But the beasts would not fall easy. Though clad in little more than fur and scrap they waded through the barrage, flesh scorched by a dozen las-burns. One lost its head to a bolter round, but still managed a dozen steps before its body finally accepted death. Had it been open ground they would have torn the Scions apart, but the swamp was our saviour, slowing their charge to a crawl and clogging their weapons.

Mizar captured every moment: the Valkyrie providing covering fire as Shard manoeuvred it behind the squad, the rear ramp yawning open. As Taton assisted his injured comrade into the craft, the Scions picked off the greenskin stragglers.

‘You want me to leave now, or should I wait for the rest of them?’

Taton grunted something in response, but Mizar was calling to me. Through it, I saw distant smoke trails drawing closer, each heralding another swarm of greenskins.

‘There’s more coming,’ I said, as the last Scion clambered up the ramp. ‘From both sides.’

‘Go!’ Taton roared, and the Valkyrie surged upwards, pivoting on the spot before soaring away.

‘Wait!’ I screeched. ‘What about Mizar?’

‘Who?’

‘My seer-skull. You can’t leave without it!’

‘I’m pretty sure I can. In fact, I’m fairly sure I just did.’

I did not reply, could not by this point. My consciousness was still synced with Mizar, and through it I saw the Valkyrie ascend, even as more orks swarmed in, drawn as much by the gunshots and explosions as the green-tinged smoke. As the Valkyrie accelerated Mizar tried to follow, its machine-spirit seeking to maintain our ebbing connection. But its anti-gravity engine could not keep pace with the attack craft’s turbofans. As the distance stretched between us, the connection spluttered, the image flickering like a corrupted vid. There was a pop in the back of my skull, my cogitator seeking in vain to retrieve the lost signal.

My vision swam, and I drifted at the edge of consciousness.

When I could open my eyes I saw only the transport bay.

Mizar was lost to me.

Chapter eight

CHAPTER EIGHT

I could not speak at first, so great was the shock.

The Scions were also silent, though Shard was in good spirits and decided to regale us with stories of her glorious victories and daring skill. I was relieved when Taton closed the vox-channel, though I could still faintly hear her voice reverberating through the hull.