Aldaric's bionic eye spun a click as he focused on Rathanael's close, pre-heresy Mark IV grill. The Seige of Vraks was relatively recent, but it was still 160 years ago. Aldaric recalled what he knew of Vraks while he speculated on Rathanael's age. The battle had lasted 17 years before its conclusion, with the Dark Angels and Angels of Absolution only becoming involved near the end. Master Yafrir of the Angels of Absolution's 4th company had been slain, Supreme Grandmaster Azreal of the Dark Angels had nearly been killed, and Vraks Prime itself was ever afterward declared "Perdita," a dead world. Masterful indeed? 

Aldaric took it as the compliment it was intended to be and went on. "We will always mourn Master Yafrir, but no battle is without loss. Our success at Vraks was to be found in the capture of no insignificant number of traitor prisoners..." Rathanael would immediately realize what Aldaric implied, that those prisoners would have provided valuable information on finding the Fallen. This secret mission was critical to all Dark Angels and their subchapters, whether or not they believed their souls were at stake. The Angels of Absolution still hunted the Fallen, but because they were traitors, and not for the cause of their own redemption. Certainly Rathanael would be interested in that piece of information.

"As for current matters, all companies of my chapter have been called to the Cadian sector to repulse the newest incursion of chaos. Abbadon and his Black Legion have returned, again, but this time with unprecedented force and have already besieged or destroyed half a dozen worlds. They've brought with them the Planet Killer, which you may know, and it has proven itself to be fully functional. 

There is much going on that I am not privy to, but I am aware that our xeno enemies are taking full advantage of our obviously divided forces. The abominable Tau have begun seizing Imperial worlds in the Zeist Sector of the Ultima Segmentum. There has recently been an alarming increase in attacks by Eldar raiders, and the Orks and the Leviathan Hive Fleet are still threats." Aldaric took pause. Clearly he was returning to the importance of the Deathwatch in regard to xenos, a topic Rathanael probably was not interested in. Perhaps he could return to the subject of his chapter's exploits. 

Aldaric smiled genuinely as he remembered a most recent endeavor. "You would not have yet heard this, brother, but I must tell you of a great victory. There is a mining world just inside the Cadian Sector called Ex Lucan VII. Commander Azreal knew from Cadian High Command of an impending Eldar raid on this world, and he organized seven companies consisting of Dark Angels and subchapters, including my own, for an ambush attack. We hid inside the mountains, and when the xenos appeared through their portals to attack the underprepaired settlements, we fell upon them with merciless aggression. The whole thing went exactly to plan, and the enemy was slaughtered. What's more, was that the Eldar portals were still active and gifted us with a second entire raiding force to destroy as well, right after the first! It will be long before the Dark Eldar forget the price of their audacity."

The news may or may not have lessened the Consecrator's bitterness. It was impossible to tell through that antique helmet, but Aldaric hoped it had. "Brother Rathanael, I will listen well to you. Please tell me, everything." The new recruit looked earnestly at his mentor. Strong, free, and loyal he was. He did not ask for anything specific like weapons or directions but left an open invitation for the teacher to teach. Rathanael, however to his dismay, was going to have to do a lot of talking.