The riots on Terra

After the long Age of Darkness, Terra, humanity's home and the former heart of the Imperium of Man, was united once more.

Humanity cheered fervently, celebrating the glorious victory brought by the great Emperor.

Bona stood on the dais, watching the formations of the Legiones Astartes march past below.

Twenty legions passed in all. Although they still looked inexperienced, they were already beginning to show their mettle.

The Imperial Army followed. Most of its soldiers came from the armies of Terra's former rival powers.

Last came the formation of Thunder Warriors.

They radiated murderous intent the moment they entered. Their equipment and Power Armour were hardly sophisticated, their armour covered in scratches and dents, with faint traces of blood still visible.

Although it seemed to have been washed many times, a faint smell of blood still lingered.

With the Adeptus Custodes absent from the parade, they were undoubtedly the fiercest fighting force present.

By the great Emperor's grace, the Thunder Warriors had survived.

But the Emperor had still cancelled every project to create more Thunder Warriors, turning all his efforts toward producing Astartes instead.

The remaining Thunder Warriors had been assigned to the Solar System's garrison, responsible for defending it and training Astartes recruits.

More than once, the Thunder Warriors had asked the Emperor to take them with him, but for some unknown reason, he had refused.

His exact words had been, "Your battlefield is here."

Although the Thunder Warriors were somewhat baffled, they had faithfully carried out the Emperor's orders.

And there, at the focus of every gaze, a rising star stood in the sun's place.

The people below celebrated wildly. Many reached out with tears in their eyes, shouting at the top of their lungs.

Although the Imperium's methods were bloody, and most nations had joined it under force of arms, there was no denying that it had turned the people of Terra from "beasts that could walk, shoot, and talk" into human beings.

The Emperor gently lowered his hand, and the cheering gradually subsided.

"People of the Imperium."

"Through our efforts, Terra, the mother humanity knows best, has returned to peace once more."

"Although I would dearly like to stop here and restore our mother to her original beauty."

"Among those countless stars, millions upon millions of our kin still suffer under alien exploitation."

"To restore humanity to greatness, I will launch a mighty war, an epic crusade, to reunite all humanity and forge its glory anew."

The people below erupted in fervent cheers as one.

Escorted by the Adeptus Custodes, the Emperor left and returned to his base.

He planned to build a magnificent palace here. Although he was reluctant to embark on such a vast construction project at such a cost in labour and resources, the palace had to be built.

Malcador and Bona were already waiting there.

"My lord."

"Father."

Bona looked very excited.

"Are we going to begin the crusade?"

The Emperor nodded.

"Child, you did well with the Thunder Warriors."

Bona looked delighted.

"Of course, Father. That's because I..."

Bona was about to take out the book and show it to the Emperor. He was certain his father would love its contents. A book like this should never have been buried in a pile of books.

The Emperor gently raised a hand to stop Bona.

"Child, wait a little. Malcador and I have some important matters to discuss. I'll come find you afterward."

Bona paused, then nodded, looking a little disappointed.

"All right. I'll go back to the library, then."

Looking at the dejected little fellow, the Emperor gently reached out and stroked his head.

"Thank you for all your hard work lately."

"It's nothing."

Bona left.

The Emperor and Malcador left the spot and came to the palace gates.

The Imperial Palace

"My lord, have you decided how to build the palace?"

"I have, but only in broad strokes."

"I would be glad to hear them."

The Emperor pointed to an area.

"That will be the starting point, where we begin our great work."

Malcador nodded gently.

"This will be rather difficult. I will help you."

"Mm."

Malcador suddenly sensed a trace of hesitation in him.

That was not something he should have displayed.

"Is there anything else you wish to say?"

"I also want to build homes for the children."

The Emperor pointed somewhere else.

"That could be a place for art, that could be a place for architecture, and over there..."

Malcador looked at him in surprise.

This...

For a moment, he could no longer understand his sovereign, as though something had interfered with that great radiance.

No, not interfered.

Rather...

Changed it.

Suddenly, they saw a section of ground in the palace district erupt, and a blaze of multicoloured light burst out from beneath it.

The nearby mortals looked directly into the light, then swiftly let out agonized howls. All of them collapsed, their bodies twisting at unnatural angles.

Then a mass of indescribable creatures poured out, wantonly slaughtering the soldiers who still stood firm.

The Emperor's expression changed at once.

That was...

"Ten Thousand, purge these evil things!"

Before Malcador could even consider what had happened, he saw Warp light begin appearing in great quantities, shaking the foundations of reality on Terra.

He knew what His Majesty had gone to do, and now he had to stabilize the situation in his stead.

Like a meteor, the Emperor set the sea boiling. Every daemon that looked directly at his radiance let out a howl of pain.

They tried to evade that hateful light, only to be cut down by the Adeptus Custodes and Sisters of Silence following close behind him.

The unholy creatures burned beneath the blazing sun. Even Greater Daemons vanished utterly in his radiance.

When the Emperor burst into the central area, he nearly went mad with rage.

The laboratory was empty. Instruments lay scattered across the floor, and the life-support installations that had once held gestation capsules stood vacant.

There was still one capsule, though, held by someone with pointed ears.

Her beauty would have shamed even the most beautiful Aeldari, and her allure could have driven even an unwavering monk to madness.

Slaanesh blinked, looking at the huge golden fellow before her.

She stuck out her tongue and smiled, tossed the last gestation capsule in her hands into the Warp, then waved cheerfully at him.

"Hi! Hello there. First time meeting you-are you that 'Cursed One'?"

Boundless rage surged from his heart. In the next instant, a flaming blade cleaved through her head.

But the blow met no resistance, and a pitiful little voice came from behind him.

"Hey, hey, hey! Why so violent? I did just help you wipe out the Aeldari, you know. They used to love bullying humans."

The only answer was a blaze of burning radiance. In the blink of an eye, the entire laboratory became a burning expanse of molten rock.

"Hehe~~ See you next time!"

He turned to look, but there was nothing there.

In his fury, the Emperor nearly destroyed everything around him, but he swiftly regained his composure.

They could clearly have stolen them away quietly. Why make such a commotion?

Given the price they had to pay, even a brainless lunatic like Slaanesh would have stopped to think.

What if...

In an instant, even the ever-cold, resolute Emperor felt a panic he had not known in a long time.

What if their target wasn't here?