‘Good,’ said Guilliman. There were ancient grudges between the Ultramarines and the Word Bearers. ‘A chance to spill the blood of Lorgar’s get is always welcome. Their presence is unsurprising. Only those fanatics would undertake the construction of something like this orbital. How is the enemy’s disposition?’

‘They are fragmented, and lack our organisation, my lord,’ said Sicarius. ‘There are enough to put up a creditable defence. It depends – as it always does with these heretics – whether they have a strong leader. If not, they will be easily dealt with.’

Guilliman frowned as an interface spike buried itself in a neural socket. ‘We must be swift, before their sorcerers bring forth daemons to aid them.’

‘By our strategos’ calculations, this flotilla represents a significant proportion of the enemy’s strength in this sector,’ said Sicarius. ‘It is their interpretation that this group have assembled to protect the orbital fane. If they gather here so that we may destroy them more easily, we should not complain.’

‘I admire your optimism.’

Servants with powerdrivers for hands bolted Guilliman’s greaves to his legs while the tech-priests muttered benedictions of protection and smooth operation.

‘Order The New Dawn to turn about,’ said Guilliman. ‘Have four cruiser groups break off from our formation to escort it. Captain Diameos is to lead them in reinforcing our rearguard. The rearguard will hold position five million kilometres rearward. I want picket groups on regular sweeps around the edge of the system, and full deep-void augur scans every five minutes looking for warp-exit signatures. Check the Mandeville point, gravipauses and every area in this system where gravitic interplay might allow an emergency ingress. The traitors are becoming desperate. We must be wary of reinforcements of traitors and daemons.’

‘As you command, Lord Guilliman.’

‘This system is critical, Sicarius. I will not lose it. Send word to Dominus GiFellivo that I want him and the higher-tier command of his battle congregation, together with Prime Hermeticon Cordus-Rho, to attend upon me the moment the battle is over.’ He avoided the term ‘Taghmata’. The military organisation of the Adeptus Mechanicus had changed radically since the days of the old Mechanicum. ‘Together. Make that absolutely clear. I will not entertain their petty rivalries any longer. The Dominus is to aid the Prime Hermeticon or they will answer to me directly. Make that understood. We must work quickly once the third world is taken, with no dissension.’

‘Yes, my lord.’

‘Have there been any developments while I rested?’

Sicarius smiled slightly. Guilliman’s attention to detail was exacting. He had been meditating for thirty-two minutes only.

‘All relevant information has been inputted to your personal datafeeds, my lord. There is nothing of note to report, either from within this system or elsewhere, though proximity to the Pit of Raukos makes astrotelepathy problematic.’

‘Nothing relayed from the outer fleets or our other armadas?’

‘No, my lord.’