RWBY 40k fanfiction – Salem, mistress of Inquisition.
(Know that I am not taking part in April Fools, it will be a chapter like any other in my story).
Ep 6: The Plot, the Fall and the beginning of the journey.
Salem had fallen into a deep depression with the loss of her children. Although her rage subsided, she still hated Erda and will always hate her.
To forget her torments, Salem locked herself in the work of programming the Space Marines.
In 700.M30, the first Legion of Space Marines. Nearly 10,000 soldiers loyal to the Emperor but also a little to herself.
Indeed, Salem continued to teach magic to Space Marines carrying the genes of her own children. These Space Marines became to give a surname "Mother Witch".
This attachment on the part of the Space Marines gave him a little enthusiasm. But stoked the ire of Valdor, who blamed her for diverting the Space Marines' loyalty to herself rather than the Emperor.
However, Salem noticed that Amar had started to change her behavior. She spoke only when spoken to, she was distant towards Salem while she remained in her quarters for sometimes several days.
One day, Salem saw Amar leaving the lab without saying anything.
Salem: "Amar."
Amer: "Yes?"
Salem: "Why don't you have tea with me?"
Amar: "Leave me alone. I have to do."
Salem: "We should rest. We work too much and we should spend time together. We've been friends for a long time."
Amar (sighs): "I just want to be alone for a while. When we're done, we can talk about everything and nothing. Excuse me, I have to do something."
Amar leaves walking with forced steps. Salem didn't understand why Amar was becoming so distant.
It was then that a servant with mechanical arms came towards her.
Servant: "The Emperor wishes to see you Lady Salem."
Salem (sighs): "I'm coming..."
She went back to the corridors leading to the Emperor's apartments.
She got there and knocked on the door. The door opened and revealed the Emperor.
Emperor: "Come in."
Salem entered.
Salem: "What do you want to talk to me about?"
Emperor: "Sit here."
He pointed to the couch with the bass with tea. Salem sits down.
Salem: "What did you want to talk to me about, I said?"
Emperor: "I have a proposition for you."
Salem: "Which one?"
Emperor: "I plan to conquer Luna sooner or later as well as Mars as well as the other human planets. But I need someone who can sympathize with the Primarchs. One who will be their mother."
Salem: "Me?"
Emperor: "Yes. All my sons, the 20, must believe that you are their one and only mother."
Salem: "I hate Erda for what she did, I get it. But lying about who their real mother is for half of them. I can't do that to them."
Emperor: "Certainly. But think about it for a moment. If you told them everything immediately. That the Primarchs born of Erda are sons of a traitor I banished as they see the sons of the mother magician being cherish your actions towards them. How will they react?"
Salem thought of these words, she saw herself accompanied by her ten sons, all wearing blond hair and faceless. While the ten others, sporting the black hair of the Emperor, watched them jealously from a distance.
Emperor: "Do you understand what risk you are taking?"
Salem: "Yes, the proposal you give is far from better. Imagine that one of my sons finds out the truth and squanders the whole thing. That would be terrible..."
Emperor: "Yes, but at least they would recognize the fact that you took care of them. Even if you weren't their real mother."
Salem was hesitant for a long time but the Emperor's words were true, she finally spoke.
Salem: "Very well. I will be their mother."
Emperor: "You will accompany me when I launch the galactic unification war. War I will name: 'The Great Crusade'."
Salem: "Why this name?"
Emperor: "Referring to the wars waged by the Christians against the Muslims to retake their holy city, during the Age of Terra. A Crusade is a war to take back our due. That is the definition of a Crusade Our planets will be taken back from Chaos, Xenos, mutants and other enemies.
And maybe one day a fleet will discover your planet that you have so long dreamed of returning."
Salem was surprised by the Emperor's words. After all, by her side, she had a chance to find Remnant. Even if the planet is hidden among the 200 billion stars of the Galaxy. The planet has a chance (however small) of being discovered by the Imperium.
Emperor: "I think we've come to an arrangement. You can go."
Salem: "No, I want to stay a bit. To have this tea."
Emperor: "Very well."
Salem took tea with the Emperor before leaving the room.
She went into the corridors but she didn't know she was being watched by someone.
It was Amar looking despicably at her best friend.
The next evening... While the two women were finishing their day in the laboratory.
Amar: "Salem?"
Salem: "Yes?"
Amar: "Can we chat for a moment?"
Salem: "Of course... what do you want to talk to me about?"
Amar: "Not here, in my room."
Salem raised her eyebrows but decided to follow her.
The two women entered Amar's room before sitting down on chairs before taking tea.
Salem: "What do you want to talk to me about?"
Amar: "Hm... I've been wondering since the Primarchs disappeared. Why continue this project of the Space Marines?"
Salem: "I don't understand..."
Amar: "Look what the Thunder Warriors were. Look how mutated and corrupted they were despite our efforts."
Salem: "Sure... But Space Marines are different. I can assure you of that."
Amar: "You've been training with them all this time...I know. But that doesn't change anything."
Salem: "What are you talking about?"
Amar: "I had hope for these young people. But since your sons disappeared, I'm not sure that the Space Marines will be saved from the same fate as the Thunder Warriors."
Salem: "You're making up your mind Amar. I've been with them, they're not unstable. They're what the Emperor always wanted."
Amar: "Let's talk about it... Why did Valdor execute them? For what reason?"
Salem: "You're starting to scare me... Be honest with me. What are you up to?"
Amar looked around, making sure no one was there.
Amar: "I intend to confront Valdor for his crimes. What do you think I was doing all this time? I was creating my division of warriors loyal to me only. Also surviving Thunder Warriors joined my cause.
So we can finally put an end to this madness that is the Space Marines and arrest Valdor for his unforgivable crimes."
Salem was speechless but ended up frowning.
Salem: "Please don't do this."
Amer: "Why?"
Salem: "Valdor is too powerful for you and will kill you or the vengeful Thunder Warriors. I'm sorry to tell you this. But you are making a serious mistake that will most definitely kill you. I don't want to lose an another friend… I don't want to lose you! Please give up an act revenge that has no reason to exist."
Amar: "It's not revenge, it's justice."
Salem: "Please don't do this...Or I'll have to stop you."
Amar: "I know... It's not for nothing that I put a sleeping pill in your tea."
Salem: "What?"
Salem felt her head begin to spin as her limbs went limp.
Salem: "Amar... You... You..."
She faints. Amar settled the witch on her bed then left the room.
Amar: "Goodbye Salem..."
Several hours later... Salem woke up in Amar's bed. She heard explosions and bursts of Bolters.
Salem: "Amar? Amar! Where are you?!"
She hurried out of the room and headed for the Imperial Keep. Where the lab was.
She then saw soldiers the same size as the Space Marines but dressed in knightly armor. Salem understood that these were the warriors loyal to Amar who were fighting against the Space Marines.
Amar Warrior: "It's the witch! Stop it!"
He is repelled by a ray of magic from a magician Space Marine.
Space Marine: "Mother Salem! The traitor Amar is in the dungeon!"
Salem: "I know! She's going to do something stupid, let me pass!"
Space Marine: "Wait!"
She dashed between Amar's warriors and dodged their blows. She ran through the dungeon to find Amar, who was about to set off a bomb.
Salem: "Amar! Stop this madness!"
Amar: "That's not true... My sleeping pill didn't work long enough!"
Salem: "Please in the name of our friendship..."
Amar: "Justice is above all. We shared good times but it has to stop."
Salem: "No! No, don't do that!"
Amar set off the bomb and the next second, everything is ablaze and the building is on fire...
Salem opened her eyes and looked around. The Dungeon and the laboratory were destroyed, nothing remained. She was shocked.
She saw something at her feet, a tuft of hair belonging to Amar, the lock was charred.
Salem shed tears as she clutched the tuft.
Salem (sobs): "Amar...why? Why...? My friend...what am I going to do without you? Just... Why?"
A few days later... In the living room of the Sanctum. Salem had learned that the Thunder Warriors were defeated by Valdor while the troops loyal to the conspirators were destroyed by the Space Marines. But the lab was destroyed and Salem lost a dear friend.
That day, in the living room of the Sanctum.
Emperor: "So I've decided to make you the new Chief Creative Officer of the Space Marines. Luckily I've saved the information you two have been working on."
Salem: "You knew Amar was going to betray but why did you let him?"
Emperor: "So that I can identify the culprits in the eyes of all. It is a monarch's duty."
Salem looked down sadly. A hand rested on his shoulder.
Sedayne: "I'm here Salem. I will never betray you. A friend's promise."
Salem: "Thanks..."
Emperor: "The Unification War will finish and the Great Crusade will begin very soon."
Malcador: "I came back from Luna and Selenar refused our proposition."
Emperor: "Very well. The genetists of this celestial body will be very useful."
Malcador: "Salem..."
Salem: "Yes master?"
Malcador: "Be careful in your journey with the Emperor."
Salem: "I would be careful..."
A year after this event. One night...
Salem stared at the stars in the sky, thinking of his babies. She could then see the stars in the sky and the warp storms everywhere.
As she gazed up at the sky. She saw something, the storms began to convulse, to flash faster and faster. Minutes after minutes then seconds after seconds. The storms grew and shrank in an anarchic fashion. But one caught her eye. She could then see a gigantic storm growing in the depths of the sky in seconds. Then everything became as still as the other stars in the sky. The big storm was the last present while the others disappeared. But its bright light like a big purple star was eerie.
Salem returned to the Sanctum under reconstruction but found in one of the corridors that Malcador was on the ground, breathing heavily.
Salem: "Master!"
She rushed over to him and picked him up before leading him to a nearby salon.
She sat him down.
Malcador: "Thank you... Salem..."
Salem: "But what happened to you?"
Malcador: "It's... It's... It's the Warp... I heard... the scream... screams... countless billions... sucked in by a new God..."
Salem: "A new god?"
She remembers the bad omen and turns pale.
Salem: "No... I can't believe it...the prophecy was true..."
Malcador: "Yes... The 4th God of Chaos is born... the Aeldari are no more... or at least... the vast majority... Chaos will break... The Crusade... can't wait any longer..."
Salem: "Now that I think about it...I felt my stomach rush, then nothing...an emptiness, like I haven't swallowed anything in a week."
Malcador: "Salem beware of this new enemy. He is as horrible as the other three."
Salem: "Who is he?"
Malcador: "Prince of Pleasures, Lord of Desires... Slaanesh, Prince of Chaos."
Salem felt powerless in the face of this reality.
(Narrating Salem):
For three years after Amar's betrayal and the Cult of Selenar's refusal to join the Imperium. Things have happened. I resumed my work with Sedayne regarding the Space Marines. Ships crossed the space vacuum before arriving on Luna then during the 6 hours which followed, I could see the star being covered with flames.
Then a few hours later, geneticists were brought back to me by the Emperor.
In 712.M30, the Unification War was officially over. I saw firsthand the last Cult of Terra being destroyed by the Emperor, marking the end of an era for Terra.
Then in 739.M30, the Emperor allied with Mars in order to equip the Space Marines with quality weapons designed in the gigantic factories.
Finally, this happened in 792.M30.
A moment I will never forget: the start of the Great Crusade.
The Emperor was at that moment in front of a gigantic crowd of Space Marines, an army that stretched to the horizon. 20 flag-bearers were directly opposite the platform where the Emperor was.
I was at his side as well as the High Lords of Terra, Malcador and Sedayne.
In his powerful voice. He delivered a more than historic speech.
Emperor: "They shall my finest warriors, these men who give themselves to me. Like clay I shall mould them and in the furnace of war, I shall forge them. They shall be of iron will and steely sinew. In great armour, I shall clad them and with the mightiest weapons shall they be armed. They will be untouched by plague or disease; no sickness shall blight them. They shall have such tactics, strategies, and machines that no foe will best them in battle. They are my bulwark against the Terror. They are the Defenders of Humanity. They are my Space Marines... and they shall know no fear. LET THE GREAT CRUSADE BEGIN!"
He drew his sword and pointed it into the sky, the blade covered in flames and at that moment: the Space Marines raised their arms while the flag bearers raised the flags in the air.
It was the start of the Great Crusade. It was the start of my journey.
To be continued… Ep 7: Horus Lupercal. My dearest Son.
