'For you to absolve yourself from this undertaking and restore your command, you are to swear allegiance only unto me and my Astartes.' Stated Ultio, his face unreadable.

 

The Lord Commander could not quite believe what was being asked of him, surely he had misheard. Surely the Emperors son had not just asked him to break loyalty with the Imperium of Man. The very domain he and his nineteen brothers -well those whom have already been found- were fighting to forge under orders of their father in order to conquer the galaxy for mankind. 'Your price is that I swear allegiance only unto you, sire?'

 

Ulito Ultionis merely nodded in reply, fixing the Lord Commander with an unflinching stare. Lord Antioch did not reply right away, surely this was some sort of test, surely the Emperors son would not turn from his father. The Princeps Majoris had told him only moments ago that the code the Emperors Judgement followed one of the tenets was honesty, then again what if Ultio was being honest now. What if they had abandoned all thoughts of honour in pursuit of personal glory.

 

'Sire, I do not understand surely I have misheard.' Replied Lord Antioch, surely he was wrong. The hair on his neck stood up on end and his stomach tightened in disgust of even the thought of breaking his oaths of loyalty to the Imperium of Man. 'What you ask of me goes against the oath sworn to the Emperor of Mankind by every servant in the Imperium. Dare I say it goes against the oath that you swore to your own father? You would have me renounce my oath to the Emperor and join forces with you?'

 

'I would.' Stated Ultio matter of factly his gaze still unwavering. 'Is this too much to ask for the price of absolution?'

 

Lord Antioch could not fathom why Ultio Ultionis was asking him to renounce his loyalty to the Imperium, perhaps he was organising a coup to topple his father. Perhaps this was the opening moves in a civil war, perhaps the Emperors son was to strike at the heart of Imperial Governance. Lord Antioch slowly got to his feet and took several steps away from the Primarch, Ultio and his Astartes remained motionless. Lord Antioch knew his forces were still down to one knee, but they would stand and strike the Astartes at but a command.

 

'I would have your answer, Lord Commander.' Stated Ultio.

 

'I am a loyal servant of the Imperium of Man!' cried the Lord Commander, his teeth bared in disgust. Lord Antioch activated the power sword and held it high above his head 'To Arms! To Arms!'

 

The cry was taken up by his Myrmidon forces whom now rushed to their feet, they levelled their eight metre long Sarissa's at the enemy they did so without hesitation. Lord Antioch had never been so proud in his entire life. The Myrmidon Lancers formed savage hedgehog formations daring the Astartes to charge, the spear points glowing an angry red as their power plants were activated. The Princeps Majoris and the Explorator Magos hurriedly made for the still open blast doors that led further into the Achilles companionways, the Master of the Fleet advanced to stand shoulder to shoulder with his Lord Commander.

 

'Primarch Ultio Ultionis, I decree you as a traitor of humanity. I order you and your Legion to stand down and surrender unto me until such a time that arrangements can be made to hand you and your traitorous sons over to the true and rightful ruler of the galaxy.'

 

The Primarch smirked. 'Do you think you could really take us on, you and your rabble sporting pig sticks?'

 

Sensing imminent bloodshed the Myrmidon Lancers advanced in lockstep to stand behind the Lord Commander in a continuous battle line, due to their length the spear points of the first eight ranks were protecting the first rank of soldiers. The Astartes responded in kind, the Terminators took up position in the centre whereas the shielded warriors redeployed taking up flanking positions.

 

Lord Antioch's mind was swimming he was actually contemplating the likelihood of victory in a clash of his three thousand Myrmidon Lancers against one hundred twenty seven Astartes and a Primarch. Aboard the flagship there were several hundred thousand more soldiers but they were stood down as up until now there was no need to be on a war footing. There were men at arms guarding the companionways but they would offer little resistance in the opening stages of an attack.

 

The Lord Commander doubted the rest of the Myrmidon forces aboard could coordinate quick enough to counter the Astartes. The Myrmidons could no doubt take out several Astartes but he was under no allusions that the enemy forces would slaughter them and escape or take the ship. Despite the unlikelihood of victory they would fight nonetheless, they had sworn an oath to do so and they would die before breaking that oath.

 

'You are really contemplating fighting us aren't you?' stated Ultio.

 

'The choice you offer is no choice at all!' declared Lord Antioch.

 

At some unseen and unheard command the two remaining Stormbird's at the centre of the formation slammed down. Stomping down the ramps were what the Lord Commander could only describe as four colossal walking sarcophagi. Lord Antioch knew what they were, they were Dreadnoughts. They each bore an Assault Cannon affixed to one arm, the other they bore a Power Fist with an underslung Heavy Flamer. The Dreadnoughts took up flanking positions on the outer wings. Lord Antioch had to contemplate that more than likely these Dreadnoughts were fully armed, plus the Astartes in the shield wall had bolters too. If it came to bloodshed then it would be a short but bloody firefight and his warriors were without firearms.

 

If the Lord Commander could not win in a straight up fight then he had to change tactics, he would treat them as if they were no more than any other boarders who might carry the vessel. Lord Antioch raised his sword in the air. 'Caparent Eos!'

 

The effects of the command could not be seen immediately, Ultio merely looked amused, his expression delved into the realms of bemusement when the blast doors to the embarkation deck as well as the blast doors leading to the companionways slammed shut with a violent shudder akin to an earthquake. There were many aftershocks, but Lord Antioch knew that these were not echo's, they were actually bulkheads sealing throughout the Achilles, the vessel was going into lockdown –behind each sealed blast door would be thousands of Myrmidons ready to repel boarders.

 

'You do plan to fight us!' exclaimed Ultio, the amusement evident in his voice. 'You have no hope of victory. I have brought with me to this system all three Orders of my First Great Order, nigh on fifteen thousand Astartes. Our fleet components alone outguns yours three to one, the first salvo would decimate your fighting capability in one blow.'

 

'Oh no, you bastard son of the Emperor.' Countered Lord Antioch, his face twisting into a feral grin. Below their feet the deck began to tremble violently, the Lord Commander gestured to the floor. 'You feel that? That is the vibrations caused by the reactor of the Achilles being forcefully overloaded. Your time in this mortal coil is limited, yes you could destroy my fleet in one blow but your sons would never destroy this vessel while their father was still aboard and you could not fight your way clear of the this ship or to the reactor before the Achilles self-destructs taking a great many of your wretched sons with you.'

 

'You would destroy yourself and your forces in the process?' Retorted Ultio, if he was intimidated by the fast unfolding events he did not show it. 'You sought help in the first place as you had gotten your brothers and sisters killed, you would not murder them now in cold blood, you are bluffing.'

 

'I pleaded for reinforcements as I believed that my actions were wrong therefore I feared that I had wasted their lives.' Bit back Lord Antioch. 'I am under no allusions of my burden of command, that my actions either right or wrong will mean that my beloved Myrmidons will be killed. In this situation I know in my heart I am right and I will sacrifice my entire armed host if needs be in order to ensure that you do not leave this vessel alive to spread your corruption further.'

 

The Primarch of the Eleventh Legion smiled, robbing Lord Antioch of all anger. 'Then Lord Commander Victor Antioch, leader of the 393rd Expeditionary Fleet that is good enough for me.' The Emperors son gestured to his subordinates 'Stand down my sons, stand down.'

 

In a set of simultaneous fluid motions every Astartes warrior stood down taking a less aggressive stance. The Myrmidon Lancers were still in a combat formation their Sarissa's glowing an angry red, but confusion was wrought across their faces. A mere moment ago they were about to go to war with the XI Legio Astartes, now they did not know what was happening.

 

This confusion was echoed thrice-fold with Lord Commander Antioch, whom still held his great sword activated and in an en garde fighting stance. 'You surrender?'

 

Ultio took a few steps towards the Lord Commander, his hands wide in a welcoming pose with a beatific smile. 'I am afraid I feel there is an apology to be given, Lord Commander. There will be no surrender as there is no reason for my forces to surrender.'

 

'What!' exclaimed Lord Antioch. 'You have turned from your father, there is every reason for you to surrender to me.'

 

'There lies the reason for my apology.' Replied Ultio. 'For I have not turned from my father or renounced my oaths to the Imperium, I am afraid that this was all a ruse.'

 

'What?' asked Lord Antioch, his mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. 'Why would you do such a thing?'

 

'To reforge this undertaking.' Replied Ultio, still smiling. 'With the loss of you this expedition would have fallen apart. Even if you were replaced the Myrmidons would be a spent force as it was your actions casting down the governor of your home world that granted Myrmidon a place in the Great Crusade.

 

'You have it in you to be a great leader of men and bring manifold worlds into compliance but you have forgotten that or dare I say that you've never believed that. My ruse was to awaken you to that fact and my strategy has proven successful. You have resisted the temptation of corruption. You have faced down one of the Emperors own sons and in the face of incalculable odds you have maintained your honour and upheld the oath you swore to remain loyal even under the threat your death and everything you hold dear. You have proven your worthiness of command unto yourself and your loyal Myrmidons.'

 

Lord Antioch's shoulders sagged and he let out a long sigh of relief. 'You have taught me a great lesson this day, my Lord.'

 

'Not bad for the bastard son of the Emperor, eh?' asked Ultio while smirking, he held up a hand to ward off Lord Antioch's apology. 'And I might add not bad for the son of a grox herder, now that we are back on the same side so to speak might you grant your ally a favour?'

 

'Anything my Lord.' Replied Lord Antioch.

 

'Then might you cease the overload of your flagships reactor.' Stated Ultio in an amused tone. 'For I would like to survive long enough, so that we might conquer the world we orbit.'

 

Lord Antioch's eyes widened in horror with the revelations set upon him by Ultio he had quite forgotten the order to destroy his flagship, he had even ceased to feel the titanic tremors threatening to tear the ship apart even before the reactor went critical. Lord Antioch turned to his Master of the Fleet.

 

'It shall be done.' Said Tobias, without needing to be ordered. With a sigh of relief he made the sign of the Aquila and took his leave. Within moments the great ship quakes ceased though aftershocks could be felt at irregular intervals.

 

Lord Antioch took a backward glance to his Myrmidons, they were still in a combat formation waiting to strike at a moment's notice, the heat from their Sarissa's was hazing the air. 'Stand down.'

 

As if part of a single body the Myrmidons reset their formation to a neutral stance turning off their spears power plants and shouldering their Sarissa's with a cohesion that rivalled the Astartes. With the threat removed from both sides the Myrmidons filed into columns and headed to the now opened blast doors. The dreadnoughts, Terminators and shielded Astartes fell back to the Stormbird's, the cadre of seven officers formed up around their Primarch.

 

'I trust you have a space aboard your fine vessel to enact a War Council?' asked Utlio.

 

'Of course, sire. This way please.' Lord Antioch replied, he gestured for them to follow. The Lord Commander felt as if he had been fighting for thirty years straight, he was exhausted and in truth he had been through the greatest battle of his life and startlingly he had won. He had proven to himself that he was worthy of command and now he had a world to won, this would not be a Paradise lost.