Standing before the Summoning Circle, Adam channels his mind into the Immaterium and commands its power before he invokes upon the summoning spell.
Immediately all the screens on the command room flashes red with numerous warnings about the Fate Summoning System being forced beyond its limit. After all, to summon Heroic Spirits from another Universe, Adam needs to first open a hole into the said Universe. Even with limitless energy, he still finds himself feeling strained and his face contorted with frown.
A terrible aftermath already happened around them as the sky shook and released its wrathful cries of thunder. Then, finally the energy swirling in the Summoning Circle finally converged and signifying the summon is successful.
A hulking figure adorned with a full black power armor with several symbols of black Maltese cross with a skull in the middle. But while usually one would identify a Space Marines through the emblem they carry, Adam recognise this one through the black sword it carries which is chained to his own arm. The Space Marine was kneeling on the ground and both hand pressing on the black sword that was placed upright, planted on the ground in front of him.
Lifting his scar marred face, he look first at Malcador with recognition before at Adam besides Malcador. Wordlessly, he stood up and look at his surroundings before looking back at Malcador.
"Is this the after life? I remember my duel with Abaddon and consequently my death." He said with the lack of emotions and surprise. But perhaps seeing Malcador who supposed to be dead, helped him reaching this conclusion.
But, when he had done addressing Malcador. He turn to Adam and when he express little emotions when talking to Malcador, it was different with Adam when anger, fury and indignation filled his face.
"Sigismund!" Malcador spoked sternly, staring at the Son of Rogal Dorn and High Marshall of the Black Templar.
But Adam quickly placed his hand before Malcador, telling him it's fine. After all, he deserves this. It was his mistake in the first place and he will bear it himself.
"Better to let him vent than let it fester later." Adam said to Malcador resolutely before turning back to Sigismund.
Seeing that Malcador was no longer interfering, Sigismund's wrath renewed and lashed out on Adam despite the horror in the eyes of the Chaldeans and the Romans.
"Where were you when The Emperor needed you the most? Where were you when the traitors beset upon the Holy Terra? Where were you? Too busy launching your own crusade and in the warp? Answer me!" Sigismund bare his blade against Adam in his fit of rage.
Who wouldn't?
After all, the Gray Knights Legion was founded solely for the purpose of combating Chaos. For those that isn't the Emperor and Malcador who is unaware of the greater truth would though the Gray Knights are the weapon The Emperor prepared in anticipation of the Horus Heresy which arguably the most perfect battlefield for them yet when the day of the Horus Heresy arrived, not even one Gray Knights can be seen battling the traitors when they had breached the Holy Terra itself. Hence, Sigismund's anger. He and many others sees the victory of the Chaos was due to Adam and his Legion being absent, too busy playing in the Warp when in truth, if the Gray Knights had not serve as the forward forces to held the Chaos Forces within the Warp, the Horus Heresy will played out even worse yet few sees or understand the sacrifice made by Adam and his Gray Knights because their actions are shrouded in secrecy.
Being reminded of his mistake despite not being one, dampen Adam's mood. No matter how The Emperor and Malcador do not blame him since their deaths are all predestined, Adam does still feel that it is his fault that they both have to die.
"Answer me!" Sigismund slammed Adam's chest with a left hook which left him staggered a little but without any lasting injury due to his thick armor.
"Where were you when the Traitors and Daemons besieged the Holy Terra?" Sigismund continued with slamming the butt of his sword at Adam.
"Where were you when The Daemons breached the Emperor's Webway?" Sigismund planted his knee on Adam's stomach
"Where were you when The Emperor confronted the Warmaster Horus?" Another punch hit Adam's exposed face and tore his cheek and broke a few of his teeth. Yet Adam received all unflinchingly.
"Nowhere. You were nowhere to be found. Yet, when everything had died down. You have the audacity to return like nothing happened and take over everything?" Sigismund growled, heaving his heavy breath and staring at Adam with suspicion. "It's very convenient isn't it? Only when everything had ended and your intact Legion came in and took over everything."
"Enough! I will not tolerate this any further, Sigismund! Adam!" Malcador enforces the power of his mind, sending Psychic force to forcefully separate the two.
Then Sigismund stared at Malcador, confused why he would protect that scheming traitor that is trying to usurp the Imperium.
Malcador understood the questioning look that Sigismund gave him and he calmly explained.
"I will say this once and you better remember this, Sigismund. Everything that happened is by The Emperor's will. Adam and the Gray Knights Legion is not to be blamed for the defeat of Imperium during the Horus Heresy since it was a predestined event. Adam and the Gray Knights had been waging war in the Warp in order to stall the movement of the Chaos Gods, or else, the losses of the Imperium will be much greater than what you had seen. Not to mention, even after your death in the hands of Abaddon. He stood vigil upon Terra and the countless battlefields across Imperium, shouldering the duty of mine and the Emperor for ten thousand years in order to fulfill the prophecy that The Emperor had foreseen."
"You do not have the right to criticize him. Neither me nor The Emperor, much less you." Malcador said with finality and ultimatum while also looking a little disappointed at Sigismund.
Of course, if it was anyone else. Sigismund wouldn't believe those words that easily. But this is from Malcador. Besides, his Father, Rogal Dorn and The Emperor, he wouldn't believe anyone's words that easily.
There are still many that he did not understand about the mysterious 21th unofficial Primarch that is shrouded in secrecy. But from how Malcador defended Adam, he cannot see Adam as a traitor and from what Malcador described, Adam continues to lead the Imperium for another ten thousand years after the death of Malcador and Emperor being enshrined on the Golden Throne as the Imperial Regent.
If those are indeed true, then. Perhaps he did indeed make a mistake. Yet he couldn't understand how Adam willingly took the beating without even trying to defend himself.
"So, I presume that we no longer have grievances between us? If not, good. Because I'm going to summon more." Adam returns to the Summoning Circle and lets Malcador help brief Sigismund of the task that they are going to take on soon.
———
After that little debacle, Adam returns to summon other people from his previous Universe.
As before, he channels the energy from the Immaterium into the Summoning Circle and recites the chant before the energy converges and transforms into a pillar of energy, piercing through the boundary of the Universe to summon other people from the Imperium.
This time, the one summoned was a Space Marine in silver power armor just like Adam and Alina. After all, during this summon. Adam used a relic, his Titansword that represented the Gray Knights Legion to pinpoint the summon towards his Gray Knight members.
This particular Gray Knights is not just any Gray Knights because he is outfitted with a Terminator Artificer Armor which means he is someone special to be given such precious Power Armor few have the honor to wear. This Gray Knight is a Paladin, elite amongst the already elite Gray Knights Legion. A very familiar one too.
When the Gray Knight Paladin suddenly drops his knee to the ground, Adam holds his falling body to stop him. He already expected this reaction, yet when seeing it. He felt pained for abandoning them for the sake of his own freedom after all, they are all considered his son after being implanted with his Gene-Seed.
"I had failed you Milord." The Paladin spoked before hastily took off his helmet to reveal his face filled with grief and regret. Both for being unable to prevent Adam's sacrifice.
"No. You had not, now stand up properly. There are circumstances behind my choice, Kaldor." Adam ordered Kaldor Draigo, an exalted member of the Gray Knights that qualifies to be a Grand Master but chose to be his Honor Guard to fight alongside him, a Champion.
After that, he put the matter of talk on hold as he continued to summon until he got the one he needed. Which took a dozen tries and all were members of his Honor Guards which Adam realised his mistake for using Titansword, a relic only few have connections to and replaced with a more general relic of the Gray Knights, the Liber Daemonica.
The summoned Gray Knight is a Grand Master. Grand Master Janus of the 3rd Brotherhood to be exact and he had exactly the ability he requires.
Adam figures that a Servant's power and Noble Phantasm revolve around their legend. Naturally a Grand Master who led their Brotherhood which is the equivalent to Space Marine Company, has the ability to summon more Gray Knights.
The Grand Master Janus is exactly that with one of his Noble Phantasm is capable of summoning the 3rd Brotherhood into battle as Kaldor Draigo could summon a squad of Honor Guards into battle.
After the summoning is done and they obtain sufficient members to fight Slaanesh, he stops summoning and allows Mash to retrieve her shield and inform Nero that they could resume their journey.
———
As they continue their journey, they regroup with Alina, Sif and the other Servants. They were pretty shocked to see the newer additions to their group, especially Alina.
Along the way, they get to reconnect. Talking about what future they missed due to their death. Sigismund were the most curious amongst them, asking about what happened after his death at the hand of Abaddon. The Chaldeans and Nero were joining in to listen too as Adam updated Sigismund about the future after him in his perspective.
"Because the casualties among the loyalists were significantly reduced, the Imperium managed to thwart back several Black Crusades launched by Abaddon and limit the damage he could cause. But eventually on the 14th Black Crusade where The Emperor foreseen it as the turning point of fate, we might have lost the war and Cadia. But we also prevented many deaths of the loyalists and managed to even revive Roboute Guiliman with the help of Eldar and prevented the Eye of Terror from splitting the Imperium into half with the Blackstone Pylons from the Necrons."
"No, Milord." Kaldor Draigo protested. "The one that made the sacrifice to save the people on Cadia was you and you alone. We cowards fled the world and left you to your death." The other Battle-Brothers agreed with Kaldor too as Janus did.
This time, Adam does not correct Kaldor Draigo as he understands the necessity and futility of convincing him and the other Gray Knights otherwise.
Sigismund isn't above acknowledging his mistake. After hearing the story on Adam's side, he understands the misconception that he had on him and calling him a traitor when he is perhaps one of the most loyal man fighting for the Imperium, waging war across the Realm of Chaos that would drive any normal Space Marine insane by simply treading upon its tainted soil just to bring the Imperium a sliver of hope to turn the tide for victory against the Chaos.
After the topic about the past had been fully discussed, the newcomers asked about the present. Mainly about the Forces of Chaos that find themselves upon this new untainted land. But when hearing they were up against Slaanesh and how they do not have the boon of infinite revival in this Universe, Sigismund, Kaldor, Janus and his other Battle-Brothers felt a little relieved. After all, Slaanesh was one of the weakest amongst the Chaos Gods and provided you are tough enough mentally, most of his temptation and corruption are worthless. When considering the line up that Adam summoned, an Emperor's Champion and the rest is Gray Knights, understandably they would react like this. Until Adam revealed that what he was going to hunt down it's Slaanesh's Daemons or Traitor Marines that pledged to him. But Adam is going to hunt down Slaanesh himself.
"Milord, are you sure it is possible endeavour?" Kaldor Draigo is quick to question Adam's choice considering Adam revealed that he is weakened in this Universe and without the Legion to amplify his Psychic Might, he is not even half as strong in the past when he led his Legion to lay waste upon the Realm of Chaos.
"Is that doubt I heard, Kaldor?" Adam sent the Paragon Champion a questioning look which caused Kaldor to swiftly straighten his posture and shook his head.
"I do not dare, Milord. For you had won countless unwinnable battles in the past. Surely you had your reason to pursue Slaanesh despite your weakened state."
Janus and the other Champions also agreed. If there is one legend Adam is known the most apart from his fear of slaying and banishing numerous powerful Daemon would be him always achieving victory regardless of what campaign, war or faction he fought. Never once did he ever lead his men to defeat.
Adam then laughed and revealed he was just joking with Kaldor, "It was just a simple jest, do not take it to mind." Adam said which shocked Kaldor the second time and so does the other Gray Knights since Adam is never the one to crack the joke considering how he always looked grim and solemn from the day they returned to Holy Terra and Adam heard the news of Malcador's death from the surviving Custodians and seeing the crippled and dying visage of the Emperor upon the Golden Throne.
Ignoring their shock, Adam continued and said. "While it is true that I am weakened after coming to this universe. Slaanesh also paid a similar price to come here. I am unaware of the price he paid, but one thing that I did know is that Slaanesh no longer has the protection from the Warp and killing him here would grant him a true death." Adam said before turning to Malcador for his confirmation which Malcador nodded, confirming what Adam had stated.
Their eyes immediately sharpened. Throughout the millennia of war against the Chaos. The Imperium had never found a way to properly slay a Chaos God. While exorcizing or vanishing weaker Daemon is possible to seal them for good. None of those are applicable to a Chaos God, even Slaanesh who is the weakest. So, when hearing this impossible feat is now possible. Each of them is excited. Much more than Adam to slay the Dark God and fulfill their duty to the Imperium and the Emperor, the purpose of their existence and creation.
—————
(AN: Sorry the dialogue is more on the new characters instead of the Chaldeans. It's hard to involve multiple characters in a discussion. Anyway, Adam is coming for that Slaanussy 😉.)