The forces of Cadia struggle ever onward, desperate to avenge the destruction of their home world and prove that even in the wake of profound loss, they remain the exemplars of the Astra Militarum.When Minka Lesk and the Cadian 101st discover a relic of the missing Cadian 8th – thought lost in the planet's defence – they see an opportunity to right a past wrong, and follow the trail to Telken's Rest, a world at the core of the Chaos warlord Drakul-zar's collapsing regime.

But the Imperium are not the only force to pounce upon the carcass of Telken's Rest, and Minka soon discovers that there are dark secrets hidden amidst the icy sprawl of hab blocks and manufactoria. As the past comes back to haunt them, the Cadian 101st face a choice – will they stand firm and do what needs to be done, or will the spectre of what they have lost lead them astray?