Warhammer 40K in a box

Chapter 721 The First Legion Has No Secrets
The smoke of the Battle of Kamas had not yet completely dissipated in the sea of ​​stars when the fleet, bearing both victory and heavy costs, returned to the "Stone" fortress.

This massive mobile fortress is not only the home of the Dark Angels Legion, but also a witness to their millennia-long history and a repository of their secrets.

Its return signifies the regrouping of the First Legion's forces, and also means that more complex internal affairs are now facing Lion King Leon El-Jonson.

In the heart of the fortress, in the Lion King's private council chamber, the atmosphere was solemn and dignified.

Unlike the clamor on the battlefield of Kamas, the silence here carries a weight that has been accumulated over thousands of years.

Leon Al-Jonson sat atop his throne, crafted from Caliban obsidian, having just concluded a lengthy meeting with the core members of the Inner Circle.

High Master Azrael, Chief Strategist Ezekiel, Deathwing High Master Belial, Ravenwing High Master Samuel, and the still somber Chapter Priest Azmodari, had just reported to him on the detailed progress of the Legion's reorganization since his return, the assembly status of the various sub-clubs, and the operational status of the "Stone" fortress itself.

The reporting process was rigorous and meticulous, yet it was also filled with the layered, secretive structure characteristic of the Dark Angels.

As Chen Xi observed, the biggest phenomenon within the First Legion was that "there are no secrets."

Beneath the inner ring lie numerous secret societies, each controlling different fragments of the legion's history, heritage, and even its shame.

Resource allocation, troop recruitment, technical maintenance, intelligence networks...

Behind these massive systems lies a complex division of power and responsibility, with many key links only open to inner circle members at specific levels.

Only the Lion King himself, as the Primarch and the absolute core of the Legion, theoretically holds the ultimate key to all the secrets and can see through these layers of fog to see the whole picture.

Leona stood quietly behind the Lion King, like a silent shadow.

She listened to the entire report, her eyes, as sharp as the original's, sweeping over each of the Grand Mentors who spoke, but she never interrupted.

Her genetic essence, which is completely of the same origin as the Lion King and differs only in gender expression, allows her to intuitively perceive certain details that are carefully glossed over or downplayed in words when listening, and may even know some deep secrets that even some of the great masters present may not know.

However, her personality is just like the Lion King's; she is accustomed to observing and thinking rather than actively revealing things.

She understood the complex role these secrets played in maintaining the legion's cohesion, especially in the face of the weighty burden of "atonement" left over from millennia, so she chose to remain silent, relinquishing all control of judgment and decision-making to the Lion King.

At the end of the meeting, the Lion King officially appointed Leona as the deputy commander of the Dark Angel Legion.

This decision did not surprise most inner circle members.

Her exceptional command skills, her seamless teamwork with the Primarch, and her undeniable strength demonstrated during the Battle of Kamas have all proven her worth.

More importantly, the fact that she is the female counterpart of the Lion King is itself an undeniable authority.

This position was not merely nominal; the Lion King entrusted her with an extremely important and sensitive task: to re-examine the records of the Legion's offspring, known as the "Fallen Angels," who had disappeared or were believed to have betrayed the cause before or after the destruction of Caliban.

He was given full authority to identify and pardon those members who had not truly defected to the chaos, but were perhaps exiled due to historical misunderstandings or extreme circumstances, and to regroup and reorganize them, returning them to the Legion's ranks. The inner circle members reacted differently to the Lion King's appointment.

Azrael and Ezekiel offered cautious support, understanding that at a time when the Legion desperately needed strength, it was necessary to win back any possible loyal warriors, even though this process would inevitably involve enormous risks and controversy.

Beria and Samuel were more concerned with safety and efficiency at the practical level.

Azmodai, though not openly opposed, revealed his extreme dissatisfaction through his increasingly somber expression.

In his view, this was undoubtedly another huge blow to the eternal creed and the inner circle's judicial power, placing an unknown "mirror image" that might even shake the foundation of the legion in a high position.

After the meeting, the Grand Mentors bowed and took their leave, leaving only the Lion King, Leona, and Judge Chen Xi, who would arrive later on orders, in the council chamber.

Chen Xi could only marvel at the complexity of the First Legion's "secrets within secrets" operating model.

Although he was an Inquisitor and possessed many secrets concerning the safety of the Empire, compared to the Dark Angels' millennia-old and intricate internal system, the secrets he held seemed more "straightforward."

He was acutely aware that he was always an “outsider” and that his permission to participate in this place was largely due to the Lion King’s authorization and the value and reliability he had proven in the Battle of Kamas.

When the Lion King finished dealing with the urgent military affairs at hand and finally summoned him for a private meeting, Chen Xi had already anticipated this.

The meeting took place in the Lion King's private study, a quieter space than the council chamber. The surrounding bookshelves displayed ancient scrolls from the Caliban era and historical archives from the empire's millennia-long history, and the air was filled with the mixed scents of aged parchment, polishing oil, and steel.

Lion King Leon dismissed his attendants, and even Leona temporarily left, giving them absolute privacy.

The Primarch stood tall before the enormous observation window, gazing at the busy traffic lanes inside the "Stone" fortress and the distant, shimmering star map projection. After a moment, he turned around, his gaze sharp, and cut straight to the point.

"Judge Chen Xi," the Lion King's voice was deep and steady, without the slightest hint of pleasantries, "In the Battle of Kamas, you proved your worth and your unquestionable loyalty to the Empire."

Now, I need you to speak frankly. About Leona, about the mission you brought her into this era, and… anything you know about my father… the Emperor's plans.”

Chen Xi faced the Primarch's gaze, which seemed to pierce through her soul, without flinching.

He knew all too well that any deliberate concealment or embellishment in the face of this being was futile and foolish.

He nodded slightly and began his narration in a calm and objective reporting tone.

"Lady Leona is neither a copy nor a derivative." Chen Xi's opening remarks were clear and direct. "She is you, Your Majesty the Lion King, the female counterpart in terms of genetic essence. She is the other half of the Emperor's grand plan, corresponding to you."

He described how he found Leona under the Emperor's veiled guidance, but remained vague about the specific details of her origins.

(End of this chapter)