A Return to the Skies
This artwork, created by Rostyslav Zagornov for the cover of Interceptor City, the long-awaited sequel to Dan Abnett’s Double Eagle, captures the intense, war-torn atmosphere of the Warhammer 40,000 universe. The image depicts former ace pilot Bree Jagdea standing among the ruins of a devastated hive city, her green flight suit dusted with grime from battle. Behind her, a sleek Lightning Strike Fighter sits ready, painted in the signature colors of the Imperium’s air forces. Her posture is resolute, her expression hardened by experience. This is the look of someone who has survived countless battles, yet still carries the weight of duty on her shoulders.
Bree Jagdea – The Reluctant Veteran
Once a decorated ace of the Phantine Air Corps, Bree Jagdea had put the days of white-knuckle dogfights behind her. No longer the daring interceptor pilot soaring through deadly skies, she had settled into a quieter life, running supply missions for the Imperium’s war effort. It was a simpler, safer existence until the war came to Vesperus, a vast hive city now under siege. As the enemy launched relentless bombing campaigns, reducing entire districts to rubble, Jagdea found herself pulled back into the cockpit. Retirement was no longer an option. The Imperium needed every skilled pilot it could muster, and few were as skilled as Bree Jagdea.
The Chaos of Interceptor City
Vesperus is a battlefield unlike any other, a sprawling urban warzone where towering structures create a labyrinth of danger. Here, the pilots of the Imperium must engage in deadly interception runs, weaving between collapsing buildings and tight industrial corridors, where the difference between survival and fiery death is measured in fractions of a second. Jagdea is stationed with Circus 66, a notorious squadron assigned some of the most suicidal missions imaginable. Their task is to intercept enemy bombers, execute supply drops under heavy fire, and hold the skies above the crumbling hive against overwhelming opposition. It is not the open skies of warzones past but a claustrophobic killing field, where even the smallest miscalculation leads to disaster.
The Enemy Aces
The forces assaulting Vesperus are not mere raiders but enemy aces, elite Chaos-worshipping pilots flying deadly Hell Talons and Hell Blades. These heretical warplanes cut through Imperial forces like blades, their pilots twisted by madness and dark devotion. In the skies over Interceptor City, dogfights are fought at impossible speeds, missiles streaking between ruined spires, autocannons roaring in confined spaces. Jagdea knows that survival is uncertain, and the enemy aces are relentless, pushing their machines beyond human limits. But she has faced worse before, and if she can hold her nerve, she may just outfly them one last time.
The Weight of War
Despite her experience, Jagdea is not invincible. Every mission takes its toll, every skirmish chips away at her mind and body. The stress of combat, the endless losses, and the impossible expectations placed upon her all threaten to break her spirit. This war is not just about winning battles. It is about holding onto what remains of oneself in the face of total devastation. Will she be able to survive the brutal campaigns of Vesperus and make it back to solid ground, or will she become just another name among the fallen?
A Fight for the Imperium
Interceptor City explores themes of resilience, duty, and the heavy burden of war. Bree Jagdea’s story is not just about soaring through the sky but about confronting the ghosts of her past while forging a future against impossible odds. Rostyslav Zagornov’s artwork perfectly captures this tension. The lone pilot stands against the wreckage of a world at war, her aircraft behind her, ready for one more battle. In Warhammer 40,000, there is no true peace, only the next fight. For Bree Jagdea, the war never ended. It just changed, and now, she must decide whether she has what it takes to fight once more.
