Cold, rational blue light flowed silently from the holographic projector, tracing the unsettling contours of the Planet below.
On the Bridge of the Remembrance of Ashes, Commander Biberus stood before the projection like a statue cast in iron.
The Bridge's dim light illuminated one half of his resolute, stern face, while the other remained in shadow. Only his piercing eyes stood out, fixed on the flickering crimson points across the Planet's surface that marked fierce exchanges of fire.
The air hummed faintly with data streams and the tapping of console keys, beneath a deeper, oppressive tension like the stillness before a storm.
"Ground situation. 3rd Company, report." Biberus's voice was steady, betraying no emotion as it passed through the encrypted Communications Channel into the hell of blood and fire on the Planet's surface.
After a brief crackle of static, a hoarse, urgent shout erupted over the channel, mingled with the roar of Bolters and the echoes of explosions. It was Zask, captain of the 16th Company under the 3rd Company:
"Commander! Gokbuli, commander of the First Great Company—he's turned traitor! He and his entire company, along with the Imperialis Militia loyal to Saladin, are coordinating with the Rangdan Xenos flanking forces to launch a pincer attack on our positions!"
"Repeat, the First Great Company has been confirmed to have betrayed the Emperor! They've joined forces with the Xenos bastards!"
Though they had already suspected it, the anger, anguish, and disbelief mingled in Zask's words still pierced the heart of every loyalist on the Bridge like an icy needle.
Brother killing brother was already the deepest of wounds. For those brothers to stand alongside Xenos rubbed salt and poison into it.
The muscles in Biberus's face twitched almost imperceptibly, but his eyes remained as cold as a frozen lake.
He did