Sergeant Orwell gripped his Bolter tightly. He and the veteran squad of the Word Bearers' First Company under his command had established a solid Defense Line in the corridor, the heavy pauldrons of their Power Armour almost touching the metal walls on either side.
A deathly pre-battle silence hung in the air, broken only by the low hum of Power Armour servos and the faint whisper of airflow from the environmental circulation system.
They had only one mission: to protect the being behind the sealed bulkhead door at any cost.
"Stay alert! Those Aeldari scum excel at these sneaking tricks! They could emerge from any corner at any moment!" Orwell's voice rang through his external speakers, carrying an unquestionable sternness.
The warriors turned their Helmet sensors up to maximum, scanning every inch of space for the slightest trace of energy disturbances or optical distortion.
Yet amid this heightened vigilance, a voice so calm it bordered on indifference came through the communication grille in the thick bulkhead door, echoing clearly down the corridor:
"They're already inside."
It was Anastasia. There was not a hint of tension in her voice, as though she were merely stating an established fact.
Almost in the very same microsecond that she finished speaking...
Boom!
Hercules, who stood like an iron tower at the very front of the Defense Line, moved!
His movements were too fast for the naked eye to follow, his massive body erupting with terrifying speed utterly at odds with his size!
He did not hesitate, nor did he even try to identify the source of the voice. He acted purely out of absolute trust in Anastasia's inhuman perception—or perhaps out of a warrior's supreme combat instinct!
His enormous right foot, encased in Power Armour, tore through the air with a piercing shriek. Like