Vox communication with the surface was erratic. Carminus had no trouble reaching the Chapter Masters in the field outside the temple, but it took him many attempts to reach the forces inside. The Chapter Masters were having the same difficulty. The armies were in a state of limbo. There was no enemy to attack on the surface, but the prolonged silence from the primarchs had the commanders on edge. Now an enemy was coming, and there was nothing the planetside forces could do.

The fleets, at least, could act. The flagships of the Dark Angels and the Ultramarines joined the Red Tear in pulling out of orbit. Three vast wedges of ships took shape, pointing towards the approaching Veritas Ferrum. Davin was already diminishing to the rear as the fleets built up speed.

‘More contacts,’ said Mautus. ‘They’re coming out of the necrosphere behind the Veritas.’

‘Identification?’

‘None yet.’

‘Vox, are they hailing?’

There was a pause. ‘Yes,’ said Neverrus. Then, with more excitement than dread, ‘Captain, vox signals from inside the temple.’

It was Azkaellon. The vox stream kept breaking up. Static bursts swallowed words. Carminus heard ‘…vanished…’. That told him what he needed to know.

‘I hear and acknowledge, Azkaellon. The enemy has emerged. It is the Veritas Ferrum.’ He had difficulty believing the gargantuan auspex contact could ever have been an Iron Hands strike cruiser, but he had to accept the report from Khalybus. He had never heard a legionary of the X speak with horrified grief before. ‘There are more ships with it,’ Carminus went on. ‘We are closing to attack. I am leaving the Victus and the Scarlet Liberty in orbit. They will await your call for a forced evacuation.’ If they hear it. The thought came before he could suppress it. ‘Please acknowledge.’ When he received only static as a response, he repeated himself.

This time, he heard fragments of words, isolated syllables, ‘…ledged…’.

There was an electronic shriek in the signal, and the vox cut out. Carminus frowned at the abruptness. He did not think Azkaellon had broken communications voluntarily.

There was nothing he could do. His duty was clear. He must not dwell on what was happening below. He must not think of the absence of the primarch.

He turned back to Neverrus. ‘The hails,’ he said. ‘One second. No longer.’ Premonition told him to follow the example of the Iron Hands.

Neverrus did as he ordered. When she looked back at him, her face was pale with shock. ‘The Sable is out there,’ she said.

‘More contacts,’ Mautus warned. ‘There’s a lot of movement.’ He paused. ‘There’s too much movement.’

‘What do you mean, too much?’ Carminus said.

‘Attempting to resolve the data, captain.’