While Mautus worked his station, trying to make sense of the information pouring in, Carminus looked through the bridge oculus. The Red Tear was leading the Blood Angels fleet. To starboard, he could see the leading edge of the Ultramarines formation, the Samothrace at their head. Past them, beyond his sight, the Dark Angels were moving out too. The tacticarium screens to the left and right of his command throne updated the positions moment by moment, hololithic diagrams arranging themselves into a shape that was both a triple-headed spear and a moving wall. Three aimed their might at a single target. The auspex returns of the Veritas ­Ferrum defied belief, but no matter how huge the ship was, even with its escort it was outnumbered.

Or so Carminus had thought until a moment ago. He looked straight ahead. The Veritas would not be visible for some time yet. He was staring into the grey-tinged void, anticipating the fires of war to come, and waiting for the worst news.

Carminus blinked. There was nothing to see, yet he had an impression of movement. He turned his head, using his peripheral vision to capture more light. The feeling intensified. Movement, too vague and pervasive to define. ‘Auspex,’ he said to Mautus, ‘tell me what is happening out there.’

‘Resolving,’ Mautus said. His voice was hoarse.

The first symbols to appear on Carminus’ screens were more ships pouring out of the shell behind the Veritas Ferrum. The Sable was one of the first. It had not become gigantic, though the data on the auspex returns showed grievous deformation in the cruiser’s shape. The vessels kept coming, and so did the identifications. The Ultramarines reported the presence of the grand cruiser Virtu and the battle-barge Eternal Rampart. The Dark Angels saw the return of the strike cruisers Judgement of Night, Recurve and Voulge. Mautus identified ships from other Legions as well. There were many from the forces that had been scattered after Isstvan V. Ships lost to the Salamanders, Raven Guard and Iron Hands returned, corrupted courtiers to the Veritas Ferrum.

‘There is a pattern,’ Mautus said. ‘None of these ships were destroyed in engagements. They have been listed as missing or lost in the warp.’

The Veritas’ escort kept growing in number until it became a squadron. Then a strike force.

‘The Pilgrim has been busy,’ Carminus muttered.

Past the ships, the displays disintegrated into a fog of lines. ‘Mautus,’ Carminus said, ‘what is the other movement?’

‘It’s the necrosphere,’ Mautus said a few moments later. ‘It’s contracting.’

‘How fast?’

‘Variable speeds, fleet master.’ The schematics on the tacticarium screen still showed a fog at the edges of the system. It had vectors now. ‘Some of it is almost as fast as the ships.’