This is a great opportunity! While Calgar is fighting Abaddon, that Leandros can defect to their side.
"Master! What do you plan to do?"
"Go to Calgar first," Rhodes said with a smile.
A moment later, Rhodes returned to Calgar's quarters. Calgar had just finished handling a mountain of military affairs and was about to rest when Rhodes suddenly appeared.
"Lord Rhodes, y-you're back again. Do you have orders for me?" Calgar was startled, then, recognizing the visitor, quickly stepped forward to ask.
Could it be that Lord Rhodes still hasn't given up on sending me as an undercover agent to Chaos? I really can't do that!
"Tartarus, you recorded what just happened, right? Show Calgar," Rhodes said.
Tartarus nodded, golden light flashing in his eyes, and Calgar was instantly drawn into a mental vision.
Tartarus possessed the ability to let others witness certain images of the future—or even the past.
He replayed for Calgar what had just occurred in Leandros's room, and even ran through the entire process of Leandros's fall during their time on Ultramar.
As a top-tier powerhouse who wielded the forces of time and space, Tartarus's abilities were that outrageous: once he noticed any clue, he could view a person's past—
And even predict their future!
"Th-this is impossible—Le, Leandros! That traitor, that traitor—how dare he, how dare he do this?
That damned traitor! I actually trusted him so much." After watching everything, Calgar fell into an unprecedented fury.
No wonder the shipment of Astartes organs was leaked to Chaos; no wonder they arrived with such perfect timing; no wonder they bypassed Ultramar's security measures and appeared directly—
This traitor even indirectly caused the deaths of countless battle-brothers and the Emperor's Custodians. And I, like a fool, was deceived by him—actually believing he had reformed.
"Loyalty that isn't absolute is absolutely disloyal.
He was loyal only to that Codex he'd studied for centuries. When that Codex was abolished, his entire worldview collapsed," Rhodes snorted.
"Lord Rhodes, I'll arrest him immediately—seize this Ultramarines traitor and put him to death," Calgar said.
Leandros's betrayal pained him deeply. He had trusted the man so much. Even when Leandros denounced the 2nd Company Captain, Calgar had not punished him harshly.
Because in those circumstances, any Astartes neophyte might have done the same—it's just that Leandros reported straight to the Inquisition.
He had even made Leandros a Chaplain of the Ultramarines. But after the Primarch's return, everything changed! Leandros's attitude shocked Calgar.
"No, you can't arrest him now. Since you can't do the undercover job, let Leandros be the real mole instead!
He doesn't know Abaddon's true identity. I'll have a Chaos Space Marine under Abaddon contact him," Rhodes said.
He needed a gap in Vigilus's defenses—needed the Vigilus world thrown into turmoil, a grand melee—to ensure Fulgrim would come.
Rhodes even had backup plans regarding the Orks: the Orks mustn't win, but humanity mustn't utterly crush them either.
"Lord Rhodes, he's only an adjutant, not some key position. And if we keep him within the Ultramarines, he might corrupt other battle-brothers," Calgar said.
"His Chapter Master will likely apply soon to have him reassigned as a Chaplain. Just approve it," Rhodes said.
"But Lord Rhodes, if he becomes a Chaplain, he'll have even more reach—he could secretly alter some beliefs," Calgar said in shock.
"Corrupting Astartes neophytes isn't that simple. I already have a concrete plan. Just do as I say, Calgar—I guarantee that aside from him, no Ultramarine will come to harm," Rhodes said.
If he weren't worried about spooking the man, Rhodes would have made him a Chapter Master.
"Lord Rhodes! I—I need to contact our gene-father," Calgar said through clenched teeth.
This could lead to corruption across the entire company of Ultramarines, so he had to proceed with caution.
Rhodes nodded, and through the link among the Cosmic Phantasms, he contacted Guilliman, who was traveling in the Warp.
"What's happened? Why the sudden urgent call, Rhodes?" Guilliman asked.
"Here's the situation, Guilliman—you need to personally speak to your gene-sons. I've arranged for Calgar to arrive at Vigilus early," Rhodes outlined his plan to Roboute Guilliman.
"Rhodes, I agree to be your decoy, but I can't fail in my responsibility to my gene-sons.
I agree with Calgar—this is too dangerous. And Leandros is just a minor figure, not worth mentioning," Guilliman said.
To him, Leandros was merely a small fry without high standing among the Ultramarines—just a company adjutant.
There was no need to risk making him a Chaplain, giving him a chance to corrupt hundreds of proper gene-sons.
"You don't understand—Fulgrim pursues perfection. If he learns about Leandros, he'll find a way to come," Rhodes said.
"Rhodes! We already have a plan. However you handle Leandros—send him as a mole or let Calgar judge him—either way is fine.
But under no circumstances should my gene-sons be put at risk. I know your Cosmic Phantasm energy can purge Chaos, but corruption by Chaos is still corruption," Guilliman said.
"…Fine," Rhodes sighed helplessly and ended the call.
"You've worked hard, Calgar. Leave Leandros to me. I won't let him become a Chaplain to corrupt the Ultramarines. I'll assign someone to keep close to him.
Don't show any abnormal behavior in the coming days. I'll personally deal with him. Do not let him sense anything unusual, understand?" Rhodes said.
"I understand, Lord Rhodes. Rest easy—for the Imperium," Calgar replied.
Rhodes nodded and left Calgar's quarters with Tartarus.
Next, Rhodes began preparing orders for the Alien Barbarue impersonating Abaddon: once he reached Vigilus, he was to find a way to contact Leandros.
Since Leandros had already betrayed them once back on Macragge, he should have some footing with Chaos.
Rhodes even estimated that before long, Fulgrim would send someone to contact the man.
…
Time flowed by.
Half a month passed in a blink. During this period, Calgar strengthened the mortal forces—starting with Vigilus's Planetary Defense Force.
Calgar provided these mortal troops with super-soldier stimulants. These are now mass-produced; once administered, a mortal's physique could reach that of a proto-Astartes, boosting their combat effectiveness. As for the Sisters of Battle—
Without suitable gene-seed, they couldn't undergo augmentation, so they were also provided the super-soldier stimulants to gain stronger bodies.
Days later, the vast Chaos fleet led by Abaddon tore through the Warp and arrived at Vigilus.
Abaddon's Black Legion rent the veil of realspace, like countless blood-stained blades stabbing into Vigilus's orbit.
The howls of the Chaos horde echoed in the storms of the Warp. The Warmaster's banner hung high from the spire of the flagship Vengeful Spirit, its crimson eye fixed on the world about to fall.
"Warmaster, we have arrived at Vigilus. We've detected large numbers of Ultramarines—and their ships," a Chaos champion reported to Abaddon.
An officer, his body covered in chaotic sorcerous markings, knelt on one knee, his voice rasping like grinding rust. Abaddon—or rather the Alien Barbarue posing as him—slowly raised a spike-studded gauntlet. A hololithic display unfolded before the command throne: the planet's surface bristled with anti-air batteries, and the orbital defense platform Iron Ring was aligning its guns.
"Keep the Reaper Fleet in phase-shift," the Chaos Warmaster sneered. "Tell the warband leaders I want to see the Iron Warriors set up a frontline bastion within twelve hours. We will take this world and complete this great crusade."
"As you command, Warmaster. The warriors of Chaos follow you," an Iron Warriors Chaos Space Marine knelt and replied.
"Go. Take Vigilus."
…
Meanwhile, in Vigilus's surface command hub, shrieking alarms filled the hall.
Calgar snapped his head up from the tactical hololith, his masterwork armor glinting blue under the crimson alert lights. "Orbital monitors confirm! The Chaos fleet exceeds Black Crusade records! Abaddon the Despoiler is here!"
Just as Lord Rhodes foretold—Abaddon's host had come.
"Everyone, do not panic. I need exact intel on the Chaos forces. I need their numbers," Calgar ordered.