Emrys returned to the heart of the Paradise World. During his last hurried departure, he had entrusted Elsa to Viggs, providing only the briefest instructions before vanishing into the Warp. Now, with the immediate crises on Vigilus abated, he finally had the time to visit her.
Weiland's survivors had placed the mortally wounded Elsa in a bio-organic medical pod, utilizing cryo-sleep technology to transport her across the stars to this sanctuary.
"Welcome back, Merlin."
Viggs, draped in a simple gray robe, had been waiting outside the temple for hours. Upon seeing Emrys, he bowed slightly and gestured toward the inner sanctum. "Please, follow me."
Stepping into the core of the temple, Emrys saw Elsa. She was encased in an egg-shaped bio-organ, her eyes closed in a sleep that looked more like death.
"What is her status?" Emrys asked, staring through the translucent membrane of the pod.
"I am sorry, Merlin. We have exhausted our biological arts," Viggs said, his voice heavy with a rare sense of failure. "Her condition is... unnatural. Though we have successfully replenished her physical life force, there is no sign of consciousness. I suspect the damage is not of the flesh, but of the soul."
Viggs hesitated, then spoke firmly. "We can maintain her vital signs, but it is not a permanent solution. The Engineer race has mastered the pinnacle of biological science—we can rebuild organs and mend blood—but the soul is a frontier we have only begun to map."
Emrys could feel it too. The flame of Elsa's soul was a mere spark, a flickering candle in a storm, ready to be extinguished by the slightest draft.
"With our current power, we cannot save her," Viggs added cautiously, fearing Emrys' reaction. "Even with constant replenishment of her essence, she has, at most, one hundred and fifty solar days before the spark fails entirely."
"I do not blame you, Viggs," Emrys said softly. "I came here to provide the solution. Open the pod."
Viggs looked surprised. "Merlin, in her current state, once she leaves the support of the bio-pod, she will have mere minutes before her body fails."
"Do it," Emrys commanded. "You have bought me the time I needed. I will take it from here."
Viggs complied, playing a haunting melody on a stone flute. The membrane of the medical pod receded, and Emrys stepped forward. He lifted the sleeping Elsa into his arms, her body light and cold.
"I will leave the cultivation of the fourth-generation bio-armor in your hands," Emrys said as he turned to leave.
"The first batch will be ready for delivery soon, my friend," Viggs replied.
Emrys carried Elsa to the deepest core of his flagship. There, a massive piece of machinery stood alone in a silent, shadowed vault. He placed her gently upon the platform, smoothing her hair.
"Good night, Elsa... sleep well. I swear, I will find a way to bring you back."
He stepped back and activated the device. A pale blue curtain of light enveloped her, isolating her from the flow of the universe. This was a Stasis Field—the same technology that had preserved the Primarch Roboute Guilliman for ten millennia. Within this field, time ceased to exist.
"I have to go," he whispered to the frozen figure. "But when I return, I will have the means to restore your soul."
In the vast assembly hall of the Transformers' world, now rechristened Holy Terra in Emrys' honor, the political landscape had been transformed. The old seats were gone, replaced by a Council of Twelve. Six seats were held by humans, three by the Autobots, and three remained pointedly vacant.
Emrys sat at the head of the circular table, his authority absolute.
"First, I must thank you all for your contributions to the war effort," Emrys began. The logistics had been staggering: millions of tons of munitions, heavy artillery, and nearly two hundred thousand elite auxiliary troops.
But Emrys knew that loyalty in the Imperium was bought with blood and paid for in spoils. "War must yield profit, or it is merely a waste of resources. It is time for the rewards I promised to be realized."
He turned his gaze to the Cybertronians. "The Decepticons have proven their utility and their loyalty in this conflict. Therefore, I officially invite them to join the Council."
Megatron, Soundwave, and Shockwave stepped forward to claim the three vacant seats. It was a cold calculation; by bringing the Decepticons into the fold, Emrys ensured that the Autobots and humans would never form a united front against him.
"Next," Emrys continued, looking at his advisor, Charles. "I am... disappointed in the performance of the Auxiliary Army. However, they held the line. We will proceed with the rewards as discussed."
"Regarding the 'Planetary Governor' appointments, my Lord..." Charles started, "is it truly wise to grant such power to common soldiers?"
"I am setting a precedent," Emrys interrupted. "If a soldier knows that extraordinary merit can elevate them from the trenches to the throne of a world, they will fight with a fury no conscript can match. We will use the legal codes of ancient Terra—loyalty is rewarded with land and title."
Charles nodded. "Atmospheric modification on the target worlds is underway. Migration will begin within the decade."
Finally, Emrys turned to Sentinel Prime. "For the Transformers' contribution, I bestow upon your race the energy of three captured stars."
The Cybertronians stirred, their optics glowing with sudden intensity. The energy of three suns was enough to spark life in thousands of new sparks—a massive step toward the rebirth of their race.
"Furthermore," Emrys added, "the mineral rights to three resource-rich worlds are yours. Energy and matter—you shall have both."
"We are your blades, Ancestor," Sentinel Prime declared, his voice booming with fervor.
"One final matter," Emrys said. A figure draped in crimson robes and heavy augmentations stepped from the shadows, leaning on a massive power axe. "Meet Galahad, Forge-Master of the newly established Mechanicus in this universe."
The council watched in silence as the cyborg priest took his place.
"Galahad will establish the Priesthood of Mars within this sector. His word is second only to mine," Emrys declared. "He will ensure that the faith of the Omnissiah and the Emperor permeates every factory and every spark. Our armies will not just fight for survival—they will fight for the destiny of the Imperium!"
Emrys looked out at the gathered leaders of two different species. He would unite them all under a single banner, forged in the fires of faith and steel.