The air hung stagnant in the sealed compartment. Only the aging monitoring terminal gave off a faint electrical hum, the flickering numbers on its screen the only sign of time passing.
Dust drifted slowly in the dim light, settling on the Word Bearers' deep purple armor and coating the steel giant that had stood silent for ninety years.
Saolis stood in the center of the compartment, looking up at the relic of a bygone age of war before him.
The Dreadnought's ancient silhouette loomed enormous in the shadows. Its emblems from the distant past were faded and worn, yet still carried a weighty majesty unlike that of modern Legion equipment.
He drew a deep breath, filling his lungs with cold air mingled with the stale smell of machine oil.
"Ready, Brother Burn?" Saolis's voice sounded over the encrypted channel, low and steady, breaking the suffocating silence.
Deputy Captain Burn had already taken his place before the dust-covered control console, trying to make sense of the tangled ancient cables and worn connectors.
At the question, he turned his head and gave a slight, uncertain shake of his helmet.
"Captain Saolis, to be honest... during my advanced training on Mars, I only learned a few procedures for awakening standard Dreadnoughts from our Techmarine brothers. This model..." He looked toward the enormous machine.
"I've never seen it on the Legion's equipment lists, or even in any written records. It's too old. This may take some time, and I can't guarantee the standard procedures will work."
Saolis nodded, his gaze never leaving the Dreadnought.
"Do what you can. Time is what we lack most, but perhaps he's our only hope of buying any."
He stepped closer, studying the Dreadnought's thick armor, distinctive joint design, and long-obsolete weapon mounts.
"What model of Dreadnought is this,