Requiem, a place where souls rest in peace, carries the Master of Mankind's blessing for the departed.
The Emperor awoke from the War of Wills. The golden sun set within the Warp and returned to the material universe; the soul-binding had finally reached its conclusion.
"We must depart quickly."
Malcador leaned on his staff, his expression exceptionally grave. Psychic magic flickered gently in his hands as countless missives arrived from the Imperial War Council.
The Rangdan invasion had put the frontiers in dire peril.
The War Council was mobilizing according to contingency plans, having already dispatched several Legions to reinforce the borders. However, Terra still required the personal presence of either the Master of Mankind or the Regent of the Imperium.
The Emperor nodded in silence and raised his arm. Brilliant points of light flew from his hand as a soul of absolute purity drifted downward.
"The first human soul to escape the corruption of the Warp," he said. Always a man of few words, his speech was somewhat stiff, yet it conveyed a profound sense of relief.
"Blazkowicz." The Master of Mankind looked toward his great son, gesturing toward the golden world. "Humanity will forever be grateful to you."
"But you must still shoulder a heavy responsibility." His tone shifted, concern surfacing alongside his pride. "A soul escaping the Warp, far from the source of infection—the long-term changes remain unknown."
"The Doom Slayers will garrison Requiem." The Emperor's concern was not without merit; Blazkowicz knew there was no precedent for this, and continuous observation was mandatory.
Even if a soul leaves the Warp's corruption, its safety is not guaranteed.
---
Despite the Emperor's filtering, souls are pure mental energy; over vast stretches of time, they tend to merge, becoming larger entities. In the Warp, such entities are known as "Daemons."
The pure human souls resting on Requiem possess thoughts that easily resonate or even fuse. While they might not fall into the same extremes as Warp entities, the risk of evolution remains, necessitating strict monitoring.
The Doom Slayers—immune to supernatural magic and capable of suppressing psychic energy—were naturally the best candidates for the task.
"I will dispatch a detachment of Silent Sisters to guard Requiem eternally," the Emperor nodded with satisfaction, with Valdor speaking on his behalf.
The Master of Mankind had finished his work and reverted to his usual manner, using the Custodes as his voice.
"Agreed," Blazkowicz acknowledged. However, Requiem was not small, and the Doom Slayers were few in number; they could not spare many permanent guards.
The Silent Sisters, trained from Untouchables, possessed hollow souls immune to psychic interference. Having them participate in the defense and observe the world's development was highly appropriate.
"If there are no other arrangements, we must set out immediately." Blazkowicz raised his left arm, and a holographic projection emerged from his palm, displaying the latest intelligence.
"The Rangdan are coming with overwhelming force. Over a hundred systems in the frontier regions have become occupied zones. Multiple Legions are currently stalling their advance, but the situation remains grim."
"The Rangdan are utilizing Battle Moons to form war nodes—capable of both offense and defense. They are clearly prepared for a long-term war of attrition."
The xenos had returned. While the Emperor's soul floated in the Warp, he had intercepted countless Astropathic warnings and was well aware of the urgency. In fact, he likely knew more about the state of the war than most.
"Let us discuss our respective arrangements," Valdor stated, articulating the Emperor's next moves. "I shall go to Prospero first to deal with Magnus's folly, then rotate to the front lines."
"I must return to Terra." Magical runes flashed in Malcador's hand, connecting him to the Imperium's current status. "The War Council's authority is limited. Though they have mobilized the Imperial Fleet to the best of their ability, it is still insufficient."
A slight sigh escaped his aged voice. "The War Council and the Administratum have done all they can, but their authority cannot fully replace the rule of the Emperor or myself."
"I must hold Terra, stabilize the Imperial rear, mobilize war materiel, and assemble the fleet. The Imperium must enter a state of total war immediately to prevent the situation from deteriorating further."
"It is a battle for survival between the Imperium of Man and the Rangdan Cerberarchy once again!"
As Malcador and the Emperor finished speaking, they both looked toward Blazkowicz, waiting to see how the D'Nur Stars—with their massive war potential—would participate in this racial crusade.
"I have made my own arrangements." The projection in Blazkowicz's hand shifted rapidly, outlining a series of operational plans. "I have made many preparations during the waiting period."
"Junior." He called softly. The Legion's First Son stepped out from the ranks to stand beside the Primarch. "The Legion Praetor will lead the main force directly to the Shana System."
Upon hearing this, Junior raised his arm. The tactical terminal on his gauntlet flickered, revealing a detailed fleet array. An expeditionary fleet had completed its assembly, awaiting orders to deploy to the combat zone.
The Emperor saw the projected data, a flash of surprise crossing his eyes. He casually lowered the psychic shield surrounding Requiem.
As the golden barrier fell, the fortress-world Eye of Judgment obscured half the sky. The other half was occupied by a fleet so dense it crowded the heavens.
Even by the Emperor's standards, the scale of the fleet was immense—capable of sweeping through several sectors. Without a doubt, the addition of such a force would be a heavy weight on the scales of victory.
"And what of yourself?" Valdor asked, sensing the subtext. It was a question born of his own initiative, not the Emperor's direct will.
Blazkowicz looked at the Captain-General. The projection shifted again, marking several locations on the galactic map. "I must travel to these unknown systems. I have important private matters to attend to."
The Captain-General nodded slowly, refraining from prying further. The Primarch had explained the situation and provided a reasonable justification; that was enough respect.
"Then let it be so," he spoke again, his tone changing—now the Emperor's direct voice.
"I shall take my leave first." The Emperor turned, his crimson silk cloak billowing. The Custodes followed behind him as the golden procession marched toward the landing craft.
"Lend me a fast ship," Malcador said to Blazkowicz with a small smile. His tone was humorous and calm, yet a listener could detect the underlying urgency. The Regent appeared relaxed on the surface, but he was desperate to return to Terra as quickly as possible.
"No problem. You may board at any time." Blazkowicz returned the smile and instructed Sophia: "Assign a high-speed vessel for the Elder."
"Departure possible in three minutes," Sophia appeared slowly, holding a ship registration number, having made the fastest possible arrangement.
Malcador glanced at the projection, noted the hull number, and said regretfully to Blazkowicz: "I had hoped to visit Argent D'Nur in a private capacity after the soul-binding ceremony. Unfortunately, the Rangdan invasion came too suddenly."
"I will come another time to admire the glory left behind by the Golden Age."
"The D'Nur Stars will always welcome you," Blazkowicz said with a smile. "This departure is only for the sake of a better meeting next time."
Malcador shook his head without speaking. He held a high position, responsible for the operation of the entire Imperium. Terra was like a cage built of paperwork, imprisoning every free heart; bound by duty, he could not easily leave. The soul-binding was too unique—he had to personally protect the Emperor, which allowed him this brief escape.
As for the next time he would leave Terra... Malcador himself did not know. Perhaps when the seas ran dry and the rocks crumbled, or when humanity finally freed itself from the Warp and no longer needed transcendent beings to rule.
The Regent nodded, waved goodbye to Blazkowicz and the others, and walked toward the shuttle leaning on his staff.
"Farewell, King of Warriors." Jenetia Krole performed the Aquila salute, bidding farewell to the Lord of the Stars before leading her Silent Sisters away.
Blazkowicz responded with an equally solemn warrior's salute, watching the group depart.
Once only his own people remained on the Great Tree platform, he withdrew his gaze and turned to Junior. "Lead the Legion immediately. Take the Void Wanderer and support the front lines."
"Understood." Junior's expression was grave as he swiped across his tactical terminal, issuing the command to depart.
Above in the void, the fleet's engines began to glow, responding to the orders. The Legionaries turned to leave, heading for the platform's spaceport to board shuttles and join the battle.
"Take this." Blazkowicz produced a sigil and handed it to the Legion Praetor. "You likely noticed there are some... unique individuals in the other Legions."
"Alpharius," Junior said solemnly, taking the Hydra sigil. The master of the sigil was an expert in disguise, and his sons were hidden within every Legion.
"It is him." Blazkowicz wasn't surprised; Junior had known about Alpharius even before he did. "The contact code is 'We are all Alpharius'."
"Don't worry about the other Legions. Focus on communicating with Alpharius to obtain intelligence on the Second Legion."
"With the Rangdan and the Imperium at war, Moribar Solas will surely make a move."
"Once you make contact, if Alpharius needs help, provide it as much as possible. Find out exactly what Solas is doing."
"Solas will become Warmaster, standing in the spotlight. If he truly has connections to the Rangdan, he will act, and he won't be able to hide it from Alpharius."
"We must purge the internal threats of the Imperium before the Great War truly begins to avoid even greater losses."