The ship was huge, its hull covered with weapons. They would go unnoticed to the untrained eye, for they were well hidden under multiple layers of alundil. All it would take to deploy the deadly devices was one small vocal command. The vessel would then morph into the most powerful and lethal engine the Imperium had ever seen. It was fast, too. Fast enough to outrun even a battlepod.

Yes, the ship was huge, but it was empty... Save for one man.

Adam Bregg—formerly a colonel in the Imperial Army—was on the bridge, pacing back and forth and mumbling to himself.

“I have become a joke. Worse, a gnat. A passing distraction, only worth a second of the Imperium’s attention.” He snorted. “Now all they talk about is the alien invaders. Ha!”

He paused and stared at the star-filled screen.

“I could continue,” he muttered, “but what’s the point? The aliens are doing my work for me.” He scowled at the dashboard, as if it might care about his disposition—it did not. “I should probably sit back, relax, and enjoy the show as the Imperium is torn apart.” He gritted his teeth. “But I wanted to be part of the process. To usher in a new era... Now I have to content myself with a backseat.”

Bregg stopped pacing and dropped into a chair.

“I’ll say this, though. The Imperium is getting what it deserves!” He looked to his right, as if somebody was there—though no one was. “Yes, yes, I know, innocent people are dying. Tens of thousands. But I warned them, did I not? I told them to leave for the rim. But did they listen? Of course not!” He frowned as his eyes went back to the screen. “Sure, the aliens killed in the rim too, but there was nothing I could do. By the time I heard about it, they were already leaving the rim, moving deeper into the Imperium.”

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The former colonel stared at the dashboard. After a moment more of hesitation, he finally stabbed a button with his index finger.

“Damn it all to hell! I can’t just stay out here and do nothing. I’ll go nuts.”

He suspected he had already started down that slope, though he refused to admit it.

“I blame it all on the High Noort,” he muttered. “She should have given me a crew. What am I supposed to do all alone? ‘You can control it with your voice,’ she said. ‘It’s easy, you’ll see.’ Oh, I see alright. I see you screwed me. I’ve half a mind to go back to Qevahr and do the Emperor’s job for him.”

He fell silent, brooding.

The ship was alien in design, that much had been clear from the start. Nor had the Qevahri tried to pretend otherwise, though they never explained just how they’d gotten their hands on all this alien technology. Well, that wasn’t entirely true. They claimed it all a gift from their god. But that was preposterous! Or did they think Saan had brought the aliens to their door? And if that was the case, there was a much bigger issue, wasn’t there? Why would aliens give all this to the Qevahri? It made no sense. Unless you believed in a benevolent god, which Bregg did not.

Still. This was better than nothing. He had an effective tool—a weapon to bring the Emperor to his knees. If only these invaders hadn’t come and screwed up his plans. His crusade had started rather well, though. If he had to do it all over again, he would.

His only regret was having to leave Ferris and the others behind. There had been no way around it. Bringing them along would have required answering awkward questions, and he knew Richard would never have agreed to this. Orvos and Dawan would have called it madness as well, he knew as much. He found comfort in the knowledge they would be safer on Qevahr... assuming the Emperor did not go through with his threat of destroying the planet. He’d planned to interfere with that, but the Scourge of Abrax had beaten him to the punch.

The ship—which he had christened Sword of Horus—picked up speed as it headed deeper into the Imperium, in the wake of the invaders.

Bregg glanced again to his right.

“No, Richard,” he muttered, “I am no hero. There will be no redemption for me. It is much too late for that, my friend. You must learn to accept this as I have.” His eyes drifted back to the controls. “I shall watch the Imperium burn. And, when it’s all said and done, I shall celebrate on its ashes.”

He fell quiet as the Sword rushed through the stars.