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Guilliman trudged down the halls of his father's home, his will resolved and maintained in calm fury, as he recounted the events that occured a few hours ago.
The Dark Gods grow desperate, as a new turning point within the Great Game has unravelled itself. The warp pulses with unpredictability under the minds of the many pyskers around the Sol System.
Troops from elite guardsman to space marines patrol every inch of the holiest planet within the Imperium. The Custodians, reeled in after the fight with the massive Khorne armies which left many of the population corrupted and twisted by the Blood God.
A few hours ago, Roboute Guilliman recounted he woke up, confused and wracked with disbelief after his awakening on a besieged Macragge. His traitorous nephews dare show themselves upon imperial lands once more? He would have applauded the bravery of these Chaos scum where it not for the fact that they were already dead.
Right now, he was walking upon the 'sacred and holy' walls of the Imperial Palace. Sacred? In what manner had the palace ever had been sacred? He deduced that the Imperium must now be running and united under a religion, something his father hated all too well. He was outraged, believing the Emperor to be a God? Preposterous! Guilliman cried when he looked upon the Imperium, under the influence of a book the Daemon Primarch Lorgar had written, ruled by religious superstition, and the efficiency being horrible is a gross understatement.
The gate opened at will as a golden light simmered from the throne room, there he finds his maker, his creator, the Emperor.
He looked far worse than the last time he encountered him. Was he even alive? No, he is, barely. His muscle and skin have decayed, leaving nothing but a skeleton, a corpse, hooked up to thousands upon thousands of wires, some enough to fit in his hand, and some even as large as one of his sons. His eyes have completely disappeared, now a hollow void of nothingness that somehow, seemed to stare at him, and the other covered in a sort of red glass hooked up to a intricately designed machine.
He begun to speak.
THIRTEENTH. BETRAYAL. HOPE. MANKIND. spouted from the pyschic messages of the Emperor. Guilliman was perplexed, but soon came to realize just how broken the Emperor's mind and soul had begun. It resembled shattered glass, with each shard saying a different word. The Emperor soon gathered his will together and started spouting nonsense, phrases that Guilliman would expect of a grade schooler.
YOU ARE A TOOL. HOPE FOR HUMANITY. RECOVERING THE ANCIENTS. TEHCNOLOGY BEYOND THE DARK AGE. the last phrase caught Guilliman attention.
"The Dark age?" Guilliman pointed out. He was confused, the Dark Age of Technology was, by murmurs of the mechanicum, a time where humanity prospered with science and reason, were not burdened by Chaos, Works were exterminated like pests and the Eldar respected them, at least, in the open.
The Emperor's visage began to turn, and malform, his skull began to grotesquely morf into a different shape, a shape Guilliman was not sure of. It resembled an abhuman, Guilliman stepped back and readied his sword. It was at this time where the Emperor had pulled enough of his shards together to truly register his son's presence.
WELCOME HOME THIRTEENTH.
Guilliman was not sure of what to think. Was this thing his creator? What is with his malformed face? His eyes were much more wider apart. His nose was much more blunt. His head was much more pointed. It was uncanny even to a primarch such as Roboute Guilliman.
"Who are you, where is the Emperor?" Guilliman provoked.
I AM THE EMPEROR. DO YOU NOT RECOGNIZE YOUR OWN BLACKSMITH?
The Emperor radiated beautifully bright golden lights of pyschic energy, it seemed to burn like fire, Guilliman stood back, this was no xeno or daemon trick , the person Infront of him was very clearly the Emperor, but why present himself in such a way?
Guilliman put his blade down and just stared at his father.
" What happened father? What happened to our Imperium?"
The Emperor then did something that no man or woman had ever even suggested the Emperor is even capable of. He laughed, a cold and cruel laugh.
DO NOT WORRY THIRTEENTH, THE IMPERIUM NOW HAS TURNED INTO A CRATER OF DESPAIR AND MISERY. THIS IS ALL TRUE, BUT THIS IS NOWHERE NEAR THE END PF WHAT I HAVE PLANNED.
The lord of Ultramar stared with the upmost confusion.
"Planned?" He asked.
YES. PLANNED. DO YOU REALLY THINK THAT I, THE GREATEST PYSKER IN THE PAST 40 000 YEARS COULD NOT HAVE FORSEEN THE HORUS HERESY? YOU HAVE SUCH LOW EXPECTATIONS OF YOUR CREATOR THIRTEENTH.
".. you knew?" Guilliman's whisper was barely heard, but palpable. His chest staggered as if a blade had cut deep within him. The Emperor had predicted the Horus Heresy?
Guilliman clenched his fist. "Why did you not prevent it father? You could have won and ascended humanity into a higher plane of existence! "
The Emperor's face remained stoic, it should not be capable of moving at all but it seemed to be mocking him.
OH SO YOU KNOW OF THAT? DEDUCED IT FROM MY OLD PLANS AND SCHEMATICS? I CAN SEE MANY FUTURES GUILLIMAN, LIKE A RIVER INTERSECTION LOOKING UPON INFINITELY SMALL STREAMS, YOU SHOULD MAXIMIZE YOUR CHOICE OF SUCCESS. WIN WITH THE BEST AMOUNT OF CHANCES. AND I HAVE FORESEEN. THIS IS THE BEST ACTION TO TAKE.
Guilliman gritted his teeth.
" The Imperium is nothing but a shadow of what it once was. I have seen beyond the palace walls! People are living lives so horrid that I wish I died in the heresy than live to see it! But they still are your followers they worship you to blind fanatiscm. They dedicate their lives to you, yet here I see you, their God-Emperor, spouting as if they do not matter? That you could have prevented the heresy if you do much as lifted a finger! Tell me God- Emperor? Do all of us even mean anything to you?"
The hall was silent for a few seconds.
THIRTEENTH. LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING. YOU ARE NOT MY SON. YOU ARE AN EXPERIMENT, A WEAPON I HAD DEVISED TO BRING MANKIND TO A GOLDEN AGE, YOU MEAN NOTHING TO ME. I AM THE SAVIOUR OF MANKIND AND I WILL DO WHATEVER IT TAKES TO BRING BACK WHAT ONCE WAS. "
Guilliman shook at the last words, his heart pounded as he felt as knowledge he should not know washed over him. He was no Pysker, but he felt it. The Warp toiled and thrashed, the Chaos Gods screamed in terror at the phrase. WHAT ONCE WAS. They screamed louder, pyskers across the galaxy experience something many thought impossible. The Chaos Gods, the old entities of the warp, the everything, shouted and screamed in horror at the mere mention of memory. The memory of the race that once dominated the galaxy that had never been remembered.
Slaanesh's grip upon the Eldar souls relinquished for a few seconds, Khorne's skull throne toppled to the ground, Isha watched in awe as the garden of Nurgle begun to fizzle and dissapate and most of Tzeentch's ropes of fate broke apart one by one. The storms within the Warp begun to toil.
Eldar Farseers knocked into unconsciousness and induced headaches plagued the rest of the race across the galaxy, the shadow of the warp was dragged into the storm, most alarming of all was the cracks that formed within the webway, causing massive daemon floods of screams and howls to rush into the dark city of Commoragh. Cegorach laughed the largest laugh he has ever done that rang across the library, the funniest joke of them all, the joke of the Mon-Keigh.
Guilliman was knocked down to the ground as the Emperor looked stoically at his son.
DO YOU WISH TO LEARN OF OUR TRUE HISTORY THIRTEENTH?
Guilliman was able to get up on one knee. The words uttered by the Emperor. It was not what made the warp thrashed, it was what it meant. The truth that made even the Dark Gods quiver in fear? The Emperor was willing to share the truth to his sons?
"Enlighten me. " Guilliman was going to say, but the Emperor was able to understand the words before it even left his lips.
WHERE DID MANKIND ORIGINATE FROM, THIRTEENTH?
"Terra. " The primarch said.
WRONG. HUMANITY ORIGINATED FROM TERRA BUT MANKIND ITSELF WAS THE FIRST SENTIENT RACE IN THE GALAXY.
Guilliman was confused. "Had the Eldar or the Orks have existed millions of years ago?
YES. BUT MANKIND PREDATES THEM BY A VERY VERY LONG TIME. WE WERE CALLED THE SHAMANS. WE WERE THE MOST ADVANCED RACE THAT THE GALAXY HAD EVER KNOWN.
WE WERE THE RULERS OF THE GALAXY WHEN THE OLD ONES WERE STILL CRAWLING OUT OF THE PRIMORDIAL OOZE, THE ELDAR AND ORKS NOWHERE TO BE SEEN.
Guilliman shook at the revelation the Emperor had revealed. Mankind was that old?
THE SHAMAN FEDERATION TOOK IN MANY XENOS AS FRIENDS AND ALLIES. WE WERE NAIVE. WE WERE FOOLS TO ACCEPT THEIR DIPLOMATIC TREATIES AND POLITICAL SQUABBLES.
WE SHOULDN'T HAVE. WE DON'T NEED IT. OUR TECHNOLOGY IS SO ADVANCED THAT IN THE FACE OF ANY OTHER, IT PALES IN COMPARISON. THERE IS NOTHING THAT COULD BE DONE BY ANY OTHER RACE OF THE GALAXY NOW AND EVEN IN THEIR PRIME THAT COULD HAVE EVEN REMOTELY BESTED US. WE WERE THE TRUE RULERS OF THE GALAXY.
Guilliman is amazed but skeptical. If this was true, this could be the revelation of a millennium, mankind's history goes far beyond the normal limits expected by many of the historians.
But now, Guilliman had to ask his most dreaded question.
"If Mankind was so advanced then what happened, where are they?"
WE WERE DESTROYED WITHIN THE EVENT KNOWN AS THE RAPTURE. THE DETAILS OF THIS EVENT WOULD UTTERLY BREAK EVEN THE MIND OF A PRIMARCH, EVEN I CANNOT BEAR TO THINK OF JT UNLESS I FALL INTO THE DEPTHS OF PURE INSANITY. BUT KNOW THIS THIRTEENTH, THE RAPTURE WOULD NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN.
OUR ALIEN ALLIES WHEN SEEING HUMANITY ENCOUNTER THE RAPTURE, BETRAYED US. TIME AND TIME AND TIME AGAIN, THE XENOS PROVE TO US THAT THEY CAN NEVER BE TRUSTED. NOT IN THE DARK AGE. NOT MILLIONS OF YEARS AGO. NOT NOW.
Guilliman finally had the answer of a question he pondered for centuries. Why the Emperor hated xenos. It all makes sense. He was completely understanding on why xenos must be eradicated but there were some times where he doubted what he did was truly right. But this? His will strengthened harder as he understood why it must be done.
WHAT WAS LEFT OF THE SHAMANS WERE BROKEN DOWN, PIECES OF TECHNOLOGY DRIFTING ACROSS WORLDS AND REGRESSED REMNANTS OF THE SHAMANS THAT WOULD BECOME THE HUMAN RACE. AND ONLY ONE SHAMAN WAS LEFT STILL STANDING TO THIS DAY, ME.
Guilliman gasped in disbelief.
YES THIRTEENTH, I AM A SHAMAN. WHAT YOU SEE BEFORE YOU IS WHAT A SKELETON OF A SHAMAN LOOKS LIKE. IT IS IRONIC. WHEN HUMANITY SEES ME THEY IMAGINE ME AS PERFECT, AS A WARRIOR THAT COULD NEVER BE BESTED. WHEN XENOS SEE ME, THEY SEE ME AS A THREAT THAT MUST BE SQUASHED UNDER THEIR HEEL WHEN THE TIME COMES. WHEN THE WARP SEES ME, THE YOUNGER ENTITIES THINK THE SAME BUT OLDER AND KNOWLEDGABLE ENTITIES SUCH AS THE DARK GODS KNOW BETTER, THEY KNOW I CAN NEVER TRULY DIE. THE REMNANT OF THE SHAMANS, HUMANITY.
THE TRUTH IS THIRTEENTH, THE DARK GODS ARE AFRAID. CHAOS IS AFRAID OF HUMANITY. THEY SEE US AS THE LARGEST THREAT TO THEIR WELLBEING AND EXISTENCE. THE DARK GODS ARE SCARED OF WHAT HUMANITY ONCE WAS. THE POWERFUL AND ENIGMATIC SHAMANS THAT WOULD BE INVINCIBLE IN THE FACE OF ANY OTHER THREAT THEY HAVE EVER SEEN. IN THE FACE OF THE SHAMANS, WHAT I AM NOW IS NOTHING MORE THAN HOW THE IMPERIUM VIEWS AN AVERAGE IMPERIAL GUARDSMAN.
BEINGS LIKE ME, ARE DISPOSABLE. THERE WERE SO MANY OF MY KIND THAT THEY COULD CREATE ENTIRE WORLDS WITH ONLY THE SHEER AMOUNT OF BEINGS LIKE ME.
A pin drop can be heard from another planet with the silence that caused. Guilliman's stomach fell into a deep pit. The Shamans were that advanced, a warrior such as the Emperor of Mankind was a disposable foot soldier?
I WAS ABLE TO SURVIVE THROUGH UNKNOWN MEANS, MAKING ME THE ONLY SHAMAN TO HAVE SURVIVED. I LOOK UPON HUMANS WITH IRONY. HOW FAR MANKIND HAS FALLEN IS UNPRECEDENTED. MY GOAL IS TO RETURN US INTO THE OLD DAYS. RULE THE GALAXY LIKE OUR ANCESTORS DID. I SEE PETTY SQUABBLINGS OF WORSHIP AND POLITICS. A GOD DID THIS OR A GOD DID THAT? WHY CAN'T HUMANS JUST UNDERSTAND. YOU DID THAT . YOU! NOT SOME GOD LIVING IN SOME BULLSHIT HOLY LOCATION, YOU! A HUMAN! WHAT PAINS ME IS THAT WHAT WE WERE CAPABLE OF WAS FAR MORE ADVANCED THAN ANYTHING ANY WARP GOD COULD EVEN IMAGINE, LET ALONE OFFER!
The Emperor's visage grinned. AND NOW. HERE IS AN EXAMPLE. A gush of wind blew past from pyschic energy, revealing an object underneath the old clothes of the Emperor. The Emperor slowly moved his arms in an unnatural and seemingly painful motion and placed the object on one of his armrests.
In his two fingers is a ring. A ring that looks to be made of a metal Guilliman has never encountered before. It glows blue with a radiant energy similar to a blue hypergiant star.
THIS IS A HALO INSTALLATION, A WEAPON OF THE ANCIENT SHAMANS.
IT WAS ONCE A LARGE DISK AKIN TO SIZE WITH THE PLANET OF SATURN. I SENT MY CUSTODIANS TO GO GET IT FOR ME. I SENT THEM SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS I HAVE REMEMBERED DOING MILLIONS OF YEARS AGO AND THEY TRANSPORTED IT BACK TO TERRA.
If Guilliman wasn't paying attention, he certainly was now. A weapon of the Shamans? From the empire that regarded his father as a mere foot soldier, this must be a device of devastating levels of damage.
IF I LAY IT ON A COMPLETELY STILL SURFACE, IT'S INDICATOR WILL FLASH RED. NOW, BRING ME THE GENETIC MATERIAL.
A Custodian stepped into the room, with a strand of grey material placed within a glass box. He opens it, and handed it to the Emperor.
The Emperor slowly picked it up and hovered it just above the Halo Installation.
THIS IS GENETIC MATERIAL HARVESTED FROM A SPIKE FROM A HRUD. THEY HAVE BEEN CAUSING MANY PROBLEMS TO THE IMPERIUM, A HARD XENOS RACE TO BEAT IN A ONE ON ONE CONFRONTATIONS.
The Emperor's lowers his hand even more meticulously.
NOW SIT AND WATCH.
He placed down the Hrud genetic material onto the ring, it glowed as bright as a sun as the rays expanded, soon, a bright light shined across the Imperial Palace, soon the whole planet and could even be seen from light years away as the entire sol system seemed to have flashed then it just as quickly disappeared.
Guilliman was once more confused.
".. What- What just happened?"
THIRTEENTH. CALL THE LAMENTERS.
Guilliman reached for the communicator almost trembling and called the chapter.
"Astartes of the Lamenters Chapter! What's going on down there?"
"I-I can't believe it! My Primarch! We have been engaging the Hrud for 2 weeks now! Suddenly, their entire force vanished!
Guilliman's jaw fell loose as it felt like it dropped to the center of Terra, his blade once held firmly dropped the ground with a large clank that echoed through the silent halls.
"One moment, we were blasting xenos scum, then the next, they disappeared, alongside everything they built! Battle Brothers! We, the Lamenters have finally won! This is a cause for celebration..." Guilliman's ears became deaf to the cheers of the space marine chapter, staring with a hollow expression at the Emperor.
"Did..Did you just cause a complete genocide of the Hrud, one of the Imperium's most fearsome foes that not even a primarch returned unscathed?"
IN RELATIVE TERMS.. YES.
Guilliman's head felt loose, his heart raced as he thought about he possibilities. How, how would this weapon impact the galaxy? Mankind? Humanity? All of the foes that plague mankind can be dealt with so easily that they would be irrelevant. What right did a weapon have to be that strong? All the struggles he has done, all the campaigns he has razed, all the men he had trained. The logistical nightmare needed to completely wipe the varying Hrud colonies off the face of the universe was just done by a ring the Emperor found and used with as much difficulty as writing on paper. The use of this weapon, the potential this Halo could do drove Guilliman's mind racing until it was too much for him.
A Green and yellow liquid spurted out of the Primarch's mouth as the floors of the Imperial Palace was splattered with his vomit.
DAMN. THIRTEENTH, CALM DOWN.
Soon, the lord of Ultramar regained his composure and wiped his face.
"So what happens now?" He asked expectantly.
NOW? THE HALO ISNTALLATION WILL DO NOTHING.
Guilliman looked like someone just slapped him in the face.
"What?"
THE HALO WILL NOT BE USED UNLESS THE MOST DIRE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE IMPERIUM ARE ON OUR WAY-
"NO! ENOUGH FATHER! DO YOU NOT SEE THE POTENTIAL BEHIND WHAT YOU ARE HOLDING FATHER! WE ARE STANDING AT THE BRINK OF DESTRUCTION! THE BRINK OF THE SHATTERING AND SUBSEQUENT EXTINCTION OF ALL OF MANKIND! PEOPLE ARE DYING! FIGHTING THOSE XENOS! I CANNOT IN GOOD FAITH GO WITH YOUR -WHATEVER YOU ARE DOING!"
The Emperor of Mankind stayed silent.
TELL ME GUILLIMAN, WHAT IS THE ONE ENEMY I CANNOT INSTANTLY DESTROY WITH THIS RING.
Guilliman's rage deflated. "Any xenos would bow down to you when they hear you have this Halo Installation. "
ANY XENO. DAEMONS ARE OUT OF THE QUESTION. CHAOS STILL RUNS RAMPANT IF WE DESTROY IT OR NOT. CHAOS WOULD HAVE WIPED US OUT BY NOW IF THE XENOS DID NOT INTERVENE TO INDIRECTLY SAVE US.
Guilliman's gaze strained. "Ellaborate. "
SLAANESH FORCES ARE MORE FOCUSED UPON THE AELDARI THAN HUMANITY. IF IT WASN'T FOR THIS DISTRACTION, I GUARANTEE THE IMPERIUM WOULD BE IN WORSE SHAPE THAN NOW.
THE ORKS BATTLE CHAOS MORE THAN THE IMPERIUM DOES. THEY WIPE CHAOS FORCES, THUS, THEIR WORSHIP. THE ORKS ARE A PLAGUE, BUT A PLAGUE THAT STRIKES HARDER AT OUR ENEMIES THAN US.
THE NECRONS AND TAU ARE NEARLY OR COMPLETELY IMMUNE AGAINST THE RUINOUS POWERS. THE LATTER CAN BE USEFUL AGAINST FIGHTING CULTISTS AND THE FIRST CAN BE EXPLOITED FOR ANTI'-WARP TECHNOLOGY.
THE TYRANIDS ARE A SPECULATIVE ONE. WE DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH INTEL ON THE ENEMY TO KNOW THAT THIS WILL NOT BACKFIRE HORRIBLY.
Guilliman opened his mouth but closed it in resignation.
"What about Chaos? Wouldn't they know of the halo device? What about the Farseers of the Eldar? "
The Emperor sat back and his body relaxed.
THE HALO INSTALLATION WAS NOT THE ONLY THING THE SHAMANS LEFT BEHIND.
THE SHAMANS MADE MANY WONDEROUS TECHNOLOGIES OF CREATION AND DESTRUCTION. HOWEVER, ONE OF THEIR CROWNING ACHIEVEMENTS WILL ALWAYS BE BOUND TO REALITY UNTIL POTENTIALLY, THE END OF TIME.
"What did they create?" Guilliman asked readying himself, this Halo Installation was a weapon, he could not imagine what one of the crowning achievements of a race this advanced would be.
THEY CREATED THE WARP.
The answer hit Guilliman like a brick wall.
THE IMMATERIUM WAS MADE BY THE SHAMANS，YOU AND I UNDERSTAND THAT THE EMPYREAN IS ANYTHING BUT NATURAL. IT IS A REALM USED TO ENRICH THE LIVES OF THE SHAMANS. THEY FELT THAT THEIR LIVES WERE NOT LUXURIOUS ENOUGH, SO THEY INVENTED THE CONCEPT OF SOULS TO MAKE THEM FEEL BETTER.
Guilliman felt like he was going to cry his eyes out, but this was too much for even someone like him to handle.
I AM A SHAMAN. I CAN MANIPULATE MY PEOPLE'S CREATION TO MY VERY WILL. I CAN HIDE SOMETHING IF I TRULY WANTED FORM THE WARP BECAUSE I UNDERSTAND WHAT MAKES IT TICK.
THE ALIEN RACE THAT CAME AFTE THE SHAMANS REVERSE ENGINEERED OUR TECHNOLOGY AND SAID THEY CREATED IT. THE OLD ONES TECH WAS BUILT UPON SOMETHING THEY THEMSELVES WILL NEVER UNDERSTAND, THUS, THE TECHNOLOGY OF THEIR CREATIONS, THE AELDARI AND THE ORKS WERE BUILT UPON THE OLD ONES.
I AM VERY CERTAIN THAT WHILE THE AELDARI CALL US PRIMITIVES, THEY DO NOT EVEN UNDERSTAND HOW THEIR OWN TECH WORKS DO THEY? ALL BUILDERS DO IS SING INTO A FUCKING BONE, IT'S MAGICALLY PUT TOGETHER A D WHEN WE ASK THEY SAY IT IS BECAUSE OF THE WARP. THEY ARE DABBLING IN CONCEPTS THEY DON'T EVEN HAVE A CLUE OF WHAT THE FUNDAMENTAL LAWS OF THE WARP ACTUALLY ARE AND DO NOT GET ME STARTED ON THE ORKS.
I UNDERSTAND WHAT THE FUNDAMENTALS ARE, SO HIDING INFO FROM THOSE PATHETIC REALITY TUMOURS THAT CALL THEMSELVES GODS AND THE ARROGANT ELF PEOPLE IS NOT EVEN A CHALLENGE.THEY SAY FATE IS INEVITABLE. THE SHAMANS CREATED FATE ITSELF.
THE SECOND I PULL UPON THE WARP, IT IS GOING TO STOP WORKING. THE GODS WILL DIE. THE ORKS WILL STOP BEING A THREAT AND WE WILL CALL THE AELDARI MONKEIGH INSTEAD OF THE OTHER WAY AROUND.
Guilliman looks upon the stained floor. "So what happens now? "
NOW?
LET US PRACTICE MEDICINE.
The Ultramarines standing outside noticed as their lord walked down the stairs towards them.
"My Primarch!"
"How was the meeting?"
" What did the God-Emperor say?"
Guilliman looked at them with blank eyes. His mind just processing what the Emperor had told him.
"I have received all the enlightenment I required. "
He understood what he must do now. The Emperor, while still very much striving for the betterment of mankind, is no longer striving for the betterment of humankind.
He will make sure that the ideals of the Great Crusade will stay with mankind even after the thousands, no, millions of years after the 41st millennium, because if humans lose that, then what makes of his brothers? What makes of him?