Chapter Four
"Let us sing then and let us sing together,
Of golden palaces and forests of winter gossamer.
Where weapons crack amid powers of Lightning and Thunder,
The Emperor of Mankind and the Hands of the World's Potter,"
-Snape Snivellus Severus, Royal Minstrel, Great Crusade
…..
Planet Varya, Sectorial Primus of Senator John Sillarin and Senator Helaena Riska
"You know, when you asked me to teach you about cloning, I never thought that you would do it exactly," the rather annoyed voice of John sounds exasperated as he rubs his temple.
"Do what exactly? I do not know what you are talking about John," answers Helaena innocently….too innocent making the former growl.
"Helaena, this is serious, you know very well what the rules of the Republic are regarding cloning, much less the way that you are planning to use them," he continues in a pleading tone.
"Please," Helaena only snorts at his words. "The Republic can go fuck itself. The things we have built, the Artificial Intelligence Units all are rebelling left right and center cutting a bloody swathe over the galaxy. The Republic's borders are being overrun by pleasure addled Aeldari from the slowly going fecund Empire and the entire system is bogging down from it's own stagnancy. Trust me, they would all be too happy once they start getting help from private armies of Senators like we do,"
"Yes, but that still doesn't change the fact that you can't simply bring Star Wars into the real world Helaena just because you enjoyed the show," John insists despite the waving off that his Companion is giving her.
"Hey John! Don't dis Star Wars, it is a good series, at least the originals and not the afters that follow after it. Besides, look at me in the eye and tell me if it isn't a good idea to bring clone armies to bear against the Iron Men that now assails us. Imagine that, an expendable army that people would be able to trust with absolutely zero chance of being hacked by any Artificial Intelligence while having their loyalty to me and me only,"
She simply grins at the purpling face of John unable to answer. She knows of course that the man cannot find any flaw in her logic. The Republic needs help, period. The Metacon War or the Iron War as it is now called literally caught it flat-footed. Bloated and confident in its superiority, the Republic is lax on its security, trusting its defenses on the Artificial Intelligences which holds billions of robots and machines in its back and call against any threat in the galaxy both known and unknown.
Thus after the hacker who has an alias as the Joker tries messing with the codes of the Metacon Defense systems and damages it, it accidentally caused Judgement Day like the ones in Terminator Series when the machines that are supposed to defend mankind turn against it. Now the Republic is panicking as it calls every mercenary and organic security force to fight or at least slow down the march of the machines.
"You know I'm right," Helaena chirps victoriously making John scowl at her as she continues messing with the gene sequence at her computer.
"I hate you,"
"Love you too John,"
….
Terra, Imperial Palace
Helaena frowns as she lets one finger trace the damage to the Webway, the doors to the Entrance has literally been sealed by a giant golden gate by the Custodes (of course it has to be gold). She can feel the power of John acting as a plug to stop the Daemons currently encroaching this part of the Webway from the massive tears on its tunnels just across the cracks and the tears. The gate is at least five meters thick wide yet Helaena knew that it would not last an hour if ever the power of John fails.
Sighing, she steps back nodding at the Custodes in charge of the gate to close it and seal the sight of the cracks and the tear away. Behind her stands nearly five hundred of the one thousand all armed to the teeth alongside the Sisters of Silence that still serve in the Imperial Palace. Helaena as usual shudders mentally at the rather cold feeling being so near to blanks. Unlike John after all, she is not immune to the effects of the Blanks in the population. They are after all anti-thesis for any magical.
Two Months, it has been two months since she has taken up the post of Empress given to her by John as a favor, and already she hates is a woman of action, more of a free spirit than a desk jockey, throwing her to the position of Empress is basically the number one job where you must be behind a desk for the risk of not doing so would usually end badly for the one holding the title.
"Clever of you John, asking it as a favor from me," she sniffs mentally. If not for his pitiable state, she might have told him to shove his favor unto where the sun doesn't shine.
The sound of steel boots marching behind her makes Helaena mentally sighs as she walks back to her personal quarters. The Custodes after hearing the announcement of the Emperor are now fanatically following her around as if she's their Master reborn. That means she can't even fart without them knowing, always all the time, at least five of the bloody golden bananas are present with her. If she has not been already immune to nudity, she might have been indignant that they even follow her inside her washing quarters.
Opening the doors to her former personal quarters (which has been kept pristine and guarded on the door by even more Custodes), she goes inside with the permanent five taking up their positions in strategic corners as she goes to her study table while throwing the golden apparel she has been forced to wear ceremonially, almost a golden version of a Sororitas armor, specifically created for her by the ever zealous Martians who almost resulted to a civil war for the honor of crafting the armor of the crowned Empress of their Omnissiah, who is also his dearest Companion. The result is an armor with the most strongest tech that the current state of the Imperium can make, self-powered, self-propelled, not needing a power pack at all. It contains a Golden Iron Halo which can stop a week's worth of Artillery Shells. The armor is also made up adamantium but built differently, able to withstand almost any attack. Unless Horus rises from the grave and clobbers the Empress with his daemonic hammer or the Emperor's Sword decides to stab her, very few weapons in the known galaxy would damage it. Any other Imperial might have been salivating at such specs, but for Helaena it is nothing more than a ceremonial armor.
She has already enhanced her body during the Golden Age of Humanity many times from fast regeneration to cells containing enough redundancy that any organ damaged would be easily repaired within a few seconds as long as the nodes remain properly maintained and unbroken. Steel meshes beneath the skin acting almost like a second skin beneath protecting bones made up of solid Adamantium alloy. All in all alongside with her magic, fighting skills and raw psychic power, she is far from helpless.
At the moment however Helaena focuses her attention on the data currently going through her screens zipping past her eyes which is glowing blue at the irises. FIELD eyes, the scientists before calls it during the Golden Age of Technology. FULL INTRAPERSONAL ENTRANCE LATERAL DISK, a small chip, the size of a tick implanted in the brain allowing humans to merge with their files at the speed of light. For something as big as the Imperium, going through files one by one the human way would result to you being admitted to a psych ward in the matter of a day due to stress.
In fact, majority of the things inside Helaena's personal quarters are tidbits of bits and pieces from the Golden Age of Technology, those at least that she managed to save during the hell that is the Iron War or the Metacon War as its first called. Thousands of memory discs are allotted at an archive containing all that is needed to bring the Imperium from a bloated dying machine to resemble something at least a little stable.
She has not been idle during the past two months.
Being a glorified pencil pusher at the moment despite being Empress due to the fact that her son, Gulliman and the Custodes alongside the rest of the Imperials would have their panties in a twist if she even suggested that she needs to step out of the Imperial Palace. Thus she remains and behaves (much to the eternal gratitude of Gulliman) while she focuses on her first true targets before she starts all of her reforms.
The High Lords of Terra.
Just like in an alternate timeline, Gulliman once more retook his position as Lord Commander of the Imperium. There are changes in this timeline however that negates the negatives that might have plagued Gulliman if he doesn't have the Empress at his side. In another time, in another universe, Gulliman would try for many reforms about bettering the Imperium as a whole. However with all the oppositions caused by the Lords of Terra and the other local lords of the Imperium that stonewall him with old treaties and nuances due to their own personal agendas, barely a quarter of what he would be proposing will come to pass. However with the backing of his mother, the Empress who has the will to make the Imperium stabilize itself alongside the full backing and authority of his father, the God-Emperor of Mankind it is another story.
There are twelve seats in the Senator Imperialis of Terra though unofficially there are nine for the non-militant seats and eight for the militant ones, and each one of them goes through a fine toothed comb under the eye of the Empress. Helaena of course knows that changing the feudalistic type of government of the Imperium outright would just be like handling Greek Fire with your bare hands. Thus instead of turning this into an outright Meritocracy as she plans it to be, she would slowly wean the old outdated bad habits of this Imperial System and slowly appoint people who might actually be able to make work the new system of Meritocracy throughout the Imperium one step at a time.
Of course it starts at the very top, which unfortunately would be the High Lords of Terra. Out of the seventeen seats, she has to boot somewhere near half of it due to them either by being corrupt or simply inefficient on their ability to do their jobs via officially employing the services of the Grand Master of the Officion ASsasinorum. In this Era Indomitus whence the Imperium needs the best out of everyone, having a smooth government system that would provide them the appropriate service would be a good start.
The Seat of the Master of the Adeptus Administratum Helaena officially designates to one of her newer created Artificial Intelligences, Alpha and Bravo to Handle. She is not the best at making AI's and unlike poor John stuck on the Throne, she does not loath them with a passion. They are not constricted by human minds and thus would be able to handle the billions of requests efficiently coming from all over the Imperium's planets. Let's just say in the next few months, the administrative body of Imperium Sanctus would be smoother than it has ever been in its entire history with orders and requests coming in time, with very few discrepancies.
The Representative of the Inquisition has been "retired" by Gulliman after being turned to paste and roasted slowly by the Custodes when the pompous moron fails to accept the order of resignation from the Empress. The exact words he used when she informs him of his rather failure in performance of his duties to the Emperor are nothing to be repeated in polite company. She has appointed Kaldor Draigo, the no-nonsense Chapter Master of the Grey Knights to actually make the Inquisition less corrupt and pull them in line. No more denying of supplies to a Manufacturing World just because they failed to measure the golden stud of an Inquisitor's boots.
The Ecclesiarch retains its current Synod and Grand Preacher. Like the Cardinals before, they are in awe of the Empress and for the first time, its different denominations are united under a single figure in worship. Helaena might not like it, but she doesn't try and stop the worship to her or the Emperor. Unlike John, she understands that in this grim dark place, Humanity needs something to believe in and stoke the fires of courage in their hearts. Also the faith to the Emperor, is the only thing binding the Imperium together right now. Say what you will about Lorgar about being a traitor but her boy is one hell of an author about his Lectitio Divinatus, the Bible of the Imperium. She grudgingly admits that she's kind of proud of him for that.
The office of the Fabricator General of the Adeptus Mechanicus has been handsomely given to Belisarius Cawl as an encouragement for his work, both in attempting to revive Gulliman and at the same time finish the upgraded version of the Primaris Marines. In another world, another time, Gulliman would be unable to put him up to the post in fear that a civil war might occur on Mars due to many calling Cawl a heretek. However with the divine patronage of the Omnissiah's divine Companipn, there is no such accusation thrown.
The Grand Provost Marshal is also booted out of office via execution replaced by Charlie, the Artificial Intelligence. Unlike a human, Charlie is immune to bribery and would have zero tolerance on the Adeptus Arbites corruption all over the Imperium under his purview. Oh and he's also an excellent judge regarding the rules in the Book of Judgement. No more generational judgements under him sir, no.
The Paternoval Envoy of the Navigators retain their seats since it always belonged to the Navigator Houses.
The Master of the Astronomican is booted out also. The man has zero mathematical skills and has absolutely no idea in knowing the status of the Astronomican even vaguely. How he becomes a High Lord, Helaena would never know.
The Master of the Adeptu Astra Telepathica is also booted out. The man is corrupt to the core accepting many bribes for the use of the Astra Telepathica choirs all over the Imperium of Man. Delta, the Artificial Intelligence is put in his place. Unlike him, the AI would be able to distinguish which messages are important enough that needs immediate attention and which are aren't.
The office of the Lord Commander of Segmentum Solar retains his seat. The man, Julius Romanus is the original Lord Commander during the Battle for Terra when Horus invades. Fanatic, skilled, well-learned and having the loyalty of the Great Houses of Terra, he would do well if he remains.
The Lord Commander Militant of the Astra Militarum is booted out easily without being turned to a bloody paste. Just a simple request from the Empress that he shows his valor and he is marching off to a crusade alongside a good chunk of his household guard (which are several legions large) to one of the gates heading to Imperium Nihilus. Echo and Foxtrot, the two AI's that Helaena puts into place would handle the Militarum. The Imperial Guard is one of the greatest assets of the Imperium and being able to handle it correctly would be better for an AI more than any human general.
The position of the Lord High Admiral of the Imperial Navy would also be given to the two AI's mentioned above due to its importance.
The offices of the Cardinal of the Holy Synod of Terraand the Abbes Sanctorum of the Adeptus Sororitas are merged with the office of the Ecclesiarch Synod with Helaena announcing the position of Pope once again. He would have the final say regarding the disputes of anything religiously related in the territories of the Imperium. As far as Helaena is concerned, the purpose of the worship of the God-Emperor would be used to the goal of letting humanity remain united and push them on the singular goal of survival in this grimdark galaxy.
The Captain-General of the Adeptus Custodes would remain the same since she has no power over that, though she's tempted to vote Kitten in just for humor's sake.
The Chancellor of the Estate Imperium she personally throws off the edge of a window. The man is corrupt to the very last inch of his hair. Managing the estates and affairs of many Planetary Governors makes him apparently one of the richest men in the entire galaxy. Too bad his wealth would now belong to the Empress which would be used for the good of all, or at least her private pet projects. His position now belongs to Gamma, the Artificial Intelligence. Unlike the man, the AI would be fully be able to curb stomp the corruption issues of many a politician.
Hotel would be the handler of the Speaker for the Chartist Captains. These are basically Merchant Fleets and are also prone to corruption or the ones being cheated on usually. With the AI in charge, hopefully the backbone of the Imperium would be able to stand a little stronger without the disease that brings down Superpowers always, corruption.
The Imperial Synod or the Imperial Watch, the Intelligence Division of the Imperium of Man is handled by the Artificial Intelligence, India. Unlike its previous handlers, the incompetent morons, the newly refurbished Intelligence Division would actually be doing its responsibilities and train up responsible agents that would act as spies and informants that would spread out like a spider's web all over the Imperium. Helaena being Helaena of course can't help but rename the agency to that of Kingsman after one of her favorite shows when Earth was still blue.
All the AI's Central Processing Units she has put in charge of the highest offices of the Imperium can be found inside her own personal quarters of course. Each is the size of a floppy disk, containing everything from their memory cores to their logs. Only the Custodes, and Gulliman knows about their presence and their functions. Helaena almost giggles as she imagines how John and Malcador would react knowing that she is "repeating the mistakes of the past". The latter would probably have a stroke and the former would have an aneurysm before bonking her annoyingly on the head. Still, it is Artificial Intelligence that leads to the Golden Age of Humanity, it is their secret and their greatest strength. It is only bad luck that hacker managed to mess up the programs that turned humanity's greatest strength to its greatest killer.
"For no kingdom lasts forever," she mutters beneath her breathe as she brings herself back to the present watching the dozens of monitors of each Artificial Intelligence deal with the much needed bureaucracy of the Imperium.
A familiar solid knock makes Helaena smile as she nods at the Custodes guarding her door to open it. The ever large visage of the Aquamarine blue of Gulliman fills the entire frame and she smiles as the Avenging Son marches forward, his stern countenance lightening up at the sight of her.
"Roubutte!" she chimes walking at his side as the automatic armor remover slowly disentangles the power armor he is wearing till he is in his ordinary overlarge grey shirt and pants.
"How's your day? How's the training with the new Primaris Machines? Have you eaten yet?" she asks in a rapid shot manner.
"My day is fine mother. It's the usual Imperial bureaucracy and I have started some of our plans. I will tell you about the rest once I have taken some of that wonderful food I know you have prepared, I can smell it from here. I'm famished,"
"Of course, of course, come I have cooked something at the kitchen for your return. What did I tell you about always eating and not letting yourself go hungry?" she chides annoyed.
"I am a Primarch mother. I can do with skipping a few meals," he corrects even as he allows himself to be pushed to the table where a Custodes places a large chunk of specially made "Pork" ordered specifically for the High Lords and the Imperial Family from a specialized Agri-World.
"Out of the question! You take your meals correctly and on time young man, I insist on it," Helaena says still annoyed even as a Custodes (in an apron)places her own smaller portion in front of her.
"Alright, alright, I'll take my meals well and on time mother," he laughs as he inhales the smoke from the menu. "Your cooking mother as usual is sublime,"
"Of course it is, it's me! What did you expect?" Helaena preens. She is a vain person after all, not only in looks but also in skills.
"Perfection, mother" answers Gulliman.
"Exactly!"
….
An Hour Later
Gulliman happily pats his full belly filling all warm and fuzzy as the roasted pork settled quite contently inside his stomach. Say what you will of his mother's cooking but it is simply positively delicious. As far as Gulliman is concerned, not even the best cooks of Terra can compete against his mother when it comes to culinary deliciousness.
"Ha! If my brothers could see me now soloing portions that would usually be divided into all of us, they would all be jealous," he mentally preens. Back then when times are more simpler and happier during the times of the Golden Crusade, he can still remember his brothers actually dueling (or in Russ's case, wrestling) each other for the opportunity to get the bigger portions. Sanguinis and Horus, ever the diplomats usually has the unenviable job of pulling them off each other.
"So Roubutte, how did your training go with the rest of the new Primaris Machines? And wipe that sauce sticking at the side of your mouth young man,"
"Sorry mother," Gulliman obediently follows the chide as he cleans off the stain before leaning in the specially built chair for Primarchs like him. "The training is going well mother. As expected they are stronger, faster and more intelligent than the original Adeptus Astartes. Their reaction times are also better with an ability to make snappy decisions in an instant,"
"What about their state of mind Roubutte?" asks the Empress folding her fingers in front of her. "The last thing that we want is for them to lose it on the battlefield or even turn traitor,"
"The Tech-Priests and such apothecaries have ruled out that their state of mind is as normal as one Astartes can be. As for their loyalty to the Imperium, they are deeply loyal. Cawl has specifically chosen Neophytes who are zealous in their desire to bring down the enemies of Mankind. As for their probability on falling to Chaos? We can do nothing with that mother but I have been exposing them to the Chaplains of the Ultramarines I've summoned here to Terra. They would at least make sure that their souls are ready for the temptations or the predations of Chaos," answers Gulliman.
"Good and I guess your preparation for the Indomitus Crusade goes well?" asks his mother.
"As well as it can be, Space Marine Chapters from the First and Second Founding are slowly being gathered here at Terra alongside different regiments of the Imperial Guard. Mars has agreed to retrofit them all alongside other Forge Worlds near Sol. My estimate is that the Crusade can be launched at the end of the year. The Primaris Marines would also be deployed alongside the Crusade as you planned mother,"
It is one of the deviations that Gulliman made in his plans to start the Indominus Crusade after he consulted his mother. His original plan was to disperse the Primaris Marines in one great wave to different Chapters all over the Imperium, both Nihilus and Sanctus in order to bolster the disorganized military might of humanity caused by the Great Rift. His mother however vetoes his proposal about that. Her reasons are two. First is the fact that the regular Space Marine Chapters might not appreciate the sudden intrusion on their affairs and numbers (seeing that they have been independent for ten millennia). Secondly is that the Primaris needs more experience before they manage to enter the already veteran squads of the original Chapters. The Primaris are strong but they still need to work on their experience.
Thus Gulliman acknowledges the wisdom of his mother and instead reassigns the entirety of the Primaris Marines to the Indomitus Crusade. This gives Gulliman two assets for his own plans. First is the fact that he would literally have the numbers of a Space Marine Legion at his back and call to act as support, and secondly this would allow the Primaris Marines to have the necessary experience and scars once they integrate to different chapters. It would also be more likely that they would be accepted by the others if they have some trophys or something to show for about their valor. The last thing that veterans want after all are green boys thrown into the mix of their rigid routines after all.
"Speaking of which Roubutte, now that our plans here at Imperial Sanctus are going well, I believe that it is time that we discuss Imperial Nihilus," she says getting a bit serious. Gulliman oddly notices that the Custodes around them are slowly also paying attention though they're not being obvious about it.
"Of course mother, what about it?" asks Roubutte quite glad that his mother is breaching the subject. Other than the Indomitus Crusade, he simply has no idea at the moment what to do with the other half of the Imperium trapped in the other side.
"The Corridors heading to Imperial Nihilus through the Cicatrix Maledictum. How many are there at the moment?" she asks making Gulliman wince.
"Corridors" are what they call "safer" routes to travel on the Warp through the tear created by the Eye of Terror. They are basically safe routes through the Warp that connects Imperium Sanctus to Imperium Nihilus. Sure a ship with a Navigator can try and push through the Cicatrix Maledictum without passing through the Corridors but it is a sixty: forty chance of ending up as Daemon food and a ninety: ten chance of ending up lost. Thus most ships, even the Chaos ones use the Corridors for travel. The problem with the Corridors however is that they can be used as a blockade. It is a double edged blade. For starters, the Imperium can use the planets or giant asteroids near it to serve as defensive bases or worlds to stop any sort of Chaos Fleet coming from Imperium Nihilus and blast it to bits. On the other hand, vice versa it's the same. The Chaos or Xeno forces at the other side can also block theirs if the Imperium fails to secure both sides resulting to massive casualites if the Imperium ever dares to make a breach through the blockade. It is simply not feasible and a massive headache for Gulliman. Chaos after all had the head start compared to them.
"At the moment mother, there are fifty-eight known Corridors with the Chaos forces controlling at least twenty-five of them. I have already given orders and we are sure that at least eight remain heavily under Imperial control. The rest of the Corridors are still not yet assessed either being controlled by Xeno forces or locals near it. We are at least sure that one of the Tyranids' splinter fleets is trapped at one of the Corridors,"
"So we have twenty-five Corridors that we need to contest. Be honest with me Gulliman, would the Astra Militarum even with Adeptus Astartes support be able to fully seize control of the remaining Corridors heading to Imperium Nihilus?" asks the Empress.
"If we cancel the entire planned Indomitus Crusade and pull the garrisons from major planets then it's a very big maybe mother. We at least have to hold both ends of each Corridor to secure them and that's not mentioning the daily attacks that Chaos would sure to do. If we hold our end of the Corridor only then it would be no problem, but including the one at Imperium Nihilus? We would be stretch thing, too thin. There is also the sure fire way that the problems at Imperium Sanctus would continue as before, and that means large armies that would be badly needed at those Corridors. We need the tithe of the other half of the Imperium if we really plan to claim the Corridors of the Cicatrix Maledictum," admits Gulliman.
"So we basically don't have the numbers for it, though the machinery would not be a problem. A lot of major forge worlds are in this side of the sector. What we need are the hands and the boots to use those weapons simply lying around," the Empress says before smiling like a Cheshire Cat much to the confusion of Gulliman as she hauls him up to his feet.
"Come my son, hold my hand and I will help you lift up your hopes once again,"
"Mother what do you mean?" Gulliman only blinks looking at the outstretched dainty hand before gingerly taking it. Something must have been wrong for the Custodes suddenly moves like wraiths with the nearest one shouting .
"EMPRESS DON'T!" when without warning Gulliman finds himself once more sucked into a tube-like feeling that makes him want to vomit, unable to breathe for a few seconds before falling down on his face and tasting sand.
Quickly regaining his senses and spitting out a mouthful of sand, Gulliman soon realizes that they are no longer in the Imperial Palace. Instead they are at what seems to be a large desert though far ahead he can see the shadows of what is obviously a Hive, with its gargantum size.
"Mother, where are we?" Gulliman asks the Empress who is busy dusting her own sandals off with sand before electing to kick them away instead letting her bare feet touch the Earth.
"Ahhh, that's much better," she sighs contently before looking at him. "This my son is what remains of the Sahara Desert. I asked your father to preserve this small piece of the once wide desert that almost eats up half an entire continent. It is here that I hid some of my inventions and ships that your father and I deem no longer needed in the newly budding Imperium. Most of them are just for my collection and we are here for one of them. We kind of need it if we plan to go where we are going,"
"And where exactly are we going mother?" asks Gulliman now in exasperation. He never has been great about secrets, one of his fatal flaws. Gulliman sucks at lying and keeping secrets. He is too damn opinionated and he knows that also. He still enjoys his mother's eccentricities though her too many secrets is already tickling his annoyance.
"Patience my son, patience, we are here because I have a solution that would solve our numbers issue," she grins before snapping her fingers. It is a simple move but Gulliman can almost feel reality thundering at such a simple move. "For now watch and be impressed,"
It is as if in slow motion as without warning, the ground shakes and the sand moves. Gulliman would be lying if he admits that for a few moments, he panics. It is not everyday after all that the ground you are standing on is moving. Last time the ground moves beneath his feet was during the Great Crusade and one giant wormlike thing ate an entire Company of Ultramarines before the fleet from orbit successfully manage to bombard it to kingdom come.
As it is he watches in undisguised awe as a giant black ship from mankind's hallowed antiquity with a mast and a prow rise vertically like a sleeping giant from the ground. Sand pours out in giant numbers like rain as it shakes itself like a wet dog. It is pure black in color with giant sails and a massive weathered looking hull. At its front is the carving of a naked woman holding a black pearl at its hands. Gulliman stares in awe at the antiquated vessel. He has seen pictures of such ships during his education at Terra before his father let him join the Great Crusade. This is his first time seeing one however and he stares in awe at the great architecture of humanity before they even dreamed of reaching the stars.
"Behold my son, one of the greatest in my collection and least of my favorites, the Black Pearl!" exclaims his mother.
They would spend half a day at the desert with his mother answering his every question as Gulliman explore every nook and cranny of the ship. It is enough time for angry Custodes to come in force, extremely annoyed that their Empress still retains her eccentricities of disappearing on them like it was ten thousand years ago. The psykers in their number has to track her down and chase her halfway through the planet so that they can do their duties correctly.
…
Unknown Planet, Sector Unknown, Region Unknown
The Black Pearl booms like a thundercloud as it emerges from a broken piece of the Webway that connects to Terra to this planet alone. It is Helaena's little project ever since the Golden Age of Humanity and one that John frowns upon since Helaena is bringing fiction to life. She of course disagrees since it's just awesome in her opinion. She designed this ship to specifically enter this planet when she left it. If anyone else tried to enter it with any other ship, the ancient Wards she had erected before would have torn them to shreds. Now the wards long standing are disappearing as it recognizes her presence and the ancient magics long vigil is finally coming to an end.
As it is Helaena lets her power fill the ship to stop it from free-falling and stop the eerily girlish screams of Gulliman and the Custodes appointed to guard her the past thirty seconds as the ship fells freely. Immediately they are drenched as the non-stop rain of the planet hit them nearly breaking the sails as the ship flies under her command. She grins at the dry looks they are giving her.
"That never happened mother," Gulliman says through gritted teeth even as she smiles like a Cheshire cat having its canary.
"Of course Roubutte,"
"I mean it mother,"
"Of course Roubutte,"
She smiles through the thunder and the rain as she drives the ship into the powerful cracks of thunder the wind letting the water hit her. Her clothes drenched, and her long hair sticking to her, she has fun as she drives the Black Pearl through the thunderclouds enjoying the thrill of it. If she has looked back, she might have seen the rather panicked looking faces of her passengers holding on for dear life as the ship buckles and moves this way and that in insane angles. As it is, her planned destination soon comes into view as one then two then three and more and more comes into the vision of the eye. Each of them are domes, domes that are being hold aloft by a giant metal pillar rising from the ocean. The Domes are oblong in shape with lights in the middle like a sliced eggnog. Each giant dome is interconnected with smaller domes each the same design as giant hives. It is a very far cry from Imperial architecture and design.
"What is this place mother?" asks Gulliman at her side a tad bit nervous making Helaena place a comforting arm on his shoulder.
"Our answer to our troubles my son," she simply says as she maneuvers the ship to one of the platforms at the side of the giant eggnog designed building, the ship landing gracefully despite its design and size on the open platform.
Helaena and her retinue barely manages to step out of their vehicle when the doors that connect to the facility open and out emerge three feet goblin looking figures that is obviously alien. By instinct the Custodes and Gulliman has their weapons out and pointed at the things dressed in white makeshift lab coats. Helaena sighs as she lets her power freeze their fingers to stop especially the overzealous golden banana trigger happy bodyguards that John assigned to her to lay waste to her own personal servants.
For it is House-Elves that appear, House-Elves that she has given this planet to live in and propagate while being tied to her magic to prevent them from dying off after she saves them from the Purge. In return they serve her and love her with all their hearts. Just as it is shown now as they fell prostate at her feet with the nearest one almost kissing her toes with tears in his eyes.
"Dobby is so glad Mrs. Potter is alive and well. It has been so long that we worried you are imprisoned or worse. Dobby is glad that he is mistaken," the House-Elf chirps.
"I am glad to be back also Dobby and to find all of you in good health. Unfortunately I am not here for pleasure Dobby but for a more serious kind of need. You can feel the Rift can't you Dobby? The Darkness has cut the galaxy in two. I am in need of what I entrusted you all now more than ever,"
"Yes Mistress, Dobby and the others have not failed you. We also feel the big black baddie in the sky. Dobby is proud to say that he has done what you asked and for more," he declares proudly before grabbing Helaena's hand and pulling her half running and half jogging forcing the others to follow after the two of them.
Helaena has to give a mental order again to the Custodes not to turn Dobby to a flattened dough as the House-Elf pulls her alongside with him to white pristine halls glowing white from the lights on the side. It is eerily clean, as the House-Elves pride themselves on their work. It is only when they reach the first crystal hallways that shows the things that is inside the dome did the jaws of Helaena's companions fell from their faces.
"Mother, these are-," Roubutte begins only to be finished by Helaena as she pulls back from Dobby to make him slow down.
"Gestation pods, each containing a baby, a human, a clone," she answers as they stare in wonder at the tubes, rows and rows of tubes containing a baby each going from floor to floor.
The next stop is what seems to be children studying computers and analog screens, each of them being inspected by a House Elf every now and then as they continue their studies. There are thousands of them and each are busy doing his own work.
"Five years before they mature to full grown my lady," Dobby chirps. "We followed your exact designs to make them totally obedient but creative and independent. We modified the genetic structure to make them less impressionable than the host but they are far superior to machines and each is unique on his own way," he explains as they finish the transparent crystal before heading to the side away from the schools to what seems to be a mess hall below full of dining clones who stares at them, each with curiosity and no small amount of admiration at her. Each of them looks the same.
"I do not like the way they are looking at you mother," growls the Primarch looking dangerously at the men ogling her. Helaena has to lay a hand at the arm of her sensitive son to calm him down.
"They are men Roubutte, you can't fault them for their most primal instincts coming into play. I am the most beautiful woman in the galaxy after all," she smirks at him for that. "Your father made sure of it when I asked him to,"
"I still do not like it mother," huffs Gulliman making Helaena roll her eyes at his answer.
"Of course you don't. Just as stubborn as your father you are. Come Dobby let's continue," she gestures for the House-Elf to continue away from the Mess Hall to some kind of armory where they view the clones putting on white armor, some with yellow patterns and red indicating different officers. They are all wearing their helmets before exiting through different doors.
"How many units are there in storage right now ever since I left Dobby?" Helaena asks as they exit the final door of the hallway.
"Thirteen Trillion units have been put into storage my lady, all ready to be awakened in a moment's notice with another fifty million to be produced in the next cycle. She ignores the gargling gasp of her companions as she follows Dobby to a raised platform where they can see down below rows upon rows of clones marching in perfectly good order into platoons and batallions showing off their discipline and their martial training. She can feel through the Immaterium the disbelief of her son and her bodyguards as they watch one of her greatest achievements during the Iron War.
"Magnificent aren't they Mistress?" Dobby asks preening with pride as they stare at the clones below them.
"Yes Dobby, yes they are,"
….
Author's Note:
There so another chapter is done. Sorry for the long updates. First of all before I write every piece, I have to research the warhammer 40k wiki to make sure I don't accidentally offend someone by missing something. Secondly, I have a life also and I am juggling reading fanfics, playing RDR2 and writing to my schedule. Plus this chapter is 7K words and its long and not easy. Sorry, need to vent. Some are protesting I update slowly.
Also before anyone again blows a gasket about the presence of magic. Remember this is an HPX Warhammer Crossover and not Warhammer only. Helaena CAN do magic.
Thanks for the advices by the way about the previous chapter. If you have any issues that you need to tell me just do it at your next reviews and Ill address it.
I tried making an AI generated picture of Helaena Potter and Roubutte as Mother and son, and failed huuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhu(Sad).
Also someone mentioned where the heck is the Eldar? Okay so that might be an Eldar fan. Don't worry my man. Gulliman would have his waifu and anti-stress back. They are just not irrelevant at the story at the moment. Trust in this that Helaena has not forgotten about them either. We'll tackle that as the story ensues.
Okay so next Chapter would be the start of the Indominus Crusade and Roubutte and Helaena would part for each will have his own mission.
I wanna ask all of you for this, but is it just Magnus who tried ambushing Roubutte when he tried to push through Terra in Canon or is Mortarion with him? I will see if we can put them into the fight next chapter.
Also this is for sure another Primarch would be revealed next chapter. I'll give you guys a clue.
"I do hope our nightly cuddling session will not be rescheduled because of this, father,"
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