Finton tried to make the sign of the aquila. 'Please don't kill me. It was just some smuggling, nothing more, a few tau artefacts. But that was months ago, and they were all fake anyway.’

'I don't care about your petty crimes, maggot.’ Miriya advanced on him. 'I want Torris Vaun. The Corolus was the only interplanetary ship to leave Neva's orbital commerce platform.’ She bit out each word, as if she were explaining something to a particularly backward child. 'If Vaun was not on the station, then here is the only place he could be.’

'I don't know any Vaun.’ screamed Finton.

'Lies!' The Battle Sister fired again, striking a dormant servitor and killing it instantly.

Finton coiled into a ball, sobbing. 'No, no, no...'

'Sister Superior.’ began Isabel, a warning tone in her voice.

Miriya did not choose to hear it. Instead, she knelt next to the freighter captain and let the hot metal of the plasma gun hover near his face. The heat radiating from the muzzle was enough to sear his skin.

'For the last time.’ said the woman, 'where have you hidden Torris Vaun?'

'He's not here.’

Miriya blinked and looked up. It was Isabel who had spoken.

Vaun was never aboard this vessel, Sister Miriya. These cogitator records show the manifest.’ She held a spool of parchment in her grip. They match the dockmaster's datum for the Corolus!

The datum is wrong,' Miriya retorted. 'Would you have me believe that Vaun used his witchery to simply teleport himself to safety, Sister? Did he beg the gods of the warp to give him safe passage somewhere else?'

Isabel coloured, afraid to challenge her squad commander when her ire was so high. 'I have no answer to give you, Sister Superior, save that this wretch does not lie. Torris Vaun never set foot on this trampship.’

'No.’ Miriya growled, 'that will not stand. He must not escape us-'

A hollow chime sounded from the vox bead in the Battle Sister's armour. 'Message relay from Mercutio,' began the flat, monotone voice. 'By direct order of Her Eminence Canoness Galatea, you are ordered to

cease all operations and make planetfall at Noroc City immediately Ave Imperator.’

'Ave Imperator.’ repeated the women.

With effort, Miriya holstered her pistol and turned away, her head bowed and eyes distant. The rage she displayed moments earlier had drained away.

'Sister.’ said Isabel. 4Vhat shall we do? With him, with this ship?'

Miriya threw a cold glance at Finton and then looked away. 'Turn this wreck over to the planetary defence force. This crew are criminals, even if they are not the ones we seek.’

At the hatch stood Sister Portia and Sister Cassandra. Their expressions confirmed that they too had found nothing of the escaped psyker in their search.

Portia spoke. 'We heard the recall from Neva. What does it mean? Have they found him?'

Miriya shook her head. 'I think not. Our failure is now compounded, my Sisters. Blame... must be apportioned.’