The Dark Angels' main Chapter still maintains the ancient and mysterious 'Six Wings' unique organizational structure.
As for the Astartes Codex?
Sorry, the Dark Angels politely decline.
The six organizations, named after 'Wings', each undertake different responsibilities. For example, the 'Deathwing' is responsible for secretly hunting down Fallen Angels. All members are equipped with Terminators, excelling in heavy assault and close-quarters annihilation. Every member is an Inner Circle individual recognized by the Chapter's rituals.
The 'Ravenwing' is more specialized; they undertake tasks such as covert reconnaissance and tracking the traces of Fallen Angels. They are skilled in camouflage, reconnaissance, and rapid assault, and usually cooperate with the Deathwing to encircle and capture Fallen Angels.
This squad, surrounded by the Chaos hordes, is the 'Ravenwing,' one of the Six Wings. They had infiltrated Draconys earlier to scout important strongholds and facilities, providing battlefield information for subsequent forces.
But who could have imagined that this was all a Chaos conspiracy? When two-thirds of the Dark Angels' forces air-dropped onto Draconys, an endless, continuous stream of Chaos hordes awaited them.
The Ravenwing also fell into a trap that had been set for them in advance.
Although the Ravenwing grandmaster desperately led his Chapter brothers to carve a bloody path out of the Chaos encirclement,
however, just as they were about to retreat and rendezvous with their other Chapter brothers, the Chapter's Librarius suddenly detected intense Warp sorcery fluctuations not far away, deep within a giant Chaos structure, suspected to be Chaos performing an evil summoning ritual!
This report made the Ravenwing grandmaster instantly realize that they absolutely could not retreat!
Such intense Warp fluctuations proved that the object of that evil Chaos summoning ritual was definitely not something to be trifled with.
Once a 'Chaos Daemon' truly descended, the Dark Angels, already split and surrounded, would only find their situation worse, or even be 'completely annihilated!'
Thus, the Ravenwing grandmaster disregarded many things. On one hand, he ordered the Chapter Librarius to send this message to the other Chapters by any means necessary, and on the other hand, he led the Ravenwing, who had just experienced a bloody battle, to assault that massive Chaos Daemon Palace!
No matter the cost, they absolutely had to destroy the Chaos summoning ritual taking place in that evil Daemon Palace!
The remaining seven hundred-plus members of the Ravenwing, with a grim determination, charged towards the Chaos Daemon Palace, but the vast numbers of Chaos Daemon Engines became an insurmountable chasm blocking their path!
Watching the bodies fall on the path of their charge, the Ravenwing grandmaster's heart seemed to bleed, his eyes bloodshot, clenching his teeth, "If only, if only the 'Deathwing' were here"
They are the Ravenwing, skilled in camouflage, infiltration, and rapid assault. If it were a mobile battle, they would not fear, but this was not a mobile battle; it was a frontal assault!
For the Ravenwing, frontal assaults were usually left to the 'Deathwing,' with them providing auxiliary support from the flanks. But now, they had to do it!
If there had been any other way, the Ravenwing grandmaster would never have sent his Ravenwing Chapter brothers on such a suicidal frontal assault mission.
But what they lacked most was time!
The evil summoning ritual deep within the Chaos Daemon Palace was the 'Sword of Damocles' hanging over the neck of every Dark Angel on Draconys!
The Chaos forces held the high ground advantage, with numerous turrets, Daemon Engines, and flying daemons, indiscriminately pouring firepower down on them from above the fortress, and every step forward the Dark Angels of the Ravenwing took came at a heavy price!
A mere hundred meters were strewn with the piled bones of the Dark Angels!
Blood gathered into rivers, washing over the soil beneath their feet. The air was thick with the smoke of artillery, and under the relentless long-range suppression, even lifting their heads was a luxury.
No retreat! Absolutely no retreat!
The Ravenwing grandmaster charged forward valiantly, his power sword slashing rapidly, cutting off the heads of renegades. His armor sparked from bolter hits, and the powerful impact pushed him back several steps. The shell that followed immediately after sent the grandmaster flying.
"Could it be, are we truly destined to fail?!"
The Ravenwing grandmaster coughed up blood, his bloody left arm severed at the root, his armor shattered, and even the bone-white winged emblem on his chest seemed to have dimmed considerably.
He looked back with unwillingness at the path to the Chaos Daemon Palace, already covered with the bones and blood of the Dark Angels Ravenwing Chapter. His eyes were bloodshot as he shakily stood up again, his remaining right hand gripping his power sword, raising it to the sky, letting out a mournful and desperate roar.
"For Lion, for the Emperor! Sons of the Lion, even if we die here today, we will never let Chaos schemes succeed!"
All members of the Ravenwing had prepared for death, and with resolute will, they once again stepped onto this blood-soaked battlefield!
The roar of Chaos still echoed in their ears!
Suddenly, just then...
The Ravenwing grandmaster heard a shout of "For Lion, for the Emperor!" coming from behind the Chaos forces.
"An illusion?!"
As the Ravenwing grandmaster was stunned,
he saw a dazzling golden light suddenly erupt from within the Chaos forces. A violent psychic storm, mixed with surging fire explosions, instantly tore several Chaos Hellbrutes into pieces!
It was the Sons of the Forest!
They had arrived on the battlefield just in time.
The scorching heat of battle, mixed with the roars of Chaos Daemons and the almost tangible smell of blood and burnt sulfur, filled their nostrils.
But the sight of the heavily wounded and dead Dark Angels undoubtedly ignited their fury!
"Throne of Terra, Holy Emperor above!"
"Cut off their heads, shatter their bones, and let them repent for their treachery even in hell! Sins must be washed away with blood! For Lion, for the Emperor, kill—!!!"
Emrys suddenly stepped forward. As psychic energy converged, a dense golden light, like the dawn breaking through the twilight, cut a dazzling, brilliant path through the blood-red mist!
"Slaughter them!!!"
"I'm here—!"
"Die, you bastards!!!"
The Sons of the Forest Chapter, in the roar of their leader Emrys, seemed to fall into a state of frenzy, charging with murderous intent towards the still bewildered Chaos legions.
What's going on?!
When did they get a Khorne Chapter?
Wait, something's not right, they seem to be shouting— 'Emperor'?!
"Charge! Kill them all!"
"Slaughter these beasts!"
"You scum, take a hammer from me!"
Suddenly, many battle cries came, making the Ravenwing grandmaster immediately realize that it was not his imagination!
Those Astartes in black armor, like phantoms, suddenly burst out from behind the Chaos forces, causing great confusion.
"Good opportunity!"
The Ravenwing grandmaster's pupils shone brightly.
"All units, immediately cooperate with them, break through!!!"
The previously suppressed Ravenwing had long been seething with anger. Now, seeing the Chaos forces in disarray, they charged forward impatiently.
The Chaos forces, who had previously held the advantage, were suddenly caught in a pincer movement!
After seeing the heavy casualties of the Ravenwing, the piled bones, and the Ravenwing grandmaster fighting valiantly despite a severed arm, a brutal ferocity surged in Emrys' eyes. His gaze then fell upon the two Chaos Dreadnoughts.
"Krast, it's your turn!"
To send a Space Marine to deal with a Chaos Dreadnought.
This order was tantamount to suicide, but if that person was Krast, it would be a different story.
Zabriel once said that Knight-Commander Krast Jarvis' record of single-handedly slaying enemies remains the highest in the history of the Dark Angels Legion!
This also included several Chaos Daemons.
He was, in the true sense of the word, the 'King of One-on-One Combat'!
No sooner said than done.
The moment Emrys' order was given, those two Chaos Dreadnoughts, amidst the chaotic battlefield, also noticed his presence.
The reason was none other than… he was too damn conspicuous!
Emrys' attire at this moment was distinctly different from the Sons of the Forest around him, who were clad in dark black armor.
This brings us to the Tech-Priests of Avarcalon.
Due to the Lion's emphasis and the two extremely 'intimidating' titles of 'grandmaster of the Sons of the Forest' and 'First Watcher Knight', the old Lion specifically ordered the Archmagos to custom-make a set of power armor for him.
The prototype of this power armor was an ancient relic found after a certain noble's mansion was raided by 'bandits'.
Judging from its model, it should predate the Great Crusade, making it a true 'antique' in every sense.
But in the Warhammer Universe, 'antique' often means… more advanced!
Thus, the Tech-Priests and Archmagos of Avarcalon used this ancient power armor as a model to re-cast and forge a brand new set of power armor for Emrys, taking into account that his physique was different from a regular Astartes, being shorter and lacking the black Carapace neural connection, so it was equipped with extremely special sensing and hydraulic devices.
The hydraulic devices allowed Emrys to exert strength and speed 2-3 times that of an Astartes.
And that ancient sensing device could even make Emrys' neural reflex speed completely surpass that of a regular Astartes.
The entire power armor was off-white, with blessings and prayers specifically branded onto the front of the shoulder pads with wax seals, and the Dark Angel's insignia on the chest. Besides this, items such as Purity Seals, Psychic Hoods, and Incense Burners were all present.
Behind his head, an 'Iron Halo' was also added.
If all of the above could barely be understood as the 'standard equipment' for high-ranking officers, then Emrys' helmet was even more formidable.
It is said that this helmet was a collection of the Archmagos of Avarcalon, originating from the 'Dark Age', and the special field generator mounted on it could fully protect the user from being corrupted by Warp evil forces.
Regardless of whether the user was conscious, this helmet could automatically assess the current situation.
The auspex was even more powerful, possessing the ability to see through 'falsehood' and 'illusions', allowing the user to fearlessly face the countless Chaos of Tzeentch's daemons.
The only drawback was… this helmet was simply too conspicuous.
The red decorative elements on both sides, resembling feathers, looked like two sky-high pigtails, making him visible at a glance even in the most chaotic battlefield.
Coupled with his off-white power armor, covered in 'decorations', among a group of black Astartes,
He truly stood out like a crane among chickens!
Initially, Emrys was also upset, strongly protesting such a flashy and conspicuous outfit.
But unfortunately, the Lion shut him down with a phrase, saying it was for his own good.
Now, Emrys didn't know if the Lion wanted him to be safer by wearing such a flashy power armor, or if he thought he wasn't conspicuous enough and wanted him to be a living target on the battlefield.
But no matter what, those two Chaos Dreadnoughts had indeed set their sights on him.
According to Astartes custom, anyone daring to wear something so 'flashy' on the battlefield was either a high-ranking Commander or a formidable individual.
In short, no matter which type, it didn't stop them from deciding to kill this 'flashy' guy first!
The defiled creation, covered in flesh and twisted steel, resembling a 'hedgehog', roared and raised its left arm's multi-melta.
Without a word, it furiously unleashed a torrent of fire towards Emrys' position. Intense thermal beams, accompanied by a highly recognizable 'hissing' sound, ignited and incinerated the air between the targets, carrying with them surging and terrifying heat!
This was a 'multi-melta'; let alone power armor, even if he were hiding inside a Leman Russ, he would still be roasted to a crisp!
Fortunately, Emrys reacted quickly, running for his life, and with a flying leap, he landed behind a broken wall.
Boom!
He heard a sudden explosion behind him, and even though he was wearing power armor, Emrys could feel the terrifying heat.
He looked back to see that the spot hit by the multi-melta had become a scorching wasteland, like molten lava.
The scorching high temperature, accompanied by a wave of air, directly incinerated all the surrounding Chaos daemons!
Failing in one strike, the Chaos Hellbrute roared, and its two seemingly short mechanical legs thrashed as it ran towards him.
At the same time, the chain-fed multi-bolter mounted on its right arm also let out an earth-shattering roar!
Rumble—!!!
The ammunition belt spun rapidly, and shell casings were ejected one by one, falling heavily to the ground.
Hot gunpowder smoke billowed from the muzzle, and streaks of crimson light, dragging screams, slammed into the broken wall where Emrys was hiding.
The several-meter-thick broken wall was instantly shattered by the bolter shells, and bricks and rubble flew like hidden weapons.
A terrifying torrent of crimson metal, carrying suffocating pressure, like a breached dam, crashed into Emrys' power armor.
Bang bang bang…
Amidst dense and muffled thuds, Emrys was knocked backward by the concentrated bolter fire.
If not for the protective field built into this power armor, he would probably have been reduced to a pulp, but even so, the impact force from the bolter shells exploding on his body was far beyond what an ordinary person could endure.
In just a few seconds, Emrys felt as if all his bones were about to shatter.
"Damn it, you're good!" He gritted his teeth, scurrying around like a mouse under the frantic assault of this Chaos Hellbrute.
But this wasn't purely aimless; Emrys deliberately led the attacks of this Chaos Dreadnought towards the Chaos Legions. Everywhere he went, flesh and blood splattered behind him, accompanied by the roar of the multi-melta and the curses of the Chaos daemon army.
Perhaps someone might ask, why would a Chaos Hellbrute attack its allies?
The answer is simple: in the eyes of Chaos, there are no allies.
Secondly, although Chaos Hellbrutes belong to the 'Dreadnought' series, they are different from true 'Dreadnoughts'.
True 'Dreadnoughts' are first manufactured and then await their 'Sir'.
A Chaos Hellbrute, however, is created by forcefully stuffing a crippled Chaos Astartes into an armored shell through a painful fusion process. Long before the manufacturing process is complete, this Chaos Astartes has already 'gone mad'.
Therefore, from the moment a Chaos Hellbrute comes off the production line, it is a madman who only knows slaughter.
It doesn't care whether the one in front of it is an ally or not.
And this gave Emrys an opportunity. He led this Chaos Hellbrute, running wildly through the Chaos daemon legions.
Relying on his power armor and psychic shield, and being able to briefly 'foresee' the future, for a time, no one could really do anything to Emrys.
"Come on, chase me!"
Emrys ran wildly, not forgetting to taunt the Chaos Hellbrute.
The already insane Chaos Hellbrute, seeing this, had its mind completely consumed by rage, with only one thought left.
That was… to kill this 'flashy' guy!
Thus, a strange scene appeared on the chaotic and complex battlefield.
A 'high-ranking officer' wearing off-white power armor, with two red feathers stuck on his head and an Iron Halo behind his head, was being chased everywhere by a Chaos Dreadnought Hellbrute, while the surrounding Chaos daemon army furiously cursed this shameless bastard.
Wherever Emrys ran, the multi-melta and chain-fed heavy bolter of the Chaos Hellbrute would pour out their firepower.
Yet, he managed to narrowly escape every time, while the surrounding Chaos Astartes and daemons were not so lucky, often caught in the Hellbrute's crossfire, crying out in pain, cursing and swearing.