A Battle Barge emerged from the Warp.
Its design was ancient. Only the Imperium's military experts would have recognized it as a model used in the early days of the Great Crusade.
On the bridge, several figures clad in yellow spoke quietly among themselves.
More surprising, however, were the towering Thunder Warriors who made up most of the ship's company.
Their armor was battered, with many missing sections patched directly with tank armor plates. Their weapons were equally varied; some had even been fashioned from Tyranid bone blades.
By any measure, this force was poor enough to beg in the streets.
Yet this very force had just escaped pursuit by White Scars riders and the Dark Angels.
Leodorio, commander of the Thunder Warriors Legion, walked onto the bridge and looked at the yellow-robed giant at their head.
"We should be safe now. Nothing's following us."
"Good. Thanks to you, Leodorio."
"Mm."
Leodorio looked at the yellow-robed giant, his eyes still wary.
He could clearly see the golden auramite armor beneath those yellow robes.
"But you won't be deciding our route from here on, Valdor."
The golden-armored giant glanced at him, then silently accepted.
When the Imperium had pursued the Thunder Warriors, Leodorio had taken the entire ship to draw the pursuers away, covering the escape of Second Company Captain Dakan and Inquisitor Arlith.
Escaping the White Scars riders and the Dark Angels had not been easy. At one point, they had driven the entire Thunder Warriors Legion into a trap.
At that critical moment, an unexpected old acquaintance had appeared.
The first Captain-General of the Adeptus Custodes-Constantin Valdor.
Valdor had vanished after the Horus Heresy, leaving the weapon the Emperor had bestowed upon him-the Spear of Helios-in the Imperial Palace before disappearing.
No one knew where he had gone, or