With the surviving Chaos fleet retreating into the Warp, the Cadia system finds itself in a fragile peace. Tyrone's naval fleet commences defensive maneuvers, deploying dimensional engines to jump to adjacent systems near Cadia.
The colossal celestial engines orbit the star with ponderous grace, shadowing half the sky above the fortress world. Lasguns and power armor, crafted in the industrial worlds of the Tyrone sector, detach from their planetary anchors and are transported to Cadia via teleportation and torpedoes, resupplying the Cadian Shock Troops, who were caught unprepared by the sudden Chaos onslaught, yet now ready to face the coming battles.
Every commander and member of Tyrone's Guard forces heads to Miracl Fort, where the current Lord Castellan, Creed, remains. From his stronghold, he administers planetary affairs while addressing all Cadians via broadcast.
"People of Cadia." Creed's familiar phrase resonates—a phrase he has used at the beginning of each address since ascending to his position.
"It's been less than an hour since our allies' ships appeared in-system, yet the enemy has fled, leaving behind a debris field of shattered warships in the void. Our crisis is abated. Temporarily."
"The enemy will not halt so easily; greater trials lie ahead."
"For the Throne, and… for the Gate of Cadia."
Creed pauses, his words interrupted by a distortion rippling through his office space, which soon gives way to the towering figure of a five-meter metallic giant before him. Recognizing the face from his recent conversation with the Tyrone High Lord, Creed feels no need to summon his guards, nor is he surprised.
"When I saw you in the call, I thought you were simply masked…" Creed remarks, setting down his communicator and observing Qin Mo's living metal body. "What happened to lead you to adopt such a form?"
"This is but one of my bodies. Nothing in particular happened, and should you travel to the Tyrone sector, you'd find my flesh and blood self there still." Qin Mo replies as he drifts toward the office window, gazing skyward.
Beyond the window lies a training field where eight thousand soldiers from the Cadian 8th regiment stand in disciplined formation, yet Qin Mo's presence remains hidden from their view.
Fixating his gaze on the eerie glow of the Eye of Terror for several minutes, Qin Mo resists the discomfort that would cause any Cadian looking skyward to experience bleeding eyes and noses. He feels only a profound unease.
"It's like bathing in a cesspool," he mutters, but, feeling his words too blunt, he explains to Creed, "I don't mean to imply that Cadia itself is foul; rather, this place…"
"I understand." Creed's calm nod is followed by him reaching to his belt for a cigar, which he places between his lips.
Qin Mo, with a flicker of flame, lights the cigar, the unusual, heatless fire releasing an aroma that Creed savors as he inhales deeply, nodding with appreciation. "Thank you."
Another drag on the cigar, and Creed suddenly poses a question, "Do you think the enemy will retreat or persist?"
"You just expressed in your address that they'd persist, so why ask me now?" Qin Mo counters.
"I can't say, it's simply a feeling." Creed shakes his head.
"I share that feeling," Qin Mo replies, floating toward the desk and raising a hand. The desktop transforms into a star map, depicting the area surrounding Cadia.
Located within the Cadian Gate's defenses, Cadia is perilously close to the Eye of Terror, making it the prime target of Abaddon's crusade. Yet Cadia is but a piece in Abaddon's grand design, with conquest alone unlikely to satisfy his ambitions.
"If the enemy indeed seeks to continue their campaign, Cadia will not be their objective," Qin Mo remarks, studying the map as he recalls how the Celestial Engines once shielded Forge Worlds.
Any system harboring a Celestial Engine is impregnable, but those without are vulnerable.
"Skirmishes persist across the entire Dimstar region. Though we've repelled the enemy fleet, they may still launch ground assaults."
"Imperial Navy communications earlier reported an inability to locate enemy vessels. This was, of course, before the enemy fleet emerged from the Rift… yet, we lack any rift of our own. The Navy will take time to reach the Cadian Gate."
"For the first time in my life, I am witnessing a war of this scale; it's quite a headache." Creed observes the map with frustration.
"The systems surrounding Cadia require no Imperial Navy protection," Qin Mo points to the glimmering dots blinking on the map. "Each one of these represents a single Tyrone naval warship."
"One ship? Is Tyrone's fleet so formidable that a single vessel can withstand enemy advances?" Creed asks, surprised.
Qin Mo proceeds to explain Tyrone's naval defense tactics. A single battleship squadron can cover all systems within a dimensional jump radius, with its primary location designated as a strategic point. Systems surrounding the strategic point receive only a single vessel, tasked solely with escaping and reporting upon encountering the enemy, allowing the main fleet to jump in, engage, and then return to their strategic point. This tactic maximizes the effectiveness of dimensional engines; the Navy had deployed this very tactic during the Tyrone Plague, with exceptional results.
Relieved by the explanation, Creed poses another question. "Are your cargo ships equipped with dimensional engines as well?"
Qin Mo nods, unsure of Creed's intentions.
"Our Navy's strength will suffice for the current situation, yet our ground forces are somewhat lacking," Creed explains as he pulls out a stack of files from his drawer.
A glance from Qin Mo is all it takes to transfer the documents' contents directly to his mind. They reveal the Empire's Department of Military Affairs is sending reinforcements—the Space Wolves, the Battle Sisters, even the Inquisition—who are en route.
It's clear to Qin Mo that Creed wants him to dispatch cargo ships to bring these reinforcements faster. Yet he hesitates, unconvinced they are necessary. "The main front is no longer on the ground. Be it Tyrone's Navy or the Empire's, a single lance shot is sufficient to neutralize a Titan. With Tyrone's control over planetary orbits, our ground forces are adequate."
"Wars have a way of delivering the unexpected." Creed observes.
"Alright then, as you have more ground combat experience than I," Qin Mo concedes, though he doubts the reinforcements will agree to board Tyrone cargo ships.
Creed, aware of this potential issue, begins drafting a letter of assurance, vouching for Tyrone's ships with his authority as Castellan.
While Qin Mo is uncertain of how the war's course will evolve, nor does he share Creed's view of needing reinforcements, he is certain of one thing:
If Abaddon wishes to continue the fight, he will face formidable challenges against Tyrone's defensive tactics.