šØ Hello my dear Readers I need your help some of the chapters have a wrong names so I hope you can help to fix them tell me the numbers of the chapters so I can fix them thank you all for the support ā¤ļøĀ
[The Legion has split.]
[We were glorious, but that was then.]
[Believe in courage, revere the Emperor, there is no other choice.]
[You may despise the Dark Angels, but you must also trust them, all but those of Caliban.]
[All began because of the Emperor!]
[No, my lord, this is not Xenos technology, but the culmination of stolen human technology.]
[Estimated casualties: only 85%, very safe.]
[Seek the Primarch... only the progenitor of our gene-line can end all of this.]
[...Banish him!...]
[...I hereby declare...]
[...Horus...Horus...he destroyed us...]
[...]
[...]
[Huh? What is this button for?]
Hekate had always been accustomed to sleeping sitting up. He disliked the feeling of being without his armor; it made him feel unprepared. This rising star of the Second Legion forced himself to sleep for a period each day, the exact duration depending on the day's circumstances. Typically, it was around four Terra standard hours, but if a long period of work lay ahead, it could extend to six standard hours.
Hekate opened his eyes. One hand rested on his helmet, part of a Mark III Power Armour. The Imperium had forged them to combat the Space Dwarf civilizations hidden within thick mountains and deep tunnels. Hekate picked up his helmet, gazing at its darkened silver-white exterior, its shallow gold trim, and the optically-imaged instruments and auto-sensing systems neatly arranged on its indestructible alloy casing. All of this brought him an instinctive sense of peace.
"Hekate."
Someone was calling him. The voice pierced the door, coming from outside. He didn't respond immediately. Instead, he rose, first donning his helmet, then surveyed his room, recalling the scene he had memorized when he first entered yesterday. Then, he reached out and slightly adjusted a few objects until everything perfectly matched the scene in his memory.
Then, Hekate looked at the head of his bed. Readily at hand was his cherished main weapon: a broad blade glowing with an eerie green light, specially fitted with a long hilt to suit Hekate's physique and combat style. Talasyn, a battle-brother who, though never willing to show his face, was exceptionally humorous and knowledgeable, had told him the name of this weapon: the Star God Phase Sword.
The name was strange, but Talasyn was considered an old-timer in the Legion. In fact, when Hekate first became a true Death Angel, Talasyn was one of his mentors. And this greatsword was personally chosen for him by Talasyn from the Legion's armory. Therefore, Hekate chose to refer to the weapon by that name. He gripped the greatsword, slowly swinging it twice to ensure his grip felt right.
Then, he walked towards the door. Before closing it, he didn't forget to adjust the angle of the small mirror beside the door, ensuring that when he pushed the door open again, he would immediately be able to see any blind spots in his vision. Safety first, Hekate always said. He occasionally lived by this statement.
"Coming." Hekate pushed open the door and saw Salieri and the old warrior Chiron sitting opposite each other at a round table on the left side of the hall. A chessboard lay between them. This was a semi-circular hall, with the curved side connecting to four rooms, corresponding to the four members of Hekate's squad. This was, of course, no coincidence, but the hospitality of the Dark Angels and Luther.
"Salieri."
"Lord Chiron."
"Ajax..."
Hekate greeted them one by one, but when his gaze shifted to the last member, he couldn't help but freeze.
"What are you doing, Ajax?"
"Disarming for combat."
The "gigantic" Ajax replied in a voice like a buffalo's bellow. He was busy at the hall's entrance, continuously moving and rearranging various objects. Hekate recognized some as furnishings and furniture from the rooms. Evidently, during his rest, someone had used them to construct a makeshift defensive line at the hall's entrance. And Ajax... was clearly a victim, an exploited, unpaid laborer.
Hekate narrowed his eyes, his gaze almost instinctively falling on Salieri, who merely offered an awkward smile, then also gestured with his eyes towards the other side. Hekate shifted his gaze and saw his mentor, also a veteran warrior of the Legion, Chiron. And when he saw the almost unconcealed smirk on Chiron's face, he knew he had found the true culprit.
"Perhaps this requires an explanation, Master."
"Ah, my dear Hekate, it's a tradition."
"When a squad of Dark Angels rests at a Second Legion outpost, they do the same. We are accustomed to occasional non-lethal night raids to express camaraderie and brotherhood between legions, and appropriate precautionary measures are seen as a sign of respect and adherence to tradition..."
Chiron's expression was utterly natural. He relaxed and spoke eloquently, like an ancient shaman recounting wondrous legends. He even casually flicked a chess piece that was floating mid-air in front of Salieri, about to make a sneaky move. "That knight will be taken, Salieri, not even psychic powers can save it."
If this were twenty years ago, he might actually have believed these words... Hekate sighed. He ignored his mentor's typically unreliable ramblings and walked over to Ajax, helping him tidy up.
"Thank you... Hekate." Ajax murmured his thanks. Hekate merely smiled in response, not replying. He was certain that hostility or bullying would not occur within his squad, because he knew his members like the back of his hand: Chiron was the mentor to everyone in the squad. Although he was a veteran warrior of the Legion, he still enjoyed various jokes. As for Salieri and Ajax, not only were they battle-hardened comrades who had fought side-by-side for over a decade, but purely based on strength, Salieri wouldn't dare to provoke Ajax.
The "gigantic" Ajax, this simple nickname was not mistaken. Ajax was at least a head taller and a circumference broader than an ordinary Astartes. When he first joined the Second Legion, this nickname was indeed well-deserved. Until Hekate's arrival...
The two warriors finished tidying the last of the items and returned them to their original places. Hekate casually patted Ajax's shoulder, and they both laughed. Hekate didn't even need to deliberately raise his arm. Because the "gigantic" Ajax's height only reached his chest.
From Chiron's perspective, the size difference between his two students was like that of a tiger and a leopard. As for Salieri, he was probably something like a lynx. The old warrior propped his face on one hand, watching his two students help each other, while his other hand casually moved a chess piece, incidentally scattering Salieri's long-prepared deadly trap. As his third student wailed, Chiron couldn't help but recall some past events. Sometimes, he would think that perhaps he truly was old, to be so fond of reminiscing.
After the incredibly tall and burly Hekate joined the Second Legion, the "gigantic" nickname of Ajax, who joined in the same period, involuntarily gained a layer of mockery. And Ajax responded to this ridicule with actions. In the following days, Ajax relentlessly dragged those who intentionally, unintentionally, and utterly unintentionally mocked him into the arena.
His winning streak continued until the passing Hekate was dragged in, and then with a few moves, Hekate knocked Ajax to the ground. From then on, Ajax became the first member of the newly formed Hekate squad. And when the veterans spoke of "the gigantic one" again, they learned to use a respectful tone. After all, Ajax's winning streak was still genuinely displayed on the arena wall.
Then, Chiron, as Hekate's mentor, voluntarily applied to join this squad. He also brought along his other student, Salieri, an experimental librarian. These were all the current members of the squad. Chiron reminisced about the past, then slowly raised his chess piece and captured Salieri's [King].
Salieri stared intently at the chessboard, seemingly trying to find a way to take back his move, but after a moment, he shook his head in frustration, then patted his armor and stood up, apparently having no intention of playing another game anytime soon.
"Hekate, come play a game of chess with me." Hekate naturally had no intention of disobeying his mentor. He meticulously set up both sides of the chessboard and then sat on the black side. "How does it feel to be a captain?" Chiron casually moved a chess piece, smiling at his somewhat overly cautious disciple.
"Still a bit nervous... A single responsibility and four responsibilities are, after all, different." "I don't need your protection, little one." Chiron let out a hearty laugh. He stroked the white [Bishop] in his hand, speaking with a rather nostalgic air. "I've seen too many leaders, whether they were commanders of our Second Legion,
or those Dark Angels, like my old friend Astorath, or those arrogant Custodians, or even the Thunder Warriors, and those mortal officers commanding millions of legions. I've been fighting for the Emperor since the beginning of the Unity Wars. For over a hundred years, I've seen too many commanders. I've fought alongside most of them."
"They are all dragons among men, Hekate. Those who can climb to this position are basically never mediocre. Especially becoming a leader among Astartes, even the lowest-ranking captain, is an outstanding choice." "The vast majority of them chose the same path as you: caution and rationality.
This is excellent. This is the true difference between a warrior and an officer. But the fates of these people vary. Some of them survived, even to this day, still fighting for the Emperor. Others have been dead for a long time. Their former glory and arrogance completely disappeared in the endless waves of the Imperium's conquest."
"Do you know why?" Chiron smiled, watching his student fall into a long silence and deep thought. Then, he lowered his head and, seizing the opportunity, captured Hekate's [Rook]. Finally, he heard Hekate's voice.
"Why, Master?" Chiron didn't answer immediately. He first picked up his chess piece and continued to spar with Hekate for a few more rounds, until he felt that his student's chest was no longer filled with complete confusion. "I will tell you the answer, Hekate, but you need to deduce the process yourself."
"Will the answer be correct?" "Who knows? We've long lost the confidence to measure everything." Chiron's smile changed from hearty to cunning. "After all, as you've heard, my child, how difficult the Legion is now. We've long lost the glorious years we once had on Holy Terra. At that time, you probably hadn't even been born into this world."
"As for the current Legion, it's already a shattered battleship, barely held together by the personal prestige of our old captain. But every oarsman has his own will and persistence. They are so balanced and evenly matched that they have maintained this for decades." "And Horus... that vicious brat." "To be honest, I wouldn't be surprised if it collapsed at any time."
Hekate hesitated. "Then, Master, the Chapter Master's third command..."
"That was a cry of anguish, kid. Find our Legion's Primarch, and then resolve all of this? Do you think this idea was only thought up by our Chapter Master? We've already tried and worked hard, but to no avail." "However, if you still want to persevere, I can give you a saying." Chiron stared into his student's eyes.
"Discard all impossibilities, and the absurd will be reality."
He raised his hand and captured another [Knight]. "Now, Hekate, let me tell you the answer to the previous question. This is a time-sensitive answer. It will be useful when you are a junior captain or a frontline officer." The old warrior stroked his [King]. "What is our Legion's motto?" Hekate instinctively straightened his back. "I am the Blade." "I am the Fang." "Very good, then what's the war cry?" "Uh..."
"No war cry. Yes, we have always been accustomed to silent charges. Do you know why?" "...Because of internal disagreements?" "..." "..." "...That is indeed a reason, but it's not the main point." Chiron covered his face. "Because from the moment the Legion was founded, we never practiced line formations. While the Custodes and the First Legion charged in organized groups on the battlefield, we would form small squads to execute the most dangerous missions."
"Therefore, slogans and war cries are useless, because from the very beginning, we only had one signal to launch an attack." Chiron gestured for his student to come closer, then lowered his voice, speaking slowly. "I am the Blade, I am the Fang. Everyone needs to achieve this. But as a captain, what you need to achieve is more than just being the Blade and the Fang."
"Remember..."
"You are the Blade."
"You are the Fang."
"You are the Horn."
"You are the Spearhead."
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