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This Chapter has been edited since initial posting.
And now, the continuation.
"...and they never deviate from it?"
Roboute Guilliman looked horrified. Captain Severus almost laughed at the incongruity of it; the Ultramarines had revered the Codex Astartes for millennia and never veered from it's words, but their Primarch actually didn't agree with it.
"Do they even change it?" he asked. Severus shrugged at the Primarch. He wasn't an expert on Codex. Guilliman was busy writing up some military elements of the Codex Astartes.
"I don't keep up to date with any updates," he said. "I use the Codex as a guideline, like most Chapters."
"But it is useful?" Guilliman asked. Amazingly, he looked a little worried.
"Pretty much fixed the Imperium, if you believe the tales," Severus assured him. He'd never had to deal with an insecure Primarch. He'd never had to deal with a Primarch, to be fair.
"Well, I've got the basic writings down," Guilliman said. "Can't say I understand why having only a thousand troops per Chapter is intelligent."
"You haven't lived through the Heresy yet," Severus said in reply.
"And never will, hopefully," the Primarch finished. Severus nodded in agreement.
"It was a foul moment in the history of the Imperium," he said. "And it forever sundered the Space Marines from their kin."
"Even though we are preventing it by your presence," Guilliman said, "I confess a frustration that my Legion could not help."
"Your Legion held the Imperium together," Severus replied quickly. "The Ultramarines of my time may be stuck up prigs, but we recognise what they did for us."
Guilliman nodded in gratitude, a small smile forming before he got back to his work, and Severus smiled too.
They were capricious, malign, unknowable, powerful, deadly creations, the worst things that had ever come into being. Nothing quite covered their existence, nothing quite explained their nature. To have simply claimed "they are evil" would have been a simplification. How could they be merely evil, as limited and human a term as it was? Not even the youngest of then was that. They were a force of nature, and nature was not bound by human, Eldar, Necrontyr or any other morality.
It was not a good idea to annoy them, let us say. They were annoyed. What annoyed them was the fact that the war they'd been planning to incite among those Human things that had appeared several somethings or so simply wasn't happening. The champion they had picked was somehow off the road they had so carefully laid. Khorne, typically, enacted some sort of daemonic violence, Slaanesh had sex with a few random demonettes (annihilating their essence in the process; dissolution by sex however was their idea of 'a great way to go', so it was alright). Nurgle invented a new form of plague - he wasn't worried. Typhon was his already at least. Tzeentch was, as ever, unflappable.
They did not talk. They were beyond such mortal concerns. However they did confer in a way; an odd way, but a way. And in their conferring, they agreed; time for a new plan.
All they ever needed was the smallest seed of doubt.
Sanguinius stood upon a balcony, looking out upon the world of Terra. His wings were folded up softly behind him and he wore a simple robe.
Behind him, standing as if waiting for a sign, stood , Vulkan and Lion El'Jonson. All four looked troubled. Eventually, Sanguinius turned to look at the other Primarchs.
"Hearing this news - this oracle message from the future - is troubling," he murmured.
"To say the least," Corax said, Lion nodding softly. "My very soul feels as though it lies under a shadow."
"I agree," the Lion said. "It's a terrible thought, that any of is could just... turn like that."
"Horus has always been proud," Vulkan said slowly. "It has always been so, that pride is the greatest downfall of great men."
"And few are greater than Horus," Sanguinius admitted, "but I still find it hard to imagine."
"That a man of his calibre can turn?" a new voice said, startling them. Konrad Curze stepped from the shadows an looked at his brothers. For a moment, the future traitor and the eternal loyalists looked at one another, and then Konrad Curze smiled.
"Be at peace," he said, echoing the Emperor. "You're here to discuss what we know."
"We know nine of us will turn," Corax said, giving Konrad a glare. "Including you."
"I was troubled," Konrad said, " but speaking to our father like we did... I don't know, it feels like a lifted weight."
"I know what you mean," Sanguinius said. "I had few issues, but there were tensions in that room that seemed to dissipate."
"Who knew Guilliman had issues though," Corax smiled. Then he stopped. A frown crossed his features. "What father told us about the heresy got me thinking though."
"About what?" Konrad asked.
"Whether we harbour tainted warriors in our armies still," Corax explained. "That those who followed us followed us..."
"Not us brother," Konrad said. "The Emperor said, you remained loyal."
"But if I had not?" Corax asked. "The power that we wield is great, brethren."
"Great for a reason," the Lion reminded him. "If it were not, what could we do with them?"
"But those men, separated from our command, would not follow us in our treachery," Corax replied, "and a smaller number of Space Marines would be less of a problem for the Imperium than half the legions."
"He speaks truth," Sanguinius said. "Ten thousand warriors answerable to one. That cannot stand."
"Well then," another voice put in, "it's a good job we're sorting that problem, isn't it?"
The Emperor stepped into the little balcony room, smiling briefly at each of them. "I'm sending you all back out in a few days, but I wanted to be the first to talk to you about a change that we're making to the organisation of the Space Marine legions.
"What change?" Vulkan asked.
The Emperor told them. Konrad Curze raised an eyebrow, Vulkan and the Lion looked shocked, Corax thoughtful and Sanguinius was nodding his head.
"I'm sorry," Vulkan said, "but what did you say, father?"
When Severus and Marcus walked into the throne room later that day at the Emperor's summons, they were met by a scene of unimaginable pandemonium; the Primarchs were arguing. Leman Russ and Magnus were in each other's faces, Roboute Guilliman and Rogal Dorn were having a shouting match, while Lorgar and Night Haunter seemed to be furiously debating something. Mortarion and Perturabo stood at one side of the room, shaking their heads, and at the top of the room, standing by Horus and Sanguinius, looking tired but resolute, stood the Emperor. Severus and Marcus' entrance caused the entire room to look at them, and the Emperor smiled.
"Come here, you two," he said.
Severus shared a glance with Marcus, who nodded, and together, they marched, heads held high, towards the Master of mankind. When they reached him, they kneeled as one, and spoke as one.
"We live to serve!" their voices spoke. The Emperor looked up at Lorgar, Dorn, and Leman Russ.
"I present my evidence that this plan will work," he said with a smile. "Devoted warriors from an Imperium that has lasted ten millennia."
Both M41 Marines knew what the Emperor and the Primarchs must have been discussing; the breaking of the Legions up into smaller Chapters. This had presented problems for the Imperium they knew as well, but that Imperium had not had the Emperor to guide it.
Leman Russ studied them unabashed, while Lorgar looked at the Chaplain and bowed his head. Rogal Dorn, for the life of him, looked ashamed.
"I will have to meditate on this decision," Rogal said, turning to leave.
"Very well," the Emperor said. "But remember what you promises, Rogal."
Dorm hesitated, but walked out anyway.
"I too will debate on the wisdom of this," Leman Russ said. He too walked out. The Emperor turned his gaze on Angron of the World Eaters, a great hulking figure, who had surprisingly stayed out of the arguing.
"Angron?" he asked.
The hulking warrior shrugged. "The more spread out we are, the more killing we can do," he said, softly enough for a warrior. Mortarion, the pale Death Guard Primarch, nodded in agreement.
"My legion will accept these changes," he said, throwing a quick glance at Horus. The Emperor caught it, and looked to Horus, who sighed.
"While it irks me to split my legion," he admitted frankly, to Roboute Guilliman's apparent annoyance judging by the slight frown, "I will comply with my brother's Codex. And I'm sure Iacton will be glad that he gets to have Luna Wolves still when I change the Legion's name."
Magnus the Red merely nodded. Perturabo on the other hand, smiled grimly.
"As long as my men get to fight wars other than those in sieges, I'll be glad o it," he said. "And me too."
Sanguinius nodded as well, and Night Haunter's smile was wider than any might have thought possible: he seemed genuinely pleased by the results of this.
The young Alpharius, however, was less pleased.
"My Legion has only just got used to what it does now," he said. "You can't expect us to change again so quickly."
"Alpharius," Horus said, "I think it's for the best." The Emperor gave Horus a strange look, but Alpharius nodded.
"I will have to think, but I expect I'll agree in the end," he said, walking out. That left Ferrus, Corax and Vulkan (who all agreed after some cajoling), Lion El'Jonson (who nodded grimly and smiled), Fulgrim, who agreed readily, Jaghatai Khan, who assented grudgingly, and Lorgar. Lorgar looked from the Chaplain to the Emperor, then back again, ad finally bowed his head.
"I will assent to this," he said.
Guilliman looked surprised at this. "You were one of the most vocal opponents," he said. "You said that your force was more efficient as it is."
"That is true Roboute," Lorgar admitted, "but let us say... I have faith in your plan."
Guilliman said nothing, but looked to the Emperor for approval. The Emperor smiled, and dismissed them all save Severus and Marcus.
"Thank you, Marines," he said. "Without your help that might have been messy."
"We are happy to serve, my Emperor," Severus replied, saying nothing of their previous argument. The Emperor's smile grew wider, and Severus heard a voice in his mind. Worry not. I'm a big boy now; I can take the insults of one angry Marine.
Grateful, Severus nodded. The Emperor placed a hand upon each Marine's shoulder; they both felt a slight energising sensation, a galvanising sense of purpose.
"I want your Company to meet me in the hall, full parade turnout, tomorrow at 18.00," the Emperor said. "For a special ceremony."
The two looked at each other in confusion, but nodded to the Emperor, bowed, saluted and left.
Magnus and his squad - lead by Sergeant Nathaniel - marched into the hall behind Sergeant Delon's squad.
"What do you think?" his Battle Brother Caradon asked. "About this?"
"I dunno," Magnus said truthfully.
"This hall is pretty big," Caradon pointed out. "Could hold an army in it."
"We are an army," Sergeant Nathaniel said. "And we'll be an army with two less soldiers if you two don't shut up."
They did so, and watched the Emperor of Mankind ascend the podium at the front of the hall. He was looking more the part now - gone the simple robe, and on a set of ceremonial Power Armour, golden and antiquated.
"Revenants," he said. "Words cannot express how much you have saved the Imperium, merely by your presence. Though a seemingly random chance, it has allowed our Imperium to come back from the brink. I thank you."
"Yet," he continued, "you are Space Marines. Your duty is your life. Without it, you are nothing..."
"We are nothing," the assorted Marines repeated; the Emperor had unknowingly misquoted a prayer, and triggered the response. Fortunately, he realised this.
"That is why I have good news for you. Your Primarch, Rogal Dorn, has a gift for you, his time lost sons. To you," he said, as the rear door opened behind them, "he gives your Chapter, and five hundred of his newest recruits to turn into your future."
The Marines about faced as a force of Space Marines entered the hall, armoured in Corvus and Maximus armour painted in the colours of the Revenants - admittedly, some l them had painted it a bit too brightly in places and the Chapter symbol, a skull with green eyes, was the wrong shape, but before the new Marines could even finish the ceremonial salutes, the M41 Revenants cheered, and shouted praise to Dorn and the God Emperor. The new Revenants followed their Brothers leads, and soon the entire new chapter - 586 Marines all told - were celebrating, caught up in a brotherly euphoria.
"Thank you," Severus said to the God Emperor of Mankind, whether he admitted it or not - for this was truly a miracle.
"Don't thank me," the Emperor retorted to him, slapping a symbol - a silver Aquila - on the left side of Severus' chest. "You're going to have a lot of work to do in the days ahead... Chapter Master Severus."
