Editing Mars (Hektor Heresy) (section)

===The Treaty of Olympus Mons===

The coming of the Emperor to Mars was heralded by rain.  On some worlds, this would be a cause for dampened spirits, but on the Red Planet it was a miracle and the fulfillment of prophecy.  Kalkas Tygian welcomed the golden giant as the Omnissiah and willingly pledged support to His design.  Many among the Martian Parliament were similarly moved and voted to accept a treaty not just of peace but alliance with Terra.  This pact, called the Treaty of Mars among Terran-ruled worlds and the Treaty of Olympus Mons on those planets in the realm of the Mechanicum, established the Imperium and laid the foundation of the [[Great Crusade (Hektor Heresy)|Great Crusade]].  The Emperor's mighty [[Legiones Astartes (Hektor Heresy)|Space Marine Legions]] would be armed and armoured by the tech priests, and the Forge Worlds rediscovered in the Great Crusade would once more come into communion with their mother planet.

Nor did Kalkas Tygian squander the moment.  In the next session of the Martian Parliament, the Fabricator General called for a Chamber of Repentance.  Those who had voted against the Treaty of Olympus Mons were invited to realise their error and do penance by renouncing their office and doing service directly for the Emperor.  Amidst shouts of dissent and outrage, the representatives of Urbis Juventas stormed out.  Some few Lords of Mars - whether sincere or seeing which way the wind was blowing - took Kalkas's offer and reported to a new facility for the training of the Techmarines.  They were replaced with archmagoi of the so-called "Party of the Faithful", fervent believers in the Omnissiah who would support Kalkas's agenda.  Against the Faithful stood a large minority of so-called "Deniers" who remained in communion with the Temple of All Knowledge but did not recognise the authority of the Emperor.

The Fabricator-General was not prepared to leave the Mechanicum split and moved to assert his authority.  Urbis Juventas had dishonoured the whole Martian Parliament when its lords walked out of a session, and only the most fervent Deniers spoke against a punitive action.  Zorr Yenser, now regarded as a man of great vision and foresight, was granted command of the expedition.  In the Battle of Hebes Chasma, Yenser swiftly reduced the outer defences of Urbis Juventas, then offered the citizens one last chance to repent and recognise the coming of the Omnissiah.  A handful of the most determined deniers flung themselves from the heights of their city in protest, but the bulk of the people came out from their shattered walls and began to sing a hymn of praise as a sign of sincerity.  Yenser was greatly moved by their repentance and, with tears of joy in his eyes, ordered his troops to slaughter the people of Urbis Juventas before they had a chance to fall away from the path of the Omnissiah once more.  Kalkas Tygian deliberately provoked the deniers by greeting the victory at Hebes Chasma with acclaim and announcing that a new Urbis Juventas, now "Phoenix City", would be built from the ruins of the old and that Zorr Yenser would be its lord.