Instead of fleeing back to Diamantina or Consovor Castor decided to test the enemy’s determination and mettle: A course was set for the closest (lightly defended) imperial world, Hilarion, another agri-world and member of the Celestine Alliance. The raid was brief, meant mainly to assess the enemy’s ability to track through the warp and their response time. The world was not bombarded as it was hoped that the cracking open of its defences would make it a tempting target for lesser raiders.

Next came Valor Krin: A feral world so ravaged by terrible ash storms than nothing save a full Exterminatus could make life worse of its scattered tribes of feral humans. A symbolic landing party was set down, but again the main goal was to assess the enemy.

The third target was the agri-world of Percipre, while not a member of the Celestine Alliance turned out to enjoy the patronage of the Adeptus Mechanicus. The world had been fertile once, but had slipped into an ice-age, giving rise to a network of city-sized greenhouses run by Mechanicus Magi. A few long-range strikes were launched at the planet, mostly for symbolic effect.