Beyond Farthest Thule

by SDWilson

The far reaches of the Imperium of Man tore themselves asunder during the High Lord Goge Vandire's Reign of Blood in the early 36th millennium. But while this happened, most of Humanity was blind to the fact that the Galaxy shook from the events that occurred Beyond Farthest Thule. But not the Inquisition, for they were at its heart. The Phoenix Reborn & Epilogue have been posted!

70. Epilogue ch1

Early 36th Millennium, dawn of the Plague of Unbelief
Habalus Cluster within the Abalatian Reach
Cassius 6 in the Cassius System

A great statue rose up from the grass on each side of the walk. On the right stood the God Emperor of Mankind in all his statuesque glory, gilded in gold. And on His right-hand side, the left side of the walk to the onlookers rose the statue of Basil Cadmus. In the sky above the statues shone many stars but four had appeared where there had been no visible star before. Four bright red stars in the sky. The death and emotion and psychic power released into the Warp through the Ritual enacted on the four most populous planets of the Reach had spilled over into Reality, creating burning red stars in the sky that were visible to all. And worse, a great red and purple bruise stretched across the sky behind the stars for the great Warp storm known as the Chimaera's Breath had grown in strength and its psychic image had spilled over into Reality too.

Moneka Joku stood defiant in her green robes, surrounded by the many militia men who had once been members of the Frateris Templar. She recognized what was happening, recognized the scope of death and Chaos that had been released upon the four. Recognized that the Chimaera's Breath was growing so large that it threatened the entire Reach. Moneka took a deep breath and told herself, Now is the time my visions have foretold. She prayed aloud to the Master of Mankind. "Please, my Emperor, I beg You, allow your chosen heir to save us," she said. As if uttering the words gave her strength, she shouted. "Hear me, Basil Cadmus. You are the Emperor's chosen heir. Save us before the Chimaera's Breath consumes us!"

Many of the former Templars stared at her for the blasphemy she had spoken but others repeated her proclamation and desperate plea. Then a figure appeared in the night sky, the image of Basil Cadmus within a nimbus of gold. He reached out to one of the red stars and it turned golden with his touch. He reached out to a second, and then a third, and then finally to the last, each turning to gold at his fingertips. He then stretched his arm out toward the red and purple bruise in the sky and a clear black wake was left where his arm passed, erasing the image of the Warp storm that had spilled into Reality. The image vanished from the sky.

Moneka Joku stared into the sky. The Chimaera's Breath was still there in her eyes, stretching across the background of the heavens. She sensed there were no routes through it, knew they had been forever destroyed, for such was the gift of her sight. But in the fore, she sensed that the Warp of the Reach was clear of disturbances for the first time in years. Perfect for interstellar travel throughout the Reach even if Thule and the rest of the Imperium could not be reached. The four worlds still shone bright to her eyes, burning embers of psychic fire that would still be visible to psykers and Navigators for millennia to come. A gift on this side of the storm where the Emperor's Light, the Astronomican, was no longer visible.

Moneka Joku dropped to her knees in the grass and prayed. Prayed to Basil. "You are His chosen!" she proclaimed. "You, Basil Cadmus, are His heir and will lead Humanity in life while the Emperor sits upon his Golden Throne in the Heavens." She repeated her proclamation and then shouted it again.

First there was silence, then she was joined by a couple of the Templars. Each time she repeated her proclamation, more joined until there was a chorus repeating the words.

"You, Basil Cadmus, are His heir!"