…
Bathed in the warm orange glow of dusk, the new city pulsed with life, and Hanson found herself momentarily dazed by the vitality before her eyes.
Children's crisp laughter echoed across the plaza, intertwining with the harp melodies played by a street musician. The air carried the scent of baked bread and stewed meat, mingled with the delicate fragrance of moonflowers wafting from the elven florist.
What moved her most were the rare expressions of ease on the faces of her fellow Agrians—
Women sat together near the fountains, sharing weaving techniques; men chatted boisterously at open-air taverns; even the eldest elders strolled leisurely across the light carpets laid by the smart lighting system, aided by their grandchildren.
What was even rarer was the genuine closeness between the people and the Salamander warriors.
In the dining district, a group of children circled a guard who had removed part of his armor, curiously touching the engraved scale patterns on his power suit.
At the bar, another warrior had his mug filled with ale, surrounded by civilians raising their cups in salute.
Such barrierless interaction felt like a dream in war-torn star sectors.
"Ariel."
The deep, resonant voice pulled Hanson from her thoughts.
She looked up and saw Gaozan had removed his helmet. His chiseled face, illuminated by the streetlights, resembled a bronze statue.
The Third Company Captain looked down at her, revealing his rare dark red eyes—an inherited trait of the Salamanders' gene-seed.
"You can choose to join the Imperial Department of Biology," Gaozan said, his voice less mechanical than usual, carrying a trace of human warmth. "And take a post here in the new city."
He pointed toward a nearby white building marked with a double helix and the Atlas emblem. "It houses the most advanced biological labs."
Hanson noticed the captain had deliberately dropped formal titles, addressing her by name for the first time since they met. Her fingers unconsciously twisted the edge of her lab coat, the fabric rustling softly.
"Mar Sara has multiple layers of defense," Gaozan continued, his gaze sweeping the faintly visible shield grid in the sky. "Xeno infiltration probability is below 0.003%."
Every number in that sentence had been calculated precisely—the Astartes' signature persuasion method.
Hanson opened her mouth, tasting a hint of metal—she had unknowingly bitten the inside of her cheek.
Gaozan's offer was certainly tempting.
A secure lab, the company of familiar compatriots, no more facing monstrous xenos…
But as she looked into his dark red eyes, she suddenly understood the deeper meaning behind the offer.
It was more than a job reassignment. It was a protective barrier meant to shield her from danger.
The holographic clock at the street corner displayed local standard time. As its digits ticked forward, Hanson seemed to glimpse countless possible futures.
One where she lived safely in a lab, or another where, protected by the Salamanders, she continued collecting xeno samples on the battlefield.
Her gaze drifted to the crack on Gaozan's shoulder plate—still unrepaired.
"Thank you for the offer, Captain Gaozan."
At last, she lifted her face, a determined smile curving her lips. "But I believe my expertise is better applied at the front. I can analyze xeno samples in real time and offer you more accurate recommendations, which should save the Third Company significant tactical response time."
Gaozan's pupils contracted slightly—a micro-expression of surprise for an Astartes.
He silently regarded the woman before him, who barely reached his chest in height. His eyes lingered on the dark circles beneath hers—scars from long hours of swarm data analysis.
Then, the captain suddenly raised his right hand. The armor's hydraulics emitted a faint hiss.
"Dismissed," he said, his voice regaining its mechanical edge. He instructed the four warriors behind him: "Take your rest."
"Yes, sir."
The four honor guards saluted at once. The sound of clashing armor rang clear in the twilight.
They turned and walked toward the food street, their relaxed postures a rare glimpse of the Astartes off guard.
But Hanson noticed that Gaozan remained as focused as ever.
Only when the distant sound of a dwarven tavern's brass horn drifted by did the captain seem to "unfreeze."
He put his helmet back on. As the visor lit up, the always-rational tactician returned and said:
"The Unyielding Flame's biological analysis unit needs a hardware upgrade. Tomorrow morning, the engineering division will install a new quantum processor for you."
This statement both affirmed her decision and marked her inclusion in the Third Company's long-term operations.
The streetlights fully activated. The smart system adjusted the beam angles based on their positions.
On the ground, Hanson's shadow intertwined with the silhouette of the Terminator—like a solemn pact.
Across the plaza, the Agria choir began singing their colony's anthem—"The Spark Never Dies." The stirring melody floated into the night sky, fragrant with street fare and starlight.
At the city's center stood a Parthenon-style pure white building. Forty massive Doric columns supported a triangular pediment.
Each pillar was intricately carved with spiral patterns that shimmered like mother-of-pearl under the lights.
The bronze double doors bore bas-reliefs of the Trojan War. The lintel was inscribed in both ancient Greek and Chinese: "Hall of Wisdom and Valor."
Two Greek demigod sentinels, each over three meters tall, stood on either side of the entrance. Their classical armor bore battle scars like relics from myth. Their multifaceted spears glinted coldly under the lights.
Inside the temple, tall and vast, lined the simple quarters of these demigods.
Each door bore the insignia of a different lesser god—clearly accommodations for the Greek pantheon.
The polished marble walls were inscribed with the Codex of Humanity, golden Chinese characters gleaming through the filtered light of stained glass.
At the hallway's end, silver-scaled fish from Mount Olympus swam between lotus flowers in a quiet pool. Their scales changed color with the passing hours.
Up the sky-blue stone stairs was the private chamber of the War Goddess—a stark contrast to the floor below.
A twelve-meter-high domed ceiling was painted with a star chart. Several constellations were marked in red—
Those linked to Athena's most famous wartime legends.
On the eastern side, a weapon rack held the Aegis Shield, resting against the wall. The Medusa engraving on its surface had gemstone eyes that shifted with the light.
Beside it, seven spears lined up chronologically—from a primitive bronze-tipped weapon to the latest and most powerful "Spear of Victory"—a testament to the War Goddess's evolving combat style.
To the west, the reading area was stacked with holo-pads and ancient parchment scrolls. A smart projector played the latest battlefield analysis reports.
On a custom tactical table lay pieces of a strategy game. The black fleet was being outmaneuvered by a brilliant red formation.
In a corner shrine were several personal relics: a bronze ring from a Spartan warrior, a Roman general's epaulet, and a Greek High God's remains sealed within a transparent stasis field.
Ten war maidens—Greek demigoddesses in pale white peplos robes—busied themselves around the chamber.
Their movements were perfectly synchronized, wiping weapons without leaving a fingerprint, aligning scroll edges to flawless precision.
Two adjusted the regulator of the massive bed in the center—
A resting unit crafted for divine physiology, its special weave mattress auto-adjusting to body weight.
Athena now wore a moon-white chiton instead of her golden battle armor.
The delicate fabric bore nearly invisible runes of protection that occasionally glinted silver as she moved.
She sat on the bed's edge, gently patting the back of Sui Meng. The young primarch clutched a lock of her golden hair.
~~
"Sleep now, little warrior."
Athena hummed an ancient Greek lullaby, her voice infinitely softer than on the battlefield.
Faint golden light emanated from her fingertips, forming a gentle psychic barrier around the child. "When morning comes, I'll show you a new sword form."
The bedside projector dimmed automatically, playing soothing harp melodies.
The goddess glanced at the clock. The fleet would depart in roughly eighteen hours.
In this brief moment of peace, the once-war goddess of Olympus had shed her divine armor and embraced the most primal gentleness of a mother.
Sui Meng's breathing grew steady. His tiny hand finally released her hair.
The young primarch curled up under the gravity blanket, his eyelashes fluttering in dreams—still hearing Athena's ancient lullaby in his sleep.
His features, eerily similar to the Emperor's, appeared soft and peaceful—just another human child.
Among all primarchs, Sui Meng's "background" was unprecedented.
Primarchs like Guilliman, Sanguinius, and Lion were raised by Chief Researcher Alexia Ashford, nurtured by the finest scientific precision.
Mid-generation and later primarchs like Perturabo, Mortarion, and Corax were raised in ancient elven forests by Queen Tinas Losrian, absorbing ancient wisdom.
These adoptive mothers, and their respective factions, wove a dense political web among the primarchs—
Especially after Dorn married Aoe Losrian, triggering the elves' quiet support of the Imperial Fists, Iron Warriors, Dawn Raiders, and Raven Guard—a well-known but unspoken truth among the Imperium's elite.
But Sui Meng's fate was entirely different.
Athena, recognized as the War Goddess of the Human Imperium, grew stronger as the Empire expanded.
As war reports poured in daily, more and more auxiliary forces began praying not just to the Emperor, Samuel Young, but also to the War Goddess.
These devout beliefs became nourishment, strengthening Athena's psychic projection within Samuel Young's paradise realm.
Initially a powerful supernatural being in the material universe, Athena was gradually ascending into a near-demonic entity—
Only hers represented order and protection, not chaos and corruption.
At this moment, the goddess gently tucked in the boy and left a nearly invisible golden rune on his brow.
That simple gesture made the war maidens glance at each other.
Even in ancient Olympus, such honors were rare, even for the most beloved demigod heroes.
Athena turned to the balcony. The moonlight traced her flowing skirt and toned form, ever-ready to shift from tender mother to war avatar.
From a political perspective, Sui Meng's future potential was staggering.
Every surviving Greek demigod would, without Athena's prompting, favor the young primarch.
When he formed his own legion, their support—along with Athena's military influence and her close relationship with the Emperor himself—would be a priceless political asset.
Outside, the new city's lights stretched like a river of stars.
Athena gazed past Mar Sara's shield, toward the fleet assembling in orbit.
Her fingers absentmindedly traced the battle markings carved into the balcony railing—records of every major campaign she'd fought in.
And her lips curved faintly—
Sui Meng had inherited not only her most admired warrior traits but also a rare, untainted soul.
Back inside, Sui Meng shifted slightly. The gravity blanket adjusted to support him.
Moonlight through stained glass painted dappled patterns on his face.
With features mirroring the Emperor's, he wore a sweet smile—perhaps dreaming of fighting alongside his foster mother.
Not far away, on the weapon rack, the Aegis Shield's Medusa eyes glinted softly—guarding the dream that could change the Imperium's future.
Bzzz…
Suddenly, the hard-light projector in the chamber hummed softly, releasing tangible particles.
…
At this sight, the war maidens silently exited the room.
Soon, the hard-light particles formed the image of Samuel Young, clad in black robes and restored to a height of roughly two meters.
The Emperor of the main universe's Human Imperium slowly approached the bed—as if, in the midst of his overwhelming duties, he had taken time to quietly observe his sleeping child.
Athena also stepped away from the balcony and stood silently beside him.
After a moment, Samuel Young broke the silence.
"In a short while, you'll be launching a full-scale assault on this universe's xeno hive, won't you?"
"That's right," Athena replied without hesitation. "Hopefully, this will draw out Amon… or some other Xel'naga."
"Mm." Samuel Young nodded, then advised: "Proceed as planned. Also, our agents within the Terran Empire have reported—an internal upheaval should begin soon."
"Yes."
"One more thing—don't spoil the child too much."
With that final instruction, Samuel Young's projection faded, leaving the chamber quiet once more.
(End of Chapter)
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