Upon learning that Magnus was about to evolve into something, possibly a warp entity with a physical body , Axis's first thought was not of Warp corruption or the perils of damnation.
Instead, a jolt of pure excitement shot through him.
He finally had an opponent worth fighting.
The thought was exhilarating. He could not just fight the Emperor whenever he pleased, and Axis desperately craved a challenge from a powerful rival.
If Magnus could use the fruit of the Tree of might to become a god of the Immaterium, then theoretically, so could the other Primarchs. The idea was magnificent.
As a Saiyan, Axis craved battle.
The stronger the opponent, the better.
It was in a Saiyan's very nature to give their enemies a chance to grow stronger. It was the same instinct that led Goku to spare Vegeta after their battle on Earth, and Vegeta to allow Cell to reach his perfect form. This drive was etched into Axis's very bones. The pride of a Saiyan demanded combat against mighty foes.
A normal person in his position would have tried to weaken the future Traitor Primarchs as much as possible.
Weakening the enemy was the logical way to secure an advantage for one's own side. But Axis wanted to make them even stronger.
It would make for a much more satisfying fight. A truly worthy battle was all a Saiyan cared about.
The version of Horus empowered by the four Chaos Gods, the one who could bring the Emperor to the brink of death and force him onto the Golden Throne, was the prey Axis truly sought.
But even he would need to be stronger.
Only the stimulus of a sufficiently powerful enemy could push a Saiyan to evolve and achieve new heights of strength. After all, the end bosses were the Chaos Gods, and he needed all the power he could get.
"Excellent!" Magnus's voice brought Axis back to the present, "I am sending you the coordinates now. When you arrive, you will have a chance to meet Sanguinius. It is not easy for him to come to your part of the galaxy."
During the Great Crusade, Sanguinius could not travel to Nuceria to visit Axis without a compelling reason. A formal visit might take years, or even decades, to arrange. It just so happened that Sanguinius was joining Magnus in an assault against a xenos empire, which presented a perfect opportunity.
"It sounds like you and Sanguinius are getting along well," Axis remarked.
In the original timeline, Horus had been Sanguinius's closest friend. As for Magnus, their relationship had been merely cordial. Sanguinius and Jaghatai Khan had only sided with him during conferences regarding the use of psykers.
"Hahaha! We get along quite well! He's one of the few Primarchs who doesn't despise the gift!" Magnus said with a booming laugh.
Indeed, the only ones who truly did not shun psychic power were Axis, Sanguinius, and Jaghatai Khan.
While the other Primarchs might maintain a polite facade, Magnus could sense their deep-seated revulsion towards the arcane.
Even Axis's own foster father, Russ, would have detested psykers if not for Axis's constant persuasion.
Among all his brothers, Magnus was closest to Axis, followed by Sanguinius.
"Don't worry, Magnus. I plan to support your Librarius Project to the end," Axis promised.
"I know that. You know, there is something I fail to understand. The Primarchs all originated from the Warp.
"Our very essence is that of a special form of life from the Immaterium; I am now one hundred percent certain of this. Yet these brothers of ours want to deny their own origins, like a child disowning its mother," Magnus said, his voice tinged with frustration.
This was a truth he could only share with Axis.
If he revealed it to any of the other Primarchs, he would be branded a traitor on the spot. To almost all of them, the Warp was a hellish realm, a font of pure evil. Yet, without it, the Imperium of Man could not even survive in the galaxy.
"How can power itself be evil?" Magnus began to rant, "If the energies of the Warp are inherently malevolent, then is our father, the most powerful psyker of all, a force for good?"
Axis fell silent at his words.
To a certain extent, Magnus was right. The old man on Terra was no saint. To label him a god of justice would be a grave mistake.
To every other species in the galaxy, the Emperor was a Daemon King, his existence no less terrible than the Powers of the Warp.
As for the nature of the Warp's power, Axis felt he was the most qualified to speak on it.
Without the purification of the Angelic Halo upon his soul and the protection of his own Ki, Axis would never dare to touch psychic energies.
It was a profoundly dangerous force.
Perhaps the Warp was once a clean, pure expression of Chaos, without any inherent evil, but that was before those four abominations came into being.
But Axis kept these thoughts to himself.
After listening to Magnus vent for a while longer, they ended the communication.
Axis now had the coordinates to his destination and immediately uploaded them to the Solus Prime.
This time, he would not travel aboard his Gloriana class battleship. He would take the Solus Prime, for this was a clandestine mission, and he intended to leave no records behind.
That evening, Axis informed Kasha of his decision and asked her to help oversee the development of Nuceria during his absence over the next few months.
"You're leaving for several months again?" Kasha said, rolling her eyes, "We are very busy, you know. And don't you forget what you promised. Guilliman's adoptive mother is arriving soon. How do you plan to receive her? Are you just going to leave it to me?"
"Now, now, this is for a very important matter. Don't you want to eat another fruit from the Spirit Tree?" Axis said, leaning in to kiss Kasha on the forehead.
"As for Guilliman's mother, I just need you to receive her on my behalf for now."
"But Axis, if it involves planting another one of those trees, I want to go and see it myself!" Kasha insisted, pecking him on the lips.
She was immensely curious about the miraculous plant. It was truly one of the greatest treasures in the universe.
"If we both leave, what happens to Nuceria? Who will manage our home?" Axis retorted.
"You could leave it to your sons," Kasha suggested, "That one named Khârn, for instance. I think besides his talent for combat, he has a decent mind for administration."
"Nah, that won't do," Axis said, "The administrative specialists that Guilliman is sending will be here in a few months, and you'll need to be here to welcome them, Khârn might be good in combat, but he's not the best suited for administrative task."
There was truly no other way. If Kasha left, there would be no one to manage the planet. He had the excuse of secluded training, but one of them had to be present to receive the political assets Guilliman was sending.
"Then you have to promise me," Kasha said, "the next time you plant one of these trees, you absolutely must take me with you."
"I promise," Axis affirmed, "The next time, you will be there to see how the Spirit Tree grows."
For Magnus's body and soul to fully evolve, he would require at least ten fruits. This trip was only to secure the second one.
There would be many more opportunities to plant the Spirit Tree in the future.
"I'm incredibly curious to see how you cultivate that tree."
"You'll see it in due time. Don't worry, I will bring you back a second fruit from this harvest," Axis assured her, taking her lips in his.
…
With the matter settled, Axis spent the next day arranging the affairs of Nuceria. He announced publicly that he was entering a period of secluded training and would not be seeing any guests or even his own sons for several months.
All matters were to be deferred to his wife, the Imperial Princess Kasha. He also ordered Ordoro and Mader to assist Kasha in managing the Legion.
"Rest assured, Lord Primarch," the three captains declared in unison, kneeling, "We will take care of our homeworld during your absence."
The planet was now stable.
Imperial aid workers and specialists were already hard at work building up the infrastructure, which created a massive number of jobs and was steadily improving the quality of life for the citizens.
It had been nearly six months since Axis took control, and the people of Nuceria lived far better lives than they ever had under the rule of the slave masters.
The planet was at peace, and the latest round of recruitment for new aspirants was proceeding smoothly.
"I am counting on you. If any issues arise, Mader, Khârn, Ordoro, you will consult with Kasha. If it is a matter you cannot resolve, have Kasha contact me," Axis instructed them.
The existence of psychic communication was a blessing.
He could be reached anytime, anywhere, across star systems without impediment. No matter how far he traveled, he could be informed of events on his homeworld in an instant.
"I understand, Lord Primarch," Mader said with a firm nod.
After settling all affairs on the planet and bidding Kasha farewell, Axis went directly to the Solus Prime.
"Welcome home, Lord father." As soon as he boarded, a holographic image of the Solus Prime appeared and bowed deeply.
"It has been a while, Prime," Axis said as he approached the command console, "I have a set of coordinates for you. Take me there as quickly as you can." He input the location Magnus had provided.
"Of course, Father," the Prime replied. "Analyzing coordinates. The destination is 1,800 light-years away. Warp travel will take approximately twenty-six days."
Axis nodded and gave the command.
Solus Prime engaged its Warp drives and began its journey toward the target star system.
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Bonus chapter!!! powerstones?!