Grabbing Mortarion like a dead dog, Titus flew straight back to his own ship.
As Rhodes's gene-son, augmented by a cosmic phantasm-beast into Ultra-Beast form, Titus could operate flawlessly in space.
With the Chaos flagship destroyed, Imperial morale surged; cheers shook the void. The enemy flagship was smashed; Mortarion was defeated!
"Glory to the Imperium!"
"Glory to the Gene-Father!"
Chaos morale, by contrast, cratered.
You've got to be kidding—their Daemon Prince and daemon primarch both lost?
"Mortarion is trash—we should never have trusted him!" a Death Guard traitor spat.
They were still bleeding on the front line against the False Emperor's dogs—then came the news: the Daemon Prince was killed, and the primarch was crushed.
"Damn useless idiot. How are we his gene-sons? He's not worthy to be our gene-father."
"Fools! Beaten by a boarding action—and we expected him to lead us to victory."
In an instant, Mortarion's defeat rippled through the sector. Within his legion—where he had already lagged Typhus in prestige—his reputation plunged to the basement.
No one wants their gene-father to be a weakling no one can beat.
Yet the Death Guard's primarch had achieved exactly that—becoming the only one to be publicly thrashed.
Two crushing defeats in short order—how can a primarch be this weak?
"Brothers, we have not lost yet. There are still many great daemons—those can grow as well. They can defeat that man," a traitor urged.
"Great daemons? Look around. Those giant Titan constructs can pin them down.
Hellbeasts are gnats before them. They can fight in vacuum. Even our corrupted Emperor-class Titans can't do that," a Chaos champion snapped.
They had lost—comprehensively. Technologically, too, they were outmatched. The Imperium fielded new Titans and those silver-red giants that flew through space.
Their strange beams tore Chaos ships to pieces. For the daemons, there was little recourse; only Daemon Princes, greater daemons, and top champions could contest them—and only if upgraded. Unmodified? Don't go near—get shredded.
"It's time to withdraw. Brothers, the Death Guard will not fade. We can count on Lord Typhus!
He is assaulting Macragge—he will surely prevail."
"Agreed. We won't throw our lives away here. Retreat! All units, retreat!" The Chaos Astartes were the first to flee.
With sorcerous help, they teleported to their boarding craft and beat a hasty retreat.
Seeing their betters flee, mortal cultists in the fleet lost all will and turned their bows to run. Nurgle's daemons, sensing a lost field, slit rifts and slipped back into the warp.
Daemons are immortal of a sort—even if banished, they reform in the warp—but it takes time and energy. To die here without reaping souls was pointless.
…
"The enemy's trying to run! Those degenerate traitors are fleeing! Don't let them escape—attack!" an Imperial naval officer shouted.
"For the Imperium! Pursue the Chaos scum!"
Fastest to respond, escorts and cruisers swung about to chase.
"All Imperial ships: annihilate warp entities and traitors present. Do not pursue into the warp. That is an order." The fleetwide broadcast cut in—halt pursuit.
The order was from Barbarue posing as Rhodes. He was a bit helpless—Mortarion was supposed to be his to handle, but the master's bulldog subordinate was too ferocious.
Come on—even he might not match that man. That monstrous will to fight, that terrifying instinct and sheer ferocity—overwhelming.
"This is good, isn't it? We avoid dangerous combat. Unlike you, I'd likely slip up if I fought," said the Zarab impersonating Elena.
"Hmph, fool. Prepare—our master will be here any moment. Our little play is ending," the Barbarue said.
Almost simultaneously, Imperial ships received the supreme commander's order: cease pursuit into the warp, destroy the enemies present, do not translate.
"The commander is right. We cannot chase; the warp is too dangerous—daemons own that realm. Only our Gellar Fields protect us there."
"All hands: do not tear open the warp, do not engage warp drives. Train all batteries on the Chaos fleet—annihilate them."
The battle entered its final cleanup. Trapped Chaos forces were surrounded by Astartes, Sisters, and mortal regiments—and destroyed.
It was a great victory—the First Fleet's triumph. Mortarion's host suffered catastrophic defeat.
By the time Rhodes returned to his fleet, the battle was essentially over. The Barbarue and Zarab briefed him in detail.
"Great master, the daemon primarch is secured in a stasis field," the Barbarue reported.
"I'm going to deal with the prisoner. After I leave, you two will continue commanding the First Fleet to launch the second phase of the Indomitus Crusade," Rhodes said.
Though the battle was done, Rhodes wasn't returning.
"As you command, master!"
Rhodes waved them to remain and made for the brig.
Along the way, Sisters, Astartes, and crew straightened their chests and saluted with the aquila.
"Blessings upon you, great Gene-Father."
"Great Gene-Father, this was an epic victory."
"Gene-Father, did you see our valor? We did not fail your name."
"I saw, my warriors—my children. You fought superbly. I am well pleased," Rhodes smiled, greeting each of his gene-descendants.
He slighted no one—not even Elena's gene-daughters; he greeted them one by one.
Cheers rolled. Some mortal officers and voidsmen knelt before Rhodes, crying out "Imperial Heir Apparent, future Emperor!"
After he had acknowledged all, Rhodes descended to the ship's cells. Since hauling Mortarion aboard, Titus had personally stood guard, without a moment's slack—Daemon Prince or not, the prisoner was dangerous.
"Great Gene-Father, you've come," Titus bowed, giving the aquila.
"You truly surprised me, Titus. I scarcely know how to reward such merit.
I didn't expect Mortarion to be routed by your hand," Rhodes clapped his shoulder.
Titus the sky-splitter—still a terror. As a mere Astartes he had torn Daemon Princes apart; after Ultra-Beast fusion with a cosmic phantasm-beast, he was even more monstrous.
"I seek no reward. To serve at your side, to fight for the Imperium and mankind—that is my greatest honor," Titus said.
"You will have your due. Soon, I will grant you a Light-Forged upgrade.
You will wield the power of radiance, and the phantasm-beast within you will ascend as well," Rhodes said.
After two energy amplifications by the Angel Zog, Rhodes could infuse mortals with luminous energy, making them far stronger.
The blessing varied in strength—at the high end, giants; at the low end, a light-forged boon that transformed the body.
Rhodes called this new breed the Light-Forged Super Astartes.
He intended Titus to be first—one full refounding in light.
It would raise the phantasm-beast within him to standard apex, and lift Titus's power to primarch level.
Other Astartes would receive the angelic light as well, becoming Light-Forged Astartes.
"Thank you for your trust, great Gene-Father," Titus said.