"Lord Guilliman, Lord Solar Leontus has returned to Segmentum Solar. Accompanying him is the Iron Man calling himself Axion. He requests an audience with you."
A guardsman strode into Guilliman's office, saluted, and reported loudly to the Primarch seated behind the desk. Guilliman narrowed his eyes slightly, then gave a sharp nod.
"I am aware. Once they arrive, bring the Iron Man to see me."
…
Within the Warp, Leontus found himself in closer proximity than ever before to the machine ally that had delivered the Empire from peril. A purely humanoid mechanical construct stood beside him. It did not stand much taller than an ordinary man; its chassis was encased in gleaming metal, and its ocular sensors pulsed with a faint, pale blue light.
This was a proxy body newly forged by Axion.
Compared to his original form, this chassis was built to human proportions, designed for diplomacy while stripped of all obvious combat structures. He had designated this model the Emissary, integrating several new materials refined through Votann technology.
Though it lacked the bulk of a typical war machine, the ultra-high-density neutron armor plating gave the construct a structural integrity exceeding even Imperial Auramite, and a weight surpassing that of a Dreadnought. A personal shield generator, the same model used by Automated Sentry-Troopers, provided an additional layer of energy protection.
In Axion's estimation, the greatest weapon this body possessed was itself. Even a particle vibration blade would find no purchase against such tightly bonded neutron-dense armor. Unless subjected to heavy industrial demolition equipment or the localized energy surge of a Titan-grade weapon, the probability of destroying this chassis under conventional circumstances was virtually zero.
The minimalist design allowed for massive energy redundancy. This power was funneled into driving the weight of its over-engineered materials, while internal micro-anti-gravity modules elegantly compensated for the machine's immense heaviness.
It would take months for that sphere of molten metal from his previous exploits to fully cool, and Axion was not prepared to wait. The disposition of his spoils could be managed later. He had fulfilled his pact with Guilliman; now, it was time for the Regent to honor his word.
Terra.
The birthplace of the Creators, the nexus of history and civilization, everything about it beckoned to Axion. Per their agreement, Guilliman would escort him alone to the throneworld, so Axion had not deployed his fleet. Instead, he dispatched this single proxy to the Imperial frontline headquarters to meet Leontus as an Iron Man ally, requesting passage to Segmentum Solar to meet the Lord Regent.
Once Axion presented the authorization documents signed by both Guilliman and Archmagos Belisarius Cawl, Leontus had no reason to refuse such a reasonable request. Furthermore, according to the protocol, the machine had arrived truly "solo," leaving behind the vast mechanical armada capable of annihilating entire Imperial Segmentum fleets.
Having completed the data logging for Segmentum Pacificus, Leontus soon boarded a vessel alongside the returning Custodians, bringing Axion's proxy with them to Segmentum Solar to report on the war effort. Beyond meeting Guilliman, Leontus also had to face the High Lords, those men whose heads, in his private estimation, were firmly lodged where the sun does not shine.
After nearly half a month of waiting, the Emissary proxy finally re-established its uplink. It transitioned back into realspace and rejoined the quantum data network, allowing a fragment of Axion's consciousness to descend into the chassis.
In the outer reaches of the Sol System, the Dawn of Fire lay in wait near a massive starport. Even as Lord Regent, Guilliman rarely remained on Terra for long. He preferred the Ultramar-style chambers of his flagship over the claustrophobic gardens of the Imperial Palace; here, he was not constantly haunted by the memory of his father, wounded and entombed upon the Golden Throne.
Countless times, he had felt the sting of regret for failing to reach the Siege of Terra in time. He mourned his brother Sanguinius, whom he could not save, and his Father, whom he could not protect. Now, with the Iron Man's arrival, Guilliman did not know what the future held, but this time, he would remain by his Father's side, no matter the cost.
"Lord Guilliman, Lord Solar Leontus has arrived with an unidentified mechanical construct. They are escorted by two Custodians."
A veteran of the Victrix Guard pushed open the heavy doors of the grand hall. Four figures followed in his wake.
Guilliman looked up toward the entrance. He felt a flicker of surprise; the towering mechanical frame Axion had previously inhabited was nowhere to be seen.
"Something is different," Guilliman murmured softly to himself. He stood in the center of the magnificent hall, surrounded by solemn Imperial icons and ancient battle standards.
Leontus stepped forward first. Guilliman's gaze met his immediately, eyes filled with a mix of concern and expectation. The Primarch moved toward him, his voice steady and grave.
"Leontus, you have finally returned. I have been deeply concerned with the campaign in Segmentum Pacificus. The Tyranid swarms have turned that reach into a slaughterhouse. You and your warriors have carried the weight of the entire Imperium upon your shoulders."
Leontus dropped to one knee, bowed his head in salute, and then rose. His face bore the hollow exhaustion of total war.
"My Lord, it was a conflict of absolute brutality. The Tyranids were a surging black tide that seemed without end. We fought for every system, every world, in a state of constant attrition."
Guilliman frowned slightly, his expression darkening. "I can imagine the hardship. The sheer numbers and ferocity of the Hive Mind are a monumental challenge. How did you weather their initial shadow? Did you observe any new evolutions in their bio-tactics?"
Leontus lowered his head slightly, a complex shadow crossing his features, a mixture of professional shame and grim resignation. He spoke slowly:
"My Lord, the outcome of this engagement with the Tyranids was... humbling. The swarm was destroyed by our Iron Man ally. Though we fought with every fiber of our being, the Imperial forces achieved almost nothing in this war. We yearned to defend the Emperor's honor on the field, but the tide of xenos was simply too overwhelming."
He paused, glancing at the silent machine behind him. "The power of the Iron Man ally exceeded my wildest imaginings. They engaged the swarm with weapons and methodologies I could not have predicted. The Imperial forces attempted to coordinate, but their pace was too great. Even the Adeptus Astartes struggled to maintain the tempo. Many times, we could do little more than watch as they tore through the Hive Fleet."
Guilliman stepped forward and placed a firm, supportive hand on Leontus's shoulder, looking him directly in the eye.
"Leontus, do not burden yourself with excessive self-reproach. The tides of war are volatile. We must accept that every conflict is a unique challenge, fraught with the unforeseen."
The Primarch's gaze turned distant, as if seeing the ghosts of the fallen across the stars.
"We may not have achieved the tactical results we desired against the Tyranids this time, but the sacrifice of those Imperial soldiers was not in vain. Every one of them fought for the survival of the Imperium. Their courage and loyalty burned bright in the darkness, and that spirit shall be etched forever into our chronicles."