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The matter of Duran, or Durani, was simply a tangled mess.
This matter was actually not complex, not at all.
While the Dark Angels Legion fought across the vast starfields of the galactic northeast, other Astartes Legions active in the same region were also carrying out their missions, such as the Space Wolves Legion.
Under a certain relaxed disposition, Leman Russ and his progeny gradually disengaged from the front lines of combat with the Rendan, and the Lion of Caliban was happy to see this happen; he was obsessed with using his own strength to crush his opponents.
The Sixth Legion's fleet roamed the eastern galaxy, clearing out the Emperor's enemies with a playful attitude. It was under these circumstances that a mortal exploration fleet belonging to the Sixth Legion encountered Duran.
Duran, also known as Durani, was also a human polity, one of the relatively enlightened, advanced, and peaceful pocket empires among the myriad in the galaxy.
Although this pocket empire's actual controlled territory only encompassed one star system and two worlds, they had interests in dozens of star systems, marking their colonial territories with mining stations and orbital fortresses.
The Durani system could be simply understood as a dictatorship. A tyrant named Duras had continuously ruled for at least a thousand years. He protected and guided this nation through the endless darkness of the Age of Strife.
Thus, the Durani regarded him as an eternal sage and leader. Under his long reign, the Durani prided themselves on being enlightened and hated xenos and mutants.
At first, the Imperial exploration fleet maintained a relatively friendly communication with the Durani outposts. This relaxed atmosphere even led the Imperial captains to believe they could discuss matters of subjugation with the Durani:
this independent nation possessed some excellent technology. Their starships were generally equipped with warp capabilities, and their elite forces had widespread access to power armor, laser guns, and even personal energy shields.
Imperial envoys presented the demands from Holy Terra to the Durani: submission, taxation, military service, and obedience to Imperial truth.
Then, the harmonious atmosphere vanished.
A few days later, the envoy's head was presented before Leman Russ. Before the Wolf King of Fenris could react with anger, Duras's declaration echoed through several surrounding star systems via interstellar broadcast and other means: the Durani would never submit to "a wild dog raised by a tyrant."
Whether Leman Russ was angered by this insult is unknown, but the reply from Holy Terra quickly reached the Sixth Legion: the Emperor's honor would not tolerate any defilement. Duran still had the possibility of submitting to the Imperium, but Duras had to pay the price for his words.
The Wolf King accepted the mission. Then, day after day, month after month, Duras remained securely entrenched on his throne. By the seventh month, Holy Terra's last shred of patience was exhausted.
Thus, a new Astartes Legion took over the mission to eradicate Duran.
——————
"So, our mission is to assist the Wolf King of Fenris and his Legion, Lord?"
Corswain's query echoed in the room, while Lion El'Jonson merely silently watched his fleet finish searching another empty star system, gradually disappearing into the light of the Mandeville Point.
Finally, the Primarch seemed to snort coldly.
[I never work under anyone, Corswain.]
[Since this is war, then naturally, each will prove their worth.]
[My brother is shaming the Emperor. His Legion's incompetence is being mocked by countless enemies in the shadows.]
[As early as the first engagement with the Durani, the mortal auxiliary forces discovered that our enemies possessed an excellent shield system. Their Aegis shields were clearly superior in thickness to the Imperial Void Shields and possessed astonishing self-healing capabilities, making them almost impossible to break head-on.]
[Such excellent shields are ubiquitous in the Durani army, whether on warships, armored vehicles, or their elite warriors known as Golden Scarabs, all cower under the protection of these shields, becoming formidable opponents.]
[But my brother, despite this intelligence, paid insufficient attention. He even needed his wolf-cubs to learn lessons with their lives. His Legion stumbled on the Durani's outer defenses for months, and was led by the nose by a small enemy force. To this day, he hasn't found the Durani homeworld or ended this war.]
[I thought I had already underestimated him enough. Now it seems I still overestimated him.]
The Lion of Caliban's lips curled into a smile, a clearly mocking smile.
[So, we are here to end all of this.]
Corswain blinked, then finally decided to voice his counsel and concerns.
"But, Lord, we are also uncertain about the precise location of the Durani homeworld. In this Terra Standard Month, although we have also eliminated several Durani fleets, we have not obtained enough intelligence."
Lion El'Jonson turned, looking at his progeny, carefully listening to Corswain's worries and analysis. He seemed pleased by this, pleased to see Corswain possess more insight and independent thought.
[Of course, Corswain, I realized that. I realized it from the very beginning.]
[I will not let my Legion become a second laughingstock.]
His voice held a sweet tone of satisfaction, as if he had already tasted the sweet, potent wine of victory.
[I have two preparations…]
His voice gradually faded, for behind them, the door to the room was slowly opening.
Even across the entire Dark Angels Legion, few could enter this room without permission. In fact, apart from the Primarch himself and Corswain, only one other person had been granted this privilege.
The Dark Angel's gaze subtly shifted downwards, looking towards the gradually opening door. His first glance caught sight of a white ball of fur wriggling on the carpet.
A cat, a snow-white cat. It perked up its ears, which were covered in soft black fur, and proudly patrolled the expensive carpet. In this short time, it had already taken the entire Unbending Truth as its kingdom.
Its snow-white fur was so exceptionally fluffy that one couldn't even see its paw pads. As it meandered slowly and casually across the floor, at first glance, it appeared like a plump, furry snowball rolling around.
This 'snowball' strolled leisurely, facing the towering Dark Angels without the slightest fear. Its cyan-blue eyes stared directly at them, letting out a soft, threatening meow.
Then, Corswain heard a call. The slow-moving snowball, hearing this sound, burst forth with unimaginable speed, transforming into a spherical white lightning bolt, eagerly pouncing at its master's feet.
Morgana picked up her pet, gave Corswain a faint smile, then steadily walked to Lion El'Jonson's side, stood still, and slowly but rhythmically stroked the creature sleeping peacefully in her arms.
The Dark Angel looked at the mortal advisor who stood only half a step behind his father, then looked at himself, who only dared to stand at a distance, and couldn't help but fall into a state of self-doubt.
The Primarch of the First Legion did not turn around. He continued to maintain his distant gaze until the last ship of the vanguard fleet also disappeared into the Mandeville Point. Only then did he slowly turn his head.
[How went the task I gave you?]
[It has been completed. I have come to report to you.]
Lion El'Jonson's gaze finally became serious.
[Speak.]
Morgana extended a hand and pointed at the void before her. The next moment, a semi-transparent star map appeared before the three of them. It was a star map covering several nearby star sectors, clearly showing the positions of the Dark Angels fleet and the scattered reconnaissance units of the First Legion.
Corswain quickly noticed something that didn't quite fit the aesthetic: at a point in a certain star system, there was a lion's head icon. This lion had lush fur, but it looked overly serious, and one could even clearly see the corners of its mouth turning downwards, revealing obvious displeasure.
Corswain's gaze dropped, and he looked for the star system where this lion was located.
Hmm… it was the star system they were currently in.
…
For some reason, he wasn't surprised at all.
Lion El'Jonson's gaze swept across the star map, his expression normal.
[Begin your report.]
[As you wish.]
Morgana responded slowly. The next second, her demeanor abruptly shifted. The laziness and playfulness from before seemed like an illusion. A cold attitude and serious gaze once again formed her image in Corswain's eyes.
She spoke, her voice professional enough to command respect even from the most suspicious Dark Angel.
[Most of the Durani prisoners of war we captured underwent specialized brainwashing and mental information screening. Their memories of their homeworld could not be extracted. Forced extraction would lead to brain organ destruction, thus protecting the homeworld's location.]
[However, it is not without a solution. Although the homeworld's location has been obscured, their travel routes cannot be erased.]
Her finger gently flicked, and several deep red lines appeared on the star map.
[These are the advance routes of the Durani fleets that engaged us.]
She tapped again, and several yellow dots appeared.
[These are their suspected resupply locations.]
[And their rotation points, the locations of specially armed orbital fortresses, and some star systems that appeared multiple times in the memories…]
Morgana's fingers created ripples on the star map. When her will left, distinct lines of different colors were clearly visible on the star map, and their other end encircled a circular area, forming an eerie blank region, within which were only a handful of star systems.
Lion El'Jonson nodded.
[Are you certain this intelligence is accurate?]
Morgana revealed a smile, a smile that made Corswain feel instinctively wary.
She spoke lightly, as if discussing synthetic meatloaf at lunch.
[Without a doubt, the Durani elite warriors we captured are all fearless individuals. When I expressed my intention to extract their memories, their methods of self-termination were varied, constantly refreshing my understanding.]
[But they forgot that death is not an instantaneous event. Even self-annihilation takes a real amount of time.]
[When a person's mind decides to terminate itself, their deep consciousness and physiological mechanisms will, driven by the biological instinct for survival, struggle. This means that when they themselves dismantle their will, everything in their mind does not immediately vanish.]
[This period of time was enough for me to take whatever I wanted from their memories and minds, to obtain everything I desired.]
She spoke gently, slowly, her face even retaining a hint of indifferent amusement.
Corswain watched this scene with considerable awe. His gaze almost involuntarily turned to his father. He instinctively thought that Lion El'Jonson would be angered by such a somewhat malicious act.
But he only saw an icy indifference on his genitor's face.
He merely nodded, offering a reminder.
[We need a backup plan. This method is not completely foolproof. You are to read the ancient texts I found concerning the Durani, and decipher the script and hidden meanings as quickly as possible. We may need it.]
[I will do so. Within three days, you will receive a satisfactory answer.]
[That is good.]
They discussed these matters seriously. Soon, Corswain also began to listen and record intently. No one paid further attention to the Durani who had died on the Unbending Truth.
——————
After receiving the order, Corswain departed.
Finally, the Lion's gaze turned.
He was somewhat displeased.
Because the moment Corswain left, that cold and efficient aura completely vanished from Morgana's body. She once again stroked her cat, and a leisurely scent began to fully emanate from her hair and brow.
Even the snow-white creature in her arms also gradually became active. The soft furball rolled in its master's arms, searching for a more comfortable position.
The strong-brained cat.
Lion El'Jonson had specifically investigated it. He personally reviewed books about this creature to ensure that this was not another subtle deception from his kin.
The Primarch of the First Legion raised his eyelids, and saw that his leisurely kin seemed to have thought of something, giving him a somewhat sincere smile.
Hmm, that doesn't look good.
[I am thinking of a name for my pet, Lion.]
She softly uttered her brother's name, accompanied by a slow wave of warmth. This was something that only happened when the two of them were alone. In front of others, she never lost her politeness and respect.
[So I was thinking…]
She smiled, a smile that made Lion El'Jonson frown.
[Caliban.]
[How does that name sound?]
[I wonder if the Lord of Caliban would be willing to lend me a copyright valid for a few decades?]
She smiled and looked up, then saw Lion El'Jonson's unconcealed gaze, a gaze that wanted to drag her to the arena.
Alright, it seemed he wasn't willing.
Morgana sighed leisurely.
She turned and slowly departed.
Lion El'Jonson also turned. In his line of sight, the second wave of the fleet was orderly passing through the Mandeville Point. Lion El'Jonson picked up his data slate, intending to record the order of everything.
Then, his ear caught Morgana's somewhat obvious murmuring.
In fact, she was talking to the cat.
[Our first contingency plan was rejected, sweetheart.]
[But it's alright, we still have a second contingency plan.]
[From today, you have your own name.]
[Warmaster~]
"Crack—!"
The sound of the data slate shattering was crisp and clear, echoing for a long, long time in the already quiet room…
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