The Stormbird landed with absolute steadiness on the Gloriana-class hangar deck.
Around the deck, an honor guard from the 19th Legion, clad in Power Armor, was already waiting for their gene-father to emerge from the Custodes' Stormbird.
At that moment, even the Custodes' unbelievably tacky gold paint scheme seemed pleasing to the eye.
"He's here, he's here!!!" As they relished the unique stirrings within their genes, the more than twenty thousand gathered Astartes of the 19th Legion clearly sensed that genetic connection. At that moment, every Astartes felt an inexplicable sense of peace, like children who had wandered far from home for many years finally returning.
All their worries, restlessness, and unease vanished in that instant, leaving only tranquility—the tranquility of souls that had been cleansed.
"Welcome home, great gene-father!" More than twenty thousand Astartes, standing in orderly ranks within the Emperor's Shadow's largest hall, stared excitedly at the figure who had appeared upon the hastily constructed platform.
"Greetings, my brothers." The moment Korax spoke, the minds of everyone in the 19th Legion exploded.
"He actually called me brother!!!"
"Could you call us that again?" A recruit could not help breaking the silence.
"Greetings, my brothers. Yes, you heard correctly, and it was not a slip of the tongue." Korax smiled at the Astartes recruit.
"I am Korax, your Primarch, but I believe you are all my brothers—brothers who will live and die alongside me in the future, just like the family who fought beside me on Savior Star. I promise you this: I will not favor anyone because of the class they originally came from!!!" Korax shouted from the platform to all the Legion warriors.
"Brother! Brother! Brother!!!" The neatly lined members of the 19th Legion immediately answered their Primarch with thunderous cheers.
"Remove your helmets. Let me remember