Edge of the Solar System. Urth chanicus Battleship.
"Hooooly crap... what a damn show!"
Eden stared at the surveillance display, where Mars was now completely encircled by fleet after fleet after fleet.
He was stunned.
The tech-priests had arrived for Mars' 'birthday bash' just as expected—but the scale was beyond even his imagination.
He had clearly underestimated just how important the cha Forum was to those tech-heads.
As for that arrogant bastard Oud Oudia Raskian? He'd severely underestimated it.
So many fleets arriving in such synchronization—this had clearly been brewing for a long ti.
Probably the mont Oudia issued the ban, maybe even before that, many Forge Worlds had already decided they wanted him dead.
And a coordinated assault of this magnitude?
Hard to believe it wasn't backed by soone.
Most likely... his dear old buddy, Roboute Guilliman, the Regent of the Imperium.
After all, Big G was a Primarch—with a mind as vast as a star system, and the greatest logistical strategist in Imperial history.
He could micromanage an entire sector's fleet, down to adjusting a single turret's arc by centiters.
For maximum effect.
Eden suddenly realized—Guilliman always looked so polite, so calm and pleasant.
But when it counted? The guy was a world-class scher.
This whole cha Forum incident? It had to be Guilliman's opening move.
And now? The Fabricator General was about to be annihilated.
What was more suspicious—Guilliman hadn't made a single comnt on the whole incident. Not even a public statent.
He just sat there.
Watching.
Letting the storm gather.
Maybe... just maybe... Big G knew the cha Forum was run by soone close to Eden.
And now he was leveraging that montum to consolidate the chanicus, turning it into a more unified asset for the Indomitus Crusade.
"Damn... I better start watching my back around that guy," Eden muttered.
"No one who plays politics keeps clean hands."
He'd nearly been fooled by that noble Primarch act.
Compared to him, Eden felt like a naive little kid.
Thank the Emperor that he was operating in the shadows, while Big G was in the spotlight.
At least he had the intel edge for now.
But as he thought more about Mars and the carnage brewing—
"What if I get caught in the crossfire?" he muttered.
Just as he considered not going—
"GO GO GO! Full speed! We have to get to Mars ASAP!"
Kaul scread excitedly, personally piloting the ship into short-range warp.
Given the current state of things?
They had to move fast.
Or by the ti they got there, there wouldn't even be scraps of Oudia left.
"Wha—Hey!"
Before Eden could stop him, the ship had already jumped.
"Welp... we're here. Might as well enjoy the fireworks."
However, once they arrived near Mars, their ship slowed—
And then stopped entirely.
Because Mars' orbit was blocked by gridlock.
Too many damn tech-priests had arrived with their fleets.
Eden and company weren't even late—but the ones behind them were already spilling over into Terra's airspace.
Who would've thought—
That these usually quiet, lab-bound tech-nerds had this many ships stashed away?
And looking at their loadouts?
Most were kitted with gear better than the Navy's own vessels.
Clearly, they'd been hoarding the best toys for themselves all this ti.
Eden stared at the swarming screen of ships.
This much firepower could easily vaporize Mars—
And if the Imperium did anything stupid to provoke them?
They might take Terra out for fun too.
Wouldn't that be a cosmic joke.
...
Mars – Iron Ring.
This was the base of the Imperial Navy's fleet.
One of the strongest fleets in the entire Imperium—the Solar Fleet—was stationed here.
Their commander?
Currently drenched in cold sweat.
"Damn that bastard! Running off and leaving this dumpster fire to !"
The fleet commander wiped his forehead and cursed.
The Lord Admiral of the Navy—one of the High Lords—had "conveniently" left for a "eting" as soon as tensions began on Mars.
And now he was comfortably hiding on Terra.
aning he was now the highest-ranking officer at Navy HQ.
The one who had to deal with this clusterfuck.
And just now?
That bastard Admiral had the nerve to ssage him—
Telling him to "calmly handle the chanicus situation and avoid escalation."
anwhile, over on Terra—
The other High Lords were freaking out.
Those tech-head maniacs had co in way too fast and way too strong.
The High Lords were praying this conflict would end quickly—and not reach Terra.
Deploy forces?
Don't be ridiculous!
Most of the chanicus had already massed at Mars.
Almost half the entire tech-priest population of the Imperium had gathered—
Right next to Terra!
And if they tried mobilizing troops?
What if they triggered those madn?
Who knew what kind of star-killing forbidden tech those ships might be hiding?
So—
The Solar defense fleet remained completely static.
Planetary defenses didn't budge.
Pretending like nothing was wrong.
They were doing their best to play dead.
"Don't notice us, don't notice us, don't notice us..."
They knew—
Tech-priests hated High Lords.
Especially the political ones.
If those mad scientists got carried away and stord Terra after they were done with Mars—
Well, that'd be ga over.
And let's be honest—
Even if they wiped out every High Lord on Terra,
no one in the Imperium would even care.
The chanicus wouldn't get punished.
They'd probably just bla Chaos and rewrite the whole story.
Hell, the High Lords had done that themselves enough tis.
anwhile—
So High Lords, particularly those not aligned with the Regent, started to suspect the worst.
Because without Guilliman's support, how could the chanicus have slipped into the Solar System so easily?
Clearly, the Primarch had influence inside the chanicus.
And this was a power move.
A show of force to remove the disobedient Fabricator General, Oudia.
If even soone like him could be crushed—
What chance did the rest of them have?
So High Lords began to panic.
Guilliman had fooled them all.
That gentle, polite image? A facade.
The real Guilliman was ruthless—and brilliant.
With the tech-priests' fleets sitting right outside Terra,
any misstep could an annihilation.
They weren't taking chances.
Every High Lord rushed to send star-telegrams to Guilliman— pledging loyalty, begging alliance.
Secretly prepping ships.
Just in case they had to flee the Solar System.
As the panic on Terra spread—
Mars' orbit grew ever more tense.
A war of massive proportions was about to begin.
...
Iron Ring – Navy HQ.
The fleet commander issued imdiate orders:
Lower all planetary shields.
Deactivate every weapon system.
Shut down ship engines.
Play dead.
Do not provoke the tech-priests.
Even the conservative chanicus on the Iron Ring had no objections.
Scratch that—
They weren't conservatives anymore.
They were loyal supporters of the cha Forum.
They hated Oudia.
It was the only way to survive.
Even if they got purged later, at least they'd live today.
"Those bastards on Terra!!"
The commander cursed.
The High Lords had just sent another edict—
ordering him to personally appease the chanicus fleets and prevent further escalation.
An edict signed by the entire High Council.
He had no choice but to obey.
"Emperor protect your faithful servant..."
He looked up at the swarming armada.
If even 1% of these ships opened fire?
Just one volley.
And Navy HQ would be reduced to ashes.
He took a deep breath.
Wiped his forehead.
Then opened comms to all nearby fleets.
"To the Tech-Priests of the Adeptus chanicus—
By the Emperor, and in the na of the Solar Fleet, I welco you.
Your loyalty is beyond question.
Due to the massive influx of vessels, Mars' orbital lanes are congested.
But do not worry—we are working to clear the traffic for your swift arrival.
Given the heavy traffic, I offer a humble suggestion:
Perhaps you may coordinate to send elite representatives to the surface,
To formally purge the heretical traitor Oudia.
We ask for your patience and understanding.
Praise... Praise the Omnissiah!"
His voice cracked at the end.
This was the best solution he could think of.
If he didn't control the chaos—
Mars might be obliterated outright.
Was there really a traitor on Mars?
Who cares.
The chanicus had co to purge a heretic—
so one damn well better exist.
Luckily—
The chanicus fleets replied positively.
They agreed to coordinate and follow the Navy's recomndations.
They were here to destroy Oudia and the conservatives.
Not Mars.
Mars belonged to all of them. Not just him.
The Solar Fleet was then fully deployed to guide orbital traffic—
Opening lanes so the chanicus armies could land more efficiently on Mars.
...
Mars – Surface.
The sky was dark—blotted out by warships.
BOOOOM—
The red Ark "Oudia" exploded into a fireball after a synchronized forbidden-weapon barrage.
At the sa ti—
All conservative-aligned fleets who hadn't surrendered?
Annihilated.
Oudia watched in horror—terror overwhelming him.
"T-Treason!! This is treason against the chanicus! Treason against the Emperor!!
Send a distress call to Terra! Mobilize the Imperial fleets! Call the Custodes to defend sacred Mars!"
A trembling aide spoke up:
"My lord... we already sent distress calls. Terra replied that this is an internal chanicus matter.
They said... they have no authority to intervene.
And... the Custodes can't leave Terra under the Restriction Edict..."
Oudia froze.
Wait.
Wasn't it HIM who reinforced that edict?
Didn't HE tell Terra not to ddle in chanicus affairs?!
He'd cut off his own escape.
A wave of sha and helpless rage hit him.
The almighty Fabricator General... had beco a joke.
"No! I am the Fabricator General of Mars! A High Lord of the Imperium!
The chanicus can't function without ! The Imperium can't function without !"
Desperately, he activated his High Lord priority comms.
Tried to contact anyone.
All channels were blocked.
The other High Lords?
Running for the hills.
Didn't want to get a drop of his blood on their boots.
Politically, he was already dead.
His power base crumbled instantly.
His loyalists?
Already cutting ties—to save themselves.
"Damn you all!! You deserve to die!!"
Oudia lost it.
He fired blasts in every direction, destroying the Temple of the Frictionless Pistons.
The sacred oil pools beca a raging inferno.
After venting his fury—
He cald down.
This wasn't over yet.
He still had a backup plan.
"Activate the crane—take to the Temple of the Omnissiah!"
No response.
He turned—his aide was dead, head lted in the earlier blast.
The crane too—wrecked by his tantrum.
"DAMN IT!!!"
Crushing regret filled him.
He cursed the rebels for everything.
Screech—
Dragging himself along the ground, leaving oil and blood in his wake—
He crawled toward the Temple of the Omnissiah.
He had fortified it into a fortress.
Inside lay forbidden tech, unique Martian knowledge, and a secret escape teleporter—known only to him.
If he could just reach it—
He could escape.
Take priceless tech.
Flee to the Eye of Terror.
Join the Dark chanicus.
Let the chanicus and the Imperium see what they'd lost.
See how vital he truly was.
He crawled—closer and closer.
BOOM BOOM BOOM—
Explosions echoed behind him.
The allied tech-priests had landed.
Under the banner of purging heresy, they attacked the conservatives.
Orbital weapons struck with deadly precision, leveling bunkers.
They advanced toward the Temple.
But were t with resistance—Cybernetic Guards and over twenty Titans.
Oudia's most loyal forces.
BOOM BOOM!
Emperor-class Titans unleashed devastating attacks.
The tech-priests took casualties—
But retaliated with their own Titans, heavy weapons, and orbital strikes.
lta blasts. Missile barrages. Flars.
The entire zone beca a sea of carnage.
A Titan fell, engulfed in fire.
"OUDIA! YOUR GRANDPA KAUL IS HERE!"
Kaul floated in midair, covered in little Webby emblems, launching a full assault.
Armor-piercing missiles, corrosive acid, EMPs, ion beams, rapid-fire lta—
Even his massive black servoskull blasted deadly lasers.
Father and son swept the battlefield.
The tech-priests cheered.
Kaul had beco a battlefield legend.
Even the Emperor-class Titan aid its cannon at him—
Beep beep beep!
"Directive 13!" Kaul shouted.
The servoskull responded instantly:
"Threat detected. Target locked... DESTROY!"
Kaul raised his arms, as if welcoming divine fury.
"Praise the Machine Goddess!"
BOOOOOM—
A crimson beam from orbit vaporized the Titan.
The surrounding guards were obliterated.
"PRAISE THE MACHINE GODDESS!!"
Morale soared. The tech-priests attacked with even greater fury.
So failed though—
Dragging out weak lab weapons, getting mocked by their ntors.
Still, the line advanced.
...
Temple of the Omnissiah.
"I will be redeed. The rebels shall know pain!"
Oudia was almost at the shield.
He'd escape. He'd strike back.
He dragged his ruined body—
ZIIIIP—
A black beam carved a trench in front of him.
"?!"
He stared in confusion—his chanical arm was lted clean off.
Thunk!
Barbed tal hooks pierced his body.
Then pulled.
"No!"
He jamd his arms into the ground—
But the force ripped them off.
He was dragged back—
into the arms of the rebels.
He was surrounded.
Dozens of tech-priests stared him down.
He broke.
His voice trembled with static—almost sobbing.
"Omnissiah... can we... c-can we talk this out? I'm willing to give you anything..."
"OUDIA, F* YOU!!**"
Stygies VIII's Forge Director launched in with a gravity hamr—
CRACK!
"NO—PLEASE—!"
Oudia's head was shattered.
"FORUM BROS, GET HIM!!"
Kaul, the cha Forum's most addicted tech-priest, led the charge—
The tech-priests sward the fallen tyrant.
(End of Chapter)
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