The first wave of drop pods forced their way down, disgorging dense ranks of Sons of Horus.
These rebels, armed to the teeth, brutally slaughtered the Imperial defenders near the landing zone, reducing them to chunks of flesh across the ground with their power swords and bolters.
The accompanying Chaos sorcerers began to cast their foul witchcraft. Under the influence of some inexplicable psychic force, vast numbers of automated defense systems centered around the landing zone began to crash and self-destruct.
Their Machine Spirits burned and unraveled, transforming into boiling primordial matter as though tainted by forge-fire. The corruption was so intense that no machine could withstand its assault.
"Vashtorr's power is quite useful. If we had to destroy these automated defense systems ourselves, we would surely pay a considerable price."
The Sons of Horus commander spoke with a smile, yet even distorted by his power armor's vox-grille, his voice retained an unnervingly hoarse quality.
His voice even echoed across the battlefield. That psychic reverberation tormented the defenders' nerves, driving them into madness and mutual slaughter.
"But can we truly continue trusting those Word Bearers?" one warrior asked, voicing his confusion and suspicion.
"Do not trust them completely, but do not treat them as complete enemies either. They betrayed their own primarch. Even Lorgar was slain and elevated to daemonhood by his son Angeltai's own hand. They have already proven their loyalty and fervor toward the great cause."
Ever since Angeltai had forced Lorgar to ascend to daemonhood, the Word Bearers had split into two factions.
The smaller faction chose to follow the Dark Apostle Layak. They had nearly integrated into the Sons of Horus Legion, becoming their exclusive psychic advisers and masters of sorcery.
The Word Bearers under Angeltai's command were more independent. Most of them were Possessed Marines,