At that moment, the air aboard the warship was heavy with tension. Golden light, symbolic of the holy Emperor, shone within the Bridge, but it came not from an icon of the Emperor, but from three giants clad in ornate golden armour, as though they had stepped out of ancient myth.
They were the Emperor's Adeptus Custodes, the Imperium's last Defense Line.
The lead Custodian stepped forward. Though he was not as imposing as the Primarch Lorgar, he radiated a restrained, deadly authority. Every inch of his armour seemed steeped in boundless power and the weight of ages.
He removed his Helmet, revealing an angular, expressionless face. His gaze was as sharp as a hawk's as he looked straight at the Primarch.
"How should I address you, Custodian?" Lorgar asked, studying the Custodian before him.
"My name is Hermes, Primarch." The Custodian's voice emerged through his exquisite mask, clear and cold, with a formulaic brevity.
To some of the loyal Legion warriors, this almost equal footing in his tone seemed an affront to their Legion's great Primarch.
"Mind your words, Custodian! Show our father the respect he deserves!" Beside Lorgar, the Word Bearers Chapter Master Rockefeller stepped forward, his Power Armour giving a low hum.
He could not tolerate anyone, even an exalted Custodian, treating his Legion's lord—the man he revered most—with such indifference.
As far as he was concerned, merely keeping his temper in check while speaking to Hermes was already an act of tremendous restraint.
Hermes did not even glance at Rockefeller. His golden Helmet turned through an almost imperceptible angle, then turned back.
In his eyes, an Interstellar Space Marine Chapter Master was fundamentally no different from an ordinary Legion warrior. Both were weapons required to obey orders.
When necessary, they could be discarded at any moment.