Lion, You No Longer Need to Laboriously Reconcile with Your Offspring

The Shadow of the Throne, Primarch Office.

"Luther, I salute the Primarch, Lord Nimrod, and thank you for your timely intervention in slaying the Xenos."

Luther, with his neat black hair, resolute face, and thick beard, spoke respectfully.

A golden light flashed in his mind, and the scene of Amber Imprisonment Slaugth appeared in his mind.

Nimrod scrutinized Luther, and the Primarch keenly noticed the underlying repression, sadness, and anxiety troubling him in his eyes.

He looked weathered and much older than his modified body.

Luther was Lion's adoptive father in the true sense, although they never addressed each other as father and son.

He named Lion El- El'Jonson, which means "Lion" or "Son of the Forest" in Caliban.

As the most renowned hero of his generation, Luther would have been the greatest hero in any era of Caliban, except in this one.

He slew more Great Beast than anyone else, except for Lion.

Luther and Lion led the expedition against the Great Beast together, but at the end, Lion received all the credit.

Between them, they were adoptive father and son, and also brothers who fought side by side.

They were once inseparable, but now they've broken ties and are like strangers.

Nominally the deputy commander of the "Dark Angels," he is only responsible for training new recruits.

He led Astartes, but only completed part of the modification surgery himself.

Nimrod's pupils constricted; he had found a way to "Corrosion" Luther.

[Luther craves immense power; he has secretly possessed the Chaos Tome of the Order of Sirius.]

As Nimrod pondered, another Dark Angels spoke.

"Zahariel salutes you and thanks you for your help."

Nimrod turned his gaze to Zahariel, his eyes lingering for a moment on the special longsword at his waist.

Lion-Blade.

After Zahariel slays the Lion Beast to avenge his mentor Amadis, he digs out the Great Beast's sharp teeth.

He earned the respect of all the knights and the friendship of Lion personally forged this Lion-Blade for him.

Nimrod then thought of his cousin— Nemiel would one day be killed by Lion's "flying head punch".

Who would have thought that Nemiel, who vehemently criticized Lion for violating the decree issued by the Old Man in Yellow at the "Council of Nikaea" and for having no right to use Psyker, had conspired with others to assassinate him when he arrived in Caliban?

It was Zahariel who was being stopped.

Nimrod thought of Zahariel and Nemiel, and couldn't help but think of their future fate, which made him quite emotional.

[Zahariel, a former loyalist, was personally tested by the Old Man in Yellow and will become one of the first the Fallen.]

Nemiel, who led the Inner Circle Knights to assassinate the Old Man in Yellow, became his loyal follower and even had his head blown off while defending his orders.

What a stunning reversal, a cruel irony of fate!

The Primarch's lips curled into a smile as he gathered his thoughts. From his eyes and his expression, he saw the resentment of someone in Exile.

Zahariel became the Dark Angels but never got a chance to shine.

His only involvement was in the "Sarosh Incident," where he persuaded Luther and was the one who launched the nuclear bomb from the Indomitable Truth.

He played a decisive role in the "Sarosh Incident," yet he was ruthlessly Exile for serving as Luther's lieutenant, ending his short two-year expedition.

Nimrod, considering Zahariel's adherence to the supremacy of Caliban, would rationally recognize the situation and not cling to loyalty to Lion; he would become the Fallen.

He can be "Corrosion," even more so than Balthasar Kuturi.

Zahariel's abilities far surpass those of most Legion Chief Librarian, including Balthasar; his Psionic Energy talent is quite unique.

He was someone both Lion and Luther valued, and the only Dark Angels Lion ever addressed as a hero or one of their own.

"My lord," Luther's eyes gleamed as he delivered his prepared statement to the Primarch, "Caliban was attacked by Xenos, and I led the fleet in pursuit."

"On the way, I received a distress message in Astropathic Message from the Governor of Aquila Port, and came to his rescue."

"Hmm." Nimrod slightly, not probing Luther's explanation.

[While that may be the case, it's not the main reason you came here.]

You are still unwilling to be a mere passerby in the Great Crusade, confined to Caliban teaching new recruits.

The Imperium's northern border has been invaded; your actions will go unnoticed.

His gaze sharpened, and he thought to himself with amusement.

There's no need for this clandestine operation; I can give you everything you want.

The chance to gain glory, the power you crave, and even Caliban, whom you want to protect.

I'll give you everything!

Cold sweat beaded on Luther's forehead, and just as he began to feel uneasy, Nimrod spoke up.

"The scale of the Xenos invasion of the Imperium is unprecedented; Caliban needs a fleet to protect it."

The Primarch paused deliberately for a moment, looking through the dim eyes of Luther and Zahariel and seeing the deep resentment in their eyes, before smiling and speaking.

"I will provide you with the opportunity to board the Shadow of the Throne and travel with me."

"I welcome Dark Angels to the team."

Nimrod said with a smile, thinking to himself.

[I'll take as many as you have; ten thousand is not too little, tens of thousands is not too much.]

Luther and Zahariel's eyes lit up, and they spoke in unison.

"Thank you, sir. We will certainly not let you down."

Nimrod watched the two figures leave, a slight smile playing on his lips.

[Lion, since you despise them, why don't I take pity on you and take your offspring in?]

He imagined the tenderness of a father that Lion would show when he reconciled with the Fallen ten thousand years later.

With a patience he would never have again, he tolerated his sons who shot at him and those who swung their swords at him.

He allowed his descendants to disobey him, and he accepted their requests to swear an oath to him...

[Lion, your hair and beard are all white, you are old, yet you still have to work so hard to reconcile with your children.]

Now, you don't have to work so hard.

You're welcome, Lion El'Jonson.

After deciding to go to great lengths to do something beneficial for both himself and others, without seeking recognition, Nimrod instructed Arsena Dunn, who was standing nearby.

"Make sure the Dark Angels are settled in on the Shadow of the Throne."

"Pay special attention to these names: Zabril, Afikar, think tank Bevidan..."

Nimrod listed dozens of outstanding the Fallen, but did not include high-ranking figures such as Merri Astelan, Cypher, and Israfael.

They did not meet with Luther; they must have remained in Caliban.

Nimrod wasn't worried about losing them. As long as he "Corrosion" Luther, the key figure, most of the Fallen and future recruits would be under his control.

While Nimrod was pondering, Luther and Zahariel boarded the shuttle.

Luther, sitting comfortably in his chair, smiled as he spoke to Zahariel, who was sitting opposite him, after nearly two decades of suppressed emotions.

"Zahariel, our adventure was a success, even better than we had hoped for."

Zahariel looked at Lord Luther and knew the pressure the other was under.

All of Luther's followers were Exile back to Caliban, watching their former comrades follow the Lion into the stars and win glory.

Lord Luther has been searching for a way out, and now he has finally succeeded.

"My lord, I hope that the glory we have won will earn the Lion's forgiveness."

Zahariel saw the shadow in Luther's eyes and couldn't help but regret his inappropriate words.

He quickly brought up another topic that Luther would be interested in. "Lord Nimrod possesses extraordinary and powerful abilities."

"That female captain can use mind attacks on the Slaugth-kin, and the golden scales on her body are even more defensive than Power Armor."

"I've never seen such power before, I think..."

Zahariel seemed thoughtful, then voiced her guess.

"Her power may come from Lord Nimrod."

Luther's eyes lit up. If he could obtain that power, even without completing the full genetic modification, he could still overwhelm all the Dark Angels.

Even...

Eleven standard days later, the two fleets set sail.

Three thousand three hundred Dark Angels among Luther's followers did not return to Caliban; instead, they boarded the Shadow of the Throne.