"This is the Emperor's order. You have no need to question it! And I can tell you one more thing:
The Eldar worked with humanity to help resurrect Lord Roboute Guilliman, as well as the Master of Salamanders," said Ultraman.
The return of Lord Vulkan, the Salamanders' master, was a good thing for the Imperium, but cooperating with Xenos was something he found hard to accept.
Supreme Grand Master Azrael of the Dark Angels even suspected that something had gone wrong with the Imperium, questioning whether the Emperor had truly awakened.
Could these people really be passing down orders from the Emperor himself?
And when they first arrived, what exactly did that Custodes mean by his question?
No one should know about the Fallen Angels—within the entire fortress, only the Inner Circle brothers knew of their existence.
Other successor chapters sometimes helped capture the Fallen, but their existence was kept strictly secret. Only Chapter Masters and the Librarius knew some of the truth.
The Dark Angels' secrecy about the Fallen was so absolute it bordered on obsession; even those tasked with hunting them only knew of their existence.
Privately, all discussion of the Fallen is strictly forbidden. Everyone knows different information.
This is how the Dark Angels preserve their secrets. Only the Chapter Master knows the full truth, and they meet within the Rock.
The chief Librarian Ezekiel also knows some, but the true guardian is the Chapter Master.
After the previous Chapter Master died, he too entered the Rock, and in its most hidden chamber, met that eternal sinner—
Luther!
The criminal who nearly killed their Primarch, Lion El'Jonson, and sent him into perpetual slumber. Luther had been captured by the Dark Angels ten thousand years ago!
Only each generation's Chapter Master knows of Luther's existence, not even the chief Librarian. Only upon succession does a new Chapter Master learn the truth, then drag Luther out for a beating before locking him back into stasis.
"As for the matter of Horus, I will report directly to the Emperor. You need not concern yourselves further. Now, you Dark Angels will follow the Emperor's orders. First: Accept the Primaris Space Marine upgrade.
This is a powerful new breed of Space Marine, with strength matching even the Custodes of old.
Primaris Marines, after surgical upgrades, will see their abilities rise dramatically." Ultraman explained to Azrael about Primaris Marines.
These new Astartes were indeed promising. The Custodes who hadn't yet undergone the Superbeast transformation couldn't match them.
However, the Custodes' upgrades were still ongoing. Once completed, the Superbeast Custodes, capable of growing to immense size, would easily crush the Space Marines.
"This new surgery to strengthen the Legion is naturally acceptable," Azrael replied.
Rhodes did not simply send Primaris reinforcements as in the original timeline, but instead provided the technology, materials, and medical pods for the chapters to upgrade themselves.
This maximized the deployment of Primaris upgrades, as the technology was given, but the Marines remained their own.
"Second order: The Dark Angels Legion is to be re-formed, with all successor chapters recalled and reconstituted as one Legion," Ultraman said.
"This is a good thing for the Dark Angels. The First Legion will obey," Azrael responded.
This had already been communicated. The Dark Angels were closely linked to all their successors, unlike some other chapters.
As Supreme Grand Master, Azrael could command all successor and company leaders—who were all Inner Circle members.
The Dark Angels' obsession with secrecy is so extreme, there's a saying: If a Primarch tries to investigate the Dark Angels' secrets, then the Primarch disappears.
"Third order: Soon a Great Crusade will be launched. The Dark Angels must gather at least thirty thousand troops to participate," Ultraman said.
Azrael frowned at this. While they followed the Codex Astartes, their numbers were limited due to their ongoing hunt for the Fallen.
Even combined, their numbers did not exceed thirty thousand. Rebuilding into a full Legion meant recruiting new Marines, but Dark Angels' recruitment was extremely strict.
Even after passing through the induction process and psychic memory screening, if a recruit was deemed unfit or unable to keep secrets, they'd be turned into a servitor.
Even with new upgrades, they could not expand recklessly, or their secrets would be compromised.
As Supreme Grand Master, Azrael had to ensure the Legion's secrets remained safe.
"I'm sorry. Even if we agree to re-form the Legion, deploying thirty thousand troops in just a few years is impossible.
It will take hundreds of years before we could gather such numbers," Azrael said.
"All other founding Legions can meet this quota. Even the newly established Deathwatch can do it. Are you saying the Dark Angels cannot?
Your gene-seed is stable and excellent—on par with the Ultramarines. In fact, your successor chapters are second only to the Space Wolves," Ultraman said.
The Dark Angels were once the Emperor's first Legion, under his direct command before Lion El'Jonson's return.
In personal combat, the Dark Angels were the strongest of all Astartes. Thanks to the Lion's powerful and stable gene-seed, yet after ten thousand years, they had only a handful of successors.
Just as Lord Rhodes said, these Dark Angels had all become obsessed—especially the Inner Circle, who only cared about keeping secrets and hunting the Fallen.
"We can field five thousand within a few years—this is our limit. Also, I wish to personally visit Holy Terra and meet the Emperor," Azrael said.
He doubted the Emperor's awakening. The presence of Custodes made it seem real, since they obey no one but the Emperor—not even the Primarchs.
He had to see for himself the attitudes of the old and new Primarchs who returned.
Would they, as before, seek to build a Second Imperium? Had Roboute Guilliman already become the new Emperor?
Azrael believed that among all the Primarchs, Guilliman was the most ambitious. If anyone would become the next Emperor, it would be him.
Some records in the Legion even suggested that a Second Imperium briefly existed, with its capital in Ultramar.
Thus, he suspected the Emperor's awakening was false, and that Guilliman was usurping his place.
"I can take you to the Emperor. The Dark Angels should indeed return to Holy Terra in pilgrimage. Before, the Imperium's shadow prevented you, but now, with the Eldar's webway, it's possible," Ultraman said.
"Understood. You may rest in the Rock, but do not enter the Pillar Fortress. Remain in your own quarters," Azrael said.
The Rock contained many secret chambers, each holding secrets. The deepest secret was the sleeping Primarch—and the prisoner, Luther.
"Don't be hasty! I haven't finished delivering the Emperor's orders. The fourth order:
Bring the sleeping Primarch Lion El'Jonson in the Rock to Holy Terra for treatment. It's time the Lion returned," Ultraman declared.
At these words, the entire monastery fell silent. Some Dark Angels placed hands on their weapons, ready to fight.
The Primarch's slumber inside the fortress was known only by the Chapter Master and his predecessors. Perhaps the rogue trader family that had aided them guessed, but didn't know the truth.
That family had their own bodyguards assigned by the Lion, ostensibly to protect the Primarch, but really to ensure the Legion's secrets remained safe.
If not for their deep ties with the Dark Angels, even the rogue trader family might have been destroyed!
"I don't understand what you mean."
"Literally. Don't play dumb. This is to save the Primarch. The Emperor can heal him. If you want your Primarch to return, do as I say.
If not, the Custodes will make it happen—willing or not, we're taking Lion El'Jonson," Ultraman said.
These Custodes were all Superbeast-modified—though there were only a few dozen, Rhodes had sent ten here.
Ten Superbeast Custodes could even fight a Primarch in giant form!
If the Dark Angels insisted on keeping secrets, he'd follow Rhodes' orders and beat them into submission! As long as no one died or was seriously injured, it was fine.
"I will meet the Emperor in person. The Primarch is not in the monastery. Don't try to find him," Azrael said coldly.
"I wasn't asking for your opinion. I made myself clear. And don't think your secrets are so well kept—the Imperium already knows about the Fallen."
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
The moment "Fallen" was uttered, all the Dark Angels drew their bolters and opened fire on the Custodes.
But their bolters could not harm these golden giants, not even Rhodes' sons who'd come to assist.
"Just as Lord Rhodes said. Listen up, everyone:
Incapacitate every Dark Angel in the Rock! Don't kill, but missing limbs are fine," Ultraman grinned, transforming into a sixty-meter-tall golden giant before their shocked eyes.
The Custodes with him did the same, activating their giant forms, towering fifty meters tall.
Rhodes had given these Custodes the most basic Superbeast modification—a highly simplified version.
"For the Legion's secrets, kill them!" Azrael ordered.
But the battle's outcome was overwhelming. The Custodes' power utterly dwarfed the Dark Angels.
After a brutal fight, every Dark Angel in the Rock was dragged into the main hall, all badly injured and incapacitated!