‘What about the road?’ said Ney. ‘The unitarchs of Illyricon and Testuae are anxious that it is reopened.’

‘They shall have to wait,’ said Calgar. He seethed inside that a group of failures and juventes could so disrupt the capital planet. He reminded himself that Illyria was but one province on one planet, and that this highway, though the main link between Magna Macragge Civitas and Illyricon, only one route. ‘The risk is too high. We shall reclaim this region when the time is right. Until we have peace, it will have to wait.’ Calgar glanced into Macragge’s flat grey skies, imagining the embattled fleets in the void and the ongoing siege of Ardium. ‘And it may have to wait some time.’

There was a commotion at the rear line where the three Rhinos waited. A Techmarine, his helmet bulky with specialised surveillance and comms equipment, came running.

‘My lord, my lord!’ he shouted. He came to stop and got down on one knee. ‘I have word from the capital. The primarch has sent an astropathic message.’

‘Yes?’ said Calgar. He experienced a curious mix of dread and elation. He had admitted to himself long ago that ceding all control to the primarch was hard. He did not look forward to doing so again.

‘He is at the outer reaches of the system. He is making all speed to Ardium where he intends to break the siege.’

Upon hearing this news, the warriors of Ultramar, both human and transhuman, let out a joyous cheer.

‘Call me a transport,’ said Calgar. ‘I must return. We must make ready to aid him!’

‘My lord, the message is explicit – you are to remain here to guard Macragge. Lord Guilliman wishes to prevent opportunistic attacks on the capital world.’

‘Does he have enough men? Captain Ventris informed us months ago that he intended to break up the crusade.’

‘Captain Ventris is with him, and Captain Sicarius,’ said the Techmarine. ‘The primarch does not need your aid, my lord. He comes with fifteen thousand Space Marines and three sector battlefleets.’

Again the warriors cheered.

‘Mortarion will be surely driven from the system. With our lord Guilliman home, we can take the fight to the enemy!’ shouted Calgar. He raised one of the mighty Gauntlets of Ultramar. ‘All hail Guilliman, Master of Ultramar!’

His triumphant smile hid the hollowness he felt inside.

The primarch returned to find his realm still wracked with war. Objectively, Calgar had performed no better than Calleduus. He let his hand drop, and bade the Land Raider’s doors be opened to him. As he was clambering inside, Julio voxed him.

‘What shall I do with the older prisoners, my lord? Mercy or death?’

Calgar paused in the side hatch of the Land Raider, his hands gripping the lip of the hull unnecessarily hard.

‘Death,’ he said.