The ground nearby was shaking with violence that defied description.
Not just trembling. Not simple seismic activity. This was the earth itself convulsing, ferrocrete cracking in spiderwebs that spread for kilometers, entire sections of the base nest's floor heaving and buckling. The shockwaves traveled through solid matter and air alike, rattling bones in their sockets.
Even the air in the base nest seemed to be on fire.
The atmosphere ignited from residual heat, toxic gases combusting in chain reactions. Flames spread through the fog itself, turning the poisonous mist into a medium for conflagration. Visibility flickered between absolute darkness and hellish illumination as fires bloomed and died.
Countless Genestealers and remaining rebels were completely vaporized the moment the nuclear explosion unfolded.
They didn't burn. Didn't die screaming. They simply ceased to exist. Bodies at ground zero transformed directly from matter to energy, molecular bonds breaking down faster than nerves could register pain. Thousands of organisms deleted from reality in fractions of a second.
And with the aftermath of the nuclear explosion spreading outward, the industrial waste accumulated in the entire base nest was completely ignited.
Centuries of chemical compounds detonated simultaneously. Reactions that should have been impossible occurred under nuclear temperatures. The base nest became a secondary explosive of staggering yield, amplifying destruction beyond all calculation.
A large number of terrifying base nest creatures let out desperate wails one after another.
Things that had survived in toxic darkness for generations found themselves burning alive. Their shrieks echoed through passages, animal panic mixed with sounds no human throat could produce. The native ecosystem was being purged by fire and radiation.
Soon after, the air in the base nest seemed to burn away completely.
Oxygen consumed by endless combustion. The atmosphere itself depleted, leaving vacuum pockets where nothing could survive. What remained was worse than nothing.
Dark poisonous mist filled the space, toxic gases released from burning waste combining with radioactive particulates. The fog had nowhere to escape in the enclosed environment, building in concentration, becoming lethal within seconds of exposure.
It gradually spread toward the lower nest levels above, rising on thermal currents, seeking new spaces to contaminate.
The disaster was escalating beyond containment. The nuclear explosion had triggered chain reactions that threatened to consume the entire hive. Billions of lives hung in the balance as toxic death crept upward through the city's levels.
At this moment, something changed.
A powerful psychic energy of unknown origin descended into the interior of the base nest in the blink of an eye.
The presence was vast, incomprehensible, carrying weight that had nothing to do with physical mass. It pressed against reality itself, bending space-time through sheer force of will. The psychic signature was unmistakable to anyone with the senses to detect it.
Golden. Radiant. Absolute.
It actually quickly eliminated the terrifying poisonous fog spreading upward!
The toxic mist simply vanished, molecules broken down and dispersed by psychic force applied with surgical precision. What should have taken days of atmospheric processing disappeared in moments.
And the continuous ground shaking caused by the nuclear explosion also ceased.
Tectonic disruption stopped as though commanded. Cracks in the ferrocrete sealed themselves. The convulsing earth grew still. Physics bent to accommodate will that transcended natural law.
The restless base nest calmed again, settling into ominous silence.
At the same time, Nolan and the others who'd run out of the base nest turned around to look back.
They'd reached the exit, climbed to relative safety in the lower nest proper. Now they stared at the passage they'd fled through, watching for signs of pursuit or catastrophe.
Everyone's faces subconsciously showed bright smiles of relief.
The expressions were almost delirious, shock and exhaustion and disbelief combining. They'd survived. Against all odds, despite nuclear detonation and chemical explosions and toxic contamination, they'd actually survived.
Nolan and David looked at each other, unspoken communication passing between them.
After confirming that the nuclear explosion had not caused a major tragedy such as the complete collapse of the hive city, both of them shook their heads in unison.
The gesture was almost comical. Relief mixed with residual adrenaline. They'd come within meters of triggering a catastrophe that would have killed billions.
Both let out simultaneous sighs of relief, tension bleeding from their armored frames.
Afterwards, Nolan greeted everyone in the beheading team with tired gestures.
He led them walking toward the direction where other reinforcements waited, the survivors trudging through the lower nest with exhausted steps.
At this moment, the battle in the lower nest had long been over.
The combat that had raged for days, that had consumed thousands of lives, that had tested Imperial forces against Chaos corruption and xenos infestation... all of it was finished.
The decaying corpses of numerous Nurgle zombies were gradually gathered into piles.
Work crews moved through the battlefield with grim efficiency, using hooks and chains to drag corrupted remains into central collection points. The bodies were still dangerous, still carrying disease, still potentially infectious even in death.
Then they were completely burned to ashes by promethium flamers.
Purifying fire washed over the piles, temperatures hot enough to ensure complete sterilization. The flames consumed corrupted flesh, leaving only sterile ash that could be safely disposed of. Nothing of Nurgle's taint would remain to spread.
Because this had been a battle with Chaos, the defense troops and fanatic believers who died in the fighting were also treated this way.
The same fire that purified enemies also claimed Imperial dead. It was necessary, inevitable. Any soldier who'd been exposed to Chaos corruption, even faithful servants who'd resisted, couldn't be allowed normal burial. Their bodies might carry taint that would spread if left intact.
They were buried on the spot, ashes scattered or interred in sealed containers.
Immediately afterwards, many state religion monks and mid-level priests began their work.
They obeyed orders from the Inquisition, carrying out protocols that had been refined over millennia of fighting Chaos. The most basic review and screening of personnel involved in the battle began, one by one.
Each soldier was examined individually. Thoroughly. Without exception.
For example, they poured holy water on subjects that had been blessed by senior priests for long hours.
The consecrated liquid was applied liberally, dousing every exposed surface. Prayers had transformed the water into something more than H2O, investing it with psychic properties that reacted to corruption.
Or they asked subjects to recite prayer scriptures, testing memory and cognition.
The ability to speak sacred words without hesitation indicated uncorrupted consciousness. Chaos-touched minds often struggled with Imperial liturgy, the words burning on corrupted tongues.
Such behavior could cause considerable harm to Chaos daemons, making them reveal themselves through pain reactions.
It might also stimulate Chaos followers on the verge of corruption to rebel violently and uncontrollably, the blessed water triggering final transformation that exposed them for purging.
Nolan did not stop this process, nor did he express any opinions against it.
He simply endured the screening alongside his soldiers, submitting to examination without complaint. His silence spoke volumes about his understanding of necessity.
He was well aware of the difficulties and troubles posed by Chaos corruption.
He also understood the reasons why the priests of the state religion behaved as they did, the institutional paranoia that drove such extreme measures.
Even though the soldiers who participated in this battle were fighting heroes who successfully suppressed the rebellion and defended the hive...
Even though they'd shed blood in the Emperor's service, faced death without breaking, achieved victory against overwhelming odds...
The pollution of Chaos would not make exceptions for anyone or anything.
Bravery didn't grant immunity. Faith wasn't absolute protection. Chaos corrupted through exposure, through proximity, through simple bad luck. Every soldier needed screening regardless of their heroism.
Nolan, who was splashed with countless applications of holy water and listened to prayer scriptures for hours, finally passed the examination.
The state church priest conducting his screening nodded with satisfaction, making notations on a data-slate. The Angel was pure. Uncorrupted. Safe to return to normal duties.
With an expressionless face, Nolan was about to take the giant elevator and leave the lower nest.
His damaged armor needed repair. His injuries needed treatment. He wanted nothing more than to leave this toxic hellscape and breathe clean air again.
But after thinking for a moment, he paused and turned back.
He ordered David to take out all the panacea capsules except for the large emergency reserve.
The ancient Man of Iron complied immediately, accessing storage compartments in his power armor. Crystal vials emerged, each one containing miracle medicine that could heal nearly any injury.
Nolan, driving his Six-Armed Iron Cavalry despite its damage, found a senior priest in charge of the screening operation.
The holy man looked up in surprise as an Astartes approached, clearly expecting to be accused of excessive caution.
In front of the priest, Nolan first demonstrated the panacea's effect.
He took one of the injured soldiers nearby, a man with las-burns across his chest and a broken arm. Nolan administered a single pill, and within seconds the wounds began closing, bones realigning, tissue regenerating before astonished eyes.
Then Nolan threw the entire supply of panacea capsules into the super large holy water bucket the priest had brought.
The pills dissolved immediately, turning the consecrated water golden. The mixture glowed with soft radiance, divine blessing and miracle medicine combining into something more than either alone.
David also began inviting the soldiers who had undergone simple screening to come and drink the holy water.
One by one they approached, suspicious at first, then eager. Each soldier drank deeply, swallowing the blessed mixture. And one by one, their injuries healed. Burns faded. Broken bones mended. Exhaustion lifted.
The reason why Nolan chose to do this was twofold.
One purpose was to allow those who participated in the battle to recover from their injuries, to restore them to full combat effectiveness rather than leaving them crippled or dead from wounds.
Secondly, it was to eliminate any possible presence of Chaos corruption through the combined purifying effects of holy water and panacea.
As well as to alleviate the worries or cruel methods of erasure that the state religion and Inquisition might otherwise employ.
If soldiers could be proven pure through miraculous healing, they wouldn't need to be executed as precautionary measures. Nolan was saving lives while strengthening his political position.
Nolan's support mission this time had been successfully completed.
The rebellion was suppressed. The Chaos threat eliminated. The Genestealer infestation purged. Tetim Hive was secured, its critical Leman Russ production lines protected.
Except for the fact that the operation almost went catastrophically wrong at the end because of the nuclear bomb problem...
The whole battle had gone relatively smoothly. Casualties were acceptable. Strategic objectives achieved. The mission could be classified as a success.
But Nolan's subsequent rectification of Tetim Hive was obviously just beginning.
Political restructuring. Economic reform. Social reorganization. The work of transforming a corrupt hive into something resembling functional Imperial governance would take months, maybe years.
In particular, after Inquisitor Lady Glendir accidentally learned certain information from defense forces and psyker Lucy...
After discovering that Nolan, as the Emperor's Angel, actually had the Emperor's golden blood flowing in his body, verified through his bleeding during combat...
The Inquisitor's behavior toward him changed completely.
She would come to him for advice and counsel when choosing matters large or small, treating his opinions as divinely inspired guidance. Her deference was absolute, her willingness to implement his suggestions unquestioning.
Nolan, who understood the implications perfectly, hesitated only briefly.
Then he took advantage of the opportunity and became the controller who temporarily governed the entire hive city.
Not officially. Not with formal title or ceremony. But through the Inquisitor acting as his proxy, implementing his will, his authority became absolute in practice.
Soon after, many civilians in the middle nest and upper nest saw a grand scene they had never witnessed before.
In the past, those high-ranking nobles who seemed untouchable were hanged by their entire families in the most eye-catching public locations.
The executions were conducted with ceremony and deliberation. Each noble household brought before the masses. Their crimes read aloud. Then the ropes tightened and they died in full view of the populations they'd oppressed.
And some civilians in the hive city who were familiar with the nobles discovered something interesting.
All these executed nobles belonged to the planetary governor's faction, the political network that had enabled the corruption triggering the rebellion.
In addition, there were some arrogant nobles who had literally stained their hands with the blood of countless people and caused serious public dissatisfaction over years of abuse.
The purge was surgical. Targeted. Eliminating the worst offenders while leaving functional administrators in place.
Furthermore, a large number of workers and civilians who participated in Leman Russ tank production tasks found that their living standards had increased slightly.
Not dramatically. The Imperium wasn't about comfort. But measurably better.
At least the corpse starch ration tubes were full now, providing adequate caloric intake. And occasionally there were supplements that had never been available before, actual food with flavor and nutrition.
After everyone learned that these improvements were orders issued by Lord Angel personally...
Everyone was grateful and happy for the changes, their lives marginally less miserable.
They kept praising the Emperor and Lord Angel in equal measure, prayers mixing gratitude for divine intervention with thanks for an Astartes who cared about mortal welfare.
At this moment, Nolan, who was hiding behind the scenes, truly became the uncrowned king of Tetim Hive.
He controlled the Inquisitor. Through her, he controlled the Planetary Defense Force. Through them, he controlled the hive's infrastructure. And through small improvements to worker conditions, he'd won popular support that made his rule unquestionable.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, Nolan orchestrated his final political move.
Witnessed by Inquisitor Lady Glendir, he completely ended the seriously injured and dying life of the previous planetary governor.
The man had lingered in a coma since the rebellion's opening moves. Now, quietly, his medical support was withdrawn. Death came peacefully, without scandal or investigation.
And as time passed, a new candidate emerged.
A man said to be the illegitimate son of the planetary governor, discovered through careful genealogical research, appeared before the hive's population for the first time.
The young planetary governor named Hassan also entered the sight of the civilians, introduced through carefully orchestrated public appearances.
He gradually took over the difficult task of managing the entire hive city, learning governance under Inquisitor Glendir's guidance.
In fact, the so-called illegitimate son was completely fabricated.
This was the Cadian veteran Hassan, the purple-eyed soldier who'd been part of the decapitation team. The convict who'd been condemned for desertion through bureaucratic error. The common man who'd fought beside an Astartes and survived.
After all, the only requirement of the Imperium of Man for planets under its command was to pay tithes on time.
Imperial governance basically would not interfere in other situations, as long as the money kept flowing and recruits kept shipping out.
Moreover, this was the governor candidate personally selected by the Emperor's Angel, endorsed by divine authority.
Coupled with verification from the Inquisitor, official sanction from the Inquisition itself, no one could find any fault in the appointment.
Of course, this development was also a tremendous shock for veteran Hassan.
He actually rose from a guilty convict to a planetary governor in a single step, ascending from the lowest depths to the highest authority.
Becoming the governor who controlled an entire hive planet was simply unimaginable, transformation so complete it seemed like a fever dream.
However, Nolan also made certain things very clear to Hassan.
He was given this position because he understood civilians and mortal concerns, because his common background meant he could make the lives of the hive city's population not too unbearable.
If one day, planetary governor Hassan also became like his predecessor...
If he turned corrupt, abused power, extracted wealth while people starved...
Or if he stood on the opposite side of the Imperium of Man, if he betrayed his oaths or turned to Chaos...
Then the Emperor's Angel would come again and take Hassan's head personally.
The threat was delivered with absolute sincerity. Nolan would kill him without hesitation if necessary.
At this moment, Hassan's expression changed rapidly.
From confusion to understanding to determination, emotions cycling across his purple-eyed face. Then he knelt on one knee before Nolan without hesitation, formal and absolute.
He expressed his strong loyalty to the Angel, voice trembling with conviction.
As a reward for faithful service, or perhaps as a safety device to ensure continued loyalty...
Nolan took three tubes of the Emperor's blood from his body.
The golden fluid was drawn carefully, stored in crystal vials that seemed to glow from within. This was Primarch genetics, the Emperor's own essence made physical. Priceless. Irreplaceable.
He gave them to Hassan, Psychic Lucy, and Inquisitor Glendir respectively.
Each recipient understood the significance. The blood could heal nearly any injury. Could grant temporary enhancement. Could serve as proof of divine favor. And most importantly, it bound them to Nolan through debt that could never be fully repaid.
When affairs in the hive city were almost completely settled, when governance structures were established and loyal personnel positioned...
Nolan and David began to prepare for the journey back home.
They spent the final days ensuring continuity of command, verifying that Hassan had sufficient support, confirming that the Inquisitor would maintain oversight.
When the 30th day finally arrived, the phantom number on Nolan's gauntlet reaching zero...
A slowly torn space crack appeared silently in front of Nolan and David.
The phenomenon was different from their arrival. No violent suction. No chaotic transition. Just a clean tear in reality, edges stable, showing darkness beyond.
Nolan unexpectedly did not feel any uncontrollable strong suction from the space crack.
The passage seemed almost gentle, waiting patiently rather than demanding immediate entry. The Pharos Lighthouse's return function operated more smoothly than the outbound journey.
But in order not to miss the best opportunity to return home...
They couldn't afford to wait, couldn't risk the portal closing and stranding them in the Warhammer universe permanently.
Finally, Nolan took one last look at Tetim Hive City.
The sprawling metropolis stretched to the horizon, billions of lives packed into its levels. He'd saved them all, prevented Chaos corruption from consuming the world. Left them better governed than he'd found them.
It was enough.
He stepped into the space crack with David without hesitation!
The ancient Man of Iron followed immediately, the regimental banner still mounted on his power armor. They walked into darkness together, leaving the Warhammer 40,000 universe behind.
The portal closed behind them with a soft sound like tearing fabric.
And the Green Fire Angel departed, his first support mission complete.