The Lord of Iron and Steel
Perturabo couldn't help but feel conflicted about his brother's father. He knows that what his brother's father was doing is breaking every conceivable notion of what he knows about the fundamental laws of conventional warfare. Not only did was his forces the first one to break the most heavily fortified defense line within the planet, his brother's father's forces was also the one that maintained the least amount of causalities within the three army groups via his unconventional way of conducting aerial warfare.
When he saw the pict-recordings of his brother's father work, Perturabo still couldn't comprehend the way he conducted his maneuvers: flying with his equipped 'wings' and dropping an enormous amount of square-looking explosives towards the unsuspecting defenders.
Despite the successful Compliance of Grenouille, Perturabo couldn't help but feel jealous and, most strikingly to him, envious of his brother. Why couldn't he have landed upon Nuceria? Why did Perturabo had to land in a planet filled with paranoia and suspicion? Out of everyone within Olympia and the greater Imperium, the only people he's close with was his adopted sister Calliphone and his brother Magnus.
To see his brother laughing and enjoying the company of someone that he could fight side by side with, invokes a deep-seeded jealousy that Perturabo couldn't help but feel.
The two individual's actions were interrupted when Perturabo neared them, his stoic countenance stopping their actions. Nevertheless, his brother and his brother's adopted father welcomed him wholeheartedly despite their strenuous first meeting. Were they this friendly towards any individual they come across? If so, then it's a weakness that many would be taking advantage of, especially by the Imperium's nobility.
"Bloody good job right there, Perturabo! You've raised a capable Legion, if I say so myself." Angron's father praised, as Perturabo saw his brother nod to his father's words.
"That they are, brother. And I must say, I could see the potential of my legion learning alongside yours. That is, if you'd allow it." Angron remarked with Perturabo blinking before he woodenly turned his head towards Angron.
"Truly?" He simply questioned as numerous possibilities run through his mind on why he'd propose that offer to him. He knows that he's a bitter and jaded man and it was one the main reasons that he lacked any close relationships with his brothers, with the exception of Magnus, whom he sees himself except with Magnus' focus more on the... esoteric nature of the universe.
"Yes. Me and my father, alongside the World Council, agreed that there's much we could learn from you in regards to conducting siege warfare and creating impressive planetary defenses only seen within your legion. In exchange for our Legions working side by side, we'd teach you some of the skills that we've kept secret from the rest of the Imperium." Angron explained as Perturabo's mind whirled at his brother's words. It is one thing to coordinate with other legions and willingly learn from each other, but offering their secrets to a Legion they've only met?
Preposterous yet very intriguing.
Noting his silence, Angron turned to look at his father before speaking, "I shall return back to the Enterprise and coordinate with our forces to ensure the Compliance of the planet. I'll await your answer then, brother. Father." Then, before Perturabo could answer to him, Angron and his cadre of World Eaters departed to their Thunderhawks and returned into his personal battle-barge.
The only ones remaining within the charred ruins of the planet's capital was him, his soldiers and his brother's father, who's continue to give Perturabo a look before snorting and looking to the ruined houses of the planet's capital city.
"If there's one thing I've learned about Angron when growing up is that he's taken too much from me in terms of personality. Now, I ain't saying that it's a bad thing but when dealing with someone that is stubborn as stone, I can't blame him for departing first." Perturabo bristled as this mortal in front of him, alongside his sons who've given the man furious looks.
"Are you saying that I am lacking?" Perturabo intoned, his menacing figure looming against Angron's father, to which the individual only gave him a look.
"In terms of personality? Most definitely. Though, if you mean in terms of overall combat prowess, then yeah, that too." The man simply replied as Perturabo resisted making an enemy of his brother by killing the man he considered his father.
"And how did you come to this conclusion?" Perturabo asked, though with how low his voice had been, one could say that he's threatening him.
"Well, for one: out of three armies that fought today, you lost the most men. Secondly, your plan, although the most effective out of the proposed military plans that we had, is one that is bound to ensure the most losses and finally, you're very ruthless." Perturabo could only snort at the mortal's words as he turned back and begun to walk to his Thunderhawk.
"I already know that, mortal. Your opinions mean nothing to me." Perturabo said, dismissing the mortal's words.
"Then, how about we fight?" The man's words stopped Perturabo's walk as he turned around to look at the mortal, who's sporting a smug grin.
"Fight? Against you? Are you serious?" Perturabo couldn't help but mockingly comment as he walked towards the mortal, still sprouting the same grin even though he's looming over him.
"Yeah. I mean, it's for the best, right? I've 'disrespected' you, you've most definitely disrespected me and I have a very good feeling that you need to eat some humble pies every now and then." The man commented as he stretched his body, all the while looking at Perturabo.
"I hope you don't regret your actions, mortal." Was all he said as his four-barreled wrist-mounted cannons prepared itself to fire, with his HUD locking on to the mortal in front of him.
"Yeah, I won't." The man replied as he drank four alchemical substances unknown to him, with Perturabo internally comparing him to Leman Russ and they way he drank those substances.
In any case, the two individuals stared at each other before the two men neared each other, Perturabo's Thunderbreaker landing solidly against the man's shield. Perturabo then leapt into where he flung the man before immediately rotating himself against the hail of arrows that was being launched towards him as Perturabo fired against the man, who somehow managed to dodge his cannon fire.
Upon landing, he was immediately forced into the defensive as the mortal launched devastating blows against his armor, grunting in surprise as he noted the damages being inflicted upon his Terminator Armor. Quickly seeing himself losing momentum, he gave the mortal a resounding kick, clicking his tongue as he felt his ceramite-induced boot crack against the sturdiness of the mortal's wooden shield as he launched himself away from the mortal that's surprisingly providing a tough fight.
The battlefield remain silent as Perturabo and his brother's father looked at each other, the former reassessing the man for the first time whilst the latter maintaining a cocky look before Perturabo quickly fired at the man, to which the latter surprisingly deflected, the gray-purple sword remaining durable as the two engage in a severe close quarters combat.
Not before long, the two disengaged as Perturabo frowned, the man looking relatively unharmed whilst the same couldn't be said about Perturabo, his modified Cataphractii Pattern Terminator Armor, one of the most advanced suits out of everyone within the Primarchs, severely damaged from the combat that he initiated.
"So, you wanna continue this fight or you wanna retreat?" The man clearly taunted him, knowing that he's attempting to anger him yet Perturabo's mind was clouded by a burning need to prove himself against the man that embarrassed him in front of his legions. Roaring at the top of his lungs, he launched himself upon the man, who quickly dodged his assault.
Ignoring the damages being dealt to him, Perturabo continued his relentless assault, acting more like a savage warrior that he'd seen within Olympia and becoming more determined to land a single punch upon the man's visage.
Though sadly for him, he wouldn't be able to achieve this as one moment, the two clashing warriors clashed then a moment later, the mortal suddenly disappeared, the man somehow managing to land himself atop his power armor, the pummel of his sword somehow managing to wrangle his head, gravity taking hold of him as he started to loss his consciousness.
Before Perturabo could descend into the realm of darkness, he was able to catch what his brother's father said to him.
"Sorry about this, bud." Was all he got from the man that defeated him in battle before finally, slipping into unconsciousness.