"Warmaster of the Left Flank?" Axis was now utterly confused, "There is more than one Warmaster?" Imperium has more than one Warmaster?
"Yes, there are three in total," Magnus explained, "Horus is the Warmaster-General, holding the highest rank and greatest authority, with command over the other two. Your son is the Warmaster of the Left Flank, and Rogal Dorn is the Warmaster of the Right Flank. Dorn is primarily responsible to the Emperor for the defense of the entire Sol System."
"If we are really talking about Warmasters, surely my son wouldn't even be in the running," Axis said. "I would have thought Lion El'Jonson a more suitable choice."
Poor Lion. The Imperium now had three Warmaster positions, and he still did not have one?
"Why would you think your son is unqualified, Axis?" Magnus countered, "The boy is brilliant. He is a top-tier strategist, and his cunning is exceptional. Moreover, he has a very strong relationship with the Ultramarines. The child is also incredibly skilled at civil administration. He learned a lot form lady Euten."
"And how did my son come to be named Warmaster of the Left Flank?"
"It happened about ten years ago, on the planet Ullanor. An immensely powerful Ork Warlord had risen to power. The Emperor personally led the campaign to defeat him, and the only Primarch, well, primcarch level figure he took with him was your son.
"The battle was perilous. The Ork Warlord was so strong that he even managed to strike down Father. In the end, it was your son who saved the Emperor and defeated the Warlord. He earned the title of Warmaster through that victory."
Axis's expression suddenly turned grim. Wasn't the Ullanor Crusade supposed to be the Emperor's grand stage for Horus's apotheosis? How had his own son become the main character?
Things had taken a strange turn. Axis found that he could not grasp what the Emperor was thinking at all.
For most of the Imperium, the Ullanor Crusade was a campaign that decided the very fate of mankind. The reality, however, was different. The Ork Warboss on Ullanor was, in truth, less powerful than the one who would later be known as The Beast. As for the claim that he had wounded the Emperor of Mankind, nearly killing him, that was simply absurd. What kind of being was the Emperor?
He was the incarnation the Dark King, a top-tier powerhouse in the material universe, a terrifying figure capable of defeating a C'tan single-handedly.
The true war that had determined the destiny of the Imperium had been the Rangda Xenocides, a conflict that had genuinely forced the Emperor to unleash a shard of the Void Dragon.
"What year is this?"
"It is the second year of the 31st Millennium"
Axis calculated the time. The Third Rangda Xenocide should have concluded by now. Or, perhaps, his own butterfly effect had caused some other unforeseen change.
"Magnus," Axis said, "You and I both know the true extent of the Emperor's power. If my son possessed Ki, I could understand it. But without the power of Ki, it is impossible for him to defeat an opponent that even the Emperor could not handle."
Without Ki, even a power level in the millions or tens of millions possessed less destructive force than a being with a power level of mere tens of thousands who did wield it.
"But it truly did happen," Magnus replied, "You know how Father is, he may have his reasons for how he acts. I must add, though your son lacks the power of Ki, his psychic might is no weaker than Kasha's! Furthermore, he consumed the fruits you left behind. He has even inherited the ancient warship you discovered. The Solus Prime is now his flagship."
Magnus suspected his father had likely held back. Otherwise, no matter how powerful the Ork Warboss was, he would have been no match for the Emperor unless the two Ork gods themselves had descended upon the battlefield. That, however, did not mean Axis's son was weak. In a real fight, besides Magnus and Sanguinius, who had each consumed two or more fruits from the tree of might, none of the other Primarchs were a match for the boy.
"Very well," Axis said, "Tell me everything. What other deeds has my son accomplished?"
The boy had inherited the Solus Prime!
Surely, the technological aspect of the imperium has improved.
"There are too many to list! He has exterminated countless xenos species and conquered scores of worlds. His military honors are so numerous that I cannot even count them all. Though he is not a Primarch, his standing in the Imperium is no less than one of theirs. In fact, I often feel that Father is a little too fond of him. Even Horus has grown somewhat jealous of your son," Magnus explained.
It was true.
The Emperor's most beloved son had always been Horus. But ever since the son of Axis appeared, the Emperor's care and affection had shifted to the boy. This created a deep imbalance in Horus's heart. Though he did not show it, anyone familiar with Horus could sense the malice he held for the Son of Axis.
"Many things have happened over the years, Axis," Magnus said as they walked toward a tower, "The Great Crusade has been a tremendous success. The territory of the Imperium of Man now extends to the very fringes of the galaxy. Humanity is stronger than ever before, and we are on the brink of restoring our Golden Age."
"Do the Librarius units still exist in all the Legions?" Axis asked.
Before the outbreak of the Great Heresy, there was the Council of Nikaea.
The Emperor had summoned all the Primarchs to debate whether psykers should be used within the Legions. The outcome of that meeting had led to the abolition of the Librarius. Shortly after the council, the Ullanor Crusade began.
"Hahaha! The Librarius was preserved. All the Legions have a Librarius now," Magnus said with a proud smile.
Axis nodded, feeling a sense of relief. It seemed his efforts had not been in vain. The Librarius had, at least, been saved.
"Of course. The only opponents to the Librarius project were Mortarion, Rogal Dorn, and Corax. Corax joined the Imperium after your disappearance. He is the Primarch of the Raven Guard, a Legion that excels in infiltration warfare.
"He is a strong warrior himself, but he harbors a deep-seated distrust of psykers. After you vanished, two more Primarchs returned to the Imperium, with the last being Alpharius, about seventy years ago. A major incident occurred roughly fifty years ago. Lorgar's Monarchia was destroyed by your sons. But do not worry, it was an order from the Emperor himself. That fellow Lorgar had become far too zealous, severely hindering the progress of the Great Crusade, so the Emperor took your son with him to administer the punishment."
Axis sighed at this information. He had every intention of preserving Monarchia and bringing Lorgar to his side, he even had the things planned out, but a single mistake had undid every plan he had made for the future.
...
...
some ps?