The restoration of the Han Dynasty began with the Horus Rebellion.

Chapter 23: A good strategy, but I need to make some modifications.

As loyalists targeted by the Great Purge, the Astartes were almost entirely unequipped with heavy weapons during their landing operations. Although the lightly armed Astartes could still easily overwhelm mortal armies, they were simply throwing their lives away in the face of firepower from Imperial-class Titans, no matter how many there were.

The situation is exactly the opposite for Sun Qian.

Although the Great Tyrant, as Abaddon's flagship, had a full range of weapons and equipment, only three Astartes could actually use them, including Sun Qian's.

"What's the situation inside the Great Tyrant right now?"

"There are still dozens of Astartes on board, but they are all imprisoned in remotely locked emergency isolation pods; the technical sergeants, auxiliary sergeants, mechanical priests, and ordinary crew members, totaling about 5 people, have not resisted, but..."

At this point, Greer hesitated, but Acton took over the conversation.

"We have received intelligence that some of the Horus-loyal crew members are devising a rebellion plan. They intend to first release the imprisoned rebel Astartes, then seize the armory, contact the rebel army outside, and finally work together to regain control of the Great Tyrant."

Sun Qian frowned slightly. It wasn't surprising that there were people loyal to Horus among the crew, but the plan was described in far too much detail.

"I suggest we strike first and nip the danger in the bud—"

"These are just rumors; perhaps it's just some people complaining. If we rashly suppress them, it might cause a riot!"

Greer looked conflicted, because not long ago he had actually been one of these "traitors".

"Many of them are just going with the flow; for them, obeying orders is their duty. Once they realize that the one who started the rebellion isn't the true warlord..."

"You're too naive, child. Whether Horus is real or not is irrelevant. What matters is that they choose to believe the lie instead of the Emperor. Loyalty that isn't absolute is absolute disloyalty. They must be made to understand the consequences of betrayal through bloodshed."

"Tsk, it's because you old folks are all like this that—"

"That's enough, we don't have time for infighting now."

Sun Qian stopped the two Astartes from arguing. Although his rank was low, the two men still respected him. After giving a cold snort, they shut their mouths.

At that moment, Qi Le's melodious voice rang out softly.

"I can see the faith in the Emperor shining in the eyes of those believers; it is the miracles you have performed that have strengthened their resolve."

I see, so this must be the source of the intelligence.

"The reason the traitors are still hesitating is because communications have not been fully restored, and they cannot coordinate with the rebels outside. Therefore, you should make a decision as soon as possible."

Although Sun Qian was somewhat dissatisfied with Qi Le's behavior of developing followers on her own as soon as she boarded the ship, he had to admit that she had hit the nail on the head.

Once the communication jamming is gone, the traitors, working together from within and without, will only make the situation worse.

But Sun Qian did not want to carry out a large-scale purge and massacre on the ship.

It wasn't because he was soft-hearted, but heaven knows whether bloodshed and killing would attract some evil spirits.

Sun Qian helplessly discovered that the situation seemed even more troublesome than before the capture of the ship.

Beset by external and internal troubles, short-handed, and time is of the essence.

And there's another problem...

"Regarding the matter of supporting the loyalists—"

"Absolutely not!" x2

Greer and Acton shouted in unison, then looked at each other and nodded.

"We cannot verify the authenticity of this information; it is highly likely that it is false information deliberately released by the enemy!"

"If they've set up an ambush behind the Divine Machines, a hasty attack wouldn't only fail to draw their fire, but if we're surrounded, it would force our loyal brothers to risk coming out to rescue us!"

"More importantly, we're already short-handed. If the three of us leave the Great Tyrant, we won't be able to deter and suppress the mutinous forces on board!"

The two were remarkably in agreement, and it was clear at a glance that the plan was unworkable.

but......

Sun Qian narrowed his eyes thoughtfully.

Would Liu Bei not have noticed these problems?

Or.

Would Mortarian use such a clumsy trick?

After a moment's thought, Sun Qian quickly made a decision.

"Sindeman, can you use your eloquence to infiltrate the mutineers on board?"

The chief speaker was taken aback at first, then his expression changed to one of sudden realization.

"Does that mean I should undermine the rebels from within? If I had followers to cover for me, that might be possible."

It seems this will be a piece of cake for the future founder of the court.

Sun Qian didn't say much, just nodded, and then looked at Greer.

"Sergeant Noktua, could you go to the hangar and activate a few Thunderhawk gunboats beforehand, putting them in a state of readiness for immediate deployment?"

Greer looked at Sun Qian with some confusion.

"Of course, you know this is my specialty, but who will actually drive...?"

Acton's wrinkles furrowed, clearly puzzled by the order, but before he could say anything, Sun Qian had already called his name.

"Company Commander Cruz, if you were piloting the Thunderhawk, could you fly over the Emperor-class Titan Judgment Day?"

Upon hearing Sun Qian's request, Acton stroked his gray goatee and then grinned confidently.

"Other youngsters might not be able to do it, but I've been serving since Terra, and no one is more skilled at flying in gravity environments than me!"

Then he looked at the holographic sand table and nodded in deep agreement.

"I see. First, stabilize the situation inside the ship and strengthen the defense. Then, send a Thunderhawk gunboat across Titan to Demon's Cry Fortress. This will not only confirm the authenticity of the previous information with the loyalists, but also bring back some elite loyalist brothers."

Greer immediately understood what Acton meant.

"Then, once the loyalist warriors return, they can immediately take these well-prepared vehicles and launch an attack from behind, flanking the rebel Titans and creating an opportunity for the loyalist warriors to break out of the Demon's Cry Castle and rendezvous with us. As long as there are enough loyalist warriors stationed on the Great Tyrant before communications are fully restored, the other mortals will have no choice but to give up resistance and obey orders."

Everyone present nodded in agreement, realizing that although the arrangement was equally risky, it was the best option under the current circumstances.

Apart from Qi Le, who had been observing Sun Qian with great interest.

And Sun Qian, who kept his eyes fixed on Titan.

"Good strategy, but I need to make some modifications."

Sun Qian first looked at Sindemann.

"I need you to incite the rebels and make them riot immediately."

"what?"

Then Sun Qian looked at Greer.

"Go and release the rebel Astartes, let them escape from the Great Tyrant in the prepared vehicles."

"well?"

Finally, Sun Qian looked at Acton.

"You infiltrated the rebel Thunderhawks, while crossing the Emperor-level Titan—"

"Just throw me down there."