"Why would a Grey Knight appear in the Warp?"
"Is it a phantasm?"
The sudden emergence of the figure left even the Khan astonished. In the feed, the Grey Knight was fully equipped, a massive silver-grey greatsword slung across his back, while his free hand gripped a bizarre Shield, centered with an inset tome. His Power Armour was a sight of ornate majesty, adorned with a multitude of purity seals and ancient sigils.
It was clear, however, that the Knight was far from pleased with his surroundings; the parasitic vines and the metallic, swarming beetles that launched constant, probing attacks were a persistent nuisance. Yet, his practiced, fluid movements betrayed a warrior who had been trapped here for an eternity, dealing with these eldritch horrors with reflexive ease.
"Negative. The target is a physical entity."
The cold, flat voice of the Iron Men echoed through the chamber, immediately dismissing the Khan's skepticism. Following Axion's data-driven commands, a Sapient Machine Automaton gathered the Grey Knights currently stationed on the vessel. Since the Void Sword had been utterly destroyed, these Grey Knights, along with Ersen and other Astartes psykers, had been relocated to this Titan-class vessel, Titan-39. Only the vast number of mortal psykers had been distributed among the other Titan-class ships to serve as integrated components for shipboard psychic weaponry.
"My Lords."
The gathered Grey Knights offered a slight nod toward the Khan before snapping to attention. They were confused by the Iron Men's summons; since serving aboard the Iron Men's ships, they had seen little in the way of conventional warfare. Their primary duties had been limited to assisting the so-called "Loyalist Word Bearer" in guiding the accelerated Astartes psykers. Though they had witnessed several engagements, they had been denied the order to deploy, let alone the opportunity to man those massive machine-bodies. Looking at the sheer, sanity-shattering scale of the battlefield the Iron Men presided over, they understood all too well that individual prowess was diminished to nothingness in such conflicts. Even through the hull of the Titan, the chaotic ripples of Magnus's malefic sorcery left them deeply unsettled.
"Tell me," the Khan said, gesturing toward the hologram. "Do any of you recognize this warrior?"
The image zoomed in at the Khan's command, sharpening until every intricate detail was visible. The Grey Knights collectively gasped, their eyes widening in shock. The Khan read volumes into their expressions.
"It seems you do not merely recognize him, his identity is of singular importance."
Regaining his composure, one of the Knights shook off his stupor.
"Yes, my Lord. The warrior in the projection is a legend among our order, a true hero of the Imperium. We have all studied his heroic deeds."
His voice, and those of his brothers, dripped with a mixture of reverence and fanaticism.
"He is our Supreme Grand Master, the forty-eighth of his line: Kaldor Draigo."
"Draigo?" The Khan repeated the unfamiliar name, testing the syllables.
"Kaldor Draigo, data retrieval complete."
The synthetic voice of the Iron Man responded instantly to the Khan's inquiry. "According to Imperial archival records, in the year 799.M41, Draigo defeated the Daemon Prince M'kar, saving the Imperial world of Acralem, for which he was promoted to Justicar. Over the following 102 Terran years, Draigo relentlessly purged daemons across the Imperium, and in 901.M41, he was elevated to the rank of Supreme Grand Master of the Grey Knights."
"But as far as I am aware," the Khan remarked, his voice tinged with skepticism, "has the Supreme Grand Master of the Grey Knights not been missing for some time?"
"As you are aware, following his elevation to Grand Master, Draigo encountered the Daemon Prince M'kar once more. Though he defeated the creature, he was cursed by the daemon in the process."
"M'kar's curse banished Draigo and trapped him eternally within the Warp. According to the secret archives of the Ordo Malleus, Draigo has spent the subsequent years in a perpetual war against the denizens of the Warp."
"Records indicate he has slain numerous entities, including the Bloodthirster Kar'Voth, burned the forests of the Plague God's domain, vanquished the six daemon sister-brides dispatched by the Prince of Pleasure, and razed the fortress of the Lord of Change, M'kachen."
As the Iron Men recited the litany of his heroic exploits within the Warp, a stunned silence fell over the room. The Grey Knights stared at the projection with unadulterated awe, and even Jaghatai Khan felt a flicker of genuine wonder for the warrior.
"And yet," the Khan asked, his caution prevailing, "how can you be certain it is truly Draigo? This is the Warp, after all."
The Grey Knights pointed to the greatsword slung across the figure's back, their conviction absolute.
"No daemon could mimic or corrupt a Grey Knight. The Grand Master's blade is wreathed in the sacred flames of the Emperor, the absolute bane of all daemonic existence. Furthermore, we have had the honor of viewing portraits of the Grand Master. Though he is helmetless in our archives, his wargear and presence are unmistakable."
The Khan said nothing, his gaze fixed on the projection.
"Per records," the Iron Man continued, "following his curse, Draigo has manifested in the physical realm multiple times to banish daemons, and has even attended conclaves of the Grey Knights. He claims to be guided by the Emperor's will while within the Warp. Given the weight of his actions, his veracity has been widely accepted. These records were compiled by Grand Masters Aldrik Voldus and Rothwyr Morvans, submitted to the Ordo Malleus, and subsequently replicated and preserved within the Imperial Archives."
"Reliability rating: 81.33%. The target is of high strategic value for the Crusade of Retribution; he has successfully infiltrated the domains of two Chaos Gods. His recovery may yield coordinates to the Ruinous Powers' own realms. Priority elevated. Executing contact."
With the assessment concluded, Axion reached a decision. A Reaver-Eviscerator, which had been shadowing Draigo from several kilometers away, began to move in.
"The Emperor protects, guide me..."
Draigo whispered the prayer, tearing through another grasping vine with practiced efficiency. Time in the Warp was a fluid, treacherous lie, leaving him unable to measure the duration of his exile. His Power Armour clanked softly with every movement.
Then, he paused. The air felt wrong.
"Something is approaching."
As a Grey Knight, Draigo's psychic potential was immense, though he could not rival a Primarch, he stood among the absolute zenith of mortal psykers. He felt the ambient energies of the Warp growing violent, as if pushed and squeezed by an unseen force, punctuated by a discordant, rhythmic sound. The sudden shift put him on high alert.
The muscles within his Terminator plate tensed. With a practiced motion, his hand darted behind his back, drawing the Titansword. His other hand raised his shield, the force field flickering to life. He steeled himself, bracing for an assault, but as the source of the disturbance broke through the warp-mists and entered his field of vision, Draigo stood frozen in disbelief.
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