Interlude:

The Praetorian

After the reunion of Rogal Dorn and Roboute Guilliman, it was rumored in the Imperial Fists, Ultramarines, and their Successor Chapters that a duel had taken place between the two brothers. It was believed that it had been the end result of a long standing feud between the two as a result of the institution of the Codex Astartes in the wake of the Horus Heresy. Stories were told of the Macragge's Honour being rocked back and forth from the blows exchanged between the two Primarchs. In truth, it was nothing more than a scrap between two brothers.

When the Primarchs were alone in Guilliman's private practice cage, they stared at one another. Not a word was said for nearly ten minutes before one of them broke the silence. "Your neck... who did that to you," Dorn asked.

"Fulgrim," Guilliman answered. "I was trying to kill him. Crippled his ship though."

Dorn smiled. "Good. I always disliked that ship. Too garish. Too excessive. He was always trying to impress."

"Still a better ship than Mortarion's Endurance. Very drab and dismal. Much like himself," Guilliman said with a chuckle. He looked around at the weapons decorating the walls. All were weapons that had been either made or recovered over the years. He wondered if one of them was the sword he'd given Aeonid Thiel after the Battle at Calth. He turned to Dorn. "So, was there a parade after you returned?"

Dorn shook his head. "No. I had things to do. An announcement across Terra was all that was needed. Nothing more, nothing less."

"Things like paying me a visit? To see if... I was still loyal?"

Dorn turned his gaze at Guilliman. "Well, you did name yourself Regent after you returned and disband the Senatorum Imperialis."

"By His decree I was named Regent and after Vulkan returned I stepped down. And the High Lords still have their power. Just not enough to abuse like they did for 10,000 years." He turned away to pick up a broadsword and thumbed the edge. It drew blood which healed quickly.

"And after you disbanded them, they tried to rebel against you."

"I had planned for that. You would have as well."

Dorn shrugged and turned to look at a very well-crafted mace. "Perhaps. But I would have made sure it didn't happen in the first place. Nor would I have left so soon."

Guilliman gave the broadsword a few practice swings. He liked this one. It would do. "Well, we can't all be you, now can we, Rogal? And unlike you, I knew the Galaxy didn't begin and end at Terra. I wasn't about to shore up my defenses and let the fires burn themselves out."

Dorn picked up a long sword, gave it a few swings and turned to face Guilliman. "If you have something to say, Roboute, I think you should say it."

Guilliman looked Dorn in the eyes, those cold eyes. "Did you ever think to try to find us? To see if more of your brothers were alive or were you content to let us die? So you could be the last loyal son and His favored?"

Dorn narrowed his eyes at the implication. "And what did you do? Did you even try to see if Terra survived before making a new Imperium with yourself at its head? Did you even try to brave the storm? Or were you content to let Horus burn the Throneworld so your Empire would be the last one standing?"

The two Primarchs circled one another weapons raised and prepared for battle. "At least I tried to bring the remnants together. At least Corvus and Jaghatai fought as best they could to give you time, building up their own walls with the corpses of their sons. But you... you just assumed it would all end at Terra so all had to retreat behind the walls. Some would call that cowardice. I call it being the actions of a cold-hearted bastard."

Dorn swung first in a downward chop that Guilliman blocked. "It was always going to end at Terra, Brother! Do I wish I could have done more for my brothers? Yes, but I did my duty and made Terra as strong as I could! When Horus attacked, I did all I could to make sure there was a Terra to exist for the Imperium! But you would not know because you were not there! You were not there when Sanguinius needed you! You were not there when He needed you! Terra was burning in the aftermath of war by the time you made it!"

Guilliman parried the blade down with one hand and punched Dorn in the face with the other. His teeth gritted, sword forgotten, he punched again, this time in Dorn's stomach. "And where were you when Sanguinius fell?! Were you waiting for him to die so you could be the Hero of the Imperium?! Waiting for the Angel to fall so Rogal Dorn could take his place in Imperial History as the Savior of Terra?!" He grabbed Dorn about the waist and brought him down, straddling him as he rained blows upon him. "Where were you?! Where were you when he needed his family?! Where was HE when his most loyal son was dying for Him?! Where was the bastard who lied to us and called himself our Father?! Where was HE, ROGAL?"

Dorn's head collided with Guilliman's as he pushed himself up. He blocked and countered Guilliman's blows as the two brothers stood face to face and punched the ever living shit out of one another. It went on for hours and hours. The Praetorian of Terra and the Avenging Son pounding each other's faces in. They had made sure to order their sons not to disturb them, no matter what they heard. The two Primarchs were to let this play out.

Finally, the two brothers began to slow. Their blows became less frequent and lacked force behind them. They rested their heads on each other's and smiled through broken teeth and bloodied lips. And then they began to laugh. They sat down on the bloodied floor and laughed. Guilliman spat a gobbet of blood that had a tooth in it and smiled at Dorn. "You... you deserved that."

Dorn smiled back. His front teeth were gone and starting to grow back. "Yes, but you needed it. You... needed it, Roboute."

Guilliman kept laughing as he put his head in his hands. "You don't know, Rogal. You don't know... what they did to my people." The laughter started to turn into sobs. "Our own brothers... enacted genocide on innocents, sacrificing them to their new masters to make the Ruinstorm complete. You didn't see... Lorgar turn Angron into that abomination..." Dorn stopped laughing and watched his brother bare his soul to him. "I tried... I tried... If I could have... I would have been there, Rogal... I would have..."

Dorn sighed and nodded. "As did I. You think I didn't want to be there? To be there alongside Sanguinius when he died? To fight Horus hand to hand and to be there for our brother or the Emperor when he needed it the most? The past is done, Roboute. We cannot live in what ifs or hate ourselves for things that were outside of our control. We can only do what we can now."

Guilliman looked up at Rogal. "Are you saying this as my older brother?"

Dorn nodded. "Perhaps. And we are better off working together than against each other." He held out his hand with a smile.

Guilliman took the proffered hand and pulled himself up along with Dorn. The two stared at each other before breaking into smiles. "I still don't quite like you, Rogal," Guilliman said with a grin. "But I am glad you are back."

"As am I, Roboute. As am I. Vulkan and I have plans for Terra. I will fix what the High Lords of Terra broke with their negligence and corruption." The two brothers departed from the practice room, ignoring the looks of shock from their sons at the sight of their bloodied Primarchs. "I understand that several of the High Lords attempted a coup after you returned."

Guilliman nodded. "As I expected they would. I had safe guards in place of course and it was necessary. Once I departed, the Senatorum needed to be weeded out for corruption. In this case, it was best to let them expose their own treachery. They made the mistake of recruiting the Master of Assassins. Fadix is loyal to the Imperium so you are safe with him. Chancellor Anna-Murza Jek is loyal as well and was a key factor in bringing down the conspiracy. She will make a worthy ally to you."

"Good," Dorn smiled a cold smile. "I have plans to reshape the Senate and I will need all the support I can get."

This intrigued Roboute. "More purges, brother?"

Dorn shook his head, the smile growing broader. "No, Roboute. I think it is time that the Adeptes Astartes had a voice in the Senate."

Author's Note:

Hey, hey! I'm back! It's been a while. As I said on the latest Knights-Errant Chapter, there's been a lot happening in my life with my move... and my job... and my laptop fan breaking so I have to be careful with that... I lost the plot here. Anyways, I wanted to continue on from the end of the Return of Rogal Dorn and have the reunion brother brawl Dorn and Guilliman had. Yes, they probably had a better relationship after the stand off after the Siege of Terra they had about the Codex Astartes, but I have not seen that yet. So I assume there is still tension. They are Primarchs and have expanded flaws and virtues. They are the best and worst of humanity and near immortals can hold grudges. But at the end of the day, they are still brothers on the side of not being insane Daemon Warlords and they work it out.

So I wanted to post this up just as a breaker before this week when I'm still gonna be off a bit more due to work. I have the next few chapters planned out and it's gonna be a doozy. Thanks for your patience and support.