Roboute Guilliman looked at a certain image within the holographic projection with some uncertainty, then pulled Vulkan over to his side.
"This figure appears quite similar to Magnus. Is he the 'One-Eyed Watcher' mentioned?"
Vulkan followed Guilliman's gaze toward the distorted, re-rendered image. Though it looked somewhat uncanny, there was indeed a resemblance.
"Perhaps, Guilliman, but I cannot be certain. Think of Angron and Fulgrim; if you did not know their true identities, could you discern them in their current forms?"
Guilliman raised a hand to support his brow. "You are quite right, Vulkan. Mere imagery is insufficient. Yet, were they to stand before me, I could still recognize them by instinct alone."
Vulkan nodded in agreement. Even transformed into daemons, he could still feel that familiar essence that had once belonged to his brothers.
While the Primarchs were occupied with analyzing the prophecies and images, the nearby automata tilted its head, turning its gaze toward Yvraine in her cage.
"Based on a comprehensive analysis of the imagery and the prophecy you chanted: The One-Eyed Watcher knows the whereabouts of Leman Russ. The Iron Men shall accompany Jaghatai Khan and his progeny toward the Eye of Terror to crush the enemy's iron ramparts, but the subsequent content remains indecipherable."
"Query: Does the prophecy follow a specific sequence?"
Yvraine, listening to the machine's analysis, shook her head in response.
"I do not know."
The automata fell silent at this answer. The Primarchs, however, remained skeptical.
"Does 'Iron Colossus' refer to the Iron Men, or is there another meaning? The images displayed Jaghatai's progeny, but in so many visions, why was there no sign of the Khan himself? A xenos voluntarily steps forward to offer a prophecy containing information about a Primarch. If there is nothing amiss here, I absolutely refuse to believe it!"
Lion El'Jonson was the first to voice his suspicion. Vulkan and Jaghatai both nodded in turn. It was indeed bizarre.
Even Guilliman found it strange. The Iron Men might have long harbored plans to venture into the Eye of Terror, but the Primarchs had only just learned of this. That Jaghatai would suddenly decide to join the search for Leman Russ was equally abrupt.
When so many coincidences converged, even though Guilliman held a sliver of trust toward Yvraine, he could not help but question her true intentions. Yet, he still could not grasp the logic. The Warp was absolute forbidden territory for the Aeldari. Even if their plan succeeded and they deceived Jaghatai into accompanying the Iron Men into the Warp, what benefit would it bring the Aeldari?
Even if the plan succeeded and Jaghatai became trapped in the Warp, the Iron Men would not vanish. If Guilliman were willing to authorize the allocation of resources, the replenishment of these metallic machines would be near-instantaneous. Even his own Astartes legions could not replenish their combat strength with such speed. This would not weaken the Imperium.
Yvraine stared, wide-eyed, at her surroundings with a sense of hesitation. Compared to other Aeldari factions, her motivations were relatively simple. But she did, indeed, have her own objective. The prophecy revealed was incomplete; the latter half had been a hint provided by Cegorach.
As an Aeldari deity who had witnessed the wars of the ancient Federation, the Laughing God knew all too well how terrifying and formidable the battlefields of these "iron clods" could be. This was the Ynnari's chance to recover the final Crone Sword. Though Cegorach's prophetic powers as the Laughing God might not be considered "mighty" in the traditional sense, that did not mean he could not glimpse future visions.
Long ago, he had foreseen this scene. The human Imperium would, in all likelihood, rise again using the intellectual legacy of the old Federation, sparking an even greater war. But the Aeldari had to seize the opportunity. Given the far more extreme nature of the human Imperium compared to the Federation, all xenos would likely be purged in the end.
Slaanesh had sealed off the possibility of the Aeldari operating within the Warp. They could not wait for humanity to seal off their survival in the Materium. As for the Webway, that was even worse than the reality of the galaxy; the works of the Old Ones would eventually crumble, and the Aeldari had long since lost the power to maintain the Webway itself, unless they wished to perish along with it.
The God of the Dead had to return to resolve the constant threat Slaanesh posed to Aeldari souls within the Warp. Only then could they focus on handling subsequent issues. Humanity had that cold, Vengeful God shielding their souls in the Warp; the Orks had Gork and Mork; even the T'au had a nascent deity protecting them. Only the Aeldari stood alone.
Cegorach was no match for Slaanesh. He was a Harlequin, not a warrior. Even as a god, he was the same. Among the many Chaos powers in the Warp, his strength was meager, his domain too singular. If Ynnead could truly be birthed, then even if he could not defeat Slaanesh, perhaps he could find a way to help rescue the Goddess of Life, Isha, from Nurgle's Garden. Perhaps then they could even attempt to piece together Khaine. After all, Ynnead was the God of the Dead, Isha was the Goddess of Life, and Khaine was in a state of semi-living limbo.
As for humanity, as long as no fool proposed going to kill the Emperor, the Laughing God did not wish to meddle. After all, there were plenty of confused minds within the Aeldari ranks already stirring up trouble.
...
While Lion El'Jonson questioned the Aeldari's true purpose, a surge of psychic arc-lightning suddenly exploded in the room. From the crackling energy, a figure emerged.
"Yet another Aeldari who relies on psychic powers to break into a warship uninvited. In terms of sheer persistence, you have earned my respect."
The automata tilted its head, observing the tall, gaunt figure.
"Farseer Eldrad Ulthran?!" Yvraine, trapped within the cage, recognized the figure instantly.
Dressed in ornate black vestments and adorned with spirit-woven cloth, Eldrad glanced at Yvraine before turning his attention to the Iron Man.
"I have come to pay the ransom. And yes, that includes my own share."
The advancing combat automatons halted, shifting into defensive mode. Eldrad turned toward the cage.
"Could you unlock their shackles and release them? For the sake of the Emperor, I must at least confirm their condition."
The flickering barrier slowly dissipated, and the metal rings gradually detached from their bodies. Axion was not afraid of the Aeldari escaping.
"Hearing the word 'Emperor' from the mouth of a xenos, that is a rare occurrence indeed." Jaghatai Khan looked at the sudden arrival with astonishment.
Beside him, Guilliman silently covered his face with his hand.
"I believe we shall meet again soon."
Eldrad's form shifted, first into a silhouette that looked strangely familiar to Vulkan, and then vanished within a bolt of psychic lightning. With him went Yvraine and her entourage.
On the floor, a single tooth, a Salamander's tooth, remained. Vulkan stepped forward and picked it up, memories churning in his mind.
An automaton nearby projected a light screen. No one could trifle with the Iron Men. It clearly displayed a peculiar signal feedback emanating from the empty space near the Void Sword. Optical sensors and various scanners had failed to detect any vessel there, but Axion knew something was present.
A massive cannon barrel slowly rotated, aiming into the void.
"I will pay their price," Vulkan and Guilliman spoke simultaneously, while Jaghatai was already struggling to restrain Lion El'Jonson's hand, which was white-knuckled around the hilt of his blade.