The Lost Primarch Quest

With the new year, research continued to progress. The first was a basic understanding of gene-seed that Kesar was studying. This was extraordinarily difficult. The Omophagea plagued his understanding for nearly the entire year. Kesar was sure that he would need to spend another year on the subject, at least until he received a message from the Biologis. Apparently, they had managed to ascertain key features of this organ, specifically how it seemed to process the neurons in a subject's brain and use these as a psychic focus to analyze the target's memories. It was brilliant and complicated. Now that Kesar knew how gene-seed functioned on a genetic level, he began to make minor improvements to the selection process. By changing the desired genetic markers, he could increase survivability slightly which would allow for less stringent selection processes. Sadly, the genetics were only a small part of the issue. The main part of the gene-seed eluded him. The XIth Primarch still needed to understand how the warp part of the gene-seed functioned, and this would be far more difficult. Nevertheless, increasing recruitment by 1000 Astartes a year was significant.

Alongside this research, was research into how precisely warp engines operated. After just a short period of time, Kesar found the answer. This time, the solution seemed to be some sort of hyperdimensional hybrid of fundamental forces. Specifically, a quirk of the warp where gravity still functioned and exotic particles would exhibit different physical properties. This was manipulated by the warp engine into creating a thrust that was comprised of a random force at each specific moment. Sometimes it would be thrust forward due to gravity, sometimes due to electrostatic forces despite their not being a charge on the ship, at one-point Kesar was fairly sure that the ship somehow teleported. While this was fascinating, it didn't completely encapsulate the fundamental principles which caused it to function, merely how it operated. Moreover, it also didn't properly explain how the warp engines and Gellar field worked in unison with one another. Still, significant progress had been made.

The next set of research covered void shields which somehow dissipated energy into the warp. This was where Kesar had his biggest breakthrough of the year. When he was first analyzing void shields, he found an interesting phenomenon. When void shields were struck, psykers felt slightly warmer. Curious, he analyzed the radiation before he came to a realization. It seems that void shields generated a stream of exotic particles which clung to the ship due to a rule of the warp. When exposed to energy or mass, these particles would convert the energy or kinetic energy of the mass into a brief burst of radiation which travels through the warp. As such, when a void shield collapses, the generator has run out of particles and needs time to generate more. It was a fascinating concept that Kesar managed to use. With the use of the equipment normally used to maintain the void shields and plasma reactors, Kesar managed to bottle these particles. While the actual process took far too long for actual production, it was sufficient for a single device that he created. The Sentinel Defense System (SDS) was a one-shot device that would create a momentary void shield at the last possible moment. Hopefully, Kesar could make use of it.

The last research was on the Rune of Reinforcement. While Kesar initially expected to spend most of the year sketching the rune, he found something fascinating. It seems that while the original rune was too good at holding together molecular bonds, that rune could easily be adjusted to create a higher level rune. This Rune of Maintenance effectively allowed his troops to never need resupply except for food, water, and ammunition. The latter two weren't needed and the last was in abundant supply. As such, it meant that the Wardens could operate for months if needed as long as they had ammunition, and with Volkites and Lasguns, that was almost a non-issue. In addition, Kesar still had the time to create the Rune of Reinforcement as intended. Sadly, the rune was rather weak on its own, but Kesar could see that it was meant to be used as a binding rune. He was very interested in seeing what a reinforcement rune combined with a mortality rune would do to daemons. Sadly, he would need to wait for a while to do that. Nevertheless, the Reinforcement Rune still provided a small amount of protection.

*Basic Gene Seed Complete*
*+1000 Astartes recruitment rate*
* Warp Engine Basic design Complete*
* Warp Engine Mastery – Advanced Unlocked*
*Void Shield Basic Design Completes*
*Void Shield Advanced Design Unlocked*
*SDS Gained, reroll the first time Kesar takes damage*

As Kesar worked on research, he decided he would visit his brother Roboute Guilliman. The Primarch of the Ultramarines had given him a small boost in production, so it would be good to meet him. The Ultramarines did outnumber the Eternal Wardens three to one and Guilliman did have the highest compliance rate of all the Primarchs so far. As such, Kesar requested an audience with the Master of Ultramar. It was granted, and Kesar traveled to a nearby world of Guilliman's. When he arrived, he found the Ultramarines in the midst of reconstruction efforts, with a score training a PDF from scratch. There, he met his Brother.

"Brother, it is a pleasure to meet you." At hearing this, Guilliman looked up before nodding and motioning Kesar over. When Kesar came closer, the XIIIth Primarch asked a question.

"What governing system do you think would work best on this world? Currently, I am leaning towards a monarchy, but I can see an argument for an elected dictatorship." Surprised, Kesar turned his gaze at the paperwork Guilliman was reviewing. On it was an in-depth analysis of the pros and cons of different governing systems on this world.

"Personally, I would go with an elected dictatorship." At Guilliman's raised eyebrow, Kesar elaborated. "I am not saying that your decision is invalid, just that the people here used to have one, so it may be less of a cultural shock."

"An interesting idea, however, I will go with an Oligarchy instead. Easier for me to play the groups against each other if they decide to rebel." Kesar was slightly irritated at his advice being ignored, but he assumed that there was some information he was not privy to. Oblivious to this, Guilliman continued. "I mean no offense Brother. I was merely testing you. It seems you are not very skilled at administration. Not to worry, I'm sure you have your own specialties."

At this Kesar frowned. While Guilliman was undoubtedly good at administration and infrastructure, stating this blatantly was uncalled for. Nevertheless, Kesar decided to move past this. "I concede that you are my superior in this aspect. However, I would appreciate it if you were politer about it next time."

Nodding at this, Guilliman acceded to the point. "I suppose I could make an effort. But I am glad to see that you acknowledge my skills in this aspect. How goes the new responsibility?"

Leaning back in thought, Kesar contemplated the upcoming campaign plans. "I do not know as of yet. Our Father gave my Legion rest for the year to recuperate, we only now embark on our chosen mission."

Wincing, Guilliman looked slightly sheepish at this but sidestepped the issue. "I am interested in that new armor you are slowly distributing. That recent shipment caught my eye."

Pleased Kesar was happy to elaborate. "Why thank you, I spent a few days creating incremental improvements to the electromotive tendons. I managed to replace it with a crystal lattice which improved response time."

Frowning, Guilliman pointed out something he was sure Kesar missed. "Crystals tend to be brittle, how did … ah, I see. You used a crystal hybrid." At Kesar's nod, Guilliman began taking notes on a new sheet of paper. "Now let's see. Import here, adjust the corporate local tax, subsidies for Rogue Traders, possibly a tariff on key materials … Yes, this can work."

As Guilliman began muttering administrative plans, Kesar politely coughed. "Brother, as informative as this is, could you explain what you are attempting to do?"

With a hint of red on his cheeks, Guilliman looked up. "I am calculating the production rate of the MkIIB armor." Gesturing to his notes on the construction process, he continued. "I believe I can create this armor faster with my domain. If you share the design, I could likely provide the suits to your Legion within two years."

To this Kesar responded with

[] Allow Guilliman to produce the armor for you
[] Refuse to allow the Ultramarines access to the armor
[] Write-in

After hashing out the details, Kesar left for a meeting he was not looking forward to. Lorgar had been extremely rude and harsh in his messages, often insinuating very insulting phrases about his homeworld. Nevertheless, Lorgar was his brother, and a conversation could only go so poorly, right?

When Lorgar's flagship dropped into orbit of Terra, he demanded Kesar meet him outside the Imperial Palace. Not requested, demanded. Slightly worried at the tone Lorgar was setting, Kesar agreed in a cheerful tone, trying to defuse the situation. As he waited for the arrival of the Word Bearers, he noticed that his honor guard was absolutely immaculate. They stood at attention in a near-perfect manner. When they relaxed for a moment, Kesar saw the reason and nearly chuckled. It seems Oriacarius had contingencies for if the Wardens were lax in presenting a dignified appearance.

After a few minutes, Lorgar's Stormbird landed, and the Urizen walked out with his honor guard. Seeing his brother, Kesar decided to take the initiative to try and deescalate the situation. "Lorgar, it's …"

"Save it! I know what you have done Kesar and it sickens me. How … "

"Lorgar please, calm yourself. Take …"

"Do! Not! Tell me! To calm down!" At this, the Urizen's face turned an angry red as Kesar decided to allow Lorgar to speak. Hopefully, this would allow Lorgar to think rationally. "How dare you break our Father's trust by disgracing his name and consorting with Xenos? Spreading this … this false faith, it disgusts me."

At this, Kesar was confused. He was certain that the Valhallan faith was currently only on Valhalla. Moreover, it explicitly followed the Imperial Truth and was working to adapt to it. "Brother Lorgar, I believe you are mistaken. The Valhallan faith follows our Father's beliefs, perhaps you are simply unfamiliar with it." When Kesar said this, it was with the best of intentions. However, he noticed that Lorgar was simply growing angrier as the conversation progressed. "I am certain that it follows the Imperial Truth. If you tell me how it violates this treatise, I will travel to my homeworld to correct it."

"Do not mock me." Lorgar paced as the Wardens almost shifted slightly before Oriacarius preempted this with an order to remain at attention. Sadly, the Word Bearers were not as organized as they took up combat stances momentarily before hastily switching back to attention. This was not missed on Lorgar who continued. "The Valhallan faith is a mockery of our Father. It disgraces his strength and care by portraying him as a normal human. That is not faith, it is a foundation of lies and it will end poorly."

"Brother, I did not create this faith. It developed on its own. If it truly becomes a danger, I will not hesitate to stop it. However, it is following all of Father's laws. Father has himself claimed that he is not a divine being, so the Valhallans adapted this and made him an ascended human. There is nothing wrong that I see, and if there was, Father would surely stop it." Lorgar's pacing was distracting. It was at a non-uniform speed that irritated those speaking to him and made it hard to concentrate on Kesar's words. Nevertheless, it seemed that Lorgar perfectly understood what Kesar was trying to convey, and he did not appreciate it.

"This is only one of the problems in your domain. You took in Xenos and allow them to pervert our Father's domain. This is unacceptable. It is called the Imperium of MAN. Yet you still took in Xenos. How long before they kill billions? And worse, they further twist the legends of our Father." Kesar openly paused at this before tilting his head. Briefly placing his head in his palm, Kesar rebuked his brother.

"If Father had an issue, he would send me a message. Additionally, the Imperial Truth does not apply to Xenos. Moreover, it is better to bring Xenos under our heel peacefully, so we can use them for our benefit. There is no reason for you to be upset with this."

"Brother you clearly are unable to grasp the situation so let me be clear." At this, Lorgar stepped closer to Kesar, just outside of striking range. At this, the Word Bearers shifted into a protective formation, and while the Wardens were about to counter, Oriacarius again preempted this and instead the Wardens remained in a pristine formation. "I … despise … you." Every word was spoken in a whisper yet was filled with such hate that Kesar felt sorry for his brother. There was no reason for his emotions, and yet he was losing himself in anger. Despite Kesar's feelings, Lorgar continued. "You got my Legion killed at Lave because you ran away. Then when you did arrive, I did most of the work and then you left before I could finish. Now, because I had to leave to deal with your stupidity, Lion wants my head on a pike. So, in summary, you are disgraceful, dishonorable, a coward, a heretic, and a traitor to the Imperium. Never come near me again or I will not hesitate to end you."

At this point, Kesar realized that Lorgar was not listening to anything he said, so he may as well say what he believed. Kesar was undecided as to the Valhallan faith. It hadn't broken any of their Father's words. "Brother explain to me what you want."

"It is simple. I want your homeworld to give our father the respect and devotion he deserves. He is the representation of man. If you spent some time thinking you would see this. Whenever mortal men gaze upon him, they see their savior, their protector, their guardian. He is the one who guides us in the dark. He is the light at the end of the tunnel. If you do not understand this, then you are a heretic. I have tried to get you to see the light, but you refuse to open your eyes to the primordial truth. There is no point to future discussion if you continue to deny it!"

With that, Lorgar stepped back into the Stormbird but paused as Kesar began to speak. At this point, Kesar could tell that his brother was denying reality and refusing any information that contradicted his beliefs. As such, an appropriate summation was needed. "You have eyes, but you do not see. You have ears, but you do not hear. You have a mind, but you do not think. You have belief, but not faith, in the being you so preach, for he does not want worship. Either the Emperor is a god, or he is not. Worship in both cases is either obscenity or heresy, for if he is a man you should emulate him, and if he is a god, should you not obey him?"

After hearing this speech, the Wardens hid their smugness and pride in their Primarch through their professional façade. Meanwhile, Lorgar and the Word Bearers glared at Kesar before Lorgar practically yelled at his pilot to take off.

When the Stormbird had left, the Wardens fell at ease before Oriacarius walked up to Kesar. "He does realize that he interpreted events very differently than what happened?"

At this Kesar just frowned before speaking, "I don't think he does Oriacarius. But it's sad that we are no longer brothers."

With that, Kesar knew that he had to plan what the Wardens would do this year. This year, no planets were found in Kesar's domain that would need his direct intervention. However, there were three main areas where support was being requested. The first was Velnias I where the Emperor had asked him to take this year. The second was Lave V, where Lion and Vulkan were both requesting any assistance that could be spared. Lastly, was Jagathai Khan, who previously had Lion and Vulkan's assistance quelling a trio of Ork empires. However, with them being forced to contain the Orkish situation on Lave, the Khan said that he would require some form of aid or he would be unable to contain the Orks due to their sheer numbers.
"If you could Brother, I need something from Velnias."
In the end, Kesar decided to
"Hydra Dominatus."
[] Velnias I – The Emperor has requested that Kesar take this planet within a year or two. Velnias I is a small rocky body with a breathable atmosphere, home to 53 million souls. On this feudal world, lies a warp rift kept active by large numbers of sacrifices. Information is currently sparse as the survey team immediately left to warn the Imperium. Currently, large numbers of daemons are present, and large-scale psyker rituals are beginning.
[] Lave V – After Lorgar left Lave V, the Orks were reunited under Warboss Cyber Ork, who has beaten the Orks into shape. His ships have now been standardized and are extremely dangerous in numbers which the Orks excel in. He has also been working to improve the quality of Orkish officers. This has led to him being extremely dangerous, as evidenced by the beating the Dark Angels and Salamanders took last year. Assistance will be welcomed.
[] Tribus empires – A set of three Orkish empires, before the Imperium arrived, they were constantly warring with each other as their numbers swelled. Now, with the discovery of Imperium worlds, the Orks of these three empires have laid siege to the Imperium. Previously, the White Scars, Dark Angels, and Salamanders were dealing with the issue, but now only the White Scars are in the area and they have stated that they will be unable to hold off the Orks. The Khan has requested any possible aid.