Of course, we prevailed against our foe, but it was very much a fight for the ages! I had never seen mistress Tlass weave the Aether so deftly, blinding the wretch with her sorcery so that his strikes went amiss. Magos Pasqal's hymns of vengeance filled my ears as his plasma gun spewed white-hot fires of fusion blessed by the Machine God. The Lord-captain and Sister Argenta worked together to target the Word Bearer's weaker points, cracking his iron shell with bolt rounds in an unending string of detonations. As for myself? Well, I had nothing to be ashamed of either. Close combat has always been my forte; my trusted chainsword worked wonders against the monster, as well as Master van Calox's power sword. I have to confess I was surprised that he barely used his psychic abilities; his staff remained secured at his back at all times. Perhaps it was out of unease at the Veil's fragility — uncanny shapes and mocking wisps already taunted the periphery of my vision, after all.

At last, the Renegade fell, as a pillar does in an earthquake, all at once, and the Lord-captain dealt a final shot through his helmet as he was down. His dark blood pooled on the launchpad tarmac as a lake of night in the gloom. We rushed beyond him, civilians in tow; three shuttles were stationed and their pilots — who had had the good sense to stay hidden inside until then — opened their hatches. We boarded ours in a hurry: the darkness around us was unnatural, full of hatred born of Chaos.

I should commend our shuttle pilot to the Lord-captain's attention. The way she flew us out of Rykad Minoris was nothing but outstanding; I didn't even know it was possible to make an orbital approach that fast. As soon as we reached the landing bay, we all ran to the bridge — but the Lord-captain was in front of us all, beating us to our goal by several lengths despite a limp. The shuttle had been rather poorly supplied in medi-kits.

It is a credit to our officers' training that they resisted the urge to flock to their commander, instead waiting each for their turn in the status report. The Emperor's Mercy itself was unharmed — thankfully — but the situation was dire. A small fleet of Drukhari ships had assembled around the system sun. Because of magnetic interference, the augurs had nearly failed to detect them, until the Drukhari had bound the sun in chains. At that, Her Ladyship frowned, protesting that stars, not having a solid surface, cannot be held so.

'I know, Lord-captain, ma'am,' weakly replied that officer. 'But that's what it looked like. I don't know what kind of heresy was at work there. Don't even ask me how long a chain they'd need or what alloy could withstand that kind of temperature. And then, as suddenly as they had appeared… poof, they were gone, and the sun with them. There's nothing there, not anymore, and that system is about to dislocate.'

'I've heard of sun-stealers before,' said another. 'Thought they were a legend. A story to scare children.'

'What's the situation on Rykad Minoris?'

It was bad, was the gist of it. Vox Master Vigdis had picked up so many distress signals; the whole planet was under assault by the Final Dawn. Our telescopes, and even the naked eye, could see widening stains of Immaterium wherever the Veil was torn — in too many places. Many people had found refuge in hidden bunkers and safe places, but they were trapped, and the tides of Aether rose.

'That world is falling to Chaos,' suddenly said Master van Calox. 'I have already seen this happen once. I recommend you bomb it from orbit ere the Chaos gods claim every single soul in it, Rogue Trader. Targeting the Holy Electrodynamic Cenobium would probably suffice.'

The Lord-captain shot him an undecipherable glance. After a time, she asked: 'Advisors, what would you suggest?'

By virtue of seniority, I went first. 'It is my opinion,' I said, 'that we leave this mess for House Winterscale to clean. The Master Interrogator's suggestion would give us time to regroup and reach the Navis Nobilite station swiftly enough that we could be under Warp before Drukhari reinforcements get there.'

Van Calox, clearly unused to the way things were done in such circumstances, interjected there would be no Drukhari reinforcements. The planet, he said, was about to be swallowed whole by the Immaterium. I looked at him sternly, hoping it would make him understand that he had had the chance to make his point and should now remain silent. Sister Argenta, bless her, cleared her throat, and common courtesy shut the Inquisitor up. Oh, what poise she had, stepping forward still grimy with battle sweat in her silver armour, her eyes ablaze with divine inspiration!

'Saint Argenta, my namesake, was once faced with similar circumstances of a planet lost to the Ruinous Powers — or that is what the faithless would have had her believe.' The Interrogator looked as one about to roll his eyes, but bit his lip instead. Argenta continued.

'The saint, armed with her unshakable trust in the God-Emperor, resolved to save every living soul still loyal to Him. Despite every adverse circumstance, despite the terrible menace of being slain herself by fell creatures of the Aether, she found it her sacred duty to preserve their light, so they might join His. She should, perhaps, have failed, but so strong was her faith that the miracle happened: despite terrible losses, all the righteous were brought aboard her ship, an hymn of thanks upon their lips. I beseech you, Lord-captain, let saint Argenta's example inspire you!'

That was well said, although I disagreed with her. The Sister made a fine preacher. Mistress Tlass declined to speak, shrugging, and Magos Pasqal gave an impassionate — if strangely mechanical — plea to save the Hallowed Cenobium reactor above all else, the sanctity of the relic trumping, in his mind, both the lives of the innocent and the need to sterilise Rykad Minoris with nuclear fire.

The Lord-captain bit her thumbnail, thinking.

'How long do we have before the planet is engulfed in Warp, at the current speed of Veil degradation?'

'Do not play with fire, Rogue Trader,' pleaded van Calox. She didn't even deign to look at him, or give any sign she had heard. Did the man have no sense of self-preservation? Or was it pure arrogance? I moved by his side and murmured to his ear: 'Young man, do not presume too much. You are not the master here.'

'I haven't been young in quite a while,' he sneered.

'Then you have no excuse.'

After going over the numbers our cogitators gave, the Lord-captain turned to our Argenta, ordering her to muster all shuttles save for two and lead the rescue effort. The sister beamed and barely took time to salute before running away. Of course, van Calox had something to say, his voice hot with protestation.

'Taking in refugees that have been exposed to such a devious heresy is folly, Rogue Trader. What if they bring the cult of the Final Dawn to the loyal people of your ship? To the worlds where they will relocate? Mark my words, the worm will be inside the fruit!'

'Master van Calox,' said the Lord-captain with more patience than he deserved, 'one cannot serve the Emperor when one's dead. I would rather save a single heretic — who can hopefully repent — than condemn a thousand faithful to die.'

'That is madness!'

'Master van Calox, another word and I shall have you escorted to your quarters, where you will be unable to spy on me on the Lord Inquisitor's behalf.'

Again, that diplomacy. Being now privy to Her Ladyship's past bothers with the Inquisition, I nearly clapped. Without waiting for an answer, as there was none to give, she then turned to Magos Pasqal, asking him to take the two remaining shuttles and as many enginseers and servitors as he needed before heading to the Hallowed Electrodynamic Cenobium. 'However, be careful: you may have to come back empty-handed if there is sign the Veil does not hold ere you are done. I can afford to lose the relic, but not those who will go with you.'

'The Omnissiah's grace on you,' he replied before hurrying away, too.

The last order the Lord-captain gave before retiring to her quarters was to Vox Master Vigdis, to try and contact the Navis Nobilite station.