The Shield of Hades campaign concluded in an unexpected manner.
When the Tyranids Hive Ship exploded in the inky black galaxy, blossoming into a dazzling inferno, all the Strike Cruisers of the Blood Angels, including those who had evacuated, silently paid their respects to the revered slumbering battle-brother within that warship.
Battle-brother Verte died in 999.M41, on the edge of the Hades System, the Death world of Perdita.
This ancient Dreadnought battle-brother exchanged his life for victory, once again protecting the Blood Angels' homeworld after ten millennia.
Whether it was an illusion or not, all the Blood Angels who participated in that campaign heard a sigh just as they were about to evacuate.
That sound was so familiar, as if it originated from memories deep within their genes.
Furthermore, many claimed to have seen golden wings, as sacred as an Angel's, amidst the explosion, but afterward, this matter was silenced by Dante, in his capacity as Chapter master, prohibiting anyone from mentioning it.
Having lost the Hive Ship, the Tyranid fleet quickly fell into disarray, and the dissipation of the Hive Mind's shadow also led to the restoration of previously blocked communications between worlds. The Imperium of Man, which had been on the verge of collapse, saw a glimmer of hope at the edge of despair.
"Where do you think you're going?!"
Emrys, who had been holding a belly full of frustration, naturally wouldn't lady this opportunity to kick a Reservoir Dogs while he was down.
So, he immediately contacted the Excalibur, asking Carol to give a warm welcome to those warships above their heads.
After being bombed for so many days, it was their turn, wasn't it?
The Bifrost Bridge, pre-installed on the Excalibur, shot out a brilliant radiance, spanning space like a rainbow.
Terrifying beams of energy flew through the material universe, and the spacetime along their path showed signs of collapse. The Tyranid fleet detected the energy fluctuations, but the speed of that beam was simply too fast, giving them no chance to evade.
Boom!
The first Tyranids bio-warship was vaporized by a single strike from the Bifrost Bridge!
Even on Perdita, the violent explosion caused by that energy could be clearly observed, illuminating half the night like a second star!
"Tsk, as expected of the ultimate weapon of the gods." Looking at the destructive power of the Bifrost Bridge, Emrys' mouth couldn't help but "drool."
He couldn't help it; he was just too envious!
For a moment, he even considered whether to forcibly seize the Bifrost Bridge.
But this thought only circulated for a moment before Emrys dismissed it. He didn't need to offend Odin, with whom he was already on good terms, for the sake of just one weapon. Besides, who knew what better things that old man's treasury might hold!
No matter, his two sons were almost completely under his sway anyway.
Once Odin passed away, wouldn't all of Asgard be his?
Emrys thought happily to himself, and a sigh of relief escaped him. The Shield of Hades campaign was finally over.
Barring any unforeseen circumstances, the remaining Tyranid fleet would likely have no strength left to attack Baal.
After the Perdita campaign ended, Emrys returned to the Excalibur.
Although the Tyranids Hive Ship controlling Terra had been destroyed, the Tyranids scattered throughout the Hades System still posed a significant threat.
But fortunately, the Tyranids, having lost their neural nodes, only possessed vast numbers. The Imperium only needed to concentrate its forces and slowly purge them.
The Death Korps of Krieg, 371st Siege Regiment, had already gone to support other Worlds and to recuperate their strength.
The Death Korps of Krieg suffered heavy losses in this Perdita campaign. They would need to remain here for several years, awaiting the Astra Militarum to replenish their forces and assign a new Political Commissar.
After his pen stopped, Emrys stretched, his eyes dark.
"By the Emperor, I'm finally finished."
He had been writing a battle report, essentially informing the Astra Militarum about the outcome of the Perdita campaign, acknowledging the merits of the Death Korps of Krieg, and specifically highlighting the name of that legendary Political Commissar, Kevin Leslie!
If not for this legendary Political Commissar, they probably wouldn't have been so successful in eliminating that terrifying 'Shaper of Fates.'
The remaining Tyranids in the Hades System no longer needed his help.
After the Excalibur was repaired and a large number of laborers were replenished, they would set off for the Baal System.
Several days later, Baal System, Baal Secundus.
The Excalibur hovered in orbit, and Emrys, aboard a small shuttle, arrived at Dante's flagship.
His visit this time was, on one hand, to bid farewell to Dante, and on the other, to retrieve Morgana.
Considering the risks of fighting the Tyranids previously, he had left Morgana here, and now it was a good time to bring her back.
"Lord Emrys!"
When Emrys stepped onto the flagship, he was surprised to find the surrounding Blood Angels paying him their respects.
Two neatly arrayed rows of Blood Angels, despite having different livery, uniformly struck their chests with their right fists, expressing their respect.
"Thank you very much for the opportunity you secured for us in the Perdita campaign!"
Among the crowd, he even saw several Chapter Masters.
"You have earned the friendship of the Blood Angels!"
"From now on, no matter where you are, if you need help, we will travel thousands of miles to come to your aid!"
This was the promise of several Chapter Masters of Blood Angels successor Chapters, a value far beyond imagination.
Emrys, with the demeanor of a nobleman, thanked them one by one, then went to Dante's office.
Dante was hunched over his desk, handling official business.
He seemed to never rest; the war had just ended, and without even holding a celebration, he was busily dealing with the remaining affairs.
He absolutely must never become like this... Emrys looked at Dante, secretly vowing to himself.
"Have you come to say goodbye?" Dante put down his pen, looked up at him, seemingly having guessed Emrys' intention.
"Yes, Lord Dante." Emrys nodded and said, "The next matters should no longer require our presence."
Next, after bidding farewell to Dante, they would set off again, heading to the Segementum Obscurus on the frontiers of the Imperium.
Just thinking about the unknown adventures they would face next, he couldn't help but feel excited.
"I had wanted you to stay a few more days" Dante paused for half a second, and seeing Emrys' expression, a stiff smile appeared on his face.
"Never mind, when you return, I will properly entertain you."
"No problem, Lord Dante."
Emrys also smiled and said, "When I return, I will definitely come to Baal to sample the local specialty wine here."
"Oh, by the way, since even Calgar gave you a gift."
Dante's lips curved slightly upwards as he looked at Emrys and smiled.
"You have helped us so greatly, I have also prepared a 'gift' for you. I hope you can make good use of it."
A gift?
Emrys was stunned. It wouldn't be something strange again, would it?
What kind of gift could make Dante so mysterious?
While pondering, Emrys, completely bewildered, returned to his cruiser, the Excalibur.
Returning with Morgana was also a Space Marine.
However, his attire was different from most Space Marine, and it didn't lean towards the 'red' revered by the Blood Angels.
His armor was largely painted white, adorned with red silk decorations that resembled a saint, and the shoulder pad engravings were extremely ornate, but what was most striking was the pure gold skull 'goblet' hanging from his waist.
Wait, this thing... why does it look familiar?
Because most warhammer chapters have their own customs, Emrys couldn't quite recall it for a moment.
"Lord Emrys, you may call me Garell, Chalice Bearer."
The warrior removed his helmet, revealing long silver-white hair and a left eye completely crystalized with blood.
His face was etched with the unique, relief-like scars of the Blood Angels, looking extremely sharp and somewhat cold.
"I am a High Sanguinary Priest of the Blood Angels' 3rd Company, directly assigned by Chapter master Dante," Garell knelt on one knee, his tightly clenched right fist striking his chest with a dull thud.
"To thank you for your efforts and contributions to Baal, Chapter master has ordered me to formally serve you from today until your fleet returns to Baal."
Hmm???
Upon hearing Garell's self-introduction, Emrys' first reaction was not ecstasy, but puzzlement.
He had some understanding of the position of Sanguinary Priest.
In the Blood Angels Chapter, unlike other chapters, a specific position called 'Sanguinary Priest' is established; they are usually regarded as inheritors of Sanguinius' bloodline, almost saint-like in the chapter.
Their blood is believed to possess sanctity and can even temporarily purify Chaos corruption.
In Blood Angels culture, the sacrifice of a Sanguinary Priest is considered the ultimate devotion in fighting the Gene-Seed curse.
Of course, like the Apothecaries of other chapters, the Sanguinary Priest's most important duty is to protect the chapter's Gene-Seed, as well as to save the lives of injured brothers.
But it was precisely because of this that Emrys felt strange.
Why would Dante just hand him a 'Sanguinary Priest' for no apparent reason?
Just as Emrys felt strange, Garell, Chalice Bearer, seemed to notice his confusion and spoke.
"It's like this, Lord Emrys, Chapter master has given you a... *cough*... special gift."
"How special?"
Perhaps it was from being 'tricked' too many times, Emrys had become experienced, showing a wary expression in advance.
"Well" It was clear that Garell was an honest man, his pale face flushed slightly, and his voice much lower.
"This, you have to Come and See for yourself. I can only tell you that I am responsible for both guarding and protecting this batch of gifts."
...Where? Take me there immediately!"
Emrys' ominous premonition grew stronger and stronger.
What kind of gift would make a Sanguinary Priest use the words 'guard' and 'protect'?!
"Lord Emrys, only you can Come and See this gift." Garell turned his head away, seemingly not daring to look Alpha directly.
Making it so mysterious, could it be fragments of Sanguinius' body?
Emrys thought about it and decided it was unlikely; even if Dante admired him greatly, he wouldn't give him fragments of a Primarch's body.
"Morgana, you go back first." After settling the little girl, Emrys, led by Garell, arrived at the battleship's bottom cargo hold.
On the vast, empty platform, there was a... a cargo container?!
But, that wasn't the most astonishing part.
"Please step back a few paces, lord Emrys." Garell changed his address, and his expression was serious; he even took out the 'Chalice' from his waist.
This item, in the hands of a Sanguinary Priest, is called the 'Chalice of Blood'.
It is said that the Chalice of Blood was a sacred vessel used by Sanguinius during the Horus Heresy, stained with the Primarch's blood. Its body was cast from an unknown psychic metal, with Angel wings and scriptures carved on its surface.
After Garell recited incomprehensible scriptures, he solemnly and carefully opened the container's hatch.
What met Emrys' eyes were dozens of strong, tall males, bound and restrained in seats by chains inscribed with sacred scriptures, like deeply sinful prisoners, and their necks also seemed to be wearing suicide collars.
Emrys knew, almost without needing to look further, that all of these men were, without exception, Space Marine.
Their black carapaces and neuro-probe ports confirmed their identities.
Wait, if he wasn't mistaken... those chains were Adamantium?
"Lord Garell, I think you need to explain this scene" Emrys' mouth twitched uncontrollably; he vaguely seemed to have guessed something.
"As you can see, they are all Space Marine, or rather... they once were." Garell held the Chalice of Blood, unleashing powerful psychic energy, directed at the warriors bound by Adamantium chains, and said with a complex tone.
"They are also members of the Blood Angels, but for various reasons, they fell into the Black Rage and Red Thirst and could not extricate themselves, so they were confined in cages."
"Death Company?"
Emrys finally found information about this 'Company' from his scattered memories.
"I didn't expect you to know?" Garell was a little surprised, as the existence of the Death Company was only recently decided by Dante.
"I'd rather not know!"
Emrys' face was mournful; he was already in despair.
Mentioning the Death Company inevitably brings up the Blood Angels' curse, which originated during the Horus Heresy when Primarch Sanguinius was killed by Horus.
His sons' Gene-Seed has since been afflicted by a double curse.
The Red Thirst, also known as Blood Thirst, is a primal craving for blood that causes them to fall into a bloodthirsty frenzy during battle.
The Black Rage, an even more lethal curse, causes Blood Angels to experience hallucinations of Sanguinius' death, completely losing their sanity and distinguishing neither friend nor foe.
These Blood Angels are identified and then confined deep within the Chapter's monastery.
Only in the most critical moments are they released, guided by a Sanguinary Priest, to undertake suicidal charges and spearhead assaults.
If they are fortunate enough to survive, what awaits them is not clemency, but the next suicidal mission.
Members of the Death Company are almost certainly doomed; the very few survivors, once brought back, are judged by the Sanguinary Priests to be either executed or confined.
Their remains are also considered 'cursed relics,' both a 'blemish' on the chapter and a symbol of redemption.
This was undoubtedly a hot potato!
Emrys' eyes were vacant; he dared not imagine what fate would befall him if an Inquisitor discovered this one day.
On this ship, there were already two xenos, one of whom was the Imperium's great enemy, the Necrons.
After thinking it through, Emrys realized that his lightest offense with the Inquisition... seemed to be merely the unauthorized use of Chapter Gene-Seed.
Beyond that, if the Necrons, Eldar, or the Death Company were discovered, he would surely be hunted to the ends of the earth by an Inquisitor!