James Swallow: The Flight of the Eisenstein

'I am ready' Garro's hand found hers and enveloped it. 'I was there when Horus betrayed his brothers. By the Emperor's grace, I will be there when he is called to account for his heresy'

Beneath the light of Terra, the two of them, soldier and saint together, looked to the birth world of their species; and as one, they began to pray.

TIMELINE

Millennia Age Notes

1-15 Age of Terra Humanity dominates Earth.

Civilisations come and go. The Solar system is colonised. Mankind lives on Mars and the moons of Jupiter, Saturn and Neptune.

15-18 Age of Mankind begins to colonise

Technology the stars using sub-light spacecraft. At first only nearby systems can be reached and the colonies established on them must survive as inde­pendent states since they are separated from Earth by up to ten generations of travel.

18-22 Age of Invention of the warp-drive

Technology accelerates the colonising of the galaxy. Federations and empires are founded. First aliens encountered and first Alien Wars are fought. First human psykers scientifically proved to exist. Psykers begin to appear throughout human worlds.

22-25 Age of First Navigators are born

Technology allowing human spaceships to make even longer, quicker warp-jumps. Mankind enters a golden age of enlightenment as scientific and technological

progress accelerates. Human worlds unite and non-aggression pacts are secured with dozens of alien races.

25-26 Age of Terrible warp-storms inter-

Strife rupt interstellar travel.

Sporadic at first, the storms eventually prevent any warp-jumps being made. The incidence of human mutation increases rapidly. Mankind enters a dark period of anar­chy and despair.

26-30 Age of Human worlds ripped apart

Strife by civil wars, revolts, alien

predation and invasion. Human psykers and other mutants dominate some worlds and these rapidly fall prey to warp-creatures. Humanity is on the brink of destruction.

30– Age of Earth is conquered by the

present Imperium Emperor and enters an

alliance with the Mechan-icum of Mars. Finally the warp-storms abate and inter­stellar travel is possible again. The Emperor builds the Astro-nomican and creates the Space Marine Legions. Human worlds reunited by the Emperor in a Great Cru­sade that lasts for two hundred years.

About the Author

James Swallow's stories from the dark worlds

of Warhammer 40,000 include Faith &Fire, the

Blood Angels books Deus Encarmine and Deus

Sanguinius, as well as short fiction for Inferno!

and What Price Victory. Black Flame novels to

his credit include Jade Dragon, the Judge

Dredd novels Eclipse and Whiteout, Rogue

Trooper: Blood Relative, and the movie

adaptation The Butterfly Effect.

James's other credits include writing for Star Trek Voyager, scripts for videogames and audio dramas. He lives in London and his website is

hometown.aol. со.uk/Redwingproject/main. htm