An unbelievably terrifying aura emanated from Axis as a golden flame erupted around him. Throughout the entire vessel, everyone felt an intangible pressure bearing down on them. Axis's entire body shone with golden light, making him appear like a golden god of war.
This immensely powerful aura stunned everyone present, even causing the Primarchs to feel a chill in their limbs, as if they were about to be killed in the next instant.
Terrifying. It was simply too terrifying. The power Axis displayed was beyond anything they could have imagined.
"Axis, what is the meaning of this? Are you going to move against us?" Perturabo demanded, his face filled with rage.
To be threatened with action based on a mere suspicion was far too tyrannical.
"Accept my proposal," Axis stated, "I guarantee that as long as everyone is loyal, no harm will come to them."
"Calm down, Axis. This is just something Fulgrim said. It might not be true. He might just be trying to trick us into fighting among ourselves. You cannot be deceived by such a crude ploy," Ferrus Manus quickly stepped in to mediate.
He cursed himself for having listened to Fulgrim's nonsense. The bastard must have been lying.
"Axis, please, calm down. Things haven't reached a breaking point, have they? Are we going to fall into disarray before the enemy even arrives?" Vulkan also tried to de-escalate the situation.
Only when truly facing Axis could one understand just how terrifying he was.
No wonder. No wonder Horus never dared to confront Axis directly. The gap in their power was immense.
Even with the enhancements Horus received from Chaos, he was no match for Axis. This was a terrifying being who rampaged through the Warp, a force that even the Chaos Gods could not stop.
"We don't have time to slowly investigate who the traitors are," Axis said, "Right now, I only have one way to confirm if these two Legions are loyal, so I must verify it." If there were any other way, he would not have resorted to this desperate measure.
"I will not accept your baseless accusations, nor will I submit to your baseless scrutiny," Perturabo retorted, his face a mask of fury.
"Alright, Perturabo," Karl interjected, stepping forward. "These are extraordinary times. If the other three Legions have truly betrayed us, then it's not without reason for Axis to suspect us. In that case, let us prove our loyalty to our Father! Axis, I am willing to have all my sons submit to your inspection."
"Perturabo, you should understand how serious this situation is," Vulkan added. "The method Axis is using now is a last resort!"
Perturabo's chest heaved with heavy breaths.
He met Axis's gaze and saw an ice-cold killing intent within it. He understood that if he did not yield, Axis would truly strike him down.
"...I understand," Perturabo conceded. "After you have inspected Karl's Children of Tomorrow, I will take you to the Iron Warriors and gather all of my sons."
Axis nodded, "Then let's not waste time, Karl. Bring all your sons from their ships. I want every last one of them present."
Only a portion of Karl's sons were aboard the Gloriana-class battleship; the majority of the Legion was still dispersed among their fleet's cruisers.
Karl nodded and immediately ordered his captains to notify all vessels. Every legionary was to take a transport craft and assemble on the flagship.
Several hours later, the entire 130,000-strong Second Legion, the Children of Tomorrow, were gathered.
Kasha nodded to Axis, her eyes glowing with blue light as she began to scan the minds of the Legionaries one by one. The sheer scale of over a hundred thousand men was taxing even for Kasha's psychic power.
"Axis, the Children of Tomorrow Legion is clean. All of them are loyal to the Emperor," Kasha reported to Axis. She had examined them thoroughly and found absolutely no issue with the Second Legion. Every single Legionary was loyal to the Emperor and the Imperium. They even held Axis in high regard, for he had saved the Second Legion years ago.
Although he had killed most of their legionaries back then, those fallen warriors had been no different from the dead, their bodies already under the control of xenos.
"Are you satisfied now, Axis?" Karl asked. He understood Axis's difficult position. After all, even the Father's most trusted sons, Horus and Fulgrim, had rebelled. It was only natural for other Primarchs to fall under suspicion.
"Yes. Next, we head to the Iron Warriors' flagship," Axis announced.
During the inspection of the Children of Tomorrow, all 140,000 members of the Iron Warriors had also been assembled aboard Perturabo's Gloriana-class battleship, waiting for Axis's arrival.
"Axis, I have always believed this was nothing more than an enemy ploy. Perturabo would never betray us," Karl said, "He has been diligent and loyal to the Imperium for years. The Iron Warriors are a trustworthy Legion of Astartes."
"I hope so as well," Axis replied with a nod before departing with Kasha for Perturabo's flagship.
Perturabo remained silent throughout the process, only informing his sons that they were to undergo a rather special inspection, and nothing more. None of the Iron Warriors knew what was happening or why their Primarch had summoned them all.
This inspection was meticulous, leaving not one stone unturned. Kasha had successfully screened all the Iron Warriors, and found no signs of betrayal among them.
"Axis, both Legions are clear," Kasha said, "It is highly likely Fulgrim deceived us."
Axis nodded at her words. It seemed the suspicion of rebellion could be lifted from these two Legions. That meant the remaining three Legions were likely confirmed traitors. But even so, Horus only had a force of seven Legions on his side.
While the Imperium had lost three Legions and had two fighting the Rangda Xenos, with the Imperial Fists defending Holy Terra, the remaining Golden Legion, Ultramarines, and Blood Angels combined could still crush the traitor forces.
Furthermore, if they chose to, the might of Macragge could raise a new Ultramarines army of over a hundred thousand within a few years.
During the Horus Heresy, the Warmaster's greatest fear had always been the Ultramarines.
"Axis, can my loyalty to our Father now be confirmed?" Perturabo asked, approaching him.
The other Primarchs also let out a collective sigh of relief. Both Legions had been proven loyal to the Emperor.
"Yes," Axis replied, "Now, let us discuss what to do next."
"First, we must confirm the status of the remaining three Legions. As of now, the only Legions that have truly betrayed the Imperium are the Eleventh Legion, the Death Guard, the Sons of Horus, and the Emperor's Children," Perturabo stated.
He still did not believe Axis's claim that the Word Bearers, Alpha Legion, and Night Lords had also turned traitor.
Vulkan, Ferrus Manus, and Corax, who had joined them, also nodded in agreement. They were now more convinced than ever that the visions Axis had seen in the Warp were a conspiracy of the Chaos Gods, and that Fulgrim's words had been nothing but lies. Their only purpose was to sow division and cause infighting among them.
"My recommendation is to temporarily return to Holy Terra and bolster its defenses," Axis said. "We will wait for Horus to bring the fight to us. He will certainly attack Holy Terra." He had no idea what Horus's next move would be.
"Axis, the light of the Astronomican is exceptionally bright, and the Father is seated on the Golden Throne. I believe we can try to contact him and see what his orders are," Kasha suggested.
Axis nodded, and the other Primarchs agreed.
It was best to let the Emperor decide their course of action.
A golden psychic energy, the holy power she inherited from the Emperor, began to glow around her. An immense golden psychic force emanated from Kasha, piercing through the raging storms of the Warp and reaching toward Holy Terra.
At that same moment, on Holy Terra, two powerful psychic presences sensed Kasha's energy.
The three mighty psychic wills broke through all obscurity, navigated the tempests of the Warp, and successfully established a connection.
"Kasha! We do not have much time to communicate. Report the situation quickly," the Emperor's voice echoed.
"Father, this is what has happened," Kasha began, "Axis foiled Horus's plot, but the three Legions suffered grievous losses... Now five of our Legions have gathered, and we await your next command." She relayed the entire sequence of events to the Emperor.
"I see. Tell all the Primarchs that I can confirm the remaining three Legions have betrayed us. Now, relay my orders. The Iron Warriors and the Children of Tomorrow are to travel to the western fringe of the Imperium and reinforce Leman Russ and the Lion. The situation there is grim." Two Legions facing the Rangdan were struggling; they needed two more to ensure their campaign did not end in failure. With four Legions, victory would be assured.
"I understand, Father. I will inform Perturabo and Karl immediately," Kasha replied.
"The Salamanders, Raven Guard, and Iron Hands are to withdraw to Holy Terra and assist the Imperial Fists in its defense," the Emperor commanded.
The attempt to quell the rebellion had already failed.
"I understand, Father. And what of Axis and myself? Should we also return to Holy Terra?" Kasha asked.
"No. You have another mission. Tell Axis that Lorgar's Word Bearers are heading for his homeworld of Nuceria. He must return there immediately. The Golden Legion forces stationed there do not know about the Betrayal and still believe the Word Bearers are allies. Horus has orchestrated a plot to weaken Axis's Legion." The longer the Emperor sat upon the Golden Throne, the more his psychic powers matured and grew.
Through the dense mists and storms of the Warp, he could glimpse events unfolding on the planet Nuceria.
He estimated that soon, with his and Magnus's combined psychic might, he could keep the Imperium's shipping lanes and communications open, even with the fiercest of Warp storms raging.
"What! I understand, Father! Axis and I will return to Nuceria as quickly as possible," Kasha said.
"Also, tell Axis that his ship, the Solus Prime, has been docked at Nuceria all this time. The vessel his son is commanding is a new, celestial-class mothership, not the original ship." For a long time, the Imperium's greatest warship had been The Phalanx, but ever since Axis's Legion had unveiled the Solus Prime, everything had changed.
The Solus Prime's value was more than just its combat power; it also possessed manufacturing and construction capabilities. It had built a new celestial-class warship for Axis's son. While not as large as the Solus Prime itself, it was still incredibly advanced.
Kasha nodded, then withdrew from the psychic communion.
"What is the situation, Kasha? What are the Emperor's orders?" Axis asked.
"Axis, and all my brothers," Kasha began, her voice filled with authority, "Father has confirmed that the Primarchs of the other three Legions and their sons have indeed betrayed us. I will now relay the Emperor's commands.
"First, the Salamanders, Raven Guard, and Iron Hands Legions will take their surviving forces and return to Holy Terra to aid the Imperial Fists in its defense.
"Second, the Iron Warriors and the Children of Tomorrow are to travel to the western fringe of the Imperium to reinforce the Space Wolves and the Dark Angels against the Rangdan Xenos.
"As for you, Axis, you and I must return to the planet Nuceria immediately. Horus has a plot against your Legion, and he has already sent Lorgar to wreak havoc on our world."
"I understand," Axis declared, "Then let us begin our separate operations. Kasha and I will take a frigate back to my Legion's homeworld. As for the remaining eight thousand survivors from the other three Legions, I will need you two to provide three frigates for their transport."
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Ps?