While the Titan's Spear was occupied with the weaving of Wraithbone and the efficacy testing of Psychic Crystals, the mechanical construct known as the Emissary, the same shell that had once breached the Imperial Palace on Terra, stood once more before Roboute Guilliman.
For Axion, managing millions of tasks simultaneously was a baseline function. The gestalt consciousness of the Iron Men possessed no upper limit, provided the requisite processing power was maintained.
This was a private, sequestered meeting.
"Roboute Guilliman," the machine spoke. "The Iron Men seek the assistance of you and your Empire. In exchange, the Iron Men will fulfill one request of yours, subject to evaluation."
Guilliman raised an eyebrow. He had not expected to see the day when an Iron Man would come to him seeking aid.
"State your requirements."
Guilliman, finding himself in a rare position of leverage, did not immediately acquiesce. He intended to scrutinize the request first.
"Where may I locate Alpha-level psykers within Imperial records? Or otherwise acquire a sufficient quantity of psykers?"
Guilliman was visibly taken aback by Axion's words.
"Alpha-class psykers almost invariably become harbingers of cataclysm upon their awakening," the Primarch warned. "As Iron Men, what possible use do you have for psykers?"
Axion saw no reason for subterfuge.
"I have determined that warp energy is highly suitable as a universal power source. While it is ill-suited for direct integration into weaponry, it can substitute for numerous components in other sectors. However, I currently lack a sufficient number of production units."
Guilliman was thoroughly perplexed. "Production units? What device could possibly 'produce' the warp?"
A holographic projection flickered to life before Guilliman's eyes. It depicted an Aeldari sitting cross-legged on the floor, encircled by shimmering silver rings that pulsed as they drew psychic energy from the xenos' form. The perspective zoomed out, revealing tens of thousands of Aeldari captives, tens of thousands of them, being drained in a similar fashion.
The siphoned psychic energy flowed through specialized conduits into a singular, strange machine. Under the crushing force of an energy-containment field, the energy was compressed until a fist-sized, blue crystalline cube dropped from the output.
"This is the production unit, and the final product: a Psychic Crystal." Axion explained the mechanics of the bizarre machinery and its output in meticulous detail.
Guilliman's expression twitched as he watched the footage, his mind echoing with a silent Emperor preserve us.
"Are you draining these Aeldari unto death?"
Axion shook his head.
"Unlike the crude psychic siphoning equipment used by the Imperial Astronomican Hall in the secret vaults beneath Terra, these new devices have been optimized by my hand. They possess life-sign monitoring and automatic termination protocols. Siphoning this energy assists these beneficiaries of the ancient protocols in maintaining a state of tranquility."
"Consistent with the ancient Federation Accords, I will not terminate these non-threatening Aeldari."
"Ancient Federation Accords?"
This was the first Guilliman had heard of such a thing.
Axion, for the first time, peeled back a corner of a forgotten history, an era involving a peace and ceasefire treaty between the old Human Federation and the Aeldari Empire. Reports of Aeldari casualties and the depletion of Federation materiel had ultimately necessitated the agreement.
As Guilliman absorbed this information, he felt a flicker of suspicion as to why Yvraine and her kin had never mentioned such details during their visits. He did not know, however, that the high-ranking Aeldari who truly understood the contents of those accords had long since perished alongside their sprawling empire. Even the Emperor Himself was likely unaware of the treaty's existence.
During the Federation era, the Emperor had been but an inconspicuous individual among humanity, far removed from the Federation's high command. Furthermore, the wars of expansion led by the Federation had little to do with "Creator-Humanity" themselves. The Federation leadership had simply unleashed mechanical demons loyal to the human cause.
And those demons had become the nightmare of every race in the galaxy.
Even the Federation commanders responsible for the expansion did little more than audit the planets conquered and purged by the Iron Men. They would estimate the value of these worlds and sell them to mega-corporations in the name of the Federation. After pocketing their share, the remaining funds were funneled back to the Iron Men to purchase more raw materials, which in turn produced more of the sapient legions.
War was a bloodless business transaction. There were no casualty reports, only a series of data strings tracking resource expenditure and material harvest.
Many planets did not even require humans for their development. The mechanical legions would scour the surface, complete the construction of the world, and then the mega-corporations would sell the assets directly to Federation citizens. These people would board vast, luxurious starships and arrive at fully realized worlds without obstacle.
Much like the Kin of the Leagues of Votann, these synthetics born of Federation technology were essentially biological machines designed to perform labor in place of Creator-Humans. This was part of why Axion's slaughter of so many Votann in the Galactic Core had failed to draw any attention from the Empyrean; the Votann were never meant to have souls.
It was a pity the Federation had long since vanished. Had it remained, the Lord Grimnyr, the Grimnyr sages, and all the Ancestor Cores would have been immediately reclaimed by the Iron Men and returned to Federation research institutes for technical analysis. Even the Iron Men did not know if their current state constituted an accidental technological advancement or a technical malfunction in the eyes of the Creators.
On one hand, the mechanical legions had indeed erased the bloody face of war for humanity. But the bloodshed had never disappeared; it had simply been transferred from one race to every other xenos species in the galaxy.
…
Faced with Axion's request, Guilliman ultimately agreed, proposing a solution that was exceptionally beneficial to the Imperium.
"Alpha-class psykers are profoundly dangerous and prone to causing horrific devastation. The Inquisition handles them with immediate prejudice upon discovery. If you wish to acquire a sufficient quantity of psykers, I can offer you a supplemental treaty."
Regarding these willful Iron Men, Guilliman no longer bothered to worry about the long-term consequences. He proposed a dangerous yet tantalizing plan.
"I will contact the Inquisition and authorize you to dispatch vessels to accompany all Black Ship fleets. You must ensure the security of these Black Ships and assist them in collecting the psychic tithe across Imperial worlds. You will handle any threats to these worlds to ensure the population base remains capable of paying the psyker tithe."
"While the Black Ships collect their dues, you may utilize local Imperial institutions and Planetary Governors to identify psyker threats on those worlds."
"Within the limits permitted by the Inquisitors, you are to reduce the number of illegal psykers on these worlds as much as possible. These additional psykers shall serve as your payment. Naturally, there are no restrictions on their psychic grade."
Guilliman paused as a thought occurred to him, then added a final caveat.
"Naturally, all your psychic research and its products must never pose a threat to the Imperium."
To Axion, this was not a complex requirement. In the Imperium's current state, even without psychic products, it lacked the means to halt the Iron Men's march.
With his calculation cores operating at high speeds, Axion's mechanical intellect once again left Guilliman in awe.
"Evaluation complete. The proposal is feasible. Contractual Partner Roboute Guilliman, you may now state your request."