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Chapter 33: The Return to the Stars
Within the strategic command chamber of His flagship, the Emperor had summoned those mortals who had proven themselves worthy in the crucible of the Trisolaran crisis.
Heen Szeto, Luo Ji, Thomas Vader, and Zhang Beihai stood before Himâsouls who had maintained their resolve when faced with species extinction, who had exhausted every stratagem in service of humanity's survival.
Their personal strength in the face of despair, their unwavering loyalty to their speciesâthese qualities had earned them recognition from the Master of Mankind Himself.
"Your Majesty," they intoned as one, offering the reverence due to their savior.
The Emperor regarded them with something approaching warmthâan expression that would have shocked those who knew Him only as the implacable conqueror of Terra.
"Formality serves no purpose here," He said, His voice carrying the weight of absolute authority tempered by genuine regard. "I have gathered you because My work in this reality approaches completion. A new duty awaitsâone that you must shoulder in My absence."
Luo Ji felt ice crystallize in his veins. "Your Majesty?"
"The Trisolaran threat has been neutralized. Victory belongs to humanity, as it was always destined to. My purpose here is fulfilledâthe time has come for departure."
"No!" The cry tore from Heen Szeto's throat. "You cannot abandon us now!"
Vader's features twisted with incomprehension. "You have elevated humanity to heights we never dared imagine. How can You simply cast aside everything You have built?"
The supreme authority of a unified world, the adoration of billionsâpower that lesser men would kill to possess for even a moment. Yet the Emperor spoke of abandoning it all as though it were worthless.
"Power and dominion are tools, nothing more," the Emperor replied with infinite patience. "I seek only humanity's ascension. Wealth and authority are as dust compared to that sacred purpose."
He surveyed their stricken faces, His voice growing gentler still.
"Do not mourn this parting. Separation serves only to make eventual reunion more precious."
"One day I shall return to guide humanity toward its ultimate transcendence. Until that time, you must serve as guardians of what we have built."
"The masses cannot be expected to maintain perfect wisdom in all circumstances. When the Empire strays from righteousness, you must guide it back to the proper path."
"After the Trisolaran defeat, the expansion must continue. In this dark cosmos, only those who actively claim new territories deserve to survive."
"Before My departure, accept this final gift."
The Emperor approached each man in turn, His towering form dwarfing them like an adult among children. His massive hand engulfed their heads entirely as He pressed His palm against their foreheads, fingers spanning from temple to temple. Gene-enginesâarcheotech of impossible sophisticationâflowed from His touch, merging with their cellular structure and rewriting the very foundations of their biology.
"You now possess lifespans measured in millennia, intellects enhanced beyond mortal limitations, and physical capabilities that transcend human norms. The price is absolute: you must abandon all personal desires and dedicate your existence to humanity's welfare until the final moment."
"When next we meet, I trust you will not have disappointed Me."
The Emperor paused, His expression growing uncharacteristically thoughtful.
"There is one additional matter of utmost importance: ensure that tomatoes and potatoes are cultivated throughout human space. Research into optimal seasoning preparations must also be prioritized."
The Raven, perched upon His shoulder, offered an enthusiastic wing-gesture of approval.
Valdor, standing at attention nearby, permitted himself the smallest possible eye-roll. He harbored dark visions of future Imperial Guard charges accompanied by battle-cries of "For superior condiments and properly prepared tubers!"
After establishing His chosen guardians, the Emperor addressed the Empire through every communication network simultaneously.
"As promised, I return to you those freedoms I once asked you to surrenderâdemocracy, individual rights, the privileges of self-governance. Use them wisely. Love your fellow humans, not abstract ideals that may lead you astray."
The announcement struck human civilization like a thunderbolt.
None had anticipated that the Emperor would voluntarily relinquish His authority at the moment of ultimate triumph. Across every world, every habitat, every void-station, citizens wept openly at the news.
Millions converged on the Imperial capital, desperate to prevent His departure. In this cold and merciless universe, they had found in Him the protection of a father, the guidance of a god.
Their pleas proved futile. Before the crowds could reach Him, the Emperor and His Custodian had vanished through the dimensional portal opened by the Raven.
In the months following His departure, grief settled over human space like a shroud. Citizens openly mourned in the streets, unable to contain their anguish when confronted with His statues and portraits.
Many had assumed Him to be merely another tyrant drunk on power, another despot who had seized control through force and charisma. His voluntary abdication shattered those cynical assumptions entirely.
The universe bore witness to a truth that transcended mortal understanding: everything He had done had been born of love for His species.
As time passed, sorrow transformed into determination. Humanity gazed toward the stars with new resolve, vowing to fulfill His vision and establish their species as the galaxy's dominant force.
The expedition order was issued.
The assembled fleet prepared for departureâthousands of vessels arranged in perfect formation, their fusion drives igniting simultaneously to birth artificial suns in the void.
They moved with solemn purpose, displaying humanity's power and dignity to any who might be watching.
The armada accelerated steadily until achieving seventy percent of light-speed, its destination the Trisolaran home system. Intelligence estimates suggested contact with the alien First Fleet within three years.
When that moment arrived, the first battle between civilizations would commence.
Mist Space
The Raven observed the sphere of light representing the Three-Body universe merge with the dimensional nexus, its energies flowing into the swirling cosmos that surrounded them.
Primordial power cascaded through the ethereal realm, causing the mists to coalesce briefly into magnificent structures before dispersing once more.
"More fuel for the engine," the Raven mused, studying the changes before departing the dimensional space.
He returned to find the Emperor's flagship approaching the Mandeville Point at the edge of the Peta Kanas system.
Time flowed differently between realitiesâtheir extended campaign in the Three-Body universe had consumed mere hours in their native dimension.
The fleet prepared for warp translation, ready to tear through the barriers between realspace and the Immaterium. New conquests awaited, new worlds to bring into Imperial compliance.
The expeditionary force had grown magnificent in its powerâTitan war-engines that strode like gods of battle, Custodians and Astartes enhanced with gene-engines, auxiliary forces numbering in the millions.
Most isolated human colonies lacked the strength to resist such might. More importantly, the majority welcomed Imperial reunification, recognizing the opportunity to reclaim their birthright among the stars.
During the campaign, several systems still maintaining void-capable fleets offered their vessels to the cause, swelling the expedition's numbers beyond initial projections.
As the armada expanded, the Emperor divided it into separate battle groups, each assigned to reclaim different sectors of human space simultaneously.
The primary limitation remained faster-than-light travel. While alternative methods existed, none matched the efficiency of warp transit. Until revolutionary breakthroughs emerged, the Immaterium would remain their primary highway between stars.
In the expedition's early phases, the Emperor personally navigated each translation, His psychic might ensuring safe passage through the Sea of Souls. Lesser navigators lacked such capabilitiesâwithout proper guidance, entire fleets could vanish into the warp's endless storms.
During humanity's golden age, navigation beacons had spanned the galaxy, providing reference points for safe travel.
 The Iron Men rebellion and the Age of Strife had destroyed most of these installations, leaving vast regions effectively unreachable.
Salvation arrived in the form of communication from Terra.
The Imperial Palace, carved from the Himalayan peaks and the Tibetan plateau, had achieved a crucial milestone.
With Mechanicus expertise and the Empire's boundless resources, several critical installations had reached operational status.
Chief among these was the Astronomicanâthe Emperor's original design for providing galactic navigation coordinates.
The beacon integrated Golden Age technologies with His own psychic power, creating a lighthouse capable of illuminating every corner of the galaxy.
Any psyker could perceive the Astronomican's radiance. Following its guidance, warp travel would become dramatically safer and more efficient.
The great fleet divided into more than a dozen battle groups, each bound for different sectors.
Mechanicus exploration vessels accompanied them, using the Astronomican to venture into uncharted regions of space.
The Great Crusade had begun anew.
As the campaign reached full momentum, a vox transmission arrived from the exploratory forces.
Tech-Adept Gamma-Seven-Seven's voice carried across the void, distorted by vast distance and warp interference:
"Priority communication to Imperial Command. We have located the Sixteenth Primarch. He has taken the name Horus. Luperacal"
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