Emperor's Bane

Chapter 730 Final Solution - Thousand Sons

+As for the Thousand Sons, we cannot wipe them all out immediately. +
＋It will take some time. ＋
"Wait some time?"

+When most people have become accustomed to the absence of the Thousand Sons Legion: then they can disappear completely. +
When they had temporarily solved or entrusted the problems inside and outside the palace, the Lord of Mankind and his most loyal seal bearer could finally return to the safe house they had prepared in advance just in case: it was only a few dozen meters square, but it was more reliable than the hundreds of imperial guards guarding outside.

Originally, this secret room that could block the senses of any psychic was just a temporary idea created by the Emperor and the Sigillite in order to confirm the authenticity of the "alien visitor" brought by the Wolf King. No one would have thought that the Emperor would be so weak when he returned here again.

Closing the main door made of special materials that could withstand orbital strikes, the Sigillite first made sure that only he and the Emperor were in the room, then he let out a long sigh, spitting out all the mental pressure brought to him by the Ruinstorm, as well as the residual poison of the warp in his mind.

Despite being the fourth... and now the third most powerful psyker in the galaxy, the blow dealt to the Sigillite by the Storm of Destruction, which lasted only a few minutes, was still heavy: he could clearly feel that his meticulous thinking, which he was proud of and had used to handle the logistics of the entire Great Crusade, seemed to have suffered irreparable damage, which would undoubtedly affect his future administrative efficiency.

Thinking about how many of his carefully selected and efficient assistants had been lost in the murder just now, Malcador felt a dull pain in his heart. He didn't know whether he should be sad or glad: fortunately, at least he didn't bring all his capable assistants to Nikea.

At least half of Malcador's followers were left behind in Holy Terra and other places. With them as a foundation, it was only necessary to temporarily promote some candidates and reach new agreements with the various power institutions of the Empire. After the Emperor left, a new generation of Terran government team could eventually be established.

However, the rhythm has been completely disrupted: things that could have been done next year now have to be postponed to twenty years later.

In Malcador's original prediction, the Terran authority's infiltration and control of the entire galaxy was doomed to fail in the womb: he would need at least ten to twenty years to barely stabilize the turmoil caused by Nikea. This period of time was enough for the power of each Primarch to expand in their fiefdoms.

By then, it would be an extremely difficult challenge for Terra to exert influence on these feudal states with solid foundations and gradually take back the power that had been handed over: even the Seal holder who was well versed in the way of power would no longer have much confidence in this plan.

But it still has to be done.

There is no reason: Holy Terra is the central government of the Empire, and centralizing power from local areas is the nature, or instinct, of every central government, an instinct that does not require any reason.

Even though it gets difficult.

After all, the Primarchs lost nothing in the destruction of Nikaea.

Except for the unfortunate Guilliman: his losses were only slightly less than Makar's.

The Sigillite could even imagine what terrible secondary damage Guilliman's anger would cause to the abandoned Temple of Nikaea after listening to the report: the news of the hero's death alone was enough to make Guilliman have a stubborn negative impression of Terra.

Hopefully, Morgan and Horus, who were left behind by the Emperor, could join hands and suppress the anger of the Macragge people in time: despite the loss of hundreds of people, there are still at least thousands of Ultramarines wandering around outside, more than all other legions combined, enough to become a potential destabilizing factor.

Of course, after leaving Nikaea, the entire Five Hundred Worlds of Ultramar would become a huge destabilizing factor: Guilliman would not tolerate the death and injury of his offspring, and if his memory was wiped, his sensitive and thoughtful brain would associate more possibilities, resulting in more serious consequences.

It may lead to...

"hiss……"

After only a moment of thinking, a sudden pain interrupted the Sigillite's thoughts and locked his brows tightly: Although he felt that he seemed to have missed something important, Malcador had to stop thinking about Guilliman and refocus all his attention on the Emperor.

The Emperor was speaking to him.

＋Don't worry, my friend. ＋
+You are still weak: Don't force yourself to think about anything now. +
The Lord of Mankind was in much better condition than he had been a dozen minutes ago, but the weakness shown in his words still made Malcador feel very uncomfortable, even ominous: since the founding of the Empire, the Emperor's power and deterrence have always been the most important cornerstone for promoting the great rejuvenation of human civilization.

And if the foundation is shaken, how long will the raging imperial feast last?
Malcador didn't dare to think about this question, he could only quickly walk to the side of the Emperor.

"What about you: Are you feeling better, Apocalypse?"

On the Throne: He never thought that one day he would have to care about the health of the Lord of Mankind.

What's the difference between this and Mortarion instructing Morgan on how to study psionics?
＋No problem. ＋
He is still so quiet.

＋【It】did not resist, and still acted instinctively, but despite this. The mere awareness of her existence was enough to have a huge impact on my mind: before you and I forget it again, we must solve all the problems that follow. ＋
+ Just like in the past, we discussed the solution to the problem, wrote it down on a piece of paper or a memo, then forgot everything that shouldn't be remembered, and let the future you and I solve the problem: we have been following the rules for centuries, my friend, this is the safest way. +
"The price is that in the eyes of some people, you behave like schizophrenia."

Malcador rubbed his temple, distressed by the new knowledge that flooded into his mind: every time he witnessed this madness again, the Sigillite would be grateful that he had met the Emperor, a strong man who could temporarily clear this knowledge that should not exist from his mind.

Otherwise, the once young and frivolous [Descendant of the Seal Bearer] would have ended up no better than Magnus today.

But speaking of Magnus...

"What are you going to do with him?"

+House arrest. +
The Emperor's entire face was immersed in a shadow that was more solid than the night. In this windowless room, the heavy curtains on the dome and the unlit lights made the Lord of Mankind a giant in the darkness. The outline of a god was revealed in the shadows of his gestures. Under the golden laurel wreath, the orders given without hesitation sent chills down the spine of the Seal Bearer.

But it also feels good: after all, Magnus definitely deserves it.

"Imprisoned?"

Malcador nodded: he knew that the Emperor was unlikely to kill Magnus, as that would be too unprofitable. In that case, imprisonment with no end in sight was the most severe execution that could be imposed on the Primarch.

At least Malcador didn't think there was a problem.

"How should I arrange it?"

The Emperor was silent for a moment.

+First, tell me, how is the capture operation going on the Thousand Sons Legion side?

"It has ended."

The seal bearer responded.

"Jasariko told me personally that every Thousand Sons soldier on Nikea has been detained in a temporary prison, and a group of stubborn resistance have been executed, except for Ahriman who has been following Morgan..."

+He doesn't count. +
The Emperor shook his head.

+Morgan came to me and used her reputation to guarantee Ahriman: I have told the Custodians not to take Ahriman into custody for the time being. +
"Is he reliable?"

＋For now, no problem. ＋
The Emperor held his face to his chest with one hand: a sign, Malcador knew, of the secret struggle he was wrestling with within himself.

+ I have examined his soul. Although it is not perfect, it is at least far above the passing line I drew: after such a long period of differentiation and influence, Ahriman's soul has become fundamentally different from the souls of the Thousand Sons soldiers and even Magnus. +
+He can't possibly melt back. +
The seal bearer nodded and didn't ask any more questions.

+ Go on, my friend: Are there more casualties in the arrest operation? +
"No."

Machado was decisive.

"Let's not talk about the capture of those mortals outside the temple who had close contact with the Thousand Sons Legion: the capture of Magnus's descendants alone caused almost no casualties to the capture team, and only a few warriors were slightly injured."

＋Really? ＋

The Emperor's voice rose and fell: this did not seem to satisfy him.

+Has the Thousand Sons' combat effectiveness degraded to this extent without anyone noticing? +
The Sigillite remained silent. He knew the reason for the Emperor's strange emotional fluctuations: to the Lord of Mankind, the Fifteenth Legion was a somewhat special force, and it carried a history that the Emperor cherished.

Back then, the first group of warriors of the Thousand Sons Legion came from the Achaemenid Empire region of the Holy Terra Mountains (now the Iranian Plateau), which was one of the earliest bases of the empire. The Emperor's rule there was exceptionally long, and therefore left more memories than in other regions.

At the end of the Unification Wars, the Emperor himself, accompanied by a group of scientists, visited the Achaemenid Empire in person, visited every family that could possibly contribute an Astartes warrior, and personally selected a thousand warriors who were worthy of transformation: these thousand were the original Thousand Sons Legion.

With this history, Magnus' descendants can naturally occupy a unique corner in the heart of the Lord of Mankind, which seems to be as hard as iron, but is unusually soft at certain times: this is also the reason why the Emperor, although he could vaguely sense that there was definitely something wrong with the Fifteenth Legion for a long time, deliberately chose to turn a blind eye.

After all, this was the power he had cultivated himself.

Magnus was the same. But who would have thought that this kind of weakness and neglect would lead to a once glorious Astartes Legion ending their mission in such a humiliating way: Nikaea would be the last stop of the Thousand Sons Legion, and after that, in their long history books, there would no longer be any name worth remembering by outsiders.

＋But they deserve it.＋
The Emperor closed his eyes and looked as if he was taking a nap.

Then he suddenly spoke.

+Tell me, Malcador, has the Thousand Sons Legion really degenerated to this point?
"That's part of the reason."

The seal bearer organized his words.

"According to the observations of the Custodians, the combat proficiency of the Thousand Sons Legion is far from comparable to that of the Dark Angels and Dawnbreakers. Although Magnus brought almost all of his senior officers and champion swordsmen, almost no one could resist the swords of the Dark Angels and Dawnbreaker veterans for more than three rounds."

"But despite this, the main reason why the capture operation was able to go so smoothly was because the Thousand Sons Legion was completely unprepared. Magnus only brought a few hundred people, while the number of the capture force was five times theirs. The Custodians alone sent two thousand elite veterans."

"In addition, the impact of the Ruinstorm on the Thousand Sons Legion was also extremely serious. Even more serious than that on the Ultramarines: the descendants brought by Magnus were all psykers. Most of them had even dropped their service guns on the ground when the capture troops rushed in due to the impact of the Ruinstorm, so they were naturally unable to organize any resistance."

"But the Imperial Guards believe that with the number of the Thousand Sons and the threat they present, if they were to engage in a frontal assault, they would suffer at least three hundred casualties. Considering that the main forces of the Thousand Sons are still stationed in various parts of the galaxy, Tribune Jasarico proposed to immediately block the news of Nikea."

＋Do as he says. ＋
＋In addition……＋
+Where is the main force of the Thousand Sons now? +
"Most of them are in Prospero, with a few companies operating independently."

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＋What about Nikaea's low-Earth orbit? ＋

"There is a medium-sized fleet with the Thousand-foot Radiance as its flagship, with about 500 Thousand Sons warriors stationed on it. The Custodians have formulated a sound armed takeover plan, which can be executed immediately after Nikea returns to the real universe. When necessary, the Custodians' fleet and the Dark Angels' Indomitable Truth can open fire at the same time to ensure that the Queen of the Thousand-foot Radiance is shot down on Nikea as soon as possible."

＋Very good. ＋
The Emperor nodded.

+Notify the Custodes to prepare, in addition to the Space Wolves, Dark Angels, Imperial Fists, Dawnbreaker... +
The Lord of Mankind paused.

＋No, just these three legions.＋
+Tell them that as soon as the Nikaea Conference is over, their fleet must go to Prospero and read my orders to the main force of the Thousand Sons Legion: require them to make the highest level of war preparations and bring all the weapons they think are necessary. I approve their right to decide whether to use the extermination order against Prospero. +
+From the moment the order is issued, no Thousand Sons soldier is allowed to leave Prospero without permission, otherwise he will be regarded as a traitor. All armed and civilian ships in Prospero should be handed over, and all spaceports should be destroyed. The right to communicate with the outside world must be fully responsible by the Custodians. +
+In addition, I have selected a trusted unit from each of the Custodes, Dark Angels, and Space Wolves. They will serve as my inspectors and stay on Prospero until I decide what to do with the Thousand Sons Legion: Anyone who dares to question the above orders will be executed and stripped of all honors and titles. +
+Finally: From the moment this order is issued, the entire Thousand Sons Legion must hand over all of their gene seeds. If they want to expand their forces on any scale, they must obtain an order approved by me personally. +
＋For now...that's all. ＋
"Who are you going to send to lead the team?"

＋Waldo. ＋
The Emperor did not hesitate.

+Jonson is too cold and hard, Leman Russ is too indecisive, and I don't intend to let Dorn himself participate in this operation: the point is to immediately deprive the entire Prospero of all space navigation capabilities and make this world a prison for the entire Thousand Sons Legion. +
＋Until I have time to deal with them.＋
The Emperor rubbed his brows, his final act of mercy somewhat confusing Malcador.

"Later?"

Machado then asked.

"You know that no matter what, you will leave the Great Crusade immediately, and after you hand over power to Horus and me, neither of us has the right to wipe out a legion. If we delay any further, it is inevitable that something new will happen to the Thousand Sons Legion."

+ I also want to cut the Gordian knot: but I can't stir up new chaos. +
The emperor was a little helpless.

+ In any case, completely annihilating an Astartes Legion will cause huge and ineradicable follow-up effects: we spent decades to thoroughly solve the problems of the 11th Legion, but despite this, my crazy offspring is still shaking the Great Crusade in another way. +
+ If we were to wipe out Magnus and his Thousand Sons without any preparation, I'm afraid some of my descendants and subordinates would have trouble sleeping: such a bad influence would take several generations of mortals to dilute, and what we lack most now is time. +
+As for the Thousand Sons...+
When the Emperor opened his eyes again, the cold light in his pupils made Malcador take a step back.

+ I plan to wait for a while, in thirty or forty years, when people have gradually forgotten about the events of Nikaea, and then the final execution of the Thousand Sons Legion can begin. +
+ The 15th Legion will be divided into several hundred people or smaller teams, and will be transported away from Prospero one by one, and will first go to the front line of the Great Crusade to carry out a one-way atonement expedition: until the entire legion disappears completely, this process may last ten to twenty years, by which time, my plan will be completed. +
"I see."

The Sigillite nodded, feeling somewhat sad that an Astartes Legion was destined to perish.

＋In addition……＋
Unexpectedly, the Emperor wasn’t done yet.

He looked towards Malcador.

+ Use your voice: Don’t make loud announcements: use silent words to plant an idea in everyone’s mind.

+All the losses suffered by all forces on Nikaea were caused by the folly of the Thousand Sons Legion: Since you don't want Guilliman and others to look at you with anger, let them look at the Thousand Sons. This is their last use. +
"……clear."

Malcador bowed his head.

He didn't know why, but he always felt that the emperor was much more stern now than usual.

Is it because of its influence?
"So...what do you want to do with him?"

+Magnus? +

"Where are they going to be held, then?"

+ No. +
The Emperor vetoed.

+Nikea is no longer safe: Terra is not safe either. Who knows what hidden dangers Magnus may have? You deliberately spread more false information and listed hundreds of possible places of imprisonment. +
"What about actually?"

+ Betanjamon: It is a safe place as a military stronghold, and no one doubts its connection with Magnus. Remember to transport some black stones from the Eye of Terror and place them on top of Betanjamon's cell in case of emergency, just like the room we prepared for Nikaea.

"give it to me."

The seal holder breathed a sigh of relief.

"How do we announce it to the public: just tell them that Magnus is imprisoned?"

＋No, he is recuperating: but the recuperation time is much longer than expected. ＋
"..."

"Then...you..."

＋No, Malcador.＋
The Emperor laughed, knowing that Malcador was about to ask another question.

+I won't cure him. +
+First, it was because of the lack of materials and technology. Even I couldn't do anything to save the situation. +
+ Second, the big mistake Magnus made this time made me no longer believe that he should act alone, and house arrest under severe injuries is a suitable status quo for him: and considering my final arrangements for him, this will not interfere with his due role. +
＋Even more appropriate. ＋
＋The only thing left to do then is to make sure he becomes pure again.＋
"..."

Malcador said nothing.

He was sweating profusely.

＋Do you have any other questions? ＋

"Not for now, Emperor."

＋Very good. ＋
The Lord of Mankind nodded.

+Then when I recover, please help me call Morgan and Horus over. I have some new things to entrust to them. +
"Morgan and Horus?"

+That's right. +
The Emperor paused.

+ What happened on Nikaea has made me realize one thing: I am more vulnerable to our ultimate enemy than I thought, so it is no longer wise to put all my eggs on you and me. We must try to put our other eggs in different baskets. +
+ Morgan is not completely trustworthy, but she and I are on the same side, so there are some backup measures on her side: Isn't she keen on training her daughter? Maybe there is room for a new resident in her vacant nursery. +
+ As for Horus, his loyalty to me is unquestionable, but his strength and mentality are somewhat unworthy of this loyalty: when facing people like Morgan and Magnus, Horus has no advantage in strength, which will also affect his mentality. +
＋It's time to eliminate this hidden danger. ＋
+So…

+It is time to awaken the Warmaster to his true power as a Primarch. +
"Psychic power?"

+That's right. +
"I thought Horus's psychic powers..."

＋He certainly has potential, but it requires some small sacrifices: physical. ＋
"flesh?"

+Malcador, my friend. +
+ Do you still remember the story of Odin? +

(End of this chapter)