Calgar’s armour whined as he shifted his position. The movement was enough to silence the vigilator optimare. ‘This year, you have foiled twenty-six actions against the state, and missed fifteen today. You must admit your error. Illyria is too potent a symbol. I am tired of propaganda likening the cutthroats of old to these so-called freedoms. Worse still, their legacy is coupled with the lies of the enemy. First come the demands for greater freedom, then outright heresy. It will not be long before the enemy’s religion takes root, and all that offers is miserable slavery. Their leaders lie and pay their respects to the Chapter while condemning the civilian administration as corrupt and calling me to address their concerns.

‘I will not have it. The very finest of my warriors shall remove them from this place. Let the whole of Ultramar see what the Ultramarines think of their demands. The realm will see that my eyes are everywhere, and that no one – no matter their age or their station – is below my attention. Nothing, vigilator, is below my attention. In fact, I am displeased that you think it is so. Do I make myself clear?’

‘Yes, my lord defender,’ said the vigilator optimare reluctantly.

‘The other incidents?’

‘Are being handled by the Vigil Opertii, lord defender.’

‘And the agents behind all this?’

‘We are chasing several important leads, lord defender.’

Lord Defender of Greater Ultramar. Roboute Guilliman had given Calgar that title in recompense for taking the role of Master of Ultramar from him. The title made little difference to the actualities of Calgar’s rule. The Chapter Master had presided over Ultramar for centuries before Roboute Guilliman awoke. Apart from the brief period before Guilliman had set out on his Terran Crusade, Calgar’s reign had been unbroken. His word was absolute. Calleduus withered under it.

‘Then this particular incident here will be dealt with by the Ultramarines personally, and publicly,’ continued Calgar. ‘And I will demonstrate that mercy remains with the armoury of the Chapter. Chaos turns our children against us. What kind of society are we if we punish youthful folly – serious though it is – with death, when all they believe they are doing is getting more food for the hungry? There will be some more guilty than others in that place. I will see them separated, and judged according to the relative severity of their error.’

The vigilator’s face went stony. ‘The dissidents will see this as a victory. You say you will not speak with them, and you should not. But whoever is behind this wants you to be provoked into action, my lord. They want your eyes away from the war. If they decide that these little actions can divert a single member of the Chapter, they will do it again.’