"I stand ready to obey any command you give, Father."
Brutus's voice echoed through the hall, not loud, but steady as a riverbed stone worn smooth by the current. Every word was clear and firm, without the slightest tremor or hesitation.
He maintained his salute, his head slightly bowed but his back ramrod straight. Like the 42nd Company he commanded, he might not have been dazzling, but he was utterly dependable.
His grey eyes calmly met Horus's scrutiny. There was no feverish urge to prove himself in them, nor any fear at this sudden opportunity, only an almost instinctive obedience and steadfast readiness tempered by long years of service.
"If this is your test of me," he continued, "then I am ready."
That composure, that certainty which needed no elaboration, drew a slight nod from Little Horus Aximand beside him.
"Father, based on my long observation of Company Captain Brutus and his performance in the Great Crusade, I, Aximand, am willing to vouch for him with my honour and judgement. He possesses the experience, the temperament, and the steadiness of judgement under pressure that such a grave responsibility demands."
Horus's gaze lingered on Aximand's resolute face for a moment, then returned to Brutus.
He gave a low hum that sounded especially deep within the grand hall. It was not a simple assent, but an unconscious expression of the thoughts churning within him.
He did not decide at once. A complex light flickered in his double-pupilled eyes, deliberation, memory, expectation, and a trace of something indefinable—a father's consideration—all intertwined.
His gaze moved slowly, finally settling on Garviel Loken.
This young Commander, who had succeeded the legendary Hastur Sejanus as a member of the Four Kings Council, stood quietly there. His pearl-white armour lent his youthful features an even sharper cast, though