On the bridge of the Hammer of God, Commander Marlan watched the live battlefield feed, his face livid.
"We underestimated the enemy," Inquisitor Kalia said coldly. "This was a carefully planned ambush. The Necrons knew we would come to destroy the obelisk, so they stationed a large force around it."
"Provide orbital support immediately!" Maran ordered.
"We can't, Overlord!" the weapons officer reported desperately. "The obelisk is emitting some kind of energy interference field! All our railgun targeting systems have failed! Even the lance batteries can't lock onto a target!"
Maran slammed his fist onto the control console.
Were they really going to watch the ground forces be wiped out here?
Just then, something unusual appeared on the holographic screen.
At the center of the battlefield, amid death and despair, a golden light suddenly flared.
At first, it was faint, like a candle in the darkness. But it expanded rapidly, growing brighter and brighter until it became a golden pillar of light that pierced the sky!
The pillar was roughly a hundred meters across, spanning heaven and earth and dispelling the pall of death that shrouded the battlefield.
Everyone stared at the sight in shock.
"What is that?" Maran held his breath.
At the center of the pillar, a figure slowly emerged.
He was a humanoid being roughly three meters tall, his entire body shrouded in brilliant golden flames.
His features were indistinct, but his eyes were clearly visible, like two golden suns filled with majesty and compassion.
"An angel..." a soldier murmured, then abruptly fell to his knees. "The Emperor's angel!"
"It's the Emperor! The Emperor has come!"
"Long live the Holy Lord!"
The desperate soldiers seized upon that golden light like drowning men clutching at a lifeline. They did not know who this being truly was, but in