Witnessing his comrade fall, the surviving Dark Angel was filled with grief and indignation, and resolutely chose to raise his weapon and fight back.
The battle was sudden.
No one could react in time.
Even with the strongest combat physiques and fastest reaction speeds in the Imperium, they struggled to understand what was happening.
The warriors on the Expeditionary Fleet's side thought the Dark Angels Chapter had rebelled, becoming conservatives who wanted to stifle the Imperium's reforms, and thus attacked them.
Meanwhile, the Dark Angels believed the Expeditionary Fleet had been sent by Guilliman to eliminate them.
After all, the secret of Caliban was enough to shake the foundations of the Imperium.
What the Lion, El'Jonson, had done was not significantly different from Horus in the past.
The only difference was that the Lion had not been lost to the false promises of the Warp.
But outsiders would not think so deeply; once the events that transpired on Caliban in the past were revealed,
other factions within the Imperium would stubbornly believe that the Lion, as a Primarch, had betrayed the Imperium and pledged allegiance to Chaos.
The surviving Dark Angel did not hesitate for a moment.
His excellent combat instincts allowed him to land a shot directly on Cybos.
One of the opponent's arms was shattered by the high-impact bolter round.
Unfortunately, Cybos had already prepared himself.
He leaped into a recess, dodging the Dark Angel warrior's next bolter round, and survived.
"Calm down, don't be impulsive," one warrior shouted, trying to get both sides to cool down.
After all, this had happened too suddenly; they had received no prior information.
"Traitors!" Cybos shouted, firing another shot that narrowly missed the Dark Angel.
The Dark Angel warrior, who had initially thought there might be a misunderstanding, now abandoned all hope, stubbornly believing the Expeditionary Fleet had come to eliminate them.
He fired continuously, forcing several Expeditionary Fleet warriors back, then turned and fled deeper into the ship.
Two warriors were wounded in the exchange of fire.
Seeing this situation, the other warriors could only open fire and pursue the Dark Angel, otherwise, he would cause greater destruction.
The situation of the engagement quickly spread through all communication channels.
Space Marines, designed by the Emperor, possess extraordinary mental reaction speeds.
The Dark Angels were among the best of them; they quickly raised their weapons and fired, attempting to defend themselves.
The other warriors were forced to retaliate, and the battle began within seconds.
It happened so fast that neither side had time to figure out the misunderstanding.
The Dark Angels had long been like startled birds due to the Caliban Protocols.
For years, in pursuit of the Fallen, they had even betrayed allies and secretly targeted Inquisitors.
Before this, they had heard many rumors.
The administrative reforms initiated by Guilliman had already shaken the entire Imperium.
Opponents and supporters were slowly tearing the Imperium into conservative and reformist factions.
With Guilliman's continuous victories and the introduction of many new war technologies, his supporters were steadily increasing.
After decisively crushing the tyranid fleet in the Charadon Sector, his supporters began to outweigh his opponents.
Many sectors and star systems began to reform spontaneously, preparing to respond to the Primarch's call and fight together for the survival of humanity.
Of course, many opposing forces believed Guilliman's reforms were not for humanity.
They believed Guilliman's reforms were preparations for him to take the Emperor's place and become the second Lord of Humanity.
The warriors of the Expeditionary Fleet were all in a state of confusion.
They had not received any combat orders.
Why had they suddenly opened fire and started fighting?
The sounds of combat echoed through the comms, sounding chaotic.
The naturally cautious Dark Angels drew their weapons and fired instantly to protect themselves.
Many warriors were injured, and several were killed by the Dark Angels' attacks in the surprise assault.
The warriors of the Expeditionary Fleet had no choice but to retaliate.
Regardless, they had to take action to stop the chaos and casualties.
On the bridge of Macragge's Glory, the atmosphere, which had been amicable, suddenly turned tense.
The situation instantly descended into chaos.
Azrael, who was with Calgar, heard his subordinate's communication and immediately realized something was wrong.
He had intended to order a ceasefire and investigate the situation first.
However, before he could speak, something unexpected happened.
Before everyone's eyes, a blade was plunged directly into the Grand Master's abdomen.
The speed was incredibly fast; no one could react in time.
The attacker's move was ruthless and vicious, piercing the opponent's abdomen with a single thrust.
Even Calgar, standing nearby, couldn't react; the attack just happened.
Logically, such an attack should not have been enough to bring down a top combat master who had fought in countless campaigns and stood on the front lines against xenos and Chaos.
However, the blade in the attacker's hand contained terrifying evil power that disrupted the space marine's powerful regenerative mechanism, causing him to bleed continuously.
Azrael's face showed a hint of terror; he weakly grabbed the opponent's azure shoulder pauldron, his eyes filled with disbelief.
"Why?" Azrael said weakly.
"Die, traitor!" the warrior shouted. "You are all traitors! The Dark Angels are all traitors! For the great Guilliman, you must die!"
Azrael's communicator was already open.
Originally, he was trying to stop his subordinates' rash actions.
This was a premeditated schism.
Unfortunately, he hadn't had time to speak before he was stopped by the surprise attacker.
At this moment, the warrior's words echoed through Azrael's communicator into the ears of every Dark Angel.
The phrase "For the great Guilliman" reverberated through the communication channels.
Every Dark Angel who received this message was plunged into shock and panic, as well as unspeakable sorrow and pain.
Undoubtedly, this act was a complete betrayal to them.
Former comrades had turned their blades upon them.
For the Thirteenth Primarch, Calgar had been ordered to eliminate them.
To erase a stain on the Imperium?
To remove an obstacle for the Thirteenth Primarch to ascend the Golden Throne?
Whatever the reason, the Ultramarines had swung their blades, cutting down the Dark Angels.
Hidden by his helmet, the warrior smiled; everything was going according to plan.
How heartbroken Guilliman would be when he arrived and saw this scene.
Brothers turning weapons on each other; only one side could survive.
As long as Guilliman was also killed, the Ultramarines and their many successor chapters would inevitably fall into endless madness.
They wouldn't care if the Dark Angels were innocent or not.
At that time, they would only seek revenge, leveling everything.
The wrath of the Nemesis Chapter would be unleashed upon the Rock and all conservative forces attempting to defy the Primarch, crushing all opponents of the Imperium.
He drew the sharp blade, which reeked of evil, and crimson blood dripped from the edge onto the floor.
He swung it again, attempting to cleave Azrael's head.
Azrael was, after all, the Grand Master, the strongest Dark Angel warrior.
He bent down, dodging the fatal blow, and with his increasingly weak hands, pushed the assailant away.
The tearing wound carried a strange power that disrupted his regenerative mechanism, preventing it from emergency healing.
The wound was bleeding continuously, and that evil power was rapidly draining his vitality.
It left him so weak that he collapsed onto the ground.
This scene shocked everyone.
Even Calgar was momentarily stunned; he looked at the warrior in azure power armour, holding the blood-stained black blade, and keenly sensed something was wrong.
"The Dark Angels are traitors! Kill them! For Guilliman!" the warrior with the blade shouted, simultaneously raising his bolter and firing, attempting to completely crush the Dark Angels' counterattack.
A space marine's reaction speed is extremely fast.
A mere breath is enough for them to make various reactions.
In combat, one second can determine life and death.
Fast reaction speed is naturally a good thing, but sometimes it also means there won't be any chance for either side to talk or explain before a crisis explodes.
Seeing the Grand Master fall weakly, the few warriors of the Dark Angels Chapter did not hesitate, directly counterattacking, firing their bolters at those they considered enemies.
"Ceasefire!" Calgar snapped out of his astonishment and roared, ordering the Ultramarine who had opened fire to stop.
But the next second, the warrior who had attacked Azrael had his head blown apart by a Dark Angel's bolter round, crimson flesh and helmet fragments flying everywhere.
The other warriors were also forced to seek cover by the bolter rounds fired by the Dark Angels.
Under Calgar's command, they were forced to suppress the urge to return fire.
Many Dark Angels warriors were filled with grief and fury; they dragged the wounded Azrael to a hidden corner, their faces filled with profound sadness.
"This is a misunderstanding!" Calgar shouted, attempting to calm both sides.
However, this was destined to be futile.
The Dark Angels Chapter inherited the Lion's traits: extremely powerful, extremely cautious, and extremely suspicious.
Coupled with their unique Legion structure,
these characteristics made them almost impregnable, capable of receiving information and formulating targeted strategies one step ahead of the enemy.
However, sometimes, caution and suspicion are not good things.
They can cause something that could have been salvaged to completely spiral into an irrecoverable, terrible situation.
"You betrayed us!" a Dark Angel shouted, suppressing his pain. "You attacked the Grand Master!"
"There's a misunderstanding! I never gave such an order!" Calgar shouted.
Just as both sides were attempting to establish a fragile line of communication,
a multi-laser cannon, operated by who knows whom, locked onto the hidden Dark Angels and began firing.
The laser did not cause casualties among the Dark Angels, but it shattered the communication that had been so difficult to establish.
The Dark Angels no longer held any hope.
They fought back fiercely, destroying the laser cannon.
They fled deeper into the ship with Azrael, attempting to steal a fighter and escape back to the Rock.
"This is a misunderstanding!" Calgar shouted. "I did not order to open fire! All units, do not open fire!"
The Dark Angels paid no further heed; they believed this was merely Calgar's deceptive strategy.
As long as they lowered their guard, the opponent would find an opportunity to annihilate them with overwhelming force.
"Quickly, take the Grand Master! We have been betrayed! We have been betrayed! The Grand Master is critically wounded! The Grand Master is critically wounded! Decima has been killed!"
A fleeing Dark Angel warrior shouted loudly, reporting their situation to the Rock.
They fought and retreated, heading for the embarkation deck, attempting to leave with the Grand Master.
Azrael, supported by several Dark Angel warriors, tried to say something.
But he was too weak; that terrible blade had stripped him of a great deal of vitality, leaving him so feeble he could only move with the help of his comrades.
Watching the terrified warriors of the Dark Angels Chapter flee, Calgar's face was grim; he looked at his second-in-command.
"Find a way to control Azrael and his group first and figure out what's going on. Order all units not to kill the Dark Angels, but to focus on capturing them, leaving room to discover the truth."
"Investigate the warrior who attacked Azrael. Bring the first warrior who opened fire to me; I want to question him thoroughly. There's definitely something wrong with this."
Having commanded the Ultramarines for a millennium, Calgar had experienced countless conspiracies and schemes.
He knew there was more to this than met the eye; there must be an enemy manipulating events from behind.
Azrael could not have betrayed them so casually.
Otherwise, he would never have brought so few men to his flagship.
However, unexpectedly, before Calgar could finish dealing with the matter at hand, piercing alarm sirens blared throughout the flagship.
The situation had become even worse.
The outer defense platforms of the Rock had opened fire on them.
Beams of light sliced through the vast, eternally cold void, and fan-shaped torpedoes were launched like a large net from the Rock's macro-cannons.
The Rock, controlled by the Dark Angels Chapter, unleashed a massive barrage of attacks upon Calgar's fleet, treating his forces as enemies.
Screams of fear and shock mingled with piercing alarms, echoing on every ship.
Many senior fleet officers were in a state of confusion.
What was happening?
Why was the Rock attacking them?
Numerous ships sent inquiries to the Rock, hoping the other side would exercise restraint and not make any mistakes.
However, their inquiries were like stones sinking into the mud, causing no ripple and receiving no response.
Suddenly, the connection between the two sides was severed directly, with no response.
Meanwhile, chaos also erupted at the Rock.
The crisis came so suddenly that no one anticipated it; it simply exploded.
The Rock is extremely vast, built by the Dark Angels from the remnants of Caliban, effectively a self-sufficient small world.
It houses a large number of mortal auxiliaries and Dark Angels warriors.
Many factories, such as weapon forges, armaments assembly plants, and food supply centers, are located within the Rock.
This allows the Dark Angels to move throughout the galaxy, hunting the enemies of humanity and the Fallen Angels.
Such a vast base naturally leaves many dark, unmonitored corners.
Providing space for the escaped prisoners to evade pursuit.
After the last attack, Azrael had been trying to purge the escaped prisoners.
Many prisoners were killed or recaptured.
However, the appearance of the Great Rift interrupted the purging efforts on the Rock.
To defend the Imperium, he had to dispatch the Dark Angels to fight those abhorrent enemies and save the worlds inhabited by humanity.
The escaped prisoners naturally became active in various dark corners.
Normally they were suppressed and hunted.
But today, they would rise in rebellion and deliver the most terrifying blow to the Dark Angels.
After Azrael, Grand Master of the Dark Angels, gave the order to proceed to the Laurels of Victory, their counterattack had already begun.
Within a factory that could connect to the main control information center, these prisoners silently took control and began their plan.
"Continue," a tall warrior wearing simple armor said coldly. "For the Ninefold Path, we cannot stop."
In his hand, he held a blood-stained knife, and at his feet lay dead civilians.
Beside him, warriors similarly corrupted by Chaos, holding weapons, were leading other civilians in chanting and singing.
If an Inquisitor were here, they would surely draw their weapon immediately.
These were all blasphemous words and melodies, from the most evil entities of the warp, which must be erased immediately, or they would bring unimaginable corruption.
These melodies existed in the universe long before humanity learned language, they are ancient and contain terrifying power.
The melodies are connected to certain unspeakable essences, possessing the power to corrupt all things.
People could use any tune to accompany them.
Regardless, they could unleash mysterious and unpredictable power.
These melodies, carrying mysterious power, combined with the input code, could quickly corrupt the Dark Angels' fortress defense system.
Another person walked up, his body marked with the sacred number nine of Chaos, his gaze ignorant and filled with fanaticism.
The man had no fear of the impending death.
He wore only a shirt and shorts, his body inscribed with evil prayers, and in his hand, he held a blue bottle.
The offering for this ritual was contained in the bottle: two eyeballs from his wife and son, and half a bottle of blood.
At the bottom of the bottle, there was also a piece of paper covered in writing.
As long as an offering sufficient to please the Chaos powers was made, those unspeakable entities would answer any request.
Pure souls, acts of betrayal, and the destruction of beauty – these could all please them.
The man deeply loved his wife, but for a greater cause, he did not hesitate to kill her, and his child as well, solely to offer a better sacrifice to the unspeakable entities.
The man opened the bottle cap and poured out the blood.
He discarded his wife's and child's eyeballs as if they were garbage.
He took out the piece of paper covered in writing from inside the bottle.
The paper was crafted from a special material and through a ritual.
The residual blood was slowly absorbed, the paper began to heat up, and smoke rose from its edges.
The person threw away the bottle and knelt devoutly before the communication transmitter.
He picked up a data cable and connected it to the interface on his neck.
The man looked at the paper and read the words written on it with a devout expression.
The paper slowly began to heat up, and smoke curled upwards.
The man chanted the letters one by one, and the nerve cable converted his consciousness into text, inputting it into the communicator.
These words were not special in any way.
They could be written in any language, in the language of humans, in the language of the eldar, just as they could be mixed into any melody.
Language and melody were merely its external manifestations; what was truly important was its essence, that evil essence.
Soon, the man finished inputting the words from the paper, and the paper in his hand burst into flames, with black smoke rising and fragments slipping from his fingers.
The atmosphere became increasingly oppressive, and the eerie whispers grew even more terrifying.
The air turned cold, and a powerful psyker pressure emerged.
Even modified warriors found such pressure difficult to bear.
The man inputting the words trembled violently, his tongueless mouth wide open, emitting a silent scream.
His eyes began to melt in their sockets, his body twisted unnaturally, and then, like a melting candle, it slowly dissolved.
Seeing this, the warrior plunged his knife into the man's head, completing the final execution.
This was the ninth, and the last.
Nine names had been entered into the system database, entering the data stream of the Rock's communication network like poison.
No filtering system or psyker barrier could block or erase them.
Because these names were composed of ordinary letters, they were not malicious code, not virus data.
However, once they entered the system and were read by numerous augmented communicators using psyker space, they would grow and reveal their true nature.
No longer a mere arrangement of letters, their essence would be revealed, ever-changing, drawing people into their depths.
In the Rock's main information processing chamber, hundreds of millions of wires and sensor strips converged.
Connected to the mainframes, men and women who had undergone mechanical augmentation and programming sat here, listening, filtering, and transmitting information streams from different areas of the Rock.
Their mouths moved constantly, hissing and repeating the data streams passing through.
Autoscribes clattered, and info-conduits hummed incessantly.
Vast arrays of cogitators sometimes opened their mouths wide, sometimes closed them, appearing to be in extreme agony.
A servitor, whose skull cap had been removed and replaced with a mass of data cables covered by a transparent glass dome, trembled.
He received a strange and unusual message, falling into a brief silence.
After a moment of pause, the diagnostic routine realized the problem, restarted it, and attempted to format it.
"One," the servitor said, trembling. Its programmed and mechanized brain twitched involuntarily a few times, and vast amounts of data flowed from its mind to the main control center.
"Two," another servitor also convulsed.
"Three," sounds of pain spread, and the servitors trembled.
Some men and women noticed these anomalies, watching everything with confused expressions.
Servitors' personal consciousness is completely erased, how could they still feel pain?
"Four," hundreds of servitors cried out simultaneously, the enormous sound echoing throughout the control room.
A tech-priest on duty turned his mechanical head to look at the screaming servitors, a human-like confusion showing in his mechanical electronic eyes.
He moved his heavy mechanical limbs, walking towards the out-of-control servitors.
"Five," a louder roar sounded, and some men and women also fell into confusion.
"Six," some of the men and women with their own will also became ensnared, a massive data stream overwhelming their minds, causing them to instinctively scream.
"Seven."
The tech-priest's expression became solemn, his mechanized face showing some fear.
He connected to the communication channels of his colleagues, using binary communication to call them over.
The crisis here clearly involved something special.
"Eight."
The tech-priest walked over, extending a mechanical arm, his fingers rapidly liquefying to form a fine needle.
His idea was simple: to use the fine needle to attempt to read a small amount of information in order to analyze the problem.
The next second, his eyes widened directly.
An unimaginable data stream impacted his operating core like a flood.
"Nine."
The tech-priest attempting to solve the problem also began to scream.
Along the many corridors of the Rock, lights flickered rapidly.
All screens in the main control center displayed red warnings.
Leaving the mortals controlling the various systems of the Rock all confused, wondering how problems suddenly arose.
Before they could react, numerous weapon platforms directly opened fire on the arriving Imperial fleet.
At the same time, communications were cut off.
The Rock descended into chaos.
Ezekiel, responsible for remaining on the Rock, instantly became solemn. He hadn't even had time to deal with Azrael's injury on the Laurels of Victory when such an emergency suddenly erupted.
The Rock's outer defense platforms firing on the Imperial fleet was no small matter.
"Stop!" Ezekiel, realizing the situation was bad, shouted into the communication device, attempting to stop the crisis.
"Lord, we have lost control of the Rock; the order to fire did not come from us," the tech-priest replied to Ezekiel. "Vast amounts of corrupted code are flooding our communication network."
"How long until it's back to normal?" Ezekiel's expression turned grim; this matter made his scalp tingle.
The enemy had come prepared, with layered plans, like a chess player in control of the whole game, playing everyone like pawns.
"The Changer." A cursed, unspeakable name appeared in Ezekiel's mind.
Only the Changer - Tzeentch - would orchestrate such a complex conspiracy.
Its purpose was clear: to cause a rift between the Dark Angels and the Primarch.
"It will take seventy minutes. I am trying to initialize the code and flush out this corrupted data. I estimate it will be completed in seventy minutes, putting control back in our hands," the tech-priest said.
"Damn it," Ezekiel said. "Regain control as quickly as possible. Can we establish communication with the Expeditionary Fleet?"
"No, our communications were the first to be attacked. External communications have been destroyed; we cannot send messages to the Imperial fleet," the tech-priest said.
"Find a way, establish contact as soon as possible," Ezekiel ordered.
"Understood, Lord. I will accelerate the process as much as possible."
Ezekiel closed the communication channel. The tech-priest's words did not reassure him.
Restoring communication and clearing the code would take time; they couldn't wait that long.
Seventy minutes was enough time for the Expeditionary Fleet and the Rock to inflict heavy damage on each other.
"Send Dagonet to me," Ezekiel connected to another channel.
They had to communicate quickly, otherwise, if the Expeditionary Fleet counterattacked, the situation would only get worse.
Through the images transmitted by the Expeditionary Fleet to various parts of the Imperium, Ezekiel knew how terrifying the Expeditionary Fleet's firepower was.
tyranid Hive Fleets, ork Battle Moons, even necron Tomb Ships had been utterly destroyed by the Expeditionary Fleet.
It was clear how much the Expeditionary Fleet had been enhanced under Guilliman's impetus.
Its firepower had reached an extremely terrifying level.
Especially with the appearance of the Nemesis Titans.
These terrifying creations, comparable to celestial bodies, were objects of dread for every civilization and faction.
Yet Ultramar could mass-produce such colossal constructs and produce them on assembly lines in a very inexpensive manner; this was undoubtedly a terrifying display of Guilliman's power to the extreme.
With such means, the Expeditionary Fleet could crush and destroy any enemy that attempted to stop them.
Once the Expeditionary Fleet gave up trying to communicate with the Rock.
That would undoubtedly be a terrible disaster for the Dark Angels.
Immediately after giving the order, footsteps were heard at the door.
Ezekiel turned his head to look and saw it was Boryas, a member of the Deathwing.
"Lord Ezekiel," Boryas said.
"What is it?" Ezekiel said.
"We must immediately execute a boarding action against Calgar's Expeditionary Fleet to prepare The Rock for warp translation," Boreas said.
"Are you insane?" Ezekiel looked at Boreas, his brow furrowed. "This will escalate the conflict."
Boreas shook his head, his tone heavy. "The conflict has already been escalated. The Chapter Master is severely wounded and trapped on Calgar's flagship, Macragge's Glory. This is already a declaration of war against us. Do you still think this is a misunderstanding?"
"Even if we take a step back and assume the Imperial Regent didn't issue the order, and take another step back and assume Calgar didn't issue the order, the two sides are already engaged. Over six expeditionary vessels have been destroyed, and nearly 300,000 crew members have perished. Do you think there is any room for reconciliation?"
"Staying here will only put us in a more precarious situation. The firepower of the Expeditionary Fleet is well known, capable of effortlessly destroying any enemy that attempts to fight them.
If Calgar deploys the Retribution class battleships, I fear The Rock will be destroyed as effortlessly as a battle moon. My suggestion is to leave first, and then find a way to clarify the situation. Staying here will only make things worse, and could even sever the Lion's bloodline."
Upon hearing this, Ezekiel couldn't help but waver.
Boreas' words were not without reason.
Even if there was a misunderstanding between the two sides, leaving temporarily wasn't a bad idea. Afterwards, they could find a way to contact the Thirteenth Primarch and communicate the issues. Perhaps there was still a turning point.
Now that both sides had opened fire, if they lost the opportunity to enter the warp, The Rock would inevitably disintegrate under the assault of the Expeditionary Fleet. By then, there would truly be no way to recover.
Even more critically, The Rock held ancient weapon stockpiles and numerous prisoners deep within the fortress. These were things that absolutely could not be exposed.
Once exposed, the consequences would be unimaginable.
It would make the situation even worse.
Furthermore, the Dark Angels were the founding Chapter that followed, the direct bloodline of the Lion, holding unimaginable significance.
Once war broke out with Calgar, it would inevitably bring unpredictable consequences.
"We must use strong measures to prevent all of this." Boreas saw Ezekiel's struggle. Attacking a Primarch's forces—such an action, once it occurred, would cause chain reactions that people could not predict.
It was highly likely that the conservatives would deliberately publicize it, leading to military confrontations in various regions.
Currently, the Lion's bloodline faced an unprecedented crisis. Boreas could not stand by and watch this crisis destroy The Rock. His inherent pride and loyalty would not allow him to be indifferent to the destruction of the Lion's bloodline.
Ezekiel looked troubled. Before he could issue an order, a loud, chaotic noise erupted from the communication channel again.
"Daemon incursion," the voice of the Chapter Chaplain, Asmodai, came through the comms.
"What's going on?" Ezekiel asked.
"Those escaped prisoners performed a sacrificial ritual. By the time we arrived, those individuals were already dead. The summoned daemon is nowhere to be found; I suspect it's wearing a disguise," Asmodai said.
"Find it as quickly as possible." Ezekiel's face was grim. He turned to Boreas. "Assemble the Deathwing Company and prepare for a sudden attack, but you are not permitted to act without my explicit order."
"Understood, Lord Ezekiel," Boreas said, then turned and left.
Shortly after Boreas left, Dagonet, clad in his power armor, rushed in.
As he walked, he saw that chaos had already spread throughout The Rock. The situation was worse than ever before.
"What is it, Ezekiel, that you summoned me so urgently?" Dagonet asked, looking at Ezekiel.
"I need you to do something," Ezekiel said. "Our communication with the Expeditionary Fleet has been cut off. The last information we received was only that the Chapter Master was attacked. I cannot make a comprehensive judgment based on this information. I suspect there is definitely an evil force interfering. Therefore, The Rock needs to establish communication with the Expeditionary Fleet, otherwise both sides will suffer losses."
"What is it?" Dagonet asked.
"I need you to take a small squad to Macragge's Glory. Regardless of the situation, you must send me information reporting the Chapter Master's condition. If possible, you can represent the Dark Angels Chapter and negotiate with Calgar to clarify the misunderstanding," Ezekiel said. "This mission also carries risks. If Calgar is ordered to annihilate us, then going to Macragge's Glory is a death sentence."
"I believe a Primarch would not be so reckless as to issue a war order against a newly founded Chapter. This mission, I will complete it successfully," Dagonet said.
"This is all we can do, Dagonet. Regardless of the situation, we will have a clear conscience. If even you encounter misfortune, are imprisoned or killed by Calgar, then the Dark Angels will have no choice but to retaliate and flee this region."
"I understand. I will treat my mission with the utmost seriousness," Dagonet said.
The outcome of his mission would determine Ezekiel's war orders.
If he provided incorrect information, Ezekiel would make the wrong decision and doom the Dark Angels Chapter.
Dagonet departed.
Ezekiel continued to manage the situation on The Rock, striving to prevent it from spiraling out of control.
He ordered some Dark Angels warriors to hunt down the prisoners and the missing daemon, suppressing the chaos on The Rock.
After issuing a series of orders, he saw the chaotic battlefield outside through the optical devices taking pictures.
Beams of light and torpedoes mingled, creating killing zones.
Seeing an Expeditionary Fleet vessel destroyed under The Rock's firepower, a hint of despair and terror surfaced in Ezekiel's heart.
Communication was cut off.
Could the Expeditionary Fleet realize that The Rock had been taken over by others and was attacking them?
If not, destruction would surely descend upon The Rock in an instant.
Brother would draw sword against brother.
This was undoubtedly an extremely sorrowful matter.
Foolish mortals could never understand change.
They stubbornly clung to the empire built on lies, worshipping that pathetic Corpse-Emperor.
They had forgotten that the essence of the universe was constant change.
Any loyalty, any virtue, was merely an illusion, something that arose from biological evolution for the sake of survival.
In the long history of the universe, any self-righteous emotion ultimately only faded away.
Throughout the long ages, only the concept of change would be eternally passed down.
A capable lieutenant of Tzeentch, a Changebringer skilled in sowing discord and playing with schemes, wandered through the wide corridors of The Rock.
At this moment, the Changebringer wore the uniform of an officer, striding towards the core of The Rock.
Along the way, the servants who didn't know the truth saluted him.
Everything was going according to plan.
Guilliman's journey was carefully controlled, ensuring he couldn't arrive in time, thus preventing him from resolving the conflict between the two Chapters.
Furthermore, Guilliman would be attacked the moment he entered real space.
The Dark Angels retained many weapons from the Human Golden Age.
Deep within their fortress, many important prisoners were held, some of whom, if released, would cause unimaginable harm.
And that was its goal.
The plan for The Rock had begun centuries ago.
To deliver a fatal blow to the Dark Angels, the daemon had long since...
**This area is under lockdown. Your clearance is insufficient.**
As the Changebringer reached a large door, a combat servitor stepped forward.
Hydraulic systems hissed, the weapon system mounted on its shoulder activated, and the thick barrel of the autocannon aimed at the officer the Changebringer had impersonated.
"I need to pass through for urgent matters," the Changebringer said.
**This area is under lockdown. Please return.**
The combat servitor responded according to its pre-set programming.
Ezekiel had issued orders; now all departments were conducting urgent searches, attempting to find the rebels and the daemon.
Servitors located throughout The Rock were also following the pre-set lockdown procedures, preventing unauthorized movement.
The officer the Changebringer had taken the identity of clearly didn't have high enough clearance and was blocked at the perimeter.
"What's happening?" A higher-ranking Dark Angels warrior suddenly appeared and asked.
"I need to find the Armory Master, but it's blocking me," the Changebringer said calmly. "Please, sir, help me pass, otherwise it will delay subsequent matters."
The Changebringer used its words to guide the other party, leveraging the power of speech to peer into the mind of this Dark Angels warrior.
This was easy for it; not every space marine was as powerful as Azrael, after all.
"Wait a moment, the search is still ongoing." The Dark Angels warrior glanced at the other party, then shook his head and said.
"Then the situation is truly terrible." The Changebringer vividly simulated the tone of a complaining human.
The Dark Angels warrior glanced at him, then turned and left. He saw nothing amiss.
The next second, this Dark Angels warrior was impaled.
He had been careful enough, maintaining constant vigilance.
Unfortunately, he was facing a shard of a Primordial Annihilator, a Chaos Great Power, the most cunning and insidious entity in the universe.
The Dark Angels warrior couldn't utter a single word before being killed by the lurking daemon.
In the moment the Dark Angels warrior turned around, when he was most relaxed.
One of the Changebringer's arms transformed into a spike, killing him cleanly and decisively.
Just as the combat servitor was about to react, the Changebringer pierced its processor, shredding it into fragments.
Moments later, the Changebringer shed the officer's disguise as easily as taking off a coat.
It became the killed Dark Angels warrior.
This identity would allow it to enter areas with higher clearance.
It walked towards the depths of The Rock, issuing different orders to the mortal auxiliaries it encountered along the way.
Of course, it issued different orders to different individuals.
Using its ability to read shallow thoughts, it manipulated the mortals it saw, keeping them in the palm of its hand.
To the mortals who were not very trusting of Guilliman and were more loyal to the Dark Angels:
"The Expeditionary Fleet has betrayed us; they launched the first strike against us."
"Annihilate the Expeditionary Fleet."
"There are many traitors; they are obstructing us. Eliminate them by any means necessary."
To those followers who were fanatically devoted to Guilliman, it issued different orders:
"We must sabotage The Rock's power; someone wants to harm Guilliman and hinder the cause of humanity's rise."
"Some Dark Angels have betrayed us; eliminate them, stop them."
"Clear out the stubborn elements, brothers! For the Emperor, for Guilliman!"
Using different identities, the Changebringer effortlessly disrupted the already chaotic situation on The Rock.
Many mortal auxiliaries attacked their allies, all the while shouting "For the Imperium, for the Emperor!"
Such a dramatic and mocking scene made the Changebringer laugh uncontrollably behind the scenes.
Of course, these were just its minor tricks, mere appetizers before the main course.
It had a big surprise in store for the Dark Angels.
Counting the time, Guilliman would be arriving soon.
It was time to put on a grand show for him.
As a celestial-scale giant fortress, the Giant Rock is enormous and cannot be fully controlled by the Dark Angels.
It is divided into different areas.
The outer areas house factories and living quarters for the serfs, who provide the Dark Angels with armor, ammunition, and services like medical care.
When necessary, they will also take up arms and fight alongside the Dark Angels.
The core area belongs to the Dark Angels.
They train and live here.
In its innermost core, terrifying and utterly unknown ancient creations are stored.
Horrifying individuals who could potentially harm the Imperium are imprisoned here.
And now, the Changeling is passing through the numerous outer defenses and entering the core area controlled by the Dark Angels.
It changed its form several times, wandering through various parts of the Giant Rock using different identities.
Those whose identities it stole are already dead.
Their bodies were cleverly disposed of to ensure it had enough time.
At this moment, it is walking through a corridor, stepping towards the Giant Rock' tightly controlled prison area.
Its objectives are only two.
First, to secretly release the Ouroboros, imprisoned by an ancient race, and use this terrifying ancient entity to severely wound Guilliman.
Second, to release the prisoners deep within the Giant Rock to further escalate the mistrust of the Expedition Fleet towards the Dark Angels Chapter.
The Changeling thoroughly enjoyed this act of controlling the threads of fate.
Both the Expedition Fleet and the Dark Angels Chapter were like puppets in its hands, bound by invisible threads of destiny, dancing on the stage of fate it had set.
Guilliman's resurrection did indeed prevent the collapse of the Imperium, but he also made those humans foolish enough to believe they could stand against the warp.
Nothing can stand against Chaos.
The ultimate fate of any race or civilization that attempts such a thing is tragic, turning into a wisp of ash in the endless multiverse, with no further need for existence.
The Changeling walked straight past busy serfs and warriors, passing quickly moving Dark Angels without glancing sideways.
Its disguise was so perfect that no one dared to stop it.
Many even saluted, showing it respect.
What a ridiculous sight.
Guided by the threads of fate, it easily reached a forbidden armory.
The armory was protected by adamantium doors inscribed with runes, preventing all sorcery and supernatural power.
Aside from entering with a password, any unconventional means would be countered, or even result in the destruction of the items inside.
Two Dark Angels warriors in Terminator power armor watched it, their eyes showing solemnity.
"Present your identification and authorization documents," one Dark Angel warrior said.
"My apologies, I need to find them," the Changeling said, pulling out a data-slate and making a show of looking through it.
In reality, it only contained a few messages from the outer defenses.
But the Changeling planted a thought in the Dark Angel's mind, making him see the authorization documents he wanted to see.
"K'shou, authorization documents are correct," the Dark Angel warrior said. "Are you here to retrieve weapons?"
"Yes, the daemons are rampaging, we need to take emergency measures," the Changeling said with a mocking tone.
The Dark Angel warrior did not detect the mockery of the thief crying 'stop thief', but instead nodded in agreement.
"That damned daemon," the warrior said.
Following the activation protocol, the two Dark Angels warriors walked to the scanning device of the armory.
Golden light scanned their pupils, verifying their identity and physiological state.
The Dark Angels warriors guarded these forbidden weapons very strictly.
If an enemy attempted to intrude, they would immediately self-destruct.
Pale white light dotted the black armor of the two Dark Angels warriors.
Scanning lasers swept through the air, finally stopping in the eye sockets of the two Dark Angels warriors, confirming that their pupils met the conditions for activation.
The embedded electronic components, upon reading the hexagonal runes on the ceramite, emitted a sequence confirmation tremor.
As the identity verification was completed, a glowing rectangle appeared on the armory's thick door, displaying randomly arranged numbers.
One Dark Angel warrior entered the encrypted sequence that changed randomly every hour.
The other Dark Angel warrior entered a sequence known only to three individuals.
The password entry was completed, and the door emitted a confirmation sound.
A series of metallic clangs echoed continuously.
Following several thuds, hisses, and the unique hum of infrasound. The massive mechanical door locks were disengaged, and the stasis field, killing aura, and shock devices were shut down one by one.
The door slowly slid open to the sides, and cold air leaked out through the opening metal door.
Like a stream of white mist, it flowed slowly towards the ground.
Time was slowed down within the mist; its flow was gentle and leisurely.
"Stay close behind me, do not deviate from my movements," one Dark Angel said.
The Changeling nodded, a smile appearing on the faceplate of its helmet.
It used its old trick again, but when the Dark Angel turned his head, it attacked directly.
The two well-trained Dark Angels warriors, caught off guard by the daemon's sudden attack, were killed instantly.
After all, as a greater daemon under Tzeentch, the God of Change, the Changeling's power was not to be underestimated.
Even now, in the material universe, the power it possessed was unfathomable to mortals.
The two bodies fell to the ground with a thud.
Their faces, with helmets removed, showed terror and disbelief, along with a hint of pain.
The betrayal by their comrade caught them completely by surprise.
The Changeling walked in, it tore open space, and accompanied by evil etheric light, those bizarre lesser daemons were summoned by it.
"Take everything from here and give it to those cultists and prisoners. Tell them that if they want to leave the Giant Rock, they only have a slim chance by releasing Luther," the Changeling said.
daemons are cunning creatures; to humans, any words they speak are untrustworthy.
And daemons always put on a condescending attitude towards humans.
Those sorcerers who can summon daemons are more like poor simps to a goddess, spending everything just to get a 'you're a nice guy' from her.
But their attitude towards the Changeling was utterly respectful.
Much like how a goddess treats a rich second generation.
As a high-ranking servant of the God of Change, the Changeling holds an extremely high position in the warp.
Any daemon that defies it will ultimately face a miserable fate.
Numerous daemons swarmed into the Dark Angels' armory, plundering all the terrifying weapons.
The Dark Angels had collected many deadly weapons from Old Earth, the Age of Strife, or the Golden Age that had not yet been used.
In the vault with multiple layers of security and identification locks, one could find portable atomic bombs, gene-targeting biological weapons, unstable plasma devices, singularity drivers, black hole annihilation devices, and even a device for timeline distortion.
The technological level of these weapons is extremely high, and many of them are mixed with the power of the warp, making them even more bizarre and unusual.
The Changeling did not dare to underestimate these weapons, some of which could cause its complete and eternal silence.
It could be said that the Dark Angels possessed the firepower to casually use and initiate a new Age of Night.
According to some whispers, the Dark Angels' vault was the Imperium of Man's last resort.
When all rescue efforts failed and human civilization was unable to protect itself and heading towards destruction, the Grand Master of the Dark Angels would activate the final destruction plan.
The most terrifying weapons of the Age of Night would be activated, reshaping the entire galaxy, erasing the existence of every planet.
Making the galaxy completely disappear from the universe.
The Changeling didn't know if this rumor was true or false.
It leaned towards the rumor being true.
The Curser had been making many small moves behind the scenes that even the God of Change hadn't discovered.
That cold golden sun burned away all possible threads of fate connected to him.
Leaving a large black hole in the long river of fate.
This black hole swallowed everything, and no one knew what happened inside.
The Curser was not as tolerant of all races as other gods.
Once humanity ceased to exist, the Four Gods were certain that the Curser would not hesitate to destroy the galaxy, or even the entire universe.
Without humanity, what was the point of the universe existing?
The Curser was always this narrow-minded.
Therefore, daemons and gods alike disliked him.
Heavy adamantium pillars supported the armory, designed for extinction-level events, capable of withstanding extremely fierce bombardment, and even remaining intact after the destruction of the Giant Rock.
Cables snaked across the armory deck, hidden within the mist of coolant. Providing power for stasis fields, energy fields, magnetic locks, and power piston mechanisms.
The Changeling saw a sealed destruction machine - the Infinite Nanites.
A cutting-edge creation from the Golden Age of Humanity, only the most insane races would develop such a terrifying thing.
Infinite Nanites could devour everything in the universe, including stars, with no upper limit.
They would convert the devoured energy into matter, then divide infinitely, forming an even more terrifying scale.
In the late Golden Age of Humanity, these nanites wreaked havoc.
In just a few seconds, they could turn a planet into a dead world, separating the flesh and blood of billions of human lives, and completely devouring the entire planet.
The Changeling considered whether to release the nanites, to give the Imperium of Man a great laugh.
After a moment, it gave up.
These nanites could even absorb etheric energy and release it.
If it backfired, and the disaster escalated, no one would be able to control it.
If the galaxy was gone, Chaos would also gradually fade away.
What the Changeling was more worried about was that Guilliman had been continuously pushing for technological advancement in humanity during this time, bringing forth many technological knowledge that the Imperium of Man did not possess.
Perhaps he had the means to control machines from the Golden Age.
If releasing the nanites failed to give the Imperium of Man a laugh and instead strengthened Guilliman, that would be tragic.
With those terrifying creations from the Golden Age of Humanity, the plan to severely wound Guilliman with the help of the Ouroboros carried a significant risk of failure.
After much thought, the Changeling still gave up.
The risk of the Infinite Nanites was too great; it was better to leave them in the Dark Angels' armory.
Numerous daemons took the weapons with less robust security measures, giving them to the cultists of the Ouroboros church and the wandering prisoners, further escalating the chaos within the Giant Rock.
And it walked directly towards a sarcophagus, which was enveloped by three separate energy barriers.
A stasis field device emitted a faint halo, covering the sarcophagus.
Within the range covered by the field, even time itself had stopped.
What the Changeling saw was the final moment the sarcophagus was sealed into the field, with a large hexagonal star inscribed on it in six different forms of writing, serving as the sarcophagus' seal and warding stamp.
The sarcophagus was locked with heavy chains and padlocks, all of which were etched with a large number of etheric runes, used to imprison the contents within.
The Changeling couldn't help but feel a trace of dread for the contents within.
This was a destruction creation left over from the Golden Age.
No ancient life form could describe the madness of humanity in the Golden Age.
In that era, humanity had researched physical science to a terrifying degree.
Those mysterious and terrifying creations had neither design consistency nor functional unity.
Each one was unique in this galaxy.
Built during the peak of humanity's mastery over physical laws.
The weapons crafted by those madmen could not only easily eliminate the enemy's physical body but also their souls in the astral realm.
The Changeling, using the memories it had acquired and the vast knowledge collected over countless years, began to decipher the sarcophagus' seal.
Following a series of actions, the sarcophagus finally emitted a slight hum.
The protective measures were shut down one by one.
The light dimmed, eventually leaving only a simple and unremarkable stone sarcophagus.
The sarcophagus was slowly opened.
Cold mist flowed out, and the contents within appeared in the Changeling's eyes.
It was a weapon similar in style to a space marine's bolter, but more complex and massive.
A huge barrel, powered by several electronic components, and several cables for connecting to the human body. e
Its design was likely intended for Iron Men or some kind of enhanced soldier.
This weapon was incredibly ancient, predating the establishment of the Imperium of Man's transhuman legions by thousands of years.
This weapon already possesses self-awareness, or in human terms, it could be called an Abominable Intelligence, an AI.
It can also subtly influence its keepers, prompting them to pick it up and become its tool.
The Changeling, controlling the body of the space marine, picked up the weapon, and a string of binary runes appeared on the palm-sized screen.
Various components on the weapon began to glow, then the light receded, like a self-test program after system activation.
The Changeling revealed a faint smile; the weapon looked unremarkable on the outside, yet its power was not to be underestimated.
It could erase the existence of all things.
Like a conceptual eraser, it would wipe away everything about the object it struck, turning it into nothingness.
This was the key to the Changeling's plan.
The ultimate entity it sought to release - the Primal Destroyer - Symbol of Fate - Ouroboros - was sealed by a group of beings beyond concept.
The Changeling picked up the weapon, then tore open more spatial rifts, allowing more daemons to pour in, letting the chaos spread further, and attracting the attention of the Dark Angels warriors.
Leaving numerous daemons to rampage and wreak havoc near the armory, it headed towards the depths of The Rock, preparing to complete the final step of its plan.
Victory Laurel.
In the Medical Bay.
"He's not going to make it," the Apothecary, having removed his armor, shouted, his voice tinged with panic.
Azrael, Grand Master of the Dark Angels Chapter, lay on the medical cot before him.
A saline drip suspended from a stand provided hydration to the Grand Master's body through a tube.
Numerous Apothecaries did their best to help him stabilize his blood pressure and other physiological signs.
Medical Servitors brought bags of fresh blood.
The entire operating room was filled with tension and panic.
"You must save him," Calgar said with a grave expression.
"We'll do our best," an Apothecary replied, his voice also filled with apprehension.
The blade used by the attacker carried the warp's evil power, incredibly malevolent.
This evil force prevented the Grand Master from healing himself and completing his own repairs.
If Azrael were to die, the situation would completely spiral out of control.
"We still can't get the blood to clot," an Apothecary said, looking troubled. "We need more clotting factors. Put another IV line in him."
A ticking mechanical arm descended from the ceiling, extending numerous surgical tools.
A holographic display appeared before the Apothecary, and the mechanical arm performed surgical actions as he operated.
Fresh clotting factors were injected from various parts of the body, immediately slowing the bleeding from Azrael's abdomen.
Calgar noticed that the Grand Master's wound had still not fully clotted. Clearly, this was only treating the symptoms, not the root cause.
Thick needles were inserted into the Grand Master's abdominal area, infusing him with oxygenated blood, but the rate of stock blood depletion indicated this wouldn't last long.
Azrael was on the verge of death, his chest rising and falling violently, his breathing excessively rapid, and more blood gushing from the wound in his abdomen.
The power of the warp had damaged the Emperor's gifts.
Preventing Azrael from rapidly clotting blood and repairing himself.
"We cannot revive him through conventional means," the Apothecary looked up at Calgar. "There is only one option left now."
"What option?" Calgar asked.
"Perform the Primaris Ascension on him. The powerful self-healing function of the Rubicon Primaris will ensure Azrael's injuries are alleviated and gradually repaired," the Apothecary proposed the last treatment method.
The Rubicon Primaris was the Primarch's most outstanding technological creation; it granted Space Marines true demigod-like power.
Primaris Marines could quickly repair themselves as long as they were not instantly killed by a fatal injury.
"Then proceed with the Primaris Ascension. How long will it take?" Calgar inquired.
"A full ascension takes half a year. We can implant the Rubicon Primaris first. This will save Azrael's life, and he should wake from his coma in just two or three days," the Apothecary said.
The Rubicon Primaris is the foundation for Primaris Marine ascension.
It is also the crucial organ that ensures a 100% success rate for Primaris Ascension.
"Then let's do it that way. We need him to wake up as soon as possible," Calgar said. "Things are getting worse."
"Understood," the Apothecary replied, then ordered a Servitor to prepare for the Primaris Ascension.
Shortly after, a Servitor, escorted by several warriors, brought over a sealed adamantium cylinder.
Various mechanical runes were engraved on the cylindrical container.
Electromagnetic circuits emitted a faint glow, forming a force field attached to the container.
Ensuring the contents inside would not be contaminated or damaged by the outside world.
The Apothecary took it and entered a password known only to a select few.
A black ball of light appeared in his hand.
Vast amounts of data code flowed out from the light ball, incredibly magical, unlike a technological creation.
This was the most important organ for Primaris Ascension, the Rubicon Primaris.
Once implanted, it would combine with every cell, initiating the path of demigod evolution.
This mysterious ball of light was composed of programmed dark matter.
It stored all human genetic code, as well as complex self-evolution equations.
However, what they didn't know was that it also contained programming for absolute loyalty and a remote shutdown procedure.
With Calgar's authorization, the Apothecary used a surgical knife to cut open Azrael's chest, revealing the pulsating crimson heart within.
The Apothecary held up the Rubicon Primaris and placed it near Azrael's heart.
The ball of light drew out strands of light, slowly injecting them into the heart area, circulating with the blood, and combining with cells throughout the body.
Calgar watched for a few moments, then turned and walked out.
He understood that there was no use for him to stay here any longer.
The Rubicon Primaris needed several hours to integrate with the host.
He couldn't afford to waste several hours in the medical bay.
Walking out of the medical bay, the captain of the Victory Laurel hurried towards him.
"My lord, we should launch a counterattack immediately," the captain said, holding a data-slate that clearly displayed the Expeditionary Fleet's casualties.
The Rock and numerous weapon platforms were attacking the Expeditionary Fleet.
Countless lance beams, torpedoes, and missiles poured out like a vast net.
"Wait, can we contact The Rock now?" Calgar asked. "Have they truly rebelled?"
"All our messages have been rejected by them. They refuse to establish any form of communication with us. Let's act now. Regardless, this farce cannot continue any longer," the captain said. "Some chaplains in the accompanying fleet have already started spreading word of what's happening here. Once it gets out, the situation will undoubtedly be very bad."
"Terra might very well think the Primarch is trying to purge the Dark Angels. Things will get even worse then."
"If we counterattack this fortress, we will truly fall into the enemy's trap. Have you found the warrior who made the first move?" Calgar asked.
After a moment, the captain spoke, "He's dead. He walked into a Dark Angels ambush and was blown to pieces."
Calgar frowned, pacing back and forth, a look of worry on his face.
It was all too coincidental. If someone wasn't pulling strings behind the scenes, he absolutely wouldn't believe everything could be this coincidental.
"My lord, launch the counterattack. If we delay any longer, we will suffer even more severe casualties. The Dark Angels have betrayed us, perhaps defecting to Chaos, or perhaps acting on orders from Terra. I lean more towards the latter. There are many definitions of loyalty, and the Dark Angels have simply chosen Terra."
The captain stood aside and spoke.
The Expeditionary Fleet was under a furious assault from The Rock, yet Calgar was unwilling to issue the order to counterattack, which made the captain anxious.
"Wait a little longer," Calgar refused the captain's request to open fire. "Have all ships withdraw further, activate void shields. We need to establish communication with The Rock."
Azrael's actions upon boarding the Victory Laurel gave him a glimmer of hope for the Dark Angels Chapter.
As an Imperial hero who had undertaken numerous crusades, Azrael deeply detested the empire's flaws. He would never so rashly oppose the Primarch's reformist ideas.
As a top-tier psyker master, he had a deep understanding of the nature of the warp.
Azrael could not possibly betray the Imperium and defect to Chaos.
The captain showed a hint of disappointment upon hearing Calgar's order, but still saluted, turned, and went to relay Calgar's command.
Only Calgar remained standing alone.
He pondered for a moment, then issued orders to the various units via his vox-caster.
"Check on those suspicious individuals," Calgar instructed the numerous unit officers.
He had reason to suspect his forces had been infiltrated.
Attacking Azrael and instigating infighting between the Dark Angels and the Expeditionary forces had a clear objective.
The method was simple and despicable, yet extremely effective.
Regardless, Calgar had to find a way to resolve this matter.
He had come to protect his gene-father, but now he had been drawn into a vortex.
If he didn't handle it well, he would surely be reprimanded by the Primarch.
Calgar stood by the viewport, heavy with worry, watching the Expeditionary ships being bombarded by lance beams and torpedoes, a look of pain on his face.
The Victory Laurel shook slightly; it must have been hit by the defensive firepower from The Rock.
Calgar turned his head to look at the closed medical bay door.
"Don't disappoint me, Azrael."
He said to himself silently.
If he misjudged, the Primarch would surely be disappointed in him.
His position as Chapter Master might also be lost because of this.
Calgar was betting his honor, his position, and the Primarch's trust that the Dark Angels Chapter had not sided against the Regent of the Imperium - the conservative faction on Terra - nor had they defected to Chaos.
After watching for a while, a communication entered Calgar's personal data-slate.
After reading it, Calgar hurried away from the medical bay.
He firmly believed in the loyalty and quality of the Dark Angels Chapter. He had to find a way to understand all of this and end the chaos.
In the lower corridor of the Victory Laurel.
"Traitor," a primaris space marine assigned to Calgar's Expeditionary force, belonging to the Storm Eagles Chapter, looked at the person in front of him, only managing to say his last word before collapsing.
His eyes were wide open, filled with rage. A shameful and despicable enemy had ambushed him.
The Alpha Legionnaire wiped the blade in his hand clean, moved the body to a dark corner where no one would go, and changed into a new disguise.
He had already killed several people in a row.
After successfully instigating conflict between the Dark Angels and the Expeditionary forces, he had been constantly switching identities.
Chaos had already erupted; now the most important thing was to maintain it.
When Guilliman arrived, that would be the time for the spectacular drama to unfold.
Using his new identity, the Alpha Legionnaire entered the main control room of the Victory Laurel.
"My lord."
"My lord."
Several crew members responsible for the operation of the Victory Laurel saluted him. He nodded slightly in response, then stepped towards the control console.
Through the holographic display, they could see the Expeditionary Fleet orderly withdrawing from the range of The Rock' cannons.
"Calgar is surprisingly patient," the Alpha Legionnaire looked slightly troubled.
He had expected Calgar to launch a counterattack against The Rock.
But now, it seemed Calgar was so patient, still trying to communicate with the Dark Angels, even willing to retreat for it.
Reading the data, the Alpha Legionnaire, with the keen senses granted by the Corpse Emperor, saw a message: a Stormbird gunship was attempting to enter the Expeditionary Fleet.
Clearly, this was an attempt by the Dark Angels Chapter.
They wanted to establish contact with the Expeditionary Fleet and resolve the misunderstanding.
"They cannot be allowed to establish communication," the Alpha Legionnaire thought to himself.
"Order the fighter squadron to sortie. Be vigilant for Dark Angels boarding actions," the Alpha Legionnaire said.
"Understood."
"Understood."
Two crew members nearby, completely unaware of the danger, clicked on the screens in front of them, issuing the order for the fighter squadron to launch.
"Maintain alert status. Do not allow any gunships to approach," the Alpha Legionnaire said, then turned and left.
He needed to personally take down the Dark Angels' Stormbird gunship to cut off their attempt at communication.
After more than twenty minutes, Calgar and numerous Honour Guards finally rushed over.
His face was extremely grim.
A Servitor had discovered the body of a primaris space marine in a dark corner, triggering an alarm.
Upon inspection, Calgar discovered that someone had ambushed the warrior from behind.
The weapons used and the weapon that stabbed Azrael both carried the power of the Warp.
Clearly, there was some important connection between the two.
Under strict investigation, several warriors were found to have mysteriously disappeared.
Calgar was so angry he almost punched the control console.
His forces had been infiltrated for so long, and he hadn't noticed at all.
This was a serious dereliction of duty.
Now Calgar just wanted to find that bastard and smash his head in with a punch.
To let the other party know what Calgar's wrath was like.
Following the clues, Calgar traced his way to the control room.
Numerous crew members were interrogated.
"He just gave the order for the fighter jets to launch," a crew member said with a terrified tone.
At this moment, a piercing warning sound rang out.
The intelligence chief stood up in horror, "My lord, the latest news from the detection department is that the traitor you mentioned is leading a formation of fighter jets to hunt down a Dark Angels Stormraven gunship."
"Tell them to stop," Calgar roared, striding towards the control console, trying to prevent this.
"They've gone silent," the communications chief said.
"Then take them all down and protect that Dark Angels gunship," Calgar said.
This was betrayal.
The most shameless betrayal.
Dagonet struggled to control the fuselage of the Stormraven gunship.
The violently shaking fuselage plunged him into despair.
Calgar wanted to kill everyone in the Dark Angels Chapter.
The Valkyrie fighter formation was forming a hunting pattern, attempting to finish him off completely.
"Attempted communication failed, Ezekiel," Dagonet controlled the Stormraven, performing a roll to evade bright crimson beams.
The fighter jets pursued relentlessly, unleashing a barrage of fire, attempting to completely destroy the Stormraven he was piloting.
"Perhaps, I shouldn't have held any hope," Ezekiel's voice echoed, filled with despair and a hint of self-reproach.
"This was my choice, Ezekiel, we placed hope in them, that was our mistake," Dagonet said, "Preserve the Lion's bloodline, take the Rock and leave first, go to Terra, and tell them about this, we must all be wary of Ultramar."
With that, Dagonet cut off communications.
Out of a warrior's dignity, he didn't want to hear useless words that could only bring sorrow before he died.
The rear of the Stormraven was hit by a series of impacts, and he felt the control stick jolt violently in his hand in response, he violently twisted his gunship upwards.
The engines shrieked in protest as they pulled the gunship away from enemy fire.
His skill in piloting the gunship was exquisite.
However, the enemy were also elites of the Imperium, having participated in many battles, coupled with their numerical advantage.
Dagonet's defeat was already a certainty.
He lowered his head to scan the tactical screen, the Valkyrie gunships had moved to his sides, intending to complete a pincer movement as he gradually slowed down.
Several other gunships swooped towards his Stormraven.
Alarms blared, the radar detected that the gunship had been locked onto.
Several laser beams appeared, shooting directly at the Stormraven.
The gunship vibrated, then quickly rolled several times.
An urgent alarm sounded.
The fighter formation had locked onto him.
It's over.
This thought surfaced in Dagonet's mind.
Flashes of fire streaked past the cockpit, Dagonet showed a hint of dejection, waiting for the explosion that would engulf him.
But this did not happen.
A bright light suddenly appeared.
His enemies were all cleared away, turning into wreckage in space, emitting fierce flames.
This caused Dagonet, who was waiting to die, to show a hint of surprise.
It seemed this matter was not as simple as he had imagined.
The communication device prompted again, Dagonet connected, and Calgar's voice sounded.
"Report your name, Dark Angel. Also, why are you attacking the expeditionary fleet?"
"We've been invaded, rogue code has filled our control network, please give us some time, we estimate we will need another twenty minutes to regain control of the Rock," Dagonet said.
"Perhaps, I should trust you one more time. Send a message to your comrades, in twenty minutes, if you do not cease your attack, the expeditionary fleet will initiate a counterattack," Calgar said.
"How is the Grand Master?" Dagonet asked.
"His life was saved, he needs two or three days to wake up," Calgar said with a hint of helplessness in his tone, "My forces have been infiltrated by the Alpha Legion, they used weapons containing Warp power to stab Azrael, other Dark Angels warriors are still causing chaos on my flagship, my subordinates have cornered them, you need to stop their madness."
Dagonet was silent for a moment, "I will."
Dagonet's arrival brought a slight easing to the tense, highly strung situation between the two sides.
Upon receiving Dagonet's order, the Dark Angels on the Laurels of Victory also ceased their armed resistance.
After confirming they were not compromised and no Alpha Legion warriors were mixed among them, Calgar ordered them to be taken to the medical bay, and the misunderstanding between the two sides was resolved.
On the Rock's side.
Seeing the expeditionary fleet withdraw from the Rock's firing range instead of counterattacking.
The traitors who had long been lurking within the Dark Angels Chapter grew increasingly nervous.
This was a golden opportunity.
It was also the only chance they had to deliver a fatal blow to the Dark Angels.
Control of the Rock would soon be regained and become even more secure, at which point hacking in again would undoubtedly be a pipe dream.
They had plotted for hundreds of years to obtain the basic code and gain seventy minutes of uncontrolled access.
Seeing their plan to incite infighting between the two sides about to fail.
They could no longer hold back and used their last card.
That was Boreas, a member of the Deathwing.
Before true communication could be established between the two sides, they would use a Deathwing assault to destroy their fragile trust.
Upon receiving Ezekiel's order, Boreas assembled his Deathwing brethren on the deck.
They were just waiting for the final order to launch a boarding assault on the expeditionary fleet to buy time for the Rock's departure.
They waited for a long time, but no order came.
Boreas could only go back to find Ezekiel and demand he issue the order.
However, just as he left the hangar, he was stopped.
"For the Lion's bloodline, you must attack immediately, Boreas, otherwise they will never have a chance to escape."
The Dark Angels warrior who had appeared during Boreas' training appeared again, issuing a warning.
"Without authorization, I cannot complete this mission, the other members will certainly not obey my orders."
Boreas' tone was helpless, the Dark Angels' complex command procedures ensured that disobedience would not happen.
Without authorization, it would be difficult for him to command the Deathwing to attack.
"We will assist you," the Dark Angels warrior said.
As his words fell, several Dark Angels warriors emerged from the darkness.
All were cloaked, concealing their entire appearance.
Clearly, they were traitors who had been lurking for a long time.
"It's not enough, with only a few supporters, the other company members won't care either," Boreas said with a troubled expression.
"It's enough, we have someone who will cut off communications within the fortress, that way, without Ezekiel's command, according to procedure, you will become the highest commander of the Deathwing," the Dark Angels warrior said.
"You can cut off communications?" Boreas showed a hint of confusion.
"Naturally," the Dark Angels warrior said, then showed Boreas their method.
As they pressed confirm on a data-slate, communications on the Rock were quickly cut off, preventing communication between departments and plunging it into deeper chaos.
"The communication cutoff cannot last too long, but it will be enough," the Dark Angels warrior said, "Hurry, this is your only chance to protect the Lion's bloodline."
"Let's go," Boreas took the lead, walking towards the hangar deck, preparing to issue orders to the assembled Deathwing.
Several Dark Angels warriors followed closely behind.
Once the Deathwing's assault was launched, the situation would be decided.
Even if Calgar was rational, he would have to issue a counterattack order.
At that time, with Terra intervening, the two sides would beat each other's brains out.
Having completed their prayers and final preparations, the Deathwing members lined up in six ranks, awaiting the order to attack.
Boreas walked before them, made a Deathwing gesture, then punched the Dark Angels warrior who had instigated him to launch the boarding assault.
The other Deathwing members also swarmed forward, attacking the traitors.
They were so fast that the traitors were controlled before they could even react.
Their power armor was locked by an entered password, rendering them immobile and making them prisoners.
"What do you mean, Boreas?" The Dark Angels warrior was both surprised and fearful, looking at Boreas with complete bewilderment.
Boreas smiled, taking out a plaque engraved with a six-petaled flower.
He was also a member of the Sixfold Order, temporarily established by Azrael to root out the traitors.
The Dark Angels have no secrets, for they are the secret itself.
Within circles are still circles, within secrets are still secrets.
Like a Mobius strip, who is the inner ring and who is the outer ring is never certain.
Seeing the appearance of the plaque, the traitors' faces turned ashen.
They had thought that with Azrael being seriously wounded on the Laurels of Victory, his Sixfold plan had also been destroyed.
Who would have thought that Azrael had hidden such a move behind it, perhaps his own attack was even part of the plan.
The flowers of conspiracy layered upon each other, making it impossible to escape.
Azrael's actions were undoubtedly walking a tightrope.
A slight misstep could trigger a war between the expeditionary fleet and the Rock.
Boreas captured the traitors and also obtained a list of mortals.
However, this was not the end.
This was not a struggle between two sides, but a mix of multiple forces.
The Serpent's Coil cult's infiltration of the Rock had lasted for hundreds of years, their ultimate goal being to release an ancient entity.
The Changeling and the renegade Alpha Legion were aiming to end Guilliman.
The preceding chaos was merely to obscure the ultimate goal.
Boreas ordered the traitors to be taken down and the list confiscated, but before he could rejoice.
A violent tremor spread throughout the entire Rock, and an indescribably terrifying aura permeated from the depths of the fortress.
In the depths of the Rock, numerous Dark Angels were desperately fighting against the daemons pouring out of a rift, as well as the cultists and prisoners who had obtained weapons.
The enemies all rushed towards the cell of the final prisoner - Luther, forcing the Dark Angels to gather together to resist the daemons and prevent the enemy from releasing the greatest traitor in Dark Angels history.
Meanwhile, the Changeling, armed with weapons from humanity's Golden Age, took another path.
In the depths of the Rock, the Changeling's final destination.
Several small, elusive Watchers in the Dark, dressed in white robes, lay on the ground, having lost the breath of life.
Humans of the Golden Age possessed unimaginably terrifying technology, and the weapons they created had the ability to erase items from the timeline and their original data.
The Watchers in the Dark were always elusive, existing outside the flow of time, and difficult to kill.
The Changeling's sorcery also had little effect on them.
The only way to kill these Watchers in the Dark was with weapons from humanity's Golden Age.
"Destiny repeats itself, what is lost will eventually return."
The Changeling picked up the weapon from humanity's Golden Age and walked step by step towards the final seal.
It raised the weapon, aimed at the ultimate secret guarded by the Watchers in the Dark, and pulled the trigger.