The Emperor would never make a losing bargain.
The hordes of the Legion of the Damned hadn't charged in to save you just so you could go home and retire.
Blackhawk panted heavily, hoping the Black Templars had some sense of decency. The Dark Eagles had once had an unpleasant falling-out with one of their Expeditionary Forces.
Essentially, the Black Templars' fanatical faith and charge-in-and-slash approach had clashed with the Raven Scions' doctrine of guerrilla warfare. They had parted ways, and the failure to concentrate their forces had led to excessive casualties.
The good news was that this wasn't the same Expeditionary Force.
An Apothecary had saved him, using biotechnology to replace his lost heart. Recovery was a lengthy process. The Apothecary's warning-"You shouldn't fight"-had been ignored by everyone else, including the Emperor's Champion, an official position within the Black Templars.
By the time the warship reached its destination, his combat strength had largely recovered.
The Black Templars' Chaplain summoned the warriors to form ranks in the prayer hall. Preparations for battle had begun, while Blackhawk, as a warrior from another Chapter, was assigned a quiet chamber with a statue of the Emperor where he could pray alone.
Blackhawk didn't actually enjoy praying. In the words of their Parent Chapter, they roamed beyond the light of the Astronomican, and any enemy seeking to invade the Emperor's Holy Domain would leave their bones there.
The entire Chapter believed not that their souls would return to the Throne, but that the spirits of the fallen would gather around it and continue shielding Him from His enemies.
The Emperor's light could only shine upon his back, because he always faced the enemy.
When he finished praying, the Black Templars were still in the hall. The servants outside stood with bowed heads, listening to