"But I haven't observed any traces of genetic modification surgery on you. If this is a perfect replication, then just how perfect is it?" the captain asked.
He acknowledged that the man before him had impressive physical qualities, but any Astartes in full power armor, wielding a chainsword and a bolter, should be able to kill him with ease in full combat.
"How much do you know about the Primarchs?" Rhodes countered.
"The great Primarchs are the divine sons created by the immortal Emperor of Mankind, using his genes, modified and fused," a Battle Sister spoke up.
That was how it was recorded in the Ecclesiarchy's scriptures and human history textbooks.
"That statement is incorrect. In reality, the Primarchs have a genetic mother!
The great Emperor did not just use his genetic material—he also used that of another human woman. This woman was also an immortal, and her name was Erda," Rhodes explained.
Of course, this only pertained to the physical creation of the Primarchs. What truly mattered was their Warp essence—they were lesser gods of the Warp.
Each Primarch possessed unique abilities, which reflected their true nature in the Warp. The various genetic flaws within the Astartes Legions stemmed from these origins.
For example, the Blood Angels' Red Thirst and the Space Wolves' Canis Helix—each Legion's secrets were known only to them. However, as a transmigrator, Rhodes was well aware of these things.
The great Primarchs are the sons of the God-Emperor, divine children!
Only the great God-Emperor could create such miracles! I have never even heard of this 'Erda' you speak of!" A Battle Sister raised her chainsword toward Rhodes as she spoke.
The other Battle Sisters were also ready to act. After ten thousand years, the Emperor had been fully deified—he was now the god of the Ecclesiarchy, the god of humanity.
The Primarchs were believed to be created solely by the great God-Emperor, and only he had the power to do so.
Now, Rhodes was telling them that the Primarchs had a genetic mother—an immortal woman named Erda. This was something they simply could not accept.
The Emperor had no Empress.
"What I am saying is the truth. And do you think it was a mere coincidence that the Primarchs were scattered across the galaxy after being created, instead of growing up by the Emperor's side?
According to the Emperor's original plan, the Primarchs were supposed to be personally raised and taught by him.
But Erda, their genetic mother, betrayed the Emperor. She was seduced by the Chaos Gods, which triggered a Warp storm.
This storm scattered all the Primarchs across various planets in the galaxy, and it took the Emperor a long time to retrieve them all," Rhodes said.
Hearing this, the captain sighed helplessly.
After all, they were members of the Ultramarines' successor chapters, descendants of the great Primarch Roboute Guilliman.
As a captain, he knew some details about the Great Crusade, the Emperor, and the records of the Primarchs.
Being a genetic descendant of Roboute Guilliman, members of the Ultramarines' successor chapters would sometimes receive Chaplains from their parent chapter.
These Chaplains would pass on knowledge, culture, and combat doctrines, so he was aware of some hidden truths.
The Primarchs indeed had a mother—this was a well-kept secret known to very few.
However, he only knew that the Primarchs had a mother; he did not know her name, her whereabouts, or her true identity.
Perhaps Chapter Master Marneus Calgar or even their Primarch, Guilliman himself, knew the full truth. But the great Primarch had been in stasis for ten thousand years.
So now, only Chapter Master Calgar could answer this question.
"I will tentatively believe what you say. How were you born?
Now that you stand before us, what is your purpose?" The captain signaled for the Battle Sisters to stand down before turning his gaze back to Rhodes.
"This is an extremely important matter. To be honest, you are not qualified to know.
This matter involves the great Emperor, the Primarchs, and even the future of humanity. My existence carries a grand mission.
I can only tell you this much. I must ensure that as few people as possible learn of this, to prevent any leaks," Rhodes said.
What is my grand mission?
You can theorize all you like!
Ultimately, everything is for the Imperium. If you ask, the answer will always be: you are not qualified to know. Since this involves the Emperor, that explanation will suffice!
"I understand. I will arrange for you to be sent to the Ultramarines' homeworld.
Chapter Master Calgar will personally verify your authenticity. If you are lying, if you have deceived us...
Believe me, the Ultramarines will defend the honor of the Emperor and the Primarchs," the captain said, looking at Rhodes.
This was a matter concerning the Primarchs—such an important issue was beyond his authority.
Moreover, Rhodes did indeed possess knowledge of classified information that ordinary citizens and even Chaos enemies were unaware of. The existence of Erda, the Primarchs' mother, was a secret known only to a select few.
The Ultramarines' homeworld had a powerful Librarium, where Librarians were not only Space Marines but also formidable psykers.
These Librarians could even foresee the future and could easily discern truth from lies.
So, once Rhodes reached the Ultramarines' homeworld, the truth would be revealed.
"The escape pod can only fit two people. Who will we leave behind?" the Canoness asked.
Which of the two Sisters should be sacrificed?
The Scribe Sister? Or the Hospitaller Sister?
The Hospitaller Sister was only here to deliver supplies, while the Scribe Sister was responsible for recording the details of this war and reporting the discovery of a half-Primarch and a Titan beast on this planet.
The Battle Sisters had already made their decision in their hearts—to abandon the Hospitaller Sister.
"I swear upon my life that I will get you off this planet," the captain said to Rhodes.
He would record a detailed report and video about Rhodes' situation, then send Rhodes away in the escape pod.
While the escape pod could leave this planet, it would only drift around the nearby star system, continuously transmitting distress signals until a human fleet arrived for rescue.
He was certain that his Chapter Master would send someone to recover them.
"You misunderstand. What I meant was—I will save all of you," Rhodes said.
If I wanted to leave alone, I wouldn't need to meet with you at all. I could simply have King Red create a small accident.