Like most things that are just known by everyone as common knowledge, and of course never challenged, that was wrong.
The High Lords of Terra were politicians first. The Imperial Cult fed chaos as much as it empowered the spirit of the Star Child, the Emperor's divine presence within the warp, and most importantly, the Emperor was capable of straightforward communication with others… although his weakened state made it painful and draining for him.
For the Adeptus Custodes, the Emperor's personal guard, today was another average day, not much different than the other 36.5 million that had come and passed since their lord was interned on the Golden Throne. Sure, there had been some upsets in the past 10,000 years, but for the most part nothing really interesting happened ever… in fact the last time that anything interesting happened for them was when the Emperor ordered them to intervene in the Age of Apostasy and the Emperor's warning to leave an odd Dark Angel named Cypher alone, and protect him if he should make it to Terra with the rest of his chapter on his tail.
What they didn't realize was that today was about to be one of those days.
------
Brother Marcus of the Adeptus Custodes stood inside the gates of the throne room, standing ever vigilant, but being unable to look away from his lord in sorrow. For over ten thousand years he had faithfully served the Emperor. He served the Emperor during the reconquest of Earth, the Great Crusade, and the Horus Heresy… and while he knew it was a great honor to guard the innermost chamber of the Palace, it still depressed the hell out of him to see the great leader to whom he swore his very soul reduced to a dried husk, living in constant agony.
He sighed and cleared his mind. He was one of the Adeptus Custodes. The Emperor's personal legion. The Geneseed in his body was the Emperor's own, shared only with the Grey Knights. He served the Emperor faithfully for 10,000 years, and despite his sorrow, he was forever faithful.
Marcus…
Brother Marcus's heart almost stopped as his eye turned to the golden throne.
He knew that voice and he knew it well…
"My lord?!"
Marcus. Listen and listen well. Go to Darwinus. Find Usagi Tsukino, Ami Mizuno, Rei Hino, Makto Kino, Minako Aino, Haruka Tenoh, Michiru Kaioh, Setsuna Meioh, and Hotaru Tomoe. They are to be protected and brought to me unharmed at all cost. And bring me a chest from my secure vault… Chest Omega 24B.
Brother Marcus nodded and immediately began to move. When the Emperor of Mankind issued you an order, you did not dally. And when the Emperor of Mankind said at all cost, he meant at all costs. All he knew is that his lord wanted these women brought to him, and he pitied the poor fools who got in his way…
------
Less than an hour later, a gilded battleship left the orbital space docks where it had lay for 10,000 millennia. The ship was the Terra Ascendant, the flagship of the Adeptus Custodes and personal command ship of the God Emperor of Mankind during most of the Great Crusade.
As the ship left, the Emperor watched through the warp. For the first time in millennia he allowed himself to feel hope. The Senshi had been reborn once more. Again and again over the past 10,000 years they'd resurrected and again and again his own misguided and maligned servants had burnt them as heretics.
It had taken a great deal of power and effort to lead to this outcome. To bring them together so they could be retrieved in one fell swoop. He only hoped that no damned fool inquisitors got to them first.
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(Posted Mon, 13 Feb 2006 08:00)
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