The Adeptus Mechanicus were in silence while the Legio Custodes remained stoic. Merlin, on the other hand, had a smile on his face.
"wow, you actually didn't say anything when she said that she was an Empress" Magnus commented
"Shut up" The Emperor replied shaking his head "There were lots of empresses and emperors in human history, I will not pretend that I was the one to invent that title...even though I existed before them."
Anastasia felt her being filled with sadness as she walked behind the throne, she pressed the button of the remote again and a secret passage opened itself up for her. The passage was narrow and so neither the Legio Custodes or Alatan could fit through.
"Wait here" Anastasia ordered as she entered inside the narrow corridor. She didn't know for how long she walked but finally, she found herself in front of a vault door. She looked at the removed in her hands and pressed another button. The vault door slowly opened itself revealing what looked like one of those rooms where nuclear reactors are kept in.
Just like in New York, in the middle of the room, there was something. It was a glowing spheric that seemed to give power to everything around her. The Primarch cautiously approached it and then touched it. An electric shock run across all of her body as a notification appeared on her HUD.
'New Energy Source installed: Aldnoah energy successfully installed'
Anastasia blinked a few times as she tried to comprehend what the hell is this Aldnoah.
"It seems like this energy source is limitless" Magnus said intrigued by such technology "No wonder they managed to build an empire with it"
Anastasia was about to comment on Magnus statement but something else caught her attention. It was another door, this time it had no scanner or anything. She walked towards it which caused it to open itself up.
She widened her eyes when she saw several skeletons lying on the floor in front of a pod. Anastasia checked the bodies and saw that they were all soldiers or at least, most of them. She picked up the military dog tags and read the names
Kaizuka Inaho
Yuki Kaizuka
Darzana Magbaredge
Inko Amifumi
Rayet Areash
Count Klancain
Anastasia made a small prayer for all of them and then looked at the pod, it had several machines attached to it which were almost too old to work. The glass of the pod was completely covered in dust and so she wiped it away only to widen her eyes. In front of her, in suspended animation, there was the Empress Asseylum Vers Allusia.
"Now Anastasia, don't rush things" The Emperor quickly said before Anastasia could try to break the pod to get the girl in front of her out "She have been in suspended animation for eons, rushing things will probably get her killed."
"I'm afraid he is right" Magnus said nodding "Try to see if the commands of the pod still work"
Anastasia calmed herself down and started to see if there were any buttons or screens she could use to release the empress in front of her without putting her in danger. Fortunately, she found a touchscreen on the right side of the pod. She quickly ran through several menus until she finally came across the 'release' button.
With a mechanical sound pod disconnected the various machines that kept the girl asleep and slowly opened itself. Anastasia held her breath as she used the Nanosuit to see if the girl was responsive or she just killed her by removing the machines.
Then she saw Asseylum's chest expanding and contracting as she started breathing..then she opened her eyes. Anastasia then saw that Asseylum was trying to say something but due to being in suspended animation for so long, no words came out of her mouth.
Anastasia knew that all Asseylum muscles were probably atrophied but she needed to get her out of there "I'm sorry this will probably hurt a lot" she said as she carefully picked the girl up with her vectors. She could see in Asseylum's eyes that her actions were giving her quite a bit of pain but it was necessary.
Asseylum tried to say something again as her eyes looked at the other side of the small room. Anastasia tracked Asseylum's gaze and saw a computer sitting on a table. The Primarch walked towards it and turned it on. Unfortunately, the screen was broken.
Anastasia morphed her fingers into small tendrils and entered inside the computer, the Nanosuit analyzed what was inside the computer. Anastasia found herself with lots of blueprints of Aldnoah Engines and other types of structures. She looked at the empress that was floating in front of her and made a small bow "Thanks" she muttered before leaving that place.
When she returned inside the throne room, Merlin was waiting for her while the Adeptus Mechanicus were checking on any piece of technology they could get their hands on.
"You knew she was here" Anastasia said getting a nod from the mage
"Yes, I was there when they put her inside the life support pod" Merlin replied with a bittersweet smile as he walked to the former empress "Your friends didn't suffer, I guided them into a nice and eternal dream" he reassured the blonde girl as he used some of his magic to not make her feel pain.
Anastasia walked to the throne and after a few seconds contemplation, she sat on it. As soon as her hands came in contact with the arms of the throne, the Aldnoah activated and started powering up the entire complex and city around it. The dark palace quickly turned bright and several systems returned online including a hologram of a map of Mars' facilities that were hidden during the war against the Honkai.
The tech-priests started praying again while Alatan and the Legio Custodes knelt.
"Today," Anastasia said with solemn tone "I declare the Imperium of man created, I hereby swear to protect it from all harm both internal and external, I shall rule until the day my father will take my place or death release me from this duty" she declared "If anyone, including my father, has anything to say against this decision of mine speak now"
The only answer she got was silence.
Magnus looked at his father expecting him so not be very happy with Anastasia's statement but instead, he had the expression who just succeeded in something...Magnus wasn't sure if he liked that expression or not.
Anastasia slowly nodded and looked at the Fabricator-General "Abrariel, I was told that Mars is the home of the Adeptus Mechanicus, is that correct?"
"Yes...my empress" the mechanicus replied with a nod
"Then you and your brothers shall live here, I want you to recover all the technology you can find and to start the production of all the equipment that the legion needs" she ordered as her golden eyes glowed a bit "If you come across sentient machines, call me immediately"
"The Emperor forbid us to come in contact with sentient machines that can be corrupted or go against us "
"Me and my father have come to the conclusion that the sentient machines and humans must collaborate to defeat our enemy. Machine and Humans shall be one once more, equal to each other" Anastasia declared with a solemnly "I will personally take care of them if they refuse to collaborate"
The Mechanicus slowly nodded "It will be done"
Anastasia looked at Merlin "Is there anyone else that needs to be recovered from space?"
"Quite a few actually" Merlin replied
"Then we shall gather them all before returning to Terra" Anastasia said as she looked at Alatan "tell the fleet to get ready"
"Yes, my Empress" Alatan replied
"I'm nothing more than a regent Alatan," Anastasia said with a gentle smile "If you think that calling me Empress is an act of betrayal towards my father then don't do it" she said shaking her head "This applies to everyone else"
The silence was the only answer she got once again.
"I thank all of you for your trust, I hope I will be worthy of it" the pink-haired woman.
"So this is how an Imperium starts? With a leader and a legion?" Magnus asked telepathically to his father
"Yes Magnus" The Emperor replied "I created her gene-stock with this purpose"
"So she's like Sanguinius? The one to heir the throne?" The crimson Primarch asked
The Emperor shook his head "No, she's not like him or any of you, I made her gene-stock to be unique, I think that's the main reason those Chaos Cancers tried tainting it more than the others. The others are similar to the ones I used to create you and your brothers but hers is made with the purpose of being a kind mother to humanity while daddy is too busy doing his emperor stuff, she will give birth to her sisters and will help humanity grow. I gave her a purpose, you and your brothers gave her the tools" he replied "my plan is now set in motion and it will decide the future of all of us...now shut up and let me enjoy the fruits of my work"
The Empress walked outside of the throne room and looked at the city that thanks to her actions have turned alive, she could see the Mechanicus Fleet slowly making its way through the planet's orbit, she could feel the weight of the imperium on her shoulders, she knew that failing will cause humanity to stop existing. She was feeling out of breath but at the same time at peace as if she felt like she was meant to be here in that moment.
"Father...Brother" Anastasia called both of them inside her head "My journey will not be an easy one, so please let me learn from you" she said with an almost ethereal voice
"Anything for a familiar figure who doesn't bully me for liking books" Magnus replied sarcastically as he eyed his father
"There are no second chances this time" The Emperor stated with a grim tone "Your actions and your actions alone will determine if humanity will live or die, with taking the role as empress you have placed the heaviest of burdens on your shoulders, the expectations on you are very high just as the stakes. Fron now on, I will train you to be me, you will have no rest nor peace until you'll be ready for the battle to come"
Anastasia knelt "Yes, father"