Warhammer 40K in a box

Chapter 672 Fallen Angel

Company Commander Daryl's face darkened completely.

Chen Xi could feel the sudden tension in the other party's psionic field, a sharpness like a sword about to be drawn.

He could even faintly hear the subtle pressure sound emanating from the other party's power armor servo system due to the instantaneous tension of their muscles.

He was almost certain that Daryl's hand, which was under the table, was now resting on the grip of the explosive pistol.

“Your Honor,” Daryl’s tone turned cold and hard, like the polar wind, “what you just mentioned falls under the category of highly classified military operational details and theater intelligence.”

“I don’t know how you obtained this scattered information through unofficial channels, but it has gone far beyond the boundaries of normal intelligence exchange and directly touches on the internal security affairs of the Astartes.”

He leaned forward slightly, creating an invisible yet powerful sense of pressure.

"I must solemnly remind you that any inquiry into the internal defenses and operations of the Astartes, especially those related to the lineage of dark angels, is an extremely sensitive and risky undertaking."

"This could very well lead to... a serious misunderstanding that neither of us wants to see."

Faced with this almost tangible hostility and clear warning, Chen Xi instead relaxed his body and leaned back on the cushion of the high-backed chair.

A reassuring, slightly helpless smile appeared on his face.

"Company Commander Daryl, please calm down. I assure you, my intention was absolutely not to 'spy'."

He skillfully used his identity and wording to try to ease the tense atmosphere.

"On the contrary, I was expressing my personal 'concerns' and hoping to provide possible assistance based on that."

“You can view this conversation as an informal security consultation from the Inquisition, which stems from my sense of responsibility for the overall security posture of the Empire.”

He spread his hands, making a frank and harmless gesture.

“I admit that my sources of information are indeed diverse and vague, and I might not have paid so much attention to them if they had not formed some unsettling connection with this discovery deep within the nest of gene thieves.”

"But when these fragments are pieced together, the resulting picture is impossible to ignore."

"The modus operandi of those mysterious attackers, and their familiarity with your defense system, remind me of some long-forgotten records—about those beings known as 'fallen angels'."

The word "fallen angel" was like an ultimate forbidden spell. The moment it was clearly uttered, Company Commander Daryl's body jolted violently, and he almost stood up abruptly.

His eyes blazed with genuine rage, and a hint of... fear and disbelief at having his absolute sore spot touched.

The greatest secret, the deepest obsession, the most unspeakable shame and core mission that has been connected to the lineage of dark angels for thousands of years was now being brought up so directly by an inquisitor in a private conversation.

This has crossed a sensitive line and is almost a provocation.

“Judge!” Daryl’s voice was like ice shattering, a suppressed growl, “I must strongly urge you to immediately cease these baseless and extremely dangerous speculations!”

"'Fallen Angels' are traitors who abandoned the light ten thousand years ago during the Horus Rebellion, as recorded in the official archives of the Inquisition. They were largely eliminated during the long war of purification!"

"Any claim that they are still active is a malicious rumor, a desecration and slander of the unwavering loyalty of the Dark Angels and their offspring over the past ten thousand years!"

"The mere act of spreading such rhetoric is enough to constitute a serious suspicion of heresy!"

His reaction was unusually intense, but this excessive defensive posture only confirmed the accuracy of Chen Xi's inner guess.

Chen Xi raised his hands and made a gentle downward gesture, his tone remaining calm but adding an undeniable seriousness.

"Company Commander, please allow me to reiterate that I have no doubt whatsoever about the loyalty of the Dark Angels Chapter and all its sub-chapters that revere it as their mother chapter—including you, the Blades of Repentance—over the past ten thousand years." "The Emperor bears witness that you are one of the Empire's most impregnable bulwarks, and your sacrifices and achievements are witnessed by all of the galaxy."

He first calmed the other person down before delving into the core issues.

"But that's precisely why I feel even more worried."

"Imagine if... I'm just making a hypothetical scenario, if there really were a small group of enemies who should have been forgotten by history, who would have infiltrated the Empire's territory again through some unknown warp rift or ancient route, and whose target was the 'Rock' fortress that symbolizes your glory and heritage, then their schemes would certainly not be limited to simple harassment."

"They know your history, your tactical traditions, and even parts of your mindset as well as they know themselves."

"Isn't this a potentially significant threat to the security of the Empire's borders?"

"What I am worried about is not your loyalty, but those enemies in the shadows who may use the scars of your history as a breakthrough to try to cause even greater destruction."

Company Commander Daryl stared intently at Chen Xi, his gray eyes like the most precise drilling machine, trying to pierce through his skull and discern the true intentions behind every word he spoke.

He tried his best to find any trace of hypocrisy, probing, or extortion on Chen Xi's face.

However, Chen Xi's expression showed only pure seriousness, deep concern, and a heartfelt worry based on extensive cross-analysis of intelligence.

He genuinely seemed solely focused on the safety of the Empire, even at the risk of angering a powerful Astartes Chapter by issuing a warning.

A long silence hung between them, heavy as a physical entity.

Only the continuous low hum of the air circulation system seemed to be timing this silent psychological game.

Chen Xi understood that the keyword "fallen angel" that he had thrown out, as well as the reasoning that seemed to be entirely based on the overall security of the empire, had accurately hit the deepest anxiety in the other party's heart—this was not only about the fear that the secret might be exposed, but also about the real threat that the "fallen angel" would bring if they really made a comeback.

This kind of concern based on shared interests is far more likely to be accepted than mere coercion or probing.

Finally, Company Commander Daryl's shoulders, which were as taut as rock, relaxed almost imperceptibly.

He took a deep breath, the sound coming through the breathing grille of his power armor, sounding particularly heavy, as if he had finally made some kind of decision.

Chen Xi knew that his strategy was beginning to show results.

“Your Honor,” Daryl’s voice returned to its previous low tone, but with less sharp hostility and more heavy, almost helpless honesty, “you… have indeed touched upon some… extremely troubling and top-secret matters.”

His selective admission of some facts is itself a huge breakthrough.

“Recently, the outer patrols of the ‘Stone’ fortress and several forward reconnaissance outposts have indeed reported several encounters.”

"The other side is of unknown origin, well-equipped, and has an extremely cunning and professional tactical style. Moreover... disturbingly, they have shown an unusual knowledge of certain patrol routes and sensor blind spots that are considered extremely remote even by our own staff."

"We have paid a price for this, losing some excellent scouts, and we still have not been able to fully ascertain the enemy's exact identity and size."

He paused slightly, as if weighing his words, before continuing to reveal the key information.

"In addition, the Navigator's Sanctuary and the Hall of Stars have detected and recorded on multiple occasions over the past few standard months anomalous and elusive subspace fluctuations originating from... the general direction of the former Caliban star system."

"In response, the highest levels of the warband have raised the alert level and dispatched several elite reconnaissance fleets to the relevant star systems for investigation."

"But as of now... no substantial returns have been obtained that can provide clear conclusions and be made public."

(End of this chapter)