Ghoul Stars. Salvakar Star Cluster.
In the cold and boundless void, ancient stars emitted dim light thick with deadly radiation. This region sat close to the outer dark, far beyond the reach of the Astronomican's light for most of the year. The nearest human colony was thousands of light years distant. With the Great Rift open and spreading, the Salvakar Cluster had become the kind of place that did not appear on anyone's operational priorities. Even the Carcharodons Astra, who had patrolled the Ghoul Stars for longer than most chapters had existed, rarely set foot here.
A Warp rift opened in the cold void without ceremony.
The White Mouth, a Tyrant-class cruiser, sailed out of the Warp and into real space. The Geller field closed behind it. The hull moved on in silence, following a void route that had no traffic and no watchers.
Inside the bridge, mortal crew members and servitors worked at their stations with the focused calm of people who knew where they were. Not far from the forward viewport, Nolan stood in Starfire Glory beside Chief Lexicanium Kahurangi.
"Lord Primarch, we have arrived in the area where the distress signal originated. This is the Salvakar Cluster — one of the edge regions of the Ghoul Stars closest to the outer dark."
Kahurangi's voice was low and measured, as it always was.
"The most significant thing about this location is the presence of an alien race known as the Saisuo. The Carcharodons have had scattered small-scale encounters with them over the years. From the engagement records, they are a difficult opponent."
Nolan raised an eyebrow.
"Has anyone tried an extermination campaign? There is no Inquisition presence here and no human settlements nearby. Going directly to the alien's home world and issuing an extermination order would seem straightforward enough."
"That is precisely the problem, Lord Primarch." Kahurangi showed the edge of his teeth briefly. "Based on ancient records we obtained some time ago, no Astartes battle group has successfully destroyed the Saisuo home world. It is a large gaseous planet, and the aliens are exceptionally cunning. When a fleet approaches, they vanish. Entirely. No one has yet found a method that accounts for this."
Before the conversation could continue, the cruiser's captain stepped forward: a middle-aged man with a straight-backed bearing and no wasted words.
"Lord Primarch, Chief Lexicanium. The ship's augur arrays have completed a scan of the void route ahead. We have identified an Astartes fleet holding position — a strike cruiser, several frigates, and supply transports. The configuration suggests a standard expeditionary force. All communication channels have been hailed. No response has been received."
Nolan nodded once. The captain turned and returned to his station without further ceremony.
"Kahurangi. Your read on this. How do you want to approach the rescue?"
The Chief Lexicanium did not answer immediately.
"Lord Primarch, allow me to speak plainly first. The Ghoul Stars do not reward ordinary expeditionary forces. Without the mindset and capability that comes from long-term operation in this territory, an unfamiliar Astartes force going deep into this region has poor survival odds. We do not yet know who these people are or where they came from."
He paused.
"I should also tell you that we have seen this before within our own chapter. A Carcharodons supply team departed normally and sent back a distress call. When the fleet arrived at the coordinates, we found a single ship sitting silent in the void. No signs of combat. No blood. No bodies. Every mortal crew member and every Astartes aboard had simply ceased to exist. We have no explanation for it."
He let that settle for a moment, then continued.
"That said, we should board and investigate. If the expeditionary force's members are gone, the strike cruiser alone is a considerable gain."
Nolan took a slow breath and nodded.
He looked toward one of the Lamenters standing at the rear of the bridge.
"Go and inform the Terminator squad to prepare. I will lead the boarding personally."
Kahurangi began to object. Nolan had already turned and was walking out of the bridge.
In his own assessment, a strike cruiser broadcasting a distress signal did not represent a threat that a Primarch could not handle. His working theory was simple: either the expeditionary force had encountered an internal alien infestation that overwhelmed them before they could mount an effective response, or they had been boarded by a passing Chaos warband. The latter seemed unlikely given the absence of any visible signs of external attack on the hull.
Approximately one void hour later, on the White Mouth's lower deck, Nolan led twenty-five Lamenters in Terminator plate toward the waiting Thunderhawk transports. The Warscythe hummed quietly in his grip. The Dawnbringer Warhammer sat across his back, carried by two of the Terminators until he needed it.
The vector engines of the Thunderhawk formation roared to life. The transports lifted clear of the deck and pushed out into the cold void, moving in formation toward the silent expeditionary fleet hanging motionless in the dark.
Behind them, Kahurangi had already given the order: the full Carcharodons company was at battle readiness aboard the White Mouth. If the Primarch encountered anything inside the unknown ships that required immediate support, the boarding operation would launch without waiting for a second instruction.