Chapter twenty.

The first modified Atlesian craft rose from the troposphere under the guided eye of the Raven Guard strike cruiser. They would be deployed around the planet in the asteroid belt that separates the inner-system gulf from the outer-system gulf.
The ships bore lance batteries which were less effective than the large Imperial variant. But given their small dust-based reactors and smaller size, it was the best that could be done with them. They also had modified void shields and small sets of three servitor-guided torpedoes.
They were not intended to stop an invasion, only bloody it. Unbeknownst to them all, the enemy was already in the system.

Hierax watched the system manifest as the warp was pushed from the material realm. He saw lights dancing in the distance, distant stars or ships? It did not matter. All that mattered was that he had followed his master's trail.
Soon, he would find his master and the Abyssal Prince and attain the blessings of the gods.

Centarien stood resplendent in his Mark III power armour. It had been repaired since the attack launched by the desperate Loyalists. Since then, he had seen a change in his warriors. Galen spoke with a hiss, Cymar swung his hammer with all the swagger that he was capable of. Techmarine Flavian and Apothecary Dynat had both grown reclusive, only seeing one another to work on their "volunteered" battle-brothers.
Whatever was happening to his brothers, it drew Centarien's concern.
'Sigal the company fleet,' he said to a serf, his ivory hair swinging in a warriors braide. 'We have arrived.'

All for now, but that means that next chapter we start seeing fighting. Yey.