The Emperor’s Angel of Death

"My father was a street thug in the Hades Hive when he met my mother. Later, he used the money he risked his life to earn by selling illegal drugs to redeem my mother and arrange a place for her to live. I heard all this from others when I was a child. Although my mother always told me not to be like my father, she always seemed happy whenever he secretly came to see us."

Jacob looked at the one-eyed man who had erected a tombstone and was sitting in front of the grave, babbling neurotically, his gaze gradually becoming somewhat scattered.

"I always thought that our struggles could make things better, that we could at least do something for them. I never understood why the Chapter Master wasted so much time and energy on those mundane affairs, when he could just use his fists to subdue those people. But now I finally understand, I finally understand the reasons and meanings behind the laws and rules he enacted in those worlds."

As he spoke, he raised his hand and pointed to the flower-covered grave.

"It's to prevent such tragedies from happening again. This is the most valuable thing."

Gradually, Jacob's eyes refocused, becoming resolute.

"If everything in the Imperium cannot get better, then let everything in the Chapter get better."

Bahram raised an eyebrow noncommittally, then stood up.

"Then, we should go too, back to our brothers."

Jacob nodded and stood up.

"Yes, Sergeant."

Then he thought of something and suddenly asked:

"Sergeant, what will happen to that ship and the passengers on board?"

"That's the job of the legal department. They said they would first transfer them to a safe and isolated area, and then screen them one by one. Genestealer infection is highly insidious, and that ship can't be used anymore, it has to be thrown directly into the star for destruction."

Jacob scoffed.

"Sergeant, do you think they'll go to that much trouble? I bet they'll send those people to a desolate mining planet and let them fend for themselves as laborers, which would minimize the risk."

Bahram was speechless and could only pick up his helmet and put it on.

At this time, the Thunderhawk had already roared down from the sky. Bahram was the first to enter the cabin. Before entering, Jacob looked back at the one-eyed man. This farm now belonged to him, which was the only thing he could do for him. Perhaps in the days of accompanying Elizabeth, he could enjoy the last peaceful moments of his life.

As for him

He might gradually forget all this in the endless wars of the future, this place

But maybe, he will always remember that angelic and holy girl.

After returning to the ship, the Star Knight's 10th Company left the star system. However, they did not return to Naysen IV, but went straight to the star system where the Penitent's homeworld, Posul, was located. Because the headquarters of the Alliance of the Penitent, the Fortress of Victory's Scar, was temporarily docked at the edge of the star system. The 10th Company's mission was not only combat training, but also "social" training. This was also something Sorshyan had instructed Bahram to do, to familiarize the new recruits with the battle brothers and allies they would be fighting alongside in the future. So, after completing the live combat training, Bahram took the company to the Victory's Scar, where the company would stay for a while, allowing the new recruits to have some exchanges with the warriors from various chapters stationed at the Victory's Scar.

At this time, the one in charge of the Victory's Scar was already Alaric, the Chapter Master of the White Templars, who had only recently taken office after finishing his management work in the Naysen system.

However, when the 10th Company's ship approached the Victory's Scar, Bahram noticed some clues. In addition to the Alliance of the Penitent members and some Adeptus Mechanicus ships, there were also several ships with unfamiliar symbols. By scanning the symbols, Bahram found the answer in the Astartes registry—

"The Fire Claws Chapter."

"They now call themselves the Relictors Chapter."

In a spacious, bright, and intensely military-style office, Alaric and Bahram stood side by side in front of a small projector, with various information about the chapter scrolling slowly on it.

Bahram watched intently, but Alaric looked worried.

The founding of the Fire Claws Chapter can be traced back to that dark period of the Age of Apostasy. At that time, many records were obscured by time in the chaos. It is only known that it was roughly in the M36 period. After its establishment, the chapter was deployed near the Eye of Terror, as one of the twenty chapters responsible for defending the Eye of Terror. The chapter's monastery fortress was located in a Ramilies-class star fort, surrounding the world of Thovaria Minoris. It has always been a strong force in the Imperium against Chaos invasions, and has enjoyed a high reputation in the annals of the Imperium many times.

In M41, the chapter assisted the forge world of Yamato VIII in resisting a derelict ship invasion. It was a derelict ship called the Sin Catcher, with a Chaos warband dedicated to Tzeentch on board. Under the guidance of the radical Inquisitor de Marche, the chapter boarded the derelict ship and eliminated the Chaos Champion.

"A Crusade of Atonement?"

Bahram looked at the highlighted information from the Inquisition, looking somewhat surprised. Alaric nodded helplessly.

"Yes, they are currently in a state of Crusade of Atonement, having been issued a Crusade of Penance edict by the Order of the Holy Hammer in 932."

"Why?"

Alaric tapped the console, and a line of bright yellow information floated out.

"This is the record of the judgment document recently sent by the Inquisition outpost. Those Inquisitors, after learning that the Fire Claws had come to the Victory's Scar, also warned us not to get too close to them."

"The Astartes decide their own affairs."

Bahram bluntly retorted, startling Alaric, who didn't expect the new company captain to be so tough.

But Bahram remained focused on the information above.

"Colluding with heretical Inquisitors, hoarding heretical and witchcraft artifacts? Does that mean..."

"Probably something related to Chaos daemons. I just talked to Artukus Badan, the Chapter Master of the Fire Claws. The general situation is that during the battle with the derelict ship, Librarian Decario disarmed the Chaos Champion's weapon and used it to destroy the enemy. Afterwards, the accompanying Inquisitor de Marche declared that the Chaos weapon was a means of fighting fire with fire, and could be used to destroy the Emperor's enemies instead of being directly destroyed. Artukus was eventually persuaded by the Inquisitor and the Librarian, and secretly hoarded all the Chaos artifacts, and for the next thirty years, under the guidance of the radical Inquisitor, explored the worlds around the Eye of Terror, collecting those Chaos relics until they were discovered by conservative Inquisitors. The other party directly summoned four chapters, plus a fleet of over fifty ships led by an Emperor-class battleship, and marched mightily to the Fire Claws' homeworld. Faced with the threat of destruction, the Fire Claws Chapter had no choice but to comply with their demands, forced to hand over their monastery fortress and homeworld for a century of Crusade of Atonement. De Marche was executed as a heretic by the conservative Inquisitors, his name permanently deleted. The Crusade of Atonement has been going on for over forty years, and there are about fifty or sixty years left."