It is the best of times. The Imperium Romanum Sacrum spans the galaxy. The wealth of a thousand worlds fills its coffers daily. It is the worst of times. The enemies of the Imperium are legion - aliens, heretics, mutants and worse. The burdens of Empire are staggering. The price of relative peace and safety is perpetual war. The most insidious threat to the Empire of Man however is apathy, complacency, greed, indifference - the eternal vices of mankind that despite millions of years of evolution remain unchanged. For every man of faith there are far more who doubt. For every man who serves the Empire far more serve only themselves. Darkness is kept at bay only through the selfless service and frequent sacrifice of that rare breed of warriors who still believe in Duty, Honor, Empire. These are the stories of better men.