After Peter returned to the command bridge of the Siluria-class Light Cruiser Blade of Judgment aboard a Storm Eagle, he immediately received even more explosive news.
Two War Bands had started fighting over captured Imperial ships! It seemed to be for exactly the reason they had anticipated: one War Band had seized a warship and left a small force of warriors to guard it. Another War Band coveted the prize and sent in superior numbers to take it, and then the two sides began fighting inside the ship.
At first, no one paid much attention to the small-scale fighting inside the ships. Before long, it had escalated into the ships of the two War Bands firing on each other. Then some War Bands, perhaps jumpy, perhaps acting on a premeditated plan—in any case, the Chaos Fleet suddenly erupted into infighting.
Although the Black Legion eventually managed to forcibly stop the fighting from spreading, the fragile trust between the Chaos Warbands had already shattered. Some ships were even slowly moving toward the outskirts, seemingly planning to leave without a word.
As soon as Peter reached the bridge, he asked:
"Where's Valicar, the Grand Commander of the naval battle? Didn't he take charge?"
Barnabas, Lord of Fleets of the War Band, replied:
"He left with the Vengeful Spirit."
Peter realized that with both the commander-in-chief of the fleet and the Warmaster of the expeditionary force gone, the Chaos Fleet's breakup was inevitable.
Peter immediately ordered:
"Barnabas, get the fleet out of here at once. We're few in number, and we've seized a cruiser. We're bound to attract attention."
"Ignore the orders, the Warmaster runs from the battlefield, and the infighting won't stop. This whole bunch of Chaos worshippers has shit for brains. The wind's up—time to get out of here."
Although Peter