Moving at incredible velocity, the Oceanid began her dive. The screens erupted in activity, the machine devices attempting to describe that which should not even be possible. Brielle saw that the Oceanid's Geller Field was raised, creating a delicate bubble of real space around her, within which she would find shelter from the raging energies of the warp. Just before the Oceanid passed beyond the furthest extent of the Fairlight's augurs, Brielle caught the dazzling explosion of metaphysical energies as the ship dived into the warp. Each warp drive and each Navigator interacted with the warp in a unique manner, meaning that no two dives were identical. The sight, rendered across half a dozen pict-slates in as many different forms, was something quite beautiful, and quite terrible to behold. The Oceanid's passing forcibly ripped a gash in the intangible fabric of the universe, bleeding the raw stuff of the warp, for an instant. Yet, even as questing tentacles of something unreal seeped forth, the scar was healed, the laws of the universe reasserting themselves once more.

A moment later, a familiar wave of sickness passed over Brielle and was gone: the spiritual wake of the Oceanid's warp jump.

Seeing that Korvane's vessel was moving into position for its own dive, Brielle checked that her ship was prepared for its jump, and then addressed her bridge crew.

'We make warp in three minutes. All hands to station'

At her words, the bridge became a hive of activity. Although her crew was well versed in the manoeuvre, making a warp jump was never taken lightly, at least not by any crew that wanted to make it safely back to port. Chanting filled the bridge, and a line of lay priests emerged from the chapel to the rear, blessed incense billowing around them as they anointed the Fairlight's systems with holy unguents. These would ward off the evil intentions of the denizens of the warp and ensure the vessel's safe passage.

Next, a deck officer passed quickly from one station to the next, ensuring that each rating and servitor was secured to his seat. This was not for their own safety, but for that of the vessel, for it had been known for the weak to be driven to insanity at the moment of entry into the warp, and to ran amok upon a ship's bridge, killing all within reach. Brielle knew that it had happened to a member of her father's bridge crew long before she was born, the man killing three of his fellows with his teeth alone, before her father had put a data-spike through his head. Such enflamed passions at the moment of the jump were, according to space-lore, the result of the call of the warp-bound daemon, and to heed its lies was to invite the loss of every soul on the ship. Thus, every precaution possible was taken against it.

A message from Navigator Sagis scrolled across a data-slate. He confirmed that he was ready to enter his warp trance, and wished Brielle the Emperor's blessings. The words of a prayer began scrolling across the screen, 'We pray for those lost in the warp… and Brielle knew that it would loop over, repeatedly, until Sagis was awakened, and the Fairlight was once again safe in the real universe.

She reclined in her command throne as she felt the deep growl of the Fairlight's warp drive steadily build. A build up of psychic power, felt deep in the soul, accompanyed the subsonic noise. Every spacefarer felt it differently, but to Brielle it was a keen longing for home, or to be anywhere other than where they were about to go-

As the last of the crew assumed their stations, the deck officer strapping himself into his own chair last, the Fairlight began her dive. As her forward velocity increased exponentially, the air pressure on the bridge rose and a violent shaking set in. Brielle saw from a nearby pict that the Rosetta had completed her dive, and quickly scanned the surrounding area one last time.

The order to dive perched on her lips, Brielle stalled. Despite the screen's jarring vibrations, she could make out a huge return less than forty thousand kilometres off the Fairlight's port bow. She punched a comm channel, connecting her straight through to her Navigator. 'Sagis… you see it?

She forced down a rising sense of panic, praying that her Navigator had not yet fully entered his trance, but realising that they were inexorably committed to the warp jump. The Navigator's reply scrolled across a data-slate.

++I see it ma'am. I shall attempt to compensate for its mass and proximity. The Emperor protect us all++

Brielle's mind raced. The other ship had emerged from nowhere, and she could read that its gravitic signature was well in excess of its class. Her breath caught in her throat as she realised with a start that it was clearly alien in origin. It did not appear to be intent upon any hostile action, but its mere appearance at such a crucial point in the Fairlight's jump had put Brielle's ship in incredible danger. She saw that she had but one option. She must trust to her Navigator's skill, for to pull out of the dive might tear her ship apart.

Gripping the arms of her command throne, Brielle issued her order. 'Jump!

CHAPTER FIVE

Korvane stood upon the shuttle pad at Chasmata Capitalis, his father's back facing him. The golden orb of Chasmata's star was just beginning its slow descent, sinking below the distant, jagged horizon, silhouetting the master of Arcadius against the dusky sky.

'We cannot wait for her, father. If we keep Luneberg hanging on he might take exception and cancel the deal.

'Without her, there is no deal. Most of the artefacts are aboard the Fairlight.

Where the hell was she? Lucian looked up into the rapidly darkening skies of Mundus Chasmata, as if he would see his daughter's shuttle descending through the dark clouds. He knew that could not be of course, for there appeared to be only a single shuttle operating the surface to orbit route, and the Chasmatans forbade travellers descending in their own vessels.

'She must have mistimed her jump. She'll ruin the whole thing if she's late'

'Hmm' Lucian turned to face his son. 'We have two choices: beg that scat-hound Luneberg to wait until Brielle arrives with her cargo, or bluff our way through. If we let him know she's been delayed, he'll sense weakness and the whole deal will go ahead on his, not our, terms. We can certainly delay for a short time — even Luneberg knows ships don't travel through the empyrean in perfect formation. If we proceed as if everything's fine, we'll earn Brielle time to catch up'

'Do you think she'll arrive at all, Father?

Lucian bristled at his son's words. He had faith that his daughter was safe, but he had been concerned enough to seek the counsel of the Oceanid's Navigator.

'I've consulted Adept Baru. He informs me that conditions became rough immediately following our translation, but he felt confident that Sagis and the vessel he navigated had come to no harm'

Ваru had actually said more than that, but Lucian was far from keen to repeat his words. The Navigator had stated that, had the Fairlight come to harm within the warp, he would have known immediately. The beasts that dwell within the Sea of Souls would have howled with such desire at the prospect of devouring a Navigator that every one of his kind in the sector would have felt their brother's soul-death.

'So we continue with the talks as if nothing was awry. Understood?

'Understood, Father'

'I trust your mission was successful my dear Lucian? The… goods were transported without incident?

Culpepper Luneberg sprawled upon his throne, a courtesan leaning languidly at each shoulder. Lucian stood before him, his son at his side. The vast throne room was empty, silent and eerie, swallowing up the small group in its deep gloom. Luneberg had summoned the rogue traders to his court the instant that they had landed, typical, Lucian thought, of the man's manners.