Going After the Ultramarines' Lives

The roar of voices echoed across the square as the award ceremony drew to a close.

This award ceremony had ended perfectly.

But the end of the ceremony did not mean everything was over.

The Regent had gone to elbow the Inquisition, and they still had other matters to deal with.

A message reached Hera Fortress as soon as the award ceremony ended.

Lin En was looking over the inspection materials assigned to him when Fabian entered with a data-slate, his face as dark as the volcanic rock of Prandium.

Lin En put down the inspection badge and asked what was wrong.

The Third Company Captain slammed the data-slate onto the table. It displayed an emergency notice just issued by the Chapter's intelligence department, which said simply: "The Aeldari are asking to die."

The matter had to be traced back to the beginning.

Biel-Tan Craftworld had always been known for its aggressiveness among the various Aeldari Craftworlds.

Its seers were particularly skilled at prophecy—or rather, they were particularly inclined to believe the results of their prophecies.

Before the Battle of Macragge began, a Biel-Tan seer had made a prophecy:

[The Ultramarines will completely destroy Biel-Tan Craftworld at some point in the future.]

No one knew how this prophecy had been derived or what logic it was based on, but Biel-Tan's decision-makers believed it without question.

Tsk.

They were seriously sick.

The prophecy itself was already awkward enough.

Before this, the Ultramarines had practically no dealings with the Biel-Tan Aeldari. The two sides were neither hereditary enemies nor sworn foes. The Ultramarines had even been relatively tolerant toward the Aeldari, and there was not a single record of a formal engagement between them.

Moreover, Biel-Tan operated on the eastern edge of the galaxy. Although the Ultramarines were also stationed in the