Chogorian Tales

"Faster, Uncle Jaghatai! Faster!"

N'Bella squealed with delight as she rode upon her Uncle's lap on his new jetbike. It had been a gift from Vulkan, the first newly made jetbike in millennia. Ivory white with gilded gold and with red streaks across its nose, the jetbike was beautiful.

"I call it Berkut. Warhawk. May it be the first of many, brother."

Jaghatai was not one given to outbursts of emotion that were not rage or laughter, but he sincerely wished he was able to cry at that moment. A gift like this was something that he had missed since arriving in this new era and the fact that the Dark Angels apparently had the last working one annoyed him. Now he could begin to bring the White Scars back to a semblance of the speed they'd once had. And as thanks he offered N'Bella a ride.

He'd promised Vulkan that she would be fine and after an hour of riding, he'd kept that promise. It was a wonderful feeling of being back in the saddle of a jetbike. Freedom that he'd not felt in nearly 10,000 years. Freedom after being kept prisoner in Commorragh for so long. Freedom after being at the whims of Vect and his followers. He'd gained experience and insight into the minds of the Drukhari, but he should have escaped long ago. But he was free now. Free and soon he would pay the Drukhari back. Soon.

It was later that night after the feasting and the duels of honor between the Salamanders and the White Scars that Jaghatai and Vulkan bid N'Bella good night. But of course the child didn't want to admit she was tired.

"I can stay up! I'm not tired! She yawned immediately after saying that, making her case a bit weak.

"If I tell you a story will you go to sleep," Jaghatai offered.

N'Bella smiled. She would settle for this. "Okay! I wanna hear about your fight with the Eldar Princess in the Dark City!"

Jaghatai sighed at that name she'd given Lelith. He had no idea what made him lie like this. He preferred to be a plain speaker and calling someone as dangerous and vicious as Lelith a "Princess" was an immense lie. But he found himself wanting to protect N'Bella from the cruel realities of the Galaxy she lived in. "Alright then. Though you've probably heard this story a thousand times already."

"I don't mind! It's my favorite!" She curled under the fur blankets, Skadi right beside her.

"Very well. Sit back, child, and hear my story." Of course, the story he told was much more... child friendly than what really happened.

It had been a few years and Victrious was getting bored of my constant victories in the arena. More and more opponents were sent against me, Gorignak, and Vect and they all fell to my blade. Eventually, I received a dao power sword as a prize for my victories. It had belonged to one of my sons. I knew it from the markings on the blade. I swore that I would kill the one who took this blade. Somehow.

Eventually, I was told something interesting from Vect when we were at our apartment. "You will be fighting Lelith tomorrow."

"And I should care... why," I asked, toying with the wine and smelling it to make sure there was no blood in it.

"Lelith Hesperax is one of the deadliest warriors in Commorragh. Her skill with a blade is legendary in the arena and my dear brother has hired her to take care of you."

"How do you know this and don't you mean she was hired to take care of you?"

Vect smiled at me and downed his wine. "I have my sources and no I don't mean me. You have become quite popular. Even more so than my brother. He does not like that. Any Kabal ruler who is less popular than a Mon-keigh is not seen as fit to rule. If you are greater than him, then it threatens his standing. He is going to great lengths to make sure you die. It will be quite a show."

The more I got to knew Vect, the more I began to understand that Vect spoke in half-truths and mostly lies. Still, as the years had gone on, I had become bored myself of the increasingly easy victories. A good fight was just I needed.

The next day I was in the arena, awaiting my opponent when she entered. She was tall, lithe, her long red hair tied in a long ponytail that was tied through with hooks and barbs, and dressed in black with her midriff bared for all to see. She held a pair of curved knives in hands that had nails sharpened into talons. She was... attractive for a xenos. At least a mortal would think so. To me, all I saw was a killer.

She smiled at me with the look of a felid that just saw a wounded avian and was licking its lips. She charged at me, blades held behind her, her teeth bared in a feral grin. She spun the blades forward and stabbed at my stomach. I parried both blades with the dao and spun around her on one foot. In that same motion, I chopped down, aiming to sever her head from her shoulders. Almost in an instant, she sprinted forward, with my blade only cutting a few strands of her hair.

She kept running forward, eventually reaching the arena wall which she ran up and sprang off back towards me. With one blade held at a downward stabbing angle and the other in a slashing motion, Lelith bit into my bare shoulder with one while the other barely missed my head as I ducked, only cutting a few strands of hair as well. She wrapped her long legs around my torso and leaned in and whispered in my ear in a soft yet husky voice.

"We are now even, Mon-keigh. A few hairs for a few hairs. Now I've drawn first blood. See if you can draw second blood."

As the battle continued, it became more and more like a dance. It was a battle of speed and precision with each cut made cleanly with a quick strike until we were bleeding from dozens of wounds. Blood dripped down our bodies and over our blades, causing puddles to form at our feet. In terms of skill, she was easily my equal, or at least close to it. She was amazing and I feel no shame in admitting that. I was actually laughing. I was laughing like I used to in the old days of the Great Crusade fighting against Orks, resisting populations, and the Nephilim. Eventually, the one with a healing factor and a height and weight advantage won out. I had her by the throat, her talons clawing at my wrist.

"I win, Xenos Wych." She smiled at me and licked her lips.

"A fine fight, Mon-keigh. If I wasn't so certain there is nothing down there, I would mount you for a celebratory lay. Though it would disgust me to lay with one of your kind."

I growled at her. "As it would me. I hold your life in my hands and with one snap, I could kill you. But... I think you could be useful."

I don't know why I spared her life. She had the blood of thousands on her hands and more would be added. But with her in my debt, I could use her against Victrious. It was what we did. We used what weapons we had and I wanted out of this horrible city.

I dropped her to the arena floor and sheathed my sword. I turned to Victrious in the stands. "I claim her life! She is mine to do with as I please! Who dares to question my victory?"

The crowd turned to Victrious who smiled and waved his hand in acceptance. To go along with the image of a barbarian warrior, I threw her over my shoulder and exited the arena. It always paid to play it to the crowd.

Lelith gave a hollow and cruel laugh. "I see. So maybe you do have something under there after all, Mon-keigh. I heard you rejected every pleasure girl sent as a gift to you. Perhaps you were looking for something better." She began to slowly drive one of her talons into my back as I walked. I ignored it.

"No, I have no interest in the likes of you, Xenos Wych. What I want from you is your help in killing Victrious so I can get out of this Throne Forsaken hellhole!"

This time Lelith let out a roar of a laugh. "You want to actually kill Victrious? You realize that every day in Commorragh is another day the leader of the Kabal is under threat, right? What makes you think you can do any better?"

"Because I am me. I am a Primarch and I have killed greater monsters than Victrious."

"You may have killed lesser beings, Mon-keigh, but our kind are not so easily slaughtered like cattle. Just ask She Who Thirsts."

I stopped to pull her off my shoulder and held her around the waist. I glared into her eyes. "Call me 'Mon-keigh' again and I will gut you, Wych."

She smiled and actually leaned forward and planted a kiss on my lips which I pulled back from almost immediately. "Fine, 'Khan'. But you better be more amusing than the others who have tried and failed. Otherwise I might just kill you."

I sneered and pulled her hair back, ignoring the sharp implements woven in there. "You can try. Also, never do that again."

Her smile widened as I pulled. "No... promises. Also, one more thing."

"What?"

"Could you try pulling... harder? It feels... quite nice."

I released her and threw her down and motioned for her to follow. She gave me a pouting look, but did as I bid her. Now I had another ally, albeit one that would sooner stab me in the back as gladly as she would strangle an infant. But I would endure it. I would endure her barbs. I would endure her advances if she made any. It would all be worth it when I gained my freedom.

As Jaghatai finished telling the more age appropriate version of the story, he noticed N'Bella had fallen asleep, her arms wrapped around her sleeping wolf. He leaned over her and stroked her forehead before getting up to leave. As he exited N'Bella's chambers, he saw that Vulkan was waiting outside, a smile on his face.

"Thank you for not telling her everything as it exactly happened," Vulkan said. "I doubt she would be able to understand what you and Lelith did in your spare time."

Jaghatai scowled at his brother's jest. "Nothing. Happened. Between us, brother. Please don't joke about that."

Vulkan smiled again and patted the Khan's shoulder. "Apologies, brother. But you tell that tale well. You know, I never heard exactly how you escaped Commorragh."

"Very carefully," Jaghatai said with a smile. "And it nearly cost me my life."

"Even after you helped put Vect on the throne?"

Jaghatai glowered at the mention of that name. "Whose to say I put him on the throne?"

"What do you mean?"

"Do you really wish to know, Vulkan? Do you really wish to know how I escaped?"

Vulkan nodded. "Tell me, brother."

"Very well. Follow me and I will tell you the truth of it."

It had taken many years of planning and preparations, but we finally got the backing we needed to move against Victrious. Other houses that had grown tired of Victrious agreed to back Vect and me in our move against him. We rallied slaves to our cause and gained access to the plans of Victrious' palace in order to make the proper plan of attack. We gained proper weapons to fight his soldiers with and prepared to make our move.

I gave no speeches the night before we attacked. None were needed. They all knew this would end with practically everyone dead, but death was a release from the Hell of Commorragh. If you were not a Drukhari or treasured by the Kabals, you were expendable for their pleasure.

We struck from the shadows, hard and fast. There was no laughter, but instead we left the mark of the White Scars in their flesh. When we made it to the gates of the Kabal of the Black Heart, we struck with all our strength. Gorignak lead the charge, screaming out his "WAAAAGH!" as he did. The splinter rifles peppered his green flesh as he hacked them apart. For the first time since I met him, he was truly happy.

As the gates closed, he jammed his hands between the doors and forced them open. We charged in, firing our weapons at every enemy combatant that came into our sights. Lelith and I eventually came together, fighting back to back. As the enemies began to fall back, I looked at Gorignak. The Ork was on his knees, splinters and shards sticking out of his body, his breathing labored as he attempted to get back on his feet. He wanted to die fighting in "Da Big Fight" as he called it during our planning sessions. He pulled himself up on his feet and roared to the heavens.

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!"

It was... unsettling. I knew that I was seeing a dead man walking. I lowered my weapons and stared at him. Our eyes met and I knew we had reached an... understanding. He had sworn he would try to kill me one day. It had been his dream ever since the day we met. He wanted to fight a Primarch and I was the closest one possible. His head exploded as the sound of a weapon rang out from above.

I looked up to see a flock of Scourge descending upon us, shardcarbines picking off many of our people. As our soldiers died around us, Vect, Lelith, and I took our chance to make for the main building where Victrious resided. We couldn't worry about our people. They had known the risk. This was their release.

We fought our way through the stronghold, our enemies dying in droves as they tried to get in our way. I was so close. I was so close that I could taste Victrious' blood on my tongue.

I caught a glimpse of Vect as we fought, a slit of a smile on his thin face. He was so close to killing his brother after years of planning and getting what he felt was rightly his. I was almost sorry things were not going to go exactly as he planned.

After fighting our way through the halls of the Black Heart Kabal, we finally made it to a pair of massive doors that would open onto the throne room. Victrious' throne room. Sheathing my sword, I pushed with all my might until the doors began to open. Vect and Lelith held back as I did, guarding me in case anymore of Victrious' minions tried to stab me in the back. Drukhari often like to take advantage of any opportunity to kill their enemy. Backstabbing is just second nature to their kind.

The doors came open and there he was, sitting on a throne of ebony and onyx, wearing elaborate and gaudy clothing and a headdress with a mask over it. Lord Victrious. He smiled at me and gestured for me to come forward, like a king allowing the peasantry to enter his presence. I gave him a wide grin as I approached, my hands clenching and unclenching as I fought the urge to draw my sword. I had to play this carefully if I wanted to get out of here.

"So, Mon-keigh... you made it after all." Victrious gave me a polite applause as I approached. "To think that you would breach my gates after all these years." He stood up and gave me a mocking bow that made me want to strangle him. "So, I guess you're going to want to fight me. The brave leader of the resistance facing off against the cruel tyrant to put his friend on the throne that was denied to him at birth. It's quite theatrical, wouldn't you say?"

I nodded as Vect stood next to me with Lelith at my back. "I had thought about doing that. Throne knows you deserve it for the many horrible things you've done... but I don't think I will. After all... there is no Lord Victrious is there, Vect?"

The Drukhari beside me was about to speak when I drew my sword in a flash and whirled on the one I had called Vect for many years, cutting his head from his shoulders. The headless corpse fell to the floor, its head rolling across the throne room. I looked back at Lelith with an icy glare, daring her to do something. She had been in on it. I was sure of it. None of this had been real. The lives lost today had all been part of a game played by a bored despot and I was done with his games.

The Eldar that called himself Victrious smiled and began to laugh. It grew and grew in volume before it was ringing off the walls. It was the sound of someone who hadn't laughed in a long time and had been holding it back for years. He clapped as he doubled over with laughter. "Wonderful! Just wonderful! I was wondering when you would figure it out! All these years and you finally figured out the truth," Asdrubael Vect said as he removed the mask and headdress, revealing his long pale white hair. "You even figured out the fake Vect wasn't who he said he was. I am surprised. The last time you got far, you were stabbed in the back by Mithos with the knockout drug." He gestured to the corpse.

I nodded as I drew my pistol and pointed it at Lelith in case she tried anything. "So you were erasing my memory. You must have been really bored if you wanted to keep playing the same game over and over again. Then again, they say those who try doing the same thing over and over expecting something new are the definition of insanity."

Vect nodded in ascent. "True. And it gets incredibly boring just waiting for another uprising to occur. Then you came along and inspired hope among the plebeian masses. You got them hoping for freedom. Or at least a meaningful death. Either way, it doesn't matter. I applaud you, Jaghatai Khan. A shame about Mithos though. When did you suspect him?"

"Our conversations. They seemed so... repetitive. As if we'd had them over and over before. Then I began to think about how rehearsed they seemed. True, you picked a promising actor, but Mithos just could not sell me on the downtrodden prince angle. He was too... well fed, even for a pit fighter. It was just about the fourth or fifth round that I decided to test this. I asked him something I hadn't before: How this pit of a city began."

Vect raised a hairless eyebrow. "And how did that go?"

"He told me everything. How your people became so decadent that you created a Chaos God and destroyed yourselves. How the Drukhari ran away like pathetic worms, trying to stave off that which comes to all lifeforms in the end: Death. And here you are. Hiding away in the lap of luxury. Punishing a Galaxy that had the gall to survive what your species could not. Honestly, it just confirmed what I suspected about you all along."

Vect was glaring daggers at me as I spoke. I could tell he wanted to leap at me and tear out my throat. I was glad. He was finally showing me his true self and not the arrogant bastard he put himself up as. "And what... was that... exactly?"

"That you are utterly pathetic as a species." I smiled at him as I said the words. "Honestly, you are the most cowardly part of your species. At least the Eldar that dwell on their worlds have the courage to face their doom in the open instead of hiding. But you... you are so bitter and pathetic as a species that you punish humans for being stronger than you in every way."

Vect started to grind his perfect teeth together. I looked out of the corner of my eye at Lelith. She looked amazed that I had even said those words. "What... did you... say?"

"You heard me. My people may be weak of spirit, but you know what? They do not give up. Some will fall in the centuries to come. Some will give up and worship the Four, but others will fight. Others will fight back against Chaos and your kind and they will not lay down and let themselves die like sheep. They will fight you and they will win because you, Asdrubael Vect, are weak. Your species is pathetic and I am surprised you haven't been wiped out already." I laughed. I laughed louder and harder than Vect had. And it felt wonderful. I was free to let out years of frustration and oppression in one long and glorious laugh. It was heaven and Vect's death glare at me made it all worth it.

Jaghatai smiled at Vulkan's amazed expression as he drew his story to a close. "Well? How did you escape?"

Jaghatai's smile became a grin. "I dropped a flash charge out of my boot heel and made for the window. After landing, I grabbed one of their bikes and made for an exit out of the city. They chased me throughout the city before I made it to the city gate. By then I was surrounded and did not expect to survive. I was fine with it. I had said what I'd wanted to say after so many years under Vect's thumb, being mindwiped and made to go through the same things again and again like a puppet on strings. I was done playing his game and I welcomed death."

"And what happened next?"

"Well, as I said I was surrounded. Then, out of nowhere, the order came from Vect that I was to be let go. The gate was opened and I went through into the Warp. After a while... I lost myself. Then I woke up and you had saved me. That's it."

Vulkan considered those words before asking something else. "Why do you think Vect let you go?"

Jaghatai shrugged. "I do not know. Perhaps he wanted to reward my efforts? Perhaps he saw something in me he wanted to break by delivering me to the Warp? I don't know. But I know that we are not done. One day he will come for me. I have done far worse than hurt him. I humiliated him. All those years and he never broke my spirit. He was probably banking on me reacting to the revelation of my mindwiping worse than I had. But I did not break. And I never will." He smiled at Vulkan. "I hope you liked my story, Vulkan."

Vulkan smiled. "I did. I look forward to its eventual ending."

On the Nightfall, the First Captain of the Night Lords clung to the shadows. He had to find his contact before doing anything else. He checked every cell just in case she had been found out. All he found were Imperial Guard survivors from Cadia and a few Loyalist Space Marines being ground down for torture. He made no attempt to rescue them. They did not matter. They were not what he was here for. He had to find her and then... him. He had to see if the rumors were true. He had to find out if his father had returned after 10,000 years.

As he clung to the shadows, the First Captain felt as if he was being watched. As if the shadows themselves were watching him. He turned around, his hand on his knife handle. If he was discovered, he was as good as dead. He could not afford to be caught. If the captives saw him, then he would kill them. Needless deaths, yes, but necessary for his mission.

He scanned the darkness and found nothing. He let out a silent sigh and turned around to continue his search. As he moved, the shadows behind him began to swirl. Part of the shadows became lighter as they formed a face that was half white and half black. The face smiled at the departing First Captain. His prodigal son had returned.

Author's Notes:

Hey, guys! I'm back at last! It's been a while since my last update, but I had to take care of some me things. They mainly involved me and my roommates moving out of our old apartment into a new house and then upgrading and fixing up that house where we're able to. It's not a total wreck luckily, but it does have things that it needs work on. But we're almost done and soon we'll be back on our feet at last and back to our normal routine. That and work has been a bit rough, but what can you do?

Anyways, onto the story and its inspiration. I am not the first to do a story about Jaghatai and his possible time in Chogoris. In fact, someone probably had this twist before, but I thought about doing my thing all the same. However, originally I had the idea that Victrious would be a separate character and the Khan would kill him and put Vect on the throne. But then I heard a story read by Luetin09 that was written by Gav Thorpe. It was about Vect telling the story of how Eldar fell to an Imperial Guard he'd captured and he ended it with the "reveal" that he'd been there at the beginning. Whether or not that is true is up to interpretation, but I like to think of it as Vect messing with a guy because he was bored.

Really, this story was me talking about what I think of the Dark Eldar as a whole. You're free to disagree with my interpretation, but I do see them as bitter children who cannot let go of the fact that their time is over. They screwed themselves over and have been taking it out on the younger races for millennia. The idea of Jaghatai having been through this rebellion scenario multiple times was something I thought Vect would be a trolling bastard to put him through. But Jaghatai is the Khan. He does not break easily.

I had meant for a more descriptive escape scene, but I felt the climax had been Jaghatai's "reason you suck" speech to Vect.

I also had meant for Lelith to do more, but... I blanked. Sorry, guys. I do plan to bring her back in the future though. I wanted to do more with the Commorragh setting, but I wanted to get back to the main story as well. Vect will return to dance with the Khan as will Lelith.

As for the epilogue? Well... I am not saying who that is. I plan for it to be a surprise that I hope people will appreciate. :) Thanks for reading and to those that stuck with me.