The Imperial Fists standing vigil at the chamber edges brought their clenched fists to their chests, but only Su-Kassen bowed to the Praetorian as he advanced. The officers and adepts who served in the Bhab Bastion were human for the most part. They were the finest war staff Su-Kassen had ever seen, drawn from the old Solar military elite. War-savants of the Saturnine Ordos, warriors of the Jovian Void Clans like her, tacticians from the Terran war-courts: every man and woman in the chamber knew their craft well enough to rival even the command skill of the Legions, and all of them knew that when Rogal Dorn, primarch of the VII Legion and Praetorian of Terra, entered they had a duty to continue in their tasks, rather than to bow. It had been Dorn’s first order when he had created this command cadre. Su-Kassen saluted for all of them.

But as the blast doors sealed again, she knew the presence of the three who walked with Dorn would test their obedience.

Jaghatai, Great Khan of the White Scars, walked on Dorn’s left, his eyes dancing with the turning light of the holo-displays. On Dorn’s other side came an angel armoured in gold, white wings furled at his back. Sanguinius, primarch of the IX Legion, looked across the humans at their stations and then at Su-Kassen. He smiled. Last of all came an old man in the grey robes of the Administratum, leaning on an eagle-topped staff. Wrinkled skin hung from his face, but his eyes were cold and bright. Malcador the Sigillite seemed older and weaker than Su-Kassen had ever seen him, but it was he as much as the three primarchs that made her hold her head bowed. The silence in the chamber deepened, seeming to press closer as the three loyal sons of the Emperor and His Regent halted beneath the turning holo-display.

‘The First Sphere forces cannot hold,’ said Dorn, his dark eyes fixed on Kazzim-Aleph-1. ‘And it will not be reinforced.’

The magos-emissary was still, the cogs protruding from his skull rotating slowly. For a second Su-Kassen thought he was going to argue. For a second, she hoped that he would.

‘Lord Dorn, there are options–’ began Su-Kassen, before she could stop herself.

‘No,’ said Dorn, and the word and his glance fell on her like a blow.

‘As is your will, Lord Praetorian,’ said Kazzim-Aleph-1 at last.

Out of the corner of her eye, Su-Kassen saw the Khan flick a look at Sanguinius. The Angel’s face remained impassive.

Rogal Dorn came forwards, eyes moving from the magos to Su-Kassen.

‘The initial battle data indicates that your projections were incorrect, admiral.’

She nodded and opened her mouth to reply.