Warhammer 40K in a box

Chapter 410 The Blood Knight and the Flesh-Tearer's Return
It was precisely because Guilliman's return to the Empire was fraught with peril and challenges that Chen Xi overcame all opposition and persuaded Archsage Caul of the Cult of Mechanics to use the precious reserves of the original Astartes.

At the same time, he also prompted the Imperial Fist Chapter to activate the long-dormant "Final Wall Protocol"—an ancient contingency plan that is only used when the Empire faces a life-or-death crisis.

Although the number of original Astartes deployed was limited, they played an important role in various key theaters of war.

Although these elite warriors may not be able to fundamentally reverse the course of the war, their addition will undoubtedly effectively alleviate the pressure on the Imperial Army and buy valuable time for subsequent strategic deployments.

More importantly, they will save the lives of countless Imperial soldiers in numerous local battles, significantly reducing the Empire's overall losses in this catastrophe.

The activation of the "Final Wall Agreement" signifies an even more significant strategic adjustment—all chapters originating from the Imperial Fist geneseed will regroup and revert to the former Seventh Legion structure that once shook the galaxy.

On the surface, this move appears to have weakened the Imperial border defenses, especially given the redeployment of garrison troops from some key star sectors.

However, with the Empire about to face even more severe challenges, the strategic value of tens of thousands of Astartes warriors reorganizing into legion-level combat units is immeasurable.

This powerful mobile force serves as Terra's last line of defense and can react quickly to crises within the Empire; its very existence is a powerful deterrent to rebellious forces.

Chen Xi's strategic vision is also reflected in his strengthening of the Imperial Fist battle group.

He not only persuaded the Great Sage of Caul to replenish the Imperial Fist with Primitive Astartes, but also successfully reconciled the conflict between tradition and innovation, getting this chapter, known for its conservatism, to accept the addition of Primitive warriors.

This move greatly enhanced the overall combat power of the Imperial Fist, enabling this resilient force to better fulfill its sacred mission of protecting the Empire.

If we add the 30,000 original Astartes that Chen Xi previously sent to Macurag, Guilliman will have two complete legion-level combat forces at his disposal when he returns.

Such military strength is especially valuable in the face of the disintegration of the Empire, and will undoubtedly provide a solid backing for the Primarch's revival.

If the crisis in the Baal system can be resolved successfully and the Blood Angels lineage can be restored to its legionary structure, the Empire will regain three legion-level Astartes forces—which will undoubtedly bring a decisive turning point for the survival of the human Empire.

However, compared to the problems with Imperial Fist and Ultra Warriors, Baal's situation is quite... complicated.

Don't get me wrong, the problem isn't that the Blood Angels aren't united, or that they're hostile to the Proto-Forged Space Marines.

In fact, although the Holy Blood Angels Legion was dismantled ten thousand years ago, the descendants of Saint Gilles have always regarded Baal as their irreplaceable home planet.

Even though the various chapters have been operating independently for tens of thousands of years, whenever Baal is threatened, all the descendants of the Holy Blood Angels will not hesitate to put aside their differences and will even sacrifice everything to protect the planet that carries their bloodline and glory.

Regarding the promotion of the original casting technology, attitudes within the Holy Blood Angels are polarized.

The enlightened faction, led by Dante the Grand Master, believed that this might be the opportunity to break the ten-thousand-year curse of Bloodthirst and Black Wrath.

After all, the original Blood Angels did not exhibit these two genetic defects; they only gradually appeared after fighting alongside the older generation of warriors for a long time—even so, the severity of their onset was far lower than that of the traditional Blood Angels.

Therefore, Dante firmly believed that the original casting technique might be the path to salvation bestowed upon the sons of Saint Gilles by the Emperor.

However, the voices of opposition are equally strong.

Conservative warriors believe that warriors without Bloodthirst and Black Fury cannot be considered true Blood Angels. They question whether the Primcast Warriors are merely a conspiracy by Guilliman to replace the Sangilius bloodline with the Ultramarines' genetic template.

In their eyes, accepting the Primal Forged Warriors was tantamount to betraying the legacy of Saint Gilles, and might even cause the Blood Angels to lose their most fundamental genetic traits—no matter how dangerous those traits might be. However, these were ultimately internal affairs of the Blood Angels that Chapter Master Dante had to handle.

On Chen Xi's desk at this moment was a formal transfer application jointly submitted by the Flesh Tearers and Blood Knights—they requested to immediately return to the Baal system to participate in the defense of their home planet.

From both a moral and practical perspective, approving this application was not a difficult decision for Chen Xi.

Although Blood Knights and Fleshbreakers were branded as traitors by the Imperial Inquisition due to certain historical issues, their valiant performance in the expeditionary campaign has proven their loyalty through concrete actions.

The soldiers of these two battle groups shed their blood on the most brutal battlefields, washing away their past stigma with their numerous victories.

Their return to the Imperial fighting force is now a foregone conclusion; all that remains is for the relevant paperwork to be completed before their reputations are officially restored.

Dante's arrangement to temporarily place these two battle groups under Chen Xi's command was a well-thought-out strategy.

This serves both as a buffer period to allow the two battle groups to complete the rehabilitation process and as a way to temporarily put these two battle-hardened elite forces to Chen Xi's command.

This move not only replenished Chen Xi's valuable combat strength, but also, to some extent, allowed the Holy Blood Angels to repay a debt of gratitude they had previously owed.

Chen Xi naturally understood the deeper meaning behind it.

His Ash Knights are currently operating in secrecy and should not reveal their strength too early.

In this perilous era, no commander would refuse additional Astartes forces.

Chen Xi was brewing an even grander plan in his mind—he wanted to secretly build a powerful force comparable to the Astartes Legion during the Great Expedition before the Gates of Cadia were fully opened.

The addition of each chapter means that his forces will gain nearly a thousand battle-hardened Space Marines, which is of immeasurable value in realizing his strategic vision.

When the Blood Knights and the Fleshbreakers learned that Baal was about to face a devastating attack from the Tyranid swarm, the warriors of both chapters showed a determination to die for their cause.

The atmosphere in Chen Xi's command room was so heavy it was almost suffocating.

Chen Xi scratched his head helplessly: "I understand your requests, but Rostov also needs manpower right now, so regarding your request..."

Before he could finish speaking, Seth, the leader of the Flesh Tearers, stepped forward: "Lord Chen Xi, I understand your concerns."

The warband commander, known for his volatile temper, was unusually calm: "The Flesh Tearer will leave three companies for you to command, and I will also keep all the apothecaries from those companies."

Seth's voice suddenly became firm: "Whether you want to transform them into Proto-Astartes or send them on some suicidal mission, the Sons of Saint Gilles will obey your commands."

My only request is that you allow the Flesh-Tearer Chapter to continue and permit us to return to defend Baal.

The commander of the Amit Legion, standing to the side, also looked grave, his voice tinged with undisguised exhaustion: "The Blood Knights will also leave behind a portion of their forces, but..."

(End of this chapter)