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

==9-047-001-M42==
Eight hours had passed since the Emperor had made the command for the Primarchs to return to Terra, and the Neverending, alongside the Dark Angel and Blood Angel taskforces, were streaming in the Emperor’s wake. The trip would probably have not taken a week, though they had dropped off the civilians in the care of the Hospitallers on a Shrine world they had passed. Now, the convoy was streaming for Terra, answering their Emperor’s urgent call.

The ship was, above all, a Space Marine ship, and as such there was precious little aboard devoted to any sort of entertainment. A small lounge for the ship’s non-Astartes crew was provided, and little else. The five Primarchs aboard – Guilliman, Russ, Corax, Jaghatai, and El’Jonson – were gathered in one, listening to the ship’s eldest serving Marine – Dante – tell tales of the Imperium’s recent past.

“Naturally, the problems with the Eastern Fringe were exacerbated by the Tau, but it wasn’t that particular batch of xenos filth that was truly troubling us,” Dante said, leaning back against the wall in his armor.

“It was these Tyranid things I keep hearing about, I gather,” Russ said.

“Indeed it was, Lord. They came from bloody nowhere about three hundred years back and have been ripping the Imperium to shreds ever since. Nearly a thirtieth of the Imperium has been laid barren, though of course hundreds of billions of people have managed to escape worlds in the Hive’s path. The greater problem, for now, is the genestealers which precede them. They’re almost impossible for the average Imperial citizen to detect. A genescan can spot them instantly, and the most gravely mutated victims are instantly recognizable, but it’s still a problem, especially on feral worlds where there are no genescanners to use.”

“Troubling, indeed, though it seems that these…what did you call them? Necrotics? They seem the larger threat,” Guilliman said.

“Necrons, Lord Guilliman, and yes, I believe that they are. The Tyranids actively avoid them, such is their threat, and one-on-one, there is no deadlier force outside the Custodes,” Dante said heavily.

“I see. Obviously, the Emperor knows of the threat,” Guilliman said.

“Oh, naturally. He’s known for over a millennia. And the damn things are vulnerable if they’re still ‘sleeping,’ problem is that the largest of their Tomb worlds are outside the Astronomican’s light. That means that not only can we not reach them safely, but that they are at liberty to harvest all the other xenos out there for all their technology, souls, precious bodily fluids, whatever they harvest,” Dante said with disgust.

“Well…if I know my father, he’s probably hard at work creating a means for the Imperium to overcome the myriad foes it faces,” Roboute said. Jaghatai nodded.

“Oh yeah. That was something he insisted on, to his own detriment, once or twice.” Russ snorted.

“Beyond the obvious, you mean, brother?” he said grimly. Dante shifted uncomfortably.

Guilliman broke the awkward silence, his authoritarian voice effortlessly cutting through the pause. “I suspect that the Mechanicus will be heavily involved in his plan, whatever form it takes.”

“Probably,” Russ said with clear distrust in his accented voice. “I find them entirely distasteful, but they have obvious uses. I wonder, though, why the tone of his summons to return to Terra was so urgent. Surely his plans can wait a few days? At the rate we’re travelling the Warp, we’ll be at Terra in no time flat.”

“I got the feeling that his summons had more to do with Terra itself, brother,” Corax said, speaking up for the first time. “His message made mention of civil problems on the planet, didn’t it?”

“I was rather more excited by the addendum, myself,” Russ said. “Vulkan will beat us there by nearly a day, according to the message. I miss the bastard. He was the only one who ever laughed at my jokes because he thought they were funny instead of just for fraternization.”

“Oh, that hurts,” Jaghatai said crossing his hands over his heart dramatically.

“It’s so true, though,” Russ chuckled. Lion nodded sagely, which Russ didn’t fail to notice, shooting his brother a cool stare.