"Konor."
In the grand corridor of the Senate, Gallan called out to the Consul who was about to head into the Senate chamber.
Konor stopped and made a jest. "What a surprise, Gallan. I thought you were planning never to speak to me again."
Ever since he had taken Julius away from Konor's domus that day, Gallan had seemed to be avoiding Konor. Even when handling administrative matters, he had his secretary relay messages, never meeting in person.
Gallan's expression was blank, his tone stiff. "You know that's impossible. Consuls must attend the Senate."
Konor responded calmly, "Indeed. I have always believed that Macragge needs the joint governance of its two Consuls."
Gallan pretended not to understand, deliberately changing the subject. He questioned instead: "Do you trust those two outsiders so much?"
"One is my son, and the other is my son's father," Konor countered smoothly. "What reason do I have to doubt them?"
"But they are not children of Macragge!"
"His father may not be, but Roboute was raised on this soil. He may not have Macraggian blood, but he has the Macraggian spirit."
"If you insist on discussing purity of bloodline, our ancestors all came from Terra. How much difference can there really be in our genes?"
Gallan's face darkened instantly, his voice filled with suppressed fury. "Do you have any concept of the sheer danger of what you are doing?"
Konor gazed at him. "And you, Gallan? Do you truly understand what you're doing?"
Gallan's eyes flickered away. He merely snorted coldly and strode quickly into the chamber.
Konor sighed softly in his heart. He knew this wouldn't change overnight.
He just hoped Gallan wouldn't push things to an irreparable state.
....
Caelan sat quietly on the tiered seating of the Senate House. He didn't like sitting next to strangers, so he occupied three seats.
The Senators frequently frowned and complained about the slightly cramped space, but no one noticed the source of the anomaly, ignoring the uninvited guest.
Caelan's use of psychic power had become increasingly proficient. He masked the mortals' perception of his presence.
Even fellow psykers, if their level was too low, would find it difficult to sense him.
This wasn't a spur-of-the-moment decision for Caelan. He had long planned a thorough screening of the Macraggian Senate.
Although the possibility of Chaos corruption on Macragge was extremely low, it was not zero.
Given the pervasive nature of Chaos, he couldn't afford to be careless. He had to take necessary precautions.
The other three Gods were secondary concerns. The main focus was guarding against Tzeentch. He loved to play with schemes and intrigues.
Nurgle had only schemed against little Mortarion on Barbarus, taking away his adoptive father. He was very focused.
Slaanesh and Khorne had yet to make significant moves. Slaanesh hadn't targeted Fulgrim, nor had Khorne targeted Dorn.
Perhaps they were too busy, perhaps they had other matters to attend to, but more likely, they had other schemes.
Only Tzeentch would take a shot regardless of the odds, appearing everywhere from Baal to Olympia.
Caelan suddenly frowned, following his intuition to a certain spot.
A young Senator in a deep blue robe was staring in confusion in his direction.
Caelan was confident his psychic concealment was flawless, and the young man showed no signs of being a psyker. He shouldn't be able to see through his disguise.
But the young man seemed to sense something was off.
This was very unusual.
The Macraggian Senate had 500 Senators, spearheaded by 4 High Lords.
Konor and Gallan were not only Consuls but also two of the four High Lords, as well as senior judges of the legislative assembly, second only to the Chief Justice.
Beneath the chamber's towering circular dome, the 500 most powerful nobles of Macragge gathered, their focus fixed on the central speaker's platform.
The two Consuls stood side-by-side. Sunlight streaming through the dome onto their blue robes, making them shine.
Following custom, they first conducted routine discussions on recent administrative affairs: repairs to the city's aqueducts, adjustments to trade tariffs, and so on. Every Senate session began like this.
These matters didn't actually need discussion. The Consuls could decide them on their own.
But if so, what was the point of the Senate?
They had to introduce some less important but seemingly critical issues for the Senators to debate, to feed their desire for power.
After the usual administrative discussions concluded, Konor slowly spoke: "Just three days ago, the barbarians of Illyrium once again crossed the border and sacked our border towns. This is the fifth attack this month."
"For centuries, they have been gnawing away at our territory like a bone-deep infection."
"Whenever Macragge shows the slightest weakness, they are quick to take a bite out of us."
"Our citizens have suffered immensely. Countless Macraggians have lost their lives."
"Now, it is time to strike back!"
Gallan frowned slightly but did not interrupt.
Konor continued, "We must form an expeditionary force. Not only to repel the invading barbarians, but to solve the barbarian threat once and for all!"
"For the honour of Macragge, we will crush the invaders!"
His impassioned speech drew to a close, and the chamber fell into a brief silence.
On domestic matters, the Senators might obstruct each other.
But faced with an external enemy, they always set aside their differences and united against the threat.
An expeditionary force was necessary; it was tit-for-tat retaliation against the hill tribes, as in previous years.
Their discussion wasn't about whether to send an expedition, but rather,
A Senator asked loudly, "Consul Konor, who do you believe should command the expedition?"
Konor looked around at the Senators, making no attempt to hide his intention. "I propose my adopted son, Roboute Guilliman, as Supreme Commander of the expedition!"
The Senators murmured among themselves. Konor was paving the way for his adopted son. Not surprising. They would all do the same.
It was also part of Macragge's governance.
But wasn't Konor moving a bit too fast?
Young people joining the military was customary, but they usually started as junior officers to gain experience.
Appointing a rookie as commander seemed more like overhyping, setting him up for a fall.
If the expedition failed, the commander would inevitably face immense pressure, potentially ending their political career.
But no one believed Konor would set up his own adopted son. So how confident was Konor in his adopted son?
"I approve." A Senator suddenly spoke up. "Young people should indeed be given opportunities to gain experience."
"Seconded."
"In favour."
Voices of support rose one after another. Many Senators voted in favour. They belonged to Konor's faction.
Among the Senate's 500 Senators, there were only four High Lords.
These four High Lords represented four factions. Konor's faction was extremely powerful.
He had also already informed his faction's Senators of his proposal. Their support was unsurprising.
But Konor's faction alone wasn't enough to pass the proposal. The key was whether the other factions would support it.
Gallan narrowed his eyes slightly, then slowly raised his hand. "I also approve."
There was no need for him to fall out with Konor over such a trivial matter. It wouldn't be wise.
Gallan's expressed stance was like the first domino to fall. Members of his faction voted in favour one after another.
It was just a minor military appointment. If he wanted it, let him have it!
"Consul Konor."
A sudden, abrupt voice arose from among the Senators. "How do you plan to solve the barbarian threat once and for all?"
Caelan looked towards the source. Among a sea of middle-aged and elderly Senators, the sole young man stood out like a crane among chickens.
He wore a deep blue robe with his family crest on his chest. His eyes held a sharp, proud glint.
He was very young, perhaps only nine years old, equivalent to twenty-six or twenty-seven on Terra.
"Military operations require secrecy. I cannot disclose tactical details publicly."
The young man abruptly stood from his seat. "Every Senator here is a master of Macragge. Do you believe any of us would tip off the barbarians?"
Gallan frowned deeply.
Even though he and Konor disagreed on policy, they shared an unspoken understanding regarding the Senate's conduct.
If these Senators were content to be mascots, only indulging their tongues during Senate sessions, everyone was happy.
But if they attempted to meddle in power, they would join forces to suppress them.
What he hated most was this kind of upstart who didn't know his place, just looking for attention!
Such people were young, arrogant, and highly ambitious.
He couldn't sway the Senate's decisions, and he knew it.
But he could use this opportunity to make a name for himself, to ensure every Senator remembered his name.
He wouldn't be content with just being a Senator. He would try to become a High Lord, or even Consul.
Gallan knew this game very well, because he and Konor had been the same way.
Gallan glanced subtly at Konor. His only concern now was that Konor might mistakenly believe he was behind this.
But even if he wanted to cause Konor trouble, he wouldn't be foolish enough to use such a crude trick.
"Who is he?" Caelan's voice was very soft, almost like a hallucination.
The Senator next to him, startled, answered instinctively: "Aulus Avitus. Current head of the House Avitus."
"Wait, who are you?" The Senator looked at the man who had suddenly appeared beside him, his eyes widening.
'How was he occupying three seats? No wonder it felt so cramped today!'
The Senator was about to shout, but the next moment, he seemed to be muted, his mouth open but no sound coming out.
A look of innocent confusion appeared in the Senator's eyes. 'What had just happened?'
The Senator couldn't help but complain, "Why is it so crowded? What's going on today? Vibius, move over a bit. I'm thirty years old, these old bones can't take much."
Konor fixed the young man with a warning gaze. "Of course, there are no traitor in the walls of the Senate. But if Senators reveal military secrets to their families in casual conversation, and families tell servants, word will spread. It will eventually reach the barbarians."
Avitus still pressed the issue. "You claim you will solve the barbarian threat once and for all, yet you remain silent on the specifics. How can we believe this expedition will be effective, rather than a waste of resources that achieves nothing?"
"Enough!" The one who stopped him wasn't Konor, but Gallan. He announced coldly, "Today's session has run overtime. Let's proceed to a vote!"
Avitus was almost exactly like Gallan in his youth. If Gallan were thirty, he would admire such a young man.
But he was fourteen, in his prime.
Even if he stepped down, he would be succeeded by Julius, not an outsider.
The Senators had no objections. Hands raised in favour like a forest of arms.
Macragge's seesawing conflict with the barbarians had lasted centuries, with border clashes every year.
Konor's proposal was merely a way to build political capital for his adopted son. No one believed he could actually solve the barbarian threat. But no one else, save Avitus, was eager to seek the limelight either.
They were old now. They had no ambition to become Consul.
Gallan quickly swept his gaze across the chamber and announced loudly, "More than two-thirds in favour. The proposal is passed!"
Any agenda in the Senate required an absolute majority, i.e., more than half the votes. Military actions required more than two-thirds approval.
This vote was 500 in favour, even Avitus, who had raised objections, had to raise his hand.
Such an outcome was entirely expected. Given Konor's immense influence in the Senate, unanimous approval was hardly difficult.
As the session ended, Gallan looked coldly at Avitus, his voice laced with clear warning. "Avitus, let me give you some advice. Young people shouldn't be so arrogant."
A defiant look appeared on Avitus's face. "Consul Gallan, if not arrogant, is one still young?"
"Hah." Gallan sneered. He hated such upstarts more than anything and was already scheming to get him kicked out of the Senate.
Macragge only needed two Consuls, no more.
There were only 500 Senate seats, but Macragge had far more than 500 nobles.
Senate seats were highly coveted. Since this young man didn't appreciate the opportunity, he could give it to someone else.
...
At dinner, Caelan said gravely, "Konor, that Avitus is problematic. Get me his file. I need to assess him."
"I'll have someone compile it." Konor nodded. Caelan wasn't a Macraggian Senator, but Konor wasn't surprised he had attended the Senate.
Given Caelan's psychic prowess, mortals could barely perceive his presence.
Guilliman asked, "Father, what's abnormal about him?"
"No signs of Chaos corruption, for now. But he stood out too much. It's not unusual for a young man to have political ambitions. But he also vaguely sensed my presence. Someone with such talent is no ordinary man."
"He might be a latent psyker, and a high-level one at that."
"And he has his own agenda. Chaos loves to target such people."
Euten frowned, "Is he really that dangerous?"
"Mortals are individually weak, but they can use bloody sacrificial rituals to allow Chaos to manifest in the material universe."
"Psykers are the biggest source of infection in the material universe. And Chaos is very patient. To achieve their goals, They can scheme for millennia."
"Perhaps the seeds of Chaos corruption were sown when the Avitus family was founded, lying dormant until now."
A trace of worry flickered in Guilliman's eyes. "Father, are my brothers also being stalked by the shadow of Chaos?"
Before he turned three, Caelan never discussed Chaos or the Imperium with him.
He had just recently turned three, and Caelan had only just begun his formal education.
But in front of his parents, they only touched on the surface, never discussing things too deeply, as it would do Konor and Euten no good.
"All Primarchs are coveted by Chaos. They schemed for millennia on Barbarus and Colchis. Their plots haven't been completely eradicated. Your brothers still suffer."
"Since the Gods can deploy agents on your other brothers' homeworlds, they can certainly do so on Macragge. We cannot afford any laxity!"
"Even if Avitus shows no signs of corruption now, it just means he hasn't yet fallen. But the whispers of Chaos are like bone-deep maggots."
"Konor, Euten, if you ever suddenly hear whispers, no matter what they say, tell me and Roboute immediately!"
Konor and Euten both looked grave. Caelan rarely spoke to them so seriously. They wouldn't take his warning lightly.
Caelan's concerns were not unfounded. Once targeted by Chaos whispers, the fall could happen in an instant.
The whispers themselves aren't dangerous. They don't corrupt those who hear them.
The danger lies in believing the whispers and bowing to the Gods.
Chaos whispers are like poisonous candy, always baiting the hook with a person's deepest desires.
The greater the desire and ambition, the more easily one is tempted by the whispers, believing Chaos's promises.
The Astartes implantation process suppresses the subject's emotions. One of its purposes might be to resist the whispers of Chaos.
Though Astartes aren't completely immune to it either, they can still fall due to pride, they are far more stable than mortals or Thunder Warriors.
At the end of the Terran Unification Wars, the Emperor's culling of the Thunder Warriors likely considered this factor.
Thunder Warriors were far more powerful than Astartes . In limited engagement records, even when only equipped with MK1 half-powered armour, their exchange ratio against Astartes in more advanced MK2 power armour was an astonishing 1:4 – 1:5.
However, this great power came with fatal flaws.
Thunder Warriors had very short lifespans, comparable to mortals, and their personalities became bloodthirsty and ferocious.
These physical flaws made their jealousy of their Space Marine colleagues grow, eventually leading to rebellion against the Emperor.
The rebellion occurred at the Imperial Palace. At least two companies of Thunder Warriors, led by the Primarch Ushotan, stormed the palace.
The Emperor also purged the Thunder Warriors.
At the Battle of Mount Ararat, many Thunder Warriors died in a combined purge by the Custodes and other Thunder Warriors loyal to the Emperor.
Yet even so, the Emperor did not exterminate all Thunder Warriors.
Some survivors were spared, and some were even fortunate enough to undergo the implantation surgery to become Astartes.
Perhaps from the Emperor's perspective, purging the Thunder Warriors was also a necessary sacrifice, to prevent them from threatening the foundations of the nascent Imperium.
For the greater good, the Emperor could be utterly ruthless.
"Guilliman." Caelan looked at the Primarch. "I will deal with Avitus. Go conquer Illyrium, and return laden with honour!"
Guilliman struck his chest heavily with his right fist. "As you wish, Father!"