Chapter 1
The throne was golden. Of course, it was golden. The Emperor was many things, but his love of gold seemed universal. Alexandros peered over the large edifice, halfway between amazement and concern. No Primarch could truly be called stupid. Shortsighted, foolish, egotistic, all of these and more. But each of his brothers possessed an intelligence that few mortals could hope to match. Even if his brothers did not avail themselves to that strength. The technology before him, however, was something beyond him. Oh, he had a vague sense of a piece here and a piece there. In some ways, it reminded him of the gellar fields that allowed passageway through the Warp. That was the extent he could divine from the machinery alone. What concerned him, however, was the red giant sitting in the center of the structure. A form materialized out of thin air in front of the Golden Throne. It’s skin was as red as its physical counterpart, except it was translucent.
The one eyed, ethereal giant nodded toward Alexandros. “Alex.“
Alexandros returned the nod. “Maggie. Are you well?“
A large grin broke out over the giant's face.“Well? I have never been better.“ Waving a ghostly arm outward, Magnus continued, “All of the galaxy, no, the entirety of existence stretches out before me. Oh, how I wish father had brought me here sooner.“The grin vanished. “As unfinished as it is.“
Alexandros cocked an eyebrow, but it was Malcador, Right Hand of The Emperor who spoke next. “The Golden throne is still in development. The Emperor intended to soon devote all of his efforts toward its completion.“
“It must be finished without delay,“ Magnus declared fervently. “All of humanity begs for it to be done, whether they realize it or not.“ Alexandros nodded, but his eyes flooded toward the stations surrounding the central throne. In 1,000 slots, a member of the Thousand Sons legion occupied a space. Although serene to the natural eye, Alexandros could sense grave discomfort from each of them. It created an atmosphere of stress and challenge throughout the throne room.
Magnus answered the unspoken question. “A temporary necessity. The Throne is not finished, and I am not strong enough alone to maintain its incandescence. Once the work is completed, they will be freed from that duty.“
“Their life force is weakening,“ Alexandros stated quietly.
“A necessity,“ Magnus repeated. “A non-lethal one. At the end of the day, they will be removed, to allow the next section to take their place.“
“It is for this reason that the entire Legion has been recalled and declared lost to the Warp.“ Malcador explained. “In due time, the Thousand Sons will return to the Imperium.“
Alexandros grunted, acknowledging their positions. “When?“
Silence passed between the other two. “Unknown,“ Malcador said.
“You have to understand, Alex,“ Magnus said. “This is the single most delicate piece of machinery known to man. And I do not possess father‘s intelligence. I can glean information from the Great Ocean, but it is a slow process. We must be methodical and ensure no error occurs. There is also the matter of the Webbway itself. Until it is truly ours, it will need to be garrisoned. The Custodians are now divided in their duties. My sons will have to serve in this capacity as well. Alex, if you could devote some of your own sons to the campaign, we could finish it quicker.“
“I doubt this will be necessary,“ Alexandros countered. “We should discover the Emperor long before this work is completed.“
“I hope your words will prove true, brother,“ Magnus began. “But from my own travails across the Great Ocean, I fear it might be some time.”
Edited by simison, 03 May 2020 - 07:27 PM.