2nd Primarch

The Dukel Expeditionary Corps achieved great victories in many worlds of the Southern Reese Star System. This exciting news spread across the Human Empire through astropaths.

Countless people, once consumed by despair, reignited the fire of hope in their hearts upon hearing the news.

The great Primarch had returned. His expeditionary corps was liberating the people of the Empire from the darkness. The salvation of mankind seemed imminent.

Once despair is shattered, it ceases to exist.

These sparks of hope would one day ignite a wildfire, shaking gods and aliens alike.

Far away, at the edge of the Ultramarine Galaxy, Roboute Guilliman, battling the forces of Chaos, also received the news through an astropath.

Exhausted after days of relentless combat, his spirit lifted as memories of the past surged.

My second brother always had a way of inspiring hope in the darkest times, Guilliman thought, a rare smile crossing his usually stern face.

The galaxy was engulfed in chaos. Every human world suffered under heretics and xenos.

The greenskin hordes ravaged countless systems, Tyranids consumed planets, Necrons harvested worlds, and the Tau Empire pillaged resources.

Meanwhile, hundreds of billions of cultists and Chaos psykers corrupted minds, sparking rebellion across the stars.

No one remained untouched by the galaxy-wide war.

A massive shadow loomed over humanity. The Imperium of Man, a titan that had stood unyielding for millennia, teetered on the edge of collapse.

In this bleakest hour, the news of victory in the Nanlis Galaxy arrived, a beacon of hope piercing the abyss.

Dukel himself did not linger in celebration for long.

He stayed on Nanlis only a few days, using the computational power of the Heart Network to update technologies while waiting for his Extreme Warriors to recover from their injuries.

Soon, he prepared to return to the battlefield.

One pressing reason for his haste was the deployment of guards by the Expeditionary Corps' think tanks.

Despite being the supreme commander, Dukel could not overrule this unanimous decision, thanks to his deliberate delegation of authority.

After all, he was not interested in micromanaging governance. Mortals can handle mortal matters, he thought.

He wasn't about to let bureaucracy stifle him. I am a Primarch, not a glorified administrator!

Instead, he focused his energies on research, using the Heart Network's computational capabilities to develop technologies that strengthened humanity.

Since Efilar had joined the Heart Network and ascended to living saint status, Dukel entrusted her with monitoring vital affairs, ensuring only the most critical issues reached him.

His true passion lay in research and, above all, battle. The thrill of combat was irresistible.

As for concerns about attracting Khorne's attention due to his love of warfare?

Ridiculous! he thought. Only the weak become Khorne's pawns. Victory is proof of loyalty to no one but myself!

The Expeditionary Corps think tanks had also organized the Second Legion's reserve force into peculiar formations—each squad comprised 22 members.

The rationale behind this numerology eluded Dukel. Did his status as the "Second Primarch" have something to do with it?

Still, he found the decision amusing and refrained from altering it.

While lost in thought, Dukel received a message from Efilar:

"Your Highness, an unknown plague has been discovered on Nalai. Seventeen HeartNet teams escorted virus samples alongside a Star Realm Army, but were surrounded and attacked by Nurgle's Demons. They request immediate support."

Dukel's eyes narrowed. "The Legion of Nurgle?"

His mind raced, but his determination burned brighter.

"Efilar, how soon can we depart?"

"One hour, my lord," she replied.

"Good. Set course for Nalai Star and issue rescue orders to nearby teams. Tell them to hold for one hour. Soul Fire is on its way."

"As you command."

An hour later, the Inner Fire sailed through the Warp, its massive mental matrix shielding the fleet from chaotic storms.

Dukel stood on the bridge, gazing into the bizarre depths of the Immaterium. His vision pierced through layers of fog until it reached the realms of the Four Gods.

One day, he vowed, he would carve out his own domain within the Warp.

In truth, the Warp was his true home, his essence hidden in its depths. Starships lost in its treacherous tides could pray to Dukel, and he would guide them to safety.

As the Heart Network expanded, Dukel sensed the embryonic form of his domain growing.

It was faint now, almost imperceptible, but it swelled with every new follower.

He knew the day when it blossomed into a tangible reality was drawing ever closer.