Jaghatai Khan – Warrior of Chogoris – Part 8

The Primarch, the ruler of an empire, had managed to escape death. Not out of mercy, but as a chilling reminder to the warrior Jaghatai Khan about the grim fate that awaited those audacious enough to challenge the formidable might of the Imperium. The White Scars, a legion under Khan’s command, played a pivotal role in the successful execution of the Anor Crusade. Alongside the Ultramarines and Luna Wolves, they snatched victory from the jaws of the largest orc gathering known at that time.

Following the triumph over the orc horde, a grand celebration was held at the festive pavilion in Enor, where the Emperor bestowed Horus with the title of Warmaster. The warrior Khan, though more at ease battling fierce xenos than partaking in ceremonial celebrations, did not shy away from the event. Unlike his fellow Primarchs who reveled in the camaraderie with their father, the Khan was more preoccupied with who among his brothers would be entrusted with the task of returning hundreds of thousands of Space Marines back to their ships.

Despite his distaste for pomp and ceremony, Jaghatai did not partake in the dispute when the Primarchs deliberated on Lupal’s worthiness of the Warmaster’s role. Above all, the father of the White Scars saw Horus as the only one among them competent enough to lead The Crusade in the Emperor’s stead. Khan himself had no desire for such a title, as he found much more joy in traversing the galaxy, joyfully slaughtering xenos.

Jaghatai Khan was a man of few words, preferring to observe and intervene only when absolutely necessary. One such occasion arose when Horus and Alarius attempted to stop the Sigite from destroying the statue of one of the lost Primarchs. While Khan was dismayed by the demeaning attitude towards the memory of a fallen brother and supported Horus, he did not enter into dispute with the Lord Regent. Instead, he pleaded with Malcador to release his brother Lupal. Khan did not draw his sword nor strike the Lord Regent, but first asked politely and when ignored, he raised his voice.

The White Scar remained loyal to Chogoris, serving the Emperor as a compulsory tribute for the peaceful existence of his homeland. However, the sentiments growing within the Imperium threatened to change the favourable order of warfare for the White Scars. Some Primarchs began to express concern over the use of psychers. Khan didn’t initially pay much heed to these concerns, believing that each Legion should have the freedom to operate as they pleased.

However, a conversation with Sanguinius, the Great Angel, revealed two harsh truths. First, the opponents of the psychers would not stop with their sons. Second, if the imprudent Magnus’s study of the warp was not restricted, the Crimson King would become a primary target for Mortarion and Russ. This prompted Jaghatai to participate in the proposed Librarius, to personally oversee the drafting of rules. It was Khan who developed the structure and order used by the Legion psychers, although his name is not listed in any official list of drafters.

Sadly, neither the perceptive Angel nor the wise Khan could foresee that their efforts to preserve the Librarians and protect their carefree brother would be in vain. In the galaxy, there was no force capable of preventing the Crimson King and his sons from dealing with the warp as they pleased. In these difficult times, Jaghatai recalled his last conversation with Magnus on Anor. Always sincere and forthright, Magnus, for the first time, seemed anxious. Jaghatai couldn’t shake off the thought that the reckoning for the Crimson King’s gifts was imminent.

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