"The Exterminatus we deployed did not achieve its intended effect."
"An invisible Warp-distortion barrier is manifesting over Gork's Anvil. It is preventing us from releasing the human captives on this planet."
"The scanning array has detected powerful Warp-energy readings. Spatial rifts are now everywhere across Gork's Anvil, linking the Sea of Souls with the material world."
"Lord Vulkan, we must acknowledge one fact: we have failed."
"Not only are we unable to save those human captives, we cannot even grant them a swift death and spare them further torment."
On the bridge deck of the Unquenchable Ember, the mortal captain commanding the overall situation rarely showed such sorrow and despondency.
This legendary captain, capable of commanding a primarch's flagship, had undergone extensive mechanical modifications to his brain, suppressing the interference and influence of negative emotions such as fear.
The facts lay before them, and whether they accepted them or not would change nothing.
In fact, the captain had already realized an extremely terrifying possibility—the Orks and the Chaos rebels had joined forces once again!
Chaos rebels before them and Orks closing in behind them; even mortals with no understanding of warfare realized this was a critical moment that could bring utter annihilation.
The Lord of Drakes watched helplessly as an unsettling, murky yellow mist gradually emerged over Gork's Anvil.
Countless Warp daemons flickered within the mist, greedily devouring the human captives imprisoned there.
Vulkan's heart sank to rock bottom. He understood that not only had he failed to free these humans from the Orks' torment, he had instead driven them toward an even more horrifying fate.
Even the Lord of Nocturne, whose will was as unyielding as steel, began to doubt himself. Had this choice been a mistake from the very beginning?
"Warp-teleportation fluctuations detected!"
"Our fleet is under targeted