Calgar understood all too well the unfair treatment Titus received. If it had happened to other Space Marines, some might have even turned to Chaos as a result.
A proper Space Marine Captain, exposed by a mere recruit under his command, was ultimately taken away by the Inquisition and imprisoned for a full 100 years, while his parent Chapter turned a blind eye.
After Titus was seized by the Inquisition, Calgar was furious, but since the recruit hadn't done anything technically wrong, he couldn't punish him.
All he could do was repeatedly appeal to the Inquisition, hoping for a retrial in Titus's case. After all, there was nothing truly suspicious about Titus—he was only accused on suspicion alone.
But in this Imperium, being suspected was already a crime. Some civilians were even executed purely on suspicion.
Now, Titus has joined a new Primarch and earned this Primarch's favor. That was at least a good thing; this loyal warrior finally found his place.
Rhodes nodded at Calgar.
"That recruit who once accused Titus—he must have become your Chapter Chaplain by now, right? That kid's promotion was awfully fast," Rhodes said.
"Great Primarch, that recruit did nothing wrong. At the time, he reported the matter out of worry that his captain had been corrupted by Chaos," Calgar hurriedly explained.
"I understand. He didn't do anything wrong. But he should have reported it up the chain of command—like coming to you, the Chapter Master, first, so you could make the call. Am I right?" Rhodes smiled.
Calgar was truly a good leader. In other workplaces, someone who bypassed the chain like that would get crushed by their bosses.
"You are right, Primarch!" Calgar nodded.
This was the only thing Leandros did wrong—he should have first brought his suspicions about the Captain's corruption to Calgar, the Chapter Master.
It should have been handled personally by Calgar. Reporting directly to the Inquisition was a breach of protocol.
"This resulted in Titus serving a full 100 years in prison, even serving as a Deathwatch Blackshield.
I'm not petty, so here's what we'll do: once we leave here, bring that recruit—now your Chaplain—over.
Let him apologize to Titus in person. After all, he wronged his own Captain and caused Titus to be imprisoned for a century. Surely that's not too much to ask?" Rhodes said.
This was a knot in Titus's heart. If it couldn't be undone, it would limit his future growth. Once resolved, Titus could truly open up and his strength would rise even further.
"I understand, Primarch. I will speak with Leandros personally." Calgar hesitated but agreed to Rhodes's request.
After all, this was the Primarch's instruction, and it was time for closure. Besides being a Primarch, this was the Emperor's Chosen!
Someone personally vetted by such a being could never be corrupted by Chaos. Having Leandros apologize was entirely reasonable.
Titus had spent a whole century in the Inquisition's prison.
Rhodes nodded with satisfaction. Luckily, Titus was upright; otherwise, Rhodes might have broken the Chaplain's legs and forced him to kneel and apologize.
Calgar bowed and went to find the Chaplain.
Elena, the Custodian Guard, Titus, the Black Templars' High Marshal Alvarich, and the Grey Knights' Grand Master had all finished their tasks and entered the sanctum to report to Rhodes.
There they saw the Primarch Roboute Guilliman kneeling before the Emperor's avatar.
"The Emperor be praised—the Primarch has finally returned. The Imperium is saved!" the Custodian Guard said, laying down his power halberd in relief.
"What's the situation outside?" Rhodes asked.
The sounds of battle had faded.
'Old Thirteen, you owe me big time for this! In the original timeline, when Guilliman awoke, a horde of Chaos Space Marines stormed in and nearly wiped out the Ultramarines before the Primarch turned the tide.'
"Emperor protects, Lord Rhodes—after your army struck, those Chaos traitors suffered annihilation. They've been wiped out," Alvarich reported.
After seeing the original superhuman warriors clash with Chaos traitors, he finally understood the gap between Primaris Marines and the new generation Astartes.
Those veterans in Terminator armor were like infants against these new-epoch Astartes—utterly powerless.
The experience was nothing in the face of overwhelming force. The Chaos Marines couldn't even survive a single engagement.
No matter who they were, even veteran warriors, they were cut down in a single blow.
A single Astartes charging into the enemy lines was like a tiger among sheep, unleashing a massacre in Chaos ranks.
Even the most bloodthirsty World Eaters couldn't stand up to these new Astartes, who had mastered a berserk transformation that massively increased their power.
Alvarich was convinced: this Primarch's gene-seed was a perfect fit for his Black Templars. The berserk fighting style was in perfect harmony with their creed.
He couldn't wait to try the new gene-seed and experience that terrifying transformation himself—and wished all his brothers could join in.
What a way to teach the enemies of the Imperium, those loathsome Xenos and Chaos, a harsh lesson.
"Well done. Captain Calgar has arranged suitable quarters for you all—go rest. Tomorrow, the awakened Primarch will meet you all. Each of you deserves an Imperial laurel," Rhodes said.
"Emperor protects!" The Black Knights and Black Templars bowed to Rhodes, then followed Calgar to their quarters.
Rhodes approached Titus and patted his shoulder.
"Your gene-father has been resurrected, and I have a little surprise for you," Rhodes said.
"I am merely fulfilling the Emperor's orders and demonstrating loyalty! Lord Guilliman's return is a great thing for the Imperium and humanity.
As for the surprise, Lord Rhodes, are you awarding me an Imperial laurel?" Titus asked.
For a Space Marine, medals are the highest honor. Even as a Company Captain, he'd never received an Imperial laurel.
"Hahaha! You'll get that laurel, but that's not the surprise. Look behind you." Rhodes gestured.
Chapter Master Calgar entered with a man in Chaplain's robes and a skull helmet.
"Chapter Master Calgar! I see you've recovered well," Titus greeted his former superior warmly.
The first time they met, Rhodes had already told them the Primarch would return, and now, less than a year later, he'd kept his promise. Titus could finally wash away the shame of being called a traitor.
Leandros's accusation could finally be undone, for now, he served a living Primarch, the Emperor's Chosen, under the Emperor's light where Chaos could not hide.
"You suffered much these years, Titus. I'm glad you've found a better place.
But your humiliation as a supposed traitor needs one last step to be fully washed away.
Come, Leandros. Confess your sins to your former Captain," Calgar said, turning to the Chaplain.
Leandros trembled, took a deep breath, and removed his black skull helmet.
"Praise the Emperor. Long time no see, Captain Titus!"
"You! Leandros!" As soon as he recognized him, Titus's face fell. This was the Ultramarine he hated most.
"I'm glad you were not corrupted by Chaos. My accusation was rash. I apologize. I should not have reported you directly to the Inquisition—I should have reported to Lord Calgar and let him decide," said Leandros.
If Calgar hadn't insisted, Leandros would never have come to apologize. He still felt he'd done nothing wrong!
Everyone knew how dangerous Chaos corruption was. Even a hint had to be thoroughly investigated.
Especially since Captain Titus had been exposed to enough warp energy to drive ten Marines mad!
Titus frowned. Did Leandros mean his only mistake was not reporting to Calgar first?
"Captain Titus, Emperor protects. If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave—there's much to be done," Leandros said.