Dominica instantly withdrew her hands as if scalded, standing stiffly like a chastised child.
"Not blaming you… Sit."
She nodded, perching on the bedside chair. After prolonged hesitation, she blurted:
"You're good. Saved me. Gave me redemption chance. So… don't die. Wait—no! I mean… don't want you dead."
Zhang Ge watched her flounder through the verbal tangle. He recognized this clumsy attempt at urging self-care, though survival hardly depended on personal will amidst war.
Visualizing the carnage beyond these walls, he closed his eyes again. Every second squandered on recovery meant opportunities lost.
Then cold ceramite brushed his palm beneath the blanket—Dominica's gauntlet.
He opened his eyes to find her frozen mid-gesture. "Wrong again?" she stammered. "The Canoness did this when I couldn't sleep as a novice, so I thought—"
"Leave it," Zhang Ge interrupted. "Report post-impact."
Nodding, she organized the chaos into bullet points:
First revelation—he'd only been unconscious hours.
Chaos had indeed breached the hive spire using Naval wreckage as a battering ram, denying Yarkalan time to activate void shields. Their assault vessel—a frigate-sized craft—now lay embedded in the upper spires.
Fortune favored Yarkalan: the smaller ship limited boarding forces. Though Chaos Space Marines numbered among attackers, the Ring Fortress remained intact. Elite PDF and Astra Militarum regiments had established defensive lines, reinforcements climbing from lower hive districts.
Stalemate prevailed… for now.
Yet peril loomed. Chaos elites concentrated assaults on the spire's void shield controls. Should those fall, the horde outside would flood through unprotected gates.
As Dominica concluded, Zhang Ge tested his limbs—astonishingly functional. "One question: how'd I heal this fast?"
"Arch-Confessor Amilia injected emergency stimulants when you flatlined. We thought… coordinated protocol?"
"Injections?! Describe them!"
Dominica mimed cylindrical vials with glowing amber fluid. Each gesture hammered dread into Zhang Ge's gut.
One dose risks organ failure.
Splendid, Amilia. If I survive this, when the Inquisitorial fleet arrives, I'll personally report my own xenos-tech abuse. Let you weep at my execution for your mistake. Mark my words.
A nagging oversight surfaced. Zhang Ge steadied his breathing. "Olivia—the Titan that entered the hive with us. Where is she?"
"Stationary in the lower spires. Mechanicus adepts tried reactivating her without success. Did you... command her?"
"Never say 'commanded' around Mechanicus," Zhang Ge snapped. "Use terms like 'petitioned' or 'beseeched.' Understood?"
Bracing against the bedframe, Zhang Ge pushed upright. He waved off Dominica's hovering gauntlet before gesturing impatiently. "Raise your other hand. The one I'm gripping."
Multiple attempts to stand unaided failed. "Enough. Support me to the cathedral nave."
Dominica hesitated, recalling the medicae's warnings. "But the Sister said—"
The corridor beyond was purgatory.
Wounded PDF troopers and civilians lay strewn across blood-slick floors. Overwhelmed Hospitallers triaged with brutal efficiency, leaving scores unattended. A child's whimper pierced the din as parents clawed at Dominica's armor: "Sister! Our boy—!"
Zhang Ge's jaw tightened. Helplessness burned worse than wounds. Dominica offered forced smiles and empty blessings, her servo-assisted steps echoing through the chorus of groans.