In the early stages of the war, Sigismund had already followed Dorn's plan and forcibly withdrawn the Imperial Fists fleet guarding the Gemini Gates toward Terra.
Although many escort ships and battleships had suffered damage or even sunk in order to shake off the pursuit of the Sons of Horus and the Iron Warriors, most of their fighting strength had still been preserved.
That resolve, like cutting off one's arm to save the body, meant that the Imperial Fists fleet still possessed the strength to fight.
And now, the rebels' greed and recklessness had turned against them. Not only had they failed to swallow a crucial wartime hub like the Gemini Gates in one bite, but their own vanguard fleet had also suffered devastating losses when the satellite fortresses self-destructed.
Aximand had still underestimated the Imperium's resolve. He had not expected the Imperial defensive forces to forgo holding their positions and turning the war into a war of attrition more favorable to them. Instead, they had seized the opportunity and struck back in a suicidal, mutual-destruction attack.
This was not merely because the Imperial commanders had the courage to carry out such an exceedingly dangerous plan. It was also the result of the widespread adoption of thought conditioning.
When commanders issued suicidal orders to hold the rear or self-destruct, the Imperial forces carrying them out showed not the slightest hesitation or delay. They obeyed their orders completely.
It was not only the mortal auxilia. Even among the mortal technicians maintaining the satellite fortresses and the Gemini Gates, each acting as a tiny cog keeping the systems running, not one had chosen to defy the order.
Thought conditioning could suppress the irrational side of humanity, ensuring that even in desperate circumstances, human weakness would not gain the upper hand.
Without the