AN: Ok, so, here is the aftermath of what happened last chapter. It should answer a fair number of questions from the reviews so I'll not answer them in this section. I'd like to thank souvikkundu0017 for the help with this, as he was instrumental in making sure that I didn't make an ass out of this.
Enjoy!
XXX
Standing within the Orbital Spire of Null-zana, the capital of Kilomiz, Marcus looked out upon the city from his rapidly refurnished office. The Office itself was much like the one back in Asgard, looking out from the massive spire that stretched dozens of kilometres into the sky, even into low orbit as to allow transports an easier time of taking the recently harvested Ores, refined metals and fabricated parts off to other worlds for one purpose or another. As night fell, the city at the base of the Spire filled the air with light from the apartment complexes of tens of millions of people while automated guns remained ever vigilant of any form of attack.
"I take it that you have the results I asked for?" Marcus suddenly asked, not turning from the window as he looked outside, seeing Sky Cranes moving around, often carrying massive cargo pods filled with one thing or another.
The room was silent for a moment, right before a voice rang out through the air.
"Yes, my Lord. The data-mining of the Imperial computer networks is complete and I have finished cataloging the results for your review, as you commanded, my Lord." Marcus turned around to see the speaker. Most people would have been paralyzed in both shock and terror at what they saw, Marcus merely acknowledged what stood before him.
It was a massive being, three and a half metres tall with figure hidden by thick slabs of armor plating covered the body, made from golden plates inscribed with potent Aesir Runes, each Rune practically glowing with a soft green light while ribbons of blue ran along the armor's surface. From the shoulders, a long cape of blazing blue trimmed in gold hung down to the figure's ankles while a massive, decorative spear was held in one hand, the twin-prongs of the spear standing apart atop the weapon while runes ran along the metal shaft of the weapon. Finally, the helmet of the figure was intimidating, a blank faceplate carved into the likeness of an old man, his mouth set into a stern frown while a stylized eye patch covered one eye, the other being left uncovered, but was visibly glowing with green energy. Atop the helmet, two straight horns came out from the helmet and pointed upwards, adding another twenty centimetres to the figure in question.
"Give me your analysis, Odin." Marcus requested as he turned to the gestalt entity that had appeared within his chamber, nodding slightly at the towering being before him as he took a seat.
"Projections show that short-term resistance to the Imperium is possible. Multiple Incursions can be, simultaneously, repelled with minimal loses if forces have been deployed and equipped to an adequate extent. Current analysis shows that Beta-level Wargear would be required for such a thing to occur, though it would be recommended to reinforce the outer boarders with more Veteran forces of Elder-Grade and upwards." Marcus nodded at that before continuing onwards.
"And the long term?" The Primarch asked, wanting to confirm his suspicions of one course of action or another. The glow within the eye of Odin seemed to dim slightly before the figure continued.
"The Imperium, using superior numbers and a willingness to utilize Anti-planetary weaponry, will crush the Collective within two centuries should it come to open warfare. While considerable, the industrial output of the Imperium outmatches that of the Collective by several orders of magnitude, with new ships finishing construction every other day from dozens of 'Forge Worlds' across their conquered territories. The mass deployment of Jormungand-class Titans would serve to extend the time taken for full conquest, but it would only do so by a single century." Odin explained, sending data packets to the Great Father to show the results of the findings with more detail being shown, the end results were rather terrifying. However, instead, Marcus merely nodded in acknowledgement of these facts and moved on, not even slightly surprised by the outcome of these events.
"I suspected as much. Recommendations?" He asked, clearly looking for advice and counsel over how he should proceed, not an uncommon thing to do, especially when one ruled over an interstellar nation with significant power behind it.
"Non-aggression pact in exchange for any number of conditions seems to be the most likely. Based on recovered information, said conditions would be the removal of numerous Aesir technologies, by force if necessary, and handing them over to the organization designated as the Mechanicus. Other, less favorable, results vary between anything from simply being left alone and ignored to being reduced to a literal slave race of the Imperium." Odin predicted, using the gestalt's overwhelming computational power to calculate the most probably future far more accurately than any Psyker could hope to match.
"Hmmm... Can't say that any of them sound all that favorable. Best case is that we become too valuable to destroy while the worst case is either death, or worse, at the hands of the Imperium. Can't say that I agree with either choice." Marcus remarked with a half-smirk, amusement clear in his eyes as he pinched the bridge of his nose.
"What about the results from the genetic analysis? I felt something... Off about Russ when I encountered him. Care to shed some light on that issue?" Marcus inquired, curious as it was true, he had felt... Something when he had faced the Primarch of the Sixth Legion. Odin nodded at that as two images appeared between them.
"You are right to suspect that something is afoot, my Lord. As you already knew, your own genetic code shows clear signs of being engineered. However, while I can detect similar aspects within the DNA of Leman Russ, the sample shows clear signs of having mutated as a result of being exposed to outside elements, possibly as a result of whatever planet he had been raised upon. However, regardless of the mutations within his genes, the techniques and methods used to create and modify both his and your DNA show less than four percent difference between them." Odin turned towards the Great Father, pausing for a moment, as though in deep thought.
"It appears that Leman Russ, and this 'Horus Lupercal' are your Brothers, for lack of a better word, My Lord." Odin stated simply as Marcus took a moment to absorb that fact, leaning back heavily into his seat as he glanced to the ceiling.
"And that, by process of elimination, means that the Emperor of the Imperium also happens to be my progenitor... Great..." The Great Father remarked as an armored hand came up and gently kneaded the bridge of his nose before sliding over and massaging his temples.
"Thank you, Odin, you may leave." Marcus remarked as he dismissed Odin from the room, only for the figure start moving, before stopping for a moment, as though hesitating. Marcus noticed, but said nothing as he let Odin make the first move.
"... May I ask you a question, my Lord?" Odin asked hesitantly as Marcus nodded.
"You may." He replied simply.
"Why have you not connected to the Field yet? I know that you have the proper implants to allow such a thing, and yet, I have not felt you connected to the field. Why? If you entered the field then your powers would only increase in potency, perhaps even enough to match the might of this 'Emperor', if only for a short time based on my own findings." Odin asked, Marcus answered, in turn, with silence that stretched to fill the room, neither of the two speaking for a long moment before Marcus finally broke the silence.
"... Despite popular belief that I am blind to that which happens around me... I am fully aware of how the Aesir see me, not to mention the fact that I know that they worship me as a Creator-God. Technically, such a statement is true since I am, indeed, capable of creating life, but I do not believe myself a God. I have never believed myself to be a God and never wished to stand above my creations in any way, shape or form. I asked them to follow me, yes, I became their leader, yes, but I never wished to become an icon of reverence and prayer. I fully intended to stop such things before I noticed something, their belief, their prayers, were having a tangible effect on the universe around them." Flexing his left bicep, the Great Father continued.
"There has always been a bleed-over effect, even without being connected to the Field, I can still feel some of the power from their beliefs leaking into me, making me stronger for it as time goes on. However, the reason why I do not fully connect to the your Field, Odin, is twofold." He remarked as he leaned forwards in his chair, hands clasped on the desk before him. "The first reason is because if I do connect to the network, all the excess power will flow straight to me, something I do not wish to happen as I would have preferred that such power be held in reserve by you, hence why I have also ordered you from staying your hand in battle until the time is right. The second reason is more personal; If I joined the network, then all Aesir would be able to see the power I wield, even with the restrictions I have placed upon myself in order to not destroy everything around me, I am still more powerful than any group of the five strongest Vanir put together. If they could see such power, they might see it as proof of my own divinity, let alone the fact that it would only increase the religious fever among those that worship me as they would believe that I was merely being 'humble.'"
"I understand, my Lord. Thank you for answering my questions." Odin replied with a nod before it started fading away, disappearing in a shower of green sparks and energy until nothing was left. Marcus simply stared at the spot where the gestalt had once been. A slight smile on his lips as he spoke once more, his voice low as his hands spread across his desk as Hololithic projections appeared around him, a more thorough investigation of Odin's predictions.
"... Your welcome, and I thank you, Odin, for standing by me for so long." His voice was low, so low that any Human would have failed to hear it even if they had their ears pressed to his mouth. However, it was clear that Odin did hear him, as the room seemed to brighten as more hololiths appeared around the Great Father, displaying more information, suggestions about how to change the predicted outcome that had been foreseen.
It would take a lot of work, but it was only to be expected.
The future may not be set in stone, but the very paths to it could be set in solid granite at times.
XXX
"Thank you, Leman. Return to your Legion and rest. You have given your Brother and I much to discuss." Commanded the Emperor of the Imperium of Man as he sat at a table, one of his Sons, Leman Russ, standing on the opposite side while his other Son, Horus Lupercal, sat on his left. The massive room was filled with his Custodes and all stood a silent vigil over the room, hands filled with their weapons and giving the appearance of being little more than statues to the uninformed.
"Aye, All-Father." Russ acknowledged as he bowed the head, not bending the knee, but that was to be expected. After all, Russ had just suffered a major defeat at the hands of another Human nation, and, if that wasn't enough, his pride had been shredded and he had been utterly humiliated. Due to such things, he was looking for ways of building himself back up, even subconsciously through the little things. The Emperor had seen it dozens of times before, in similar warriors throughout his long existence, this was nothing truly special besides the person that was doing it.
Russ turned and left the room, his pace fast and purposeful as he had become protective of those that had survived the first encounter with the Aesir, seeing them as survivors and wished to see them honored for enduring that hell. It was understandable, to want to protect what little remained of three Great Companies with a total of 12,200 Astartes, the survivors numbering at less than four hundred.
As soon as Russ was out the room, Horus turned to the Emperor, who had his chin cupped in thought as he considered many of the things he learned from this event.
"What shall we do, Father? While I hesitate to say that we should annihilate a Human nation that has so much to offer, what happened cannot go unanswered. The deaths of so many Astartes must be punished in one form or another." Horus remarked as he sat by his Father's side. The Emperor nodded at that, silent for a moment, before he spoke.
"You are right, Horus, but this... Event, has become far more complex than I had originally imagined." The Emperor explained simply as Horus looked at his Father curiously, wondering how the situation had changed as his Transhuman mind ran through any number of possibilities. His mind darkened with some of this thoughts as they each got progressively worse and worse, only to get cut off by the Emperor beginning to speak once more.
"When that... Portal, for lack of a better word, opened, I was able to detect a number of things. First of all, Horus, tell me, how long would a journey normally take to get to the planet that Leman engaged these 'Aesir'?" Horus looked on in interest as he ran the mental equations through his mind, considering the answer as he remembered reports and estimates given by Navigators that had to travel around the Eye of Terror.
"Two years, with a favorable Warp current. Three years without and anywhere from a fifteen years to a century or two with an unfavorable current. Why do you ask?" Horus looked at his Father's face, it was etched in stone and showed nothing, but having spent many decades fighting alongside his Father, Horus knew how to read it, at least, when the Emperor wasn't intentionally masking all of his tells. He saw clear interest and amazement in the eyes of his Father, only making Horus more curious.
"Then, it seems that the Aesir have a few tricks up their sleeve, as those Navigators that survived the engagement and were shipped back to us reported that they had only been travelling through that portal for minutes, at best." Those words, delivered seriously, sent implications running through the mind of the Primarch as he considered it. If the Aesir had such a capability, then they could move around with such speed on a strategic level that there would be no way to effectively counter them. They could attack at unprotected worlds along within the heart of Imperial territory and be gone before reinforcing fleets even arrived to render aid to the defenders, not only that, but attacking them in turn would be a very difficult task, as reinforcements could appear practically instantly, especially if given early warning.
"That... Is impressive..." Was all Horus said as he tried to push aside the implications as a dozen, nightmarish visions floated through his mind, not helped by the vastly superior technologies of the Aesir. The Emperor nodded at that, he was in full agreement over the statement as even he, with all his millennia of experience, had never heard or seen of such a thing, he didn't even know where to start to replicate such a feat.
"Indeed, however, what makes it even more impressive was that such a feat was carried out by a single person, this 'Marcus Grimm' that Leman mentioned as being the Psyker responsible for his defeat." Horus looked at his Father in worry.
"I do not believe that a battle against him would be wise, Father. Even if we gathered as many Legions as we could to bear down on the Aesir, I have little doubt that they would drag the fighting out, bleed us for every light-year of space and every metre of dirt." Horus remarked, already turning to recovered pic-captures and pic-reels of the battles, of the Aesir fighting the Space Wolves with just as much determination and stubbornness as the Space Wolves themselves. Yes, many Aesir had died, but they had ripped into the Space Wolves with something akin to brutal fury and hatred, a willingness to see their enemies bleed to ensure they took not a step further. Fighting them would be a difficult task, not impossible for an Astartes Legion, but definitely one not taken lightly, especially when other options were still on the table. However, just as he was about to speak once more, he looked at his Father only to stop when he saw the expression of the Emperor.
A small smile gracing his lips while a knowing gleam shun from within his eyes.
"I agree with your assessment of the situation, Horus, but I believe such a thing is unneeded. After all, it would not do if we tried to kill one of your Brothers after such a terrible first impression." The Emperor remarked, causing Horus's mind to freeze still at the implications of such a thing, his mind wondering to consider who his newly-discovered Brother could have been before a question appeared within his mind.
"How do you know that one of my Brothers leads the Aesir?" He asked, curious as the Emperor snorted in amusement, seemingly finding it funny that his Son would ask such a thing, it was understandable, though.
"All my Sons carry a unique presence around them. I have felt the presence of all of my Sons, yourself included, before you were whisked away by the Warp, even across vast distances, I can feel them. However, this Brother of yours has learned to hide himself well, I only found him when I touched the power that created the Portal, but, no matter how well hidden, it felt him, one of my Sons." The Emperor stated as Horus smiled widely, beaming in joy.
"Then I shall marshal my Legion at once! We will head for the Aesir Collective at best possible speed and shall meet this new Brother." Horus stated as he almost bounced out of his seat as the Emperor nodded.
"I shall be coming with you, Horus. Though, I would advice only bring a small force of your Legion, as I do not doubt that after his encounter with Russ, your Brother will have ordered a number of reinforcements to be deployed along the borders facing the Imperium." The Emperor paused, as though he was considering something. "Though, I would recommend bringing along the Second Legion, as it is their Primarch we shall be meeting."
"The Second? Very well, Father." Horus stated as he took the unspoken dismissal and left the room, plans already turning and questions bubbling within his mind as he wondered what his new Brother was going to be like. Though, if his Collective and his Legion were any indication, then Horus would guess at him being both a skilled craftsman along with a skilled Psyker.
Still, such things were merely guesses and theories, he would have to wait to meet his new Brother in order to find out.
XXX
He could not tear his gaze from the sheer magnificence before him. The images had been played over dozens of times by millions of Tech-priests of a thousand different ranks and positions, yet none could bring themselves to not watch such images again and again and again.
The massive serpentine form was impressive, an engineering marvel that had amazed even the most devoted of the Machine God's disciples while the sheer power that the massive God-Machine seemed to release simply by existing was felt even through such recordings and images. It's body was smooth, angular and cut an impressive figure while armored plates no doubt hid great secrets to the construction of such a relic. And, when the images progressed to reveal the true power of this new form of God-Machine, many could only watch in awe as it it's open mouth produced a beam of pure destruction and ruin that saw the near total eradication of one of the strongest types of the God-Machines as though it was swatting a annoying insect that had drawn it's attention.
From the way it had reacted to the fire of a Volcano cannon, to the method of destruction, one could argue that such a metaphor was rather apt for such a situation, especially given how it seemed to float in the heavens, it's body in utter defiance to the laws of reality as gravity found no purchase on this Shrine to the Machine God. Already, there was much talk amongst the higher ranks of the Mechanicus, to send a fleet to find those who had built it and offer them a high place among their ranks for such a creation, as was only proper for one so blessed by the Machine God.
Even then, they had already heard back from members of the Second Legion about how the Emperor and Primarch Horus were planning to travel to the home of this Serpent God-Machine and meet with the Primarch of the Second Legion. It was a shock to discover, but once that fell into place, many soon realized that the new God-Machine must have been the product of the Primarch of the Second Legion, who were all jumping for joy at the thought of meeting their progenitor while the more veteran warriors of the Legion waited for the other shoe to drop, unsure of how their Primarch would view them.
Still, the Mechanicus, and himself, had confidence in the Second Legion. The Second Legion had been great friends and allies with the Mechanicus since the moment the Treaty of Mars had been signed. While many in the Imperium and the Legions viewed them as overly-dramatic mystics and Cog-obsessed idiots, the Second Legion viewed them as friends, allies and teachers as they learned the sacred lore of the Machine Spirits. The Legion was known far and wide for having every member schooled in the Lore of the Machine Spirits along with being some of the most technologically adept Legionnaires among the Imperium. They fought through many methods, but they were best known for their psychic and technological might.
He had once had the honor of fighting beside them, and the sight had been awe inspiring. A march of dozens of sacred combat automata, war machines and weapon-equipped Servitors backed up by their Astartes masters who had thrown bolts of Aetheric energies around and smiting the enemies of Man.
Kelbor-Hal had seen this happen, fought beside the members of the Astral Gear Legion and called many of them his friends.
Now, as the Magos quickly sent out messages to his allies and contacts, scrambling to put together a suitable fleet to aid in the meeting of the Primarch of their greatest allies.
They owed the Astral Gears as much for standing by them.
And if there was one thing that could be said about the Mechanicus, it was that they repaid their debts, especially to their comrades.
XXX
Looking at the data slate held between surprisingly steady hands, First Forger Marteleus Tarincus looked down at the message before him, delivered by a surprisingly happy Scribe that had moved out of the room from the armored Astartes the moment that his duty was complete. However, to the First Forger, such things as the location of the Mortal Scribe were of very little importance when compared to the information that had been planted before him as his mind tried, and failed repeatedly, to accept the information that was displayed before him.
The Primarch of the Second Legion had been found!
It took over five minutes, an eternity to the Transhuman mind of an Astartes, for Marteleus to finally accept it, after running 23 separate system checks to ensure this was not some kind of cruel prank or joke from the Sixth Legion.
It was not.
A flurry of motion followed as the First Forger shot up from his seat, his bulk and augmented might flipping the table before him over, causing data slates filled with reports to be thrown across the room. Marteleus cared very little for such things, reports could be replaced, data slates could be replaced, but such news as this needed to be shared as quickly as possible. In his haste, the Astral Gear didn't even slow down as he rammed into the door of his chamber, augmented by both his custom-upgrades to his Power armor, his Transhuman autonomy and his psychic might, he didn't even slow down as the door crumpled away from him, spraying the empty corridor with shards of metal as the Marine race onwards.
As he moved, Marteleus couldn't help but feel a slight knot of anxious energy buried in his gut. It was understandable, really, the Astral Gears were not like other Legions, they did not fight like other Legions, and they chose to be like that as they did their duty. To the Astral Gears, there was no honor or glory in battle, it was not seen as something to brag about, merely an event that needed to be endured, survived, while the battle itself was often seen as simply being a waste, whether in resources, manpower or time, it mattered little. They happily did their duty, as it was given to them, but they never fought like other Legions.
Where other Legions would happily march and meet their enemies on the fields of battle, the Astral Gears looked for every advantage, every force multiplier, and brought it to their side before attaining victory before the first Bolt Shell was even fired. In that regard, they had many such advantages: Each member of the Astral Gears was both a potent Psyker, about average in strength, but still leagues above that of any Mortal that would wish to test his might against them. They specialized in Biomancy with a distinct affinity for using their Warp-give powers to repair and augment their equipment, the former trait being invaluable to their Apothocaries while the latter proving invaluable for ensuring their vehicles always worked in the field, that no problem with them lasted longer than was necessary. Of course, if that wasn't enough, each member of the Legion was taught the Secret Lore of the Machine Spirits due to their close ties with the Mechanicus.
Due to that last point, each member of the Astral Gears had custom equipment that was constantly being changed, upgraded, modified and replaced, making it difficult what each Marine would wield in a fight, sometimes changing between battles. Each wore Power Armor that had been changed and upgraded a dozen times, each equipped with a potent Servo-harness carrying their tools while most also carried high-tech weapons of their own design, checked over by veteran members to not be heretekal in nature. Marteleus himself was no exception, wearing a customized suit of armor more in line with the first designs of Cataphractii-Pattern Tactical Dreadnought Armor due to sheer bulk, eight Servo-arms extending from his back and a bulky pack containing a Personal, site-to-site, Teleporter device that would give him surprising mobility on the battlefield. Along with that, the First Forger was armed with a pair of twin-linked Melta guns mounted on either forearm, a mind-liked Heavy Bolter mounted on his left shoulder with an underbarreled Grenade Launcher and a large Power Halberd that was taller than he was, with the shaft reaching the top of his armored bulk while the spear-like blade extended another half metre above that, making the blade just over 3.6 metres tall.
Of course, even with all their customizations, the Astral Gears rarely fought openly, and never fought fairly, much to the disgust of other Legions. They would come into battle with dozens of custom-crafted weapons ranging from Lasgun-equipped Servitors that would advance on enemy lines before detonating due to the multiple Plasma Grenades built into them to more interesting ideas. Anything and everything was seen as a resource by the Second Legion, who would use it to minimize the waste of their own resources, while maximizing that of their enemies.
Still, such thoughts soon took a back seat as he smashed through the doors to the Mess Hall of their Battle Barge, Necessity. The room was filled with other Astral Gears, all wearing custom armor that they maintained themselves, all coloured in dark crimson, blue and gold with the golden gear covered in blue fire on their Pauldrons. On the tables, food was laid out with dozens of half-built devices while the Gears of the Legion argued, laughed and discussed how to build each device amongst themselves.
Such talk ended rapidly when the First Forger came running into the room, literally battering down the armored door to the room and moving at a speed that, while very impressive, should have been impossible to reach with anything but a Javelin Attack Speeder. It said much that the immediate reaction to this sudden entrance was for every Marine to have their weapon drawn and at the ready before putting them down an instant later with sheepish looks between them.
The First Forger did not begrudgen them such a reaction, as was the normal reaction when a member of the Second Legion was lost in thought. Looking around, he saw the bare heads of a dozen members, highlighting their mutations of silver eyes and silver hair, an odd, but harmless mutation that the Second Legion was more than happy to live with.
However, in the silence that followed his surprise entrance, the First Forger spoke.
"Brothers of the Second Legion! I come bearing great new!" He spoke, his voice enhanced by the Vox-caster in his armor as all was still. "The Emperor has sent us a message to marshal our forces and join him, Primarch Horus of the Sixteenth Legion, on a journey to Segmentum Obscurus and travel to a world that the Space Wolves have failed to bring into Compliance!"
The room was filled with mocking cheers and laughter at that, all members of the Second Legion holding a grudge against the members of the Sixth for the continued mocking of their skills, the skills of their allies in the Mechanicus and the comparisons of who had conquered the most planets. The Second Legion cared little for such things, but it still grated on their nerves, now though, the Astral Gears had something they could hold over the heads of the Sixth, if only to get them to shut up. As the cheers died down, the First Forger continued, his voice filled with a curious mix of excitement and anxiety that seemed to not fit the leader of the Legion.
"However, thanks to the great power of the Emperor, we now stand at a monumental occasion.. For, you see, Brothers... OUR PRIMARCH HAS BEEN FOUND!" The shout could not have been louder if it tried, shaking the room as dust feel from the ceiling. All was still for but a moment before the hall, nay, the entire ship rocked back with the cheers of over ten thousand Legionnaires, over a third of their fighting strength concentrated in one location.
Messages were soon sent out to follow the announcement as all ships of the Astral Gears made best possible speed towards the Segmentum, all regard for not burning out their engines were completely disregarded as the members of the Astral Gears carried out whatever modifications were deemed necessary to squeeze even more speed out of their vessels.
It came as no surprise that, even with a five week head start, the Astral Gears arrived over two weeks ahead of both the Luna Wolves and the Emperor himself.
Such was their determination to finally meet their Primarch.
XXX
I had to admit, I was nervous.
When I had sent Russ packing, that had been a calculated gamble. I knew that doing such a thing could result in a Imperial fleet mustering for retribution, I also knew it could serve another purpose, namely, to get the Emperor to investigate what had happened. That was my goal, to grab the attention of Big E himself and force a compromise to ensure the safety of my people, I'd already talked it over with them, no one liking it, but many understanding it and accepting it. The Aesir were pragmatic as a whole, many of them seeing this as a necessary move for the sake of survival, others were just annoyed that they would have to toe the line with a bunch of technological primitives who wouldn't know how to use a Nano-fabricator with written instructions and a guide to show them how to use it.
The Hecatonchires were the most annoyed by that last point.
I considered it a good thing that the Aesir obeyed me as much as they did in this situation, if only to prevent a civil war from breaking out. Sighing to myself as I stood on the CIC of the Invictus I closed my eyes and let my mind wander into the Great Ocean.
And I felt them, one at the head was like a beacon, the Neverborn of the Sea of Souls shying away from it while it's glow working to prevent any of the ships in the gathered fleet from being lost to the cruel tides of the Immaterium. I saw the massive golden vessel that I correctly guessed to be the Emperor's, where the beacon was located, while I saw a dozen other ships encircling it, emblems of a Wolf biting down on a white crescent decorating their hulls. The Luna Wolves, with their Primarch as well, since I could feel someone on the leading Battle Barge, similar to Russ, Horus, I imagined. There was also a few ships that seemed to bear he markings of the Mechanicus, a convoy of ships with an triplet of Ark Mechanicus at the head of it, surprising, but understandable given the technology I had. Finally, there were more ships moving around the fleet, heavily modified and some of them looking to be at risk of blowing out their thrusters and seeming to be straining on a leash as they tried moving ahead of the fleet. I noted the emblem on them, a golden gear wrapped in blue Warp fire while I felt the active signatures of a dozen Psykers from within these ships.
All of these signatures feeling strangely... Familiar...
I sighed again, knowing that these were to be my Legion, gently, I brushed against the strongest of them, curious as I weaved through the fleet. Out of all of them, only the member of this new Legion felt my presence, along with the Emperor, the former looked around frantically within the Warp, looking for my presence, while the Emperor merely looked curiously at the surrounding Warp. I hide my presence well, my abilities with the Warp, Eldar knowledge and my own experience and practice with it, I had long since learned to shield my mind from the Warp, the Spirit Shield helping against the Neverborn, but I needed to work long and hard to hide myself, and my power, from other Psykers.
Opening my eyes, I spoke aloud.
"Warden Saekell. A fleet of Imperial ships is about to exit the Warp. Have the defense fleet stand ready, but have them make no attempts to open fire unless fired upon. Once the ships have transitioned back to real space, send them these coordinates along with this message." A thought-command later and the message was compiled and sent. With that, I turned and left the room, heading for the hangar of the Invictus, already, gathered around me, I felt an honor guard of a dozen Elder Veterans, each one armed and armored with the best equipment that they could get their hands on.
I smiled at that, it was a secondary ranking system that the Aesir used along with the normal Grade rankings. Senior referred to an Aesir that had been in action over a century, Elder referred to those that had been around for over two hundred years and it was planned that Ancient would be placed at the four hundred years mark. It was also a cultural thing that those of greater age still outranked those of a higher Grade, if only due to their invaluable experience, and someone who was higher on both Grade and of age would have their orders followed to the letter.
Of course, that was also without getting into the finer details of the ODIN Field that infused them with more power as they aged, making them stronger as a whole.
XXX
Sitting upon the command throne of the Vengeful Spirit, Horus couldn't help but wonder what he could expect from his Brother. So far, he only had Russ to compare with, but that comparison had been rather accurate, if nothing else, especially given the boastful and savage nature of the Sixth Legion. His own Legion as well, were a mirror into his own character, pragmatic and forward thinking, willing to accept any tool in order to get the job done.
So, when he considered the Second Legion, he considered what characteristics to expect from his newly discovered Brother.
The Second Legion was one of pragmatism. They saw honor and glory as being less than worthless, their idea of an honorable duel was not rigging their opponents armor with a plasma grenade before the duel even started and they considered survival and the minimalisation of wasted resources to be their greatest objectives. They also never stood still, constantly changing, innovating and trying new things out even if they didn't work. Which, in itself, was a dangerous thing to have in an Astartes Legion. Normal Astartes would be dangerous enough, but ones that liked to increase their own lethality at an exponential rate were a nightmare on the battlefield.
Horus had the pleasure of having them fight beside his Legion during one battle, they had flooded the battlefield with Servo-skulls with Melta charges attached to them before having Gun-Servitors moving in to scout for survivors, anytime a Servitor was lost, the area it was lost to had been blown to pieces by a follow up bombardment of Heavy weapons to ensure that the survivors had died. It had been a thorough, methodical and utterly without mercy. The Second Legion had carried out their section of the fight without a word and had simply gone about it with as much glee and cheer as a Mortal would their own daily routine. However, when an obstacle had gotten in their way...
That was when things had gotten interesting.
During that campaign, the morally corrupt tyrant of that world had retreated to an underground palace, surrounded by his greatest body guards and emplaced within a strong hold that the Astartes simply could not get to. The Second Legion had seen it as a challenge and ended up building a device that almost cracked the continental shelf, killing the tyrant and utterly crushing the palace with millions of tons of rock and metal.
It was from that battle that the Second Legion gained a reputation for escalating exponentially in response to any obstacles that might have been put in their way.
Suddenly, Horus was brought out of his thoughts as he heard one of the officers on the Bridge calling something out as he looked up.
"We are ready to transit back to real space at your command, Lord Primarch." He spoke as Horus nodded.
"Commence the return to real space only after the Bucephelus has returned to real space, but keep us close to the Emperor's vessel." Horus commanded as he saw the Emperor's ship already going through with its own transition back to real space.
"As you command, Lord Primarch." The officer replied as Horus watched the view beyond the Bridge start to change, the constant shifting of unreal colours and distortions giving way to a rift between dimensions as the Vengeful Spiritbegan its journey through the rift, back to the materium beyond.
However, what Horus saw upon leaving the Warp was beyond what he imagined.
As his ship and it's attendants left the Warp, many of the Bridge crew could only look on in shock, awe and horror as they looked at the fleet arrayed before them. Massive ships made from angular hulls and massive slabs of metal with sharp lines of glowing gold. Gun ports hidden under heavy plates of armor with more insidious weapons hidden from sight, many wondered just what such vessel were capable of, though, most knew of the tales told by the survivors of the Sixth's failed attempt to bring the world to Compliance. They spoke of the largest vessels of the fleet, the 35 kilometre long monsters of metal, and how a single shot from their hidden guns had been more than enough to core right through the Gloriana-class Battle Barge of the Space Wolves.
As he subtly glanced around, Horus noticed many of his Bridge officers looking at the three ships at the centre of the Aesir Fleet, each one being one of those leviathans and each one looking ready for a fight even if their weapons weren't visible. As more ships came out of the Warp, the tension only grew as many tried not to let it affect them, but Horus still saw the odd bead of sweat dripping down from the necks of his mortal crewmembers.
"... I do not like this, Father." Came the voice of one of Horus's honor guard, First Captain Ezekyle Abaddon, from his side as Horus offered a snort of amusement at such an assessment.
"Oh, I have little doubt of that, Son, but the fact remains that we are here to recover a Primarch, a little tension will not kill you." Horus remarked to lighten the mood, getting a chuckle from his tightly wound First Captain.
"The Tension? No, that will do nothing against an Astartes. Their weapons on the other hand? I have read the reports from the surviving Space Wolves, along with those of the Fleet crews that survived the original battle. I have little doubt that thosecould kill me." Abaddon remarked sardonically.
"Have a little faith, my Son." Horus remarked before another officer working on the communication system suddenly bolted up, his voice booming over the near-total silence of the Bridge.
"My Lord! We are receiving a transmission from the flagship of the Aesir Fleet. Text only." He remarked as Horus's attention was on him in an instant.
"Display it." Horus commanded as a hololith projection appeared before the Primarch, showing a message and a series of coordinates on the planet using the Imperial reference point from the original reports, a curious turn of events, but Horus couldn't help but feel that the coordinates were familiar. However, his lips twitched slightly as he saw the contents of his message.
I have things you want, you have things I want. Meet me here if you wish to speak.
The message was simple, but the implied message behind it carried ominous overtures that made him wonder what to expect. Horus paused for a moment, reconsidering it.
This was the Primarch of the Second Legion he was talking about, he should expect anything and everything from the Gene-sire of a Legion that had built it's reputation on being unpredictable, without a traditional view of honor and with a rather disturbing habit of escalating exponentially when faced with opposition that can't be destroyed through more... Conventionalmethods.
Suddenly, Horus frowned as he finally remembered where he had seen those coordinates before; In the reports of the Space Wolves.
It was the location of their initial Breach head...
XXX
Rockcrete walls over twenty metres tall, reinforced with Plasteel rods used like rebar while plates of Ceramite had been slide into the walls to further reinforce them. Half built Void Shield emitters were built into hidden passages within the walls and the Breach head itself while mountings were located all over the walls and ramps ran up from the massive courtyard of the Breach to the walls, allowing vehicles to use the upper levels as staging points for barrages of weapons fire.
I had to admit, even under nearly constant attack, the Mechanicus had done good work for a short-term FOB. The place had already been picked clean of materials of use with the actual fortifications due to be taken down some time later in the month, but they every system of worth had already been stripped out and rendered down into raw materials by the Hecatonchires. Now, before it was destroyed, I had commissioned it for one final purpose.
To serve as a place to discuss peace. I found the irony rather astounding and particularly funny since the Space Wolves had built this place as a staging point for an invasion that never came.
And, with luck, it never would.
"Great Father, two Imperial Aerospace craft are on approach. Designation of the craft has them labeled as 'Thunderhawks' and bearing the sigils of the Luna Wolves, the Emperor." I heard the words whispered into my ear as I gave an acknowledgement back to the sentry. Scattered around the remains of the fortress, I had dispersed my honor guard, each of them armed with Vanguard-Pattern Nano-Shredders, sniper rifle-like weapons that fired the potent rounds at extreme ranges. Each of them was hidden by an optical cloaking field along with Psi-Jammers and a Phase Iron shell, rendering them invisible to both normal methods of detection along with those used by Psykers. There were over two hundred of them, fifty of them being the snipers and the rest armed with heavy assault weapons and hiding in any crevice that they could find.
They were my insurance policy in case things went bad.
Squatting down by the top of one such battlement, I watched with interest as the three Thunderhawks landed, rather curious as to what was to happen next, even more so when I considered that I was seeing Thunderhawks when I thought they wouldn't be introduced into the arsenals of the Astartes Legions until much later. Mentally shrugging, I simply watched as the craft landed, ramps lowering before Power Armor clad warriors stepped out of each ship.
From the one bearing the sigil of the Luna Wolves, I saw the Justaerins moving out of the Thunderhawk, seven of them being lead by the First Captain of the Luna Wolves as they scanned the area for any threats, finding none before signaling for their Primarch to step out of the enclosed transport. I was honestly half tempted to have my soldiers simply kill the lot of those from the Luna Wolves, preventing them from falling to Chaos and, thus, preventing the Horus Heresy. However, I knew that such actions would only land me in one hell of a deep hole, so I restrained myself as I watched the 29 Custodes exit with weapons at the ready, all carrying Guardian Spears while Big E strode out of the vessel with an air of calm interest about him as I felt him scanning the area around him. I felt his psychic abilities wash over me, missing me thanks to the insulation granted to me by my suit of armor, I preferred having the advantage here, especially as I would need it to catch them off guard for when the negotiations started.
"Hmmm... It appears that we may have arrived ahead of him, Father." I heard Horus remark as I glanced at the conversation between them as the First Captain stood by them.
"If I may, I would suggest allowing us to set up defensive positions and create a killzone in case the new Primarch is not as friendly as his message implied." Abanddon stated in turn, getting a snort from his Gene-sire in turn.
"If that was friendly, then I'd hate to see how he reacts to those he hates." Horus remarked as I decided to make an entrance. I projected a psychic echo of myself into their midst, making it appear as though from thin air and then causing it to speak. I'd admit, the reaction of such was rather worth it.
XXX
"Pray that you never find out, as I am not one to leave enemies at my back." The sudden, distorted voice appearing from behind Horus was enough to send all those gathered into motion as weapons were drawn and aimed at the figure that stood before them even as Horus reacted on instinct and drew his Power Maul, swinging it around and almost splattered the figure in question before stopping. Before him, he saw the black armor as it was described within the reports he had read, it's surface dull and seeming to be made from condensed darkness with spots of red decorating it's surface and a dozen plates of armor seamlessly fused together. Eyes looked at him from behind red lenses while the featureless face plate gave nothing away, it was as though he was looking at a golem.
From the corner of his eye, he saw his Father approaching with a look of interest present. Without a word, he reached out and touched the figure and watched as his hand slipped right through the being, informing them all of its nature as a projection. The Emperor merely raised an eyebrow questioningly.
"I rather odd opening move. Do you not trust us so much that you would stay hidden even as we stand on a world that you control?" The Emperor asked. The figure shrugged.
"I am not in the practice of leaving myself exposed to a potential threat. I know of your power, Tyrant, and I know that putting myself in the open would only make me an easy target with one with your Psychic powers." The figure stated calmly, drawing a raised eyebrow at the notion as Horus looked on from the side, surprised by such a bold opening statement.
"'Tyrant'? I am no such thing." The Emperor remarked calmly as the figure snorted in disdain.
"The shattered worlds and devastated peoples left in the wake of your Crusade say otherwise." The Figure remarked in turn, causing an eyebrow raise from the Emperor, his expression curious at that.
"Oh? How so? I have merely done my best to elevate those that were separated from Humanity as a whole to finding their places within the Imperium." He stated as the figure, who Horus had a sneaking suspicion was really his newly discovered Brother, snorted once more.
"'A death of a people is the death of its culture.'" His new Brother remarked, as though quoting a great truism. "Data recovered from the memory banks within the ruins of the Space Wolves fleet tell of what happens after a world is subjugated... Oh, my apologies, I meant Compliance, their world is stripped of its culture, beliefs and any resource of worth before being put towards producing more meat for the grinder."
"It is Humanity's Destiny to rule the stars, and as such, all must contribute towards such a goal, the Tithes of soldiers to join the Imperial Army are merely a part of that." The Emperor returned, firing back just as rapidly as the new Primarch.
"And, of course, if they don't comply, then you send in your Legions to make them comply in short order." The projection countered sharply as it stepped forwards, looking the Emperor dead in the eye in a silent battle of wills that lasted less than a second, but felt like a lifetime from the perspective of many.
"However, much as I'd love to continue to debate the various things wrong with your Empire, we came here today to speak of other things." The man replied as an unseen command caused his helmet to retract, revealing his face for all to see.
White hair, cropped short and hugging his skull while silver eyes practically glowed with power. Noble features made up his face while thin lips were pressed into a decidedly neutral line that left little to the imagination as to his thoughts about the current topic.
"Indeed. Though, I would ask what you wished to speak of before we continue, as several topics spring to mind." The Emperor remarked simply as the man turned to him.
"You are here for many things: Myself, being a genetically engineered being of your own making; The technologies I had worked over the last two centuries to perfect; The knowledge that I have gained in the use of the Great Ocean; And the resources of the Nation that I have built from the ground up." The man stated factually, as they were facts, even the Emperor knew this as he nodded along, seeing no point in hiding such things from his newly discovered Son.
"However, there is a few problems with that. For one thing, I built my Nation from the ground up, I wished for them to survive and thrive, not to be subjugated to the whims of another that would strip them bare of everything that makes them unique and strong." The Emperor raised an eyebrow at that, interested in what his Son was saying, though rather amused by the turn of events, if only because he could see a number of ways that this could progress.
"Then you would refuse to join the Imperium and have war exist between two nations?" The Emperor remarked, getting a shake of the head from the Primarch.
"No, as I already know how such things would end. current projections put it at two centuries before we would fall, yes, we'd inflict terrible damage upon your nation in the process, but most of the damage would be repaired in a short space of time, helped by the fact that your nation has an industrial output that, while primitive, is several orders of magnitude higher than what the Collective has."
"So you would chose what? Remaining alone would only serve to make your kingdom a target for the Xenos that infest this region, not to mention the various marauding nations of tyrannical Humans that gave built themselves nations on the broken backs of dozens of slaves." Suddenly, the Primarch smirked as he regarded Horus, who had stepped forwards and joined the conversation.
"I find it interesting that you only present two choices; Submission and practical enslavement; or obliteration and literal enslavement. I find both options rather unacceptable for my people, which is why I will take option number three." Marcus replied with his smirk firmly in place.
"'Option number three'? And what would that be?" The Emperor asked, one hand cupping his chin in thought and amusement as he had only encountered two of his Sons so far, one had willingly submitted, the other had only submitted after a trial of combat. To find one that tested wits against him was rather interesting, something he hoped for in the future as, while he was a capable warrior, he preferred the arts of a Scholar by nature. Marcus merely smirked as he looked to the sky.
"Tell me, Tyrant, how familiar are you with the principle of Scorched Earth tactics?" The Primarch of the Second Legion inquired. The Emperor looked confused for a moment before the connection suddenly clicked into place.
"... I see, you would go that far to make a point?" The Emperor asked, rather impressed by the convictions of his newest Son, and rather proud as he was willing to ensure that his people remained as they were, even if it meant their deaths.
"I would go further if needed." Marcus stated, his words carrying many implications that only made the Emperor smile at his Son, a showing of character that was rare to see as he stood for his people, and he had the impression that the Aesir would rather die than surrender and submit to an outside power, if the rather... Inventive refusal to Russ was any indication.
"Name your terms." The Emperor stated with his smile fixed in place, getting a raised eyebrow from the Primarch, asking him to explain as Horus looked on in shock as his brother had managed to negotiated with their Father. The Emperor merely smiled at his Son, wondering what would happen next with regards to his newly recovered child, as it wasn't often he meet someone that was actually willing to argue and stand tall in the face of his own presence and force of will.
"... The Aesir Collective remains separate from the Imperium, they stay outside of it while the Aesir their own territories, unless they are invited in by the Aesir. However, ten Aesir shall be granted Warrants of Trade in order to allow for trade between the Collective and the Empire. All technologies of the Aesir Collective shall remain as such with no one being able to simply take our technology for their own, unless they are gifted to another by the Aesir. The Aesir have the right to Self-govern themselves without Imperial intervention, and any attempt to do so shall be responded to with lethal force." The Emperor considered all of these and nodded in agreement, if anything, a number of them favored his side, with a few alterations, but he wished to add to them, if only to ensure that his Son still knew the score, as it were.
"I will agree to those, but only if the Aesir resign any rights to colonizing any worlds outside of their current Boarders and must provide a Tithe of raw materials on a yearly basis to the Imperium as compensation. You will also take command of the Second Legion, to use as you please, and serve in ensuring the completion of the Crusade along with aiding me in a number of endeavors in regards to the Warp. A mutual defense and Non-aggression pact will also be drafted between the Imperium of Man and the Aesir Collective. As for the Warrants... You may have six to give to whoever you wish, no more. Agreed?" The Emperor held out his hand, smile still in place as the projection frowned for a moment...
Before it smiled.
It faded a moment later, only to be replaced by another, more solid and real, counterpart that appeared in a flash of Ozone. Walking forwards, the helmet fell away to reveal Marcus behind the armor as he smiled clasping the outstretched hand in a firm grip.
"Agreed."
XXX
I forced myself to smile as I held my nervous energy in check.
That had honestly gone much better than I thought. Sure, the limiting of the ability for the Aesir to expand beyond the pre-existing Boarders was a bit of a bother, but I could think of a few dozen ways around that while also ensuring the independence of the Aesir Collective from the Imperium and keeping the advanced tech out of their grubby mittens, for the moment at least. The Warrants of Trade being one such method, though I was rather surprised that the Emperor would allow me to have so many, I would have settled for three at the absolute minimum.
Still, even as I shook the hand of the Emperor, I couldn't help by release a sigh of relief.
So far, everything had gone the way I had hoped, with the agreement struck, even if it did mean that the official chances of the Collective being able to expand dropped to nil outside of the current boarders. Regardless, this meant that I wouldn't have to worry about my nation being subjugated and consumed by the Imperials and, of course, it meant that the Aesir wouldn't have to commit one of the greatest acts of spite the Galaxy would ever see, triggering every star in the territory to go Supernova.
That was hardly a bluff, even if I was hesitant to accept it, it had actually been Frida's suggestion, her argument being that the Aesir would rather live under my command, or they would live under no one's, but they would die as they live; Free.
It was rather touching, though I would admit it was annoying when they had placed the devices ahead of my knowledge. I was planning to bluff the Emperor with the idea that there might be devices placed in such a manner in the future, but now I didn't, and I suppose that is what made it a better bluff.
"I'll see about gathering a few of the more poetically-inclined among my people and get them to aid in the construction of the treaty, assuming you have the scribes to do so?" I asked, using my talent at Biomancy and concealing myself in the Warp to hide any of my current feelings from the others, I'd say that I was doing a pretty good job of it. The Emperor merely nodded.
"There are a few dozen scribes and Administratum adepts on the Bucephelus, they can work out the particulars and show us the final draft before either of us signs it. Though, I must admit, going to such extremes to ensure that you get what you want is rather impressive." The Emperor commented as I shrugged. "Even now, I can feel the device holding a close orbit around the star of this system. You truly were prepared to destroy everything you had built simply to keep it from the hands of the Imperium."
I nodded, understanding that as a statement of fact, I saw no reason to lie. Yes, I was prepared to do such a thing, but I was hesitant to press the trigger even if only for a moment. Horus looked at me like I was nuts before snorting in mirth.
"Now... Now I think I see where the Second Legion gets their insane need to constantly escalate and their habit of flipping any table that someone tries to play on." Horus remarked as I smiled brightly at that.
"If you aren't cheating, you aren't trying to win." I remarked before frowning slightly, Odin suddenly alerting me to an incoming aircraft with the silhouette of a Thunderhawk. It was travelling several times the approved maximum speed of the craft, was heavily modified and seemingly coming apart from the sheer wind resistance placed against it. It was no surprise when the craft suddenly came into view as it screamed over head, trails of fire from the frictional resistance with the air showing as it shot overhead before crashing to the dry ground just outside the ruined FOB. It's nose touching the ground before it cart wheeled, flipping end over end twice before finally coming to rest on the ground just in front of the main entrance to the FOB, lacking wings and having flipped to being upside down.
"It appears that you will be meeting your Legion far sooner than was originally planned, Brother." Horus remarked as I rolled my eyes, sensing the crew onboard, twenty Marines, all still alive and seemingly intact after the craziness I had just witnessed. Walking around, I saw the Emperor and Horus, plus their guards, follow behind me as I walked towards the gate and out to see what had happened. As I walked out, I saw cutting torches through the hull of the ruined craft as multiple torches seemed to work together to crack open the armored hulls of the craft. A moment later, a slab of armor big enough for a Marauder to float through came away as it thumped to the ground. I watched with interest as the Marines stepped out.
Each Marine seemed to be wearing something different, their armors had, at one point in the distant past, been the same, but near constant upgrades, modifications and changes had ensured that each suit of armor was unique. The same went for the weapon load outs of each of them, though, I seemed to have spotted a distinct interest in heavy weapons given that some of them were carrying around what looked like Plasma guns, Melta guns and twin-linked Heavy Bolters.
One of them even seemed to have a twin-lined Volkite Culverin with what looked like an underbarrel-mounted Multi-las. It was impressive, though, my silent observations were ruined when the one that appeared to be wearing a pseudo-Terminator armor turned and regarded me, his eyes widening as he dropped to his knees, recognition, awe and reverence dancing in his eyes before the others joined him.
"LORD PRIMARCH!" They bellowed as one.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Horus settle for a grin while I felt the amusement dancing in the Emperor's soul.
I was half tempted to punch both of them, treaty or not, bodyguards or not.
I really wanted to punch them...
XXX
Well, there you have it, the introduction between the Imperium and the Aesir, Marcus finally meeting his other brother and Big E along with the introduction of the Second Legion. Hope you enjoyed that and, as always, feedback is appreciated.