"Bzzzt... my lord, an incoming Astropathic communication from the east. It is from Archmagos Cawl. Shall I connect you?"
The voice of the communications officer on the bridge of Macragge's Honour rang through the vox array of Guilliman's Armour of Fate.
Guilliman was rather relieved that Cawl had received his message so quickly.
"Connect the Astropathic communication."
By now, Iax had gained some understanding of Belisarius Cawl.
However, the memories and experiences stored in Cawl's duplicate were a vast jumble of fragments, and much of the information was incomplete.
What Iax had seen most often among them were scenes of Cawl giving everything he had to the Imperium.
Research, calculations, scientific investigation, design, and manufacture, day and night without rest.
Across fragmented memories spanning more than ten thousand years, almost ninety percent consisted of thoughts he had had while working.
His dedication surpassed even that of the Men of Gold in the data records.
After all, even Engineers took breaks. Yet for the Imperium and his promise to Guilliman, Cawl had chosen to modify himself. Countless fragmented memories of mechanical augmentations being installed had finally culminated in an enormous, hideous Mechanical Body.
Having finished collating the data, Iax understood clearly that, as far as this so-called Imperium was concerned, Cawl was a researcher whose loyalty could not be surpassed.
Having glimpsed Cawl's entire life, even Iax, one of the Men of Iron, could not help but admire him.
Cawl also held a special significance for Guilliman himself.
Cawl was Guilliman's old friend, one of the people he trusted most, someone to whom he could even entrust his life. And Cawl had answered that trust in a perfect, exemplary fashion.
Guilliman's conversation with Cawl was brief. They discussed no important information over the Astropathic communication.
Cawl personally told Guilliman where he