"They are a disgrace to the ancient Aeldari Empire, that filth from Commorragh. I despise them," Cassandra said, her face twisted in disgust.
Who could possibly like such depraved creatures? They were practically disciples of Slaanesh itself. And what was the favorite pastime of the Drukhari in Commorragh? Every form of debauchery, indulgence, and desire, all in the pursuit of ever-greater stimulation and pleasure.
The most absurd part was their reason for doing so: they claimed it was a way to prevent Slaanesh from devouring their souls.
Of course it prevented Slaanesh from consuming them.
The souls they tormented brought the Dark Prince such ecstasy that it gladly accepted their offerings.
These sacrifices bought their wretched lives, but it was merely a fleeting grace from Slaanesh. The moment they ceased to be of value, the moment they could no longer provide Slaanesh with a crescendo of intense sensation, it would devour their souls without a second thought.
Ultimately, every last member of the Drukhari race would face the same fate of having their soul consumed. Their spirits had no Spirit Stones to protect them, nor were they shielded by the Laughing God like their Harlequin cousins.
In the eyes of other Aeldari, the Drukhari, despite their claims that Slaanesh was the great enemy of their race, were the most sincere devotees of the Chaos God in the entire galaxy.
Everything they did was exactly what Slaanesh adored. Cassandra made no effort to hide her contempt for them as she spoke.
"Hahaha! That's a rather apt comparison. They are indeed the most devoted followers of Slaanesh," Axis said with a nod.
The Drukhari of Commorragh were arguably the most malevolent and degenerate species in the cosmos.
There were no limits to the methods they employed to torture other living beings. It could be said that they had elevated the culture of Slaanesh to its absolute zenith, mastering every facet of its depravity.
"However, Lord Axis, there is one thing we must admit," Cassandra continued, "The Drukhari are the true inheritors of the ancient Aeldari Empire. They have perfectly preserved all the traditions of the old nobility. Beyond their hedonism, depravity, and indulgence, they have also retained a great deal of our ancient technology. The Haemonculi are the undisputed masters of flesh-crafting in the entire galaxy."
Although she scorned the vile beings, she could not deny that they were the true successors to the old empire.
The Exodites, the Craftworld Aeldari, and even her own Harlequin troupe were all descended from the commoner class of the ancient Aeldari. Of course, some Harlequins had come from the ranks of the Drukhari, but their identities had changed forever the moment they joined a troupe.
The Drukhari frequently raided human colonial worlds, capturing slaves to be taken back to Commorragh for their amusement, where they would be cruelly tortured to death. One day, Axis vowed, he would personally pay a visit to Commorragh and have a "discussion" with them.
The rest of the journey was uneventful. Axis spent his time either conversing with his wife, Kasha, or lightly training in the ship.
Eight days passed in what felt like an instant.
They were now only two days away from their destination, the Isstvan system.
That day, as their vessel was traversing a passage in the Webway, the ship suddenly began to lurch violently.
Axis, who had been in the training chamber, was jolted from his routine. He quickly threw on a training uniform and rushed to the main command bridge.
Kasha, Cassandra, and several other members of the Harlequin troupe were already there. The Imperial Navy crewman at the helm was sweating profusely.
"What's happening, Lieutenant? Why is the ship shaking so violently? Are we still in the Webway?" Axis asked as he approached.
"Report! Lord Axis, we were proceeding along the designated route when a strange Warp energy suddenly began to tear at the ship. We had no choice but to activate the void shields," the Imperial Navy officer reported immediately.
"A sudden surge of Warp energy! That's impossible," Cassandra interjected, "The Webway is isolated from the Warp. Although it was constructed in the interstice between realspace and the Immaterium, the two realms are not supposed to be connected."
The ship began to shake even more violently. Seeing this, Kasha immediately raised her psychic staff, enveloping the vessel in her own psychic energy and forming a powerful energy shield.
"I can feel it too! Warp energy," Kasha said, her brow furrowed, "And this energy is highly unusual."
Just a moment before, she had sensed an incredibly powerful force from the Immaterium seemingly pulling at their ship.
The shaking intensified, and the ship was thrown into a dizzying tumble.
Everyone in the cabin lost their footing. Once the motion stopped, Axis distinctly felt a bizarre power permeate the ship. Everything within it began to look transparent and surreal.
"Lord Axis, I think we are in the Warp," Kasha said, her brows furrowing as she focused all her strength on maintaining her psychic shield.
"Activate the Gellar Field," Axis commanded, his expression grim.
Though the Sword-class frigate had been fitted with a new FTL drive, it still possessed its standard essential systems, including the Gellar Field.
The Imperial Navy lieutenant at the controls immediately activated it. A strange light enveloped the frigate, and the vessel finally stabilized.
Kasha breathed a sigh of relief but continued to maintain her psychic protection. The Warp was not what it once was; it was now a raging tempest.
A standard Gellar Field on a small vessel would not last long against such a terrifying storm.
Fortunately, having a psyker of her caliber aboard meant they would not be instantly consumed by the maelstrom.
"What on earth happened? Why were we suddenly thrown out of the Webway and into the Warp?" Axis asked, his fists clenched.
Could it be the work of the four Chaos Gods again? Those fiends were relentless. But for them to be able to affect the ship from within the Webway seemed an impossible feat of power.
"It's strange, Axis. I didn't feel the power of the Ruinous Powers," Kasha said, "That sudden tremor... I think... I think it might have been some kind of natural disaster."
The energies of the four Chaos Gods were highly distinct and easily recognizable.
But the force they had just encountered was pure, unaligned psychic power. It was an energy filled with a dark and oppressive sensation, evoking feelings of despair, suffering, loneliness, and terror. She had felt it directly when her psychic shield made contact.
"Let's not worry about that for now," Axis said, "We've been thrown off course. We have to get back into the Webway and make for Isstvan V. We cannot afford any further delays."
"Lord Axis, our only option is to activate the warp drive and make a blind jump back to realspace," the ship's navigator said. "From there, we can ask your friends to help us find a new entrance to the Webway."
"Do it. Initiate a blind jump," Axis ordered with a nod.
The navigator acknowledged, and the naval crew on the bridge immediately activated the ship's warp engines. The drive tore a rift in the Immaterium, and the ship once again emerged into realspace. They had arrived in a completely unfamiliar star system.
"One moment, Lord Axis," Cassandra said, nodding to him, "We'll identify our current location and find the nearest Webway portal." She and her fellow Harlequins immediately began studying their maps of the dimension, searching for an access point in this unknown system.
"You do that," Axis said, his eyes fixed on the ship's auspex screen, which now displayed the signals of several hundred warships. "We have company."
At the forefront of the detected fleet was a massive, brilliant white Gloriana-class battleship. Axis recognized it in an instant. The Swordstorm, flagship of Jaghatai Khan, Primarch of the V Legion.
"This is the White Scars fleet," a voice crackled over the comms, "Identify yourselves, unidentified Imperial vessel."
"This is the Twelfth Primarch of the Imperium, Axis," the lieutenant on the bridge responded immediately. "Also on board is the Royal Princess, Kasha. We are en route to the Isstvan system under the Emperor's command to quell the rebellion initiated by Warmaster Horus."
There was a moment of silence from the other end. Then, they received a transmission, and the two ships exchanged ident-codes for confirmation.
"Lord Axis, High Princess Kasha, The Great Khan, Jaghatai, invites you aboard the Swordstorm."
"Inform Jaghatai Khan we are on our way," Axis replied.
Encountering Jaghatai Khan at this moment was a fortunate turn of events.
Though he could not take the entire White Scars fleet with them, he could at least send the Khan in search of the Imperium Secundus beacon.
Soon, Axis and Kasha boarded a Thunderhawk and departed the frigate, making their way to the Swordstorm.
The situation inside the flagship's hangar was not what Axis had expected.
The deck of the Swordstorm looked as though it had just seen a ferocious battle. The bodies of White Scars legionaries lay in pools of their own blood.
The Primarch of the V Legion, Jaghatai Khan, was standing amidst a pile of corpses, all of them his own Astartes. Axis could not see any sign of an enemy legion.
"My apologies, Axis," Jaghatai Khan said, sheathing his power sword, "You've arrived to witness something unpleasant. I have just put down a rebellion."
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Ps?