Just as Guilliman was swept up in delight, the Solar Lords guarding the Segmentum Solar all raised their hands to their heads.
The Imperial Navy's report had given them a monumental headache.
The vast shadow in the Warp had descended upon Terra once again.
Surrounded by its immense Gellar Field and flickering arcs of Warp energy, the Spear of Titans had returned to the Imperium's holy world.
The Imperial Navy's many fleets now knew all too well what these steel vessels could do in battle, but they still had to maintain a careful watch nearby, even if they stood no chance of victory.
The mechanical vessels of the Men of Iron were already involved in Imperial affairs. The escort ships they dispatched had cleared countless threats from the routes used by the Imperium's Tithe Fleet.
But their distinctive way of doing things had left an equally deep impression on everyone.
No one knew what these Iron Clanks were thinking. Only Guilliman and the Emperor himself knew the precise terms of the agreement between Iax and the Imperium.
For some, communicating with these Iron Clanks was scarcely easier than dealing with the Adeptus Mechanicus.
There was one difference, though: as long as you did not attack the Men of Iron first, at least you did not have to worry too much about your safety.
But if you offended a petty Sage, you had better watch out. One day, the Adeptus Mechanicus's Skitarii might drag you before a Mechanicus tribunal, heap a pile of inexplicable charges on you, and turn you into a Servitor or a Penitent Engine.
Ranks of Imperial Fists guarded Terra's landing field. As the transport aircraft descended, Guilliman waited nearby with his Honour Guard.
Truth be told, Guilliman could hardly wait to see his brother.
The massive