'Hal is trapped,' he said. 'He doesn't seem to be in a strong position to be making demands of anyone.'

The look the Viceroy Extractatorian gave Cawl was no less damning than Aspertia's.

'Who is this person?' he asked.

'He is no one,' said Aspertia Sigma-Sigma.

'I am Adept Belisarius Cawl, recently elevated in Domina Hester Aspertia Sigma-Sigma's service,' he said.

'Then, Adept Cawl, be quiet,' said the Extractatorian. Sota-Nul re-emerged on the hololith. She walled with mannered patience.

The Viceroy Extractatorian's hunched body unfolded, standing tall with the clacking of additional joints locking into place.

'Reason dictates, Sota-Nul, that you are to demand our surrender. If not, we will be destroyed.'

'This is correct. The Warmaster is not a monster, he offers peace, but if you stand in his way he will destroy you,' said Sota-Nul.

'We will not yield,' said the Viceroy Extractatorian.

'Then I offer further variables for input. The Warmaster sends but a portion of his mighty fleets to bring you to heel, but the force that will descend is far more than your miserable outpost can muster in opposition. Nine Legions come to aid the new Mechanicum. You will be obliterated.' She paused. 'Trisolian, forge world of the Mechanicum, think carefully with whom your loyalty lies. Mars, or Terra.'

Every ocular sensor in the room went to the Viceroy Extractatorian. The Viceroy Extractatorian snapped his fingers. An officious looking minor adept shuffled forwards, his all-encompassing robes dragging over the deck. He held a covered object. The Viceroy nodded. With hands covered in sleeves, the bearer pulled free the cloth over his burden.

As everyone leaned back in horror, Cawl leaned forwards, fascinated. Under the cloth was a magnetic flask of clear crystalflex. Something angry was held inside, bashing against the transparent metal and shrieking. Tiny mouths appeared in its form, which at one moment was a cloud of pinkish vapour, the next a swarm of numbers, the next darts of circuit board light.

'We have heard of what occurred on Mars, and at Calth. Did you think to catch us unawares? As soon as your message reached our receivers we quarantined this from a substratum of your carrier signal. You will not subvert our defences as you did at Calth, you will come here and you will find us ready for you.'

'You are a traitor to Mars and the Cult Mechanicus,' said Sota-Nul. 'You are the traitor. This scrapcode is infused with unholy energies. It is a synthesis of science and sorcery the product of Moravec's folly!' he fulminated. 'These are forbidden paths.'

'Forbidden by the Emperor.'