The gates of Saint's Port were pushed open by trembling Mortal attendants.
The brutal scene inside the Aquila Council Hall was laid bare before Kardan and the representatives of eight other Chapters.
They saw that every Mortal—whether an Imperial-appointed governor, a Mechanicus council representative, or a leader from another hive city—had become a corpse sprawled across the floor.
And Governor Lucian IX, the one with the strongest legal claim, now had his head mounted on the door. As the Mortal servants pushed it open, his corpse swayed in the breeze.
Lu Jin leaned on his Greatsword in the center of the hall.
Lion stood alone before the Strategic Image displaying the details of Alert Star, deep in thought.
"The Aquila Council will be deposed."
Lu Jin spoke to the Space Marines.
"A new governing body will be established to oversee Alert Star's defenses."
The Space Marines kept their faces impassive, but they were quite pleased.
Not every Chapter already on Alert Star had discussed what to do next with Lu Jin, as Kardan's Wolves and the Imperial Fists had. But they were all glad to see things unfold this way.
Some Chapters had already been manipulated by a member of the Aquila Council and sent to clear out Genestealers, only to discover that they had been killing ordinary people.
Some had even crippled a region's defenses with their own hands, only for hostile forces such as the Dark Eldar, Genestealers, or heretical cults to exploit the opening, turning millions into ritual offerings or slaves.
They had had enough.
"What will the new governing body be called?" Kardan asked gravely.
"The Council of Valor," Lu Jin replied. "People have a good impression of the Rebel Army, and I'm the common ground among your Chapters."
Kardan nodded in agreement.
The Space Marine