Rhodes returned to his spaceship and led the way into the Webway, with the combat barge of the traveling merchant Kania closely following behind Rhodes' Pedan mothership.
The passage routes through the Webway had already been set up for Rhodes by the Harlequin. A map of the Webway was stored in the Pedan mothership to ensure Rhodes wouldn't get lost in the labyrinthine Webway world.
A group of Harlequins piloted a spaceship ahead of Rhodes, guiding him toward the path leading to Pluto.
Before long, the two massive ships delved deep into the Webway, advancing toward the exit near Pluto in the Solar System.
Traveling through the Webway was unlike traversing the Warp. The Webway lacked any concept of time—it could feel as though only a moment had passed, or it could feel like an eternity.
The timer aboard Rhodes' spaceship showed that several days had passed by the time they arrived at a Webway exit.
Ahead, the Harlequin's ship emitted a beam of light, activating the Webway gate and allowing Rhodes' ship to pass through smoothly.
The Webway gates were extraordinary—some allowed massive spaceships to pass through, while others were so narrow that only a single person could traverse them. Rhodes was curious about these narrow, single-person Webway paths, where one could even breathe, just as if walking in a normal world.
He couldn't help but marvel: how had the ancient Eldar managed to construct such a dense and intricate Webway system?
["Lord Loki! We will remain here and wait for you. When you return, you can find us here. We won't proceed to Holy Terra because we've had some unpleasant encounters with the golden giants there in the past,"] Seth said through the intercom to Rhodes.
There was no helping it. Back in the day, on orders from the Laughing God, they had attempted to infiltrate the Imperial Palace on Terra. However, they were intercepted by the Custodes, suffering heavy losses in the process.
The combat prowess of the Custodes within the Human Empire was not to be underestimated. Harlequin stood no chance against them.
"I understand. You can stay here," Rhodes replied with a nod, steering the ship out of the Webway and into the Solar System.
This was the world he was familiar with—though now it was tens of thousands of years later. Looking at the Solar System before him, both familiar and unfamiliar, Rhodes couldn't help but feel a wave of emotion.
["Lord Loki! It's unbelievable that we've already arrived near Holy Terra! The Webway truly is a wondrous world. It felt as though we had only traveled for a short while,"] marveled Kania through the ship's communication channel.
Indeed, the Webway was the pinnacle legacy of the ancient Eldar Empire's technology. It was incredibly convenient—faster and safer than Warp travel.
The Webway allowed the Eldar to appear anywhere in the galaxy at will. Every planet even had a Webway gate.
The Empire had long been aware of the existence of an Eldar Webway gate somewhere in the Solar System, but its precise location had remained elusive. To think it was near Pluto!
When there was time, Rhodes would need to report this to the High Lords. Even if the Webway here couldn't be sealed off, a dedicated military force would need to guard it.
"So, how do we proceed to Holy Terra?" Rhodes asked.
The Pluto region was still somewhat remote, with some distance left to Holy Terra. Moving forward a bit more, they would likely encounter an Imperial fleet.
In Warp travel, guided by the Astronomican, they would soon meet an Imperial merchant ship.
"Lord Loki, if it's convenient, may I invite you to come aboard my ship? From here, I will escort you to Holy Terra and take you into the Imperial Palace to repair the Golden Throne. It would be best if your ship remained here or even returned to the Webway," said Imperial Inquisitor Damnz, clearing his throat.
The next step would be the most troublesome—getting these individuals into the Imperial Palace. This would require assistance from the remaining High Lords, and the greatest obstacle would undoubtedly be the Custodes.
The High Lords and the adepts of the Cult Mechanicus on Mars would need to find a way to convince the Custodes. After all, it was their suggestion to bring in a Dark Eldar Haemonculus to repair the Golden Throne.
"What do you mean? Your Human Empire invited me to repair the Golden Throne, and now I have to sneak into your capital city? What kind of arrangement is this?" Rhodes frowned as he spoke.
["Lord Loki, you must understand the customs of the Human Empire. This is the center of the Empire, and no xenos have ever been allowed near it.
We will need to smuggle you into the Imperial Palace, where you and your repair crew will disguise yourselves as Mechanicus adepts. Only then can you pass the Custodes' inspection and proceed to repair the Golden Throne. Your xenos identities must remain undiscovered,"] Damz explained.
There was no other way. Convincing the Custodes to allow Xenos through was virtually impossible. The Mechanicus and the High Lords had already discussed this extensively.
The Custodes took orders directly from the Emperor himself, who could no longer issue commands. Thus, they strictly followed the orders of their Captain-General, Trajann Valoris.
This Captain-General had zero tolerance for Xenos. No matter the request, no matter the reasoning, no matter how compelling the proof, he would never allow any Xenos near the Golden Throne or the Emperor.
"This isn't what we agreed upon. I was invited as a guest, and your Empire promised me compensation. Now you're telling me the Custodes will block my way, and I'll have to sneak in to repair the Golden Throne? What kind of nonsense is this? If you're not sincere, I'll turn around and leave right now," Rhodes said firmly.
"Wait a moment! Lord Loki, there's nothing we can do about this! The reward we promised you is real. As long as you can repair the Golden Throne, the Custodians will have no objections. But until you show your ability to repair it, they won't let you in—unless you disguise yourself as someone from the Mechanicus of Mars," Damnz sighed.
To demonstrate the ability to repair the Golden Throne, one must get close to it.
But without demonstrating such an ability, one cannot get near the Golden Throne. It's a vicious cycle.
Unfortunately, the Custodians are rigid to a fault.
That's why the other three High Lords, along with the Mechanicus of Mars, came up with this plan.
"How about this? I've thought of a compromise. Let your female scientist, Miss Salome, enter with us alone to inspect the Golden Throne first. If she can show the necessary technological expertise to repair it, we will reveal your true identity to the Custodians. At that point, you will be welcomed into the Imperial Palace openly and with honor," Kania suggested.
This was the only solution he could think of! As long as the Golden Throne could be repaired, they would have enough leverage to convince the Custodians, who could be swayed if it was for the Emperor's benefit.
The High Lords had already pulled every string they could; the Custodians were the last hurdle.
"Fine! I'll assign a bodyguard to Salome. You have no objections, right?" Rhodes spoke up.
["Lord Loki! We can guarantee Miss Helotia's safety. Non-human bodyguards simply cannot enter the palace,"] Damnz replied.
"Hahaha! Don't worry, the bodyguard is human. His name is Rhodes, one of my most capable warriors," Rhodes answered.
Yes, I'm my subordinate. I'm not afraid of any genetic tests! It's Balt and Zett who should worry—they'd never pass the genetic scans.
["If that's the case, then there's no problem. We'll send a transport ship to pick you up. Will your ship remain here?"] Kania asked.
"You don't need to worry about my ship. No Imperial vessels will detect it—our technology is more than sufficient for that. Besides, there's no need for your transport; I'll pilot a small transport myself," Rhodes replied.
The upgraded mid-tier Pedan mothership was hidden so well that even the Imperium couldn't detect it.
Kania and Damnz exchanged a glance and nodded.
Soon, Rhodes and Salome piloted a small Pedan ship into the rogue trader's combat barge.
"Miss Salome! And this gentleman—welcome aboard my ship. I'll arrange a room for you, and we'll head to Holy Terra immediately. The High Lords will meet us there," Damnz said.
As for Rhodes, Damnz didn't bother addressing him by name—simply calling him "gentleman" was already polite enough.
"Thank you!" Samone nodded and entered the room prepared by the Imperium with Rhodes to rest.
"Master, what should we do once we arrive?" Salome asked.
"Don't call me 'Master' anymore. Call me Rhodes. Remember, I'm your bodyguard now—your private bodyguard. As for your identity, you're a human scientist from the ancient Golden Age, who fell into stasis and was saved by the Eldar. That's why you're temporarily working for them. Got it?" Rhodes explained.
"I understand, Mr. Rhodes!"
From Pluto, Rhodes' Pedan ship cloaked itself before making a sub-light speed jump, appearing near Holy Terra. It quietly hid in Earth's orbit while Rhodes and Salome boarded the rogue trader's ship to travel to Terra's spaceport.
By this time, the three High Lords were already waiting.
"Welcome to Terra. Are you Haemonculi?" one of the High Lords asked with a frown.
The two of them certainly looked human. Weren't they supposed to have invited Dark Eldar Haemonculus?