‘As you command.’ Uriel Ventris stood slowly, his armour’s motive systems growling loudly, as if they, too, were awestruck. The captain searched the face of his gene-father. Guilliman looked down on him. Ventris wore long service bars in his forehead. His skin was coarsened with age, and for all his meek reaction, the primarch could sense the defiance in him, the rage, the desire to serve.

The spell broke. Ventris smiled a little sheepishly. ‘Severus warned me about this,’ he said, shaking his head. ‘He warned me, and I did not believe him. “I will not lose my head,” I told him. I can see his face now when I tell him that I did.’ Ventris stood tall and saluted. ‘My apologies. Captain Agemman was right.’

‘It is nothing,’ said Guilliman. He held out his hand. Ventris reached out and grasped it firmly, unhesitant now. ‘I am pleased to make your acquaintance finally. Your reputation precedes you.’

‘Not all of it is good, my lord,’ said Ventris.

‘If rules and customs remain unbroken, Uriel, then they become meaningless – either brittle from misuse, or so strong and overwhelming that they become walls to the mind, blocking out the truth of what it is they were intended to protect. I assume you have been sent to represent Lord Calgar at the triumph. You must also have a message for me if you interrupt my important work with the architects.’

Ventris dipped his head in a bow. ‘I have. The war in Ultramar has entered a new phase. Three large forces have issued forth from the Scourge Stars. The Endurance, the ship of Mortarion, lord of the Death Guard, leads a fleet towards Ultramar.’

Guilliman was not surprised. ‘It was only a matter of time. With Magnus abroad in the Imperium again, I expected more of my brothers to leave their fortresses behind and venture out once more.’ Guilliman looked away, thinking. ‘Has Mortarion actually been seen? Deception was not favoured by him when last we met, but he has had long years to learn new tricks.’

‘He has been seen, my lord. He appeared in person at the sacking of Daedallos. An astropathic message was sent with pict encoding. Once the metaphors were processed, we had a good image of him.’

‘Daedallos? What was the fate of that world?’

‘High casualties, and large amounts of toxicity. Disease is rife where Mortarion’s dogs go. They poison the earth, though once they move on, their influence dies somewhat – the pollution they bring is not entirely natural and requires the presence of the traitors to remain virulent, or so Lord Tigurius says.’ Tigurius was the Ultramarines Chief Librarian, Ultramar’s most potent psyker. ‘That being said, they bring mundane pestilence with them also. Daedallos will take years to recover.’

‘He did not destroy the world?’

‘No, my lord – he attacked, slaughtered the auxillia there and withdrew before we could respond.’