"I didn't expect Horus and Lorgar—or rather, that clone—to return to the Imperium," Jaghatai said.
Magnus' return made sense—an undercover assignment. But Horus was the Arch-Traitor!
And yet Father had forgiven him and restored him to the Primarchs.
"There's a lot to it. Father says whoever sat as Warmaster would have been corrupted. Horus was, in a sense, the first Primarch to fall," Guilliman said.
"And Lorgar's clone—why not Lorgar himself?" Jaghatai asked.
"Impossible. You know him. He once worshiped Father as a god, but afterward his only god was another," Guilliman said.
They spoke of Guilliman's resurrection, fighting alongside Rhodes at Baal, the Terran Crusade, the liberation of Terra,
the defeat of the Tyranids and Orks, the alliance with the Aeldari,
the foiling of the Death God of Chaos, the gradual return of the Primarchs, the Indomitus Crusade's triumph over a Chaos god at Vigilus, and the destruction of Fulgrim.
"Stirring battles. Just hearing them makes me want to join," Jaghatai said, eyes alight.
These decades were more epic than the Imperium's prior ten thousand years—one great war after another.
Especially the new threat—Tyranids. From Guilliman's tone, their danger to humanity was immense.
"Now, we face an unprecedented trial. Chaos ravages the Imperium Nihilus. All our brothers have gone there to fight.
We must win—and annihilate a Chaos god," Guilliman said.
"Hahaha! For Humanity, for the Imperium, for Father!
I'll join this war. I'll return to Chogoris at once, rally my gene-sons, and launch a grand crusade into the Imperium Nihilus to aid our brothers," Jaghatai declared.
Where the Imperium needs him and his riders, they will go.
"Many White Scars are already in the Indomitus fleets and the Nihilus crusades. Though their Primarch was absent, your sons have never ceased to fight.
With you to lead them, they'll blaze even brighter, and the Imperium will be more united than ever," Guilliman said.
Jaghatai's return would lift morale again. But first, an upgrade—like Corax.
Otherwise, in his current state, he might be weaker than a dreadnought with ultrasaur augmentation.
"Rhodes has a Cosmic Beast ready for you. Fuse with it, master its power,
then extract a new perfect gene-seed. Take special organs home, and muster the Legion," Guilliman said.
As he spoke with Jaghatai, Guilliman contacted Rhodes via psychic link.
Unlike Corax, who needed Chaos purged first, Jaghatai was intact and could fuse immediately.
"Rhodes, how's Jaghatai's beast? What will you give him?" Guilliman asked.
"I'm still considering. Ask his preferences—what attributes, what form—and I'll prepare it," Rhodes said.
Speed type? Power type? What element? Let him choose.
Guilliman nodded and relayed the question, also describing his own Black Tortoise—ultimate defense.
"I'm not picky. If I must choose—eagles, grey wolves, white stags. A mighty raptor or a wolf," Jaghatai said.
Guilliman relayed it.
Eagles, grey wolves, white stags—the symbols of the steppe.
So—a great eagle, or a giant wolf.
Rhodes had two wolf-types in hand, earmarked for the Wolves—one had already lent genes to upgrade old Bjorn.
For birds, there was Bemstar or Firebird Birdon—both already bonded. A stronger raptor? There was Terochess from Ultraman—but at only 18,000 tons and a terrestrial origin, too weak even after phantasmization.
Summon a new Bemstar? Or reuse Birdon from the Tyranid war and phantasmize it?
"Rhodes, you can handle Jaghatai's case now. You're not critical here," the Emperor's voice sounded in Rhodes's mind.
Emperor was the main force; the others merely suppressed the shard. Rhodes's job had been to sort Fulgrim's powers, but Fulgrim was dead in body, soul, and spirit.
So Rhodes had been basically redundant, only needed at the end to open a pocket dimension when the shard was stripped.
The Emperor wanted Rhodes to peel off and handle current Imperial issues. Magnus or Malcador could cover Rhodes's share.
"Understood. I'll also purge the Chaos from Corax and bring both Primarchs into the Nihilus war," Rhodes said, leaving the palace and the shard-stripping to the Emperor, the Life Goddess, and his three subordinates.
Soon Rhodes stood before Guilliman and Jaghatai.
"Rhodes, you're not needed for the shard?" Guilliman asked.
Jaghatai nodded a greeting.
"Not urgently. My team and the Emperor can handle it.
I'm here to prepare Jaghatai's cosmic beast and to cleanse Corax of Chaos and prepare his beast as well," Rhodes said.
"Good. I was going to ask you after the shard work," Guilliman said.
"Corax? What happened? Why didn't you tell me?" Jaghatai frowned.
"Apologies. I withheld part of it. Corax has returned, but in a special state. Over the long years,
he lingered in Warp realms, unknowingly transforming fully into Chaos.
Plus Fulgrim's frame-up—he became a Daemon Prince," Guilliman sighed.
"Damn it! How did that happen? Rhodes, you can save him?" Jaghatai asked.
"Of course. I'll summon Emperor Avatars and, with their psychic might and cosmic beast power, purge the Chaos and rebuild him a new body," Rhodes said.
Impossible for others, easy for him.
He could summon the First Emperor Avatar, then dozens more, use their psychic power to scour Corax, protect his soul with phantasm power, utterly purge Chaos,
then use Yapool tech to craft a body stronger than a Primarch's. As for Corax's monster—since he's the Raven Lord, give him a dark or corvid beast.
"I'll list some candidates—discuss and choose," Rhodes said, projecting profiles so the Primarchs could consider temperaments.
"Rhodes, I've decided—I want the raptor beast Horoboros," Jaghatai chose a red-and-white-feathered, powerful bird.
Horoboros first appeared in Ultraman R/B episode 5, fierce and warlike. Max speed Mach 8, vast wings that whip up tornadoes with winds over 90 m/s.
It stands 55 meters tall, 20,000 tons, commands storms.
It wields the power of gales; fully enhanced it reaches 62.5 meters and 30,000 tons.
Price: 100,000 coins; maxing it out costs under 30,000 more—respectable mid-tier.
Great look—though in a real fight, Rhodes reckoned even an unenhanced Bemstar might beat it.
"How about its variant—the Wind Demon King Basser? Stronger and scales better," Rhodes suggested.
Pricier than Horoboros, but slightly stronger—same family, but a king.
"I like the white plumage. Same lineage means similar power—storm either way," Jaghatai said.
Rhodes shrugged. The Khan was saving him money? Fine—same species, with evolution potential.
He redeemed the raptor, maxed its enhancements, spent a million system coins to phantasmize it, then handed it to Jaghatai for fusion.
After fusing, red-and-white wings unfurled from Jaghatai's back. His hands bore eagle talons that could, at a thought, merge into a power scimitar.
He could now gigantify in battle—his strength surged. The raptor suited him perfectly.
"Much obliged, Rhodes. It fits the steppe eagles of home," Jaghatai said, power newly aflame.
"Don't mention it. Next—the other beast. For Corax, I've picked Night Fang, a powerful shadow-type.
Height 62 meters, mass 62,000 tons—poison and darkness attributes, with sonic attacks," Rhodes said.
With Jaghatai set, Rhodes picked a fitting monster for the Raven Lord. It appears in Ultraman Taiga, decent combat power,
and its shadow and venom powers match the Raven Lord well.