"You're fit to be a captain," Nibe said, appearing next to my throne.
"Sometimes I have to remind them who's in charge here."
"They're well aware of that, but they get lazy seeing that the captain doesn't leave his cabin for days," Nibe teased Harlock whenever she had the chance.
"My fault?"
"Answer that yourself," she replied, disappearing and leaving the question behind.
"Captain, we have a connection with Macragge!" an officer on the lower deck shouted.
"Connect."... "I see you've recovered."
"My wounds healed long ago, but news of your deeds is reaching us from all over the domain. All of it is praise, almost all of it," Guilliman said, holding some reports in his hands.
"I'm not interested in such clichés. They thank you and promise things, but when it's time to act, they do nothing. They just watch, hoping fate will pass them by."
"I understand. You probably remember our conversation about your knowledge," he began, carefully choosing his words.
"Yes, I remember perfectly. You know the price," I replied, expecting something new from the Primarch.
"That price is too high," he answered without hesitation.
"Then why bring up the topic if you don't want to pay the price?" I replied, slightly irritated.
"There must be something you need. I can see it, and I've heard rumors from your people."
"Heh... One thing is connected to the other, you know that," I smiled slightly, knowing we were talking about Astartes armor.
"I can give you the blueprints, but only that," he said coldly, knowing he couldn't haggle much, which irritated him terribly.
"Add a thousand completed suits of armor, and I'll agree," I sighed.
"I will have everything prepared."
"Then we have a deal. One question, ask it wisely."
"Where are my loyal brothers?" This was a smart question from Guilliman. Knowing what his loyal brothers were doing would allow him to expand his operations.
"This is the situation: Vulkan was captured and tortured by Konrad. Rogal is fortifying Terra, preparing for the worst. Your brother, Sanguinius, is rushing your way to meet you. Khan is also flying to Terra to help with the defense. And Russ? Like a wild wolf, he's killing every traitor he comes across. There's also Lion, who's fighting Konrad. And that little Corax... he's waging a guerrilla war."
Roboute frowned. He had phrased the question poorly; he should have asked for more details. But even so, what he heard from Harlock told him a lot. His brother, Sanguinius, was flying to him. A loyal brother he could talk to, someone who would understand the burden of his duties.
He looked at the pirate. Although only a fool would trust a person like Harlock so freely, something in the man's words, or maybe the light of the Emperor itself, made Guilliman feel he could trust him. He was certain of his words, which was a rarity in these dark times.
They talked for a while longer about military matters, about their nearest objectives. Guilliman pointed out various targets Harlock should aim for, such as traitor bases. As they were talking, an Ultramarines soldier ran into Guilliman's office.
"My lord, the Blood Angels fleet is exiting the Warp!"
Guilliman looked at Harlock, who didn't even change his expression upon hearing the news. The arrival of his brother confirmed the truthfulness of his words.
"Go meet your brother. I'm flying out today," I replied, ending the conversation with the Primarch. "Zdiun!" I called to the nearest officer.
"Yes, Captain!"
"Inform everyone to hurry. We're flying out tonight. I want everyone on board by 22:00 local time!"
"YES, SIR!" he yelled and ran off the bridge.
A celebration erupted on Ultramar at the sight of their cousins, their loyal cousins. After landing and confirming their loyalty to the Emperor, the two legions rushed into each other's arms. On both sides were many veterans who had known each other since the Great Crusade. The flagship of the Blood Angels, the Red Tear, landed, and from the ramp, Sanguinius emerged.
Sanguinius, the son of the Emperor, was the embodiment of an ideal. His angelic wings gave him an aura of holiness, and his voice and face made it so that no one could resist his charisma. Many admired him, even among the Primarchs. He was the ideal politician, the ideal son, the ideal warrior, and the ideal brother.
Guilliman came out to meet his brother, greeting him with a brotherly hug. Sanguinius embraced him tightly. Since Signus Prime, where he was betrayed by Horus and fell into a trap, he knew little about what was happening to his other brothers. Seeing and feeling his brother, his heart breathed a sigh of relief.
"Brother," Sanguinius said warmly. "My heart is gladdened to see you healthy, but I have bad news."
"I know, brother, I know," he replied just as warmly. "Come, we have much to discuss."
As they walked together, cheers cut through the din of the work on the planet. The sight of the two Primarchs, united, delighted their bodies and souls. They rejoiced, knowing they were not alone in all this, that they had their fathers with them.
Walking through the vast corridors of the palace, the brothers talked, exchanging information about everything that had happened to them and what was going on in the galaxy. Hearing Roboute's news, Sanguinius's heart bled. His brother, Ferrus Manus, was dead, killed by another brother, Fulgrim. Vulkan was in captivity, being tortured by Konrad Curze.
Every subsequent word from Guilliman was like a dagger plunged into Sanguinius's heart. The brothers he loved and cherished had betrayed and turned against their Father, the Emperor. But finally, the moment came to ask that one, most important question that was burning inside him.
"How do you know all this, brother?"
"On Calth, when Lorgar trapped us, a pirate named Harlock saved me. He told me everything that had happened. About the betrayal, about the heresy, about Horus..." He trailed off, unable to share that the greatest of them had betrayed them.
"You believe him, brother?" he asked, not knowing what to think about it.
"I believe him?" he said, thinking for a moment. "I believe him. He has already saved my life twice, he has saved my sons, he has saved many of my planets. I believe him, though he is more secretive than Lion or Alpharius. You will see for yourself when you meet him."
"So you're comparing him to Father?" he asked with a smile.
"Even he doesn't match the Emperor in that regard, but now, come, and you can judge him for yourself."
In the shipyard, the pirates ran as fast as they could, loading supplies. The sudden order from their captain surprised everyone, including the staff officers. They had just arrived today and wanted to rest in comfortable beds with women or men in brothels; they simply wanted to rest. But one order ruined everything. The discipline they had worked on for the last few months was useless in such a chaotic situation.
Normally, the unloading of trash and empty cargo, along with the reloading, took three days, but now they had to do it in just a few hours.
"MOVE IT!" Cornelius yelled, supervising the work.
"What's going on?!" a pirate asked angrily, having been pulled out of bed after having just purchased a woman for the night.
"I don't know! Zdiun ran in while I was washing up and gave me the message!" he growled back angrily.
50,000 people worked to get everything ready, and they only had a few hours left. The Ultramar workers watched with some surprise, wondering why the pirates were suddenly working so hard. It worried them a little because if they were acting this way, it meant something might happen or was already happening. The guards began to inform their superiors that something was going on that was cause for concern.
I sat and watched my pirates work. Sanguinius, the Primarch, IX, I respected him, but I also considered him a fool. Precognition, a gift and a curse if one doesn't know how to use it. And he, unfortunately, didn't know how to use it. Like his brother Konrad, he surrendered to his fate. Pitiful. Instead of opposing it and shaping his own destiny, he gave himself up to it. Because of that, he died, when all he had to do was wait for his father and brother. Just that, and yet so much.
Guilliman and Sanguinius entered the shipyard hangars where all the repaired or resupplied ships were stationed. The workers and soldiers saluted at the sight of the Primarchs. Walking through a path stained with oil and strewn with parts, they reached the Arcadia.
There they saw a strange sight. Even the Ultramarines and Blood Angels guards accompanying them were surprised. The pirates were working as if they were preparing for an evacuation. Sanguinius looked at the magnificent ship. Although he didn't like its appearance, he saw how logically and practically it had been designed.
As they walked towards it, one of the Arcadia's cannons began to turn, and then aimed at them. Despite this, they kept walking. One by one, the other cannons also began to turn in their direction, as if they were checking whether the Primarchs were worthy to board the ship.
"And what do you need, Primarch?!" Augustus's heavy voice asked. "You didn't have a scheduled visit."
"I didn't. I came to introduce my brother to my ally."
Augustus's gaze scrutinized Sanguinius from head to toe. There was something divine about him, with those wings he might have knelt. But he resisted it. "Just the two of you!" he replied curtly, returning to his work.
"I haven't heard anyone speak to us so casually in a long time," the Blood Angel said, following his brother deeper into the ship.
"That's nothing. They're a far cry from their captain. Don't expect any pleasantries from him. If you give him the chance, he'll call you a fool." He stopped, wondering whether to take the longer route past the Gate of Saint Peter or to just go normally.
"No one has called me a fool since I was a child," the Angel chuckled politely. "What's he like, this pirate? You wouldn't make a deal with an ordinary pirate."
"Harlock... I saw him fight Angron and hold his own. He's cynical and loves freedom above all else. He hates it when someone blindly follows ideals. But that's not what made me make a deal with him. I saw one ship destroy dozens of other vessels. I saw murdered pirates get back up and fight again, despite severed heads, ripped-out organs, and many other wounds."
"That doesn't sound very comforting," he added, feeling his wings tense up, ready to attack.
The doors to the bridge opened, and two huge figures entered, towering over everyone. They walked toward the throne where Harlock sat with his usual gloomy expression.
"What are you doing on my ship?" I asked without even looking at them.
"My brother, Sanguinius, Primarch of the IX Legion Blood Angels, wanted to see and evaluate you."
"Forgive my brother, he doesn't know how to talk to people," he interjected. "He says you dueled with Angron and won."
"If getting out alive is what you consider a victory, then yes," I sighed at the end.
"He also said you want to know the secret of how the Astartes are created."
I was stunned. I looked at him for the first time. Why was he bringing up such a topic? Why here? I stared at him for a moment, not knowing what to say.
"Yes, I want to know that secret," I replied curtly.
"Then I will give it to you."
"BROTHER!" Guilliman snarled, grabbing his arm. "DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'RE SAYING?!"
I looked at him with distrust. "What's the catch?"
"There is no catch. Just like with Guilliman, you will answer one question for me."
Nibe suddenly appeared next to me. "I think it's worth taking this opportunity. You never know when another one will come along," she said, sitting on the armrest.
I stood up and held out my hand. "I agree."
He grabbed my hand, and we sealed the deal. The XIII stood next to him, unable to believe his brother's actions.
"So you have one question, Primarch," Nibe said, sitting on my throne.
"Is there a way to heal my sons?" he asked tenderly, thinking of his sons.
I didn't expect that question. I thought he would ask about something related to the Heresy, about the Emperor, traitors, or loyalists, but not about this. I honestly don't know. There are many theories about the Red Thirst and the Black Rage. One theory says it's a genetic flaw overlooked by the Emperor. The other says it's related to the power of Chaos, some kind of curse that poisoned the sons of Sanguinius. I have always believed it is related to the powers of Chaos. Yes, the Emperor has shown that he has made mistakes in his creations more than once. But this flaw was too great for him not to have noticed.
"I have my own theory," I began slowly, carefully choosing my words.
"I'm listening," the Primarch replied, now curious. There was no point in hiding it anymore.
"One theory is that the Emperor incorrectly wrote your genetic code. If that's true, clever magos, through testing, could fix it after many years of research," I said, pacing the bridge. "The second is worse. If your father didn't make a mistake, it means dark forces are involved."
"You mean daemons," Guilliman interjected, analyzing and processing the fact that his brother's sons were afflicted with something.
"Yes, and not low-level ones, but very high-level ones. That's where things get complicated, because you would have to sever the connection between you and the dark powers."
"And if that were the case, would you know how to do it?" the IX asked, pondering Harlock's words.
"I know four people who could undertake such a ritual: your father, Malcador, Magnus, and finally, Eldrad Ulthran. Theoretically, there are two other options. One is to kill the source, which is very difficult and beyond your capabilities. The second is to disrupt the connection."
"Tell me about it, if you can," he asked with the courtesy befitting a Primarch.
"Nibe, what do you think? Would it work?" I asked Nibe, who was sitting and listening to our conversation.
"Harlock, you were just a normal human when you received this power. They are demigods. Anything is possible and impossible," she replied, unsure herself.
"What do you mean?" Roboute asked.
"I can take him behind the Gate of Saint Peter. There, he would be consumed by the power within me. But what would happen then, I don't know," I paused my explanation for a moment. "It could kill him. It could strengthen him so much that he would become more powerful than your Father. It could also heal him or drive him insane."
"Harlock says that every scenario is possible. Anything can happen," Nibe commented, hearing the pirate's complex explanation.
"Don't even think about it, brother. Whatever you and your children are struggling with, know that you have my full support," Guilliman said, placing his hand on his brother's shoulder.
"Thank you, brother, and thank you, Captain. I'll tell my people to give you the knowledge. But allow me to ask, to create Astartes, you need something called Gene-Seed."
"I know that perfectly well. My DNA will replace yours. Nibe will take care of that," I interjected, looking at the alien who was smiling.
"Just don't complain later if you don't like something about them."
A moment later, Roboute complained that Harlock had answered all of Sanguinius's subsequent questions in detail but not his. Harlock commented that it was because he had tried to bargain with him. If he had been as courteous and calm as his brother, he would have answered him as well.
The conversation lasted for another fifteen minutes, and the Arcadia's departure was postponed until the next day so that the Blood Angels could calmly arrange payment for the pirates.
I now had everything I needed: armor and documentation on how to create my own Astartes. Once Nibe familiarized herself with the documents and decided she was prepared and had everything needed for the first operation, Trek would be the first to go under as the commander of the boarding squad. I had already ordered him to improve his physique, as he would be undergoing the "Mist" operation, as Nibe called it.
The shock on Trek's face when I told him was immense. He never expected he would one day become an Astartes. Since that conversation, he's been training harder and eating more. Sometimes I came and trained with him, teaching him how to fight with more than just a two-handed axe.
The technicians were busy. They had to learn to forge and repair Astartes armor, staying up all night reading hundreds of documents on what to combine with what, and what to watch out for. On top of that, they still had their old power armor to work on. I decided that the cadets would fight in those until they underwent the operation.