Ultramarines Call for Aid

Word Bearers Legion Code:

1. Courage: Slay the enemy with courage. Never retreat before a powerful foe, even when cut off from all support.

2. Honor: The Legion's honor comes second only to loyalty to the Imperium. Its collective honor stands above all else save that loyalty.

3. Loyalty: Be absolutely loyal to the Emperor, the Imperium, and humanity. Loyalty that is anything less than absolute is absolute disloyalty.

4. Justice: Treat Legion brothers and auxiliary soldiers equally. Exterminate every enemy of humanity without distinction, whether they are combatants or not.

5. Mercy: Help Imperial civilians or allied forces who ask for aid wherever possible, provided the Legion's mission is secured.

6. Humility: Do not make a grand display of your righteous deeds.

7. Honesty: Keep no secrets from your Legion brothers.

8. Sacrifice: Take pride in being able to sacrifice yourself for the Legion.

The Legion Code spread throughout the Word Bearers' Great Crusade fleet. Legion warriors held specially made parchment and read the eight principles written by their Primarch, Lorgar Aurelian.

"Brother Lorgar seems far more normal than our other brothers. If I had to name the best of them, I would choose him," Magnus said as he studied Lorgar's Legion Code.

"What do you think, Your Majesty?" Malcador asked the Emperor, who stood beside him in golden armor.

"I don't know. But for now, it does us no harm," the Emperor replied gravely.

"Let's observe him first. Then assign the Great Crusade fleets their missions. We have too little time."

"Understood, Your Majesty."

Before long, the Word Bearers' Great Crusade fleets had been assigned.

Lorgar's personal Chapter joined the First, Third, Fifth, and Thirteenth Chapters to form the 13th Expeditionary Fleet.

The Second, Fourth, Sixth, and Eleventh Chapters formed the 83rd Expeditionary Fleet.

The Eighth, Ninth, Tenth, and Twelfth Chapters formed the 95th Expeditionary Fleet.

The Seventh Chapter, made up of Recruits, was assigned as a reserve to the various fleets.

The three Great Crusade fleets would become blades of the Imperium, thrust deep into the dark reaches of the stars.

Lorgar, meanwhile, received his first mission.

"My lord."

In the main command center of the Law of Faith, a mortal female captain approached Lorgar.

"Lord Primarch," Captain Sebastian said.

"Sebastian, tell me what happened." Lorgar studied the holographic star chart before him.

"My lord, this is a request for aid from the Ultramarines Legion. One of their companies lost contact forty Terra days ago," Sebastian replied crisply.

Lorgar turned toward him. Sebastian wore a neat Imperial Navy uniform, with a Power Sword bearing his family crest at his waist.

She had short, practical white hair. One of her eyes had been replaced with a bionic eye that glowed red. Linked to the Warship's processing terminal, it let her handle the ship's affairs from anywhere.

"Why has an Ultramarines matter been handed to us? Their Legion has more than enough strength to deal with an unknown threat," Lorgar asked.

"Lord of the Word Bearers." As Lorgar examined the star chart, a separate feed suddenly opened in a nearby display. A man in blue armor, apparently an Ultramarines Chapter Master, appeared on the screen.

"Courage and honor. Allow me to salute you, lord of the Word Bearers," the Ultramarines Chapter Master said, offering a salute.

"Go on. What do you need from me?" Lorgar asked the man on the screen.

"My lord, one of our companies, recently rotated off the front line, disappeared in the Odesol Star System. According to its last transmission, it had gone to answer a request for aid from Sobik Colony in that system. We lost contact with the company after it arrived."

"Our fleet is engaged with more than a dozen Xenos nations and cannot break away for now. Lord Guilliman himself asked that we contact you," the Chapter Master said earnestly.

"Mark the Odesol Star System's location."

Lorgar did not answer the Chapter Master directly. His order was answer enough.

"On behalf of my Gene-Father, I thank the Word Bearers for their aid." The Chapter Master saluted Lorgar with Ultramar's highest honors.

"Lord Guilliman has promised to come to your aid as soon as he has dealt with the dozen or so Xenos nations entrenched in this region of space."

Lorgar said nothing. He waved a hand and gave the order.

The Warship immediately set course for the nearest Mandeville Point.

Mandeville Points were a vital part of the Imperium's Warp travel.

A ship equipped with an Imperial Warp Engine had to reach a system's Mandeville Point at sublight speed before it could enter the Warp.

A Mandeville Point was defined as the minimum safe distance at which a ship could enter or leave the Warp without interference from the gravity of a star or another celestial body.

If a ship entered or left the Warp too soon, it could bring disaster upon itself or the worlds around it.

"Entering the Warp. Estimated transit time: fifteen Terra hours."

"Activate the Warp Engine! Raise the Gellar Field!"

"Prepare for Warp entry!"

Everyone aboard the Warship readied themselves. Seated at the center of the command deck, Lorgar watched as the ship slowly entered the Warp ahead.

In an instant, a rift tore through Realspace, and an endless violet glow poured from the breach.

It reached toward the fleet like the Claws of an invisible beast, as though trying to drag every ship into the depths of the Warp's turbulent tides.

"We're crossing! Hold steady!" Captain Sebastian ordered.

The fleet of several hundred capital ships began its rapid passage into the Warp.

The Warp was filled with all manner of supernatural beings and Chaos Daemons.

Within its domain, these beings followed their own wills. An unprotected ship could easily become their prey.

To prevent that, species reliant on Warp travel had invented a protective field that could be fitted to ships: the Gellar Field.

These devices allowed beings from the material realm to travel through the Warp without being affected by it.

Yet the machines were not infallible. Entire crews had their souls devoured by Chaos often enough.

Lorgar watched in silence as the Warship slipped fully into the Warp. A tense force pressed him back into his seat as the ship raced along a Warp Route at several times the speed of light.

More than a dozen hours passed in the blink of an eye. Lorgar's fleet arrived in the region known as the Odesol Star System.