Iron-Captain Strake keyed something into the pulpit console in front of him. A moment later the image on the screen homed in on the shape of the warpstorm. Gdolkin could see the tendrils of dust and ice particles streaming off the anomalous nebula, out into space. At the heart of the roiling mass the Iron-Father fancied that he could see the cold darkness of empty space appearing beyond the veil of the storm. Only it wasn't empty.

'What is that?' he said, pointing at the screen.

'You see it too then?' Strake said, a hint of satisfied vindication in his voice.

'There's something there, at the centre of the warpstorm.’

'Yes. A star system.’

For a moment, no one said anything. Then Gdolkin tried to make sense of it all.

'How can such a thing be happening? Can the destruction of the artefacts really have brought about the banishment of a warpstorm? How will this affect our mission now? And what impact does it have on the war that we are fighting? What does it have to do with the Despoiler's Black Crusade?'

'I too wish I had the answers to such questions.’ Strake said. Then at least I might better know the course the Ajax is to be called to. Perhaps Magos Thule could shed some light on the matter.’

There was the familiar sound of heavy robes dragging on the floor of the bridge.

'Indeed I can.’

It was Magos Thule. He was accompanied by two shaven-headed adepts and a servitor skull, the metal proboscis projecting from where the drone's mandible should have been, giving it an insect-like aspect.

The Iron-Father was somewhat taken aback. The tech-priest's mood seemed much better than he had expected, considering how his mission to study the Araken artefacts had failed so completely. If anything, amidst the twists of scar tissue and augmetic enhancements of his face Thule seemed to be smiling.

'Then I think you should.’ Gdolkin said, his voice like steel again. 'In fact, I think it is time you explained to us the true purpose of our mission.’

'Well met, magos.’ Iron-Captain Strake said. He did not share the Iron-Father's experience and understanding of the itinerant tech-priest and, if anything, was slightly in awe of Omega Thule. At least, as long as the grand magos was on board his ship, he would show him the courtesy any captain - but particularly one of an Iron Hands' vessel - should offer a visiting dignitary.

'Captain.’ Thule acknowledged, his manner as smooth as if he had been oiled.

'So, Thule, what else haven't you told us?' Gdolkin demanded.

‘Yes, events have moved on somewhat further than I had expected or dared hope, following the debacle on Herod.’ the tech-priest said enigmatically. 'At first, with the destruction of the last of the artefacts, I had thought that our mission was over, that what I had intended to discover had been lost to the Cult Mechanicus and the Imperium forever. But.’ the magos paused, 'I was wrong.’