Upon his triumphant return to Holy Terra, Lord Regent Roboute Guilliman immediately held a brief victory parade.
The loyalist Legions that had not participated in the final war against the Rangda, namely the Salamanders, Iron Hands, Raven Guard, White Scars, and Imperial Fists, had spent years recovering and had each replenished their strength to over one hundred thousand Astartes.
At the same time, the Legions that did take part in the conflict received massive reinforcements from their homeworlds. The total strength of Sanguinius's Holy Blood Angels now stood at two hundred thousand.
Magnus's Thousand Sons also crossed the one-hundred-thousand threshold. The Legion of Axis expanded to one hundred and fifty thousand, while the Legion of Kratos swelled to one hundred and eighty thousand, closing in on the two-hundred-thousand mark. The Space Wolves fielded one hundred and sixty thousand warriors, and the Dark Angels maintained one hundred and seventy thousand.
And Guilliman's Ultramarines still maintained their terrifying scale of four hundred and fifty thousand.
The Children of Tomorrow and the Iron Warriors both maintained a total strength of over one hundred and twenty thousand men.
The total number of Space Marines still reached a high of two million. Less than a decade after the end of the Horus Heresy, the vast Imperium had already recovered to a state nearing its pre-war peak.
However, the war against the Rangda had just concluded. Immediately upon returning to Terra, Guilliman summoned all the Primarchs and, without any preamble, announced a decision: a military reorganization.
"The proposal for this reorganization is as follows," Guilliman declared. "With the exception of my Ultramarines and the Legion of Axis, which may retain their size of over one hundred thousand Astartes, all other Legions are to be downsized to a strength of approximately ten thousand."
The moment the words were spoken, the entire assembly was stunned.
The Primarchs looked at the Lord Regent in disbelief, unable to comprehend why he would make such a decision, a betrayal to his brothers, just after the Imperium had achieved a glorious victory over the Rangda xenos.
Some of the Primarchs' gazes shot towards Axis, their eyes carrying a silent accusation. Was this a conspiracy between you and Guilliman?
After all, only your two Legions were to be spared.
Axis shrugged helplessly and held up his hands. "Don't look at me like that. If everyone could keep their Legions of a hundred thousand, I would support it with both my hands and feet. I'm not the one who started this. In fact, I was firmly against it."
"Then, Guilliman, Axis," Rogal Dorn, Primarch of the Imperial Fists, asked in a low voice, "what is to be done with our downsized Legionaries? Are they to be retired on the spot? Or... are you planning to deal with them as the Thunder Warriors were dealt with?"
"The Space Marines separated from the other Legions will all be reformed into independent Chapters of a thousand men," Guilliman said, having already prepared for the question. "The Chapter model allows for more flexible deployment and is more efficient in responding to the small-scale conflicts that frequently erupt across our vast domains. The Great Crusade is over. The Imperium's top priority now is to recover and consolidate our rule. The Chapter system is the optimal solution."
"I object!" Karl, the Second Primarch, was the first to slam his fist on the table and rise, his voice filled with indignant rage. "Though our Father has ascended the Golden Throne and the traitors have been vanquished, the Imperium remains strong, and we Primarchs are still here! How can the great work of the Grand Crusade end now?"
"I second Karl!" Perturabo followed immediately. He and Karl had always been close, and at this moment they stood as one against a common slight. "Our Father may be unable to lead us personally, but we Primarchs remain! There is no obstacle to continuing the Great Crusade. Why must we break our Legions into scattered Chapters?"
"Guilliman, Axis," Lion El'Jonson, Master of the First Legion, slowly rose to his feet. As the eldest of the Primarchs, he had to say something. "You had better give us a reason that can convince everyone. Axis, you claimed to be against this. What is your explanation now?"
Leman Russ, Ferrus Manus, Vulkan, Corax, and even the beatific Sanguinius did not speak, but the looks they cast toward Guilliman were filled with confusion and suspicion.
"My reasons are clear, and you should understand them!" Guilliman said. "Was the bloody lesson of this Great Betrayal not profound enough? One of the root causes was the immense power wielded by the Primarchs! The betrayal of a single Primarch meant the defection of over a hundred thousand elite Astartes!"
"Ha! Are you questioning our loyalty, Guilliman?" Leman Russ's sarcasm was as sharp as a blade. "You, of all people? Where were you during the Defense of Holy Terra? Karl and Perturabo at least fought and bled against the Rangda on the front lines! But you, you were always 'on your way'!"
Guilliman's face darkened, and he immediately passed the responsibility. "This was a joint decision between myself and Axis!"
"Axis! What is going on?" Ferrus Manus demanded, turning to him. "You just said you had nothing to do with it! You'd better explain yourself!"
"I agree with Guilliman's plan to downsize the Legions."
Before Axis could answer, an unexpected voice spoke up.
It was Magnus. "I will voluntarily break apart the Thousand Sons Legion. I will retain only ten thousand men, and the remaining ninety thousand warriors will be reformed into ninety independent Chapters."
Unlike his brothers, as a master of the psychic arts, Magnus had a faint inkling of a deeper truth and understood who the true architect of this plan was. Resistance was futile.
"Hey, don't drag me into this!" Axis quickly clarified. "According to Guilliman's original idea, every single Legion, including the first ones founded by us Primarchs, was to be reduced to the Chapter level of just a thousand men! I was the one who argued tirelessly to get you the ten-thousand-strong limit! You should be thanking me!"
His tone shifted as he looked at the others. "As for my Legion? That is a direct order from the Emperor. My Legion has a mission and must be maintained at a strength of one hundred thousand."
"Fine. Axis, you carry a heavy burden from our Father. We have no argument with that." The Lion suddenly turned his glare upon Guilliman, his tone becoming sharp and aggressive.
"But on what grounds do you get to be an exception, Guilliman?"
Axis grinned, speaking bluntly without any reservation. "Guilliman is the Lord Regent! Since I get to keep a hundred-thousand-strong Legion, he fears that if he does not maintain a comparable force, the Imperium will lose its balance and allow me to become the sole power!"
At these words, Guilliman's face turned ashen. "Axis! You bastard!"
"Then I want to keep a hundred thousand as well!"
"My Legion must also maintain a strength of one hundred thousand! The extra men can be broken into Chapters, and any new recruits will follow the same model!"
"Seconded!"
"Seconded!"
With the exception of Magnus, who had already stated his position, nearly all the Primarchs instantly formed a united front, their grievances aimed at a single target.
Guilliman's face was livid. He had anticipated resistance, but he had never imagined it would be so overwhelming.
"This is for the good of the Imperium!" he roared, trying to suppress his anger and appeal to their sense of duty. "The Great Crusade is over! It's not coming back! Humanity needs to rest and recover now! A fighting force of such a massive scale is no longer needed in this era!"
But no matter how Guilliman tried to explain, the other Primarchs would not yield. They could accept breaking their Legions into Chapters, but all Primarchs had to be on equal footing.
Every Primarch was a being of immense pride, and even those who were on good terms with Axis held the same view. Their equality could not be trampled upon!
The council chamber immediately devolved into a chaotic shouting match, the air thick with tension and the smell of gunpowder. In his fury, Guilliman even threatened that anyone who opposed the reorganization plan would be considered a traitor to the Imperium.
This dangerous accusation struck fear into the hearts of the mortals who had just found a measure of stability.
After suppressing the Great Betrayal and defeating an external foe, was the Imperium about to plunge into the abyss of another civil war, this one led by the Primarchs themselves?
The dispute dragged on for months, with neither side giving an inch.
Leman Russ, Karl, Ferrus Manus, and others even paid a private visit to Axis, intending to nominate him to replace Guilliman as Lord Regent of the Imperium.
Axis refused without a moment's hesitation.
He knew that to accept would be a signal for open war with Guilliman, a war he was confident he could easily win.
Axis sighed in frustration.
The very Primarchs who, in the original history, had supported Guilliman's reforms under the Codex Astartes were now completely opposed to him. The reason was, of course, that Guilliman was making an exception for himself. If everyone was being treated the same, it would have been fine.
But on what grounds did Guilliman and Axis get to be special?
They might even have been able to accept Axis alone being special due to the Emperor's command. But Guilliman? Absolutely not.
"Axis," Magnus said, having come to persuade him as well. "It is time for you to step forward and speak the truth. You, more than anyone, know the root of this conflict."
If this had been solely Guilliman's own ambition, Magnus would have sided with his brothers without hesitation. But this was the will of their Father on the Golden Throne made manifest!
Axis let out a long sigh. "Can't you all just leave me in peace for a while?
"...Very well. I will go and persuade them."
At the council meeting the following day, Axis stood up.
He looked around at the varied expressions of his brothers and dropped the bombshell. "My brothers, stop this pointless argument. The decision to break the Legions into Chapters... is an order from the Emperor."
Some of the Primarchs showed expressions of disbelief, questioning whether the Emperor was still capable of giving such a clear directive.
Just as doubt began to fester, a vast, divine, and irresistible psychic power descended upon them all.
Every Primarch's mind momentarily blanked, as if their very souls were being touched.
A moment later, when they recovered their senses, the indisputable will of the Emperor was imprinted upon their minds like a brand.
"For Humanity! For the Emperor"
Every single Primarch, regardless of their previous stance, now dropped to one knee in heartfelt submission, declaring in unison, "Our Legions are ready for the reorganization!"
And so, the storm of military reform that had engulfed the highest echelons of the Imperium and nearly sparked a civil war was finally put into motion under the undeniable will of the Emperor.
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