"Father, Abaddon, Loken, and Torgaddon have all been locked in the dungeons. As for the others..."
Brutus stood beside Horus, his head slightly bowed, his bearing respectful and obedient.
His voice echoed through the spacious command chamber, as calm and composed as if he were delivering a routine report.
But he paused halfway through, as though weighing his next words, deciding which names he should speak and which he should withhold for now.
Horus stood before the enormous observation window in the center of the command chamber, his back to Brutus, gazing into the star-studded void beyond.
His hands were clasped behind his back, his posture rigid and erect, like a statue.
His breathing was steady and deep, without the slightest hint of emotion, as though the names Brutus reported—the warriors who had once fought beside him, whom he had regarded as his sons—no longer meant anything to him.
Brutus paused briefly, then continued, his voice mechanical and indifferent, as if reciting a list: "Company Captain Akton Cruz, Deputy Commander Kaebo—"
He recited countless names.
Among them were company commanders, officers of the Terminator forces, veterans who had earned great honors in the Battle of Ullanor, and young warriors who had distinguished themselves during the Great Crusade.
Every name represented a loyal warrior who had shed blood and sweat for the Sons of Horus Legion. Every name represented a soul who had once sworn to serve the Warmaster unto death.
Yet now, in Brutus's mouth, those names were merely a string of entries to be dealt with.
Horus continued to regard the star chart coldly, his eyes betraying not a trace of feeling.
His gaze moved slowly between the flickering points of light on the star chart, as though plotting the route of the next expedition, as though considering his