Ample alloy supplies from his family fueled Zeke's ambitious construction plans, and his naval yards hummed with activity. A fleet of Destroyers, Cruisers, and Battleships began construction. A massive stellar base was now being built near the Heaven-Reaching Fortress, preparing to house the Dominion's greatest war assets.
To meet the inevitable demands of the coming war, Zeke established a factory dedicated to producing Titans—the largest conventional vessels in the Terran Dominion, capable of rivaling a small moon in size. These colossal battleships formed the backbone of the Dominion's large-scale fleet operations.
Zeke was preparing a true feast for the encroaching Tyranid fleet—a banquet of steel and fire.
On the Tyranid side, the entire Hive Fleet Leviathan began its vast advance toward Zeke's domain. This was an operation far exceeding the scale of the 13th Black Crusade, but unlike previous encounters, humanity was now prepared.
The major galactic players—humanity, Necrons, and the forces of Chaos—began to mobilize. The Orks, naturally, could not contain their excited anticipation. Guided by the distant echoes of Gork and Mork, they sensed a massive Waaagh! brewing in the Mists Nebula.
Under the call of a new Warlord, whose rallying power was reminiscent of the legendary Beast, Ork tribes gathered their ships, ensuring the rolling green tide would soon join the chaotic maelstrom.
The galaxy became more volatile than ever, truly deserving the moniker, "throne of conflict."
In this great upheaval, the remaining Imperium and the T'au Empire remained oblivious, hampered by rigid doctrine and antiquated technology. Holy Terra was still celebrating, utterly unaware that a catastrophe was about to sweep across their entire realm. Without Guilliman's return, the fractured Imperium was incapable of guiding its people toward a glorious future.
Zeke, remaining in his primary star system, dispatched his sub-fleets to acquire resources and establish new colonies, intent on accelerating development. His only good fortune was the relatively slow pace of the Tyranid Hive Fleet and the time needed for the Orks to amass their armada. These enemies would take years, perhaps even a decade, to arrive in full force.
Just as Zeke settled back into commanding his civilization's expansion, an urgent contact request from the Emperor interrupted his peaceful solitude.
The Emperor's voice cut through the stillness: "For the sake of our species, lend a brother a hand and save my son—"
Zeke's inner self was surprised: "Which one? Neoth, you have legions of children; you'll have to be specific."
The Emperor clarified, urgency palpable: "The Thirteenth Son. Save Guilliman."
Zeke was bewildered. Save Guilliman? After the recent events, Archmagos Cawl should have already succeeded. Why the sudden call for intervention?
"It's not over, not over," the Emperor stressed. "The fighting has resumed. After you led your army away, that Abaddon returned with his Black Legion to strike Cadia again—"
Zeke was astonished. What in the hell? Abaddon attacked Cadia again? After the sheer scale of the conflict they just fought, was he truly so foolish?
Zeke and the Emperor had battled six Ruinous Powers in the Warp, committing the Custodes and Dominion assault units to the front lines. The enemy had suffered catastrophic losses, with Greater Daemons and Daemon Princes obliterated dozens of times over. If not for their Warp nature and the constant intervention of the Chaos Gods to protect and resurrect them, they would have been annihilated long ago.
To hear now that Abaddon had immediately relaunched his 13th Black Crusade was illogical.
Zeke lacked the ability to observe the entire galaxy; he was outside the Warp, and the Dominion's main Sentinel Array—a massive surveillance network—was still under construction.
His focus had been drawn to the Tyranid threat. Why would he concern himself with an obstinate Warmaster? He believed Abaddon should have retreated, acknowledging the overwhelming power displayed.
To grasp the full picture of the Warmaster's folly, Zeke made a decision: he would re-enter the Immaterium. For beings of their stature, a panoramic view of the entire galaxy was available from that elevated vantage point.