Chapter 533: Zabriel

Zabriel was one of the first five thousand Astartes created by the Emperor, born from Leman Russ's gene-seed, bearing names inherited from ancient Terra's legends, and serving as Primarchs of the Legions.

They were called the Princeps without Crowns, primordial, pure, mighty, and immaculate; every tactic other Legions took pride in was first practiced by them.

When they launched decapitation strikes against the King of Mutants in the dark caverns of Pluto, the Shadow Wolves had yet to welcome the Emperor's first son.

When they moved like lightning beneath the dim starlight of the Oort Cloud, the White Scars warriors had only just begun learning to ride motorcycles.

When they slaughtered distant kin on Proxima who bore little resemblance to humanity, the World Eaters did not yet know the true shape of rage.

Though other Legions may have surpassed the Princeps without Crowns in these tactics, the Princeps without Crowns were always their original architects.

But as each Primarch returned one by one, and each Legion welcomed their father, the glory of the Princeps without Crowns gradually faded before the others.

Who does not speak of Horus and the Shadow Wolves with reverence? Who does not speak of Russ and the Space Wolves with fear? Who does not sigh at the ambition of Guilliman and the Ultramarines?

Thus the Princeps without Crowns were left behind by the Legions, once lost their glory, once unsure where honor lay.

Until, after countless nights and days of longing, the Lion returned to his Legion.

He would give them true honor.

Zabriel witnessed the Lion's return; he and the Princeps without Crowns knelt on one knee, swearing fealty to the Lion as he came through the woods.

No one doubted the Lion's rule, for the Lion was the embodiment of their Legion; every warrior believed the First Legion remained forever pure, and the Lion was its embodiment—the oldest, the first, the purest of all Legions.

He was the Legion, the Princeps without Crowns. No, he was the father the Dark Angels deserved.

The Lion reshaped the Legion, forging it into a ferocious blade; no one knew the inner structure of the First Legion, yet no one doubted its danger and lethality—the Dark Angels regained the awe of allies and enemies alike.

Until the betrayal of the Saroshs occurred; every Dark Angel knew the Saroshs had tried to assassinate the Primarch with nuclear weapons, but they failed.

Yet afterward, sudden, inexplicable, seemingly unrelated events unfolded: the Primarch split the Legion, ordering Lu Se to lead a portion of the Astartes—including Zabriel—back to Caliban to train new recruits.

Zabriel found Caliban alien; he could not appreciate its wild landscapes, feeling it less grand than Terra, less awe-inspiring than Macragge, less beautiful than Prospero, neither as heart-stirring as Fenris's ice and fire nor as soul-cleansing as Chogoris's grasslands and heavens.

He felt no great affection for Lu Se; in his eyes, Lu Se was not a commander worthy of respect, and Zabriel keenly sensed this strange reassignment likely stemmed from tension between Lu Se and Leman Russ—he was merely caught in a pure, undeserved misfortune due to his position.

Especially when the Lion left not even a single ship for Caliban, imprisoning Zabriel and the other Dark Angels there.

This was unquestionably exile; while others across the stars earned glory, Zabriel sat idle on Caliban, forced only to train new recruits.

Then came the Great Rebellion, when rumors of chaos flew everywhere; no one knew who had betrayed the Empire or who remained loyal to the Emperor,

Chaotic rumors flew everywhere: who betrayed the Imperium, who remained loyal to the Emperor—no one knew.

Some claimed Guilliman had seceded and betrayed Terra; others said Saint Guilliman had been crowned Emperor; some said Leman Russ was supplying weapons to the traitor Perturabo; others claimed Russ had become Guilliman's lapdog; still others said Russ was bombarding Macragge. In short, all rumors churned together, leaving no one able to tell truth from falsehood.

Until Leman Russ's fleet suddenly returned to Caliban, blocking the orbit.

Then the tragedy unfolded.

Zabriel still does not know whether Lu Se fired first or whether Leman Russ fired the first shot.

The entire world began to burn, as had those planets once destroyed by the First Legion.

Zabriel watched firsthand the new recruits he had trained don power armor for the first time—only to fight against their gene-father.

He watched as Leman Russ descended upon Caliban in fury, slaughtering his own sons, staining the earth with blood.

After countless nights and days of longing, the Lion finally returned to his Legion.

This time, he brought not honor—he brought only death.

After that, everything became chaotic in Zabriel's mind; he only knew the planet shattered and spacetime twisted, and when he awoke, ten thousand years had passed,

What followed afterward became chaos in Zabriel's mind; he only knew the planet shattered, spacetime twisted, and when he awoke, ten thousand years had passed.

【35】 The Imperium had decayed; the Emperor was worshipped as a god; Leman Russ was gone; the current Dark Angels Chapter hunted him without distinction; Lu Se reappeared mysteriously, demanding his obedience.