Editing The Tales of the Emperasque: Part Eleven (section)

==0-080-001-M42==
“I’M TELLING YOU, SOMETHING’S GONE WRONG,” the Emperor roared worriedly, pacing the Hall of the Throne. His massive footsteps shook the room to its high ceiling, until finally he sat back on his huge haunches and stared at his guests. “I WAS TRACKING VULKAN’S SHIP, THEN THEY SLAMMED FULL-BORE INTO A VOID WHALE CARCASS AND I LOST THEM. DAMN IT ALL, I CAN’T LOSE HIM LIKE THIS, NOT SO SOON.”<br>
“Father, I beg your composure,” Ultramarines Primarch Roboute Guilliman said, trying to maintain his own. “The Swift is large enough to survive contact with a void whale carcass. And I assure you the Navy wouldn’t have assigned him an expendable crew.”<br>
“YOU’RE NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE MODERN NAVY, THEN, ROBOUTE,” the Emperor shot back. When he caught sight of his son’s grimace, he sighed. “SORRY. THAT WAS OUT OF LINE. I CAN’T NOT WORRY ABOUT HIM, THOUGH. HE COULD BE LOST TO US.”<br>
“We could find out where his ship was heading from the Navigator, if you can contact him. Or the ship’s Astropath,” Guilliman put in.
“I’VE BEEN TRYING!” the Emperor roared. “THE NAVIGATOR’S DEAD, AND THE ASTROPATH IS GONE. I DON’T THINK HE’S DEAD, BUT HE’S NOWHERE I CAN CONTACT HIM. IN A WARP STREAM, OR COMATOSE, OR SOMETHING.”<br>
“We will look for him, then. We can send a ship to his last known coordinates, and have them scan for anything in the vicinity.”<br>
“NO POINT,” the Emperor said dejectedly. “HE’S STILL IN THE WARP. JUST NOWHERE I CAN FIND. DAMN IT.”<br>

The Eternity Gate strained at its hinges for a moment, as it parted just enough to admit a few more people, then slid shut. Leman Russ and Primarch Jaghatai Khan of the White Scars walked in, and each bowed before their enormous father for a moment. At his psychic instruction, both stood at ease.<br>
“Any luck, my Emperor?” Russ asked. The Emperor shook his head.<br>
“SADLY NOT. I WISH I COULD RELAY BETTER NEWS, BUT…”<br>
“Yes. Well. Nothing we can do but hope for the best and trust in his ability to improvise,” Russ said, not even trying to conceal his disappointment. The Emperor took note.<br>
“LEMAN, JAGHATAI, I WANT YOUR OPINIONS ON SOMETHING AS LONG AS YOU’RE HERE. YOU TOO, ROBOUTE.”<br>
“Certainly, my Liege. What is it?” Guilliman asked on their behalf.<br>
“HUMANITY’S EXPANSION INTO THE GALAXY HAS BEEN ONE OF PHYSICAL CONSUMPTION. THIS IS ONLY PART OF WHAT I HAD INTENDED, AS YOU’LL NO DOUBT RECALL. I WANTED HUMANITY’S MARCH FORWARD TO BE AS MUCH AN IMPROVEMENT AS A RECLAMATION.”<br>
“Weaning humanity off of robots and ushering in true, safe psychic power,” Guilliman supplied.<br>
“RIGHT. INCIDENTALLY, WHERE’S LION?”<br>
“En route, Father,” Jaghatai said. “He wanted to make sure Corax was up and about first. His recovery has been slow.”<br>
“For him, anyway,” Russ quipped.