Dong-dong!
The sound of knocks on the massive wooden doors echoed through the grand office.
"Enter."
With permission granted, two Salamander guards standing outside pushed open the heavy doors, allowing the visitor to step inside.
The visitor was none other than the Goddess of War, Athena, dressed in an ancient Greek-style gown with her hair tied neatly back.
The Salamanders, clad in Titan V power armor and towering at nearly 2.9 meters tall, closed the doors behind her. This left Athena alone with the Emperor for their discussion.
The Salamanders were filling in as guards due to the Imperial Guard regiment still being a year away from full establishment. Each Guard member's transformation required meticulous surgeries under the supervision of Alexia and her core team, a laborious and time-consuming process.
Until then, the Salamanders performed the duties of Imperial bodyguards, with Vulkan overseeing the palace and the defense of Earth and the Solar System. Vulkan often consulted Dorn through private channels to refine defensive strategies, aiming to construct an unbreachable iron bastion in the Prime Universe.
Athena advanced toward the Emperor's oversized desk, her steps muffled by the dark red noise-dampening carpet.
Once at the desk, she gave a slight bow and asked directly, "What do you require of me, Your Majesty?"
Samuel Young stood up from his chair and walked toward a display cabinet on the right side of the office.
Simultaneously, a hard-light screen appeared beside Athena, displaying information about Universe 13, including satellite images of Hell and the human territories.
While retrieving a wooden box from the cabinet, Samuel explained,
"I need you to lead the Inquisition's elite forces to Universe 13 and conduct a 'missionary campaign.'"
Missionary campaign?
Athena blinked, momentarily unsure how to respond.
When Samuel returned with the wooden box in his left hand and stood before her, she looked up at him, her confusion evident.
"Your Majesty, could you clarify further?"
"The situation in Universe 13 is... unique," Samuel explained, bending slightly to hand her the box.
"There, Heaven and God are real entities, and humanity must believe in them to gain the power to resist Hell's forces.
However, I suspect that God and Heaven aid humanity for selfish reasons—much like how Warp demons feed on the emotions of sentient beings. Heaven, too, seems to draw strength from humanity's faith.
Thus, I need you to embody the brilliance of an Olympian deity while using the Codex of Humanity I've prepared to attempt to reshape the beliefs of Universe 13's humans.
Colonel MacTavish and the 1st Company of Dark Angels will fully support your missionary operations."
As Athena listened, she took the box from Samuel. Glancing at the hard-light screen, she quickly absorbed Universe 13's intricacies.
The challenges were indeed immense.
It was clear that Samuel wanted to avoid unnecessary bloodshed among humanity, even though the arrival of the Human Empire would inevitably destabilize the Church's authority and faith in Heaven.
The presence of knights who could die if their faith wavered further complicated the situation. This fragile allegiance might lead to direct conflict between the knights and the Empire.
Understanding Samuel's reasoning, Athena realized that this first interdimensional campaign was more than a military endeavor. Samuel sought a soft power approach, wielded by overwhelming strength, to unify Universe 13.
And as one of the Empire's most capable individuals—second only to Samuel and the Primarchs—Athena was the natural choice.
The campaign's tool? Hell's rampant forces in Universe 13.
Acknowledging her mission, Athena nodded firmly.
"I understand, Your Majesty. The Inquisition will handle the missionary efforts. But what is this?"
Opening the wooden box, she found an intricately crafted, meticulously maintained vintage 1911 pistol.
Though Athena had been removed from human society for millennia, her reintegration into the modern age had familiarized her with iconic human weaponry.
The 1911, however, seemed ancient, even outdated. Civilian versions of AMWS weapons were already on the market, causing classic firearms like the 1911 to see declining sales, remaining popular mostly among collectors.
Despite her confusion, Athena noticed that this 1911 radiated pure and formidable psychic energy.
"This was my personal sidearm," Samuel explained, returning to his desk. "I'm lending it to you temporarily.
Even if the Hell forces in Universe 13 seem weaker than true Warp chaos, the Empire cannot afford to underestimate potential threats.
This pistol will serve as a symbol of the Empire's power—a demonstration of how strong humanity under the Empire truly is."
"Understood, Your Majesty."
Athena closed the wooden box, bowed respectfully, and left the office.
The Salamanders closed the heavy wooden doors behind her, restoring silence to the room.
The ticking of an antique clock on Samuel's desk echoed distinctly in the quiet space.
Though many underestimated Athena's ability to sway minds, Samuel knew she was far more capable than she appeared. Manipulation and strategy were second nature to her—unlike her promiscuous Olympian peers, she had always been a rarity among them, a "pure stream" of clarity and purpose.
The nun and the knightly rituals of Universe 13 had also sparked ideas in Samuel's mind. Perhaps the Empire could establish its own unit of "Battle Sisters" or an Imperial Church based on the Codex of Humanity, with these sisters as its propagators.
But that would come after Universe 13's unification. The knightly rituals could then be refined, and the Battle Sisters and Imperial Church officially established.
After a brief moment of reflection, Samuel shifted his focus to the reports on Universe 14.
Multiple screens displayed images and footage captured by the advance teams and elite guards, revealing the unique enemy of Universe 14:
The Arachi Swarm.
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