This second great battle against the Rangda had to be won beautifully!
The deployment of the Dark Angels and Jaghatai Khan as reinforcements carried a special significance as well.
They were, most likely, deployed to keep Axis's secret.
Other Primarchs might not be so discreet.
At this stage, the Emperor still didn't want Axis to be exposed to anyone.
"Dad, have you met the Lion or Jaghatai Khan before?" Axis asked.
There had been missions where Russ was reassigned and didn't accompany him, so Axis wasn't sure whether that event had occurred or not.
"I've met Lion El'Jonson once, but we never fought side by side. Same with Jaghatai," Russ replied.
Most of the time, he had followed the Emperor's orders to meet other Primarchs, build rapport, and strengthen ties between them.
After all, during the Great Crusade, it wasn't unusual for Primarchs to go decades without seeing each other if they didn't actively make an effort.
"Did you ever have a conflict with the Lion?" Axis asked again.
"??? Why would I fight with that guy? He's the First Primarch, basically our big brother," Russ responded, puzzled.
What was this kid thinking?
Sure, he came from Fenris and upheld some of its traditions, but Russ considered himself a civilized man.
Ironically, despite only meeting the Lion a few times, Russ felt he was the real savage between them.
"Hahaha! I was just asking. I mean, your titles are pretty similar, 'Wolf King' and 'Lion King.' I thought maybe the two of you would have had a brawl or something!" Axis said with a laugh.
"Hah, man! How did I miss that?!. I need to challenge him to a duel the next time we meet," Russ nodded seriously.
That left Axis a bit speechless.
Whatever, if you're happy, go for it.
Besides, the Space Wolves now were fully capable of beating the First Legion's Dark Angels.
In truth, his arrival had already begun flapping the butterfly's wings.
Before the Rangdan campaigns ever began, Leman Russ had already crossed paths with the Lion.
It started during the Dulan Campaign, when the Emperor sent Russ to bring the planet of Dulan and its xeno-aligned ruler, Durath, to heel.
The tyrant had defied the Imperium's call for unity and hurled vulgar insults at both the Emperor and the Space Wolves.
After the imperial army repeatedly lost to the technologically advanced enemy, The Emperor assigned Russ on a campaign against them.
Eventually, Lion El'Jonson and the First Legion caught on to the tail of the enemy, and both the legions started tailing different trails toward Dulan.
Russ, having known that Lion was after the same enemy as him while not having any direct contact with Lion, insisted they be the first to get to Dulan.
However the first legion had already tracked down the Faash and Dark angel forces had already boarded the battleship.
One of the detached forces from Space Wolves, not knowing of the dark angel forces fighting inside the Faash battleship, fired and destroyed the Faash battleship along with the Dark Angels aboard.
This enraged several First Legion commanders, and some ships even opened fire on Russ' battleships.
It would've crippled the the detached force of Jorin Bloodhowl if not for Russ arriving in time and having Nidhoggur blocking the second lance attack.
Afterwards, Russ had met his brother aboard the Invincible Reason accompanied by Grimnir Blackblood and Ulbrandr, begging the Lion's pardon in front of several hundred Dark Angels.
But whispering a warning that he would tear the Lion's throat out with his teeth if he ever fired on his sons again
Even then, Russ made one firm request.
Russ demanded the right to personally behead the king who had insulted both him and the Emperor.
The Lion agreed.
But toward the final stages of the campaign, the 13th Howling Company of the Space Wolves underwent a mutation incident, and Russ was forced to deal with it.
During that time, the mutation, his Legion's closely guarded secret, was fully exposed to the Dark Angels.
And by the time Russ arrived at the royal palace of Dulan, Lion El'Jonson had already taken the Tyrant's head.
Russ was furious.
The two ended up clashing, and a duel broke out between them.
The battle was evenly matched, with Russ leading a bit in strength and Lion leading a bit in agility.
But midway, Russ suddenly started laughing heartily, just like a true Fenrisian, while also at the absurdity of the situation.
To Russ, It was a way of expressing forgiveness and brotherhood.
But Lion misunderstood.
On Caliban, especially among knightly orders, duels were sacred, and Russ's attitude deeply angered the Lion.
Especially so when Russ started laughing even harder when the Lion asked if he had surrendered.
The Lion punched Russ in the face, knocking him flat, and then left with the Dark Angels without looking back.
The Lion later stated that if he had not left, he believed he would have killed Russ the and there.
That incident revealed the Space Wolves' secret mutation problem to the Dark Angels in full view, but not a single word of it leaked afterwards.
Lion had the demeanour of an elder brother, and the Dark Angels were impeccable at keeping secrets.
Ever since, whenever the two Legions met, they would select champions to duel, emulating their respective Primarchs.
It was one of the stories of the Great Crusade.
But after Axis arrived, that story never happened.
Because the Tyrant who had called the Emperor a pig had already been personally slain by Axis.
In fact, Axis had obliterated the tyrant's entire palace, and the entire continent, with a single Ki blast.
If it hadn't been for the threat of Slaanesh, Axis could have destroyed the whole planet.
With a living ultimate weapon like a Saiyan, there wasn't a single planet the Space Wolves couldn't conquer.
Thus, the war effort was never delayed, and the First Legion never got involved with Faash.
In recent years, whenever the Space Wolves hit a tough target, they simply unleashed Axis directly into the enemy's face, and that target would be blown to smithereens.
For the Space Wolves now, the idea of a hard battle barely existed.
Especially since the appearance of the perfected gene-seed and the use of Ki to strengthen their warriors had significantly alleviated the Wolfen curse.
Mutations in the Legion had become rare, and those affected were locked away on Fenris, just like the Death Company of the Blood Angels.
The Space Wolves had achieved remarkable results over the decades, ranking among the top of all the Legions, with a notable lead.
No other Primarch could match Axis's speed in advancing the Great Crusade.
This time, against the Rangda, the Emperor had made the Space Wolves the main force.
The Lion and Jaghatai were just supporting roles.
"Go get ready, kid! This will be our first time fighting side-by-side with other Legions. Let's put on a good show," Russ said.
"Hey, Dad, I've been thinking. If I win this war, will I get a reward?" Axis asked.
"?? What kind of reward are you thinking about?" Russ replied.
"I've been flying that Avenger-class cruiser for over a decade now. I think it's time for an upgrade, maybe a Gloriana-class battleship?" Axis said.
"..." Russ pursed his lips, he wanted to refuse right away, but he held his tongue.
In the end, he turned around, and said;
"Go ask your Father- in-law yourself!"
While Russ knew his son deserved one based on his merit alone, he had no intention of going through the hassle of requesting on himself.
Besides, the Dark Angels already had 3 themselves.
Surely, the emperor would acknowledge Axis' merit.
It was Axis' turn to purse his lips.
"…Fine." Axis grumbled and got up to return to his Avenger-class cruiser.
Once aboard, he immediately sought out Kasha and told her everything, how they were heading to the next battlefield to fight the Rangda, and how he wanted a Gloriana-class battleship.
"I think that's reasonable," Kasha said after a brief moment of thought, nodding to hide the blush at her own father in law's bluntness.
It's not like they were married yet.
Over the past twenty years, the Emperor's attitude toward Kasha had changed significantly.
For one, she no longer had to call him 'Lord Majesty'. 'Father' was now a completely acceptable term.
While the Empeor never explicitly stated his approval in Kasha's address, he never corrected her either.
Axis had made tremendous contributions to the Imperium over the decades.
His war record during the Great Crusade alone was equivalent to that of two and a half Primarchs combined.
Add to that the many contributions he had made and the incredible power of Ki, a Gloriana-class battleship was more than well-deserved.
More importantly, the Emperor had recently promised to restore her true identity.
Once all the Primarchs were gathered, she would once again be recognized as the Imperial Grand Princess.
Besides, Axis was her man, wanting a Gloriana-class battleship was only fair.
"What are you waiting for? Go talk to your dad about it!" Axis urged, waving his hand. He was excited.
Kasha nodded, sat cross-legged on the bed, and entered the Warp to contact the Emperor.
…
"Kasha? Been a while, do you need something?" the Emperor asked, not hiding his impatience.
"Father, Axis and I are about to accompany Russ to the Rangda Campaign. Axis wants to use his past merits to request for a Gloriana-class battleship," Kasha got straight to the point.
"Hmm…" The Emperor thought for only a few seconds before replying,
"Approved."
The Emperor had already taken note of the relationship between Kasha and Axis.
In fact, he had orchestrated it from the start.
He had intentionally assigned Kasha to Axis's side.
When dry wood meets fire, sparks were inevitable. The Emperor had perfect grasp of both their personality, leading to him orchestrating this all.
Axis was the ultimate weapon of war.
The best way to control someone like that was to bind him with blood ties.
Since making him his son wasn't feasible, marriage was the next best option.
That's why Kasha had been released in the first place.
Otherwise, the Emperor could have easily found another psyker to accompany Axis.
It wasn't like Kasha was the only one, he had countless descendants across millennias.
The truth was that Axis's modifications had not been just the enhancement of the Custodes.
The modifications were something the Emperor himself had personally done, based on the standards of a Primarch.
With the exception of Warp essence and his own genes, Axis was every bit a Primarch.
Otherwise, there was no way Axis could be so powerful.
His modifications were what had pushed his Saiyan bloodline to its absolute peak, granting him the Legendary Saiyan transformation and the ability to control that rage that resulted with the transformation.
"I knew you'd say yes, Father! I'll go give Axis the good news right now," Kasha said, beaming.
Her father had agreed without hesitation.
She couldn't help but be overjoyed.
"Tell Axis that I will have the Lion bring the Gloriana-class battleship with him," the Emperor said.
"Wait, what? But Father, doesn't building a Gloriana-class battleship take decades?" Kasha asked.
Was he actually going to give Axis one of the ships that had been reserved for the yet-to-be-found Primarchs?
"Kasha, you've been at Axis's side for 26 years now.
"There are certain things I need to tell you. But you must promise me, do not tell Axis. At least not yet," the Emperor said, not answering directly.
Kasha's expression turned serious, the previous ease in her as now entirely gone.
"What is it, Father?"
"Axis wasn't modified by Custodes standards when he was in Holy Terra," the Emperor explained.
"All of his genetic augmentations were modelled after those of the Primarchs.
"Aside from lacking the bloodline of me and your mother, Axis is a Primarch."
The Emperor himself, along with Malcador, had personally overseen Axis's transformation, even putting the Great Crusade on hold briefly to do so.
But it had all been worth it.
Axis's participation in the Great Crusade had brought more than just mere victories.
He had even managed to recover the Second Primarch, who had once been written off entirely.
"Wait—wait, Father… are you saying Axis isn't your biological son, but he is a Primarch?" Kasha asked, stunned.
"Not yet, but once he marries you, he will be my son."
"I've calculated everything already.
"His personal Gloriana-class battleship began construction in the first year he was modified.
"It was completed just last year," the Emperor said calmly.
"..." Kasha was speechless.
She now seriously suspected that her entire relationship with Axis had been her father's elaborate scheme from the very beginning.
"Father, does Axis have his own Astartes Legion too?"
"Mm."
Kasha owlishly blinked.
...
here's your bonus chapter!!! Guis! powerstones!! moreee!!!!
soo I seem to have uploaded a non proofread chapter before. I apologise for that!