After bidding farewell to the Lion, Axis and Magnus, accompanied by Captain-General Valdor, boarded a landing craft bound for the Imperator Somnium.
The Imperator Somnium was the Emperor's personal flagship. Since His return to Holy Terra, it had remained docked in the orbital starports for ten years. It had been dispatched on this occasion specifically to retrieve Axis and Magnus.
As Axis stepped aboard the magnificent vessel once more, a wave of nostalgia washed over him. It was this very ship that had carried him to Holy Terra all those years ago to undergo the Emperor's modifications.
"All is ready, Axis," Valdor announced, "The ship's systems are prepared. We can proceed." He was exceptionally curious to see how they would navigate the Webway.
The Emperor himself was fascinated by the esoteric network, having told him on many occasions that humanity's future lay within its shimmering tunnels.
"It's simple," Axis said, pointing towards an Aeldari vessel that had materialized before the Imperator Somnium, "Do you see the Harlequin ship? We just have to follow it. They will handle the rest."
Valdor nodded and immediately relayed the orders to the ship's crew. The Imperator Somnium's mighty engines roared to life, and the vast warship fell into formation behind the Aeldari craft, making for the Webway portal in the Prospero system.
With a flash of silvery-white light, the immense form of the Imperator Somnium slid gracefully into the Webway.
They entered a bizarre, kaleidoscopic reality, a superluminal travel network built by the Old Ones in an age long past.
"This is incredible," Valdor remarked, his voice filled with awe, "This method of travel is truly advanced. Axis, how long will it take us to reach Holy Terra?"
"I am not entirely sure," Axis admitted, before turning to their guide, "Cassandra, how long is our journey to Holy Terra?" He had only traveled the Webway twice before and had no sense of the travel time from Prospero to the Throneworld.
Cassandra replied, "We estimate the journey will take fifteen days. The exit is located near the planet of Pluto in the Terran system."
"Fifteen days!" Valdor exclaimed, "That is astonishingly fast. Our voyage to Prospero via the warp took no less than three months." The difference in speed was stark, a six-fold increase in efficiency.
Cassandra offered a knowing smile.
The current Webway was ancient and in a state of disrepair, its speed greatly reduced from its prime. Her people had used these tunnels for sixty million years, and she knew that when it was newly constructed, the Webway was far faster still.
Aboard the bridge of the Imperator Somnium, many of the ship's technicians, particularly the Tech-Priests of the Adeptus Mechanicus, stared with feverish excitement at the phantasmal world outside, their cogitators frantically recording data.
It was a pity that their level of understanding was likely insufficient to ever comprehend the principles of the Webway. It was a technology that even the Emperor had not fully mastered.
"Valdor, what of the faster-than-light engine's development?" Axis asked, "I've been missing for ninety-eight years. Surely there's been some progress." Not long after he first arrived, Axis had given the schematics for an FTL drive to the Emperor. After so many years, with the Great Betrayal now upon them, he wondered what had become of it.
"That matter is classified at the highest level of the Imperium," Valdor stated stiffly.
"What do you mean, classified?" Axis retorted, "I provided the engine designs for that FTL ship. The Emperor himself kept no secrets from me on this."
A muscle twitched in Valdor's jaw.
The reason I say it is classified is because this Aeldari woman is standing right here, he thought with frustration. Can you not see her? This faster-than-light engine is humanity's ultimate secret! How can we allow xenos to know of it?
As if sensing the tension, Cassandra gave a polite bow. "Lord Axis, if you will excuse me, I shall go and rest." During her time aboard the Solus Prime, she had become aware that Axis was also researching FTL technology.
She, too, had been away for over ninety years and wondered what progress his own people had made.
"Someone escort this lady to a guest suite," Valdor commanded with a wave of his hand. Two Custodian Guard materialized and led Cassandra from the bridge.
Once she was gone, Valdor turned back to Axis, his tone sharp with disapproval. "Axis, you should understand the importance of secrecy. The FTL engine is of paramount importance to mankind. How could you risk revealing its existence?"
"It is not such a great secret," Axis replied dismissively, "For now, at least, the Aeldari are our allies, and Cassandra is discreet. I trust her. Now, tell me, how is the engine coming along? With a reliable FTL drive, the Imperium would no longer need to fear navigational issues, even if the galaxy is shrouded in warp storms."
He knew a great deal about keeping secrets, especially with agents of the Laughing God so near. Besides, he had also given the Imperium the technology for universal power-level detection and communication. Combined with FTL, that system would allow humanity to break its dependence on warp travel for good.
"Progress on the FTL engine has been slow," Valdor admitted, "but there have been some successes. The Imperium can now reliably manufacture engines capable of ten times the speed of light. Small Imperial vessels can travel freely within a radius of twenty or thirty light-years using this drive. However, we cannot yet fit it to our larger warships."
The FTL engine Axis had provided was extremely small, designed for a single-person craft. They had been forced to painstakingly reverse-engineer and then scale up the technology.
The process was fraught with difficulty. The extreme stresses of FTL travel also required far more resilient hull materials than were standard on Imperial ships.
For the Imperium to make full use of this technology, its entire industrial base would need a massive upgrade, returning to a level of sophistication not seen since the Dark Age of
Technology. For now, a ten-times-lightspeed version for small ships was all they could manage.
"Small ships?" Axis pressed, "How small, exactly?" To only have a ten-times-lightspeed version after nearly a century seemed pathetic.
"Torpedo boats and other vessels of a few hundred meters," Valdor replied, "Anything larger than a one-kilometer Sword-class frigate is currently unable to mount the engine."
"What?" Axis scoffed, "Then what is the point?"
"It is a monumental achievement, Axis," Valdor said, his voice laced with indignation, "The device you provided was for a craft no larger than an escape pod. To adapt it for use on ships hundreds of meters long is a remarkable feat.
"Furthermore, a twenty-times-lightspeed version has already been successfully tested. In the future, it may be installed on Sword-class frigates, which will be a revolutionary leap forward."
Do you have any idea how difficult this has been for us? he thought. This result is nothing short of extraordinary.
"Never mind," Axis said, deciding to drop the subject, "I am going to get some rest. This journey should be safe enough. It is far more comfortable than warp travel." He knew it was futile to expect the Imperium to master FTL travel in a short time.
He would have to place his hopes in the Solus Prime. In a hundred years, they had only managed to mass-produce a 10x lightspeed engine, and the 20x version was still experimental.
In his estimation, a 100x engine was the bare minimum for practical use, while a 1000x version would be required to truly begin replacing warp travel.
Leaving the bridge, Axis made his way to Cassandra's room. There were other matters he needed to discuss with her.
"Lord Axis," she said, rising to greet him.
"At ease," he said, "Can you contact the Solus Prime?" Axis was deeply concerned about his flagship and wanted it back under his command as soon as possible. It contained some of his most important assets, including a Necron.
"The Harlequin Troupes are already searching," Cassandra assured him. "It will not be long before we have news. Once the Solus Prime learns of your return, I have no doubt she will come at once."
"Good," Axis said with a nod, then rose and returned to his own quarters.
The rest of the journey was uneventful.
Fifteen days passed in a blur of surreal landscapes, and at last, the Harlequins led them to a shimmering exit. With another flash of brilliant white light, the Imperator Somnium emerged into realspace.
They found themselves in the orbit of Pluto, within the Sol system.
The sudden appearance of the colossal battleship immediately drew the attention of the Imperial system's automated defense network. Countless macro-cannons and lance batteries swiveled to aim at the ship, but after its transponder code was identified as the Imperator Somnium, all defensive systems stood down.
Having guided them safely to the exit, the Harlequin vessel sent a final message to Axis and then vanished, the white gate of the Webway closing behind it.
"Let's go," Magnus urged, "We must return to Terra immediately and inform the Emperor of the Great Betrayal."
The others nodded in agreement.
A few hours later, the Imperator Somnium achieved a stable orbit above Holy Terra. After completing all identification protocols, Captain-General Valdor led Axis and Magnus aboard a lander that descended towards the Imperial Palace.
Four months had passed since they had first embarked on their rescue mission.
As they made their way through the Palace, Axis noticed that all the sentries on duty had been replaced by Imperial Fists Space Marines.
The Adeptus Custodes were nowhere to be seen.
After passing through innumerable checkpoints, they finally arrived at the Sanctum Imperialis.
There, the Emperor sat upon the Golden Throne, his face a mask of agony, his features twisted in torment.
"Father-in-law, I have returned!"
"Father, I am here."
"Returned at last," the Emperor's voice echoed in their minds, a whisper that spoke of the immense power that contained within and the sense of pain the emperor was experiencing.
"Axis, and Magnus."
The Emperor was surprised. He had not expected them to reach Holy Terra for another two months at least.
"Father," Magnus said, his voice heavy, "We have a terrible report to bring you. Horus has launched a great betrayal. He has turned against you."
Everything seemed to still for a moment, and a sigh radiating of utter sense of disbelief, helplessness and sorrow washed over the group.
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ps?