Chapter 61 – The Emperor's Light
In the vast sea of the Warp, a sun blazed with power beyond comprehension. It wasn't made of fire or matter, but of pure psychic energy golden and alive.
The fragment that followed Gaius to another world, returned.
He focused.
From the memory that belonged to his fragment and from the world the Gaius had visited the Emperor saw something that caught His attention: the "sanctums."
Structures scattered across that other Terra, the Earth of another reality, that acted as stabilizers, protecting the world from rifts and dimensional tears. They were not powered by faith or the Warp, but by precise, balanced energies, forming an unseen shield between the reality and dimensions.
The Emperor studied them. His vast mind simulated their structure, testing them in a model of reality created within His own psychic vision.
And He saw the results.
The sanctums stabilized reality, yes. They blocked the intrusion of creatures from beyond, the same way He had wished to protect His own Terra from the warp-born horrors.
But the effects were double-edged.
The moment He placed them in His simulation, He could feel the difference. The air became still, the tides of the Warp faded, and the light of psychic power dimmed.
Reality had become stronger, but less alive.
He saw it clearly, if such sanctums were ever created on His Terra, then psykers would struggle to exist. Children who would have been born with psychic gifts would instead remain ordinary. The veil between the Warp and the world would thicken, choking the very power He had used to unite mankind, even though he wants the humanity to severe the dependence on the warp, but he can't do that now, as the outcome of shielding Terra with Sanctums, will be far more worse.
And for those already gifted, it would be worse.
The Emperor watched as the image of a battle unfolded in His psychic test, a simulated test. Space Marines blessed with psychic strength, Librarians, tried to channel their power. The stabilizing field suffocated their connection. Some collapsed. Some burned out entirely, unable to handle the separation.
A stable world, He thought, yet blind to the soul.
The Emperor paused, his light pulsing softly across the dark sea of the Warp.
A small sound echoed through the endless space, the hum of divine thought.
He would not implement this knowledge yet. But He would refine it, reshape it. Perhaps one day, it could be turned against Chaos itself, a cage that shields, not suffocates.
For now, He watched.
And through the threads of reality, He turned His gaze toward Gaius.
Within the halls of the Imperial Palace, Gaius stood inside a Thunderhawk gunship as it prepared for departure. The ship's engines rumbled beneath him, the low vibration running through the deck.
Outside the viewport, the massive bulk of the strike cruiser Oath of Rectitude waited, its hull lined with gold markings and Imperial sigils. The stars beyond shimmered faintly in the night sky.
Inside the gunship, the air was filled with quiet preparation.
Veteran Ultramarines, and Primaris, checked their armor seals and weapon locks. Chapter serfs moved around them, securing crates, tightening restraints, and preparing the ship for docking.
Gaius sat at the center, silent and still. Even seated, he towered over everyone else. His armor gleamed with faint golden light, though not as bright as it once did. The auramite plating reflected only the soft lamps above, as if it were made for reverence more than pride.
A young serf, Marcus, worked at the controls. His hands moved quickly, practiced and precise, though he couldn't help glancing back at Gaius every now and then. The young man was shocked at the changes that happened to Captain Gaius.
As the last of the preparations were made, one of the Primaris Marines turned toward him. "Captain Gaius," he began, his tone respectful but curious. "If I may… what happened to you?"
The others paused their work, listening.
Gaius lifted his gaze, his deep voice calm. "I was summoned by Lord Guilliman," he said simply. "To the Throne Room."
A ripple of surprise passed through the squad. To stand in the Throne Room itself was rare, even among Space Marines.
The Marine hesitated, then asked quietly, "And there…?"
"I was blessed," Gaius replied. "By the Emperor Himself."
For a long moment, no one spoke.
Even among Ultramarines, who were trained to question nothing, that statement was beyond belief, yet none of them doubted him. The aura around Gaius told them all they needed to know. It wasn't just power they sensed, but something sacred.
The younger Marines bowed their heads instinctively, murmuring brief Litanies under their breath. The older ones, veterans who had seen centuries of war, merely looked at Gaius with reverent silence.
Litanies are short, ritual phrases or chants recited by Space Marines to focus their minds and strengthen their resolve.
After a moment, one of them said quietly, "Then the Emperor still guides us."
Gaius nodded. "Always."
The Thunderhawk shuddered slightly as it detached from the platform. Through the viewports, the towering walls of Terra began to fall away as they climbed toward orbit. The blue curve of the world stretched beneath them, glowing under the night sky.
Gaius sat, quiet as the engines hummed beneath him. Around him, the squad stayed still, helmets resting on their knees, eyes closed or lost in thought.
His gaze fell to the weapon beside him, the Auramite Warhammer. The warhammer has a massive, rectangular head forged from auramite, its surface glowing with a deep, molten gold hue. Each face is edged with sharp geometric lines and engraved with sunburst sigils that shimmer faintly, as though alive with restrained energy. At the center of the hammerhead rests a circular emblem, an icon resembling a rising sun, etched with intricate grooves that catch and scatter the surrounding light.
The haft is long and proportioned for a warrior in heavy armor, crafted from adamantium, reinforced metal wrapped in auramite-banded grips. thin seams of luminous power run along its length, pulsing gently toward the hammerhead. The entire weapon radiates a soft, warm light that outlines its shape even in darkness
He turned the weapon slightly, feeling its weight shift. Guilliman had given it to him before his departure, forged in haste yet balanced perfectly.
"You've been reforged, Gaius," Guilliman had said. "You'll need a weapon that suits the man you've become."
He remembered the tone calm, measured, and pride. The words had stayed with him anyway. The power sword that he originally uses were not discarded, it still hung on his side.
As the Thunderhawk broke through the last clouds, the stars stretched wider. Gaius watched them for a moment, silent.
They rose higher and flew to the direction of the orbital dockyard where the Oath of Rectitude resides, then the Oath Of Rectitude appeared a strike cruiser, vast and dark, like a mountain of steel adrift in the void.
When the ship docked, the ramp hissed open, revealing the hangar bay of the Oath of Rectitude. The remaining Ultramarines aboard the cruiser stood ready to greet them, six warriors in full armor, with a handful of serfs lined beside them.
The moment Gaius stepped down from the ramp, the entire bay seemed to quiet. The crew stared, not in fear, but in awe. The last time they had seen him, he had been a very experienced captain, battle-worn and strong. Now, he was something greater.
His armor, forged of auramite, caught the light of the hangar's glow-panels. The Aquila across his chest shone like a symbol carved from sunlight and his massive weapon that shines Golden Light.
"Captain Gaius," one of the Marines saluted. "You are back."
Gaius returned the salute briefly. "Stand ready," he said. "We have a new mission."
The hangar stirred with renewed life. Marines moved to their stations, servitors carried data-slates, and engines began to hum deeper within the ship.
Gaius turned toward the command platform, issuing the coordinates Guilliman had given him. "We depart for Cygnus-IX, a corrupted world under Chaos influence. lieutenant Titus was sent there. We will bring him home."
the pilot, gave a firm nod and raised his arm in salute. "Aye, Captain. Plotting course now."
"Inform the Navigator," Gaius added, his tone steady.
"Yes, my lord," another serf said, hurrying off.
With everything in motion, Gaius made his way toward his private chamber. The corridors of the strike cruiser were wide and dimly lit, lined with banners and purity seals. The hum of plasma engines filled the air.
Inside his quarters, he removed his helm, setting it gently on the stand beside the desk. His face was calm, his expression unreadable. Placing the Weapon that Guilliman gifted him at the side. The faint golden light from the room's candles reflected against his eyes.
He sat down and withdrew the data-slate Lord Guilliman had gave him. Its ceramite casing bore the seal of Ultramar, the sigil faintly glimmering in the chamber's light. Guilliman had said it contained information about the mission target, Demetrian Titus
Then, as he turn it on, a soft sound chimed in his vision, a familiar tone.
A translucent panel appeared before him, visible only to him.
[Multiversal Chat Group – System Update]
[Wonder Woman has joined the group chat.]
[System: The group now has over five members.]
[Identification feature unlocked.]
[Identification – allows Members to access basic information about any selected individual or object.]
~~~
If you're enjoying the story, want to read more, and want to support me in creating more, you can check out my
Patreon here:
patreon.com/ZanderLee
Every bit of support means a lot and helps me keep writing!