Aboard the Vengeful Spirit, in the Council Chamber.
Horus Lupercal shot to his feet. Lord Commander Vespasian's accusatory words echoed over the comm channels.
"The Warmaster, Mortarion and Angron, our father, Fulgrim- have betrayed..."
"Every warrior in the first wave is to be purged- warheads loaded with virus bombs..."
Captain Lucius of the 13th Company, and Captain Solomon Tarvitz of the 10th Company, joined the broadcast.
"Maloghurst."
The Primarch's Equerry stepped from the shadows. "Warmaster."
"I want to know exactly what is happening."
"And broadcast my words across all channels. Drown out the traitors' voices."
Maloghurst quickly relayed the commands, then reported.
"It is ready. You may speak."
"Warriors of the Imperium. This is the Warmaster." Horus's voice was low.
"I am angered by the accusations of Vespasian and his ilk. Am I not the Warmaster appointed by the Emperor, commander of all the Master of Mankind's warriors?"
"Have I ever, in my exhaustive efforts, strayed from the Imperial Truth?"
He said coldly: "I know loyal warriors are confused by these baseless accusations. I was, for a time, and thought my decision to deploy in squads, based on the Isstvan situation, had been misunderstood."
"But I now know the reason. Vespasian, Lucius, and Solomon Tarvitz have colluded with the War-Singers of Isstvan III."
"In the name of the Warmaster, I declare them traitors to the Imperium!"
Horus looked at Maloghurst, and seeing his nod, continued.
"Their ships are now marked as enemy vessels. All nearby Imperial warships are to immediately plot intercept courses and engage in relentless orbital bombardment."
"At the same time, to prevent the Isstvan rebels from using the traitors' delay to reinforce their defenses."
"I command the first wave to execute their drops immediately."
After ending the comm, he added, "Have Fulgrim issue a similar statement."
"Ask him, in my name, if he is as incapable of commanding his own sons as Angron."
"As you command." The Equerry immediately complied.
"Further confirm the situation. Which assault forces are following orders, which have betrayed me, which are still hesitating."
As Horus spoke, he strode towards the Council Chamber.
"Great Lupercal!"
"Warmaster!"
Horus smiled, acknowledging the excited officers. His presence, for those unaware of his grand plan, restored the bridge to order.
He reached the strategium. The two members of the Mournival, Ezekyle Abaddon and Horus Aximand, stood at attention.
The third member, Tarik Torgaddon, had been chosen to command the Sons of Horus' first wave. Garviel Loken was his second.
"What is our situation?" Horus asked.
"Tarik and Garviel sent inquiries; Ezekyle and I reassured them," Aximand said.
"The two thousand Sons of Horus under their command have launched their assault as planned."
Horus nodded, satisfied. He looked at Maloghurst. "The other Legions?"
"Initial reports are in. Vespasian's companies have all mutinied, opening fire on the Emperor's Children fleet."
The Equerry took a control rod, projecting a hologram of the Isstvan system.
Horus's gaze swept over the hologram and the data streams around it.
The strike cruiser Andronius, leading the purple-gold ships, had formed an assault formation, piercing the interception like an arrow.
A dense barrage slammed into the Emperor's Children fleet. The Transcendent's shields, caught off guard, were already down.
The Pride of the Emperor was turning slowly, but the Gloriana-class battleship, behind Vespasian's fleet, could only bring a fraction of its starboard guns to bear.
"The Emperor's Children fleet cannot stop Vespasian's ships. They planned this."
"Vespasian has great influence in the Legion. Lucius and Tarvitz stand with him. Not a single Emperor's Children assault unit followed the drop order."
"Most of the other assault units are caught up in the fighting. A few have sent inquiries to Fulgrim and Eidolon."
Horus stared at the chaotic purple-gold display, the dense exchange of fire.
"And the World Eaters?"
"Most of the assault units never arrived. Only twenty-five squads executed the drop." The Equerry continued.
"Captain Ullis Temeter of the 4th Company led his Death Guard assault squad as ordered. But Nathaniel Garro was swayed by the traitor, Tarvitz."
"He has joined the fleeing fleet. Nearly half of the 7th Company's ships have followed his lead."
'Mortarion, Fulgrim, your "loyal" sons have all deserted. How much better are you than Angron?'
"Iacton has also fled with the Remembrancers, joining them. He has publicly accused you of betrayal as well." Maloghurst continued.
"That damned windbag." Ezekyle clenched his fists.
"Who cares what that old man says?"
Though Iacton Qruze was a Captain of the 3rd Company, he had long been out of favor. His endless tales of past glories were treated as empty boasts.
Abaddon thought he should have been retired long ago, left to bore the neophytes.
Horus frowned. His carefully planned purge had gone awry before it even began.
If Vespasian, Garro, and the others managed to escape, they would surely report his betrayal to Terra.
"Order the fleet to pursue the deserters immediately."
"Once the void battle is over, proceed with the orbital bombardment."
"As you command." The Equerry acknowledged.
His comm-bead buzzed. After listening, he said.
"Warmaster, it's Fulgrim."
"I'd like to hear what he has to say for himself." Horus raised a hand.
"No. I want to see the proud Phoenix admit his failure."
A dozen seconds later, Maloghurst reported, "Holo-link established."
"Warmaster." Fulgrim's image flickered, the picture unstable.
Even within the same system, the signal was weak. The Pride of the Emperor clearly hadn't recovered from the sudden attack.
"Fulgrim, you told me you could convince Ferrus to join my plan."
"You failed."
"Now, your own Emperor's Children have deserted. You have disrupted my plans again."
Fulgrim's face grew paler. After a few seconds, his voice crackled through.
"This proves.... your plan... is correct."
"The rebels... must be... purged."
Horus watched Fulgrim's projection vanish, shaking his head.
The proud Phoenix refused to admit his failure. He would not shatter his perfect image. He had… fled.
....
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