A Core Ship From The Start Chapter 1021

Chapter 1021: Chapter 702 Rebuttal Chapter 1021: Chapter 702 Rebuttal As Duanmu Huai had said, Horus would not let things rest.

The Sixty Second Expedition Fleet was gathering once again, but finding that mysterious ship fleet in the Istvan star system was nearly impossible.

Horus now looked fierce and grim. He had made a deal with those intangible existences from subspace, who had promised to obscure the brilliance of the Star Torch, isolating them so that the communication between those fleets would be severed. But Horus didn't know if that would be effective against that fleet.

The dregs of the fallen, the lackeys of the Evil God.

Horus clenched his fists. The curses of the others still echoed in his ears. But this time, Horus's inner turmoil wasn't anger, it was doubt. Clearly from what they said, they knew what subspace entities were and thought he had submitted himself to those mysterious beings… No!

With a sudden motion, Horus slammed his fist onto the table.

He was not any Evil God's lackey; this was simply a trade. Ares had made it clear: they couldn't affect the real world. They only hoped to maintain the safety of both worlds, to prevent the Emperor from becoming a terrifying deity. And what he had done was nothing more than utilizing their power. It was a mutual exchange, taking what each needed. One could even say Horus was using these Evil Gods for his own purposes!

He was no Evil God's lacky!

Thud… Thud… Thud…

There came footsteps. Horus looked up to see Mortarion walking in.

“The World Eaters are furious. They demand we search for that fleet immediately. They have sworn to take revenge for their Primarch.”

“They will have their wish.”

Horus spoke coldly. Without Angellon, the World Eaters had no place in his plans. One such uncontrollable risk was enough; he did not wish for a second.

“Will they come?”

“This is their only chance.”

Horus gritted his teeth. The Sixty Second Fleet had not suffered heavy losses, but several warships had been sunk and many more needed repairs. The ferocity of the enemy's firepower had exceeded his expectations. Moreover, the gunnery officer told him that their rate of fire, range, and response capabilities were far superior to his own fleet.

That was why that mysterious ship fleet could take on four opponents and still retreat unscathed.

And they had taken many Loyalist Warriors with them.

Blessed by the Emperor?

At that thought, Horus let out a cold laugh.

No one could bless you; not that False God.

You all have but one path: death.

At that moment, within the Tribunal's fleet, the atmosphere was equally heavy.

Luo Ken, Taviz, and Garo met, their expressions all very grave.

“Everyone is dejected.”

Luo Ken was the first to speak, a trace of exhaustion on his face.

“We know we need to escape the Istvan Star System, to head towards Terra, to report Horus's rebellion to the Emperor. But now, I worry whether there will be a second split among us.”

Hearing Luo Ken speak, the others' expressions changed slightly. In the past, the Astarte were like brothers–none would have pointed their weapons at another. But now, everything had collapsed. Horus's betrayal, the massacre on Istvan III, had shattered all the rules they had relied on.

But more importantly, it was their attitude towards the Emperor.

The majority of the Star Warriors sent to the surface were veterans. Like Taviz and Garo, they had served in the Legion before the Emperor found his Primarch; they were the staunchest supporters of the Emperor and held the Imperial Truth as an absolute belief.

However, now that things had transpired, the Imperial Truth which was once held as faith was nothing but a lie, clearer than ever. Their War Marshal had been changed by evil Strength, their brethren and brothers had embraced Chaos and become unspeakable monsters. In such circumstances, to have them believe in the Imperial Truth again was clearly a fantasy.

Then, for the veterans, another issue arose.

If the Imperial Truth was a lie, was the Emperor still worthy of their trust?

Before, they had no time to ponder this question. Those Astarte were only focused on surviving, striving to protect themselves from the lethal gas, flames, and the pursuit of their own kind. So they fought single-mindedly, counterattacking. But now, as they sat exhausted and battered in the quiet cabins, they had to reconsider this issue.

Is the Emperor still worthy of our trust?

Do we truly still owe allegiance to the Emperor?

If the Imperial Truth is a lie, what meaning is there in what we've been fighting for? What meaning does the Great Crusade have?

Luo Ken now realized that he understood Horus's thinking, but he hadn't chosen to give up. Unfortunately, not everyone would make the same choice.

“We need direction.”

“So that's why you let that woman preach among them?”

Garo frowned.

“You know what I saw? A mortal standing on the pulpit, spouting nonsense that the Emperor is the True God, and before her, hundreds of Astarte kneeling. This scene reminded me of the worlds we conquered during the Great Crusade–those preachers of the Imperial Truth, and their audiences! Now that we've lost the Imperial Truth, are we to place our faith in intangible deities?”

Chapter end

Report