His gaze turned to the other side, to Commissar Oli, whose expression was conflicted.
"Commissar Oli."
"...Present, Warmaster." Oli stood, still looking somewhat stiff.
"I will appoint you Commissar-General of the Zelanis Defense Force. You will be responsible for reorganizing all local Astra Militarum and militia units."
"I need a disciplined, well-equipped... Imperialis Militia. They will become the cornerstone of our efforts to protect our home."
"I... I understand, Warmaster." He took a deep breath and gave Horus a crisp military salute. "I will see it done!"
Two down.
Finally, Horus's gaze settled on the silent Space Marines.
This was the toughest nut to crack.
"We have an arsenal and a mortal army. But an Expeditionary Force also needs its spearhead, its cutting edge."
"We need... more Space Marines."
He looked at the pure gene-seed belonging to the eighteen Legions, all of it "liberated" from Solemnace.
"I have decided to rebuild... all the Legiones Astartes here on Zelanis."
"Not just yours." His gaze swept over the Blood Angels, the Imperial Fists, the Space Wolves...
"But also... our lost brothers."
His gaze settled on Letorion, the loyal Emperor's Children captain, and the warriors of the Luna Wolves.
"The Emperor's Children, the Luna Wolves, the Iron Warriors, the Night Lords, the World Eaters..."
With every name he spoke, Alcato's expression darkened further.
When Horus finished naming all the traitor Legions, the Imperial Fists captain could no longer contain himself.
"Warmaster!" He shot to his feet and roared in fury. "Absolutely not! This is... sacrilege! Blasphemy! Those Legions have long since been corrupted by Chaos! Their gene-seed is the source of the curse! How could we... how could we rebuild an army of... traitors?!"
His words immediately struck a chord with every Loyalist Space Marine present.
"Alcato is right! We cannot take that