"Heh, my boy. You think their geneseed has something to do with you, don't you?" Malcador asked.
"I do," Axis confirmed with a nod. "When it comes to resisting the warp, my geneseed is the most stable and effective. The Emperor himself once told me in private that he intended to use my geneseed to create a small, specialized force to combat daemons."
He reflected for a moment. If they used his geneseed, however, the result would most likely just be more of his own Golden Legion.
"What you say is true, but it's not as simple as you think," Malcador continued. "Your geneseed was extracted while you were in your Super Saiyan state. It lost the ability for the Great Ape transformation and does not contain the power of ki. Only through these modifications could it be barely stable enough for ordinary mortals to use, which means it has little potential left for further alteration."
"The Emperor and I did indeed consider your geneseed; it was our first choice for a long time. We discovered, however, that it would only create more members of your Golden Legion. That did not fit our vision for what the Grey Knights should be. Furthermore, the Grey Knights must possess formidable psychic power. Every single one of them must be a psyker of at least a Librarian's caliber."
"So, the Emperor and I conducted another experiment," Malcador explained, revealing the full scope of the Emperor's design for the Grey Knights to Axis. "We took the perfect geneseed of Magnus, augmented it with the Emperor's own genetic material, and created something entirely new. The original plan was to recruit loyalists from among the Traitor Legions, allowing them to pass on this new, loyalist geneseed. They would then undergo the most rigorous anti-psychic and anti-daemonic training, be equipped with the finest Aegis-pattern Terminator Armour, and have that armor enchanted with the bones of Pariahs and the blood of powerful psykers."
"Their geneseed is the purest, most potent genetic template ever conceived," Malcador continued, his voice low and serious. "It eliminates all potential flaws that could lead to psychic overload or physical mutation, focusing instead on extreme resistance to warp corruption and an unparalleled affinity for psychic power. Each Grey Knight candidate is a one-in-a-million psyker, and after being enhanced by the Emperor's new geneseed, their souls will be as tough as adamantium. Their will shall become the strongest fortress against the whispers and corruption of Chaos."
"They are the Imperium's last line of defense, a blade forged specifically to hunt daemons. Their very existence is a symbol of defiance against the blasphemy of the warp. It is for this reason that secrecy is paramount. Until they are a fully operational fighting force and have completed their necessary training, their existence must be shrouded in the deepest secrecy."
The confidentiality surrounding the Grey Knights was absolute. If Axis had not asked about them directly, Malcador would have waited until the force was fully established before revealing anything.
There was another, deeper reason for not using Axis's geneseed. This new force would serve no Primarch; in theory, they would not even have a gene-sire. According to the Emperor's plan, Malcador would imply to them that the Emperor himself was their Primarch, that their seed came directly from the Master of Mankind.
This would foster a level of loyalty beyond question. If they used Axis's geneseed, however, the moment one of them used the Golden Transformation, their true lineage would be revealed to all.
That was why the Emperor had used Magnus's geneseed as a base and added his own, creating a completely new geneseed in the same manner he had created the Primarchs so long ago.
"Using Magnus's perfected geneseed, combined with the Emperor's bloodline, would certainly be effective against the daemons of the warp," Axis mused. "However, I would still recommend that a contingent of my sons be selected to join the Grey Knights. They could fight alongside the sons of Magnus. Besides my Golden Transformation, they can wield both potent psychic and holy powers."
The sons of Magnus could provide psychic fire support from a distance, while his own sons could excel in close-quarters combat. After the future Magnus completed his apotheosis, these Grey Knights would surely gain something from him.
But in a melee, even with holy light, Axis's sons would be their equals. The power amplification from the Super Saiyan transformation was simply immense.
Malcador shook his head, his tone firm. "I'm sorry, Axis, but the Emperor and I have already made our decision. We will not use your geneseed for the Grey Knights." If it were an option, they would have used it from the start instead of going through the trouble of modifying Magnus's.
"Besides," he added, "the Grey Knights will be outfitted entirely in Aegis-pattern Terminator Armour, each suit needing enchantments from the bones of Pariahs and the blood of powerful psykers to face the horrors of the warp. This severely limits their numbers; they will be a Chapter of no more than a thousand. For that reason, they cannot be under the control of any one Primarch. They must belong wholly to the Imperium. They do not need a Primarch, or rather, they must believe their Primarch is the Emperor."
"But why?" Axis pressed, "My geneseed may not enhance psychic potential from birth, but it can be developed later. I brought back a fruit from the Tree of Might on my last journey. The final one grew on a world completely corrupted by Chaos. It took a great deal of effort, but I purified all the chaotic energy into pure psychic power. The resulting fruit is very special. When a normal Space Marine consumes it, they can awaken their own psychic potential."
Axis had already tested these new, potent fruits on his journey back to Holy Terra. Administering them to members of his Golden Legion had successfully awakened powerful psychic abilities within them. But he knew a force created this way would simply be a more powerful version of his own Legion.
"This special fruit could certainly be used to strengthen the Grey Knights," Malcador conceded. "You can provide some to me. But I must be clear, Axis. You can use that fruit to create your own daemon-hunting force, but I cannot allow your geneseed to be mixed into the Grey Knights. Do you understand why? It is because this force belongs to the Emperor, not to any Primarch. Your Golden Transformation would instantly expose their origins." Malcador laid the truth bare.
Axis was momentarily speechless. He had not considered that reason. It was true. His current authority in the Imperium was already arguably greater than that of the Regent, Guilliman.
To also have command over the Grey Knights would indeed be inappropriate. The Emperor and Malcador had considered things from every angle. Axis's only intention had been to enhance the Grey Knights' combat strength; he had no desire to control them. But he had completely overlooked the critical point: the Golden Transformation was an undeniable signature.
"I see now… that was an oversight on my part," Axis said, his voice tinged with regret. "The Golden Transformation… it is a brand that cannot be hidden. The moment a warrior in the Grey Knights transformed, everyone would know he carried my blood. That would violate the fundamental principle of the Grey Knights being the Emperor's direct blade, transcendent of any Primarch's faction."
"I'm glad you understand, Axis," Malcador's tone softened with the reassuring air of an old mentor. "The Imperium needs the Grey Knights to maintain this absolute independence and purity. They are the Swords hanging over the head of Chaos. Their loyalty must be exclusively and unequivocally to the Emperor, not to any Primarch. Any factor that might create factional ties or a division of loyalties must be eliminated."
"I understand," Axis replied. "However, you also said the Grey Knights must remain hidden, operating in the shadows away from public view. In that case, we can establish another army, a public one, to fight the daemons."
Just because the Grey Knights now existed did not mean he could not create a new force.
He envisioned an order of Paladins. They would wield golden, holy light and consume the Tree of Might fruit to awaken their psychic powers. Their purpose would be to stand in the open, a visible army dedicated to purging daemonic threats across the Imperium.
They would be loyal knights of the Imperial Cult. This force would operate in the light, while the Grey Knights acted from the shadows. The Paladins would answer to the Imperial Cult, while the Grey Knights answered directly to the Imperium.
Axis shared his entire proposal with Malcador.
"An order of Paladins," Malcador mused, considering it for a moment. "That has potential. Members from other Legions could also join, not just your gene-sons."
"That is my intent," Axis said with a nod, "I never planned for the Paladins to be composedsolely of my sons. The idea is to select elites from every Legion."
The organization would be similar to the future Deathwatch, only the Paladins would be dedicated to hunting daemons instead of xenos. When he had time, Axis thought, he should establish the Deathwatch as well. These kinds of specialized, multi-Legion organizations were immensely beneficial, fostering inter-legionary cooperation and exchange.
As Malcador and Axis began to discuss the finer details, an attendant entered to report that the Imperial Regent, Roboute Guilliman, requested an audience.
Guilliman was escorted in shortly after.
Seeing Axis already present, he gave a nod of acknowledgment. "Axis. I didn't expect to see you here."
"I was discussing some matters with Mentor Malcador," Axis replied, "Your timing is perfect. There is something I wish to discuss with you as well."
"Is that so?" Guilliman offered a faint smile. "What a coincidence. I also have something to discuss with you both."
"Oh? And what might that be?" Malcador inquired.
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ps?