It had been one standard week since Yiseol Barbab entered the Gellar Field Generator.
On the bridge, an unidentified object had appeared on the radar, and the entire crew was in a frenzy.
"Can the hostile object not be identified?"
"We took photographs through the external cameras. The results will be available shortly."
As soon as the crewman finished speaking, the photographs appeared as holograms on the bridge. Most of those who saw them were stunned.
"This is... a vessel unlike any I have ever seen. Magos, this must be what I think it is, correct?"
"Yes. To think that, even after becoming stranded in the Warp, another calamity this desperate would befall us."
The photograph showed an enormous Space Hulk. It was so immense that the Mechanicus vessel looked no larger than a speck of dust beside it.
"Can we avoid it?"
"It is possible."
"Then avoid it as widely as possible."
There were masses of ships that had drifted through the Warp, become derelicts through some accident, and then fused with other wreckage as they continued to drift. Those were Space Hulks.
Though they were conglomerations of countless derelict ships and asteroids, Space Hulks were like treasure chests containing innumerable riches.
Relics of Astartes Chapters, STCs, and other rare treasures lay hidden within them.
Naturally, the risks were just as great. Space Hulks teemed with xenos and daemons.
Our ship does not have remotely enough troops for that.
Tess thought so, smacked his lips in regret, then quickly cast the feeling aside.
"I would like to escape into realspace as soon as possible."
As always, Erin stood before the Knights alongside the Tech-Priests, maintaining them—or, more precisely, calming their machine spirits.
The Knights trembled in fear at being trapped within the Warp, and that was hindering their maintenance.
"Calm down... Hah. Calm the fuck down, you bastards."
"?! Lady Erin! What is the meaning of this insolence?!"
The Tech-Priest beside her rebuked her at the sudden crude outburst.
"Priest, they are getting cocky because I usually treat them too well. I need to put them in line like this once in a while."
The Tech-Priest was left speechless. Just as she had said, the Knights' trembling was beginning to subside.
"You have lived for hundreds of years, and yet you cannot keep yourselves calmer than us, who have not even lived a hundred? Are you really our ancestors? And right now, the last surviving members of the House consist of us and only twenty Knights aboard this ship. Are you going to become corrupted because we cannot maintain you like this, and wipe out the House completely?! Huh?!"
At the harsh words, sharpened by the threats of a seasoned drill instructor, the Knights calmed completely and rebuked themselves.
Even this young one was responding to the situation with composure, yet we, far older than her, are panicking. How laughable.
"Whew, it seems you have finally calmed down. Then let us begin maintenance. Tech-Priest? Let us begin."
"Ah? Ah, yes. Servitor, commence reconsecration."
The Gear of the Machine, the vessel carrying our survivors, composed itself as always and repeated the same daily routine it always had.
Then, when that routine had repeated roughly twenty-four times, news other than the usual schedule announcement finally came over the shipwide vox network.
"We are returning to realspace! Give thanks to His Majesty the Emperor!!!"
At those words, cheers erupted throughout the vessel.
"Give thanks to His Majesty the Emperor!!!"
The ship began to emerge into realspace, and the moment it did, they intended to consult the charts and assess the situation.
But there was absolutely no need to do so.
The sight beyond the bridge explained everything.
"Glory to Holy Terra..."
They had arrived at Holy Terra—or in other words, Luna, Earth's moon.
A fierce battle was raging across the lunar surface, and upon examining it, they saw two figures who seemed to belong only in history books.
"Primarchs! The Primarch of the Ultramarines, Roboute Guilliman, and the traitor Primarch, Magnus the Red... He has spotted us!!"
Magnus discovered the vessel that had suddenly appeared in the heavens and stretched out his hand toward it.
"..."
But nothing happened.
Puzzled, Magnus stretched out his hand once more and unleashed psychic power. Yet again, nothing happened.
"I may not be able to defeat him head-on, but blocking his psychic power is more than possible."
The cause was Theo, who had just emerged from the Gellar Field Generator and was gathering his psychic power.
"More importantly, Magnus and Roboute Guilliman, with the battlefield being the moon..."
This was the final battle from the novel [Rise of the Primarch]. Roboute Guilliman had set out on his journey to Terra, overcome countless trials and hardships, and finally arrived at Luna.
There, he battled Magnus, who had pursued him, and the Thousand Sons Legion.
"Magos, prepare the Drop Keep—the Knight drop fortress."
"Understood. I shall have it ready at once."
"Erin, Tess. Gather the House Knights. About five veteran Knights."
"All right." "Yes, I understand."
"This time, we need to make an impression on the Primarch and secure generous support. That is how we will rebuild the House."
"So tell everyone not to overextend themselves and to watch their safety. Every single member of the House is valuable right now."
"I shall relay the order."
One by one, the Knights entered the Drop Keep.
Eight Knights had gathered in total. Other than Tess, Erin, and myself, all of them were Armiger-class Knights.
Once every Knight participating in this battle had boarded, the Drop Keep launched from the ship and began hurtling down toward the lunar surface.
"Knights of House Barbab!"
I shouted.
"Glorious Knights of House Barbab!"
"Today! We shall fight the first war for the rebuilding of our House! Are you afraid?"
The Knights cried out.
"No!!"
"This is our holy war, our crusade. From this moment onward, we shall walk the glorious path of rebuilding our House."
"In the course of it, some of us will be wounded, and some may die."
"But we endure!"
"We endure and endure again, weathering the enemy's attacks. Then the remaining Knights shall gather as one spear and pierce our enemies with it!!"
"So long as even one Knight remains, our lineage shall not be broken!"
Kwoooom!!!
The Drop Keep finally reached the lunar surface, and the Knights began to emerge.
"Sweep them away! Punish those ignorant traitors!!!"
"Glory to House Barbab!"
Led by Erin and Tess, the Armiger-class Knights emerged all at once and began spewing furious flames at the enemy.
"You who have fallen for false illusions and been corrupted, your psychic power is useless!"
I disrupted and blocked Magnus's psychic power from afar, while the House Knights began helping the Ultramarines crush the Thousand Sons Legion.
Magnus wanted to come over at once and crush the Knights beneath him, but Roboute Guilliman stood before him.
In other words, his only option was to bring Guilliman down as swiftly as possible.
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