"Yes, Primarch, this is my last wish." Jie'an's voice trembled, yet there was a calmness in his expression.
"I will grant you mercy, Colonel Jie'an. Your soul shall return to the Emperor," Guilliman responded, his voice steady.
His hand hovered above Jie'an's throat. A subtle shift of pressure, and the life would drain from him.
Jie'an, however, smiled. It was a serene, almost peaceful smile.
In that moment, the fear of death seemed insignificant.
He would soon join his fallen comrades, reunited with the Emperor.
The sudden, sharp crack of bones echoed in the silence.
Jie'an's head fell to one side, the breath gone from his body.
Guilliman withdrew his hand and performed the Skyhawk salute, honoring him.
Even though Jie'an was not a Space Marine, he had proven himself a true hero.
"Incinerate his body and lay him to rest properly," Guilliman ordered. He turned and began walking away, his mind already focused on the next steps.
The bodies of those infected by the disease had to be incinerated. The danger of contamination was too great.
"Is uncle dead?" A small voice pierced the stillness.
A little girl stood outside the ward, staring blankly at the scene before her.
Her family was gone—mother, father, grandmother, brother, and now, even uncle.
This world had become an endless void, a place of overwhelming loneliness.
Guilliman paused as he stepped out of the ward, his gaze falling upon the child.
She held a filthy toy in her hands, standing alone in the midst of the chaos. Her vacant stare met his.
"Take all the orphaned children to Imperial foster care," Guilliman ordered, his voice resolute. "Among them, select those with strength. They shall be trained as soldiers, warriors of the Empire, to fight against the forces of Chaos."
It was a harsh decision, but one made out of necessity. Without skills to survive, these children would perish. There was no place for them in a world so cruel, not unless they had the strength to rise above.
The Empire would raise them. They would become tools of vengeance, weapons in the Emperor's name.
After addressing the orphans, Guilliman lingered in the hospital, listening to the people.
The salvation of the Empire was, above all, a means of saving humanity.
To save the Empire merely for its own sake was a foolish, short-sighted endeavor.
The true purpose of the Empire was to ensure the survival of mankind, to protect its interests above all else.
And yet, the Empire had become something it was never meant to be—a system of endless sacrifice for the sake of maintaining the Empire itself.
The nobles had turned the Empire into their own playground. This was an order that could not stand.
Guilliman heard the complaints of the people, the desires of the common folk.
"We want work that supports our families."
"We want our children to learn, to read."
"We need time to rest, to live."
"Can we make the Hive Capital livable again?"
He took note of their words, their frustrations, and their hopes.
These people deserved better. Guilliman vowed to reshape the planet Sara, to build a society where rights and responsibilities were balanced, where the nobility could no longer hold dominion over the lives of the common folk.
The days of the useless, corrupt aristocrats would end.
He would leave a small detachment of Space Marines to oversee the planet's transformation, ensuring that it was not left vulnerable to chaos or rebellion.
The old ruling family would be dismantled, their titles stripped, and their power revoked.
They had failed when the Empire needed them most. They had fled, abandoning their people when chaos arrived.
The downfall of Sara was their failure, their cowardice. Only Jie'an's bravery had held the defenders together in the face of the enemy.
Eliminating the aristocracy, though tempting, would have been reckless. The Empire's elite class was vast and deeply entrenched. Guilliman knew that the murder of these nobles would spark fear and rebellion—perhaps even drive some to the side of Chaos itself.
The network of aristocracy stretched back millennia, its roots entwined through countless alliances and marriages.
To strike against it was to risk the Empire's very survival.
Guilliman couldn't afford to alienate the nobility just yet. He wasn't powerful enough to face down every potential threat, not until he had fully restored the Empire's strength.
Compromise was necessary, for now.
The people of Sara would rebuild, and Guilliman would see it through, ensuring that the planet could stand on its own.
He ordered the priests of the Mechanicum to construct new machinery, to improve the environment and make life sustainable once again.
He directed that every factory be reviewed and restructured to meet ecological standards.
This transformation would come at a cost, diverting the Empire's resources and attention, but Guilliman cared little for that.
It was better to keep these people focused, to ensure they knew why they fought.
The struggle against Chaos was their purpose. Only with that understanding would they stand firm, resolute in the face of overwhelming darkness.
Two weeks later, Guilliman's fleet withdrew from the low orbit of Sara.
The reconstruction was far from complete, but the foundation had been laid. The people had begun to rebuild.
The sculpture of Jie'an now stood at the heart of the city, a symbol of sacrifice and courage.
The little girl, the last of Jie'an's kin, was taken into Imperial foster care. She, along with the other orphans, would be trained, molded into future soldiers who would one day avenge their fallen families.
They would grow up hating Chaos with every fiber of their being. And one day, they would return to reclaim what was theirs.
The Son of Vengeance would see to it.
With the last of his duties on Sara fulfilled, Guilliman turned his focus elsewhere.
He descended in the secret elevator, preparing to meet the mechanical sage Kaul—or more accurately, Kaul's clone. The sage's knowledge was vital to his cause.
He needed Kaul's expertise to transform the vast knowledge stored in his database into tangible, usable technology. Without it, the Emperor's plan could not progress.
The elevator's hum filled the air as Guilliman spoke to the AI that served as his assistant.
"When will the next certification task be available?"
The response was swift and clear: [The host has not yet utilized the unlocked technologies fully. Hastily unlocking advanced technologies could destroy the delicate balance of civilization.]
Guilliman grumbled in frustration. "So many restrictions..."
It seemed everyone else's golden path led to instant power. Why was his so complicated?
[The high-level technology could prove disastrous if it falls into enemy hands. The host must ensure a stable civilization before moving forward.]
He scoffed, "No subspace bombs to destroy the demons?"
[It is not advisable. Such actions could degrade humanity's sanity.]
Frustrated, Guilliman muttered, "What use are you, then?"
[I can cheer for you. ヾ(°°)]
"....."
The elevator door slid open, and Guilliman stepped into the heart of the Glory of Macragge.
A cloaked psyker stood awaiting him, saluting with the reverence of the Emperor's eagle.
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Ill now upload one chapter every alternate days... and will put bonus chapters for every 100 stones or 10 reviews.
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