Warhammer 40K in a box

Chapter 694 The Great Forest of Caliban
Leon Aljonsen remained unperturbed by Azmodari's almost accusatory opposition.

He simply raised his eyes slowly, and those emerald eyes contained the absolute pressure of the Primarch, like the deepest forest of Caliban, instantly swallowing up all the noise.

“Priest Azmodari,” the Lion King’s voice was not loud, but as clear as ice, piercing through the stagnant air, “I acknowledge your dedication to the purity of the Chapter, and I am well aware of the price that countless offspring have paid for it over the millennia.”

But you must understand that clinging to age-old dogma is insufficient to address the dramatic changes in the galaxy.

He stood up, his tall figure casting a heavy shadow, and his gaze swept over every inner circle member present: "The Empire is facing a survival crisis. We need to gather all loyal forces, no matter where they come from or what past labels they carry."

Viewing tragedies from ten thousand years ago through outdated lenses will only confine us to our own limited perspectives, causing us to miss opportunities to strengthen ourselves and mend our rifts.

His gaze finally settled on Azmodari, his tone carrying the weight of a final judgment: "This is not a request, but an order."

You will follow my will and personally take charge of re-examining all the exiles still imprisoned in the 'Rock'.

The investigation will focus on two key points: first, whether they have an undeniable connection to the forces of Chaos; and second, whether their actions during their long exile violated the fundamental principles of the Empire and the Order of Astartes.

The Lion King paused, as if to imprint every word into everyone's consciousness: "For those warriors who have undergone the most rigorous examination and have been proven to have not fallen and whose hearts still retain loyalty... they will be pardoned."

From this day forward, their identity will be changed from 'Fallen Angels' to 'Forgivers'.

Azmodai stood frozen in place, his helmet obscuring his expression, but his clenched fists and slightly trembling shoulder armor betrayed the intense struggle within him.

Finally, faced with the undeniable will of the father of genetics, he managed to squeeze out a response with extreme difficulty, almost from the depths of his throat:

"...As you wish...Father."

This brief meeting thus opened a new chapter in the history of the Dark Angels, which has lasted for ten thousand years.

The Lion King's will is the law within the "Stone" fortress.

Despite his inner turmoil and resentment at being misunderstood, the chapter priest Azmodari had no choice but to obey the undeniable authority of the Father of Genesis.

Soon, in the little-known, confined areas at the bottom of the fortress, a secret retrial process for the imprisoned exiles was quietly launched.

Azmodai personally oversaw every interrogation, and his methods remained rigorous despite the orders. However, the standards for review underwent a fundamental shift—from the "presumption of guilt" based on birth to the examination of evidence of specific conduct.

This process was long and arduous, with files that had been sealed away for decades or even centuries being reopened, and vague memories and incomplete logs corroborating each other, testing the patience and judgment of the examiners.

At the same time, the Lion King's order to reorganize the First Legion was quickly transmitted to all the sub-legions gathered around the fortress through the high-priority communication link of "The Great Stone".

Thanks to the mobilization of the fleets in response to the Deathguard and Caliban Legacy crises, the orders were efficiently transmitted to every chapter commander and core company commander.

The entire "Megastone" fortress and its surrounding rail system instantly entered an unprecedented state of high-speed operation.

Commanders of each sub-regiment were frequently summoned to the inner council chamber to plan integration matters with senior company commanders, technical sergeants, and inner-regiment representatives from the parent regiment.

The meeting revolved around three core themes:

The primary task is to establish a unified command system with the Lion King as the absolute core.

Leon gave a clear order that, in the face of a Legion-level threat, all Dark Angel sub-corps must unconditionally obey the orders of the Legion Command, which he directly led.

To this end, several permanent "joint strike groups" will be established, composed of mixed companies from different sub-regiments and parent regiments, specializing in combat or defense in specific strategic directions. Secondly, standardization of equipment and logistics will be promoted.

Although the Lion King temporarily suspended the original casting modification, he attached great importance to the efficiency of the logistics system.

He ordered the establishment of an Ordnance Committee composed of technical sergeants from the parent regiment and representatives from each subsidiary regiment. Its primary task was to develop universal equipment standards within the legion, focusing on the standardization of power armor interface protocols, weapon and ammunition specifications, and battlefield communication codes to ensure smooth resupply during cross-unit operations.

The third item is to promote intelligence sharing and collaborative training.

The Lion King demanded that each sub-corps open up some non-core tactical databases to the Legion Command, sharing their combat experience against specific enemies such as the Tyranids, the Chaos Warband, and the Genestealer Cult.

Meanwhile, in the training zone designated around the fortress, units from different sub-groups began joint exercises to refine tactics and build tacit understanding.

The integration process was not without resistance.

Some long-established sub-units have shown an instinctive resistance to relinquishing some autonomy, valuing the unique traditions and combat styles formed through thousands of years of independent development.

However, these obstacles were gradually overcome under the immense prestige of the Lion King's return and the real pressure of dealing with a common threat.

The Lion King also showed a pragmatic side, promising to respect the cultural heritage and honorary insignia of each regiment and allow them to retain considerable administrative autonomy in peacetime. This concession effectively appeased the emotions of many officers.

The fortress's factories and shipyards worked day and night, the roar of machinery echoing through the corridors, and production lines operating at full capacity to meet the equipment requirements under the new standards.

Within the dock area, ships are undergoing maintenance and adaptation modifications to meet the coordination standards for corps-level operations.

On the training ground, soldiers from different regiments practiced the newly revised tactical regulations together, while officers gathered in front of the sand table and holographic projection to deduce various tactics under the new command system.

The long-dormant war fortress, "The Rock," driven by the will of the Primarch, is like a sophisticated machine, with each component beginning to operate at high speed in coordination.

However, just as the restructuring was proceeding smoothly, an unexpected event disrupted the process.

During a rare brief respite, Lion King Leon Aljonson meditated alone in a quiet room, attempting to further adjust to his awakened body and sort out his complex thoughts.

Just as he was most relaxed, the surrounding scenery suddenly distorted and changed.

The next moment, he found himself no longer in the cold metal cabin, but standing in a dense and damp forest.

The air was filled with the familiar yet distant scent of vegetation. Beneath my feet lay a layer of soft, fertile humus. The canopy of towering ancient trees blocked out most of the sunlight, with only a few scattered spots of light struggling to penetrate the forest.

Leon Aljonson instantly recognized that this was the great forest of Caliban, deep in his memory, the place where he grew up and received knightly training.

He immediately looked around warily, his right hand instinctively reaching for his waist—even though it was empty.

He had no idea how he had suddenly found himself in this illusionary realm, which had long since vanished along with his home planet, from the lounge of the "Rock" fortress.

An unusual silence permeated the forest, as if it were lying in hibernation or waiting.

The Lion King became alert and vigilant. He clearly realized that this was no ordinary dream, and that it must be connected to a deeper power, perhaps with some unknown connection to Caliban's unresolved secrets, or even his own return.

(End of this chapter)