The Dark Angels' mobile fortress, the 'Rock,' was originally part of the shattered world Caliban, the home world of the First Legion's Primarch Lion El'Jonson, which was inadvertently destroyed during a fierce ran between him and the Fallen Angels led by Luther; it was later transformed into a 'home world' by the Lion's descendants using ancient, mysterious technology.
However, in essence, the Rock is a colossal starship, and the ancient technology employed in its construction is beyond even the Martian Mechanicum's comprehension; many speculate that their Chapter Monastery, the 'Rock,' utilizes heretical technology or ancient techniques forbidden by Terra.
It is precisely for this reason that the Dark Angels' mobile fortress, the 'Rock,' often has an unpredictable trajectory, sometimes appearing in one location to launch a fierce assault, or vanishing like a ghost after completing a mission.
Even allied forces, who are also loyal factions of the Imperium, often fail to grasp the profound meaning behind the strange actions of these descendants of Lion.
When the Dark Angels intervene in a battle, their peculiar behavior always carries an enigmatic significance.
However, regarding the Dark Angels' strange actions, many loyalist descendants share a common understanding.
They know that they are deliberately concealing certain secrets—secrets that every Dark Angel must engrave upon their heart, even into their very bones.
From the moment they join the Legion, pass through rigorous trials, and become part of the 'Inner Circle,' these descendants of Lion, the Unforgiven, are given a new mission.
To protect the Primarch's honor, to protect the glory of the First Legion—the First Legion has no secrets!
Yet now, this secret, guarded by the Dark Angels Legion for ten millennia, is on the verge of exposure.
The nefarious Chaos Creator, Vashtorr, in collusion with the Chaos Warmaster Abaddon, has used the wicked sorcery of the Warp in the Iconoclast System to perfectly replicate their former home world—Caliban!
This replicated world 'Caliban' is named 'Dragonfall,' and it is saturated with the profane power of Chaos; the entire world has been transformed into a massive Daemon factory.
Supreme grandmaster Azrael cannot tolerate the wicked Creator Vashtorr desecrating their home world, Caliban, in such a manner.
But more importantly, he is afraid.
Afraid that the truth about Caliban's destruction, the secret they have concealed for ten thousand years, will be fully exposed to the Imperium's gaze.
Once the Dark Angels' secret is revealed, they might be deemed heretics by the Imperium, their former glory reduced to naught, and the descendants of Lion will be nailed to the pillar of shame, becoming a stain upon the Emperor!
This is a fact that the descendants of Lion, these Unforgiven, absolutely cannot accept.
Thus, under the dual shadows of anger and fear, Azrael, knowing full well this was a provocation from the Chaos Creator Vashtorr against the Dark Angels, nonetheless used encrypted communications to rally a fleet comprising a large number of Dark Angels parent Chapters, including a vast number of successor Chapters, to a scale almost reaching that of a Legion during the Great Crusade, intending to erase this shame and scar of the Dark Angels before the Imperium could detect the existence of 'Dragonfall.'
The Consecrators, the Guardians of the Covenant, the Angels of Redemption, the Angels of Vengeance, the Bringers of Judgement—numerous successor Chapters directly detached from the 'Indomitus Crusade' fleet without reason or warning.
This action led to severe defeats for the Indomitus Crusade fleet in multiple dark sectors.
The fleet, almost reaching 'Legion' size, mirroring the Dark Angels Legion fleet during the Great Crusade ten millennia ago, continued to expand, eventually converging into a force that made even Chaos tremble, arriving at Dragonfall in the Iconoclast System.
However, it was at this moment that an unexpected event occurred.
After paralyzing the Chaos fleet deployed in space, the Supreme grandmaster personally led the Ravenwing, Deathwing, Librarius, and a large number of elites directly into Dragonfall's surface to establish a secure position.
His strategy was simple and effective: destroy the anti-air defenses and crucial strongholds deployed on Dragonfall by the Chaos Creator Vashtorr and the black Legion, then use the ancient and advanced weapon arrays mounted on the 'Rock' to completely erase the world from the universe.
The idea was good, but—an unexpected event happened!
When Supreme grandmaster Azrael, Chief Librarian Ezekiel, and grandmaster of Repentance Asmodai, along with other battle Heroes leading their elites, forcibly landed on Dragonfall, the Rock, far in space, including the other successor Chapter warships, suddenly came under massive Chaos attack!
It turned out that this was all a conspiracy by the Chaos Creator, Vashtorr!
He deliberately used 'Dragonfall' to enrage the Dark Angels, luring a large portion of their main force to Dragonfall; taking advantage of the Rock and numerous Dark Angels successor Chapter warships being complacent while in space, the true main force of the Chaos fleet suddenly emerged from a Warp portal opened within a star directly behind them, targeting the 'Rock'!
His true objective was the 'Key' hidden deep within the Dark Angels' mobile fortress, the 'Rock.'
Previously, Vashtorr, through multiple collaborations with the black Legion, had acquired a large number of 'Keys'—mysterious artifacts, possibly originating from the 'Old Ones,' that could help complete his final plan and allow him to ascend to the realm of 'Godhood'!
After all, the Chaos Creator Vashtorr's desire to become a god was no longer a secret.
And his cooperation with Abaddon was fraught with schemes and intrigues; for this collaboration, Vashtorr had promised vast benefits and even reached some agreement with Perturabo, the Primarch of the Iron Warriors.
Now, the opportunity had finally arrived!
As long as he could seize the 'Key' hidden deep within the Rock, the day he became a true Warp god and shed the title of 'demigod' would be one step closer.
Now, this step was—within reach!
Two-thirds of the Dark Angels' main force, including their elites, had all been deployed on Dragonfall, and this was precisely when the Rock's interior was at its most vulnerable!
At this moment, Supreme grandmaster Azrael, upon learning that their Chapter Monastery, the Rock, was under fierce attack by the Chaos fleet, had already guessed the Chaos Creator Vashtorr's conspiracy.
But the problem was, even though he had guessed it, he was bogged down on the surface of Dragonfall by an endless, tsunami-like horde of renegade Chapters and Daemons, stretching as far as the eye could see, trapped in a quagmire from which he could not escape!
They wanted to return to the Rock, but how could Abaddon's black Legion possibly give them that chance?
Countless Khorne Legions, mortal cultists, and Daemons fragmented the Unforgiven, the descendants of Lion, into numerous small battlefields, intending to grind them down with sheer numbers and the Warp-twisted terrain.
The communication channels were filled with the cacophony of Chaos.
Azrael urgently wanted to know the situation of the Rock, but the communication channels were filled with hideous, blasphemous Chaos cacophony!
It was that damned Chaos Creator; he used a massive amount of Chaos code to flood the communications between various Chapters, forcing them to fight independently.
Delaying the main force on Dragonfall was only Vashtorr's first step; this cunning and treacherous Chaos Creator's second step was to conquer the Dark Angels Legion's Rock, which held numerous secrets!
To obtain the 'Key,' this Chaos Creator did not hesitate to personally manifest in the material universe.
The psychic arrays he had deployed on the Ark of Omen 'Orak the Liberated' drew Warp power far exceeding the material universe's capacity, paralyzing the Rock's defense systems in one fell swoop.
Taking advantage of the paralyzed defense systems, the Chaos Creator Vashtorr personally led Daemons and Chaos Legions, directly teleporting deep into the Rock, with a very clear objective: straight to the 'Nameless Gate'!
This was where the 'Key' was hidden!
Just as he believed his plan was about to succeed, he saw that in the ancient halls deep within the Rock, mysterious mists enveloped everything.
A colossal figure stood on the only path leading to the 'Nameless Gate,' his entire body shrouded in mysterious mist, behind him seemingly a winding path leading to a silent, deep forest, his massive cape billowing, invisible pressure transforming into a fierce gale.
"Who are you?"
The Chaos Creator Vashtorr stared warily at the figure; he felt a strange sense of familiarity.
The figure suddenly took a step, and a terrifying aura and fierce wind crashed down like a tsunami; rolling waves, laden with murderous intent and a cold, noble blade, sliced through Vashtorr's energy shield!
"Lion El'Jonson!"
The situation at the Rock Fortress was unknown, but the ground forces on world Aeros were also in crisis.
Azrael's strategy required destroying various daemon facilities and anti-air systems, which led to the Dark Angels' forces being spread across world Aeros, resulting in them being cut off and surrounded, unable to concentrate in one place.
They had fallen into a Chaos trap.
Two-thirds of the Dark Angels' parent chapters and successor chapters were scattered across world Aeros, and the enemies they faced included Khorne's legions, the black Legion, mortal cultists, and daemons, surging in like a tide from all directions.
For a time, every company was embroiled in a bitter struggle.
They not only had to face the foes of Chaos but also had to be careful of this world, which had been warped by the Warp; every building could change at any moment, plunging them into even more dangerous situations.
grandmaster Azrael, leading his elite company, also fell into an unimaginable struggle.
Theoretically, what they most urgently needed was fire suppression from space, but the news of the Rock Fortress being invaded had arrived several days ago, and since then, there had been no further word.
They were essentially deep behind enemy lines, fighting an entire world's worth of Chaos legions without any support.
Days of bitter fighting had left Azrael and his men almost out of ammunition and supplies; they had been forced into the wreckage of a Chaos structure, relying on the surrounding ruins to barely resist the Chaos assault from outside.
But just then...
Azrael keenly noticed that behind the Chaos legions besieging them, a mysterious mist began to quietly spread!
The mist seemed to originate from the Warp, covering the area behind the Chaos legions with lightning speed, and deep within those mists, there seemed to be a forest completely different from the battlefield, with a distinct style.
With the appearance of the forest, a contingent of Astartes in black power armor, whom they had never seen before, suddenly appeared like ghosts and inflicted heavy casualties on the unsuspecting Chaos legions with extremely swift and efficient methods of slaughter!
grandmaster Azrael was shocked by the sudden support from this Chapter, but on the other hand—he was filled with deep fear.
He knew very well that once the secret of world Aeros was known to this mysterious Chapter, the secret that the Dark Angels Chapter had tried to conceal for ten millennia would be completely exposed to the Imperium's eyes!
But at the same time, he could not retaliate against these Chapter brothers who had come to their aid in their time of need.
The Dark Angels also had their pride!
Azrael, in an extremely complex state of mind, after an intense internal struggle and deliberation, ultimately allowed his loyalty to the Emperor to override the secret the Dark Angels had upheld.
He immediately ordered the surrounding Chapter brothers to form a pincer movement with the mysterious Chapter, to cut through the Chaos legions and link up.
Although the Chaos legions besieging them had a numerical advantage, due to the surprise attack by the mysterious Chapter, their heavy firepower, which had been suppressing the Dark Angels in front, was completely destroyed, and even their tight formation revealed a fatal flaw.
Azrael seized this fleeting opportunity; he wielded the Sword of Secrets, led the charge, and with the veteran warriors of the Eternal Crusade behind him, easily tore open the Chaos encirclement.
But just as the two sides were about to link up...
Azrael suddenly saw the members of that mysterious Chapter perform an ancient Caliban knightly salute in their direction, and then they disappeared again into the depths of the misty forest.
"???"
For a moment, Azrael's brain senses almost overloaded.
He felt his limbs grow cold, and an uncontrollable fury, mixed with a deep-seated fear, flooded his mind!
"Fallen—Angels?!!!"
It was as if a volcanic eruption was buried in Azrael's throat, gushing forth with endless rage.
"That Chapter—are they Fallen Angels?!"
They were actually saved by Fallen Angels?!
As for grandmaster Asmodai, he was already furious, wildly swinging his power maul, smashing the surrounding daemons into pulp, and his enraged roars echoed throughout the battlefield!
"Come back! Traitors!"
"Ah ah ah ah—get back here, Fallen Angels!"
The Fallen Angels disappeared.
Aside from the craters on the ground and the corpses of dead Chaos rabble, it was as if they had never appeared.
But the humiliating memory was deeply etched into the hearts of all the Dark Angels, including the grandmaster.
It thoroughly ignited their wrath.
As sons of Lion, proud lions, Unforgiven, and the Emperor's blades, they had been saved by these traitors, the Fallen Angels, whom they had always considered the shame of the First Legion, the sin the Dark Angels had to conceal!
Most importantly, those despicable 'Fallen Angels' even deliberately used the ancient knightly ritual of Caliban to reveal their identity to them before they left.
This was simply blasphemy and humiliation!
Azrael, as grandmaster, had eyes brimming with fury, frightful veins bulging on his forehead, and his entire being exuded a terrifying, chilling aura, as if the air itself had solidified.
He cast his gaze upon the daemons, renegade Chapters, and mortal cultists who were still shouting the names of the Chaos Gods, and with a hoarse, low voice, he squeezed out a single word through gritted teeth.
"Kill!"
The Fallen Angels had fled, but Chaos remained!
And so—soon, these Chaos legions noticed that the Dark Angels opposite them seemed a little different.
The Dark Angels, with their rage maxed out, looked at these Chaos rabble, their eyes spewing forth anger as if it had become tangible.
If we can't find the "Fallen Angels," can't we find you?
Like berserkers, the Dark Angels, led by the utterly enraged Grand Masters Azrael, Asmodai, Ezekiel, and Belial, had their morale and combat power increased several times over, and with a nearly insane fervor, they tipped the scales of war into a one-sided, overwhelming rout!
This unfortunate Chaos legion, which originally had a numerical advantage, but after being ambushed by the 'Sons of the Forest' and having their heavy firepower in the rear destroyed, faced with the enraged Dark Angels, they were like lambs falling into a lion's den, and were torn to shreds in almost no time.
"Search!"
Azrael crushed a Chaos head, his eyes still burning with unquenchable rage.
"Find them for me, and kill them—!!!"
They could never tolerate the honor that the First Legion held dearer than life itself being stained with even a hint of shame by the Fallen Angels!
Even if they died!
Dying here, being shattered by Chaos, they would not accept the Fallen Angels' rescue!