Aftermath The months following their return to Terra wore on slowly. The three brother primarchs of the Imperial Fists, Spacewolves and Dark Angels continued their Herculean task of cleansing the center of human civilization. Gradually order was restored on Terra and its facilities rebuilt. The Solar system was finally purified once the heretical elements within the Adeptus Mechanicus were purged and loyal Imperial Guard and Navy formations re-assembled. Then word came from the Primach of the Ultramarines, whose legion alone had survived the heresy with minimal casualties and had maintained a tight grip on Imperial rule in the vast Ultima Segmentum. His strategic mind had designed the restructuring of the legions in to smaller independent formations called chapters. Once this was accomplished they were then to re-embark on the holiest of their tasks, that of re-conquering the galaxy for humanity in the name of the Emperor. Having elected to leave noble Dorn and his Imperial Fists to yet again guard Terra, the Spacewolves and Dark Angels first honoured their fallen Brother Primarch Sanguinius. After the Blood Angels departed for Baal, the Spacewolves and the Dark Angels also embarked on to their own fleets. Jonson felt the weight of his father's death and the betrayal of his brothers deeply. His heart longed to return to the green jungles of Caliban. As the legions' command shuttle departed the Lion's Gate Spaceport looked back at Old Terra with sadness in his eyes. He would never again return there. The Dark Angel command Ship was an magnificent Imperial Battleship. It was the second gift given him by the Emperor, the first being the Dark Angel legion. The "Angelus Lionus" was a magnificent battleship born of the space docks of Mars itself. It had accompanied the Emperor's command fleet and had been renamed to its current status by the Emperor himself. Gifted by the emperor himself, as Jonson prepared to leave on the great crusade it had been extensively modified in its journeys on that great Crusade. It was twice as large as any spacemarine battle barge and five times as powerful, and had been the flag ship of the Lion on each of his magnificent victories. But now that battle hardened hero balked at the sight of this ship. He felt unworthy of such a gift from the man he was unable to protect. His father was dead. He could not bear to even enter the ship which was so full of his memories. Memories of happier times, glorious conquests and magnificent feats flashed within his minds eye. All those dreams lay shattered amidst the ruin of treachery. Jonson signaled his second in command to lead take command of the "Angelus Lionus" and directed his shuttle to the battle Barge "Pride of Caliban". He prepared to contemplate the future of his legion in the privacy of his personal battle barge while his subordinates made preparations for their departure. The Dark Angel fleet was a magnificent site to behold. Despite the grievous losses experienced on their heroic warp jump to arrive at Terra, the majority of the fleet remained battle worthy. As the behemoths slowly fell in to their allotted position around the "Pride of Caliban" the "Angelus Lionus" took the position of the spearhead. Jonson had always led from the front whether on land or in space. Even though he now remained within the center of the fleet, his flagship retained the lead. As the massive cluster of space vessels departed the confines of the Solar system the entire surviving legion wondered why their mighty Primarch had not issued his usual address. They all knew that they had emerged victorious but at a huge cost. The iron discipline of the Spacemarines was tested sorely at this time as emotions roiled, the elation of victory combining with the bitterness of treachery and the longing for returning home. The fleet entered the warp with the utter silence of the Lion. The new order Jonson brooded within his quarters for days as the fleet traveled slowly though the empyrean. There was no need for dangerous short cuts now. They were returning home. As he slept in a stupor, wallowing in anguish at being too late to be at his father's side in his hour of need, he is said to have again experienced an awe inspiring dream. His father, he who endured eternal suffering for humanity, spoke to Jonson. What passed to him on that night no one knows. But the entire battle barge filled with a brightness that was unnatural yet soothing, while the lion slept. When Jonson awoke he was a changed man. Determination burned in his eyes. There was new purpose in his eyes. He had a duty and would carry it out for his father and for humanity. Like a man possessed Jonson threw himself to the task. Plans were drawn, strategies worked out, tactics outlined. The composition of the new structure for the Adeptus Astartes that Brother Guilliman was creating were modified to suit the Dark Angels legion. For fifty-seven days Jonson worked without respite, alone in his command cubit, until he re-emerged and signaled for an fleet wide broadcast. The fleet broke out of the empyrean for the momentous occasion of their Primarch's address. It is said that one could have heard a pin drop in any one vessel as the entire legion stood at attention to hear their beloved primarch break his silence. Jonson appeared on the bridge of the "Pride of Caliban" in his full battle armour. View screens flickered across the fleet as power was re-routed in all vessels to maintain clear signals. As the primarch strode in to view an inaudible gasp seemed to quietly wash over the gathered angels. Jonson surveyed his children. His Dark Angels who had conquered in the name of the emperor and had traveled to the farthest reaches of the galaxy. He stood there for a few minutes, unmoving, steady as a rock, allowing the gathered legion to imbibe the full implication of the sight of their primarch. In his left hand he carried the Lion helm, gifted by the emperor and the seal of the commander of the legion. At his side hung the beautifully crafted power sword with a lion's head at its pommel, the Lion Sword. Strapped to his back stood the majestic shield, the Lion Shield. Behind him stood three honoured standard bearers, each carrying the battle-worn sacred standards of the Dark Angels. He stood resplendent in his brilliantly crafted artificer suit of power armour. To his left stood and a step behind him stood Grandmaster Lamoroch, grand tactician, close friend and commander of Jonson's bodyguard. To his right, in a similar positon stood Leudegran, Grandmaster, friend, warrior par excellence and Jonson's second-in-command. The visual impact of the lion in this setting was awe inspiring. But when the reality of this display hit the gathered legion it was like a sledge hammer. Gone was the revered black colour of the power armour. A deep turquoise green reflected off the primarch. His Lion Helm was the same colour as were his entourage. Minutes passed as the primarch of the first legion slowly inspected his gathered legion. Time passed as they felt the implications of the tremendous change about to take place. Then, in a resolute voice he spoke to his children. Codex Astartes Jonson spoke of the great dream of the Emperor, that of humanity achieving the psychic strength to withstand and survive against the threat of Chaos. He spoke of the destiny the father of humanity had toiled to create for them. He described the deepest treachery of his brother primarchs and warned them of the coming perils. He shared his grief and shame at being a hands breath away from standing by the emperor at the hour of his greatest need. Them Jonson slowly let his words sink in. The colour black that they had worn as the legion was created, and as they had fought by the emperor as his personal guard would be removed. They were no longer the guardians of the all-father. They will relinquish their colours in favour of the green of Caliban. They will fight in the colours of their homeworld, the beautiful but blighted Caliban that they had cleansed of all evil. His reasoning touched the hearts of the gathered warriors of humanity. They felt the same calling. They longed to return home, and what better way than to return wearing the colours of their home world. Jonson then spoke at great length of the Codex Astartes brother Gulliman was creating, of the restructuring of the legions in to chapters and his own designs for the future of the legion, the Codex Astartes Angelus Mortis. The legion would be divided in to four chapters of a thousand men each. One would carry the name of the Dark Angels and remain based on Caliban. The other three would be named "Angels of Vengeance" "Angels of Absolution" and "Angels of Redemption" with their own unique colour schemes. They would each be assigned a specific planetary system within close proximity of Caliban for mutual support. Each chapter would conform to Guillimans design in the Codex Astartes with a few exceptions. The first company would be equipped entirely in suits of tactical dreadnought armour and he second company be mobile on bikes and speeders. Within the Dark Angel chapter these would retain the honoured names of Deathwing and Ravenwing. They would both retain the original colour of the legion, the former as remembrance of their role of the emperor's bodyguard and the latter simply to denote the ancient bird from which they acquired their name. Finally Jonson named the chapter master of each of the four chapters, personally honouring the three who would lead the latter chapters from within the ranks of his personal command. The command of the Dark Angels chapter he would pass on to his erstwhile brother, Luthor when they returned to Caliban. It is said that Jonson spoke eloquently and resolutely for five hours to the entire legion. He explained that he wished to hand over the reigns of the four chapters to his most trusted lieutenants and lead a small crusading force in to the eye of terror. His was a crusade of vengeance, to bring back his brothers to the side of the light or destroy them utterly. At the end of his address as he stepped down a single cheer that rang across the entire fleet! "For the emperor! For the Lion! For Caliban!" Then the entire fleet re-entered the empyrean to continue their journey. The legion was re-juvenated with new purpose. Frantic activity took place within each and every vessel as the primarchs plans were put in motion. |
CHAPTER V THE DAMNATION OF CALIBAN Chronicled By ( Shadow Guard ) |
APOCRYPHA CALIBAN |
This entire section is one attempt to describe the long history of the Dark Angels in a linear form. Every known piece of history and event based on GW publications has been written in my own words and linked together in a reasonably plausible manner by additional fiction. This is in no way the official GW version nor is it in anyway an attempt to infringe on their IP. There are many versions of imperial history buried within the sands of time and this is but just one of them. Read on if you dare! |
