Two weeks had passed since we set off from Abilene aboard a smuggler ship, pursuing the enigmatic man known as Blackred DM. There were rumours about his misdeeds all over the Abilene sub-sector, one worse than another. Some said he was a fallen inquisitor as he was seen with a rosette from time to time. Some said he was a hit man who dared to hunt inquisitors for cults that could afford it. He used multiple names in bars and spaceports but left us only that weird pseudonym when he sent another menacing message to the Ordos.

He had been seen in the capital for a few times this year, and I happened to be the only witch-hunter present in the system when he was spotted hiring a trading ship. Lady Fungata's commission reached me on a backwater rural world where we had spent two months looking for warp-infected pests a scared farmer had reported to the local security forces. As it often happened, it turned out to be a groundless rumour that had driven nuts the whole farming cluster. Still it had been a decent commission in our nearly penniless state as peasants were at least good believers of the Imperial Creed who viewed Inquisitors and Space Marines as angels from heaven. Having saved up on potatoes and beets, we were counting the remaining funds for a flight back to Uebotia. Before embarking to the port, I paid a visit to the local Astra Telepathica office. We couldn't hope for a good case like earlier but even the hunt for DM let me prove myself.

I didn't even hope to intercept the elusive man but warp pursuit was the only way to make him at least relatively vulnerable. After the scandal with Lady Melitara, most traders shunned us with made-up excuses. Uncle had heard many scary talks in the ports about how we had brought a daemonhost to Melitara's ship, and it nearly killed the captain. Others argued we had lured her to a trap when she accused me of heresy. As for the Conclave, I hadn't become a popular matter of coffee time discussions like Plodia. Professional fails are never as interesting to people as adultery. After Lady Cichlasoma's report, they put me on the list of dubious operatives and then forgot about it. Fungata's letters had become short and dry, but I didn't miss her pompous admonishments taken right from books like 'Quotes of Imperial Saints for every day of the year.'

But the mistrust of honourable rogue traders bought me interest, if not respect, of smugglers. Of course, they planned to use me in their ambitious plans, Uncle said. A Radical made them think about forbidden goods and pirate worlds outside the borders.

'What a sly fox.' Tamias, the smug captain of the ship, lit another lho stick with his usual light-hearted grin. 'Even the yours can't find out where he's from. One thing is certain - not from our long-suffering sub-sector.'

'You agreed to pick us up once you heard the name, Tamias, but are fervently denying any previous connections.' I replied with a slight smile, strolling before the oculus screen.

'For the thousandth time you ask it, and for the thousandth time I answer I'm not even slightly aware of his business.' Tamias shook ash off the stick and winked at me.

Two and a half centuries old, the smuggler captain was still youthly and more vigorous than most people of his age. He had told countless stories on the brink of heresy but never crossed the edge. I had promised him full amnesty when striking the deal yet under his cheerful persona he was a calculating and cautious man to be wary of.

Uncle had got an instant liking of Tamias, and they spent countless hours in the mess or on the bridge with a bottle of amasec or wine competing in the art of storytelling. A proper company for a retired mercenary, unlike a wannabe cop, two prudes and a giant rodent. Fluffster often listened to their conversations sometimes telling stories of his own. Having probably engaged in forbidden xeno trade, Tamias hardly paid attention to the cricetid's appearance.

Unfortunately, the most interesting talks happened in my absence. A young girl and a cop, an unlucky combination to be trusted by old dogs. I could only hope Fluffster would share some important clues if he wished. Uncle kept to his old code of honour when it came to camaraderie.

'Mail for you, sir, m'lady.' The chief astropath approached us with two memory cards.

'Tons of rubbish for his entire mailing list again,' I cussed browsing through newsletters signed by Platydoras. 'Altered rules of sending out reports, a new list of bank offices where we can get our wages in the Silurian sub-sector.'

The only useful message among digests and bureaucratic spam was a mail by Fungata with a copy of the last threat sent by the heretic to Platydoras himself. Standard blackmail full of pathos ended with a strange phrase: 'black pard sails forth under black sails, and the chosen heir comes in his trail.' Yet Fungata herself wasn't aware of the meaning, writing briefly about some 'planned invasion,' and the bigger half of the letter, to my surprise, was dedicated to her standard admonishments and pious quotes like before.

I sent her a polite reply and gave a sign to Fluffster. When we got back to our quarters, I gave him the slate with the mail.

He shrugged his shoulders. 'Easy to guess if one knows the man.'

'You've learned something new about the blackred bastard?'

'The blackred bastard is a meaningless, worthless piece of crap like uncounted fools who join Chaos hoping for a royal reward,' he grunted with a frown. 'Catching these small thugs is your business, not mine.'

'So what are you going to share?'

'I'm talking about Sister's old nightmare. Prior to becoming the Pirate King, he was known as the Panther. Since the Heresy, he wears a custom suit of armour embellished with his pard totem.'

'So the chosen heir is...' I couldn't finish the phrase as the recalled name sent shivers down my spine.

'Black Crusades happen from time to time.' Fluffster patted my shoulder. 'Martian Magi live longer than most, and I've witnessed some in my past. Not as scary as summer children think.'

'The oncoming one is said to be the last.'

'Don't you doubt His Providence?' He asked in an unexpectedly kindly tone.

'The Emperor protects, Fluffster. No one else can protect us in this crazy world.'

I dropped in to the small mess in our compartment where Sister and Angel preferred spending their time far from the bridge. They mistrusted Tamias and didn't want to take part in our 'blasphemous and heretic' storytellings. They weren't as cross with me as after the spicy adventure of Myristica, but I had yet to subdue their growing paranoia. When I came in, they were talking quietly under a poster with Sanguinius Angel had hung on the wall.

'Uncle is spending so much time with this suspicious man.' Angel gave me a sour look. 'Please tell him to be careful.'

I tousled his fair hair. 'It's all for the sake of business, brother. He always knows what to do.'

'He should be more careful when making new friends anyway,' he replied stubbornly. 'Recall the accursed sorcerer you released from captivity.'

'Not the same old story again, please. You have to pluck up your courage, buds.' I lingered, still unwilling to face a shitstorm of clucking. 'We're likely to clash with the Pirate King soon.'

Sister froze with her eyes open wide. The old terror's sudden comeback.

'The Black Legion.' Angel clenched his fists, and I felt the famous bloody rage of his kin set his mind ablaze. 'Old foes again. Let my vengeful brothers meet him.'

'Filthy godless miscreants,' Sister's voice trembled. 'They slaughtered all the sisters and crew aboard. I hoped they would kill me too for I could join my wards at His side.'

'Let's stop talking about that.' I sat besides and hugged her. 'The Emperor wants you to live on to do more good in His name.'

Honestly, I didn't feel at ease when their vulnerable side came out. Their very occupation was meant to make them unyielding, and I'd never intended to be the elder sister to people older than me. Their kindness often warmed me up but I tried my best to improve their childish, prudish attitude.

'The navigator has caught the psychic trail,' I said chipperly. 'Let's get ready for a good merry skirmish. There's a big bounty promised for the blackred's heretic head.'

Tamias' warp drive was fast even for a customised smuggler vessel, and we continued to close the gap every day as his seasoned navigator led us through the fickle currents. I checked the auspex data twice a day. The captain had enhanced his augurs with some black market Eldar tech but I preferred ignoring the transgression as the device let us keep an eye on the foe.

Three days later, I noticed another object on the auspex screen. A bigger ship was probably trying to intercept our nemesis.

'Just let it be anybody but your colleagues or space marines.' Tamias couldn't help shivering.

'No way, Cap. I can tell an inquisitor frigate at once.'

'You're a big girl and do understand what it might mean for me.'

'Don't call me like that. I'm His wrath and justice,' I rebuked him with a phrase from Fungata's letter. 'You've been granted amnesty.'

'Your kind often overlooks decisions of one another. Nothing can stop them from just blowing us up.'

'Let your astropaths contact the frigate first,' I ordered.

In a few minutes of the choir's concentration the link was established. The other side replied almost at once. The frigate master's psychic projection appeared in the conversation room. A middle-aged man in a full set of power armour, he looked at me with certain mistrust.

'Who am I talking to?' he asked me without any greeting.

'Inquisitor Volentia, Botian Conclave of Ordo Hereticus, acting on the commission of Lord Platydoras.'

'Lord Inquisitor Kryptopterus, Ordo Xenos,' he named himself reluctantly when I showed him the rosette. 'I must warn you that your captain is wanted in six sub-sectors for illicit xeno trade.'

'The Conclave has granted him amnesty for his crucial role in pursuing the dangerous heretic we are about to engage,' I replied firmly.

'You're not the only one to have interest in his actions,' he said. 'I wish we could talk eye to eye aboard my ship if you don't object. The corridor will be ready soon.'

Once the portal door of the conversation room opened with a flash of warp-light, I stepped in under Uncle's warning gaze. Kryptopterus was standing at a table with piles of flash drives and books, his arms crossed on his crude breastplate. A sage acolyte was browsing data files on a large cogitator. Kryptopterus dismissed him with a nod and led me to the chairs at the back wall.

'So young and already leaning towards the Radical side,' he said half-jokingly. 'I've found an account of your previous missions in the sector digests. Efficiency above all, but you should be more careful about choosing allies.'

'I'm mostly trying to avoid dubious actions.' I pressed my hand to my burning face. 'This one is an emergency measure because the smuggler is a single clue to solving the case.'

'Now you've got another one. Our Ordo has been watching over the discovery of Necron worlds in the sub-sector. There have been some cases of smugglery one of which led to the tomb-world's activation.'

'So that's what he's seeking.'

Kryptopterus scrolled down a long list of files. 'We've got a few reports about planned sales of xenotech, and our psykers have detected motion on the warp route to the tomb-world system.'

'It would be wiser to act together than to compete over the catch,' I said in my most friendly tone.

'I was going to say that. We will intercept him either on exiting the warp or on the surface if he's quicker than us. It will take him time to find the artifact storage and do the burglary. Your retinue isn't too big but all of them are combatants and can be of great use, especially the Blood Angel.'

'My Magos has had experience of investigating xeno worlds.' I didn't feel much comfortable about his degree of knowledge of my personal matters.

'Perfect. I'll give you a copy of the draft map for him to correct or give any other ideas.'

Back on the smuggler ship Fluffster examined the draft thoroughly making notes in the dataslate.

'The world has two storages.' He pointed at green marks on the holographic map. 'A hundred miles apart.'

'So we'll land at the northern one, and Kryptopterus at the other.'

'Let's better choose the one with a dolmen gate nearby,' Fluffster suggested. 'Our ship is too small to risk.'

'Have you served with Ordo Xenos before?' I winked. 'I doubt even your colleagues know how to operate one.'

'I've wandered across the galaxy for some time. That has only made me weary as you can see,' he grumbled and turned back to the map.

Our foe left the warp next day, and we followed. A few lifeless planets orbiting a dying sun. I tried to imagine how it had looked countless millennia before when fabled silvery cities glimmered with viridian lights on the surfaces and armadas of alien ships embarked into the void. Time is relentless. Palaces and towers of the slumbering ancients had been buried in dust when our most distant ancestors were yet to be be born.

Visiting a xenos world for the first time we another action discouraged by strict Puritans I hadn't done yet. As its owners were relatively quiet if not disturbed, I hoped that wouldn't lead to dramatic consequences.

'The scoundrel has managed to outrun us,' I heard Kryptopterus' voice in the vox as the owl was descending to the tomb-world's surface. 'Presence undetectable. Most likely unknown xeno or chaos technology.'

'He's already down there?'

'Most likely. My escorts are trying to locate his vessel. I'm almost there with two kill-teams.'

The owl landed, and I walked out to the barren land. I scanned the vicinity with the auspexes of my space suit. No motion detected. Pitch-black starry heavens expanded above the eerie outlines of ziggurats and monoliths barely protruding from meteor dust. A large metal construct reminiscent of a colossal gate stood on top of a hill, strangely unscarred by the millennia. A circle of land around its frame was completely clean. Green lightnings sparked and died out over the silvery metal, and from time to time gusts of unnatural wind rippled the layer of dust on the hill slopes.

We walked closer to one of the pyramids, thigh-deep in the dust. Fluffster led the way, his massive shape almost spherical in his custom space suit. Treacherous dust hid pits and slopes from sight, so we had to follow the green line traced along sidewalks and bridges by Fluffster's laser pointer.

'That's where he landed.' He showed at a patch of clean metal on the closest side of the pyramid. 'Must have had precise coordinates.'

'We're only a couple of hours late,' I grunted into the vox.

'Let's see how he's coped with the burglary then.'

A chain of footprints led from the patch to the top of the pyramid. Fluffster stepped onto the patch and slapped the air. A silhouette of a small lighter lit green on my helmet's datascreen.

'A smart ruse of invisibility,' Fluffster hummed. 'No wonder modern inquisitors barely remember this one.'

Angel activated his power claw, grabbed the bolter with the other hand and hurried to the top. Uncle cocked his gun, Sister took out the eviscerator. I moved on with my laspistol at ready, followed by Fluffster.

'He's inside.' Angel observed a neat hole in the pyramid wall. 'I'll enlarge it to get in.'

'Let me track him first,' I suggested. 'We must do a swift precise raid or we'll get a beating from the guards.'

Using psychic ability was unexpectedly hard in the presence of Necron constructs. I stumbled upon a null-field right on reaching out, and it resonated with a burst of sharp pain in my head.

'A gloom prism there.' Fluffster shook me by the shoulder.

I tried to look from the other side and soon caught a psychic trace in one of the inner corridors. A small soulfire coming out of the blank slumbering depth.

'He'll be out soon. Maximum readiness,' I ordered.

Minutes passed, and nothing happened. The little flame got stuck in one of the inner chambers. I shivered at a sudden bad feeling. The guards had found him before we could. I concentrated as hard as I could to get a more detailed vision.

A dazzling warp explosion blinded my psychic sight. I collapsed onto the slope clutching my head.

'Some... sorcery,' I wheezed out to my retinue.

'I'm breaking in.' Angel dug his claw-blades into the silvery metal.

As he was mauling the wall, my vox came alive.

'He's back to the ship leaving the system,' Kryptopterus shouted. 'Embark as fast as you can. We're setting off to catch him.'

'A damn portal.' I clenched my fists. 'We've been cheated by a simple trick. I should have guessed that, after the sorcerous adventures.'

Green lights started flickering under Angel's claws, and the whole pyramid shook with motion.

'Back to the owl, now!' I cried out getting back to my shaky feet.

Angel grabbed me and ran down the slope along with the others. A gust of mighty wind hit us. The dolmen gate's colossal leaves were flung open. Clouds of eerie darkness floated all over the hill, and viridian energy discharges cracked ceaselessly as they moved. The earth beneath shuddered at the heavy pace of marching soldiers.

Right between us and the owl the veil of whirling darkness parted with a lightning flash. A gaunt, intimidating silhouette taller than the marine stepped out of the shroud raising an ebon-dark staff over the head. Arcane symbols lit on the staff head. A wave of swirling shadow-mist darkened our vision, and we all froze in overwhelming terror.