899.M41 – The Edge of the Amerikon Sector The fleet did not alter course immediately.
Chapter Master Asterion Corven was not a man who rushed toward an enemy simply because the enemy wished to be found.
For three days, the Hidden Talons remained on the edge of the Dorian Expanse while every frigate swept the surrounding systems.
Scout vessels prowled through asteroid fields, augur arrays searched for hidden ships, and the Chapter’s Librarians maintained an unbroken psychic vigil.
Nothing.
No Chaos vessels.
No pirate fleets.
No Ork warbands.
No signs of life.
It was as though the region ahead had been erased from the galaxy.
— Inside the Strategium, the officers of the Chapter gathered around a slowly rotating hololithic map.
Master of the Fleet Decimus adjusted the projection.
“The plasma trail ends here.” A thin blue line stretched across the stars before disappearing into a dark region where Imperial charts became incomplete.
Captain Lucien Voss frowned.
“There should be three inhabited systems beyond this point.” “There were,” Decimus corrected.
“The latest records are over four hundred years old.” Master of the Forge Hadrian looked up from a stack of ancient data-slates.
“I searched the archives aboard *Talons of Terra*.” “And?” “There are almost no records of the Dorian Expanse.” “Why?” Hadrian placed a weathered parchment upon the table.
“Because someone removed them.” Silence settled over the chamber.
Not destroyed.
Not lost.
Removed.
Only one page remained in the archives, copied nearly six thousand years earlier during the Great Crusade.
Across the yellowed parchment were written a handful of words.
> **’Avoid the Dorian Expanse.
By order of the Raven Lord.’** Captain Voss looked up sharply.
“Corvus Corax.” Hadrian nodded.
“The order carries his personal seal.” Every warrior in the room understood the significance.
Corax had explored countless worlds during the Great Crusade.
He had conquered xenos empires and uncovered horrors buried beneath forgotten civilizations.
If the Primarch himself had ordered an entire region avoided…
There had been a reason.
— Corven studied the parchment for a long moment before looking toward Chief Librarian Kaelen.
“What do you sense?” Kaelen closed his eyes.
“I sense…” He paused.
“…distance.” Captain Voss frowned.
“Distance?” “It feels as though the Warp itself avoids that region.” “Impossible.” “I know.” Kaelen slowly opened his eyes.
“I have never felt anything like it.” — The Chapter Master made his decision.
“The fleet will advance.” No one questioned the order.
The Hidden Talons had crossed worse frontiers in the Emperor’s service.
— Hours later, the fleet slipped silently into the Dorian Expanse.
The change was immediate.
The stars seemed fewer.
The darkness deeper.
Even the auspex operators noticed it first.
“Long-range scans reduced by seventeen percent.” “No interference detected.” “No radiation.” “No dust clouds.” Master Decimus looked over the readings himself.
“The instruments are functioning normally.” “So why can they not see?” No one had an answer.
— Far ahead of the fleet, Frigate *Night’s Vigil* acted as the vanguard.
Captain Arlen stood upon the bridge as the ship glided through the blackness.
“Any contacts?” The auspex officer shook his head.
“Nothing.” Another pause.
Then— “Captain…” “What is it?” “I’m detecting…” The officer leaned closer to his display.
“…ships.” “Range?” “I can’t determine.” “Class?” “I can’t determine.” Arlen walked to the console himself.
The display showed dozens of contacts.
They flickered constantly.
Appearing.
Disappearing.
Never remaining in the same position for more than a heartbeat.
“False echoes?” “I don’t think so.” Arlen keyed his vox.
“*Night’s Vigil* to *Talons of Terra*.” “We have unidentified contacts ahead.” Corven’s calm voice answered.
“Maintain course.” “Do not engage.” — The contacts vanished before the main fleet arrived.
Nothing remained.
No ships.
No wreckage.
No energy signatures.
Only empty space.
Captain Voss looked through the bridge’s armoured viewport.
“I don’t like this.” Corven gave the slightest nod.
“Neither do I.” — Three hours later, the silence finally broke.
A faint vox transmission emerged from the static.
Broken.
Weak.
Almost lost beneath the background hiss.
> “…This is…” Static.
> “…Merciless…” More static.
> “…Death…” The bridge fell silent.
Every mortal officer looked toward Corven.
The signal came again.
Clearer this time.
> “…This is Captain Elias Vorn of the Imperial Cruiser *Merciless Death*…” Master Decimus stared at the display.
“My lord…” “The voiceprint matches the captain recovered from the destroyer’s log.” Captain Voss folded his arms.
“But Captain Vorn died fifty-one years ago.” The transmission continued.
> “…If anyone receives this…” > “…do not board us…” The message dissolved into screams before abruptly cutting off.
No one spoke.
Then the vox crackled one final time.
A different voice.
Calm.
Measured.
Almost amused.
> “We know you are listening.” The transmission ended.
Master Decimus immediately traced the signal.
“I have the source.” The hololith updated.
A single point blinked in the darkness.
Barely half a light-year away.
For the first time since entering the Amerikon Sector…
The Hidden Talons had a precise location.
— Corven looked around the bridge.
Every officer already knew what came next.
“Signal all ships.” Within moments, the fleet shifted formation.
The Battle Barge moved to the center.
The Strike Cruisers flanked her port and starboard.
The frigates spread into a defensive screen, their lance batteries charging as they advanced.
No one aboard the fleet spoke.
Not because they were afraid.
But because every instinct born from ten thousand years of Raven Guard gene-seed whispered the same warning.
They were no longer searching for the enemy.
The enemy had finally decided to reveal itself.
And somewhere ahead, hidden within the endless darkness of the Dorian Expanse…
The Merciless Death waited.