*Velkar's Perspective*

Velkar slumped into a chair aboard the ship as its ramp sealed and the hum of engines filled the air. Exhaustion seeped into his bones, and every bruise and cut screamed for rest. With a weary hand, he tugged back his hood and removed his helmet. The cool, clean air was a welcome relief, the purest he'd breathed in weeks. He set the helmet on the seat beside him alongside his staff and let his gaze wander across the room.

Apothecary Aedric sat slumped near the bed where Ulfvar lay. His helmet had also been removed, and his ragged breathing spoke volumes about the grueling trial they'd all endured. Across from him, Bjornir knelt on the floor, blood pooling beneath him from wounds that hadn’t yet been tended. Despite his battered state, he had fought to protect the group without hesitation. Velkar couldn’t help but respect his loyalty and unwavering dedication.

His gaze shifted to Callex and Ambrosius, sitting near the ramp. These two were enigmas. Their ship had vanished during the siege of Melthis V when the warp storm struck, seemingly lost along with countless others. Yet here they were, appearing out of thin air and claiming an "ally" had aided them. Velkar sighed, a deep weariness settling in.

“I hope their answers are worth the cost,” he thought, casting a glance at First Lieutenant Farestein and the remnants of their platoon.

Out of fifty men, only twenty had survived, and of those, only six were combat-ready. The others were either in stasis beds or clinging to life by a thread. Velkar muttered a quiet prayer for the fallen and resolved to seek clarity. Rising from his seat, he approached Callex and Ambrosius, intent on confronting them.

Before he could speak, the hovering machine interrupted—their "ally," Arsenal, or perhaps it was Ratchet. Velkar wasn’t entirely sure yet.

“A.R.K. wants to know what we’re going to do about the ship,” the machine stated.

“Destroy it,” Callex replied firmly. “We can’t allow something so dangerous to linger in this galaxy.”

“I think we should hold off on that decision,” Ambrosius said suddenly.

The room went silent. Every eye turned to Ambrosius, expressions ranging from shock to disbelief.

“Did I hear that correctly?” Aedric’s tone was sharp, his frustration palpable.

“Yes,” Ambrosius repeated evenly.

Aedric stood abruptly, his anger spilling over as he stormed toward Ambrosius. Velkar intercepted him, raising a calming hand.

“Cousin, calm yourself,” Velkar urged.

“Calm down? After everything that happened on that cursed ship, you want me to calm down?” Aedric snapped, his voice almost a shout. Around them, others murmured in agreement, their faces etched with anger and confusion.

“I understand your frustration,” Velkar said firmly, meeting Aedric’s glare. “But let’s hear him out.” Turning to Ambrosius, he asked, “Why do you think we shouldn’t destroy it?”

Ambrose met Velkar's gaze and nodded. "Arsenal, bring up a map of the ship."

The floating machine complied, projecting a holographic map into the air. Ambrosius pointed to a section of the ship.

“This is why,” he said simply.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Velkar and the others leaned in. The section Ambrosius indicated was part of the Emperor-class battleship, buried within the hulk’s remains.

"What's so special about it? It's just an old wreck," Bjornir muttered as he rose from the floor and waved away the other floating machine buzzing around him.

“When we first boarded A.R.K., we learned that he it’s missing crucial navigation data due to an accident,” Ambrosius explained. “There’s a chance that this wreck still contains intact navigational data we can recover.”

“You’re suggesting we salvage it?” Callex asked, raising a brow.

"If there is a possibility that there is information that survived, then yes.", Ambrosius admitted.

Velkar crossed his arms, skeptical. “Even if that’s true, how do you propose we recover it? We’re barely standing as it is—low on supplies, too many injured, and no guarantee of success.”

"That might not be a problem," Arsenal, who had been silent until now, suddenly said.

The whole group turned their heads towards him with a skeptical look on them.

"A.R.K has been devising a firing solution to be able to destroy this ship," the map lit up with red circles, "with small changes, he can blast around these parts of the ship to dislodge them and then salvage it." The map shows a sequence of events, how it could work.

The map shifted, displaying a detailed sequence of events. Red circles highlighted strategic points where A.R.K.'s weaponry would sever the section from the rest of the hulk.

Velkar studied the plan. "This is risky. If the Tyranids come aboard when we salvage it, this whole scenario will repeat itself."

“A.R.K. is aware of the risks and will take every precaution to prevent that outcome,” Arsenal assured him. “However, the final decision lies with you, as you have greater experience with these adversaries.”

Velkar nodded and looked up at the rest of the group. "Let's discuss this."

After a tense discussion, the group reached a consensus.

He turned to Arsenal, "We have come to a decision, Proceed with the plan but we want to be there when salvage begins to make sure no xenos get on board." Velkar said with finality in his tone.

"Understood... A.R.K respects this decision and will place the salvage in stasis, until you are in such a state that you can oversee the salvage. now if I may direct your attention to this screen." Arsenal replied, directing their attention to a wall screen.

The display flickered to life, showing the looming form of the space hulk outside.

"What are we…" Velkar begins to question, as little white dots on the other side of the screen begin to appear, and in the next second, eight large white pillars of light pass by outside the ship and slam into The Space hunk,

“What in the Emperor’s name…” Callex began, his voice trailing off as the spectacle unfolded.

Through the beams of light, a blue bolt of energy streaked toward the hulk. Upon impact, sections of the ship exploded outward, debris scattering into the void. One by one, the targeted segments disintegrated until only scraps remained.

“What was that?” Velkar asked, awe and apprehension mixing in his voice.

“That was A.R.K. 's main cannon’s, Foure Double-barrel 2400mm Mass-Accelerated Ion Cannons,” Arsenal replied matter-of-factly.

Velkar exhaled slowly. “I have many questions… but they’ll have to wait.” Turning to Callex and Ambrosius, he added, “I’ve gotten the answers I need for now… but you two still owe us an explanation.”

"So what do you want to know?" Ambrosius asks.

"Can we start with what happened to you guys after the warp storm?" Velkar says, sitting down on a seat.

Ambrosius nodded and sat down in a chair. "It's a long story... but after we were taken by the storm....."

Ambrosius with the help of Callex started to tell what they had been through during the month after they had been hit by the storm.