Daelon watched the interactions of the others. The Guardian of the Covenant seemed eager to serve and knowledgeable to boot and best of all, he was already forging the bonds of brotherhood. The Dark Angel seemed quiet and reserved to which Daelon immediately interpreted as a pompous elitism he often found among their ilk, perhaps only beaten by the Black Templars themselves. 

[i]That is the problem with first impressions,[/i] he thought, [i]you only get to make them once.[/i]

He brushed the thought aside. It didn't matter. They were all here because they were deemed the best and had proven themselves to be so. He couldn't imagine a scenario in which any of them had failed in their duties previously or while at the Watch Station. He had been forced into a situation that left no shadow of a doubt as to the difficulty of the decisions they would be forced to make and the ramifications of their new responsibility. For better or worse, they were now all in this together and he now knew that each and every one of these Astartes would be relying on him for support, just as he would be on them.

He nodded to each member of the team as they boarded the craft. It was a diverse group and Daelon could already feel the mixture of headstrong personalities crashing, even if nothing had yet been truly said. 

[i]This is going to be fun.[/i]

He spoke briefly with McGarrack, mostly concerning news from Sacris that Daelon had brought with him. It had been some time since the Watch Captain had seen home and Daelon was glad to be able to bring mostly good tidings. Brothers had been lost since the Watch Captain had worn a shade other than black, but that was the duty of an Astartes; Astartes did not get the benefit of dying peacefully of old age. Their place was in the midst of battle and their ultimate duty was to die in defense of the Imperium of Man.

Amid talks with McGarrick, a sound like thunder rumbled toward the Thunderhawk, breaking through the wine of its idling engines. The gargantuan form of the Watch Captain made his way to the loading bay of the ship, feral features accentuated by the length of his canines and gray of his mane. Orders were issued and Daelon was glad of it. It was time to do what he was created to do, everything else was simply a precursor to the mission. The mission was all that mattered, and it appeared that first they would meet an Inquisitor after some transfers in the Void. It came as no surprise. Daelon knew that Kill Teams worked in tandem with the Inquisition and that Inquisitors often called on the teams to do the hard hitting jobs, but Daelon instinctively disliked the nature in which the Inquisition carried out its missions. Subterfuge, intrigue, deception, these were the tools in which the Inquisition waged its wars. The spook game had its place in the galaxy, but the Storm Warden much preferred the ground shaking charge of his enemies as they came forward to their deaths. 

Alas, it was time for things to change and change they had. The mission stood: rendezvous with the Rogue Trader ship [i]Dawn Star[/i], maintain seclusion within the Thunderhawk until transpo to the Inquisitor's Frigate [i]Righteous Indignation[/i]. It would be done.

Daelon made the sign of the Aquila to the mighty Space Wolf as he took his leave, pondering for only a moment on whether or not they would ever cross paths in this lifetime again. It mattered not; they would see one another at the Emperor's side. Strapping himself in, he prepared himself for the journey ahead. As the bird began to lift, Daelon recited ancient words, vows that were as natural to the tribesmen of Sacris as they were to an Astartes. It was a list - a list of every enemy whose only fate was to die by the hands of a Storm Warden. The words played over and over again on Daelon's lips even as he "slept." Astartes never slept, not like mortal humans. They simply made areas of their brain go dormant in various patterns so that they may maintain alertness while gathering the needed rest and recuperation that all human beings needed. 

As the Thunderhawk met with the [i]Dawnstar[/i], Daelon "awoke" well-rested and ready to complete his first mission.

The mission was all that mattered.