The words of Lucifer, the unique Saibaman son of Lion, plunged Lion El'Jonson into deep contemplation.
The situation was indeed highly suspect. Others might not have known the extent of Axis's combat capabilities, but the Lion did. He had personally witnessed the entirety of the strictly classified battle between Axis and the Emperor within the Webway.
Furthermore, looking at more recent events, the fighting prowess of this son of his, Lucifer, was far beyond that of any ordinary Space Marine.
In terms of physical attributes alone, he surpassed all Astartes, a fact that became undeniable after he had consumed the two Fruits of the Tree of Might that Axis had sent.
Just how powerful was this son of his? While not possessing the terrifying might of Axis himself, casually destroying a planet was well within his capabilities. Lucifer showed him immense respect, but Lion El'Jonson knew he could not defeat this child of his.
More than one hundred and fifty years had passed.
The Lion's own strength had grown considerably, but it was nothing compared to the monstrous power of Axis. He even doubted if he could force his counterpart to use that first-stage golden-haired transformation.
Even if he and Lucifer joined forces, they would be no match for Axis. What was more, Axis could create more of these the kind of his son's at will.
There was no need to even question Axis's power. Besides, if Axis had truly betrayed the Emperor, humanity, and the Imperium, his Father would never have dispatched him on this mission alone.
The Emperor himself would have led the charge, bringing all the Primarchs with him. Only then would they have stood a chance of victory.
Moreover, Axis's Ki energy was highly resistant to the corruption of the Warp, which made the Lion doubt he would ever fall to Chaos.
He found it even more unbelievable that the Emperor would send him to quell such a rebellion.
Their power levels were simply not in the same league. It would be a suicide mission, one that would see the entire Dark Angels Legion sacrificed for nothing.
"Father," an Assault Company Captain of the Dark Angels spoke up, "I believe Lucifer is right. There is something deeply wrong with this. We have witnessed Lord Axis in battle before. During the war against the Rangda xenos, Axis single-handedly crushed their hordes."
The newer recruits among the Dark Angels might not have understood Axis's terrifying might, but the veterans remembered.
Back when Axis was still considered a son of the Wolf King, Leman Russ, he had casually challenged a thousand Dark Angels. They had failed to make him move so much as a single step.
He had defeated them with the sheer force of his physical might alone..
"But Father, these are orders from the Imperium," another Company Captain argued.
"They are orders from the Warmaster, Horus, not from the Imperium or Holy Terra," Lucifer retorted with a cold snort, "You must understand the distinction." Though he was the Lion's son, he was first and foremost a servant of his true master, and he would naturally protect his master's interests, especially when the situation was so questionable.
"If only astropathic communication could be restored," the Legion's Librarian lamented, "We could confirm this directive with Holy Terra."
The mention of confirming the order with Holy Terra sparked something in the Lion's mind. They had been cut off from the Throneworld for months due to the unbelievably ferocious Warp storms. During this entire period, all combat directives had come from Warmaster Horus.
Contact with Holy Terra was severed, yet the Warmaster's commands came through with perfect clarity. There was another detail that had been bothering Lion El'Jonson.
The Warp storms were raging violently, yet every time they set out to execute one of Horus's orders, their path through the Immaterium was inexplicably clear and calm. It was very strange indeed.
The Lion's keen mind seized upon the implications.
"Enough arguing," he commanded, "Since it is the Warmaster's order, we will proceed to Prospero. But mark my words, we are not going there to make war." He intended to speak with Axis personally, to get to the bottom of this. He needed to understand why both Axis and Magnus were being slandered as traitors.
"Lord Father," one of his captains reported, "we are to rendezvous with Imperial forces for this operation, including Sisters of Silence and Custodians."
"Their destination is also Prospero, which aligns with our orders," the Lion stated, his decision made, "Activate the fleet. We make for Prospero."
If their voyage through the Warp to Prospero was as smooth as the previous ones, then Lion El'Jonson would know for certain that something was terribly wrong.
…
Time passed.
Horus issued several more commands. Roboute Guilliman's Ultramarines were dispatched to a more distant sector, while Sanguinius's Blood Angels and the Golden Legion, led by Axis's own sons, were also sent to campaign on the fringes of the Imperium.
This left the planet of Nuceria defended by only a token garrison of ten thousand conventional soldiers.
After issuing these directives, Horus, along with the several brother Primarchs who had pledged allegiance to him, made his way to the Isstvan system.
The traitor Primarchs declared to their still-loyal sons that the governor of Isstvan III had betrayed the Imperium, embracing a local barbaric cult.
They would descend upon the planet to restore order.
The loyalists, told they would be the first wave of the drop assault, had no reason to doubt their fathers. They all boarded the landing craft that would become their tombstones.
The landing force was composed of more than one hundred Grand Companies, numbering over ten thousand Space Marines. Facing an aerial assault of this magnitude, the Imperial government on Isstvan III had no chance to explain themselves, nor the ability to resist. The battle was over in mere hours.
However, a small number of loyalists who remained with the fleet in orbit began to notice that something was wrong.
Death Guard Captain Garro and Emperor's Children Captain Tarvitz were among the first to sense the strange behavior of their Primarchs.
They discovered that their legions were preparing horrifying virus bombs, intending to bombard the planet's surface.
The two captains came to a terrible conclusion before long, their gene-fathers, their great Primarchs, had betrayed the Emperor.
Led by these two, the loyalists, upon realizing the Warmaster's treachery, made the correct choice. Captain Garro seized the frigate Eisenstein. He provided cover for Captain Tarvitz, who piloted a Thunderhawk through the orbital blockade to the surface of Isstvan III, successfully warning the loyalists below of the impending virus bomb attack.
With his mission complete, Captain Garro set his own ship on a desperate course for Terra, determined to break through the traitor fleet. He had to inform the Emperor of the rebellion that had unfolded.
Because of Tarvitz's warning, the loyalists on the ground had time to prepare. They scrambled for any sealed bunkers, tunnels, or fortifications they could find to shelter from the bombardment.
The terrifying payloads of death rained down from the sky.
When the virus had dissipated and the firestorms subsided, the loyalists emerged from their shelters. The landscape had been utterly transformed by the virus bombs, and the air was now a lethal poison.
The surviving Astartes were filled with a burning rage. Their former brothers, their own fathers, had betrayed them. They had betrayed the Emperor and Terra.
The loyalists had lost nearly forty thousand men in the bombing, but the true battle had only just begun. Though they had no means of escaping the planet, these loyal warriors would make their enemies pay the price with blood.
They began to fortify their positions, preparing for the coming assault. Yet they all knew the truth. There was likely not going to be a ground war. The massive fleet in orbit could easily obliterate them with its overwhelming firepower.
Horus felt no mercy for these sons. He ordered a second wave of virus bombs prepared.
Horrific, green-hued warheads fell from the heavens once more, mercilessly pounding the Space Marines who remained true to the Imperium and to mankind. With cries of "For the Emperor!" on their lips, the last of the loyal Astartes walked their final path.
Having disposed of the troublesome loyalists, Horus immediately ordered his fleet to pursue the fleeing Captain Garro.
By now, Garro had only been gone for a few hours and had not even reached the system's Mandeville Point. He and the one hundred Death Guard aboard were plunged into despair. They had never imagined the traitors would have mopped up the surface so quickly.
"Captain, what do we do now? We cannot escape," one of his men asked, his voice heavy.
"We die for the Imperium," Garro said with a heavy sigh, "We will make these traitors fight for it." In this situation, he knew there was likely no way out.
Just as the Death Guard captain braced for the inevitable, a strange light bloomed on the bridge of his ship. A Harlequin of the Eldar, clad in a bizarrely colorful costume, appeared before them.
"Honored sir, if you are willing, you can leave with me through the Webway."
The Harlequin had barely finished his sentence before dozens of bolters were leveled at his head.
"Xenos!" Garro demanded. "Who gave you the audacity to appear on my ship?"
"The explanation would be rather time-consuming, and time is a luxury you no longer have," the Harlequin replied calmly, "You must come with me now. For if you don't, the news of this treachery will never reach Holy Terra."
"We will never consort with xenos."
"As you wish," the Harlequin said with a shrug, "If you do not leave, then I will. You can wait here to be killed by the traitors."
Garro gritted his teeth, watching the pursuing ships draw ever closer. At that moment, they had no other choice. The message had to reach Holy Terra, no matter the cost.
Finally, Garro relented.
He ordered his men to lower their weapons and follow the Harlequin into the shimmering portal that had opened. In a flash of otherworldly light, the small frigate vanished, leaving the pursuing traitor fleets utterly bewildered.
They had no idea what had just happened. How could their quarry simply disappear before their very eyes?
The confused members of the Sons of Horus responsible for the chase had no choice but to return to Warmaster Horus's flagship, the Vengeful Spirit.
"What do you mean, they just vanished while you were in pursuit? Did they simply fly away right in front of you?" Horus roared, his face a mask of fury.
Everything had gone so perfectly, successfully eliminating the unstable elements within his legions. But this one failure, this one escape, could alter the course of the entire war. Holy Terra would learn of his plans far too early.
"Perhaps this is an opportunity," Fulgrim mused, "We can set a trap ahead of time to further attrite the Imperium's forces, preparing for the war to come."
"Fine," Horus sighed, calming himself. "Then we will proceed as planned." What was certain was that Magnus must not be allowed to return to Holy Terra, or everything would be ruined.
…
Aboard Captain Garro's ship, now safely away from Horus's fleet, he finally had a moment to confront the Eldar Harlequin.
He had so many questions, chief among them being why this xenos had saved them.
"I know you are confused, but be patient," the Harlequin said, "I am taking you to a place where someone is waiting for you."
"We are going nowhere but Holy Terra," Garro insisted, "You had best do as I say."
"We cannot reach Holy Terra from here," the Harlequin explained, "It is enveloped by terrifying Warp storms. You must see a far more important individual." The secret path to the Throneworld was being prepared for someone else, and its existence could not be revealed yet.
"What important individual?" Garro asked, his patience wearing thin. He had to deliver the news of Horus's great betrayal as soon as possible.
"The Primarch of the Golden Legion, Axis," the Harlequin revealed, "I came to rescue you at his behest."
Garro stared in question.
"Lord Axis? But... wasn't he on a mission outside the Imperium?"
...
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...
ps?