Amaranth stood side-by-side with his Legion brothers, watching the Doom Slayer depart until that tall silhouette was obscured by the airlock.
"Make more preparations for battle..." The handsome warrior turned, his words filled only with regret: "Against... against our broth...enemies."
A sliver of helpless chill permeated his regret.
Fate was cruel; the Astartes, who valued brotherhood so highly, were now forced to aim their weapons at brothers from other Legions.
The boundless glory and radiance of the Great Crusade would be stained by the blood of kin, and the dark original sin filled the future with ominous portents.
The Legion Warriors were silent, having lost the fanatical war instinct of the Astartes; they remained mute, and no one knew what they were thinking.
Perhaps the Legion Warriors had never imagined that one day, the Bolter in their hands would be aimed at a brother Legion — — — —
Regardless, it had already happened, and no amount of regret could reverse the facts.
After a brief silence, the Blood Angels headed to the armory, swapping out their Bolter rounds for armor-piercing heads and equipping plasma and other armor-piercing weapons.
No one understood better than they did just how resilient Astartes warriors were, and how impenetrable ceramite armor was.
And now, they needed to dig out their maintenance records: the complaints Legion Warriors usually made about the shortcomings of their power armor were now being transformed into lethal tactics against the enemy.
The sound of footsteps remained clear, the friction of golden boots against steel creating a distinct clatter.
Bul-Kathos raised his messenger staff and visited the Space Wolves; the pack was not particularly surprised, as the Great Wolf had given them some hints before they set off.
They growled low in expression of their regret, then gritted their teeth, swearing to uphold the honor of the All-Father.
The Dark Angels needed no words; seeing the Doom Slayer arrive, they nodded in tacit understanding, ready to participate in the suppression operation at any time.
The First Legion was prepared; the messenger team was the largest, arriving as a full-strength company of one hundred men.
One after another, Bul-Kathos did not stop, spending several hours walking through the quarters of each Legion.
Ultramarines, Iron Hands, Salamanders, Imperial Fists. He contacted all the messenger teams, totaling over five hundred combat personnel.
When he returned to the Doom Slayer quarters, a squad of Second Legion Warriors was already standing before the adamantium gate, carrying some visiting gifts.
Bul-Kathos nodded to them and invited them inside.
Paying respects was common, but these visitors were unusual.
"We are Alpharius!"
The airlock closed, the visitors shed their disguises, raised their arms, and whispered the Legion war cry.
The Alpha Legion did not hide too much; their Primarch had said that they could not escape the gaze of the Doom Slayer.
Ever since Bul-Kathos boarded the Second Legion flagship, the gleaming hydra signet at his waist had attracted many special visitors.
In the eyes of other Legions, the hydra signet was just some kind of tribal mark, used by cousins to commemorate their homeworld.
But the Alpha Legion Warriors saw it and understood that the liaison had arrived.
Bul-Kathos contacting the Legion messengers was not a plan of his own making, but one he had received guidance on from Alpharius during a passing moment.
"Five hundred combat personnel." Bul-Kathos did not waste words, stating his results directly: "They are willing to follow orders."
"You have done well." The leading warrior removed his helmet, revealing his cheeks, his facial features bearing a striking resemblance to Moribus Solas.
But Bul-Kathos's sharp gaze saw a faint, almost imperceptible inconsistency under his jawline, extending to the back of his head, difficult to notice without close inspection.
Clearly, the warrior who had resembled the Primarch was already dead.
The Hydra had peeled off his face, grafted it onto his own, and assumed his identity to infiltrate the Second Legion.
"Brother, do not mind it." The Hydra smiled slightly, simply explaining the stance of the face's original owner: "He was a loyalist to Lord Solas; dying is just putting him to good use."
Bul-Kathos shook his head, shifting his gaze away from the surgical scar and looking straight into those dark eyes: "Whatever the secret Legion does is not within my concern."
"I only want to know, to what extent has the situation developed?"
The Hydra's smile vanished, and his expression became serious. The Second Legion valued pragmatism and did not want too much empty formality: "According to information transmitted through our intelligence chain, Lord Solas has already begun acting."
"Upon the fleet's arrival in this sector, the Astropathic Choir Message chamber sent an unrecorded Astropathic Choir Message without anyone's authorization."
"The specific method is unknown, but it was definitely not sent to Imperial officials; it is highly likely it was transmitted to the Ran Dan."
Although he tried hard to conceal it, there was an irrepressible excitement in his tone.
As a secret Legion, having investigated a major case, he naturally could not suppress his excitement and allowed it to show before his brother.
"Evidence." Bul-Kathos was concise, his voice losing none of its sharpness, stating the key factor of the entire operation: "Speculation is not evidence, and we need solid evidence."
"If we do not have sufficient evidence before acting to prove the Primarch has betrayed the Empire, the Second Legion will tear us to pieces."
"That is natural." The Hydra nodded affirmatively: "Alpharius has already acted; we have sufficient certainty."
"Your support is also crucial."
As he spoke, he retrieved a micro-storage device from a gap in his power armor and placed it on his fingertip: "Inside is the warship map."
"Your Legion is closest to the Primarch's quarters and the bridge; please provide timely support."
Bul-Kathos took the micro-storage device, not rushing to read the data; he harbored wariness toward the secret Legion and had to check it carefully.
He took out a communication module and handed it back to the Hydra warrior: "Encrypted communication module; it will facilitate our coordination."
"Then mine is unnecessary." The imposter also took out a module, then withdrew it: "I have confidence in Argent Nur technology."
He glanced at the time, put his helmet back on, and before leaving, did not forget to remind him: "Remember, you must provide support at the fastest speed; leave the rest to us."
"Whatever Lord Solas wants to do, he must not be allowed to succeed; we must nip the betrayal in the bud."
"That is exactly why we are here." Bul-Kathos promised solemnly, watching the Hydra Legion team depart.
Walking out of the adamantium gate, they were Second Legion Warriors who had completed their greeting mission, talking loudly, looking forward to fighting side-by-side with their brother Legions.
Bul-Kathos fetched a scanner, confirmed there were no other issues with the micro-storage device, and only then began reading the data to distribute the warship map to the other Legions.
In the quarters of each Legion, the warriors quietly entered combat status, waiting for the order to go and arrest the traitor.
The gears of fate had already begun to turn; a crisis that would trigger a chain reaction was brewing.
At the warship bridge command console, Solas overlooked the holographic image as technicians were responsible for recovering the Astropathic Choir Message and inputting it into the Cogitator array.
The sand table constantly changed; the brother Legions began to move into war positions, and the assault forces prepared to launch an attack.
He nodded silently; his blood brothers had strong execution capabilities, carrying out the strategic deployment to the end without showing any abnormalities.
Solas was conflicted. He had thought for a long time, never understanding why he had been confusedly pushed into the position of Warmaster.
But it had already happened, and he had to treat it seriously.
Just as the Warmaster was making fine adjustments based on the initial plan, his ears twitched slightly, and he looked up at the bridge door.
As the Primarch was the focus of the entire room, it naturally caused a chain reaction; the messengers and Legion Warriors all shifted their gazes, guessing who was walking onto the bridge.
A team of people walked onto the bridge, dressed in white Imperial official robes, their copper belt buckles engraved with the Chancellor's signet, and their tall hats embroidered with golden thread Aquilas.
The Legion Warriors wore expressions of disgust, rejecting these officials from the bottom of their hearts.
Ever since the Imperial intelligence leak, Chancellor Malcador had dispatched inspection teams to station themselves in each Legion to supervise and inspect them.
The mortal inspection teams were like thorns stuck in the throat of the Legions, constantly reminding the Space Marines that loyalty should be put to the test.
If not for the fact that all fleets and Legions were treated equally, the Astartes Legion would have already protested.
"Respected Primarch." The Chief Inspector was very old, his facial muscles sagging, with age spots on his forehead and cheekbones.
He was supported by others, bowing to the Primarch to show respect, his voice aged and slow: "Please forgive me for coming uninvited."
"This is your right." Solas was expressionless, having already guessed in his heart why the Chief Inspector had come.
"Time is urgent, and I dare not delay the great war." The Chief Inspector nodded, waving his aged, withered hand to signal the inspector to hand over a file: "Please give me an explanation."
The inspector stepped forward a few paces, placing the data pad on the command console, projecting internal information.
The Chief Inspector's tone was slow but sonorous and powerful, firmly executing the authority granted by the Emperor and the Chancellor: "Six Terran hours ago, the fleet arrived in the current sector, and the Astropathic Choir Message chamber, without any instructions, sent an Astropathic Choir Message to an unrecorded recipient."
"As the highest Commander of the warship and the Legion Primarch, you need to provide an explanation for this anomaly."