Imperium Ascendant

Chapter Thirteen: Children of Mars

Location: Lions Gate Spaceport Primus (Under Construction)

The Last Month came to an end with a festival. A Parade of Triumph to mark the next stage of the Imperium, The Emperor flanked by a thousand Custodes marched out of the Inner Palace with Twenty Thousand Astartes and there Primarchs in full battle regalia behind them. Despite being children the Primarchs matched a large Terran Male in size and walked alongside there Gene-Sons in this great procession.

Millions of Mortals watched this Parade from the sides of the grand parade avenue that stretched from the Inner Palace to the Lions Gate. The constant cheering formed a roar of such magnitude some unfinished parts of the Palace great macro-structure started to vibrate from the noise. The onlookers ranged from Old Terran Nobles on Grav-perches flitting about to swarms of menial workers from the palace's construction. Each and every one of them screamed their throats raw at the sight of unity incarnates arrival.

The Conqueror of Terra marched in front of his Legions, he radiated power, nobility, and wisdom. All who witnessed him felt his raw might, yet none knew fear for this power that could end worlds and battle gods was their protector, the countless millions who watched knew the Master of Mankind had come and with him a new age, an age of heroes and hope.

Thunderbolt Flags and sigils of Terran Unity flew proudly and behind him, Twenty Banners marked each with a single Ancient Numeral flew next to his Sons. As he marched the Emperor thought to himself how soon enough both of those flags would be changed, as they walked the shining path. The Twin Headed Aquila would be born and each simple Numeral would be replaced with a Legion Badge, both would go down in human history as sigils of unity and salvation.

Chiding himself the Master of Mankind knew that was still a long way off and many trials still yet awaited him before even that step could be taken. First and foremost was Mars. The Red Planet had long been the technological center of humanity. Even after the insanity of the Iron War and the brutal Data-weapons first developed and deployed on Mars the second home of humanity endured and existed as a center of both knowledge and machines.

Multiple Martian expeditions had come to Terra in order to scavenge resources and relics throughout the Unification Wars and had not taken kindly to the Emperor informing them there looting was no longer tolerated. The survivors now served excellently, and the salvage claimed from the fallen salvagers had provided excellent materials for the Astartes Arsenal. He may have gained knowledge of countless technological development from the message but not the ability to create materials or components out of thin air.

Even with there superhuman size, the Legions took multiple Hours to reach the Lions Gate from the Inner Palace. As they Parade came to its triumphant conclusion at the Lions Gate Starport. Here the Emperor's Chariot of the Stars was docked: The Bucephalus. It was a colossal vessel, measuring twenty kilometers in length. Every square inch of the mighty flagship was a mastercrafted work of art.

Five years ago the Ancient Vessel had been unearthed from its secret vault of Yum-hanger and its repairs had begun. Little over five thousand years ago in the guise of an eccentric businessman the Emperor had commissioned the vessel from the forges of Mars during the height of the Age of Technology. It had cost enough credits to buy a few star systems but it had been more than worth it. The master crafted vessel lacked any onboard AI's and contained some of the finest technology that coin, influence and psychic powers could buy.

Without an onboard AI, the vessel had been a very expensive and well-maintained Space-Hulk. Aside from its basic life support systems none of the vessels functions worked. At the time of its creation, it had been a source of much speculation among the Engineers and Silica-forms of Mars. The Emperor had commissioned the vessel as one of the countless contingencies against a possible AI uprising he had seen visions of. It had survived unharmed throughout the Old Night and its hanger acted as the base of operations for the Emperor early in the Unification Wars and now after years of modification and repairs by Terrawatt Clan members and captured Martians it was ready to sail the stars.

At the Parades end the Emperor stood in front of the colossal vessels gantry and watched the Twenty Primarchs approach. They knelt as one before there father and he spoke to them softly "The universe has many horrors yet to throw at us my Sons. This is just the next step upon the shining path. You are all so young, yet so incredible already. Each of you will become legends to rival mine as we unify the Children of Terra. Be faithful! Be strong! Be vigilant my children! I will return to you and when I do the Galaxy awaits!"

As each of them absorbed his message an individualized psychic pulse touched each of the Primarchs minds, final farewells and well wishes from there Father. At that, the Primarchs stood, were embraced by there father and left to rejoin there Legions. The Emperor watched them go with a mix of pride and somber joy. It might be a few weeks or a few years (his visions and estimates varied) till he saw them in person again. Till then both Father and Sons had duties to undertake.

After a short speech to the assembled millions, the Emperor boarded The Bucephalus. The vessel was fully crewed by handpicked Terrawatt Void-Magi, countless Palatial Menials and a quarter of the Custodes. With the Hetaeron Guard at his back, the Master of Mankind journeyed to the Bridge of the great vessel. Thanks to great internal mag-lifts the journey that would have taken hours was minutes in length.

The Bridge was a colossal thing filled with thousands of officers, crew, and adepts. Yet this number seemed a skeleton crew compared to what a vessel such as this should need. For once launched the Bucephalus's true power would be revealed. As one the bridge crew bowed before the Emperor as he entered. He walked to the command throne of the vessel and spoke to the lead Void-Magi, a genius of ancient stalk by the name of Antoanar Pirard. "Is it ready Antoanar?" the Emperor asked.

Twitching with excitement the Magi bowed ever lower and spoke "Yes my liege, the device has been installed exactly to your specifications, and all functions are operating as expected. The Bucephalus is void worthy and ready for your command!" At that the Emperor signalled the crew to be at ease and he prepared to take his seat upon the command throne of his new flagship. As he did thousands of eyes watched him take his place upon the seat of power and felt an unwanted ghoulish recollection/vision of a future not to be.

*an ancient friend crumbles to dust at the softest touch as the last kernel of energy arcs through our bond.*

*placed upon the throne/tomb by the somber Praetorian*

* Final words gave life through the Hero spoken to the Praetorian and Warhawk.*

*The Galaxy burns and We are a corpse-king on a throne of lost knowledge holding back the dark*

The Emperor dismissed the future-memories and reached out with his psychic power. The throne hummed softly as the experimental Psi-conduits glowed with his power. He channeled his power through them and into the thing dwelling inside the vessels core. With a gentle psychic pulse, the heart of the Imperiums Flagship awoke.

During the Age of Strife, the Emperor had sought countless solutions to the malities that afflicted humanity and the galaxy. The Imperium was not the first but the only one that might be able to stem the coming horrors. Some of these plans had produced tools that would, however, assist the Emperor Ambition. One of these tools had been installed into the Bucephalus and now stirred. The Cognatu-Ferrum had awoken.

Psychic energy poured into the machine and its great crystalline circuits started to light up as if it were being awoken from some endless dream the first Machine Spirit was activated. In a voice that sounded like an Echo of the Emperors own the Machine spoke "Master….? Is it time…..?" in a psionic binary pulse the machines creator and owner answered, "Yes, it is time to visit your siblings upon the Dragons Tomb."

With that acknowledgment, psychic energy poured out of the machine into every corner of the colossal vessel. Generators activated, life support systems cycled up, weapon platforms started to hum and the Bucephalus came to life. The Cognatu-Ferrum had been born during the height of the Iron War when Silica monstrosities driven mad by both the Dragon of Mars and the Warps touch brought ruin to humanities stellar empire. It was an attempt to create a mechanical intelligence not susceptible to the taint of either steel or flesh.

The Emperor had succeeded, it was a wonder of both science and warpcraft that was infused with Psychic energy that made it invisible to the Dragons power and its digital mind was built around a mixture of modified neural scans and the Thirteen Asimov-Zuklove Laws. It was immune to the Warps corruption and the Dragons Control while possessing capabilities matching a lowgrade ASI.

Despite all its wonders, the Cognatu-Ferrum had one critical weakness: Power supply. The Machine required a truly tremendous supply of highly controlled psychic energy and storing such power was an impossibility for human technology. So in the end despite countless refinements and tweaks the First and Greatest Machine Spirit was the only of its make and only operable by its creator.

Now that Machines intellect and power flowed through the Bucephalus and it was ready to fly. At the Emperor's command, ancient grav-generators activated and as millions of onlookers cheered the twenty-kilometer vessel gently rose into Terras Skies. Careful to not cause colossal atmospheric disturbances the Titan sailed serenely into low orbit, and the Emperor looked through the Cognatu-Ferrums eyes and saw the shrinking Imperial Palace below them. He touched his son's minds with a final farewell and peered into the void. Mars awaited him and the galaxy awaited the Imperium of man.

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