Date: 999 M41

  Location: Ark Mechanicus Iron Revenant, orbiting Eriad VI, Strategy

  After a period of time perceived in various ways by anyone, the Iron Revenant and his escort emerged from the Warp above Eriad VI.

  For thousands of years, the Eriad System had been considered worthless, with pnets too resource-poor to justify colonisation and strategically expendable. The pnet Eriad VI was chosen by the Imperial Navy in the 32nd Millennium to build an orbital station dedicated to supplying its fleets, only to be abandoned in the 34th Millennium as it y in the path of the 4th Bck Crusade of Abaddon the Despoiler, First Captain of the traitorous XVI Legion. The Imperial Navy High Command had no desire to invest resources in protecting a secondary base, so the station's fate was decided immediately.

  For six millennia, the system plunged into darkness until the Warp Storm Storeal forced the exploration ship Wayward Eye into an emergency entry into real space. While waiting for the storm to pass, the ship's Captain decided to entertain himself by conducting a detailed search of the system, and what he discovered caught the eye of the Iron Revenant's master.

  In the Ark Mechanicus' Strategium, the crew carried out their duties with dedication and zeal; the smell of incense and blessed oils wafted through the ship's recycled air, while techpriests sang litanies in binary aimed at honouring and appeasing the Machine Spirit of the ship and all its instruments.

  At the centre, the holographic projection of the pnet materialised with data and information collected by ancient spirits that dwell in the ship's sensors. The Archmagos Bellissarius Cawl studied the data obtained from the world beneath it with his ancient eyes.

  ?01001001 01101110 01110100 01100101 01110010 01100101 01110011 01110011 01110011 01100001 01101110 01110100 01100101? (Interesting) Archmagos stated in binary nguage

  With his skeletal fingers, he pressed commands, and the holographic image expanded to a specific point where the pnet bore the scars of an orbital bombardment.

  Curiosity and mystery were awakening atrophied emotions in the Archmagos... until footsteps caught his attention.

  ?Archmagos, this pnet is of no interest to the mission entrusted to you.? spoke a deep male voice

  ?I know it well, Custodian? he stated in a synthesised voice. ?But it has enormous value to my curiosity.?

  ?So, for you this is a "necessary stop".? the Custodian stated amusedly

  ?Oh, does it amuse you?? Cawl asked, ?I thought the Guardians of the Golden Throne had lost all their feelings.?

  ?Not all of them, Archmagos. But since my induction into the Order, I have always been a case... special.? he stated, maintaining an amused tone. ?Just as the orders to have me as "guest" by you were also special.?

  ?If you say this, does that mean you won't condemn me if I indulge in my pursuit of knowledge??

  ?As I said before, I am your "guest". But I wouldn't mind if you share your findings with me.?

  ?Do you turn a blind eye in exchange for knowledge?? he asked thoughtfully, ?It's not a bad deal.?

  Steps resumed, and the Custodian walked away from the Archmagos, amused by the newly-occurred conversation.

  *****

  Date: 999 M41

  Location: Eriad VI, Provisional base (currently under attack), excavation site

  Excavations conducted over the st half century had some... unexpected events. Cawl couldn't expect, as he didn't care at the same time, that a Waaagh! had been attracted by the presence of his ships, forcing him to take to the field and distract him from his thirst for knowledge. But it was a necessary distraction since he was able to recim the head of the Ork Big Mek Gangrek, the Boss of the Waaagh and gain a momentary respite from the Orks' assaults.

  The Custodian did not hold back in the battles, demonstrating and affirming the reputation of the Adeptus Custodes as Guardians of the Golden Throne, to the point of also noting the intruder, the Shadowseer Veilwalker, who pushed Cawl to discover the mysteries of Eriad VI.

  But now Cawl is filled with frustration as the Orks have recovered from the loss of their leader and resumed their assaults.

  ?The Orks recovered earlier than expected.? the Custodian stated ?I thought it would take at least another 3 hours before they regained some form of organisation.?

  ?The xenons have already forced my hands, and I can't afford any more losses? Cawl said, annoyed. ?I've ordered an evacuation.?

  ?Really? When we got here, I had the impression he would never give such an order without first finding answers.?

  ?01000110 01101001 01100111 01101100 01101001 01101111 00100000 01100100 01101001-!!! Don't remind me.? (Son of-)

  A roar, generated by something heavy falling, attracted the attention of both of them. The noise came from where the drills were digging, and the Archmagos could notice that one of them had... fallen into a natural cave. Before the signal was completely lost, the drill's Machine Spirit sent images to the Archmagos, which immediately changed his mood. He gave orders in binary nguage, and his maniples of Skitarii, who were evacuating immediately, turned back to form defensive lines.

  ?Any news?? asked the Custodian.

  ?Affirmative! The Omnissah blessed this excavation.?

  Neither of them spoke a word more, and they moved towards the depths. Both hurried, and suddenly, their eyes fell on a bck building no more than 250 meters high and wide. The jagged top suggested the building had been damaged in the bombing, and much of the fnk had eroded over time. However, the construct gave no clues about its use... at least, not to normal humans.

  ?Archmagos. Hasn't Imperium discovered simir constructs in the past? Cadia, in particur??

  ?Affirmative? Cawl began ?This construct matches at 99% the constructs known as Cadian Pilons. These ancient bombings were not senseless.?

  ?The 4th Bck Crusade? the Keeper stated in a disgusted tone. ?The Despoiler had not passed through here because it was the fastest route to the world of El'Phanor. It was one of his objectives.?

  ?Affirmative. But it's not the only one.?

  ?Expin?

  ?I made comparisons with other Despoiler's targets during the other 12 Bck Crusades. Corolis, Beston, Vogrid II, and several other attacked pnets have elements 97.3% equal to the Cadian Pylons.?

  Silence fell again, until it was interrupted by the movement of the Keeper's Paragon Spear.

  If the Guardian Spear issued to the Adeptus Custodes is an elegant and lethal weapon, the Paragon Spear is a weapon whose aesthetic art and lethality are brought to perfection. The force field surrounding the bde can cut through Space Marine armour as if it were melted butter, and the built-in Bloter Paragon can penetrate enemy armour even more easily.

  ?It seems your admirer doesn't want to stay too far away from you.? the Custodian stated softly.

  There had been no warning. Veilwalker was there, the mask in a vortex of illegible emotions.

  ?Now do you understand??

  Cawl nodded, too shaken by the horror of the discovery to object to the Shadowseer's presence. While keeping his guard, the Custodian lowered his spear enough to indicate non-hostilities, but at the same time was ready to be used in case hostilities opened.

  ?The pylons. The immaterium...?

  ?One keeps the other to his rhythm.? Veilwalker's mask was fury red. ?Without those stones, the dancers become sves to an orderless refrain. The gaxy dies, reborn in madness.?

  ?Can it be avoided?? asked Cawl

  ?Cadia is the end and the beginning.?

  Cadia. Where the pact had been forged in the beginning. Was it a coincidence? Both Cawl and the Custodian no longer believe in coincidences.

  ?All this is too important for riddles. Answer clearly!? Cawl roared annoyed

  Veilwalker had left, leaving the couple without answers, but perhaps, with a pce to look for them.

  ?Archmagos, I think we now have a new destination.?