The Ultramarines' Third Company was garrisoned on Laphis.
Famed for xenos-hunting, they earned respect even from Deathwatch brothers, dubbed "the Scourge of Xenos."
Deathwatch is a special chapter, composed of elite warriors from many chapters.
They serve the Ordo Xenos, hunting and destroying all alien threats.
The Third Company, veterans of fighting xenos, eyed the Ynnari warily.
But after Cawl, Greyfax, Celestine, and other Imperial leaders identified themselves,
They suppressed their urge to attack the Eldar.
"The Emperor guides us to deliver Archmagos Cawl and his relics to the Lord of Ultramar."
"We need your help."
Celestine's tone was sincere.
"A squadron of Stormravens will soon arrive at our fortress. I'll assign two to take you up to the strike cruiser Honor's Blade."
The Ultramarine leader didn't know Cawl's purpose for going to Macragge,
But out of loyalty to the Emperor, he cooperated as much as possible.
He revealed that the Lord of Ultramar had indeed returned to Fortress of Hera days ago; if all went well, Cawl's party would see him on Macragge.
With their way forward secured, the allied force split up.
Ynnari—including Yvraine and her Harlequin champion—returned to the Webway to inform their kin of the Reborn's initial awakening.
Creed, his Cadian survivors, Greyfax's stormtroopers, and House Taranis' knights stayed behind to aid the Ultramarines in defending Laphis.
Those bound for Macragge: Greyfax, Amalrich and Garrein of the Black Templars, Celestine and her twin attendants, Cawl and his Skitarii, and, of course, Datch.
Datch stayed silent, watching the story unfold.
Honestly, he was bored; fighting was more fun.
But that's how single-player VR games go.
"For the Second Empire, I'll endure,"
Datch told himself.
He'd already decided: once Guilliman revived, he'd raise his arm and shout, "For the Second Empire!"
Given the AI's realism, Roboute Guilliman's reaction would surely be surprise and excitement.
Ten minutes later, two Stormravens landed on the fortress pad to take Datch's party up to the Honor's Blade.
As soon as the gunship docked, a squad of fully armed Ultramarines waited for them.
"Sorry, but this is necessary. Macragge is under threat from Chaos—we can't take more risks."
"Forgive our rudeness."
The captain apologized, then had everyone confined to the brig.
Yvraine and her Harlequin were furious; Amalrich and his men were angry as well.
Celestine calmed everyone, reminding them of their mission.
Datch wandered for a while, got bored, and chose to sleep-skip the story.
While confined, Cawl proposed an operation to remove the binding scarab from Greyfax's body—a painful, days-long process, but she endured by sheer will.
Meanwhile, she kept a close eye on Celestine,
Never trusting the Living Saint.
Her long Inquisitorial career had shown her too many lies and corruption; true miracles were rare.
Those gifts that seemed from the Emperor often proved to be vile temptations from the Chaos Gods.
She would watch Celestine, and if there was any sign of heresy, she wouldn't hesitate to act.
Yvraine found a chance to have a long talk with Cawl
Mainly about how to use the Armour of Fate to ensure the flawless revival of Roboute Guilliman.
They reached an agreement. As long as Guilliman revived, he would lead the Imperium against Chaos, buying time for the Eldar.
Cawl also gained confidence to fulfill his ten-thousand-year-old oath.
…
When Datch awoke from his skip sleep, the Honor's Blade had already reached Macragge's orbit.
Macragge is the homeworld of the Ultramarines, the capital of the Five Hundred Worlds of Ultramar.
Currently ruled by one of the three mightiest men of the Imperium—the Ultramarines' Chapter Master, Marneus Calgar.
Chaos warships, bearing marks of the Iron Warriors, Night Lords, and Emperor's Children, were clashing with Macragge's defense fleet.
As Honor's Blade approached, it was forced into the battle.
Shells thundered; the void shield vibrated with the impact.
To get Datch's party to the surface, the Ultramarines dispatched two escort squadrons to cover their Stormravens.
Datch watched out the porthole.
As the Stormraven pierced the atmosphere,
He saw heldrakes and traitor craft circling Fortress of Hera,
Diving between towering statues and massive buildings,
Strafing defenders, dropping tons of ordnance, causing terrifying explosions, destroying pillars and homes.
The Ultramarines' fierce response meant every suicide run cost scores of enemy craft.
The dogfight set Datch's blood alight.
"I have to learn to fly."
After a thrilling flight, Datch's Stormraven, under escort, landed safely at Fortress of Hera.
[Quest Complete: Escort Cawl to Macragge, the Ultramarines' homeworld, with Celestine.]
[Reward: 1500 XP, 1500 Points, +120 Reputation, Iron Halo ×1]
A blue-quality Iron Halo appeared in his inventory.
Equipping it, his helmet vanished, replaced by an Iron Halo behind his head.
The Iron Halo is an ancient relic, a special badge of honor containing a powerful force field that can block even the fiercest attacks.
With this, he no longer had to worry about him getting headshotted without a helmet.
"Finally finished the quest."
Datch checked the item's stats and blessing.
Overcharge Capacitor: When taking a lethal ranged hit, 20% chance to generate a shield for five seconds, absorbing all damage.
His sudden change drew stares from Greyfax, Amalrich, and the others.
It was their first time seeing the nameless Emperor's Angel's face.
Black hair, black eyes, handsome—a look of curiosity in his eyes.
Until now, they'd wondered if he even had a body under that unpainted armor, or was just a pure Imperial soul.
Now, the truth was out.
Under that plain armor was a living, breathing human.
But there was no time to dwell.
They had to meet Calgar.
…