Chapter 28: The Truth

“How did the Legion fall?”

“The Emperor dispatched the Space Wolves. To preserve the Legion's spark, the Primarch willingly submitted to execution.”

Sothian’s gauntlet tightened instantly.

“Was there... no resistance?”

“There was.”

“So the remnants of the Legion were subsequently merged into the Imperial Fists?”

“Only a portion...”

At this point, Cede’s mechanical accent suddenly carried a trace of emotion—a flicker of grief.

“Most of the warriors could not accept the death of their Gene-father, nor could they accept the disgrace of their Legion's designation being erased. They took the majority of the warships and attempted to flee their homeworld to find a safe location to rebuild their organization. However, they were ambushed mid-way by the War Hounds and the Space Wolves, and were utterly annihilated.”

“So you accepted such disgrace.”

“Because I realized the responsibility I carry.”

Brother Cede did not grow angry at Sothian’s words.

“Since my awakening, I have realized that the current state of the Imperium cannot be maintained forever. The Primarch’s plan was perfectly suited for the Imperium of today. The Undying Host must be rebuilt, and the Gloom Wardens must enter the Webway to liberate the Emperor from the Golden Throne.”

“Liberate him?”

“Yes. As long as we stop wasting power on suppressing the Webway entrances, I believe that one day, the Emperor will be able to stand by his own strength and lead the Imperium once more. Only then can we recover everything we have lost, and only then can the statue of the Primarch return to the Imperial Palace on Terra.”

“And we shall take his place, keeping eternal watch at the Webway entrance.”

“Indeed.”

Sothian let out a long breath and paced back and forth in the secret chamber for over ten steps, seemingly lost in thought.

Then, he looked up and asked

“Brother Cede, when did you begin planning this?”

“Since my awakening.”

“Is this knowledge known only to successive Chapter Masters?”

“Yes. Every generation of Chapter Master learns the truth here, with the exception of Amulad’s predecessor—he was an inadequate man.”

Sothian also knew of the matter regarding the former Chapter Master, so he did not press the subject; it was indeed a disgrace to the entire Chapter.

“You said I am the only one to have successfully undergone the Grey Marrow modification. Does that not mean the technology is extremely complex and difficult? What use is such low efficiency?”

“It is not quite like that. The first transplantation of the Grey Marrow was indeed exceptionally difficult because the original solution was formulated directly by the Primarch himself; we could not fully comprehend its mechanisms. All I know is that once the transplantation is successful, the Grey Marrow possesses extremely high compatibility, and the success rate increases significantly... What was transplanted into you was the last of our original solution. If it had failed, the Gloom Wardens would have vanished forever. But thanks to the Emperor's blessing, you succeeded.”

“In other words, my Grey Marrow can be transplanted into other warriors.”

“Indeed.”

“Then what exactly is the Red Amulet, and why did Chapter Master Amulad use such a near-suicidal method to seize it?”

“Because it is a key piece of the puzzle. Such an object might only be found within the advanced tomb worlds of the Necrons. Only through it can you rebuild the lost Legion.”

“Why?”

Brother Cede raised his hand, and a handheld holographic projector appeared in his palm. He activated the device.

A green light began to flicker, dancing across Sothian’s ceramite armor as an image gradually materialized.

It was a starship.

Even as a flickering, shimmering hologram, its magnificence was enough to take one's breath away. It was a colossal battleship, its grandeur beyond words. Enveloping its fortress-like, massive bridge and prow were a vast array of strangely styled obelisks and arched structures, which felt somewhat familiar to Sothian.

It seemed... the World Engine shared a similar aesthetic.

“During the Age of the Great Crusade, only a dozen or so similar vessels were constructed. They served as flagship gifts from the Emperor to the Space Marine Legions. You should have heard their name—the *Queen of Glory* class.”

“Is this the flagship of the Eleventh Legion?”

“The *Asvita*, the Primarch’s personal flagship, the pride of the Legion, and the only Imperial vessel capable of navigating the Warp without the need for a Geller Field.”

“Does it... have a connection to the Necrons?”

“Indeed. The Primarch often said that one must integrate and learn from all strengths, even those of one's enemies.”

Brother Cede admitted this with complete candor.

Though he had already guessed as much, the thought that his Primarch had actually traded with the Necrons—and that the Grey Marrow transplanted into his own body might be related to those filthy, soulless machines—left Sothian with a complex mixture of emotions.

Everything sounded so ironic. He couldn't help but think again of the seven hundred battle-brothers who had died on the World Engine.

“To rebuild the Legion, the *Asvita* must be recovered. And the key to activating the ship is the Primarch’s weapon, 'Sky-Burner.' A Red Amulet was once set upon the Sky-Burner, but it was destroyed by Leman Russ. Therefore, a new Red Amulet must be found to restart the ship.”

“Where is that weapon now?”

“The Sky-Burner was taken by Horus. It was he who, after the war, argued fiercely with Dorn and Guilliman to preserve the Legion's spark. That weapon may be preserved on Ullanor. Before his fall, Horus was a Primarch of deep sentiment; it is highly likely he placed the Sky-Burner in his most honorable place. There are rumors that when he was invested as Warmaster, he secretly constructed a mausoleum on Ullanor. No one knows what lies buried within. Perhaps—”

“Ullanor...”

The name was not unfamiliar to Sothian. It was there that the Emperor had crushed the most powerful Ork Empire in the galaxy at the time, annihilating that nameless Ork Tyrant.

However, since the Beast Arises in M32, that planet had vanished from the official records of the Imperium.

“Ullanor seems to no longer exist.”

“It still exists; it has merely been hidden. We must find it.”

Brother Cede’s tone became incredibly firm.

“Find the Sky-Burner, then find the *Asvita*. Whether it takes a thousand years or ten thousand, that is our mission!”

“What is on it that is worth such a search?”

“When the Legion brothers were evacuating the homeworld, they moved the majority of the Legion's gene-seed onto the flagship—the quantity may exceed ten thousand! If we find it, the resurrection of the Legion will be a natural progression.”

“How can you be certain it wasn't destroyed?”

The Dreadnought stood silently before Sothian. Even through the thick iron sarcophagus, Sothian could feel a pair of eyes staring at him.

“Because... I am a Company Captain of the Undying Host, and the initiator of this operation. My wounds were caused in that very war. I witnessed it leap into the Warp with my own eyes.”

Sothian was speechless. He suddenly realized that his previous words had been a slight to Cede.

This ancient warrior had never accepted that disgrace...

“Forgive me, I...”

“No apology is needed. You carry a heavy burden now, Sothian Alexey. Although we have made great progress, the Chapter has also reached the brink of extinction. We must first recover a certain level of strength before we can attempt to find the *Asvita*.”

“I still don't understand. If it is only for the Red Amulet, must everyone be sacrificed?”

“Because—”

Brother Cede’s joints creaked as he moved, then he leaned forward and said

“Sothian, have you heard of the Iron Cage?”

As a successor Chapter of the Imperial Fists, Sothian had no reason not to know of this very famous event.

Regarding the explanation of this event, the archives of the Astra Militarum held records vastly different from those held by the outside world. At that time, most of the Imperial Fists had opposed the Codex, even going so far as to resist with force. Everything Dorn did was to ensure the Legion could accept the Codex Astartes.

To that end, Dorn would rather—

“This...”

Shrouded by that dark truth, Sothian instinctively took a step back. He felt as though the world he once knew was being torn apart piece by piece.

But Brother Cede did not intend to give him time to buffer; he took a step forward and said

“As a Chapter of pure Legion blood, we must vanish from under the eyes of the High Lords of Terra. I believe we have already been struck from the rolls of active Chapters; anything we do from here on will be much easier.”

Sothian felt a chill run down his spine. After tens of thousands of years of obsession, he was unsure if Brother Cede's mental state was still stable.

At least, for now, there didn't seem to be a major problem.

“But now the Chapter only has thirty-three neophytes left. What do we do next?”

Regardless of the future, the immediate difficulties were the most pressing. But after Sothian spoke, Brother Cede merely stood there silently, like a statue.

“Brother Cede? Brother Cede?”

Sothian called out several times without response. He cautiously reached out and tapped the Dreadnought's frontal armor, but received no reply.

“He couldn't have... fallen asleep, could he?”