This jas been on my mind for a while, but what if Konor Guilliman never died? Like, he still gets injured in the assassination attempt, but he doesn't die. How different would Robu be, how different would Ultramar be.
I wonder what Konor would think of the Emperor or the other Primarchs. Would he have a moment meeting the other Primarchs and gone "my son could have turned out like you"
What would the other Primarchs think of Konor, cause here is a mortal, who their brother craves the approval of, even above that of the Emperor's.
Hello, Rabbitlost! Always appreciate your asks and support! ☺️☺️☺️ (I'm still learning WH Fantasy lore for your prev ask, so DW abt that one)
Well, let's start with Ultramar. I suspect it'd be mostly the same. After all, Robu in canon greatly adhered to the values Konor taught him and, thus, modeled Ultramar after them. With Konor alive and participating in the founding of Ultramar, I doubt THAT will change in the slightest.
At most, Ultramar may just expand at a quicker rate since they'll have two Consuls (Konor and Robu) working to develop and expand it—before the Imperium finds them and Emps arrives, of course.
As for Robu, he'll prob be the same, too, or at least mostly. The only potential deviation I can see is that he won't have learned the harsh lesson(s) of "you can't save everyone, not even those you love" and "life is just fucked sometimes, and that's okay; it's not good, but it's natural and you can't let it keep you down." This may lead to him being a tad too confident in his plans and prowess—but at the same time, with Konor alive, that potential arrogance could easily get smacked (figuratively) out of him. Which is a net zero (aka, exact same Robu as canon).
I doubt Robu will be that close, if at all, to the Emperor. In canon, during the Great Crusade, Robu at least called Him "Father," but here... well, Konor's alive! When Emps arrives on Macragge, Robu won't have just lost his Dad and be grieving/hurt enough to immediately accept this golden stranger into his life.
So his and Emps' relationship might be... cold, or apathetic. Not necessarily FRAUGHT (Robu's too much of a good politician and diplomat to ever have an undeniably bad relationship with a peer, much less a superior)—though on Emps' side, He may... distrust Robu more, even if He doesn't show it outwardly. Calling the Primarchs His "sons" (tho potentially rooted in actual affection) is a strong way of binding them to Him and His plans emotionally... but His XIIIth has a good, living, adoptive father and, thus, does not seek His attention/favor at all...
We don't get much of him in canon, but he's always come across (to me, at least) as a very empathetic, intelligent, and kind man. He has a strong sense of honor and responsibility, which he passed down to Robu (and thru him, to the UMs).
Thus, though there might be some slight tension between them (custody battle, and also the fact that Konor's boy, his Robu, was literally created to be a tool of war), Konor will ultimately respect the Emperor. Doesn't mean he'll like Him, but he understands why the Emperor is doing (and has done) the shit He is. "With great power comes great responsibility" and all that jazz, which Konor, as a Consul of Macragge, knows all too well. You gotta make some tough decisions sometimes for the majority's sake.
And, hey, if there's a chance (however minute) that Konor's boy may one day want his bio(?)-dad in his life, Konor should strive to be at least cordial with the Emperor. Just in case. His (their?) boy, his son, comes first. Such is the way of parenthood.
As for how Konor would view the other Primarchs... it'd prob just depend on which ones he actually meets (like, Tarasha herself, who was always with Robu in canon, had not met all the Primarchs by the time the Heresy rolled around).
If Konor met the more... unstable ones (*cough*Angron/Curze/Mortarion/etc.*cough*), he would definitely have a moment of deep compassion and sorrow for them. Just how lucky his boy was, to land on Macragge and be taken in by him and not some cruel xenos slaver, or worse... Konor thanks the stars that his boy did reach him... If only the brothers of his boy had found similar, happy homes...
But at the same time, those Primarchs from harsh upbringings are... so mean to Konor's boy, even though he's their brother. Their insults and glares at him are so childish, rooted in petty jealousy that... makes Konor wish they had never suffered—or, at least, would learn to move on from their suffering.
His boy does not deserve to be the target of their vengeance and rage at the galaxy! He has done nothing wrong, much less cruel, to them before! The worst Konor has even seen him do is (very accidentally) trample on their fragile egos when he offers advice and construction criticism on their strategies and campaigns. And after the first few times, Konor and Tarasha had gently informed Robu that, unfortunately, he could not bond with his brothers through this way, for they do not share his desire for and willingness to receive advice/counsel.
(Except for if Monarchia has happened yet or not. But even then, that was a direct order from the Emperor Himself, who chose Robu and the Ultramarines for the task specifically to strike a balance between gentleness and harshness for Lorgar's punishment. If He had called in any other Legion, Monarchia would have been leveled far more cruelly (aka, lesson too harsh to be learned), or not at all due to that Primarch disagreeing (aka, lesson too light to be learned).)
So, needless to say, Konor's feelings toward the Primarchs are... mixed. Some are genuinely good and upstanding people (Sanguinius is admirable even if he seems intent on trapping Baal and its citizens in suffering for generations to come with his stubborn decision of never changing Baal; Vulkan is also very kind and personable; Corax has a good head on his shoulders and gets along pretty well with Konor's boy; Horus revels too much in the attention that comes with his achievements and cares not enough for the effects they will have on Mankind as a whole is charming enough). Others are... less so.
But Konor will still be polite to them. Gotta maintain stable working relationships (even though he knows just how much his boy wants to actually bond with his brothers and be close with them).
As for what the Primarchs think of Konor...
Unsurprisingly, there's a LOT of envy and longing. Too many of them have daddy issues, as we all know. And of course it's Roboute Guilliman, their XIIIth brother and always so Throne-damned lucky, who has an actual good, living father! As if landing on Macragge and building Ultramar wasn't already enough!
Even worse, Guilliman is also favored (militarily, even if not personally/emotionally) by the Emperor! For his efficiency in warfare and reliability in diplomacy! He was found 8th, yet has begun closing in on Horus'—the First-Found—accolades and compliance records! His is the largest Legion, twice the size of all others!
Yet Guilliman doesn't care! He places the approval of his mortal parents—both of them, for he was lucky enough to have both father and mother—ABOVE receiving the Emperor’s acknowledgment! The same way he focuses too much on his personal pet project Ultramar and not enough on the Crusade (yet is somehow still catching up to Horus)!
Anyways, thanks for the ask! Hope you enjoyed reading my thoughts for this AU! 😊😊😊
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