The black Aquila Lander descended onto the main flight deck of the Vengeful Spirit. Nareth stepped down the ramp, accompanied by Santiago and Pat.
First Captain Ezekyle Abaddon and Maloghurst, led the honour guard in welcoming them.
"Lord Nareth." They greeted the Primarch in unison. Maloghurst then spoke. "The Warmaster awaits you in the reception chamber." A golden seal held his cloak in place beneath his neck.
Nareth's gaze sharpened.
Though Maloghurst spoke in a tone of respect he held his head high and deliberately emphasized the Warmaster's authority.
Maloghurst was known within the Luna Wolves as the Twisted, for his sharp mind, vast experience, and meticulous nature. He was aware of every detail and undercurrent within the Expedition Fleet.
Abaddon and the others were warriors of the field, but Maloghurst was the one Horus relied upon in the political arena, offering counsel outside the Four Councils.
His every word and action represented Horus's position.
'A show of force?' Nareth nodded, saying nothing.
Pat, the Chaplain Master, his eyes flashing gold, was about to raise his head when the Black Emperor's voice of "Majesty" echoed in his mind.
"Remain calm."
He gripped his crozius, suppressing his anger. 'Heretic!'
Abaddon glanced curiously at the Star Lord. He knew this Shadows of Order artisan had overseen the restoration of the Kalium Gate, and his rapid response times across various warzones.
But beyond that, he had no achievements of note known to the Imperium.
'Not Howard Fender, not Bukayo Arshavin, not even Sanchez.' Abaddon thought with disappointment.
"Please, follow me." Maloghurst, clad in Mark IV power armor, held his head high, almost reaching the chin of Abaddon, who was in Terminator armor.
They walked in silence, past gilded pillars.
Cold mist billowed. The doors slid open.
Horus, clad in immaculate white ceremonial armor, rose from his throne. A great purple-scaled cloak hung from his shoulders.
Nareth's gaze was drawn to the ancient ring on Horus's left little finger.
It gleamed with spiritual light.
He had two such rings. One was the Pegasus ring given to him by the Emperor on the night of the Wheel of Fire triumph.
The other was the Whale ring, taken from Hannibal's corpse, one of three rewards for his discretion regarding the Space Wolves' mutation.
Wary of the Emperor's scrutiny, Nareth rarely wore the Pegasus ring, keeping both in his armory.
"Nareth, my brother. Welcome."
Horus's smile was wide, his gaze appraising.
"Warmaster," Nareth said calmly.
"I didn't expect you to seek me out first."
Nareth recalled Horus would speak with the other Primarchs; it was the way of a newly appointed Warmaster.
Perhaps the reclusive Lion was an exception.
He had assumed Horus's first conversations would be with his close friend Sanguinius for counsel, or with more neutral Primarchs whose support he could easily win, like Rogal Dorn, who was present at Ullanor.
He hadn't expected Horus to approach him first.
'Horus truly values me.'
'No... more accurately, he fears me?'
"Nareth, let us not stand on ceremony." Horus smiled, nodding to Santiago and Pat behind him.
"I feel the weight of this responsibility greatly. I do not know how to live up to the Emperor's expectations."
"I urgently seek your counsel."
Nareth met his probing gaze. "I believe you are the most suitable choice."
"Your words will allow me to sleep peacefully tonight." Horus put an arm around Nareth, drawing him close.
The pearl-white and black armor clashed as Horus pressed him into a high-backed chair before striding back to his wolf-pelt draped throne.
"I am sure you will be generous with your aid."
He gestured to Maloghurst.
Nareth, arms crossed, knew the true test was coming. He wouldn't trust mere words of friendship.
Maloghurst raised his control rod, projecting a detailed hologram.
The "Traveler," Santiago, identified the region at once.
"The Akum-Sothos Cluster."
"Correct." Pride and anger flickered across Maloghurst and Abaddon's faces. A trace of recollection passed over Horus's as well.
Hearing the name, Nareth knew Horus's intent.
For every Primarch, the first worlds they conquered held irreplaceable significance.
The regions they personally brought into the Imperium were not just statistics; they were the foundation of their Legion's faith, the wellspring of their military achievements and personal glory.
Cthonia, the Luna Wolves' homeworld, didn't hold all this for Horus, because he had been taken before he could conquer it.
Cthonia was the root of the Luna Wolves' gang culture and faith, but the Akum-Sothos Cluster was the origin of their military glory.
"The Akum-Sothos Cluster is vital to the Imperium. Its extensive starport networks are a key logistical hub. Its vast forges produce equipment that fuels the Great Crusade."
Maloghurst extolled Horus's achievements with pride.
"But now, rebellion has disrupted supply and transport."
Nareth leaned back, watching the flames of anger in Horus's eyes.
The rebellion in the Akum-Sothos Cluster was not just a challenge to Imperial authority; it was a personal insult to the Warmaster's honor.
Horus, feeling Nareth's gaze, did not hide his anger. He used it.
"Nareth, the Emperor has appointed me Warmaster. I will not tolerate rebellion." His left thumb stroked his little finger.
"The Luna Wolves have just fought a great battle. I need you to deploy six Chapters."
Horus's gaze was sharp.
'Here it comes. First, he emphasizes the Emperor's appointment, reminding me of its legitimacy. Then, he issues a command, asserting his authority.' Nareth thought.
He felt a sense of familiarity. Horus's political approach echoed his own order for the Ultramarines and Word Bearers, two feuding Legions, to cooperate in purging the greenskins.
On the surface, both were displays of the Warmaster's authority.
But against him, it only went this far; against Guilliman, it was a plot.
'Horus's ascension has changed him.'
'In the past, he would have been more subtle.
'But it's only natural. Even Primarchs are human; Horus is no exception. A new position brings change, and asserting his authority is inevitable.'
Nareth said calmly, "My Legion suffered over forty thousand casualties in the war against the Khrave."
Even knowing Horus was making a show of authority, he would not refuse.
Besides the fact that open defiance was not yet the time, the xenos behind this rebellion, the Unsighted Kings, was likely a potion ingredient for the Error Pathway's Sequence 4 "Parasite."
The Unsighted Kings parasitized human eyes, controlling them, and was worshipped as a god, controlling a hundred worlds in the cluster.
Though he would join the campaign, he would not be bullied. He had to make his position clear.
"I will deploy four Chapters."
Abaddon frowned. Maloghurst's gaze was cold, fixed on Nareth.
The two Primarchs met each other's eyes. A clash of wills, on the supernatural level.
Nareth's expression was calm, his deep gaze absorbing the arrows of scrutiny.
After a few seconds of silence, Horus spoke, nodding.
"Very well. Four Chapters."
"Warmaster, will any other Legions be joining us?"
"Corax will join us," Horus answered immediately, clearly having planned it.
'Just as I thought. The Battle of Gate Forty-Two still involves Corax.' Nareth thought.
He remembered that besides Horus and Corax, two other Primarchs had participated in this campaign: Perturabo and Leman Russ.
In the early stages, the four Legions had swept through the Akum-Sothos Cluster's outer defenses.
But in the final assault on the heavily fortified Gate Forty-Two, Horus had given what would be considered his most foolish tactical order.
He ordered the Raven Guard, masters of stealth, infiltration, and precision strikes, to lead the frontal assault on the gate's formidable defenses.
Corax immediately objected, stating that Perturabo's Legion should lead the siege, while his own launched a feint.
Perturabo immediately rebuffed Corax, sneering at what he saw as cowardly tactics.
As Corax and Perturabo nearly came to blows, Russ intervened, warning Corax:
"The Warmaster's commands are not to be questioned. Duty and honor demand that all fulfill their obligations."
Corax, unable to defy the Warmaster's orders, and under pressure from the other two Primarchs, was forced to comply, sending his Terran-born warriors to spearhead the assault.
After the battle, the Raven Guard, who had suffered heavy losses, suspected their Primarch of using the opportunity to purge those he disliked.
After exiling the Carcharodons, Corax placed all remaining Terrans in the Ashen Claws Chapter and exiled them to the Ghoul Stars.
The Raven Guard ultimately became the smallest Astartes Legion before the Heresy, numbering only eighty thousand.
Corax declared he would no longer follow Horus's orders. The Warmaster's attempt to assert his authority had openly exposed the fractures between the Primarchs.
'Corax was the only Primarch who felt Horus's methods were too brutal. Horus choosing him as a target was inevitable.'
'I just didn't expect to be one as well.'
'Hmm, from Horus's perspective: "If Nareth, whose achievements are second only to mine, obeys my commands, then my other brothers will naturally follow."'
Nareth said, "If there's nothing else, Warmaster, I will prepare for the campaign."
Horus rose, seeing him out.
"I look forward to our reunion."
Nareth nodded, leaving with Santiago and Pat for the Aquila Lander.
Horus watched the black Aquila lander ascend, then returned to his chamber with Maloghurst and Abaddon.
"What do you think of Nareth's view of my appointment as Warmaster?"