Taking a Shortcut

Calando headed straight for the hangar with two Tactical Squads. They needed to take a Thunderhawk around the ship to inspect it and determine where it was trapped before they could plan their next move.

If possible, Calando did not want to lead his men onto the hulk's hull.

Even so, the risk remained enormous.

The Thunderhawk had no Gellar Field protection. Once they left the ship, everyone aboard would face the warp's corrosive influence at every moment.

The surging warp tides around them could easily sweep the Thunderhawk Gunship into the sea of the warp. If the ship could not break free, no one would be able to rescue them.

The hangar's armored shutters opened.

Sitting in the copilot's seat, Calando carefully examined the hull.

But the situation was even worse than he had imagined.

The two ships were impaled together like a cross.

There was little room at the point of contact for the Thunderhawk to fly inside and inspect it.

Large quantities of ship debris drifted through space, spreading in every direction with the warp tides.

Some of it struck the hulls of the two ships like cannon shells.

The Techmarine at the controls had to carefully evade the hull fragments as they ricocheted back.

"Sir, we can't determine exactly where we're caught like this."

The Techmarine looked helplessly toward Calando in the copilot's seat.

"I know. Prepare to land."

Calando took a deep breath and braced himself for the worst.

Flying around the outside had failed to reveal the exact location. They would have to enter the hulk before deciding what to do next.

Just as the two were speaking, something happened.

An enormous fireball erupted from one side of the junction.

The Captain's voice came through the Thunderhawk's comms.

"I had the midship turrets fire