The Laurels of Victory
This was Calgar's flagship.
It had accompanied him through years of campaigns and participated in numerous crusades.
Inside the ship, the lighting was soft and bright, providing stable illumination for the many senior crew members.
Data-slates, stacked neatly, flashed with a torrent of information.
Humming, holographic projections supported by numerous wireframes emitted a soft white light, reflecting off the vaulted structure of the bridge ceiling, as if submerged in the shimmering glow of the seabed.
Calgar sat on his throne in the strategy chamber, facing a multitude of screens, his gaze fixed as he reviewed information from various fleets.
The soft white light illuminated the edges of his armour and reflected off the golden double-headed eagle insignia in the centre of his breastplate.
Rows of combat data surged across the screens before him.
Numerous images displayed information on the latest rebellious star systems.
Out of resistance to the Primarch's reform decrees.
A prosperous industrial star system named Ivans had launched a rebellion.
They demanded the Primarch immediately withdraw the reform decrees, or they would refuse to acknowledge his status as the highest ruler of the Imperium.
The Laurels of Victory astropathic communications department had even intercepted a news broadcast the enemy sent throughout the galaxy.
The rebels of the Ivans system openly declared.
Guilliman was the greatest traitor to the Imperium in ten thousand years, no less than the Horus of old.
He was merely an abomination torn from a broken history, a complete and utter warlord filled with ambition, attempting to re-enact the Horus Heresy.
All of Guilliman's objectives were aimed at weakening his father's authority.
To prepare himself for ascending the throne of Terra.
He had no intention of saving the human world at all.
The Indomitus Crusade was a deception, a complete and utter fraud.
Guilliman had deceived the entire Imperium.
The rebels of the Ivans system called upon all worlds across the Imperium to awaken and unite against any traitor who threatened the Emperor's rule.
To resolutely resist all of Guilliman's measures.
They also demanded Guilliman's title of Imperial Regent be abolished and that he be punished for betraying humanity.
Calgar suppressed his fury, patiently watching the enemy's declaration.
He swore he would kill these traitors.
No one would ever be allowed to insult his gene-father.
Finally, the Ivans rebels also broadcast a video of an execution by hanging.
"Look at these people, they are all traitors, traitors who support Guilliman in usurping the Emperor's position."
A man shouted in front of the camera, "Look at their abominable appearance, they should all be executed, all executed."
Accompanied by the frantic shouts, the loyalists were violently pulled up, their legs struggling weakly, and they were hanged alive right in front of the camera.
To promote the idea that Guilliman was a traitor, these rebels publicly executed those who were willing to follow Guilliman, the seekers and idealists.
Attempting to mould the entire world into the repulsive image they desired.
Calgar suppressed his anger, striving to maintain his composure.
Anger would only allow the enemy to find weakness.
Rationality, maintaining rationality, and then seeking revenge was the most appropriate course.
"Have they all rebelled?" Calgar asked, looking at the astropath.
"Yes, my lord. They killed the loyalists and seized the astropathic choir. According to the last information, they received assistance from a transhuman legion. If my judgment is not mistaken, this transhuman legion is likely the Alpha Legion, which rebelled against the Imperium."
The astropath said.
Calgar frowned deeply. He hadn't expected such a simple rebellion to involve those Chaos traitors.
The Alpha Legion was the last of the twenty original Legions to be founded, led by the Primarch Alpharius.
It was said that the Primarch of the Alpha Legion was a twin.
One Primarch was Alpharius.
The other Primarch was Omegon.
According to Imperial historical records, Alpharius was killed by Dorn, and Omegon was killed by Guilliman.
After the Great Heresy ended, Imperial forces in different regions reported witnessing members of the Alpha Legion repeatedly claiming to be Alpharius.
Each time, the Officio Assassinorum would dispatch agents to hunt these supposed Alpharius.
The Officio Assassinorum failed more often than not, but they did kill several individuals claiming to be Alpharius.
Unfortunately, it was later discovered that none of those hunted were the true Alpharius.
However, this also created a mystery.
No one was certain if Alpharius was truly dead.
During the Great Crusade, the Legion was known for its discipline and strict organization. At the same time, they displayed incredible cunning.
They were extremely skilled at misleading enemies, creating chaos, battlefield betrayal, and various forms of deception.
During the Horus Heresy, Alpharius stole the defence plans for the Sol System for him and sabotaged the Raven Guard's reconstruction, preventing Corax from restoring the Raven Guard's strength.
The Alpha Legion also incited people on various worlds to resist the Emperor's rule.
Ultimately creating a massive wave of rebellion.
After the Horus Heresy ended, the Alpha Legion remained active throughout the galaxy.
Most of the Alpha Legionnaires did not side with Chaos but fled to the Eastern Fringe of the galaxy, operating beyond the Astronomican.
Sometimes they would subvert planets, causing them to rebel against the Imperium.
It is said that their presence is behind many rebellion incidents.
Even the Second Terra incident was rumoured to involve them and the Fallen Angels.
The Senate of Terra spent a long time, with the help of the Dark Angels, before finally eradicating Second Terra.
Calgar had faced these accursed traitors several times.
Each and every one of them was a cunning beast.
More cunning than a fox, more venomous than a viper.
If there was even the slightest opportunity, they must never be let off easily.
"Proceed to planet Ivans. We must deal with them as quickly as possible," Calgar said.
"Understood, my lord," said the captain.
*********
A week later.
Utilizing warp travel, the fleet led by Calgar quickly entered the Ivans system.
All ships in the crusade fleet had been optimized and upgraded.
Their detection capabilities and range had been enhanced.
Immediately upon entering realspace, they detected the enemy's location.
They also discovered a large number of deep space mine traps, placed in extremely insidious locations, all hidden within micro-meteoroids.
Had the Imperial ships not been upgraded, they would likely have been ambushed upon arrival.
Perhaps considering their insufficient void strength.
The rebels had placed their only ships in orbit around planet Ivans, hoping to use the planet to hold out for as long as possible.
The Ivans system did not have many planets, only two.
One was a gas giant.
One was a terrestrial planet, which was planet Ivans.
To resist the Imperial fleet, the rebels had also constructed many space weapon platforms, combat satellites, and so on.
Attempting to block the Imperial fleet and buy themselves time.
They believed that if they could resist long enough, people on other planets would also rise up in defiance, and the Indomitus Crusade fleet would eventually compromise.
The only pity was that they had miscalculated.
The strength of the Indomitus Crusade fleet was sufficient to contend with the fleet power of the necrons.
The tyranids and orks, moreover, had been beaten so badly they couldn't find their way.
A fleet cobbled together from a mere star system could be easily crushed.
Furthermore, one-third of the ships were still civilian vessels.
They had merely been simply modified to be used as combat barges.
The battle did not last long.
As the enemy's makeshift flagship was blown apart by a single shot.
The void battle concluded.
A large number of rebel ships chose to surrender.
The Imperial fleet approached the orbital space of planet Ivans.
Under the detection of augurs and radar.
Calgar discovered that the rebels on Ivans had prepared themselves.
Every city on Ivans was armed to the teeth.
They even had anti-aircraft artillery arrays.
However, this was not surprising.
Ivans was an industrial world.
It survived by providing industrial products to other worlds.
As long as they had the appropriate schematics, they could quickly convert civilian production lines into military production lines.
But Calgar would make the traitors understand how fragile their defenses were, and how insignificant their resistance was.
The traitors needed to pay the heaviest price for this; only then could their crime of slandering the Primarch be offset.
The The Laurels of Victory, Bridge.
Calgar sat upon his throne, with numerous crusade commanders gathered around him, beginning the war council concerning Ivans.
As the Chief Intelligence Officer gave his presentation, the holographic image focused on the surface of planet Ivans.
A city in the south was clearly displayed.
It was situated in a vast wasteland at the foot of a series of majestic mountains.
It possessed sprawling factories, like rolling mountains, spewing black smoke.
The entire world had become desertified, with large amounts of toxic substances accumulated on the wasteland, causing the vegetation there to become extinct.
Those that managed to survive were covered in poisonous thorns, becoming grotesque.
"Prall, this is the capital city of Ivans, and also where their command post is located," the Chief Intelligence Officer introduced to everyone. "According to the intelligence obtained from the previous void battle, it is highly likely that the Alpha Legion is on planet Ivans."
"Just now, the Mechanicus reported that they discovered a Great Crusade-era warship among the wreckage of the enemy fleet. Such warships are mostly old and retired within the Imperium and are only seen in the hands of traitors. It bore the symbol of the Hydra, and this symbol is the insignia of the Alpha Legion, which rebelled in the past."
As the Chief Intelligence Officer spoke, several projections simultaneously appeared before the numerous commanders.
Looking at these projections, the commanders' expressions all unconsciously became solemn.
"No matter who they are, our mission is to defeat them," Calgar said. "Given the Primarch's strategic objective, our mission is to clear out the treacherous upper echelon and appease the ignorant lower classes.
To this end, I will form a spearhead force to capture the capital city of Praal. Once we control the city, Ivans will be within our grasp. To demonstrate the power of the expeditionary fleet, we will use teleportation technology to directly transport to the surface, catching them off guard and letting them know that betraying the Imperium has no good end."
"Why don't we just bombard them? Bombarding Praal directly from low orbit would be faster," a military commander said.
Calgar shook his head. "There are a large number of innocent civilians in Praal who are just caught up in this. We need to be sufficiently ruthless, but also sufficiently benevolent. As long as the innocent are willing to lay down their arms, we must give them a chance to turn over a new leaf."
"Furthermore, if we only strike from a distance, some pesky dogs will always survive. Since we want to completely solve this problem, we must do it ourselves. We will use a decisive surprise attack to completely destroy them."
The projection zoomed in on Praal, revealing a magnificent industrial city.
Clearly displaying buildings of various styles.
From opulent mansions and cathedrals to endless civilian residences.
And tiered industrial buildings, like a continuous mountain range.
Ingeniously laid out streets interspersed throughout this multi-layered city.
Calgar assigned tasks to the various military commanders.
Instructing them to strike at various strategic targets, quickly paralyzing Praal's counterattack capabilities, and making it impossible for the traitors to escape.
Finally, the projection shifted focus, revealing another grand arcade and tower.
Numerous labyrinthine subsidiary buildings surrounded a magnificent, grand structure with a ornate dome, serving as the city's glorious crown, like a bejeweled pine needle embedded in the chaotic and disordered city of Praal.
This building was exceptionally beautiful and was the center of the city of Praal, Ivans' most important administrative center and astropathic Choir.
"This palace is our most important target. The Alpha Legion is very likely to appear here. This palace will be personally destroyed by me. I will use a devastating blow to let the Alpha Legion know that they have done something very foolish."
Calgar said with a firm tone.
He wanted to make those Alpha traitors pay the price.
Ground combat quickly began.
Calgar was experimenting with new teleportation technology, researching new rapid strike tactics.
The sky gradually approached dusk, the firmament stained with blood-red fire clouds.
Accompanied by flashes of light, while the Praal defenders were caught off guard and stared dumbfounded, batches of Imperial troops emerged from the flashes.
The Imperial troops advanced with a rumble, approaching the city's various passes.
The defenders of Praal finally reacted, hastily sounding the alarm.
Anti-aircraft guns quickly turned their muzzles to bombard the ground.
Just as they finished adjusting their muzzles, batches of Imperial fighters roared down from high altitude, unleashing their ordnance.
Instantly plunging the capital city of Praal into a sea of fire.
A simple change in deployment order rendered the enemy's anti-aircraft fire completely ineffective before it could even achieve anything.
Realizing the success brought about by the new tactics, a hint of a smile appeared on Calgar's face.
With the awakening of the Primarchs, the technological strength of the Imperial Fleet was also growing stronger.
In the past, the Imperium would never have been able to teleport such a large number of troops.
But now, they were teleporting in batches.
Swarms of Leman Russ super-heavy tanks appeared on the battlefield, accompanied by flashes of light.
Also Chimera troop carriers, Knight Titans, and so on.
Before the enemy could react, batches of combat engines rolled over them.
In just a short while, various parts of Praal were engulfed in the flames of war.
Gunfire and artillery fire filled the air everywhere.
Overwhelming volleys of bolter rounds, laser fire, and shells rained down on the defenders' positions like a hailstorm.
The Imperial advance came like a flood, and the defenders of Praal were simply unable to resist.
At the forefront of the flood was Calgar and his personally selected spearhead force.
Calgar, clad in azure power armor, was the first to charge into the outer plaza.
Wherever they passed, violent explosions occurred, spewing out scattered fireballs.
The helmets of every warrior were filled with constant, brief, and concise communication voice messages. The poor quality of the signal transmission made their voices even rougher.
Calgar and his men quickly formed a spearhead thrusting directly at the rebels' throat.
By quickly capturing the palace and killing the rebel leaders, they could send the enemy into a death throe.
The defenders of Praal were well-equipped. They used their industrial capabilities to arm every soldier to the teeth.
They also received effective training from the traitorous Alpha Legion warriors.
Every fortification was carefully chosen to ensure the attackers were caught off guard, and a slight mistake would result in heavy casualties.
Large numbers of mines and button-activated bombs were placed along the sides of the roads.
As soon as Imperial convoys passed by, they were immediately detonated, utterly malicious.
The further Calgar advanced, the more his anger burned.
He would never let those damned traitors get away with it.
Every traitor from the Alpha Legion deserved to die.
The warriors advanced alongside Calgar, attacking the administrative buildings of Praal.
Along the way, they saw large numbers of soldiers armed with energy weapons and wearing sturdy armor, standing ready at various fortifications.
They also saw tracked artillery vehicles and automated weapons beside the enemy, as well as weapon platforms with four to eight automatic cannons, their pulsating hydraulic legs slowly advancing towards the front lines.
They were not orks, nor were they tyranids.
But humans armed with Imperial technology.
This was a civil war between civilized societies.
The enemy firmly guarded the road leading to the administrative district.
As soon as Imperial troops showed their heads, a furious barrage of fire erupted.
As the sky grew darker, Calgar and his men could see the blazing tongues of fire flashing in the air more clearly.
Automatic machine guns fired frantically at the Imperial troops.
The defenders were determined to stop them here, preventing them from advancing an inch.
Unfortunately, they were destined to fail.
Calgar, leading his personal guard and a carefully selected squad of veterans, advanced under the cover of scattered smoke and violent explosions.
The crisp sound of their steel boots echoed on the flagstones beneath their feet.
Seeing a piece of artillery firing shells at them, Calgar raised his power fist and fired a shot in that direction, followed by a thunderous explosion.
The shell that had just left the barrel was struck by the bolter round fired by Calgar and detonated directly.
Dozens of defenders were thrown back by the impact, and several enemies were even sent flying into the air, falling back onto the battlefield like broken sacks.
"Charge!" a veteran shouted.
Wild torrents of bullets gnawed at their armor.
Calgar could feel the impact of the enemy's gunfire on his power armor.
Seeing the attack launched by the Emperor's Angel, the defenders lost all courage to fight and scattered and fled.
Calgar raised his power fist, and a torrent of bolter rounds poured out.
The impact of the bolter rounds transmitted through his armor to his body, giving him a strange sensation.
The soldiers who were hit disintegrated like swollen blisters.
Shattered like ripe fruit.
A mist of blood erupted from every dismembered corpse.
"For Guilliman!" Calgar shouted.
The other veterans also shouted.
They quickly broke through the enemy's line of fire.
Seeing that the tide had turned, the defenders fled in a frenzy, without a shred of courage left.
Surrounded by numerous veterans, Calgar stepped over the piles of enemy corpses and entered the palace.
The plaster walls inside the palace had long since cracked from the shelling.
Falling to the ground like dry sand.
The air was filled with smoke.
Fortunately, Calgar had still undergone Primaris upgrade and activated Guilliman's greatest gift, officially embarking on the path of a demigod.
The smoke could not obstruct his vision.
The enemy along the way could no longer stop them, fleeing in disarray or throwing down their weapons and surrendering.
Calgar and his men stepped into the deepest part of the palace.
It was a magnificent hall, the ruler's throne placed in the most prominent position, visible as soon as the large doors were pushed open.
But seated upon it was not a ruler consumed by greed.
But an Alpha Legion warrior wearing power armor that was a mix of sea blue, silver, and emerald green.
The other party had not removed their helmet.
They just sat on the ruler's throne, watching Calgar and his men charge in.
"Who are you?" Calgar asked.
"I am Alpharius," the Alpha Legion warrior said in a low voice.
"Another imposter using the name of someone long dead?"
Calgar's tone was full of mockery. "Admit it, your gene-father died long ago."
The other party looked directly at Calgar, their gaze cold, showing no excitement despite his words.
"You can continue with this nonsense, but do not forget that you are here because of me," said the traitor who called himself Alpharius. "The Ultramarines will forever be played by the Alpha Legion."
"Do you think you can lead us by the nose? I stand here simply because I want to kill you. Atone for your sins, Alpha. You do not deserve forgiveness," Calgar roared, raising his fist, his eyes filled with fury.
"You know nothing of our path, Calgar. One day, you will understand that everything the Alpha Legion has done is right. What you have done is the greatest mistake."
"Your words are nothing but lies," Calgar roared. "You only speak lies."
"You know nothing of the Alpha," said the traitor who called himself Alpharius. "Have you ever seen a viper slithering through hot sand? Have you ever glimpsed their glide beneath the sea? Their movements reveal unparalleled efficiency, alertness, and grace. The Alpha is that coiling viper, seemingly going in opposite directions yet always moving forward."
"You have been lost for ten thousand years, sinking into confusion and curses. Wasting everything in meaningless wars, while we have maintained our identity and original intention, adhering to the initial will when the Legion was created, waiting for the end. You will understand why all this is."
"Then I guarantee you will never see that day," Calgar sneered. "Not a single syllable from a traitor is worth believing."
"To decide whether to trust others based on betrayal and loyalty, that approach can only be described as foolish," the traitor who called himself Alpharius said calmly and indifferently, without any emotional fluctuation. "The Alpha is the viper, and also the antidote, for Chaos and for the Imperium alike. We are preparing for the end, while you are merely blinded by a few victories before your eyes."
"Fire," Calgar said, wasting no more words. Arguing with a traitor was a waste of time.
Only a dead traitor is a good traitor.
As Calgar gave the order, the Terminators behind him instantly pulled their triggers, unleashing a storm of fire.
The barrels flashed, and bolter rounds intertwined, forming a network of firepower that engulfed the entire hall.
Seated on the throne, the traitor who called himself Alpharius was instantly swept away by the tide of bullets.
As Calgar and the others began firing, preparing to shoot down the enemy,
Two Alpha Legionnaires charged out from behind the tall throne.
They held heavy shields, blocking the traitor who called himself Alpharius.
A continuous barrage of crackling impacts followed.
The shields emitted dazzling light under the impact, and blinding white light instantly filled the entire hall.
Everything in the grand hall became a mess, precious sculptures were destroyed, becoming scattered pieces of marble on the ground.
Dust billowed up.
Calgar keenly sensed the approach of danger.
He instantly activated the power field of his gauntlet.
Several warriors leaped out from the thick smoke, their rich indigo armor inlaid with silver edges, and the symbol of the Hydra on their left shoulder pad.
They were all warriors of the Alpha Legion.
They had been hidden in the hall in a way that Calgar could not detect.
Only at this moment did they suddenly attack, aiming to deliver the most devastating blow against Calgar and his men.
An Alpha Legionnaire's chainsword thrust towards Calgar's gorget.
Calgar raised his power fist and smashed it forward.
After activating the Emperor's Angel template, his physical strength was greatly enhanced.
His power armor had also been completely upgraded to fit his new body.
The chainsword thrusting towards him was shattered by a single punch.
The power fist smashed directly onto the head of that Alpha Legionnaire.
With the power field's enhancement, Calgar's single strike shattered even the enemy's helmet.
The traitor's head was directly blown apart by the punch.
"Fool," Calgar said. "Don't think things are still like they used to be. Now is your doomsday, traitors."
"You have been enhanced," said the traitor who called himself Alpharius, standing up. He activated a power spear in his hand and walked towards Calgar.
"This is the Primarch's wisdom," Calgar said in a low voice.
His pupils displayed a massive amount of data.
All the combat details regarding the one who called himself Alpharius appeared in his mind.
Target: Human Gene-Enhanced Mutant (Enemy), Alpha Legion affiliation, Traitor.
Power Spear, possesses a tearing field, capable of cutting any material at the atomic level.
The human body within the armor has mutated due to warp contamination, please handle with caution.
Overall Threat Assessment: Low (Information incomplete, this assessment is for reference only).
The data interface of the Emperor's Angel template appeared in Calgar's eyes.
This was the gift received from fully activating the Heart of Guilliman.
In the past, some referred to Space Marines as demigods.
But they were ultimately just men.
And now, the Primarch had paved another path for them.
The path of true demigods, stronger power, stronger physique, and more terrifying combat skills.
Even compared to those traitors who had received the blessings of the gods, the warriors who activated the Heart of Guilliman were not inferior in the slightest, capable of sweeping away those fools hiding in the warp.
The only pity was that the Emperor's Angel template needed to be activated personally.
One had to hold firm to their soul and bottom line in the face of life and death.
Only then could all functions of the Heart of Guilliman be activated, granting the Emperor's Angel template.
Calgar had once asked his liege.
But Guilliman had not explained much, only saying to let nature take its course. It would naturally be a good thing if a warrior could activate it.
There was no need to force it if they could not.
Forcing it might lead to terrible consequences.
If, in the future, the technology matured and all could activate the Emperor's Angel panel,
One could imagine how terrifyingly powerful the Imperium's military force would become.
The traitor who called himself Alpharius charged towards Calgar, swinging his spear, leaving streaks of afterimages in the air.
A Terminator bodyguard attempted to stop him.
The enemy swung the power spear in his hand, instantly cutting through the Terminator's armor, severing his limbs, and creating a spray of blood.
"Overestimating yourself," said the traitor who called himself Alpharius.
Calgar's bodyguards charged forward in anger, but the enemy was extremely agile.
When facing a siege, he would choose to evade, and when he found an opportunity, he would strike from a very tricky and bizarre angle, hacking, stabbing, and thrusting like a butcher.
The spear radiating a power field glow pierced the throats of Calgar's bodyguard members in an instant with every strike.
"Your enemy is me." Seeing the enemy slaughtering his bodyguards in such a manner,
Calgar roared in fury.
He strode forward, punching away an Alpha Legionnaire who blocked his path.
The heavy steel body flew over ten meters, smashing heavily against the wall, causing cracks to appear.
And the traitor who called himself Alpharius showed no fear. He held his spear, moving like lightning, and thrust towards Calgar with a single strike.
The tip of the spear shimmered with a faint light.
This was a perfect ambush.
As one of the original twenty Legions of the Imperium, their combat skills were truly peak.
As simple as a line drawn by a craftsman on a blank parchment.
It was death, destruction, and endless silence.
However, this terrifying strike did not harm Calgar.
His power fist deflected the killing blow.
An ear-piercing sound erupted.
Brilliant silver light burst forth from where the two weapons collided.
"Your gene-father will die at the Rock," said the traitor who called himself Alpharius. "This is the warning I give you."
"You won't trick me," Calgar roared, swinging his power fist, attacking the enemy with a ferocious stance.
"Everything is true. The Dark Angels will choose to stand against the Primarch to keep their secrets," the traitor said. "The Caliban Protocols cannot be violated."
"They won't," Calgar's offensive became even more intense.
The sound of metal clashing came from their collision, growing more intense and painful to the eardrums.
The traitor who called himself Alpharius faced Calgar, who was capable of collapsing a super-heavy tank, and did not seem to struggle much, appearing at ease.
The spear in his hand was like a viper, gliding through the air, easily blocking all attacks.
"Don't you want to know what the so-called Caliban Protocol is?" the traitor said. "Now, you can still go save your Primarch, at least stand by his side when he faces the siege of the Dark Angels."
"No force in the material universe can harm him," Calgar said. "Not even the Dark Angels can harm him."
The traitor, who claimed to be Alpharius, showed a hint of disdain.
"But what if it's an awakened Old God? The secret of the Rock is more terrifying than you imagine, Calgar. A hidden ancient race, a sleeping Old God, and Dark Age weapons capable of killing a Primarch. Do you think Guilliman won't get hurt? If it's like ten thousand years ago again, you won't have a chance to regret it, Calgar."
"Shut up, he is invincible," Calgar roared, punching the opponent.
The traitor, who claimed to be Alpharius, tried to block with the spear in his hand. The next second, a look of horror appeared in his eyes.
Calgar's punch broke his spear, and the power fist struck his body, instantly tearing through the heavy power armor.
"Such strong power," the traitor looked at the broken spear in his hand, his face horrified. "The upgrades Guilliman gave you are truly powerful."
Calgar didn't let him continue with his nonsense, instead delivering a few more punches.
With his power fist, Calgar brutally pulverized the enemy's abdomen and power armor.
Hot blood flowed from the wound onto the deck.
The surrounding air became hazy, like a warm mist.
"I am not alone," the traitor said. "I will see your gene-father in hell."
"Shut up."
Calgar angrily punched the opponent's heart, shattering it completely.
The traitor, who claimed to be Alpharius, fell to the ground, his breath completely gone.
Having lost their strongest fighter, the other Alpha Legionnaires quickly died at the hands of Calgar's personal guard.
Calgar ordered someone to remove the traitor's helmet.
A face that was ninety percent similar to the photo in the Imperium's top-secret archives appeared before everyone's eyes.
"Another imposter," Calgar spat. "Clear the battlefield and see if there are any clues."
A moment later, the personal guards had completed their search.
There were no gains.
Without the help of the Alpha Legion, the rebellion on planet Evans quickly ended.
Those who had sworn to overthrow Guilliman were also rooted out one by one, and they would be executed for the crime of betraying humanity.
Victory came quickly, but Calgar's expression remained very serious.
Although he had killed the man who claimed to be Alpharius, the other party's words had taken root in his heart.
Calgar had been fighting for over a thousand years and knew many of the Imperium's hidden secrets very well.
The Dark Angels had always been trying to keep some secrets, and for these secrets, they had become obsessed, even incredibly crazy mad.
These guys had attacked allied forces several times to keep their secrets.
Once, a team of Inquisitors captured a Fallen Angel.
A few days later, the Inquisitor and his retinue mysteriously disappeared.
According to subsequent investigations, a Dark Angels strike cruiser had appeared in that area.
Calgar dared not guess what consequences the Primarch would face if he knew the Dark Angels' secrets.
Currently, there were more and more opinions regarding Guilliman's reforms throughout the Imperium.
In the long term, these reform policies would revitalize the Imperium of Man.
But in the short term, a large number of vested interests began to band together and strike back, forming a huge force opposing Guilliman.
If the Dark Angels were to move against the Primarch, they might even gain a group of helpers.
It was not an exaggeration to say that many nobles in the Imperium wanted the Primarch dead.
Those nobles had all gone mad for the sake of their power.
After much thought, Calgar issued new orders, handing over command of the fleet to his second-in-command.
He then withdrew the Laurels of Victory from the capital city of Prall.
"To the Rock," Calgar looked at the captain and issued the new order.
"Lord, this does not align with our strategic mission," the captain's face was puzzled.
"The Laurels of Victory will go alone. I have some matters I need to consult the Primarch about. The other forces will continue with their planned missions," Calgar said.
"Understood, Lord," the captain said.
Under Calgar's command, a portion of the primaris space marines prepared to board gunships to return to the Laurels of Victory.
They needed to accompany Calgar to the Rock.
Ground floor of the spaceport.
Tactical squad Cybros was leading a small team to clear out the gangs and mutants on the lower levels.
These scum living in the lower levels of the hive city were no match for the Emperor's Angels.
After a burst of intense gunfire.
A deserted factory was filled with corpses.
"Check thoroughly," Cybros said to his squad members.
Then, he looked at his battle-brother standing nearby, clad in Terminator armor.
That was Mosso, his good brother.
They had been through hundreds of battles and had saved each other's lives.
He just didn't know why, ever since Mosso went on a mission two days ago, he had become unusually silent.
Perhaps he had seen the terrible things those traitors had done again.
"Another perfect victory," Cybros wanted to say something to comfort his brother. "The Primarch will be happy for us."
"It was indeed a perfect victory," Mosso looked at the loyalists scattering away, said in a low voice, and then walked up to Cybros.
"There is something I need to tell you," Mosso said.
"What is it?" Cybros asked with a smile, thinking the other party was about to open up and seek his advice.
But the next second, a sharp blade slashed across Cybros' unguarded throat.
Under this terrifying blade, the heavy power armor was like paper.
The blade carried a terrifying toxin that destroyed his healing ability.
The Heart of Guilliman beat violently, continuously releasing energy, trying to stimulate cells to heal the wound.
But Cybros was still losing blood.
The wound reopened the moment it tried to heal.
"Why?" Cybros' eyes were filled with disbelief as he looked at Mosso.
He wanted to see what expression his brother had under the helmet at this moment.
Why?
Why kill him?
Cybros' voice was filled with the weakness brought by impending death and the pain brought by betrayal.
He tried to ask more questions, but his vocal cords were already ruptured, and blood surged out, replacing his words.
Cybros knelt powerlessly on the ground, one hand trying to grab Mosso's power greave.
"I am not your brother, I am Alpharius."
The helmet was removed, and Cybros saw the face clearly. It was not his brother at all, but an Alpha Legionnaire.
It was just that their voices were very similar, so he had always thought the other person was Mosso.
Cybros regretted his carelessness and grieved for his fallen comrade whose death would go unknown.
He fell down.
And that Alpha Legionnaire looked at him, his eyes cold, without much emotional fluctuation.
Then, Cybros' body was dragged into the darkness.
Half an hour later, Cybros and Mosso reappeared.
Only this time, they were both wearing helmets.
Just then, a voice came through the communication.
Cybros' squad, having completed their mission, was ordered to immediately return to the Laurels of Victory.
They would accompany Calgar to the Rock.
"Received," Cybros revealed a hint of a smile and replied, "Our squad will return immediately."
Mosso held a box covered in strange patterns and followed behind him.
After the squad assembled, everyone left and boarded a transport craft to return to Calgar's flagship.
Under Calgar's command, the Laurels of Victory turned and departed, leaving the cleanup work in the Evans system to his second-in-command.
Calgar stood by the viewport, watching his flagship move away from the light of the Evans system's star, his brow furrowed.
No matter what, he had to protect the Primarch.
He must not let it be like ten thousand years ago.
Even if it meant destroying the Dark Angels Chapter for it, he would not hesitate.