The pirates worked all night despite their exhaustion. They had an extraordinary deadline set by their Captain and had to stick to it, even though they were furious they couldn't even rest.
It's beginning, the era of Imperium Secundus is beginning. Lion will arrive, and with him, the triumvirate will be formed. I need to get to work, and after the Heresy, I'll have to find Eldrad. Maybe he can help me find the Necron tombs. Or at least point me towards their worlds.
The Arcadia sailed through the void, traversing one world after another, fighting more battles, destroying enemy fleets, still unreachable, still undefeated. The legend of the black ship even began to pass beyond the Ruinstorm. Rumors spread of a ship with a crew of immortal spirits who returned to battle despite any possible decapitation. Of a ship that was able to withstand any attacks from an entire legion's fleet and leave the battlefield without a scratch.
These rumors reached the edge of the Ruinstorm, where a powerful space fleet emerged, with Space Marines in black armor. With the symbols of the First Legion. It was the fleet of Lion El'Jonson, which had arrived a few days ago through the Warp. From loyalist planets, they learned what was happening: the creation of Imperium Secundus by Roboute Guilliman and Sanguinius. He had heard these rumors before, but as a pragmatist, he didn't fully believe them, yet he was still heading to Macragge. If his brothers' explanations didn't convince him, he would deal with them in the name of the Emperor.
Days and weeks passed until the Arcadia encountered a massive fleet, comparable to, or even larger than, the Word Bearers' fleet over Calth. The Arcadia flew at a distance, carefully observing it. They had arrived over a planet where they had previously taken on supplies. It was a forge world, but it didn't seem to be under siege.
The fleet had long since noticed the single ship that was surveying them, checking whether it was friendly or hostile. Lion sent a small detachment of ships to investigate the vessel. It didn't look friendly. It resembled a ship that traitors would use. There were no Imperial ornaments, only a pirate flag that waved despite the lack of air.
I watched from the throne as a part of the fleet separated and headed in our direction. I ordered them not to engage but to maintain their distance. Seeing the ships' ornamentation, I knew it was the fleet of the First Legion. I knew him very well; after all, he was my Primarch. It was his armies I collected and played with. He was my favorite Primarch, and that's why I know how dangerous and unpredictable he can be in the 30th millennium.
"Maintain distance, do not provoke," I ordered, knowing he had already planned the next four moves.
His ships stopped when they saw us keeping our distance. They probably thought that since they were out of range, so were we, but the truth was different—we had the entire fleet within range of our weapons. In the worst-case scenario, after inflicting a few losses, we could escape by jumping.
"Captain, the ships are turning back, returning to their main fleet," Grumpy reported.
"Let's go behind the moon. Activate stealth there."
The Arcadia turned and flew towards the planet's satellite. Hiding behind the moon, the mist enveloped the ship, and after a moment, it became invisible.
We flew out from behind the moon completely unnoticed. After a few minutes, Lion sent several ships to check if we were still behind the moon, and they must have been shocked when they didn't find us there. I observed them from a distance, as I had ordered. Finally, the entire fleet moved. According to their course, they were heading toward Macragge, but because of the storms, their journey would still take several weeks.
"Send a message to Macragge that the fleet of the First Legion is heading their way, with unknown intentions."
"On it!"
Lion, on his ship, felt it. His instincts told him that this ship, despite the reports that it had fled, was still here. He trusted his instincts. He looked around calmly as his entire fleet slowly moved forward.
"My lord, the ships found no trace of that vessel," said First Paladin Corswain. "They probably fled into the Warp."
"No..." Lion replied, feeling the hunter's gaze upon him. "They're here, hiding. Have all ships go on combat alert," he ordered grimly.
The Arcadia was right over their heads. Complete silence reigned everywhere, even on the bridge. As if a single drop of sweat could give them away. All work ceased. Everyone was waiting for their captain's order on what to do.
I walked to the helm and grabbed it. The Arcadia immediately came to life. Its slow, rather careless movements suddenly changed under my hands. It was nimble and fast. I dove down violently. A few curses were heard on the bridge as they lost their footing. We flew down towards the flagship. How did I know it was the flagship? Because it was the only Gloriana-class ship in the fleet.
Turning the helm, the Arcadia's bow went up, braking all momentum. We were literally next to the Lion's ship's broadside cannons. We flew side-by-side.
"Deactivate stealth," I ordered despite the fear in the officers' eyes.
Lion felt they were close. He looked left, nothing but the void. He looked up, the same thing. But when he looked right, he didn't see anything at first. A moment later, a mist appeared in the void, as black as the space around it, yet perfectly visible. It slowly dispersed, revealing the Arcadia flying side-by-side with his ship. All the alarms on his ship blared, and officers reported frantically.
Lion looked at the helmsman of the ship that had mocked him, with anger in his eyes. Harlock, on his own ship, also looked at him and nodded, greeting him.
"He's been made a fool of." That was Lion's thought. The ship had passed through his fleet without issue and was flying right next to him, unnoticed. He and his entire crew, he concluded, were pirates. The skull and crossbones emblem had withstood the test of time and was still known in the 30th millennium. He wondered if he should just destroy the pirates with one powerful salvo and continue on to Macragge, but again, his instincts spoke up, telling him not to do it, because it would end badly.
Harlock pulled a document from his coat and held it out toward Lion. The document bore the seals of the Ultramarines and the Blood Angels. The personal seals of two Primarchs—there was no way Lion wouldn't recognize them. His eyes imperceptibly widened. He saw the testimony of two brothers who had recognized this pirate.
"Connect me," Lion ordered.
The officers immediately carried out Lion's order; there was no need for a response. Efficacy was what mattered, a lesson they had learned from their father. The officers on the Arcadia accepted the call and redirected them to their lines. Lion El'Jonson appeared before Harlock in his holographic form.
"Primarch Lion," I began, knowing he wouldn't start the conversation. "Your brothers told me a little about each of their brothers, and they told me to be wary of you."
"My brothers are wise men," the lord of Caliban stated. "But I do not understand all their motives."
"That makes two of us. Your brothers are waiting for all the loyal sons of the Emperor on Macragge."
"I am heading in their direction," he replied, carefully observing the pirate. When he finally arrived and his brothers answered all his questions, he would ask very precisely who Harlock was and why his instincts went so haywire around him.
"I understand," I said, looking toward his ship's engine section. "An interesting engine."
Lion's blood pressure rose, even though his expression didn't change at all. His secret—why he was able to travel through the warp storms—had it been discovered? Even if it had, the question was how and when. Despite this, he decided to play his part.
"It's a Gloriana-class vessel," he stated somberly. "Your ship has intrigued me greatly."
"It's not just you. Your brothers feel the same way," I replied. "But I won't take up any more of a son of the Emperor's time. Ultramar is waiting. When you get to your brothers, tell the blue one that interesting rumors are circulating about Sotha."
"Sotha?" he said, having already heard a few snippets from a governor. Hearing the name again, he knew he had to look into it further.
"Yes. I have only fragments of information, but it could be something important. Now that we have exchanged pleasantries, I must bid you farewell. Duty calls," I added, giving the signal to end the call.
"Captain, that's the third Primarch you've said goodbye to so rudely," Alexandra said, who was on the bridge for a change.
"On board the Arcadia, no one is above you. Everyone is your equal. Whether it's a Primarch or the Emperor himself, they are your equals," I stated, saying what I believed to be true. "And now, full speed ahead!"
The Arcadia began to pull ahead of the Invincible Reason, leaving a column of black mist behind it. Lion stared at the ship's engines, expecting a warp gate to open at any moment and for them to enter. But it didn't happen. A sudden visual explosion of black mist appeared, and the Arcadia vanished from sight and from all of his ship's sensors and detectors.
They were gone in an instant. The Legion's discipline had taught them not to overreact to variables, but a new propulsion system that didn't require the Warp for travel was something else entirely.
Lion stood there, intrigued. He would have to ask the pirate when he returned to Macragge. In all the commotion, he hadn't even asked for his name, but he knew his brothers would have the answer to that question.
"Course for Macragge."