One month later.
Anchored in the orbit of a certain traitorous moon.
The Chaos Traitors were busy on the surface, using the humans there for various blasphemous sacrifices.
At the same time, they were supplying the warship with materials, slaves, and cultist troops.
The terrified wails of the Mortals and the rampant, savage laughter of the Chaos Traitors drifted faintly from the moon.
The pent-up frustration from failing to hunt down Sith for so long was completely released at this moment.
However, the frenzied venting of the low-level Chaos Traitors did not seem to spread into the Ark of Omen.
Because right there on the bridge, facing Vashtorr, whose red eyes were glowing as if they were about to explode.
Even Abaddon, who didn't really care much for the other party, chose to remain quiet for now.
Especially while looking at the Bolter in Vashtorr's workshop, which had been disassembled and reassembled thousands of times by now.
"Why?"
"Why does it just not work?"
Vashtorr hung his head and slumped his shoulders, his hammer scepter dragging directly on the ground, yet Vashtorr didn't react at all.
With a deathly expression, he walked out of the workshop, muttering repeatedly. Then, facing a glance from Abaddon, he circled around in place before mechanically walking back inside.
Standing at his workbench, looking at this Bolter whose exaggerated power he had witnessed in the hands of Sith, Vashtorr, who did not need to breathe, actually had his chest swell rapidly before letting out a sharp breath.
The mechanical door closed again. Before it shut, in the corner of Abaddon's eye, he saw Vashtorr trembling as he picked up the Bolter once more.
Abaddon silently withdrew his gaze, no longer paying attention to Vashtorr's despair. He looked at the intelligence gathered by his subordinates, his bald forehead furrowing as well.
"A month has passed, so many Imperium and Warband forces have gone, so how is it that..."
"...there hasn't been a single reaction?"
Looking at the same routine "everything normal" report, Abaddon couldn't help but take a deep breath and exhale heavily.
Then, with some suspicion, he looked up at the reconnaissance team that had returned with the intelligence, instinctively wanting to raise his hand to kill them and replace them with a new batch.
But seeing these unfamiliar faces, Abaddon paused and lowered his hand.
Because in this period, Abaddon had already killed countless reconnaissance teams.
Withdrawing his hand and letting out a long sigh, Abaddon waved weakly:
"Understood, get out."
The reconnaissance team, with beads of cold sweat on their foreheads, saluted almost trembling, then retreated with extreme caution.
Just as they were about to leave the bridge, Abaddon, who had been thinking for a long time, suddenly spoke:
"Kill this batch too."
Reconnaissance team: "?!"
The axe swung down, and heads rolled onto the deck.
Smelling the scent of blood beginning to permeate the air, Abaddon's mood finally improved a little.
But before he could take another deep breath, the door to Vashtorr's workshop behind him slammed open.
At the same time, Vashtorr walked out in a rush, holding the Bolter:
"I am going to see Sith."
Vashtorr's voice was even trembling, and the words he spoke to Abaddon carried an unquestionable tone.
At this moment, Vashtorr just wanted to figure out why this Bolter was different in his hands.
Abaddon's mood, having slightly calmed down, allowed his rationality to return. After only a brief moment of thought, he nodded in agreement:
"I'm going too!"
He did not mobilize the entire fleet, nor did he even bring the Ark of Omen.
A Aeldari stealth ship that Vashtorr had obtained from somewhere took the two of them away from the fleet. After a ripple in the Warp, they flew toward where Sith was located.
Because the distance was not particularly far and they had the precise positioning of the shards, the two soon burst out of the Warp again.
They didn't get too close. They then piloted the warship to slowly approach, and after Sith's figure appeared on the scanner, they stopped at a distance.
Vashtorr did not object to this, but seeing Abaddon's forehead start to bead with cold sweat again as they approached Sith, Vashtorr withdrew his gaze with some helplessness.
Sith was about to give Abaddon a psychological trauma!
Soon, as the scanner, which had been enhanced by Vashtorr, transmitted the image back.
Vashtorr and Abaddon's attention finally shifted away from Sith.
At the same time, Abaddon, who had been staring fixedly at the screen, stood up straight instantly and pointed his right hand directly at the screen:
"This... this... where did this battle group come from?!"
Abaddon's body tensed up; he thought the God-Emperor had already found Guilliman and cleared up the misunderstanding about Sith.
But as Vashtorr slightly raised his hand, the image was further magnified and cleared up. Seeing the Warband ships that were visible everywhere in the fleet, Abaddon let out a sigh of relief again.
Just as he was about to look up to calm himself down, he saw that this time it was Vashtorr who was completely stiff, his large red eyes staring blankly at the screen.
Abaddon was stunned. Then, another detail—even more terrifying than Sith being cleared of his traitor status and receiving Imperial support—became clear in his mind.
He even had to look back again. When Abaddon blinked carefully and confirmed he hadn't misread it, he was stunned for a long time, then looked up with confusion flashing in his eyes:
"These Imperium and Warband forces."
"Why aren't they fighting?"
Abaddon asked with wide eyes.
Vashtorr was also stunned for a long time, then lowered his head to look at Abaddon.
"Because they are allies."
Abaddon's eyes widened even more, and he even gave Vashtorr a look as if he were looking at an idiot:
"Imperium?"
"Warband?"
"Allies?!"
He paused after every word. Vashtorr, in response, looked at Abaddon in the same way and almost raised his hammer.
But before Vashtorr had to physically remind Abaddon, Abaddon realized it himself immediately after saying those words.
Anything can be faked, but the scene he saw with his own eyes could not be faked.
When he looked at the screen again, he saw a mixed battle group of Imperium and Warband forces in the distance, possessing a full five cruisers, over thirty frigates and destroyers, and even a Strike Cruiser.
Even if Sith discovered him at this moment and a group of Warband Astartes boarded them, Abaddon would find it reasonable.
But while Abaddon thought it reasonable, an unreasonable scene was transmitted over.
Because just as Abaddon and Vashtorr were observing Sith, that Strike Cruiser serving as Sith's new flagship was turning around, aiming its cannons toward them.
"We've been discovered?"
Abaddon was stunned. Vashtorr also straightened up slightly, looking at the warship beneath his feet with confusion.
"The scanner of a Strike Cruiser? The power output shouldn't be like this!"
With confidence in his own ship, Vashtorr didn't react until the Strike Cruiser fired a Light Lance that was exaggeratedly thick, suddenly piercing through the vast space and hitting the stealth ship directly. Feeling the warship being pushed backward by the Light Lance and the shield index dropping rapidly...
Abaddon finally slammed the emergency Warp jump button in a rage.
At the same time, his eyes were full of unwillingness, feeling that his plan shouldn't have turned out this way.
"It must be that I didn't send out enough coordinates! I need to send the coordinates to more people!"
Abaddon said, his eyes flushed red. Vashtorr, who was astonished by the exaggerated firepower of this Strike Cruiser, was startled.
Then he turned to look at Abaddon and finally slammed his scepter onto the spike that had just grown out on Abaddon's head:
"Stop sending them!"
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