Warhammer 40K in a box

Chapter 693 The Lion King's Pardon

After Chen Xi left the command room, Leon Aljonsen stood alone in front of the tactical holographic console.

The star map silently rotated before him, countless points of light and shadow intertwining to depict the current state of the Empire—the star systems where the Tyranid swarm spread like a plague, the Eye of Terror where the forces of Chaos entrenched, and the rebellious star systems rising and falling one after another, together forming a picture far more fragmented than the end of the Great Rebellion in his memory.

The Lion King gazed silently at the sea of ​​stars, countless flashing war signals reflected deep within his emerald eyes.

His millennia-long slumber did not diminish his sense of responsibility as the Primarch; on the contrary, it made everything before him seem even more urgent.

The scale and diversity of external threats have exceeded previous understandings, and the warband system that the empire has used for thousands of years has revealed the drawbacks of its dispersed power in the face of such a crisis.

Chen Xi's repeated emphasis on "legion" rather than "warband" was now self-evident.

Faced with the ultimate darkness that could tear the galaxy apart, only by rebuilding the centralized command system of the Great Expedition era can we muster enough strength to launch a counterattack.

Although the subtle differences he felt upon waking still alerted him, and the presence of Leona, who shared the same origin as him but existed in female form, raised many questions, the Lion King quickly suppressed these distracting thoughts.

He is Leon Aljonsen, Lord of the Caliban, Primarch of the First Order.

Personal confusion is insignificant in the face of the survival of the empire.

At this moment, what he needs to clarify first is the true situation of the various forces in the Empire, especially the whereabouts and movements of other Primarchs.

The news that Chen Xi introduced about Ferrus Manus's return and reorganization of the Steel Hand caught his attention.

This is not only a precedent worth referencing, but it also means that in future wars, there will be one more brother who can fight alongside you.

The Lion King's gaze swept over the coordinates of the Medusa Galaxy on the star map, and he began to weigh the possibility of joining forces with his brother again.

Over the next few standard days, Leon El-Jonson systematically reviewed the specific actions taken by Ferrus Manus after his return, using the archives of the "Stone" fortress and limited questioning of Inquisitor Chen Xi.

He noted that the Lord of Steel had taken extremely tough and efficient measures: by virtue of the Primarch's absolute authority, he directly abolished the Astartes Codex's restrictions on the number of members of the Iron Hand and its sub-commands, and re-established a legion-level combat command system.

Although Feralas formally retained the names and traditions of the various colonies, the core of its reforms lay in achieving unified command and standardized logistics, and in vigorously promoting the widespread adoption of Prototype Space Marine technology.

This results-oriented restructuring model aligns in many ways with the Lion King's vision of the military structure needed to counter galactic threats.

However, Lion King Leon Aljonsen's decision-making style is fundamentally different from that of Feralas.

Ferrus is known for his cold logic and extreme pursuit of efficiency, often taking the most direct and rapid approach to solutions.

The Lion King, on the other hand, is more profound and meticulous, accustomed to making judgments only after grasping the overall information and weighing all potential impacts, while also having a deeper respect for tradition and established order.

This difference is particularly evident in their attitudes toward Proto-Forged Space Marine technology.

In a special meeting with the High Master Azrael, the chief think tank member Ezekiel, and other core members of the inner circle, the Lion King clearly expressed his reservations about the original Astartes technology.

He pointed out that this new enhancement technology, driven by Guilliman and developed under the leadership of Belisarius Caul, a sage of the Cult of Mechanics, has not yet undergone sufficient practical testing to determine its long-term stability and potential impact on the purity of the geneseed. The Dark Angels' bloodline is inherited from the Primarchs created by the Emperor himself, and their geneseeds have withstood millennia of trials; maintaining their purity and stability is of paramount importance.

He therefore ruled that the technology should not be applied to the descendants of the First Legion without his full review and approval.

Lion King ultimately instructed that the original casting technology could be considered as a research topic and a limited alternative, but it should not be promoted on a large scale at this stage.

During the integration period, all sub-units will continue to rely on existing soldiers and traditional transformation procedures as their main combat force.

Compared to the innovation of equipment and technology, Leon Eljonsson focused his primary efforts in reorganizing the legion on another more profound and sensitive issue—the chronic problem of "fallen angels" that had plagued the Dark Angels for ten thousand years.

Through several private conversations with Judge Chen Xi, and after listening to Leona's almost detached analysis, the Lion King gained an understanding of the complexity of the Caliban tragedy that transcended the traditional narrative of the inner circle.

He clearly realized that the subspace storm that devoured the mother planet ten thousand years ago was far more than just a simple disaster.

It scattered the vast number of warriors who were then on Caliban—whether loyalists or rebels—like dust across the galaxy, even at different points in time.

"This means," Lion King concluded in a deep voice during a conversation in which only Chen Xi and Leona were present, his fingertips unconsciously tapping the table, producing a dull echo, "that a considerable number of the so-called 'fallen angels' we have been hunting for ten thousand years may simply be innocent time-space misplacers."

Throughout their long and lonely exile, they may never have betrayed their oaths to the Emperor and the Legion, yet due to historical misunderstandings and isolation, we have unilaterally labeled them traitors.

Chen Xi added his point of view at the right time, his tone calm and pragmatic: "Primarch, the threat facing the Empire today is all-encompassing."

The millennia-long internal hunt has depleted the Legion's precious resources that could have been used to fight against Tyrande and Chaos.

It's time to adopt a more flexible and realistic strategy—to distinguish between those who have truly embraced chaos and those exiles who can be won over, or even those who were already loyal.

Leona stood to one side, her voice calm yet penetratingly insightful: "Stubbornly clinging to the old creed of extermination will only keep the Legion bound by the ghosts of history."

Pardoning the innocent will not only strengthen us, but also relieve us of this millennia-long burden, allowing the Dark Angels to truly break free from internal strife and focus their attention entirely on future threats.

This disruptive proposal, unsurprisingly, caused a huge stir at the top inner circle meeting, where participants were strictly limited.

When the Lion King sat at the head of the long stone table and announced in an unquestionable tone that the identity of the "Fallen Angels" would be reassessed, and those who were proven not to have fallen would be pardoned, and even considered to be reinstated to the Legion, the Chapter Priest Azmodari almost immediately stood up from his seat, his power armor servos emitting a low hum at his agitated movement.

“This is absolutely unacceptable, Father!” Azmodari’s voice was hoarse with extreme opposition. His gaze, burning like embers beneath his helmet, swept over Chen Xi and Leona, who stood silently to the side, before finally fixing on the Lion King. “'Fallen Angels' are traitors! This is an ironclad law that has stood for millennia! Their very name represents betrayal of Caliban and disloyalty to you! Anyone who bears this title has already had their soul tainted by suspicion, and is utterly devoid of trust!”

He stepped forward, slamming his fist heavily on the heavy stone table with a deafening thud: "Pardon them? That's a desecration of all the brothers who have sacrificed for this cause over the past ten thousand years! It's a complete betrayal of our core creed! It will only allow the corruption of chaos to take hold, allowing the lies of traitors to infiltrate the most sacred sanctuary of 'The Great Stone'! Only a thorough and merciless purification can ensure the purity and safety of the Chapter! This is an indisputable truth!"

The entire Helm's Hall fell into a deathly silence due to Azmodari's vehement words.

The other inner circle members, including Azrael and Ezekiel, remained silent, but their expressions were all solemn, clearly indicating that they were also experiencing great turmoil.

(End of this chapter)