Soft thrumming rang out as I sat in a cross-legged position in a room that was in complete darkness. Alike all my other 'brothers' I was also a pysker in one way or another. Hell, even Dorn himself was something akin to a psychic blank.
Within this room of total darkness and only the sound of my own body I was training myself on the most important aspect of my ascension as a Primarch. My sensitivity to the Warp itself.
Suppose I were able to sense that the Changling was there, even just a whiff of chaotic taint. I could have... I wouldn't have failed as I did.
Over the weeks of my 'education' that was rather blatantly indoctrination, I quickly learned precisely what my Primarch ability was. And it simply was an intuitive understanding of biological systems and through my pysker powers, a form of biomancy as well.
'Those Haemonculi would have loved to study me further.' I thought with distaste, though thankfully with my body forming well and growing as well. My 'older brother' had given the bastards the boot and sent them away, even if I would have preferred them all to be dead.
My heart thudded loudly to center myself as I felt a tingle run down my back like a cold claw dancing across my spine.
Then I pulled my pysker powers back inward before I blasted them outwards and the once pitch black room was filled with golden flames and a shadow was blasted into the room's walls before fading away.
'The Imperial Palace... Where the very Emperor himself is. Even if true demons have little to no chance to manifest, that doesn't mean that in the Warp-rich area that other shades and things cannot form.' I thought with a slight frown before I got up with my form still glowing slightly with golden flames.
I made my way out of the training chamber with my eyes rolling as a servitor clothed in the crimson robes of the Mechanicus offered an ornate robe to cover my form.
"Where is the Lord Reagent?" I asked the servitor and with a grinding of the Vox stuffed with the poor bastard, a mechanical voice rang out.
"Lord Guilliman, is working within his quarters." It said simply with myself nodding and I began the lovely several mile trip across the fucking massive Imperial Palace to get to that particular area.
I was also shadowed by both Sister's of Silence and my own new shield host of Custodes that were constantly watching as well.
Once I got to his quarters, I merely sent a message through one of his many servitors, and I was swiftly let in as I saw Guilliman leaning back in his massive throne of a chair.
"You wanted to speak with me?" Guilliman spoke calmly but with some amused impatience.
I sighed and said with some annoyance. "I am unused to just sitting around, doing mindless training, learning of the Great Crusade ten millennia ago. I could be doing much more important things frankly."
Guilliman grunted and his large armored gauntlet motioned towards the pile of documents on his desk that would decide countless worlds and their fates. "I sit here more than eighteen hours a day deciding the fates of billions every single day. Do you believe that I myself don't wish to enter the battlefield?"
I smiled wryly and said. "That's not what I meant Lord Guilliman, I am well aware of the importance of logistics... It's just that months ago, I built a ship and systems that could destroy worlds easily. And now, the Mechanicus won't even let me fix the damned water heaters!"
The older primarch gave a small chuckle and said with a bit of wistfulness in his tone. "I understand what you mean Jake, I myself had... Difficulty adjusting to this time period, and as my brother I am sure you will learn to do so as well."
Then he looked at me more directly and said firmly. "However, Jake, you are a Primarch, if you are capable of it. The Mechanicus will bend and you can continue your work if you so please. You just need to get them in line."
My lips twitched as I said quietly. "They would have a fit if they saw the minature Astartes I could make previously. It's why I didn't allow any Mechanicus on my crusader to kill Lorgar and his ilk."
Guilliman's face pinched at the thought my 'heresy' with him shaking his head as well before he said with some warning. "Although as a 'son' of the Emperor, you will have much leeway. You will need to be accountable for your actions. So I suggest you stick to building weapons rather than making men into weapons themselves."
I could only nod helplessly before we both paused as Guilliman's table monitor light up as he received a priority message. And looking at the message and translating it from upside down while he was thinking at its contents, I had my own thoughts.
'So the Lion is deep in battle against the Orks and Tyranids of the Octaria sector.' I mused before Guilliman finally looked up to me with some interest as he asked curiously.
"So Jake, as someone who has inherited some of your father's knowledge and your primarch's ability in biomancy. What are your thoughts on the Octarian wars between the never-ending Tyrranids and Orks?"
There was a pause before I answered with total honesty. "Total obliteration of all life in the sector is the only way to truly cleanse both the Orks and Tyranids."
Guilliman actually snorted at my answer before he said tiredly. "Wiping out the Orks... If only that were so easily done. But you are right, the Tyranids will pour like an unending tide into that feeding ground in order to get their biomass. And the Orks love fighting them due to how they are 'proper' adversaries."
He then looked to me and asked cooly. "But how can such a thing be done?"
And after a moment, I said quietly. "The technology of the Dark Age of technology. At the pinnacle of humanity and it's achievements we... I could remake the technology to do so."
There was a long silence before Guilliman leaned forward and he said cooly but thoughtfully. "You truly have inherited a shard of our father then. Hmm, tell me then what would this horror of the Dark Age of technology do?"
And so I explained it in general terms.
The Halo Ring, an almost planet-sized ring that with its own gravity at that size bound within its ring would be able to form a giant pulse of radiation that would then spread out in all directions, that would then shatter the lining of all cells, destroy all neural pathways, which would in turn ruin all biomass within several light years of the ring being fired even at a lower power setting.
As I finished explaining, Guilliman slowly put an armored finger to his chin to lean before he said quietly. "Similar to the super weapons of the Necrons, then. I could see why even during the Great Crusade, my father didn't want such technology to resurface."
He seemingly stared past me before he said to himself. "But my father isn't here. And the Imperium is rotting within and being assailed by all sides."