"Father! I have a question. Why can this new Primarch
receive his Astartes Legion at sixteen, while my brother and I must wait until eighteen?" Sterne asked Rhodes.
He cared deeply about this. If sixteen were sufficient, then after returning to Holy Terra now, he'd only need to wait three years.
He could even join his father for phase two of the Unyielding Crusade.
Stark, standing to the side, also glanced over curiously.
"You can blame your father for that! As for the other Primarch, that involves Imperial state secrets, so we can't tell you," Elena said.
After more than a decade in the armies, the two boys were thoroughly enamored with war. In a martial Imperium, their questions were unsurprising.
But you two are not like that Aeldari war god. His body wasn't innately a super-lifeform; it was cloned, and the Emperor used the Primarch-creation process to modify him.
Like the other Primarchs, at the moment of creation his genome was already stable, so gene-seed could be extracted to create his own Astartes.
You two, children of Rhodes and me, inherited exceptional genes—you're super-lifeforms by nature. Because of human biology, you reach adulthood at eighteen.
After eighteen years, your genes reach a stable phase; only then can extractions yield proper gene-seed."
"We could tell you, but it's classified. If I did, I'd be punished by the Emperor and the Regent. Are you sure you want to hear it?" Rhodes said with a smile.
"Father, if it involves Imperial secrets, ordered sealed by the Emperor and the Regent, then we must not listen.
We are curious, but we will obey," Stark replied with a nod.
After two years with the Imperial military, he understood what one should and should not ask.
Sterne nodded as well. As Primarchs, their minds far exceeded the norm—they knew what to hear and what to leave alone.
"You're good children. Then I'll share what I can.
The new Primarch was made the old way—not born naturally like you two.
So, in theory, his gene-seed isn't superior to yours. Like the other Primarchs, he can found an Astartes Legion immediately upon birth.
You two are different. Your potential is greater. Your genes are continuously refining themselves, and your inner cosmic beast evolve alongside you.
At eighteen, your genes will fully stabilize. Only then can we extract seed to manufacture gene-seed. Your gene-sons will wield elemental powers.
For example, Stark: your frost-fire dragon allows your gene-sons to command ice or flame.
Sterne: your Flame of Annihilation and Flame of Rebirth will be inherited by your descendants. Your Legions will stand shoulder to shoulder with mine, and with your mother's Legion.
Stronger than a standard Astartes Legion—so you two surpass that other Primarch. Understand?" Rhodes said.
He had to instill confidence: they were stronger than the old-era products. Even if that old-era product also had a cosmic beast and was an Aeldari war god, they must not falter.
Moreover, the Emperor still harbored reservations about the war god and would not fully trust him.
"We understand, Father!" the two sons answered in unison.
Only Elena shook her head helplessly. In terms of raw potential, that Aeldari war god likely outstripped her two sons—but their father outclassed the war god.
So the ceiling remained uncertain. And she had faith in her boys.
The two bowed to Rhodes and left the bridge.
"When are Sister Yvraine and Lelith due?" Elena asked.
Amusingly, none of her man's three Aeldari offspring had been born yet.
In matters of reproduction, humans had the edge—only a few decades per generation.
"They should be soon. After our sons' investiture, I plan to return to the Cosmic Beast World—call it a family vacation," Rhodes said.
It was time for his two sons to meet their aunties. They had already met the Aeldari goddess of life and quietly accepted her identity.
These were no ordinary teenagers; their minds were Primarch-tier.
They should be able to accept their two Aeldari stepmothers. Rhodes kept them close so they wouldn't be consumed by the Imperium's xenophobic dogma.
After all, Rhodes commanded no small number of xenos—and the highest-tier combatants were mostly xenos, all powerful monsters summoned by his system.
"I'd rather our sons not get along with those two," Elena said.
Her boys were clever; even knowing the situation, they likely wouldn't complain—as long as Rhodes treated her fairly, they would keep their peace.
"All right, don't fuss. I haven't set foot on the Cosmic Beast World in over a decade—I've been with you the whole time," Rhodes said, drawing Elena into his arms.
Over forty and still jealous!
That said, even among Astartes, Elena's current age made her a youngster.
And with her ascension to a super-lifeform, her appearance would hardly change.
After soothing his wife, Rhodes returned to the bridge to contact Guilliman via psychic link.
The Ultramar region had been unsettled of late. Rhodes kept a close eye on it, since the Plague Wars would begin there.
By the timeline, with phase one of the Unyielding Crusade complete, the Plague Wars were about to ignite.
But this time, Nurgle might take the field personally—meaning the devastation would likely spread beyond Macragge and the Five Hundred Worlds of Ultramar.
His own domains, other Imperial sectors, even the Imperium Nihilus could be scourged by Nurgle's pandemics.
Rhodes had several counters in mind, one being the Aeldari life goddess—an old rival of Nurgle's.
Any plague Nurgle brewed, once she sampled it, she could devise a cure—even those stewed over centuries.
He also had Zog, the finest scientists, and after more than a decade, FTL drives had
been installed across the expeditionary main force. The Imperium's mobility had markedly improved.
"Rhodes! What did you need?" Guilliman entered the warp to speak once he received Rhodes' psychic call.
"I have a question. Around the Imperium, have there been major outbreaks of plague, or assaults by Nurgle's daemons?" Rhodes asked.
"I've been monitoring exactly that: the Solar Segmentum, Obscurus, Ultima, and the Eastern Fringe.
I've had the Lion and Horus watching parts of the Imperium Nihilus as well. So far, no major Nurgle incursions or catastrophic plagues," Guilliman said.
He had long prepared for war with Nurgle. With phase one complete, even if Nurgle struck now, they were confident—they weren't fighting alone anymore; he had brothers.
"Understood. After the Terra duties, I'll return to my domain on the Cosmic Beast World for a while.
If anything urgent happens, I'll come at once," Rhodes said.
"You're the fastest responder in the Imperium—I'll certainly call you. The others will be ready too. Father is investing three new Primarchs to boost morale," Guilliman said.
Three new Primarchs appearing together was a major event for the Imperium.
"How many recruits are you preparing for my son?" Rhodes asked.
"I've prepared one hundred thousand. Once he reaches Terra,
we can extract his gene-seed and begin Astartes surgeries on the candidates," Guilliman said.
"What about the other one—the Aeldari war god?"
"Father and I discussed it. We'll provide thirty thousand initially, and cap his Legion around one hundred thousand—no more, no less," Guilliman said.
The Emperor wished to make use of the war god, but would keep safeguards.
"Got it. I'll arrive on Terra tomorrow. See you there," Rhodes said, cutting the warp-link.