Warhammer 40,000: Truth
Chapter 2: The Revelation
There was a time when the Imperium was a shining beacon of perfection, when the Emperor ruled with glorious reign. When the armies of Mankind expanded in all directions under the influence of the God-Emperor and his children, the Primarchs.
This was to change.
The stories of the thirty-first millennia are not soon forgotten… When the Great Crusade ended, when Horus took up arms against his brothers and rallied an army of unstoppable power… legions of Space Marines… divisions of Titans. Billions of followers, manically following the will of the Warmaster, and of the Chaos Gods themselves.
Only through the divine power of the God-Emperor of mankind was Horus stopped, was he banished from existence. The Emperor, though mortally wounded from the conclusion of the epic battle he faced with Horus, lives now in his Golden Throne. Built to sustain his life…to carry on his life, to provide hope for the Imperium of Man.
However, it would appear the truth of it all has been twisted and hardly anybody is any the wiser to the secrets of the Imperium.
"In the name of the Emperor!" Priscus shouted, thrusting his sword into the skies, rallying his troops for one final push against the already shattered Eldar forces. Priscus watched and witnessed an army of his marines push out of their entrenched positions, gunfire flying in all directions. Basilisk artillery providing ground support against the broken enemy, with Land Raider Tanks transporting the "Emperor's Finest" into the front line. The Eldar were soon to be vanquished, and the planet would be cleansed from the unholy.
"Priscus! You've lead quite the campaign, my friend!" Priscus smiling lowered his sword and turned around, to see his old commanding officer running towards him, arms waving.
"Apallius! It's been too long! I haven't seen you since…? Well…since you got the position inside the Custodes. What're you doing here, we've won… there's no need for your people to be here?!" enquired a very perplexed Priscus. His face a picture of confusion, Priscus knew there was more to Apallius' visit than the same old tired reasons of providing hope to the armies of the Emperor.
"Can't I visit an old friend to say hello? It's been sometime, I've missed your counsel, and there is something I feel I must discuss with you… But, it's not for the battlefield. We must discuss it in private… Do you have quarters we could disappear too?"
"Come Apallius, I have a personal transport… It can take us into the nearby city, and we can find accommodation there for the time being, whilst we discuss your issue." Priscus was smiling, he didn't mind his old friend was here on business it was a damn-good sight to behold, after the weeks of horror he'd witnessed. They walked off together to a Rhino awaiting the Priscus' arrival. After climbing aboard and giving orders to the vehicles driver, it travelled from the broken fields of battle to the nearby metropolis which was a hive of human activity. Priscus and Apallius walked over to a nearby Barracks, an old and beaten building from the wars it had seen, but still a rallying point and beacon for the people of the city.
"Come Apallius, my office is just a few steps away… We can discuss your issue there." Priscus quickly said, as he opened the door to the barracks, he seemed quite hasty to get to the core of his old friends problems. Though, he can't be blamed, after weeks of fighting a change of scenery would stop a man from going insane. They arrived in Priscus' office after a matter of minutes and they both sat down, releasing their weapons to the floor to get a more comfy position. It's not that often that two leading officers get to relax and just discuss nonsensical matters.
"So! What are you to report to me? I take it the Inquisition, yet again, is insisting there are heretics within my company? Or are there certain people within the Custodes who feel I'm up to the task, and you're here to promote me?" Priscus chuckled to himself, trying to bring a lighter side of the ongoing conflicts within the Imperium.
"Or is it, I'm to lead a wild-goose chase against the rest of those Eldar scum who thought they could take our land?" Priscus enquired, giving a hearty laugh. He turned around to look out of the barracks window, to inspect the land he had just defended for his Emperor, smiling broadly.
"Friend, I'm not here on any official business… I'm here because I respect you, and I feel that of all the people I kno……. Well, what I mean to say is… I've accidentally come across information…Something I was not supposed to know. And I cannot keep this to myself, no matter how hard I try… I cannot do it, brother. I must tell somebody. Hence, I am here… I need your help; I don't know what to do." Apallius said with a sense of worry, he proceeded to rest his head in his hands. A sad sight to behold, a mighty commander of the Adeptus Custodes reduced to this; a frightened man, with the weight of the galaxy on his shoulders.
"What is it, brother? I can't promise I can help you, I can't promise anything... but I'll at least try to help you." Priscus walked over to his friend, and placed his hand on his shoulder. Giving him hope, that Apallius had somebody to confide in. somebody who could listen to him and try to understand what was possessing him to act in such a depressive manner.
Apallius looked up at Priscus, eyes glaring deep into his soul,
"Priscus, what I tell you… I tell to you in confidence, you cannot reveal it to anybody. I know you're a man of pure faith and you'd never betray the will of the Emperor. But I'm asking you now, as an old friend to listen to me and take what I say on board."
"Okay, well… I know I shouldn't have, but whilst on guard duty for an Inquisitorial Representative I heard him discussing something over a communicator, I'm not sure who with, but that doesn't matter… Point is, we've all been lied too, Priscus. All of us, the entire Imperium, the entire galaxy for that matter. We've all been lied to about why we fight… who we fight for….everything." Apallius looked more worried with every word he uttered, looking around the office, 'just' incase the Inquisition had its eyes and ears inside the very office he occupied.
"Priscus, I heard something about the Emperor… it changes everything… he's not who he's claimed to be."
Priscus removed his hand from Apallius' shoulder and slammed his fist onto the table in front of them,
"HERETIC… You would risk your life to discuss this trash?! I thought you were better than this, Apallius, to fall victim to these… lies! You shouldn't be coming to me; you should be reporting the Representative for heresy!"
"Just hear me out, brother… Horus never died. The Emperor did. The man we know who sits on that Golden Throne…is the enemy we fight to eradicate." Apallius stood up and reached out his hand…
"You do believe me, old friend? I wouldn't lie about this… something of this magnitude cannot be a falsity. I heard it from the highest authority known to the Imperium. It's true, whether we like it or…."
Priscus stormed off, murmuring to himself, forsaking his camaraderie with Apallius. His eyes burning with fury, his temper raging and his trust in his old commanding officer shaken. He began reflecting upon the situation, whilst trying to find a place of solace to contemplate the events which had just occurred.
"Why would he tell me this… how could he find out about this?! It makes no sense! The Imperium would have been doomed long ago if Horus was in charge…" Footsteps were heard from behind Priscus, as Apallius made his way to his brother-in-arms.
"Friend, do not give underestimate Horus' ability to deceive us. He lusted for power and couldn't care less to how he got it. He made a pact with the Chaos Gods to deliver the Imperium of Mankind to them. And when he slew the Emperor in mortal combat… he kept the power for himself… Never handing it over to the Gods he made his deal with. He couldn't care less about the ramifications of his actions; all he wants is the power he actually believes is rightfully his." Apallius placed his hand on the shoulder of Priscus, as if to signal he needed his comrade to trust in him, for if his friends didn't believe him… Who else would?
"Apallius, you fool. How can I believe this? I've fought all my life for the Emperor and I refuse to believe these fabrications against his name! I should report you for even mentioning such a thing…" Priscus turned his attention to the floor, unable to stare Apallius in the eyes. Priscus knowing he can't bring himself to notify the Inquisition, for them to bring their own form of justice upon Apallius.
"Apallius, I won't report you… but don't EVER come near me again, you understand? And I truly hope you never repeat this sto…"
Suddenly, a Thunderhawk transport ship roared overhead, proceeding to land on a nearby drop zone. The two old friends stood shoulder to shoulder, watching as the ship deployed its landing gear. The bay doors to the ship opened and out walked a member of the Inquisition.
"Seneca, that bastard… He's actually tracked me down." Snapped Apallius, reaching for his bolter pistol, only to realise he'd left it in Priscus' office.
"What do you mean…'tracked' you down? He was looking for you? And you led him here?! Are you insane?!" Priscus began to look worried, backing away from Apallius as if to distance himself from the heretic. Seneca quickly walked towards Apallius, with his two armed guards either side.
"Captain Apallius….by the Holy Order of the Emperor's Inquisition, you're under arrest for heresy." Seneca exclaimed, smirking in the process.
"Thought you could outrun the Inquisition, did you? A foolish endeavour if there was ever was one… Enlighten me Apallius, who is this?"
Apallius looked at his old friend, knowing he couldn't give even the slightest hint to the information he had relayed to him.
"This man's a nobody, a clueless officer I had to berate for a reckless campaign against the Eldar forces on this planet…" Apallius retorted, trying to give a convincing performance to Seneca, to give Priscus a chance to escape the clutches of the Inquisition.
"Yes, well... we shall see." Replied Seneca, pushing Apallius in the direction of the transport ship. "Your fate is sealed, Captain… you will come with us."
Priscus watched as his former commander, and one of his most trusted friends, was taken away, probably to be relocated to Holy Terra for interrogation by the highest members of the Inquisition. Priscus stood alone, with information that could potentially shatter the Imperium. As the Thunderhawk dusted off and transported out of the planets atmosphere, Priscus began to walk back towards the barracks to collect his belongings. Trying to get his head around the events which had just transpired, he was clueless to how he should act.
And thus, after many sleepless nights contemplating the right course of action to take, with regards to this new information... He set off to find his friend, Lyonus.