255: Weeping Father, we have seen you.

The bridge of the 'mother of tears'.

The atmosphere remained oppressive.

Captain Cyrus stood before the observation window, gazing at the distant azure planet.

He already knew everything that had transpired on the surface.

That brief yet efficient purge was like a precise surgical operation, excising the tumor that was Varak Hive City.

Governor Zhang Yuan had proven his return and his authority in the most direct way possible.

But there was no joy in Cyrus's heart, only a deeper heaviness.

The Lamenters Chapter was too weak.

So weak that they could only wait like beggars for the charity of the strong.

Even if that strong one was merely a mortal.

"Acting Chapter Master," Valorian's voice sounded behind him, "Governor Zhang Yuan has sent a communication."

"He will pay a visit in person."

Cyrus turned around, his blue optical lenses flickering once.

"He's coming here?"

"Yes," Valorian nodded, his face bearing an expression Cyrus couldn't decipher, a mix of fanaticism and anticipation. "He's bringing the Chief Engineer."

Chief Engineer?

Cyrus was puzzled.

Nevertheless, he gave the order to clear the hangar bay, preparing to receive Zhang Yuan with the highest ceremonial honors the Chapter could muster.

When the Thunderhawk Gunship landed in the dilapidated hangar of the 'mother of tears', Cyrus led all the battle-brothers still capable of donning power armor, standing in formation to await their arrival.

About one hundred men.

These were the only remaining, combat-ready Space Marines in the entire fleet.

The ramp lowered.

Zhang Yuan disembarked.

Behind him followed Valorian, and a stocky, somewhat cynical-looking man chewing on a cigar.

It was Swann.

"Captain Cyrus," Zhang Yuan stepped forward.

"Lord Governor," Cyrus performed the Aquila salute.

"I did not come to accept your thanks," Zhang Yuan got straight to the point. "I am here to discuss a transaction."

He stepped aside, revealing Swann behind him.

Swann blew out a smoke ring and spoke in his uniquely gruff voice, "I've checked your ship, lads."

"No offense, but this isn't a ship anymore; it's a pile of scrap waiting to be dismantled."

"Engines overloaded by seventy percent, reactor casing riddled with micro-fractures, hull structural integrity less than forty percent of design spec."

"And your weapons systems... the macro-cannon recharge cycle is slower than a Grox with arthritis."

Every word from Swann struck the hearts of Lamenters like a hammer blow.

This was their final home, yet it was being criticized so mercilessly.

The breathing of several younger warriors beneath their helmets grew heavy.

Cyrus raised a hand, stopping their impulse.

He looked at Swann. "And your conclusion?"

"My conclusion is," Swann grinned, "hand it over to me, and I can make it... sing again."

"I'll replace the entire power core, re-route all the energy conduits. Use stronger alloys to replace those brittle bulkheads."

"I can even fit your macro-cannons with brand new fire control systems and pressure amplifiers, doubling their rate of fire and firepower!"

"That... is the sincerity of our offer."

The light in Cyrus's electronic eye flickered violently.

What Swann described was no longer mere repairs.

It was the reforging of a warship!

"The price?" Cyrus's voice was painfully strained. "We... have nothing."

"I said it's a transaction," Zhang Yuan looked at him. "I need an Astartes Chapter of absolute loyalty, capable of executing the most dangerous missions for me."

"Your honor is beyond doubt."

"But... that is not enough."

Zhang Yuan looked at Lamenters warriors behind Cyrus.

Some wore incomplete power armor, others could only don tattered Chapter uniforms.

Each face was etched with numbness and exhaustion.

"I need your souls to burn brightly once more."

Zhang Yuan's words stunned all Lamenters.

At that moment, Valorian stepped forward.

He looked at Cyrus, the Blood Angels sergeant's eyes burning with an unprecedented fire.

"Captain Cyrus, my brother."

"Do you know why we follow the Lord Governor?"

"Because... he brings hope."

"A miracle that even Lord Roboute Guilliman found awe-inspiring."

Valorian's voice echoed through the empty hangar bay.

"He carries within him a soul... that should never be forgotten."

"The most sacred soul belonging to all of us!"

Cyrus looked at Valorian, as if trying to discern truth from the fanaticism on his face.

Zhang Yuan offered no further explanation.

He simply said to Cyrus, "Summon your brothers."

"All Lamenters still alive."

"On this ship. Right here."

Half an hour later.

In the largest cargo hold of the 'mother of tears', over three hundred Mournful Ones had gathered.

They were the Chapter's sole remaining members.

Warriors in power armor, Servitors responsible for maintenance, even some mortal crew members in work uniforms.

They crowded together, their gazes fixed on Zhang Yuan standing at the center, filled with confusion, numbness, and a faint trace of curiosity.

There were no lights here, only a few emergency lamps casting dim, yellow pools of light.

The air tasted of despair.

Zhang Yuan closed his eyes.

He felt it.

That curse named 'Misfortune', lingering in the depths of every Mournful One's soul.

It was a sorrow that seeped into the marrow, a loneliness as if abandoned by the entire universe.

Within his system, he touched that golden, winged icon.

[Sanguinius].

"In my name, answer the sorrow of your sons."

A vast amount of psychic energy was instantly drained.

An indescribable golden radiance burst forth from Zhang Yuan's body!

The light was warm, sacred, tinged with faint compassion.

It dispelled the darkness of the cargo hold and the gloom in every heart.

At the very center of the radiance, a figure slowly coalesced.

He had golden hair, as perfect as a sculpture from myth.

From his back unfurled a pair of immense wings, woven from pure light.

His face bore a trace of eternal sorrow, yet his gaze looked upon everyone present with gentle tenderness.

Sanguinius!

The Great Angel!

The gene-father of all Lamenters!

The moment they saw that figure.

Time itself seemed to stand still.

*Thud.*

One of the eldest Mournful Ones veterans, his battered power armor unable to support him any longer.

He fell to his knees.

A trail of turbid tears slid down his scarred cheek.

They were not tears of sorrow.

They were release.

They were the pent-up grief of millennia, spanning countless generations, finally finding an outlet.

Then came a second person, a third... The entire cargo hold echoed with stifled, yet cathartic sobs.

The legendary Mournful Ones, who never wept.

Upon seeing the phantom of their gene-father, finally shed their tears of joy and redemption.

Cyrus also knelt.

He removed his helmet, revealing a weathered yet resolute face.

Tears, too, streamed down his cheeks.

Gazing at that luminous figure, he summoned all his strength and roared from the depths of his soul.

"Father!"

The Sanguinius within the light and shadow seemed to hear his call.

The radiant phantom slowly raised a hand, as if wanting to touch each of his suffering children.

The light, having reached its peak, gradually faded.

The cargo hold returned to dimness.

But in every heart, a lamp that would never be extinguished had been lit.

Silence.

After a long, dead silence.

Cyrus stood up and walked before Zhang Yuan.

Without the slightest hesitation, he knelt on one knee, lowering his head deeply.

"Cyrus, Fourth Captain of the Lamenters Chapter."

"Leading all surviving members of the Chapter."

"To you, the bearer of the sacred soul, Lord Zhang Yuan."

Behind him, over three hundred Mournful Ones knelt on one knee in unison, their movements perfectly synchronized as if rehearsed a thousand times.

Their voices merged into a torrent of steel.

"We offer our broken swords, and our undying loyalty!"

"From this day forth, Lamenters shall never walk alone!"