Webway, Blackstone Fortress
Jaghatai Khan
189.M32
He didn't know how long he'd been on this relentless hunt for the Drukhari or any information about the Archon responsible for the attack on Chogoris.
So, countless years of wandering through the vast, tangled, and virtually unnavigable network of tunnels, passageways, and portals. But it seemed to him as if he hadn't even gotten a step closer to his quarry.
He had considered returning many times, but he believed that Guilliman, Leman, and Vulkan would be able to manage the Imperium without him, especially the former, a born administrator and logistician.
He also couldn't simply abandon the hunt for the Drukhari, as they posed too great a threat to the Imperium. Chogoris was a prime example of this, and leaving an enemy so cunning and mobile to strike at the least expected moment alone was unacceptable.
Moreover, simply leaving the Webway was no more difficult than navigating it. He didn't know where the specific warpgates led, so he could have easily ended up in the middle of nowhere, or worse, in the Immaterium.
So he wandered around most of the time, destroying Drukhari he encountered along the way, until some time ago, quite by accident, he stumbled upon this monstrous work of xenos technology.
At first, he mistook it for some gargantuan ship or even a battle station, only to later realise that he was dealing with a weapon of mass destruction technologically far beyond the Imperium's capabilities.
It was hard to believe, but the entire structure strongly suggested it. He didn't know which xenos race it belonged to, but he had no doubt it was incredibly ancient, and the last thing he or the Imperium wanted was for it to fall into the hands of the Drukhari, or worse, Chaos.
Eventually, however, his worst fears were realised, and the Drukhari found their way to this location. What's more, he suspected they were tracking him in some way. Especially since, as it soon turned out, they were led by Archon, one of the leaders of their people, from what he could gather.
This, however, could prove to be a blessing in disguise, for if he had managed to catch Archon alive, he was certain he would have some information about his compatriot, who had attacked the Primarch's home.
He would have killed him later, of course, weakening the potential threat to the Imperium from the Dark Eldar.
He likely spent many weeks, perhaps months – he didn't know, for time passed in its own way here – fighting the Drukhari forces and even clashing with Archon himself and his lieutenants several times, but they remained in a stalemate.
At this point, he wished he had at least a few of his White Scars with him. But to his fury and despair, none of his sons from the 1st Brotherhood who had passed through that cursed portal survived. He had already lost nearly half of its members, and over the following years, one by one, the rest fell.
However, the stalemate soon ended, as two more Archons arrived with their forces to Kraillach's aid, and it was difficult for him to fight such forces even with guerrilla warfare.
Especially since the reinforcements were indeed powerful, and he feared that even with the entire 1st Brotherhood with him, he would not be able to oppose them in the long run.
Jaghatai therefore decided to retreat towards the centre of the fortress itself and attempt to set up ambushes near the command centre.
However, as it turned out, another player had entered the fight. Before the forces of the two Archons could fully dock, they themselves were attacked and began to retreat deeper into the Fortress, not in pursuit of Jaghatai, but overwhelmed by the enemy's onslaught.
There were few forces in the galaxy capable of pushing the Drukhari to the defence so quickly, at least without a massive numerical advantage.
And the Dark Eldar were being pushed to the defence. What's more, Kraillach, instead of staying and fighting him, moved with his strongest Succubi and Haemonculi to aid the two remaining Archons.
This meant two things. Firstly, the enemy that had attacked the Drukhari posed a far greater threat to them than he himself, and secondly, it presented the perfect opportunity for the Primarch of the White Scars himself to launch a counterattack.
He then began methodically eliminating the nearest enemies, most of whom were hideous Dark Eldar monstrosities, as composed of mutated flesh as they were of metal.
More and more Drukhari began to retreat hastily from all directions, straight into his grasp. But now they were almost entirely Dark Eldar, forced to leave their monsters behind to cover their retreat.
Apparently, however, it was to no avail, as the sounds of fighting began to reach him from all directions, suggesting that the enemy was relentlessly pushing the Drukhari forward, though this was not necessarily good news for him.
Unfortunately, in the world they lived in, the saying "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" didn't hold true. Rather, 'the enemy of my enemy is surely my enemy' was more appropriate.
And he didn't have to wait long to learn who this new enemy truly was. Monstrously large warriors in heavy armour, rivalling that of the Primarchs or Custodes themselves. Superbly trained and equipped.
Giants several metres tall, which turned out to be Orks, or at least they were strikingly similar, though he could see the differences. It was difficult for him to judge them all, as only one at the front had his helmet off.
Indeed, the Orc looked—he didn't know what to call it—too 'intelligent'. His facial features weren't as savage as usual and were somewhat softer. Giving him the appearance of a warrior rather than a mindless barbarian, as Greenskins usually were.
This, combined with their advanced weaponry and disciplined demeanour, made him cautious. Instinct told him these were dangerous opponents, ones even he shouldn't underestimate.
But it was this brief exchange that completely unsettled him. Great Angel? Sanguinius? Did these Greenskins think him foolish? His brother was dead, killed by the traitor.
Jaghatai felt anger rising within him. "Orks. How dare you use my brother's name like this? Making a mockery of his sacrifice."
He began to consider the best tactics and method of attack to deal with his opponents.
"We are Krorks, not Orks," the old warrior replied, "and we truly have little in common with our much younger cousins."
Jaghatai, still clutching his sabre, paused for a moment. Younger cousins? Krorks? What did he mean? This Krork seems rather eloquent indeed.
"What are you even talking about, Xena? I haven't heard anything about any Krorks?"
"I understand you may not believe us, but I assure you that Sanguinius survived, and now we, the living Krorks, serve him," the squad leader tried to explain, raising both hands in front of him. "I am Varok. Allow me to contact your brother and inform him that we have found you. It would be best if you met him in person."
"You probably felt the Blackstone Fortress shake to its foundations earlier. It was probably the result of Sanguinius's fight with the Archons."
The Primarch of the White Scars considered this for a moment. The chance that the greenskins were telling the truth was slim, but he couldn't rule anything out; he'd seen stranger things than this. Besides, if anyone could pose a sufficient threat to the three Archons, it would undoubtedly be the Great Angel.
And if it turned out the old xeno was calling for reinforcements, he intended to separate his head from the rest of his body at the slightest sign of betrayal.
"Contact me, but remember, I'm keeping an eye on you," he finally replied, his cold, quiet tone leaving no doubt as to his meaning.
Krok, Varok, nodded in acceptance, then pressed a button on his helmet, which hung at his belt. A moment later, a masculine, charismatic voice, one Jaghatai had almost forgotten, came over the comlink.
"Varok. Report. Have you found him?"
"Yes, my Lord," Krork replied, "but as you predicted, he doesn't believe us."
Sanguinius fell silent for a moment, but in the background, the sounds of battle, weapons, and cries of pain and terror could be heard. This moment gave Khan time to think. The voice was indeed his brother's, or at least he thought so; what's more, it wasn't difficult to fake someone else's voice.
A moment later, the sounds of battle faded, and Sanguinius's voice came over the comlink again.
"Jaghatai. Do you remember the last words you spoke to me? 'We will build all the things we ever dreamed of. Until then, do what you must. Keep them hoping. Hold the walls.' Well, we can still build them."
The Primarch of the White Scars stood stunned, staring in amazement at the krork's helmet, from which his brother's voice emanated. Indeed, these were his last words to Sanguinius, who later perished aboard the Vengeful Spirit.
Could they have been overheard? They shouldn't have, but he couldn't rule out the possibility. His mind tried to rationalise it, but his heart was already beginning to rejoice at the thought that his dear brother had survived.
It was disturbing that these intelligent orks seemed to serve him, but the Primarch of the IX Legion must have had a reason, for he was the most devoted to the Emperor's cause. Jaghatai couldn't imagine betraying the Imperium.
"I have so many questions, brother," he finally replied, his words visibly easing the tension. Krork, called Varok, let out a long sigh of relief.
"I know, but the time for answers will come later." Sanguinius's voice came again. "Yaelindra is dead, but the remaining two Archons managed to retreat with what little strength they had but are certainly heading for the centre of the Fortress. They can't afford to abandon her."
"I'll cut them off. You can trust Varok; he's one of the most honourable warriors I know."
"So be it," Khan replied with a predatory smile, eager to plunge his sabre into the hearts of those cursed Archons. "But later, we have a long and serious conversation. I want to know everything, Sanguinius. Everything."
"I will. I promise. "I'll join you soon; I only have one more thing to do." The Blood Angels Primarch's voice reached him one last time, and then the communicator fell silent.
Jaghatai looked at the silent Krorks and said in a cold voice, "I will trust you xenos for now, but only out of the esteem he clearly holds you in and my love for my brother. Do not squander it."
Krok, known as Varok, replied, "You need fear nothing from us. I and my men serve Sanguinius until the end of our days. He is the Light."
The Khan narrowed his eyes slightly at the old warrior's words, sensing something far more dangerous than respect. Almost reverence. Lorgar had treated their father similarly before he punished him and eventually defected to the Ruinous Powers.
"Then let us hunt the Archons," he ordered, to which Krork replied, "Allow me to issue orders to my remaining men not to engage the retreating Archons, but to create a corridor for them to fall directly upon us."
"Do it. It'll make things easier for us," he said, and then began checking his equipment, while the other Krorks also began to spread out around the room, looking for the best places to prepare an ambush.
They didn't have to wait long for the quarry to be driven straight towards them, perhaps fifteen minutes, though he couldn't say for sure. The fact that the Drukhari had arrived so quickly clearly indicated their haste.
As soon as the first of the Dark Eldars entered the room, all hell broke loose. The two Archons weren't surprised by his presence, of course; they were prepared for it. They were accompanied by a multitude of their servants and the horrors they had created.
Kraillach clashed with Khan in melee, their blades whirling in a dance faster than most mortal beings could see. And while the Archon himself was no match for the Primarch, the precise attacks of the other Drukhari led to a momentary stalemate.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Varok, battling the second Archon, who was in a similar situation, while his men fought the wave of enemies pouring into the room.
Khan felt the attempted psychic attack upon him, but his mental barriers were impenetrable.
Suddenly, a blinding golden light erupted in the hall, and a glowing figure appeared within it. Time seemed to slow down until, a moment later, both he and the Drukhari around him froze in place.
A mere blink of an eye passed, or so it seemed, as time began to return to normal, but the situation in the room had changed 180 degrees.
All the Drukhari, as well as their monstrous monsters and machines, were dead, and the two Archons, though still alive, lay on the ground in pools of their own blood, limbs missing.
Only he and the Krorks stood, but beyond them, floating in the air near Jaghatai himself, was a figure cloaked in golden light, in golden armour, with long blond hair and eyes glowing with golden discharges.
His brother, Sanguinius.
"It's good to finally see you in person again, brother." Great Angel spoke with a radiant smile, lowering himself to the ground.
Speechless, Khan simply nodded, then, taking a few steps, embraced his brother, whom he believed he would never see again.
"Yes, it's good to see you too, Angel," he replied, his voice breaking slightly, feeling the stinging traces of tears on his face for the first time in ages.