After a bout of intense mental sparring from across the void, the two Primarchs—meeting for the first time—decided to commit their full strength to assisting one another. Both were determined to ensure that their first physical meeting as genetic brothers would not be marred by a single shred of unpleasantness.
Following the plan established during their vox-link, Perturabo's fleet surged into the war zone. They launched a blistering offensive against the Ork fleet that was currently preoccupied with the Luna Wolves. This maneuver successfully drew the attention of the greenskins, buying Horus and his sons the breathing room they desperately needed.
As expected, the sudden assault from a fresh Imperial force threw the Ork fleet into a temporary state of confusion.
However, the Orks' warlike nature soon transformed that bewilderment into raw ecstasy. From the highest Warboss down to the lowliest Gretchin, the entire greenskin host was eager to test its mettle against this new Imperial reinforcements.
The Orks abandoned their encirclement of Horus and pivoted toward Perturabo. In their primitive logic, the beleaguered Luna Wolves were no longer an "exciting" fight, whereas this incoming Imperial force promised a renewed thrill of combat.
Faced with the black tide of Ork vessels charging toward him, Perturabo remained unmoved. This was the moment his "thick-armored and heavy-gunned" strategy was built for. Only warships possessing the most resilient plating and the most devastating batteries could remain as unshakeable as boulders in a river under such an onslaught.
The Fourth Legion engaged the Ork fleet head-on. Under the saturated fire of the Iron Warriors' batteries, several Ork raiders were instantly pulverized, their remains blooming into violent explosions.
Yet, such casualties did not instill fear in the greenskins. Instead, it fueled their bloodlust, driving even more Ork ships to ram into the Iron Warriors' formations, seeking to settle scores with these "big gray gitz."
As the Orks shifted their focus, the pressure on Horus vanished. This allowed the Luna Wolves to initiate rapid damage-control procedures. Technicians and Astartes worked frantically to patch the scars and internal damage on their vessels, ensuring they could return to the fray in short order.
Perturabo needed Horus's support, but the Luna Wolves required this brief window for emergency repairs before they could commit once more.
While the Sixteenth Legion rested and refitted, Perturabo endured wave after wave of Ork suicide charges. Had he not modified his fleet specifically for endurance and firepower, the Iron Warriors' lines might have been shattered by the sheer savagery of the greenskin push.
Instead, the Legion flagship, the Iron Blood, stood like a solid anchor. Around this core, the Fourth Legion fleet held its ground, repelling every Ork assault.
Finally, as the Luna Wolves concluded their repairs and regrouped, Horus Lupercal ordered his fleet back into the battle, flanking the Orks already engaged with Perturabo.
The sudden return of a fully operational Luna Wolves fleet caught the Orks off guard. Having assumed the Sixteenth Legion was spent, they had overcommitted their strength to Perturabo's flank.
Now, Horus delivered a surprise—a massive one.
The Lupercal showed the xenos why the Luna Wolves were hailed as one of the finest Astartes Legions in the Imperium. With their intervention, the Ork fleet—which moments ago had been arrogantly battering Perturabo—was now caught in a pincer. The tide of war shifted decisively toward humanity.
Orks are born for war, but they are not fools. Realizing the tactical situation had become untenable, the greenskins chose the better part of valor. They abandoned their assault on the Iron Warriors and executed a hasty retreat, breaking warp or scattering into the void to escape.
With the Ork withdrawal, a campaign that had initially looked dire for Horus ended in a resounding Imperial victory.
Bridge of the Iron Blood.
Perturabo gazed through the viewports at the aftermath. The void was littered with the drifting wreckage of Ork scrap-ships and the scarred hulls of Imperial vessels. While the Iron Warriors' losses in this engagement were negligible, the combined toll for the Imperium, including the Luna Wolves' earlier struggle, was significant. This was the reality of the Great Crusade: an endless cycle of sacrifice to purge the xenos and bring rebellious human worlds back to the fold.
"My Lord, we are victorious. We have successfully relieved Lord Horus's crisis. Surely, you have left a profound impression upon him," Forrix said, standing beside his gene-father.
"Indeed. Horus, the First Found, owes me his gratitude. I have saved his life," Perturabo replied, nodding slowly.
The Iron Tsar was already calculating the political capital gained from this victory. To him, the benefits were manifold.
"My Lord, Lord Horus has just sent a communication. He invites you aboard the Vengeful Spirit to celebrate our victory. He also wishes to personally meet his newly returned brother," another trusted officer, Captain Suvorov of the Second Company, reported while kneeling.
"Horus wishes to see me? Very well. It is time I meet him as well. I must see for myself what kind of man the First Found—my elder brother—truly is. I must know if he is an elder brother worthy of my trust and respect."
Perturabo nodded, his voice cold and deliberate as he accepted the invitation.