The next day, Rhodes's colossal flagship finally arrived at Holy Terra. This time, the massive crusade fleet did not return with him.
Only the commander—Rhodes—came back. The Unyielding Crusade finishing its first phase did not mean the campaign was over.
In the second phase of the Unyielding Crusade, besides striking at the Imperium's Dark Side, they would continue expanding humanity's dominion—locating some as-yet undiscovered worlds on the galactic rim and purging various xenos powers within the Sanctum of the Human Imperium.
As Rhodes's flagship reached Holy Terra, it was immediately greeted by the cheers of all Terra's people. Blossoms whirled through Terra's sky; melodious music filled the streets.
Countless Custodians in golden armor lined the roads to welcome Rhodes's return; among them stood several enlarged Custodians.
Over a decade had passed, and the number of gigantified Custodians had reached several hundred—each one a Custodian warrior who had undergone Super-Beast augmentation.
"Welcome home, Warmaster of the Imperium!"
"Welcome, Ice Queen! Welcome, High Princess!"
"Welcome back—welcome home—young Primarchs?"
"Glory to the Imperium!"
"Blessings upon you—the greatest family in the Imperium."
The people on both sides of the streets cheered without stopping, waving to Rhodes and his family. Rhodes, Elena, and their two children—Stark and Sterne—smiled and waved back, returning the greetings.
They had enjoyed such scenes on many Imperial worlds before. Now their family was the Imperium's model household: four in total, all of them Primarchs—and Elena was hailed as the Mother of Primarchs, the Mother of the New Age's Primarchs.
With the Adepta Sororitas' propaganda, Elena's renown now even outshone Rhodes's. She was called the strongest woman in the Imperium—a title she met with some helplessness.
To be honest, among women, she really was the strongest; other strongest females would be her genetic progeny—the Battle Sisters.
Some female Imperial Inquisitors had even applied to join Elena's retinue to become Sisters of Battle.
The Sisters' gene-mod surgeries had been revised; now their strength was hardly inferior to that of the original-forged Astartes.
Their weapons and equipment were personally crafted by Salome, the Great Sage of the Martian Mechanicum.
That beautiful scientist under his command had now achieved unimaginable status within the Mechanicum, and had even fused with a cosmic phantom-beast—truly becoming a super lifeform.
Over the past decade, she and Belisarius Cawl had practically seized control of the Mechanicum, cleansing the old, decaying Martian priesthood utterly.
They erased those parasites of the old era into cosmic dust and began researching anew: technology no longer meant archaeology and excavation.
All Astartes power armor had basically been replaced with the latest Terminator-model variants; the old modular power armor had been retired!
Amid the cheers, Rhodes's family passed through Terra's sea of humanity. Rhodes felt a pang of emotion: not even twenty years ago—
Holy Terra had just suffered a Chaos invasion; aside from the Imperial Palace, almost every district had fallen.
Back then, he even used the opportunity to purge most High Lords and Imperial nobles. Yet in less than twenty years—
Crowds from across the Imperium again flocked here, turning Holy Terra back into a sea of people—into the Imperium's brightest jewel.
"The people are the Imperium's currency."
Not a single word of that was wrong!
"Father, you seem preoccupied?" Stark asked, looking at Rhodes.
"Just a bit sentimental. Two years before you were born, this place was invaded by Chaos. Back then, almost all ordinary people on Holy Terra died.
"Guilliman and I came here and waged war on Chaos, and drove them out," Rhodes said.
"That must have been a brutal war! I wish I'd been there by your side, to fight with you," Stark said.
"Hahaha! There will be chances. The Imperium's wars against xenos, and expansion along the galactic rim, have only just begun.
"Soon, you'll lead your gene-son to win glory on the field. I'll grant you a Padan mothership then," Rhodes said.
Padan motherships still required Rhodes to redeem them, but once redeemed they could be sent to the Martian Mechanicum for refit—
At least doubling their size, adding a void-array, Warp travel, a Geller Field generator, and various Imperial weapons.
"I can't wait, Father!" Stark said.
He would finally have his own flagship—and his own gene-son!
"Remember to see if there's any woman you like—say, a Navy officer or a noblewoman," Elena said.
As a mother, she cared about such things. Her son had come of age and should find a partner.
Unlike the old-era Primarchs, who lacked such desires and needs, her son was naturally born and would need a companion.
"Hahaha! Mother, that's early. Let me think about it at my own pace—we're never in a hurry.
"Barring surprises, your future daughters-in-law will number at least several. In one respect, I won't fall behind Father by much," Stark said with a grin.
With eternal life, his partners wouldn't be few, and there was no rush. Father had promised that once cosmic phantom-beasts were plentiful, he could provide one to his partners too—at least granting them equal longevity.
Rhodes was a bit speechless at that. It seemed his harem-building skills paled beside his son's. He only had a few Eldar women and a single human partner—Elena.
Mostly because he wasn't impressed by other human Imperials. Elena's beauty was already top-tier in the Imperium; after fusing with a cosmic phantom-beast, she became even more stunning—no less than the Aeldari maidens.
As for Astra Militarum women and Sisters, their looks were merely decent. The prettiest were the noble Sisters!
But those noble Sisters were perfect socialites—exactly the type Rhodes didn't fancy.
"Humans are fine, but don't you dare touch the Eldar. That's my line," Elena said.
Her son must absolutely not go for those pointy ears.
"Hahaha! Mother, I really do think Eldar women are quite beautiful," Sterne chimed in.
By human aesthetics, Eldar looked better anyway! No wonder Father took so many Eldar partners!
"Outrageous! I said no, and that's final!
"Anyone not human—if they're your partners—I won't let your father bestow a cosmic phantom-beast on them," Elena said.
Rhodes could only smile wryly. Elena had been so gentle at first, like a meek little lamb!
When had she become like this?
Women truly are changeable!
At the Imperial Palace on Holy Terra, Guilliman warmly welcomed Rhodes and ushered him in. The massive Avatar of the Emperor stood at the fore.
"Welcome back, Warmaster of the Imperium!"
As the Palace's golden doors opened slowly, the Emperor's Avatar shed golden light across Rhodes's pauldrons. Guilliman stepped forward and nodded to Rhodes, his Fate armor gleaming cobalt-blue in Terra's sun.
"You brought back more than victory," Guilliman said, pressing his power gauntlet to Rhodes's shoulder; the ring of metal echoed through the silent throne hall.
"You brought safety to the entire Sanctum Sector." He pointed to the hovering hololith—hundreds of newly discovered habitable worlds marked, and records of over a hundred xenos civilizations eradicated.
All were Rhodes's merits—worlds reclaimed and newly found. The decade-plus crusade rivaled the Great Crusade's campaigns.
The number of Astartes involved had reached Great Crusade scale. This was the Imperium's holy war—and a holy victory.
The Emperor's Avatar spoke: "The second phase must accelerate. The Imperium's Dark Side awaits your salvation, my Warmaster."
Over a decade, the first phase of the Unyielding Crusade had been near perfect. Several Primarchs struck on all fronts, claiming vast territories.
They reclaimed countless lost and unknown Imperial worlds, exterminated innumerable xenos, and even defeated the Tyranids.
Before Rhodes appeared, the Imperium's war against the Tyranids had always been grueling. Apart from the first invasion repelled at Macragge,
From the Third Tyrannic War onward, the Imperium mostly lost; no one could hold back the endless swarms.
But when Rhodes burst onto the scene, he became the Tyranids' nemesis.
As if wherever he was, even massive Tyranid fleets were no matter—he would ultimately drive them off.
Rhodes and Elena bowed to the Emperor and Guilliman.
"This victory owes much to logistics. I only commanded soldiers at the front," Rhodes said.
He wasn't being modest. The Unyielding Crusade had been practically devoid of tactical nuance.
It was mostly steamrolling. When he met the strong—he was stronger. The most dangerous battle had been over a decade ago against the Tyranid Great Devourer's avatar.
But in that fight, the Imperium suffered almost no losses. The Dark Cosmos High Emperor he summoned shouldered everything alone and annihilated the Tyranids.
"Rhodes, you've won unimaginable victories and brought glory to the Imperium. You should be rewarded," the Emperor's Avatar intoned, the voice ringing across all Holy Terra.
It was psychic amplification—the Emperor deliberately projecting his voice planetwide so all citizens would hear, because what came next was shocking.
What reward would the Emperor grant the Warmaster? His rank could hardly be elevated further.
The Warmaster was the Emperor's first under heaven—higher even, in some respects, than the Lord Regent or High Chancellor.
Perhaps the Emperor would grant material rewards—expand his dominion, grant tax exemptions.
Standing beside the Emperor, Guilliman looked at Rhodes with a complex expression. This was less reward than burden, Rhodes.
"I fight for humanity. I need no reward," Rhodes said.
"Punishment must fit crimes, and merit must be rewarded. Since your appearance, you've given unimaginable service to humanity and the Imperium.
"Without you, humanity would still be teetering at the brink of extinction. You brought back all the Primarchs. You rebuilt the Legions. You saved Macragge.
"You saved the Baal system, the home of Sanguinius. You then fought your way to Holy Terra, lifted Terra's siege, and crushed the traitors' plots.
"You united with the Eldar, opened the Imperium's Dark Side, and saved the First Primarch, the Lion El'Jonson.
"You forged new Warlord Titan bridges and new Knight armors for the Imperium, then saved Primarch Rogal Dorn.
"You launched a Great Crusade anew, led all Primarchs to reclaim the Imperium's lost glory, purged vile xenos, and defeated the Tyranids.
"After careful deliberation and consultation with the Primarchs, I have decided to name you the Imperium's Heir Apparent.
"You shall be my successor—the Imperium's second Emperor. In the near future, you will complete your coronation." The Emperor's Avatar's voice swept Terra, plunging the world into a deathly silence.
An unbelievable proclamation!
The Emperor had declared a second Emperor—an Heir Apparent for the Imperium. Did an immortal need an heir?
But the Emperor had sat upon the Golden Throne for years; it was said that the one speaking now was but a powerful avatar.
By Rhodes the Warmaster's deeds, he indeed deserved to be the second Emperor.
Rhodes, meanwhile, was a bit stunned.
What are you playing at? I'm becoming the Imperium's second Emperor?!
The Emperor had mentioned this before; Rhodes had thought it a joke. Now the sly fox had sprung a big one.
Still, under Guilliman's signaling gaze, Rhodes accepted the burden of Heir Apparent.