"Warmaster, Abaddon and the others have escaped."
Brutus's voice rang out across the bridge, low and cautious. He approached Horus, who stood before the enormous star chart display, and bowed his head slightly, waiting for the Warmaster's response.
Horus's expression was grave. His gaze remained fixed on the enormous star chart covering the entire wall, undisturbed by Brutus's report.
The chart was a miniature of the entire Milky Way Galaxy. Hundreds of millions of Stars and planets glittered in the darkness, while countless Shipping Routes intertwined like a spiderweb, linking the entire Imperium into a vast network.
Across that chart, the million-strong Fleet under Warmaster Horus was carrying out its purges with astonishing efficiency.
The ship icons, large and small, were sweeping through each warship in turn, eliminating those loyal to the Emperor and Lorgar.
Beside every warship's icon was an indicator of its status. Some had already turned green, marking the completion of the purge: the Loyalist Faction had been eliminated, and the warship was entirely in the Traitor Faction's hands.
Others still flashed yellow, indicating that fighting remained underway.
A handful had turned red, marking warships where the Loyalist Faction had successfully retaken control and was attempting to break away from the Warmaster's forces.
As warship after warship signaled the completion of its purge, green icons multiplied across the chart like a spreading plague, gradually covering the entire Fleet.
Yet a very few warships chose to break away from the Warmaster's forces. Their icons began moving across the chart, leaving the main Fleet's formation and heading toward the chart's edge, preparing to escape this blood-soaked star cluster with a warp jump.
Most, however, perished beneath salvos from the surrounding Fleets that had chosen betrayal.
Before the fleeing warships could activate their Warp Engines, friendly fire engulfed them from