completely purified, repaired, and healed from the inside out within mere minutes! Only a faint, fresh scar remained!

"Ugh..." Carter let out a weak groan in his unconscious state. His tightly furrowed brows relaxed, a trace of color returned to his pale face, and his vital signs quickly stabilized!

"G-Good heavens..." The medical officer and Tech-Priests stared in stunned disbelief, as though witnessing a miracle.

This was completely beyond their understanding of medicine!

No surgery, no mechanical modifications—she had healed such a severe, fatal wound corrupted by Chaos with nothing but light?!

The Spartan Squad members were even more overwhelmed with emotion. Their eyes, fixed upon Glory, were filled with incomparable gratitude and reverence.

"He will need time to rest. His body was severely overtaxed, and his soul suffered a slight shock, but his life is no longer in danger." Glory withdrew her hand, and the light of her staff slowly faded.

With the crisis resolved, the atmosphere on the bridge relaxed considerably.

The Valkyries also put away their astonishing ship rigging.

As light flowed around them, the technological, power-filled combat gear on their bodies vanished, replaced by formal attire suited to their individual temperaments.

Prince of Wales still wore her imposing, severe black military dress uniform trimmed with gold, its golden epaulets gleaming brightly.

Glory changed into a pure white court gown adorned with exquisite lace and pearls, radiating grace and nobility.

Prinz Eugen wore a stylish, somewhat languid dark red evening gown that perfectly outlined her proud curves, while a hint of amusement glinted in her red eyes.

Nimi changed into a lively blue-and-white sailor-style dress and looked around with curiosity.

Joan of Arc wore a simple yet holy silver-white knightly outfit, a rapier at her waist, her expression peaceful and resolute.

"Ladies," Obi-Wan said, looking at the five powerful beings of such distinct styles with equal curiosity, "may I ask which legion you belong to, and how you learned that we were in danger here and arrived so promptly to assist us?"

Prince of Wales folded her arms, her cool gaze sweeping across the battlefield as she spoke first. "Prince of Wales. Attached to the Royal Guard Legion. We were conducting routine rest and refit on Third Garden Star when we received an emergency deployment order directly from Supreme Wisdom and departed immediately."

Glory elegantly smoothed the folds of her skirt, speaking in a gentle voice. "Glory, of the Royal Sanctuary Legion. I was also on leave and cut my vacation short upon receiving the order. I heard that members of the Jedi Order had been ambushed, so I answered the call." She deliberately glanced at Obi-Wan.

Leaning lazily against a nearby pillar that had not been completely destroyed, Prinz Eugen added, "Prinz Eugen, tactical instructor of the Iron Blood Legion. I was teaching a group of youngsters who had just completed basic training."

"Nimi! Iron Blood Ranger Legion!" The pink-haired girl raised her hand energetically. "I was teaching a tactical mobility class too! Then I suddenly got notified about an emergency support mission!"

Joan of Arc placed a hand over her chest, her expression solemn. "Joan of Arc, of the Iris Holy Light Legion. I was conducting morning prayers before the Emperor's holy image. Supreme Wisdom's will descended and conveyed the mission of support. I responded at once."

After hearing their accounts, both Obi-Wan and Guilliman understood.

Obi-Wan looked toward Captain Carter, who had been carefully settled by his teammates some distance away. He remained unconscious, but his breathing was steady. "I see. It seems Captain Carter used the beacon device in his armor to send a distress signal to the Empire at the critical moment, transmitting the battlefield situation in real time."

"Yes, Master." Glory nodded in confirmation. "Supreme Wisdom received Captain Carter's distress signal, along with the real-time battlefield data stream relayed by his armor's sensors. The information was extremely detailed: the enemy composition, their strength, the battlefield situation, and especially the extreme danger faced by you and Regent Guilliman. Supreme Wisdom completed its threat assessment instantly and initiated emergency hyperspace transport."

Prince of Wales added, her voice still cool, "The main forces of the Valkyrie Legion were either fighting the Tyranids' primary swarm or carrying out other high-priority special missions and could not be redeployed immediately. Therefore, Supreme Wisdom directly selected the five of us, who were resting or on non-emergency duties and possessed sufficient individual strength to handle the current threat. This task force was assembled on short notice and deployed for emergency support using the precise coordinates provided by Captain Carter's beacon."

"Thanks to Captain Carter's clear and stable beacon lock," Prinz Eugen said, nodding with unusual seriousness, "otherwise, even if Supreme Wisdom had reacted faster, an error in targeting or transit could have delayed us by a few minutes... and the outcome would have been completely different." Her gaze swept across Obi-Wan's untreated wounds and the scorch marks on Guilliman's armor. Her meaning was obvious.

Guilliman listened in silence, filled with respect for the unconscious Spartan captain and deeply shaken by the Hilling Empire's terrifyingly efficient interstellar emergency response system.

A hastily assembled five-person squad from different legions had reversed a deadly situation orchestrated by a daemon lord! The power and system behind that were terrifying to contemplate.

"Captain Carter is a true hero," Guilliman said deeply, looking at the unconscious warrior. "His courage and wisdom saved everyone."

The cleanup on the bridge continued, but another threat was quietly drawing near.