My two capital ships and the corvettes kept bombarding the rift for an hour until it closed.
Of course, we could have sent a Sister for the sa effect, but the floor of the Webway was crawling in demons and Drukhari and Mandrakes and all kinds of exotic or dangerous creatures. I an, their personal weapons were rated to shred an armored tank, so risking a precious Blank, even in power armor, wasn't an option for .
Instead, I headed towards the biolab, flanked by my Angels and two Apothecaries from the Lanters.
Khan was waking up and screaming his lungs out.
Probably in need of more combat drugs of Dark Eldar make. Must have made soone a lot of revenue with this simplistic look at the world.
"Release at once!" the Primarch shouted and struggled against his adamantium binders, just when I entered the lab.
"Next ti he screams, punch his throat. Perhaps later, we can fuse his jaws and remove his vocal cords? It's not like he has anything wise to say." I asked from the Juggler, who clicked his scalpels in anticipation.
"Of course, Captain. Such beasts are better used to pull plows." the chanicus Magos replied in a wry tone.
"You are Astartes? What Legion?" the Primarch demanded in a command voice.
"One of those legions who kept their duty, unlike you, Primarch Khan. You abandoned your Emperor given duty, and now it is my right to pass sentence. Do you deny the charges?" I ask in a pleasant voice and hold my hand to my right, where an Apothecary is carrying the blade of Office, a relic called Glaive Encarmine.
It is quite heavy, the blade and my duty.
"You would execute a Primarch?" the guy yells in surprise then chokes as Juggler taps his neck gently with a chadendrite.
"I've killed a Primarch before, one nad Lorgar. What's such a big deal? Anyway, respond to the question! For the charges of dereliction of duty, how do you reply?" I demand in a sterner voice, blade gleaming in my hands.
A few seconds pass, as lucidity in face of certain death appears in his eyes. The man sighs and lowers his head in remorse." Guilty as charged. My Legion...the Chapter now. I abandoned them, to pursue vengeance."
Well then, perhaps death is not the best punishnt, if the accused can be redeed. I return the weapon to the Apothecary, and step closer.
"I wasn't asking about one Chapter, Primarch Khan. You are an Astartes, and your duty is to defend humanity. As a Primarch, you were given authority over the Imperium, because these naive idiots needed soone to direct them wisely.
And what wisdom will they find, in your actions? A beastly gladiator, pumped full of Dark Eldar combat stimulants? Howling at the ceiling, like a raging beast?" I ask rhetorically, as I gesture at my Juggler to release the thick adamantium shackles, binding the brute to the operating table.
"I...wasn't thinking straight." the giant mutters as stands up, and rubs his wrists.
"Ludvaius, stay with the idiot and teach him the Canticle of Unceasing Service. One thousand repetitions in solitary confinent, afterwards. I'll have to think for an appropriate penance, in the anti. " I demand gruffly as I turn away and leave the lab. Fidelia runs after and holds my hand for comfort.
As I return to the bridge with the elevator, Rafen checks over in admiration and perhaps worry. "You were ready to slice his head off, just like that. An Emperor-given Primarch!" he says in a tight voice.
"We are in the Webway now, Astartes Rafen. Here, I speak with the Voice of the Emperor, as I do anywhere outside the Imperium. As for Primarchs, in my eyes they are all guilty. Abandoning their duty is a capital cri for any Astartes, correct?"
I explain in a grave voice.
Rafen nods slowly, as he reasons the Imperial law and the facts of the matter in his mind. "Primarch Khan will not forget this day, Captain." the Veteran Astartes mused to himself, and perhaps as a tangential warning.
"He better not! Next ti Khan goes astray, I will not spare his life." I say harshly and then draw Fidelia into a side hug, since she seems a bit overwheld by the events.
My Apothecaries are also quite confused, as the events are a bit beyond them. "Let's hope the lost Primarch will regain his sanity with the Canticle. It works wonders for the Lanters, just like you have promised, Master Lancefire." one of them says in a hopeful tone.
I couldn't do much for the remaining Lanters of the older generation, but try to fortify their corrupted minds with the Canticle, and avoid sending them into lee combat.
The experienced Lanters will be needed for a ti, as teachers and instructors for the new generation getting implanted right now.
In a few decades, perhaps use them in a last stand sowhere, to defend a bastion of humanity, and erase the Warp curse completely, with their blood.
Pay another gene-tithe maybe, with their corpses. The Emperor would approve, like he always did. But if not, He could always say sothing, or send an Angel.
My next target shall be the Ultramarines and the Dark Angels, gifting them a few Companies of Blank sons, to prevent their manipulation by Warp-using pyskers and Chaos forces.
Wouldn't be as easy to convince these Chapters, unless I had a Primarch by my side.
More Bone staffs will be needed, as mind-shields against C'tan or other empathic users. Sadly, Blank powers were not perfect, and various mind abilities were not restricted to psykers. Even the Tau Ethereals had so type of empathic powers, and they were Blank themselves.
The Navigators themselves were proof of this, so of them being able to cover a ship in a self-made Gellar field, and protect their passengers through the Warp when the generators failed.
I could also try to repurpose a . I doubt the Avatar of Khaine will want to ruin his nasake. Plus, there should be a gate into the Warp at the end of this cavern.
However, among the defending troops, I scout another Archon Vect, looking a bit terrified, despite all the bodyguards and prepared defenses.
I grab him from among a troupe of Harlequins, and all his court and courtiers.
"I hear pounding, Captain. Like sothing is trying to break inside the Webway." Chaplain Delos announces as his eyes start bleeding.
"Alena, pat the Chaplain's head while he recites the Canticle." I command as I lean on my bone staff and reach towards the nicest dressed Harlequin.
"You defend the Khaine Gate, from She-who-Thirsts?" I ask to make sure.
"We are, human from outside the play." the creature answers in a painful voice, like a million screeching sounds mingle in my mind.
"For this duty, you will be spared. Khaine himself is here, having fun with so big demon. So long, and see you at the End of tis!" I proclaim in a fake cheer, then turn the fleet around.
No point destroying the place and letting the Warp infest the Webway, and thus flood thousands of worlds with streams of demons.
As we trace our course back, we massacre millions of fleeing Dark Eldar that have escaped our pogrom, and millions of Tyranids chasing after them.
Uh, I might have ssed things up a little...
Reviews
All reviews (0)