Trade and Truths

Trajan Valoris stepped to the Golden Throne, vial of Panacea in his hands. From what he had been told… this was an ancient technology that would only be remembered by the Master of Mankind Himself. He pulled out a syringe, and went over the decaying form of his Master… his friend. Finding a patch of living cells was difficult, especially without possibly damaging The Emperor. Finally, he found a place- The Emperor's right index finger had a few muscle cells clinging to life. Carefully, and with the precision of any Custodes, he slipped the needle into the area, and let out a tiny drop. There was a pause, and for a moment, Valdor felt hope leave him. But then… the spot doubled. From one hundred thousand living cells to two hundred thousand living cells. He injected more. Three hundred. Four hundred. Five hundred thousand cells. Eventually, by the time the vial was emptied, two million cells lived- a twenty-fold increase. He stepped back, vial empty.

"Captain-General… did it work?" one of the Companions whispered.

"Yes… it worked," Valoris whispered. "Bring me as much of the Panacea that you can!"

"At once! I'll inform the High Lords-"

"NO!" Trajan shouted, eyes wide under his helmet. "We know that He would not approve of their conduct… and they almost certainly know as well! What do you think they would do to prevent The Master of Mankind from speaking once more?!" He took a deep breath. "We will continue the production in secret. Tell the Ecclesiarchs you trust, so that they may turn over their samples. Maybe a few nobles who would be worthy in The Emperor's eyes. No one else."

"And what of the Inquisitor? Amberly Vail?"

"...Send her a message of our fears, and tell her that she is, under the personal orders of the Captian-General of the Adeptus Custodes, to divote every resource she has at her disposal to producing and smuggling in as much of this game-changer as possible." Then, Trajan thought. "There is… also one other option."

"Another?"

"Who found the Panacea? Who gave this maricle to Vail? If we can convince him to produce the Panacea in vast quantities for us, the High Lords would not know."

"According to the Inquisition, he still allows worship of Our Lord," another Custodes mused. "Shall I send the Shield?"

YES.

That voice shook the Custodes, and they all knelt as one. They had not heard that voice in a hundred centuries.

"M-my Emperor…" Trajan whispered in awe.

I HAVE ONLY A SHORT TIME TO SPEAK. CIAPHAS CAIN IS A MAN WHO STILL FOLLOWS ME. TELL HIM OF YOUR MISSION, AND HE WILL SPEED UP MY RECOVERY TREMENDOUSLY. DO WHATEVER IS NECESSARY TO ACQUIRE HIS COOPERATION. BARGAIN ANYTHING. OFFER ANYTHING.

"And what of force?"

DO NOT FORCE A MEDIC TO TREAT YOU ON PAIN OF DEATH. YOU WILL PERISH.

With that, The Emperor was silent again.

A flash of Golden Light enveloped my room, startling me from my sleep. The aura of Transhuman Dread was far more then Hecktor's own… that could only mean one thing.

The Custodians had come for me.

Sheer horror filled my face. If they had come to end me, then that had meant I was beyond salvation. That the Emperor had deemed me to be a threat taken so seriously that He had sent some of the Ten Thousand to-

…Was that… purple?

The leader of the group strode forwards, and stared down at me. I had fallen from my bed, unable to reach my chainsword- not that it would do much help.

"That fear in your eyes… it is not the fear of a pawn of Chaos," the leader rumbled. "It is the fear of a servant who believes he has done poorly when his Master comes calling." He strode over, and peered down at he, golden helmet betraying nothing. "The Emperor requires your aid, Ciaphas Cain."

"W-what does He on Terra want that I can provide?" I managed to stammer out, making the sign of the Aquila.

"The Panacea," the Custodian rumbled. "Its use has healed many of His cells, and allowed Him to speak to us once more… if only for a little while."

My jaw almost hit the floor. "H-He speaks again?"

"Only for a short while. He ordered us here, so that you may produce the Panacea for Him."

"W-why me?"

"Your own faith knows why. How would the High Lords act, were they to know that their power was on borrowed time? How would those in the halls of power act if they knew that their crimes were soon to be answered for?"

I gulped, nodding. "They'd lash out."

"That is correct. Thus, we cannot let the High Lords know of our plot. He has determined that you will be our Ally in this endeavor."

"I… I can do that," I said, nodding.

"Impressive… on a world ran by three of the Four?"

"I told them Nurgle was the cause of our rot- our stagnancy. The Lord of Decay has the least to gain from progress. Some think Nurlge poisoned Him on Terra, or that He is dead and the High Lords are pretending He lives to hold onto their power. Others… others think that the other Three were servants or part of Him on Terra before Nurgle." I expected the Custodes to kill me for any of those three Heresies.

I did not expect them all to start chuckling.

"Brilliant. Truly Brilliant, Ciaphas Cain," the head of the group stated, still shaking from laughter. "While none of those are true- He on Terra is still alive, the Three are His enemies, and while the idea that the Lord of Rot may have had some part in The Emperor's own rotting body, I'll have to ask Him, if He can speak once again." The head Custodes places a massive hand on my shoulder, and I knelt in reverence. "He has also told us to bargain for the production."

"Bargain?"

"Anything is on the table, Ciaphas. A pardon? An official governorship? A handing of the entire subsector to you? Name your price."

I was very, very tempted to say 'take me with you', but that would have nullified the ability to even make the stuff, and also, Emili.

"Moving up in the Galaxy, are we, Ciaphas?" a familiar voice cooed, as the body of Krystabel entered. The Custodes all turned as one to face the newcomer. "Do not worry… what my beloved Ciaphas does, I will follow."

"Daemon…" one of the Custodes breathed out.

"My name is Emili, Daemon Princess of Slaanesh."

"And you are fine with us producing Panacea to heal the one you call Anathama?" The head of the band inquired, cocking his head.

Emili chuckled. "Ciaphas' faith in Him has done nothing but lead to greater and greater things. His hopes that I would be gone with a cursed necklace- though I think we could have talked it out- brought me this power. Yes, Ciaphas, I do know your true motives, but I love you all the same."

I almost soiled myself.

"A daemon in love?"

"Indeed." Emili slid over to my side, and hoisted me up. "I do not believe it was an accident that a necklace made of soul stones made its way here- a backwater world. Your Emperor had a hand in it, didn't He?"

The Custodes looked at one another, as my eyes widened. "That He did. My order was to guard a Rogue Trader that carried many Eldar artifacts after they had been stolen from a Craftworld."

"See, Cain? Even your Emperor approves!" Emili giggled, wrapping me in a hug. "So even if you didn't know it, you were still giving me the greatest gift, and for that, I can't, in good conscience, not return the favor!"

"Then we are agreed."

"Of course!" Emili exclaimed. "Though I do wonder… would a pardon be good for him, or not?"

"I'd like one," I replied weakly.

"I mean, maybe a soul pardon? Send him before your Emperor in death?" Emili mused. "Because I know what will happen next."

"What?" I squeaked.

The Custodes nodded solemnly. "As the Emperor once degreed- preventing a couple from getting together is against the ancient Code of Men."

"Wait, what?" I repeated, as Emili let out another giggle.

After a few hours of negotiation the next day, which eventually ended up giving Cain a little more breathing room, and a few older Imperial warships to bolster the fleet, and a permanent staffing of ten Custodians as his guards (The Liberation Council was rather confused, even after the Custodian in charge had informed them that The Emperor approved of their revolt), several factories for the Panacea were set aside for the Custodians. Cain had collapsed in bed that night, hoping for a peaceful rest.

He wouldn't get it.

I woke up in the Warp. Emili hovered there, in her beautiful and terrifying form, towering over me, her eyes so far away it was like staring from the bottom of a mountain, trying to see the peak. "You… you knew?"

"Oh Ciaphas, I figured it out. I was never angry- how could I be?" Emili whispered. "They say the road to destruction is paved with good intentions… but for you, it appears the road to Ascension is paved with bad intentions." She giggled again, softly caressing me with a finger the size of a full grown tree. I knew that she could kill me- rip away my soul in an instant- but she didn't. "Your Faith in your Emperor only makes you more appealing- a man torn between his duty and his reputation. Yes, I know that too. But…" she shrank to a form only twice the size of a mortal man, and gently picked me up, before hugging me to her chest. "Stop doubting yourself, My Love. Self-loathing doesn't suit you. But if you really want to continue… tell me. Let it out." As she whispered that, I noticed a ring on her finger, glowing gold.

"W-what is…"

"Oh, this? Your Emperor spoke to me- He suggested that I wear a ring to show I am yours… and you are mine." She held out a ring of gold for me. I could feel the Blessed power in it. Carefully, I took it, and slid it on. Immediately my soul lurched, and I could feel someone tying it to Emili- like a surgeon tying flesh together.

I PRONOUNCE YOU MAN AND WIFE. I knew, instinctively, who that voice belonged to, as a Presence entered the Warp. AND AS A WEDDING GIFT OF MY OWN, AND YOUR GOD… Golden light flew into Emili, causing her to gasp.

"Did… did you…"

WITH OUR COMBINED BLESSING, YES. YOU TWO MAY PRODUCE OFFSPRING. AND CIAPHAS? I knelt in the direction of the voice, still not believing it.

"Y-yes, My Emperor?"

HAVE FUN ON YOUR HONEYMOON.

With that, the Presence fled, and suddenly I saw Emilia's eyes turn far more hungry and predatory than I had ever seen.

"You heard your Emperor."

I was later informed that only one night had passed, though in the Warp, it had been four months.

The only reason Emili finally relented was because I had to get a nursery built in real space.