As the Loyalist fleet successfully broke transition from the Warp back into realspace, Commander Dante's vox-relay teams were nearly pushed to their breaking point. A deluge of data flooded the sensor-banks of the Wrath of Baal.
Astropaths were all but drowned in the endless psychic static of incoming transmissions. After being rigorously screened by Dante, a single, critical intelligence report was delivered to Roboute Guilliman and Lion El'Jonson. To conquer the foe, one must first comprehend them; they had to determine exactly what the forces of Chaos were orchestrating.
Since their departure from the Wyrmwood system, clandestine Inquisition fortresses in neighboring sectors had detected unprecedented levels of reality-erosion. Titanic energy signatures had erupted from the direction of the Somnium Stars, leaving a massive spatial void in their wake.
The planet designated as Wyrmwood had vanished entirely.
All of this had transpired in the immediate aftermath of the loss of the Tuchulcha Engine. Guilliman was unfamiliar with the specific mechanics of the Calibanite artifacts; for that knowledge, he could only rely on the Lion.
Yet, the Lion was equally in the dark regarding the artifacts' true nature. His only recourse was the Watchers in the Dark. Though no one knew the true origin or identity of these diminutive, robed figures, they had stood as the silent custodians of these relics across the aeons.
…
While the Primarchs were occupied with the enigmas of the relics and Vashtorr's endgame, Axion was satisfiedly reviewing a document delivered by Guilliman's envoys.
Axion still struggled to comprehend why the Imperium insisted on using vellum as a medium for data storage. However, based on his burgeoning understanding of Imperial bureaucracy, the various heraldic crests and the sheer volume of wax seals suggested that this document carried "significant weight."
In one corner sat a unique sigil of the Adeptus Mechanicus. Axion recognized it immediately: it was the personal crest of Belisarius Cawl. Though it followed standard patterns, Axion noted the intricate binaric engravings and specific floral motifs identifying it as Cawl's own sub-sect. He had seen similar marks aboard Cawl's Ark Mechanicus.
The authorization document formally recognized Axion and his subordinate units as allied forces of the Imperium. It designated a mineral-rich world within the Bastior Sub-sector of Segmentum Pacificus as their station. Axion was to be responsible for the planet's security and the reinforcement of neighboring Imperial worlds.
In exchange, the Imperium would provide a specified quota of logistical support. Axion's performance would be assessed based on the system's resource output and its successful collection of the Imperial Tithe. The document contained a pledge: should Axion's contributions meet the required threshold, the Lord Regent Roboute Guilliman would personally escort him to Terra for an audience with the Emperor and grant him access to the Imperial Archives.
The explicit promise of reaching Terra filled Axion with profound joy.
The appendix of the document detailed a convoluted point-contribution system and corresponding calculation formulae, alongside a comprehensive star chart of the Imperium's current borders. Using this chart, Axion updated his archaic navigational records, seeing the galaxy anew for the first time in millennia.
However, one supplemental clause left Axion somewhat perplexed:
"Responding to the Imperial summons and participating in combat shall grant additional contribution points. Scores are to be determined by the assessed difficulty of the engagement."
While it didn't seem inherently wrong, something about it felt... off. The mind of an Iron Man was meticulous, but its logic functioned on a different vector than that of a biological human. The authorization letter defined the mission clearly, established the results, and possessed a perfect logical loop. After several reviews, Axion failed to find any flaw in the reasoning.
In truth, this entire arrangement was the calculated result of a consultation between Cawl and Guilliman.
Ever since Axion had effortlessly annihilated the forces of the Dark Mechanicum, Guilliman's concern regarding the Iron Man had deepened. He could not discuss such a volatile matter with the Lion, so he had turned to Cawl. Cawl, relying on his advanced hexamathic encryption to shield the transmission from the cacophony of the Warp, had managed to coordinate this strategy.
Axion had no idea what he was truly facing.
…
At present, the forces of Chaos had vanished; Abaddon's Dreadfleet had once again slipped into the tides of the Empyrean. The First Legion had been mauled; less than half of the initial participants had survived.
The Lion did not doubt that if he and Dante had stood alone, the survival rate among his sons would not have exceeded thirty percent. Guilliman, meanwhile, faced a mountain of logistical nightmares. The strategic overview of the Imperium demanded his constant attention.
The internal rot of the Imperium could not be ignored, either. Guilliman had received clandestine reports that the Inquisition was monitoring the First Legion, suspecting that the Dark Angels sought to reform their ancient Legion-strength structure.
Guilliman could only shake his head bitterly at such reports. The Codex Astartes had been his error. He needed strength to save this crumbling empire; if he could, he would restore the Legions in a heartbeat. But the Dark Angels were currently in no state to form a Legion—their strength was barely superior to that of the recently rebuilt Imperial Fists.
When Cawl suggested utilizing the power of the Iron Man, Guilliman had hesitated for a long time. The Iron Man consumed metal and minerals; the Necrons were not a suitable foe, for Guilliman feared Axion might lose control if exposed to their technology. The corruption of Chaos made him equally wary of letting the machine-entity near the Warp-spawn.
The only viable target was the recently emerged Tyranid swarm.
Faced with intelligence regarding the Tyranids that had reached him months late, Guilliman considered yet another overhaul of the Imperial administrative system. He overlooked the fact that it was his own constant transit across the galaxy that had delayed the emergency missives.
Since finding Axion, he had journeyed from the Imperium Nihilus to the Ultima Segmentum, fought the Necrons, returned to Nihilus to find the Wrath of Baal and the Lion, and finally searched the Somnium Stars to clash with the Archenemy. The emergency data had been chasing Guilliman across the stars.
Had it not been for Captain-General Trajann Valoris and Lord Solar Leontus taking the initiative to form the Solblades to handle the Pacificus crisis, Guilliman might not have known of the threat until the Tyranid tendrils reached the Solar Segmentum.
Through their recent interactions, Guilliman had learned how to steer the Iron Man. So long as precious historical data was used as the lure, Axion would not resist being utilized.
Payment, of course, had to be rendered. Axion was completely unaware that the "reward" for carving a path through the Archenemy's fleet was, in reality, a sophisticated contract of indentured servitude.