Lysimachus Cestus - A Line is Drawn: The Furious Abyss maintained its silent vigil. Its crew identified one of the Loyalist vessels as belonging to Magnus the Red's bloodline. Zadkiel ordered a secure channel be opened to the Waning Moon. The Word Bearer demanded to know what this display of force was all about. Mhotep demanded to know in turn what the Word Bearers knew about the fate of The Fist of Macragge. Zadkiel feigned ignorance, and left the Thousand Sons commander with a dire warning: great deeds were unfolding, lines were being drawn. Flame and retribution was coming, and those who were on the wrong side of that line would be burned to ash. Zadkiel attempted to persuade Mhotep to his cause, but the Thousand Sons commander was unmoved by his entreaties. Mhotep informed the Word Bearers Fleet-Captain that his Battleship was to be boarded by the Loyalists. Having received his answer, Zadkiel ordered the Furious Abyss to fire a spread of torpedoes. They flew from the Furious Abyss towards the Waning Moon, which had positioned itself before the massive warship's prow. Starboard, a bank of laser batteries lit up at once, and beams of crimson light stabbed into the void. They struck the Fearless and the frigate was broken apart in a bright and silent flurry of blossoming explosions.In the subsequent battle that followed, Cestus' fleet was massacred by the giant Battleship. The Loyalists took disastrous losses: the Fearless and Waning Moon, Ferox, Ferocious and the Boundless were all left as rotting carcasses in the void. Cestus was shocked to his core. The Word Bearers had turned on their own. He had once admonished his brothers for even voicing mild dissent against a fellow Legionairy, and now, here they were at war against other Astartes. Cestus wondered how far such treachery went and whether it was confined merely to this single warship or now permeate the entire XVII Legion. Surely, with the vessel crafted by the Mechanicum, it had the sanction of Mars. Cestus wondered if even the Mechanicum were aware of the Word Bearers' betrayal of the Emperor. Such a thing could not be countenanced. With these questions running through his mind like a fever, Cestus found himself having difficulty actually believing what was happening.Satisfied with the destruction they had wrought, the Word Bearers aboard the Furious Abyss no longer wished to tarry and instead entered the Warp to continue on to Macragge. As it did so, it deployed a Psionic Mine into the Empyrean in order to disrupt the ability of a Navigator on any pursuing vessel to lead his starship through the Warp. Cestus and his remaining Loyalist vessels gave chase anyway, entering the Empyrean to follow the Word Bearer vessel as best they could. Though Cestus had countenanced returning to Terra to bring warning of the Word Bearers' betrayal, the Ultramarines Captain had decided against this course of action. They would pursue the Traitors and confront them when the time was right. They were now at war with their brothers, and they must prosecute the fight with all the strength and conviction that they would bring against any foe of Mankind. They would do so in the name of the Emperor, as always.