Judgement Day's command deck.
"I've drawn up a strategy. Have the Astartes sergeants and the mortal army and navy officers study it carefully."
"Now find that Grey Knight named Anwar."
Lion had just finished planning the decapitation strike against Huron. He stood before the allied Chapter Masters and sergeants.
Anwar was the only one who knew where Huron was and could lead them to him. But after the others waited for a while, he still hadn't come to Judgement Day's command deck. Instead, a mortal stepped onto the deck and reported the latest news about their allies.
"The allied fleet entered the Warp without using the Navigation Tower. The flagship's Navigator's Sanctuary judged that—
"The allied fleet used Warp travel to leave. That's obvious. They ran."
After the mortal finished his report, everyone else on the command deck looked astonished.
The two fleets were at opposite ends of the Manros system, far apart. Even from the command deck of a warship, no one had seen the allied fleet leave.
"How can this expedition be over before it's even begun? Anwar and the others ran. Where are we supposed to find Huron now?"
"The expeditionary force is breaking up just like that? Is this a joke?!"
"They entered the Warp without using the Navigation Tower. What happened that made them choose certain death over fighting alongside us?"
"—"
Amid the commotion, the mortal continued with the message the Black Templars had sent before leaving. "The Black Templars accuse the Lord of Valor of behaving in a way that ignored diplomatic etiquette and was extremely offensive. They cannot tolerate it."
Just then, Lu Jin entered the command deck.
"Chapter Master. What happened?" Kao asked.
Lu Jin told them what had happened aboard the Black Templars' ship.
After hearing him out, Lion looked