Aboard the 'Macragge's Honour', Guilliman listened in silence to the report from the Astropath at his side. Every piece of news they intercepted and decoded conveyed nothing but desperation and dark despair.
Rebellions sparked by a rise in unsanctioned psykers, once-loyal factions abandoning their faith overnight, daemon incursions, and spreading plagues—much like nearly every world before them, each planet remained trapped in its own struggling hell.
Yet Guilliman could only listen passively. He could do nothing to save them; at least for now, he lacked the surplus resources and energy to intervene. Still, he etched the coordinates of every single world firmly into his mind.
The Primarch held faith that in the near future, he would gather the full strength of the Imperium, cast aside every obstacle, and launch a crusade no smaller in scale than the one his father had led millennia ago. He would save these worlds trapped in the dark side of the Imperium.
The briefing concluded, and the Astropath departed the command deck to intercept and decode further messages. Guilliman remained silent, staring through the viewport at the gray, lifeless world beyond, letting out a quiet sigh.
Footsteps echoed from nearby, and Alexei stepped up quickly behind Guilliman. "My Lord, the crisis aboard the 'Pride of Hera' has been resolved."
The Governor of Aiur's voice cut through the stream of heavy thoughts in Guilliman's mind. Turning toward the composed face of Alexei, he spoke suddenly, "Follow me. I wish to speak with you."
A trace of surprise flickered across Alexei's face. "The pleasure is mine."
Alexei followed the Primarch toward his private study. Along the way, he could feel the underlying frustration weighing on the Primarch's mind. Once inside, as the heavy doors swung shut and sealed, the Primarch sat down at his desk and gestured toward the opposite chair. "Sit."
Alexei did not refuse, taking his seat naturally as he looked at the gene-primarch across from him, curious about what the leader wished to ask.
As if discerning Alexei's thoughts, Guilliman asked, "The Chaos incursion on the 'Pride of Hera' was resolved primarily through your efforts, was it not?"
Alexei nodded. "Yes, my Lord."
"As expected." Guilliman let out a faint smile. The martial prowess of the mortal before him far surpassed what ordinary men could comprehend. Pulling back his smile, he sighed deeply and asked, "My father... What else did the Emperor say to you in your dream?"
Alexei paused momentarily, surprised that the Primarch had brought him in for a private conversation regarding this matter. After a moment of thought, he spoke, "The wise Emperor did not speak at length with me. He merely expressed a desire for me to assist humanity—to assist this galaxy." Those were, in truth, the exact words the Emperor had spoken to him.
Guilliman fell into silence. A moment later, he continued, "You have likely read through a substantial portion of the Imperium's fragmented history in the libraries."
Seeing Alexei nod, the Primarch continued, "He was not wise. He failed. We failed." He stared into the eyes of the Governor of Aiur, searching for a reaction, but Alexei merely looked back with calm composure.
Guilliman pressed on, "He created twenty Primarchs; two failed, and half of the remainder betrayed him. The Imperium fell into endless chaos and ruin, and humanity's sole path toward hope collapsed."
A bitter smile appeared on the Primarch's face. "I say all this only to tell you that my father is no god. He makes mistakes, and so do I."
"I am aware." Alexei looked calmly at Guilliman. Information that would have shaken any Imperial citizen to their core did not stir a single ripple in his mind. "If he were a distant god on high, he would not concern himself with the fate of humanity. Nor would you, my Lord."
"Yet many of my brothers were not like this. Perhaps it is mere vanity."
"Humanity is defined not by physical form, but by action."
"The Emperor was forced onto a throne that binds him, forced to accept the faith of the Imperium's populace for nearly ten thousand years, dragged into becoming a god," Alexei said, observing the faint pain on Guilliman's face. "Yet even now, he continues to seek hope for humanity."
Guilliman was caught off guard, then offered a quiet smile. This was precisely why he felt comfortable speaking with this man. He was utterly isolated, desperate for someone with whom he could share his inner burden. Yet everyone around him did nothing but bow and scrape. Perhaps only this Governor from Aiur refrained from worshiping him simply because he was a Primarch.
The Primarch spoke again, "Originally, I thought that war which set the galaxy ablaze had drawn to a close. Yet upon my resurrection, I found the present Imperium turned into a prison confining its own people. In my bid to fix one mistake, I ended up committing an even greater one."
"I lived through that rebellion, and I was resolved never again to let any single faction wield the might of a Legion. I split them apart, scattering the Astartes across the Imperium, yet I overlooked the base, selfish motives of mortals."
The Primarch scoffed at himself. "Perhaps even had I lived continuously, I would have been doomed to failure all the same."
"My Lord, why weigh yourself down with guilt over a hypothetical scenario? At the very least, news of a Primarch's return has brought hope back to the entire Imperium," Alexei said, looking at the self-reproaching Guilliman.
"At least for now, humanity's hope endures," Alexei stated, looking directly at the Primarch. "Reason still retains a foothold amid madness. We will prevail; humanity will prevail."
"Will we prevail?" Guilliman stood up and walked to the room's viewport. He had never imagined a day when he would be counseled by a mortal; it reminded him of a figure who had once stood beside his father—another mortal he deeply respected.
"My journey to Terra is to meet my father," Guilliman said, turning back toward Alexei. "Following that, I will grant you the authority I previously promised. I trust that Aiur will forge a new path for humanity."
'A new path?' Alexei smiled faintly as he looked at the tall form of Guilliman. "Inevitably, my Lord. Hope endures."
With the Primarch's leave, Alexei offered a respectful bow and stepped out of the room. Guilliman watched the Governor of Aiur leave, gazing at the heavy doors as they clicked shut once more. For reasons he couldn't pinpoint, this mortal gave him an unfathomable feeling.
He knew that the terms requested by the mortal were tantamount to making Aiur an autonomous region within the Imperium's territory. Guilliman had agreed without hesitation. He did not know if his decision was correct, but at present, the Imperium required aid from all quarters.
"I hope you do not turn out to be a major trouble for the Imperium in the future, Governor of Aiur..." the Primarch murmured quietly, before standing up to head toward the command deck. It was time for the fleet to set sail.