Chapter 30 – The Emperor's Light
The captain's quarters were quiet. The distant thrum of the Oath of Rectitude's engines vibrated faintly through the steel walls, steady as a heartbeat. Captain Gaius sat at a simple desk, helm set aside, a single candle burning before him. Even in a ship built for war, there was space for small silence.
The stillness broke when the familiar shimmer of the multiversal chat appeared in the air before him. Names flickered to life, and a ping came through.
@Gaius Maximor Thassor, we want to see Earth.
The words came from Tony Stark.
Gaius studied the glowing text for a moment before replying. His voice was calm when he spoke into the air.
"That may not be possible. Terra is not simply Earth, it is the Throneworld of the Imperium. The Emperor resides there. If you see it at all, it will be His presence you feel first."
The others in the chat stilled, the weight of his words settling over them.
Tony typed again, almost hesitating.
"I thought your enemies called Him a corpse. Doesn't that mean… He's dead?"
Gaius answered without pause.
"His body is broken. That much is true. But His spirit burns still. From the Golden Throne, He sends a light into the Warp. That light guides every ship of the Imperium. Without it, travel between the stars would be impossible. Without Him, humanity would be lost."
The chat hung silent for a long moment.
Tony's text came, smaller this time.
"…So His spirit lives."
"Yes," Gaius replied simply. "And on Terra, His light is strongest. It may be that even the Emperor would sense You."
The chat dimmed slowly, its presence fading back into silence.
Moments later, the warning bells sounded faintly through the corridors. Gaius left his chamber and walked with heavy steps to the command deck.
The great vessel had entered the Warp. Beyond the armored hull, reality itself bent and shifted, tides of madness pushing at the ship.
The Navigator's voice echoed through a speaking-horn, strained but steady:
"Currents unstable. A storm builds. Adjusting course."
On the deck, serfs worked feverishly at control panels, murmuring prayers as runes flared red and gold. The pilot fought to steady the ship against sudden jolts.
A serf hurried to Gaius, bowing low.
"Lord-Captain. The Navigator warns, travel time will stretch. Months, perhaps years."
Gaius gave only a small nod. He had lived through worse. Even charted routes could turn hostile in the Warp. Detours were sometimes survival itself.
"So be it. Hold the course," he said. His voice did not waver.
The ship groaned, engines roaring against unseen currents, but the Oath of Rectitude pressed onward into the storm.
Far away, in a small clearing lit by fireflies, Naruto sat cross-legged, sweat still clinging to him from training. Jiraiya sat across the campfire, sipping from a flask, his white hair glowing faintly in the firelight.
Naruto had just finished explaining what he saw through the strange connection, the towering armored warriors, the fire, the silence of death.
His words came quick, spilling over each other. "…And then they carried their brother, all wrapped in blue cloth, and no one said anything. It was… I don't know, Pervy Sage, it felt heavier than anything I've seen before."
Jiraiya's face stayed hard, his brow drawn. "If what you saw is real, then their world makes ours look small."
Naruto clenched his fists, staring into the fire. "Many innocent people were killed, and the enemy used the cries of children to shake Gaius and his brothers. One of them had died in the battle. It didn't feel like a Win."
Jiraiya was quiet for a long time, only the crackle of fire filling the silence. Finally, he spoke.
"Listen, brat. Whatever that world is, it's not ours. Your fight's here, your friends, your village. Don't forget that."
Naruto looked down, biting his lip. "Yeah… but I can't stop thinking about it."
Back in Japan, the kendo dojo was empty. Saeko stood alone on the wooden floor, bokken in hand. Her father had left for overseas a month ago, leaving her the quiet hall to herself.
Her strikes were sharp, echoing in the wide chamber, but her thoughts wandered. She saw again the Ultramarines' endless march, the way they burned their enemies without hesitation, the weight in Captain Gaius's voice.
Each strike landed harder than the last. Could her sword matter in such a world? Against monsters in steel, against wars fought across stars?
Her bokken cracked against the floor, the sound loud in the empty dojo. She breathed hard, lowering her weapon.
"…I'll need to be stronger. Much stronger," she whispered.
The night was quiet in New York. Mindy Macready tossed in bed, wide awake. Finally, she slipped out, feet padding softly across the apartment. She stopped outside her father's room and knocked.
"Daddy, come out first," she whispered.
Damon stirred, grumbling as he sat up. But the seriousness in her voice made him get up without anger. "What is it, kiddo?"
In the living room, she told him everything, about the strange chat, the people she'd met, the giant warrior in blue and gold, the battles she had seen. She mentioned Tony Stark, and Damon blinked at that.
"Tony Stark? The Iron Man?" He gave a small scoff. "You might been to tired sweety." as he didn't believe her daughter, thinking she might just be tired from the fight, and needed sleep.
Mindy frowned, stubborn. "I'm not making it up. I can prove it."
She dragged him to her computer and sat him down. Damon humored her, but there was doubt in his eyes.
The chat window shimmered faintly before her eyes, invisible to him. She focused, pulling up the menu and pressing the videos that were stored. A choice appeared: Watch or Download. She pressed Download.
Which device?
She touched the monitor.
The computer whirred to life on its own. Damon leaned back, startled as a massive file began downloading, storage rapidly filling. "What the hell-"
Mindy didn't answer. She just waited.
Within minutes, the screen showed the recording: Gaius, towering in his blue and gold armor, the chat members hovering as she described, and Tony Stark, unmistakable, his face clear.
Damon froze. His mouth opened, then shut again. His hand slowly went to his forehead as he stared at the screen.
Mindy watched him nervously. "…Do you believe me now?"
Damon didn't answer right away. His eyes stayed locked on the image, on Tony Stark standing beside something inhuman, impossibly real.
Finally, his voice came, hushed. "My God. It's real."
Mindy let out the breath she'd been holding. she wasn't carrying the secret alone. Now she carries it with her father.
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