Recaps

After reuniting with Sanguinius, Lion El'Jonson questioned him about Chancellor Sinleech and then confronted the Emperor on Terra about the radically changed Imperium. The Emperor revealed that Sinleech was the Lord of Change, named several brothers who knew the secret, and sent Lion to Old Nostramo to find Curze.

• Lion El'Jonson reunited with Sanguinius outside The Rock and asked what he knew about Sinleech, but Sanguinius told him to ask the Emperor.
• Lion El'Jonson and Sanguinius reached Terra in less than three days using Necron Phase shifting technology, where Sinleech recognized Lion and vanished after admitting he was a god.
• Lion El'Jonson asked the Emperor whether the Imperium was still the one he had fought for, and the Emperor said humanity would see the light and confirmed Sinleech was the Lord of Change.
• The Emperor told Lion El'Jonson that Sanguinius, the Father of Night, Magnus, and Mortarion knew Sinleech's identity, then urged Lion to visit the Administratum and announced he would return to the Imperium.
• The Emperor ordered Lion El'Jonson to take his legion to Old Nostramo and find Curze, whom Lion had thought dead.
• Lion El'Jonson accused Sanguinius of concealing crucial information, and Sanguinius told him he needed to see the changed Imperium for himself.

Lion El'Jonson confronted Sinleech over Magnus and Mortarion, then went to challenge them in the Administratum. Sinleech’s scheme left Lion implicated when the Daemon Princes’ bodies dissolved, and the Chancellor accused him of destroying his elite staff.

• Lion El'Jonson stormed the Administratum demanding Magnus and Mortarion, but Sinleech denied they were there and knocked Lion to the floor.
• Sanguinius escorted Lion away and warned him that the Imperium depended on Magnus and Mortarion to keep its administration running.
• Sanguinius told Lion where to find the two and advised him to seek out the outstanding civil servant and tax official instead of calling them Daemon Princes.
• Sanguinius revealed that fragments of fate had shown him Sinleech’s plan to bring Lion into the Administratum, and Lion went to confront Magnus and Mortarion during their break.
• Lion refused to kill Magnus and Mortarion, but their bodies suddenly rotted and dissolved into blood as Sinleech accused Lion of destroying his elite personnel.

Sinleech maneuvered to recruit Lion El'Jonson into the Administratum after the war, while Lion left Terra to inspect the Night Lords and the Father of Night on Punishment Star. There, he reunited with Konrad Curze, and their taunting encounter ended with Curze declaring Lion no match for him.

• Sinleech offered to manage the Administratum until the war ended and expected Lion El'Jonson to take over afterward.
• Lion El'Jonson left Terra for Punishment Star to investigate the Father of Night's situation.
• A Necron Phaeron met Lion El'Jonson and escorted him toward the Father of Night, where Konrad Curze was waiting.
• Konrad Curze mocked Lion El'Jonson's age, and the two fought; Curze caught Lion's opening punch, struck him back, and declared him no match.

The Night Haunter beat Lion El'Jonson after Lion provoked him and disrespected the Father of Night. Lion then met Han Mingxuan, where he found the Night Haunter behaving respectfully.

• The Night Haunter stunned Lion with a Psychic Power Blast, punched him into a pillar, and ordered Sevatar to douse him with ice water.
• The Night Haunter held a Lightning Claw to Lion's neck and warned him against disrespecting the Father of Night; Lion admitted he wanted to meet him.
• Nova gave Lion a towel while the Night Lords returned to their training, and Lion noticed Nova's just demeanor and lack of Astartes gene-seed.
• Kamon escorted Lion to Han Mingxuan and explained that Nova belonged to the Evernight Legion and that the Night Haunter was not fit to command it.
• Lion met Han Mingxuan and thanked him for helping discipline the Night Haunter.

Han Mingxuan assigned Lion El'Jonson and the First Legion the Ork front, ordering them to destroy Ork-held planets with The Rock and supernova weapons. Lion accepted the plan for the promised resources and priority access to Gloriana-class Battleship production, then went to collect Punishment Star's support.

• Han Mingxuan gave Lion a combat plan that called for the First Legion to use The Rock in a costly attack, while Punishment Star provided fire support.
• Han Mingxuan explained that Punishment Star could supply supernova weapons and assigned the First Legion to take control of the Ork battlefield.
• Han Mingxuan ordered Lion to destroy planets fully occupied by Orks, citing their mineral resources and offering the First Legion priority in allocations for Gloriana-class Battleships.
• Lion decided to accept the assignment and asked to see what fire support Punishment Star could provide.
• Han Mingxuan told Lion to follow Urtana to collect the support and said a group of young people would join the First Legion.

Lion led a squad of young First Legion Dark Angels to The Rock as reinforcements for the Ork front, where Azrael tried to place them in the outer circle and uncover their secrets. Statham revealed that the squad knew the Dark Angels’ hidden communications and warned Azrael not to let secrecy interfere with the coming battle, then struck him to prove their strength.

• Nova agreed to arrange for the First Legion squad to join Lion, while the Father of Night kept Nova out of the operation because of the danger posed by the Emperor.
• Lion met a squad of more than twenty young First Legion Dark Angels, who said they were Nostramo-descended and claimed each could fight five Alajos-level opponents.
• Lion brought the squad to The Rock and told Azrael they were reinforcements assigned to break the battlefield deadlock.
• Azrael assigned the newcomers to the outer circle, and Statham challenged the placement, saying they were capable of serving in the Inner Circle.
• Statham revealed that the squad knew the Dark Angels’ communication methods and warned Azrael that they were there both to support and monitor the First Legion.
• Statham appeared before Azrael and punched him, then said the Dark Angels would need Dark Age of Technology weapons to take them into battle.

Statham and the Dark Angels arrived at the front to support Yarrick after a Warp Storm brought Ork reinforcements far earlier than expected. Statham decided his squad would handle the approaching Orks, while Azrael and Lion El'Jonson were left marveling at his willingness to consider devastating weapons.

• Statham challenged Azrael and ordered the present-day First Legion to follow his squad's battle plan, but Lion El'Jonson emerged from hiding and ordered everyone to move out.
• The Rock headed for the front line, where Yarrick learned that nine Ork fleets had been cast out of the Warp and would reach the battlefield within nine standard hours.
• Statham contacted Yarrick, learned the Orks had not yet engaged Imperial forces, and ordered the Dark Angels to deal with the reinforcements.
• Statham's squad traced the sudden Ork arrival to the Lord of Change and rejected a Supernova because it would destroy the front line, then considered using an Exterminatus.
• Azrael and Lion El'Jonson watched Statham contemplate devastating weapons and reflected that they were getting old.

Statham and his squad attacked the Ork fleets with Micro-Exterminatus weapons, then boarded the enemy ships and fought alongside Lion El'Jonson. As the Lion charged with them, he seemed to regain the vigor of his youth, while Statham urged him to join in the Orks' WAAAGH.

• Statham led his squad toward the Ork fleet despite Lion El'Jonson's warning, and Lion recognized the young warriors' focused, predatory resolve.
• Statham's squad deployed three volleys of Micro-Exterminatus weapons, destroying nearly half of the nine Ork fleets before preparing to board.
• Lion El'Jonson brought the Dark Angels' main force to join Statham, who was already fighting through the Ork ships with his squad.
• Lion El'Jonson charged beside Statham, killed Orks, and seemed to grow younger as his hair turned lustrous and golden.
• Statham boasted that he was stronger than Alajos, and Lion El'Jonson laughed and joined the slaughter.
• Statham shouted WAAAGH at Lion El'Jonson, who wondered whether joining in was right.

Statham used Ork customs and his strength to become the boss of the Orks aboard his ship, while the Dark Angels planned to make the nine fleets their allies. As rival bosses arrived, Statham’s team told Lion El'Jonson that they would handle the fights and leave him to finish the alliance.

• Statham charged into the Orks shouting for a one-on-one fight, then defeated every boss aboard his ship while Lion El'Jonson cleared space for him.
• The Orks recognized Statham as green and strong enough to be their boss and began chanting “Green Can Boss.”
• Statham’s squad explained that they had studied Ork behavior and that the other eight fleets would have to submit to him.
• A rival Ork boss arrived seeking a fight, and Statham struck him before he could attack.
• Statham’s squad revealed their plan to turn the nine fleets into allies and asked Lion El'Jonson to leave the fighting to them before helping finalize the alliance.

Statham established himself as the boss of an Ork ship and declared Lion El'Jonson the Green Can Big Boss, challenging the Ork leaders to test him. Lion defeated every challenger, grew younger and stronger, and left the Orks ready to accept him as their leader.

• Statham beat Big Tooth in a fight, forcing him to recognize Statham as the ship’s boss.
• Statham told the gathered Ork bosses that Lion El'Jonson was the stronger boss he had chosen for them.
• Lion reluctantly called himself the Green Can Big Boss and accepted an Ork’s challenge to fight.
• Lion defeated the challenger with one punch, stunning both the Orks and himself with his strength.
• As Lion defeated the other bosses, the Orks speculated that he was connected to Gork and Mork, while his hair turned gold and his appearance grew younger.
• Lion roared a challenge to the remaining bosses after defeating every one who had faced him.

Lion El'Jonson and Statham turned the Orks of Nine Fleets into reinforcements by convincing them to help Yarrick fight other Orks. As the Ork fleet headed for the planet, Yarrick prepared his troops to welcome them by imitating his own distinctive appearance.

• Statham led the Orks and Dark Angels in calling Lion El'Jonson the Green Can Big Boss, and the gathered Orks joined in.
• Statham persuaded the Orks that helping Yarrick fight other Orks would lead to an even greater waaaagh.
• Lion El'Jonson accepted the Orks of Nine Fleets as reinforcements and led them toward the planet, while Statham stayed behind to manage the fleets.
• Statham told Yarrick that the Orks would arrive in a few hours to support him, and Yarrick agreed to prepare for the handover.
• Yarrick ordered his adjutant to paint strong soldiers green and give their armor a skull design resembling Yarrick, hoping it would help welcome the Orks.

Lion El'Jonson placed the Ork fleets under Yarrick, who formed them into the Cannon-Eye Clan. As Lion's guard offer was refused, Ghazghkull Thraka Salakka approached Yarrick's territory, intent on starting a fight.

• Lion El'Jonson brought the Warbosses of nine Ork fleets to Yarrick and left him in charge of them.
• Yarrick persuaded the Warbosses to form the Cannon-Eye Clan and chose its emblem, while they planned to dress as Commissars like him.
• Lion offered Statham and his squad places in his guard, but Statham refused on their behalf, citing their loyalty to the Father of Night and concerns about the First Legion's unity.
• Lion ordered Statham and his squad out, then wondered how he might get along with his younger self.
• Ghazghkull Thraka Salakka led his Orks toward Yarrick's territory, eager to fight and sensing a massive waaagh! nearby.
• Yarrick, deploying defenses on the planet, sensed something and looked up at the sky.

Yarrick learned that a massive Ork Waaagh! led by Ghazghkull Thraka was approaching, while Han Mingxuan prepared to implant a captured fragment of the Hive Mind into a grown body. The alarms in the laboratory stopped after the implantation, leaving the fragment’s condition unknown.

• Yarrick visited the Ork bosses and found they had formed the Cannon-Eye Clan, dressed themselves as “commissar boyz,” and named him their commissar boss.
• An Ork boss sensed a huge Waaagh! as big as Ghazghkull Thraka’s, and Yarrick warned the planet’s forces to prepare for battle.
• Statham suspected the Orks had help from the Lord of Change and sent the news to the Father of Night.
• Han Mingxuan praised the commissar boyz but told Konrad to focus on the coming battle against the Hive Fleet and Chaos interference.
• Han Mingxuan went to the Father of the Evernight and implanted a captured wisp of the Hive Mind into a grown woman’s body; after the laboratory alarms stopped, Krete warned that they could not know what had changed.

Han Mingxuan discovered that the woman created from a strand of the Hive Mind contained his consciousness, the Great Devourer, and Slaanesh. After sealing Slaanesh’s influence, he brought her to his home to stay until the coming war, where she asked Urtana for a name of her own.

• The woman emerged from the cultivation pod, and Han Mingxuan sensed the Great Devourer and Slaanesh within her alongside the consciousness he had cultivated.
• Slaanesh demanded access to positive authorities, so Han Mingxuan sealed Slaanesh’s consciousness in the woman and part of his power in the Warp.
• The woman called Han Mingxuan her father and the Great Devourer her mother, then agreed to stay with Han Mingxuan until her so-called mother arrived.
• At Han Mingxuan’s home, Urtana asked whether the woman was a tool, and Han Mingxuan hurried away to see Konrad.
• Urtana showed the woman an empty room and warned her not to cause trouble, while the woman asked for a name of her own.

Han Mingxuan discussed his unease over creating the individual with the Night Haunter, who helped him accept her as a younger sister and recognize his own mistakes. After the individual’s consciousness clashed with the Great Devourer, Han Mingxuan apologized to her for creating her as a weapon and failing to consider what she would face.

• Han Mingxuan told the Night Haunter that he had been unsettled by the individual’s appeal to human emotions and moral standards.
• The Night Haunter reassured Han Mingxuan that speaking openly with his son showed a strength the Emperor lacked, and accepted the idea of having a younger sister.
• The Great Devourer told the individual she was merely a tool created to make the Tyranids fight and consume each other, and she lashed out with a surge of consciousness.
• Urtana considered killing the individual, but Han Mingxuan arrived and told her he would take responsibility for the danger himself.
• Han Mingxuan apologized to the individual for creating her too hastily as a weapon and for failing to consider her situation, leaving her bewildered by his remorse.

Han Mingxuan accepted the newly born Han Yuning as his daughter, gave her his surname, and promised to introduce her to the others. Meanwhile, Han Yuning revealed her conflicting human and Tyranid instincts, while Tzeentch and Sinleech struggled to understand the bizarre developments surrounding Han Mingxuan.

• Han Mingxuan accepted the being and named her Han Yuning, calling her Xiao Ning and agreeing to introduce her to everyone soon.
• Han Mingxuan told Urtana that he would take events one step at a time as long as Han Yuning did not threaten humanity.
• Han Yuning reflected on her birth, her connection to the Hive Mind, her dislike of her true body, and her complicated view of Han Mingxuan as both father and a source of valuable genes.
• A section of Tzeentch's Crystal Labyrinth shattered, and Tzeentch decided to seek help from his other self, Sinleech.
• Tzeentch and Sinleech examined the developments involving Han Mingxuan and were both baffled by an alien Horus S Plus Pro Max Flagship gender-swapped edition.

Sinleech and Tzeentch warned Han Mingxuan that Xiao Ning, despite her human body, still thought like a Tyranid and had inherited Horus’s role in the Horus Heresy. Han accepted a plan to use her against the Tyranids, then sacrifice himself to ensure she could never threaten humanity.

• Sinleech and Tzeentch rushed to find Han Mingxuan because Xiao Ning’s success could let the Tyranids consume the Warp.
• Sinleech and Tzeentch told Han that Xiao Ning was a Tyranid whose consciousness still followed Tyranid thinking, and that she had inherited Horus’s script.
• Han asked how to stop Xiao Ning, and Sinleech proposed having her destroy the Tyranids in both the 40K universe and the 30K era.
• Han ordered Sinleech to strip away his Perpetual trait after the mission, destroy his body and genes, and ensure Xiao Ning never noticed or threatened humanity.

Han Mingxuan and Sinleech discussed how to deal with Han Yuning and agreed that the Tyranids were the immediate threat. Sinleech revealed his plan to use Han Mingxuan’s dark Warp counterpart, the Father of Night, to destroy the Great Devourer’s soul after Han Mingxuan eventually leaves.

• Han Mingxuan and Sinleech decided to postpone dealing with Tzeentch and focus first on defeating the Tyranids.
• Sinleech warned that Han Yuning must not be allowed to build forces and proposed destroying her Tyranid consciousness with Han Mingxuan’s dark side.
• Sinleech explained that Tzeentch had only seen Han Mingxuan’s positive side, so he had concealed the plan to prevent Tzeentch from exploiting the dark power.
• Sinleech showed Han Mingxuan the Night Haunter wielding the Father of Night’s power of absolute punishment and explained that it arose from hatred of evil and people’s faith in Han Mingxuan.
• Sinleech said Han Yuning’s complete soul made her vulnerable to Warp powers and assured Han Mingxuan that he and the other gods could handle the Great Devourer.
• Han Mingxuan told Sinleech to keep matters normal until the world’s other problems were resolved, then leave Han Yuning to him.

Han Mingxuan learned that Corvus had devastated most of the T'au Empire and let him withdraw to recover, while the Night Haunter investigated Han Yuning’s danger. Sinleech confirmed that Han Mingxuan would handle the threat, and the Night Haunter turned his attention to the Great Devourer’s invasion.

• Sinleech recommended that the God of War be the first God to come over because his authority included justice.
• Han Mingxuan asked Xiao Ning about her plans, and she said she would wait for her other self rather than integrate into human society.
• Han Yuning reported that Corvus had eliminated over seventy percent of the T'au Empire’s fighting strength, and Han Mingxuan ordered him to leave the front lines and rest.
• The Night Haunter used Sinleech’s Warp Rift to meet him and asked whether Han Yuning had taken Horus’s script.
• Sinleech confirmed the danger but told the Night Haunter that Han Mingxuan would resolve it, so the Night Haunter left without seeking out the Emperor.
• The Night Haunter focused on the Tyranid invasion, noting that the Great Devourer itself was entering the fight.

Ghazghkull Thraka Saraka gathered Weirdboyz to unleash a massive Waaagh! Storm, forcing Yarrick and Lion El'Jonson to devise a way to counter it. Statham proposed teaching Imperial soldiers Ork language so their emotions could create a rival Psychic Power Field, and the Shoota Commissar began preparing the human troops.

• Saraka saw Ghazghkull Thraka's Orks charging under the Emperor's name and encountered the Green Can Big Boss and Old One-Eye.
• Ghazghkull Thraka recruited Weirdboyz to build a Waaagh! Storm and challenge Old One-Eye's forces.
• The Shoota Commissar warned Yarrick that Ghazghkull Thraka Saraka's gathering Psychic Power could destroy the forces and planet.
• Yarrick consulted Lion El'Jonson, who ordered Statham to plan a response to the Psychic Power assault.
• Statham proposed teaching Imperial soldiers Ork language to stir emotions and generate a countering Psychic Power Field.
• Yarrick put the human troops under the Shoota Commissar's command, and the Shoota Commissar rallied them to fight for the Emperor.

Yarrick put Ork Commissar Boyz into human units and made the soldiers adopt Ork fighting methods, while Statham punished an Inquisitor who objected. As Saraka’s psychic storm gathered, Lion El'Jonson prepared to assault the Warp Rift once it opened.

• Yarrick assigned Ork Commissar Boyz to human combat units and had them teach the soldiers to fight like Orks.
• An Inquisitor demanded that Yarrick stop using Orks, but Statham ordered two Orks to beat him and sent the Inquisitors to the front line.
• Lion El'Jonson brought everyone to the front as a sandstorm began, and Yarrick ordered them to prepare for Ghazghkull Thraka’s advance.
• Statham gathered firing-port Boyz and Commissar Boyz, who waited for the most formidable enemy to appear before charging.
• Saraka sacrificed most of his Weirdboyz to unleash a great Waaagh!, and Lion El'Jonson prepared to lead a boarding assault when the Warp Rift opened.

Statham, Lion El'Jonson, and the Commissar Boyz charged into Saraka's massive Waaagh! storm to reach its center and confront Gork and Mork. The Emperor manifested through the Orks, and he prepared to question the projections about Vulkan's whereabouts.

• Ghazghkull Thraka rallied the Orks to capture Old One-Eye alive while Statham's squad prepared for battle with Psychic Power Bombs.
• Lion El'Jonson led his forces and the Commissar Boyz toward the front, and Statham's squad used the bombs to tear a path into Saraka's psychic storm.
• Statham and the Commissar Boyz saw the projections of Gork and Mork at the storm's center, and Statham called on the Emperor.
• The Emperor answered Statham's cry with his Psychic Power, making the nearby Orks glow with golden light.
• The Commissar charged the projections, while the Emperor resolved to find out from them where Vulkan was.

Han Mingxuan revived the Lord of Drakes and sent him to the shipyard to forge something while unconscious. When the Lord of Drakes awoke, the Night Haunter offered him his Lightning Claws and invited him to judge him for his past crimes.

• The Emperor found the Lord of Drakes with the Commissar lads' Psychic Power and sent him to Punishment Star.
• Han Mingxuan arranged for Strike Cruisers to be built and agreed with the Night Haunter that the Lord of Drakes should be allowed to judge him for past torture.
• Han Mingxuan used his pen and power to awaken the Lord of Drakes, then ordered the Night Haunter to take him to the shipyard while he was unconscious.
• The unconscious Lord of Drakes made a powerful, self-iterating core in the shipyard.
• The Lord of Drakes awoke, confronted the Night Haunter, and received his Lightning Claws as the Night Haunter offered himself for judgment.

Vulkan confronted Konrad over the Night Haunter’s past crimes, but refused to kill him and demanded that he atone. Han Mingxuan healed Konrad, explained that the Emperor had sent Vulkan to Punishment Star, and sent him through a warp rift to Terra.

• Konrad offered himself to Vulkan for judgment, and Vulkan wounded him with his Lightning Claws.
• Vulkan refused to kill Konrad and demanded that he live to make amends for his betrayal of humanity.
• Han Mingxuan arrived, healed Konrad, and sent him to wash while he spoke with Vulkan.
• Han Mingxuan told Vulkan that the Emperor had sent him to Punishment Star and directed him to take his constructed device to Terra.
• Han Mingxuan opened a warp rift and kicked Vulkan through it toward Terra.

Vulkan awakened in the Warp and learned that the Emperor was recovering while the Imperium prepared for a vast war against the Tyranids, Chaos, and Orks. The Emperor sent Vulkan to Sinleech, who brought him and his newly made core to the Phalanx to begin his next assignment.

• Han Mingxuan sent Vulkan to deliver the core to the Emperor and Imperial Fists Gene-seeds and surgical procedures to the Imperial Fists.
• Sinleech kicked Vulkan into the Throne Room, where Vulkan learned from the Emperor that the Imperium was facing a major war and that Sanguinius had been resurrected.
• The Emperor told Vulkan that Curze had changed, Lion El'Jonson was fighting Orks, and Sanguinius, Curze, and Corvus were preparing their forces.
• The Emperor sent Vulkan to Sinleech, who confirmed Vulkan had made a core while unconscious and said it had been placed beside the Phalanx.
• Sinleech took Vulkan to the Phalanx, where the Imperial Fists saluted them and were surprised to see the Lord of Drakes.