Within just three months, nine of the Twelve Seats of the old High Lords of Terra had fallen vacant through various "bizarre" yet "logical" accidents. A reverent silence hung over the entire upper echelon of the Imperium. Everyone knew that the order on Terra had changed.
Without exception, the newly appointed High Lords were distinguished figures in their respective fields, practical men and women renowned for their pragmatism and loyalty. They might not have been as adept at political maneuvering as their predecessors, but every one of them had personally witnessed the miraculous feats that Saul, the "Ember Saint," had accomplished in the Maelstrom region. Their feelings toward Saul and the Sons of Sorrow Chapter were a complicated mixture of awe, gratitude, and political realism.
Thus, under Marshal Valoris's "friendly" supervision, a resource allocation conference at the highest level was held on Terra specifically for the Sons of Sorrow Chapter.
Saul, the newly risen Living Saint, stood alongside Chapter Master Phoros before the holographic star map that symbolized the Imperium's supreme authority. This time, they were no longer suspects on trial, but honored guests who would determine the Imperium's future.
"Saint Saul, Chapter Master Phoros." The newly appointed Lord Commander of the Astra Militarum, a lean, formidable veteran with a resolute face, rose first and gave them a precise military salute. "On behalf of the Imperium's countless trillions of citizens, I thank you for your heroic sacrifices in the Maelstrom region. You saved not merely a sector, but the honor of the Imperium."
"The Sons of Sorrow merely fulfilled our oath to protect the innocent," Phoros replied in a deep voice, neither servile nor arrogant.
"An oath worthy of remembrance throughout the Imperium." The new Fabricator-General, a more open-minded Sage from Mars, took up the conversation. Streams of data glimmered