The brief rest and stroll had not entirely dispelled the mental fatigue of days spent handling affairs of state, but they had at least allowed Lorgar's taut nerves to relax a little.
He returned to the Mansion high above the City of Holy Edict, not to enjoy the tranquility offered by this symbol of supreme power, but because he needed an undisturbed space to organize his thoughts for the journey ahead.
His original plan had been to finish approving the day's final batch of documents, then depart for one of the Star System's most important Forge Worlds.
There, the production line for the new generation of "Aurelian" Main Battle Tanks was undergoing its final adjustments and ramping up to mass production. He needed to personally verify the progress of this key project, which would upgrade the ground assault capabilities of the Legion and its auxiliary forces.
Yet the threads of Fate rarely followed a predetermined pattern.
He had only just entered the study, without even having time to remove his gray traveling cloak, still dusty from outside, when hurried, uneven footsteps approached, breaking the stillness peculiar to these lofty heights.
Lorgar turned.
The study's heavy alloy door was hastily pushed aside before it could even open fully.
A man wearing the uniform of a mid-ranking official in the Colchis Department of Internal Affairs practically stumbled headlong inside.
His face was pale, his forehead beaded with sweat, and his breathing unnaturally rapid. A conspicuous stain marked the chest of his carefully pressed uniform, as though he had spilled something in his haste.
Without a word, Lorgar's golden eyes narrowed slightly.
He could smell the panic suddenly permeating the air, along with a hint of something ominous.
"Calm yourself." Lorgar's voice was quiet, yet it struck the official's almost boiling nerves like