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TalOS realized he was silent, too silent. It has been nine point three seconds since Perterabo made his declaration about there being no good Legionnaires. Such wording told TalOS that he did not believe that there were any good people among his ranks.
That is where the issue lied.
“Perterabo, I am able to comprehend what it was you thought. That you looked upon the Fourth Legion and saw them wanting. If circumstances were different I would even commend you on avenging the sons that I lost to such incompetence.” TalOS told his brother as he reached over to crush his hand, “But you do not fully comprehend what it is your actions have caused. The alienation of your brothers, the perception of yourself among the masses, and even your own Legion. Of those several hundred Astartes you have ordered to die was thousands of man-hours worth of experience as well as future warfare. It was a waste.”
The Primarch barked with a stern face of iron, “I did what I did because it needed to be done. Those who now look down upon me are fools who I will never consider an ally. To think you, a <span class="mu-i">Priest of the Machine God</span> was the one to confront me speaks volume of our brothers. What is your aim, brother?”
“To comprehend the truth that you have now given me.” TalOS told Perturabo without issue.
“But then what?” He followed up with a viper’s tongue, “Do you intend for me to repent for my actions? I have sinned in the view of your god because I waste perfectly good men. I have heard about you brother so try to evangelize me so that I can deny you like I have all others.”
TalOS was aware after his first outburst that his brother did not like his kind, but it seemed that the Priests of his home world soured him on the concept of a god. A moment later TalOS thought about it, for what would he think of his brother if he worshiped gods other than the Machine God? Worse, what if the gods he worshiped were one of their many faced enemies.
“You misunderstand what it is the Mechanicum brings to you. We do not desire to make more worshippers out of the Emperor’s Servants. As according to the Treaty of Olympus we are to keep our religious matters upon our Forge Worlds.” TalOS countered his brother with a sharp eye, “What I came to you today was to see if you were an idiot or a fool. I have found you are neither and like all men possess a view utterly unique to yourself.”
“Then what do you think?” Perturabo ordered his brother to speak as TalOS could now taste a sense of interest within his voice.
Was this interest a desire to refute whatever TalOS said? Or maybe his brother seeked to listen to what TalOS had to say.
