Months had been spent without respite following the return to Galidraan, when the seat of Dathrohan was cleansed of its vapid impurity at the hand of the Knight-Paladin himself. Coruscant and Nirauan both nearly brought him low and facing the end closely. The armor was wearing thin, even as he refused to show a sliver of weakness in the face of the enemy, the mortal coil of man was only so resilient. Regardless of his waning fire, duty called. Almost immediately following the dogged defense of Nirauan and New Carannia, Dathrohan was summoned back to the NIV Ferrata for his next assignment at the hand of the Knight Admiral Wilhuff Krieg.
Donning his argent armor marked with streaks of burned, ashen black and scratched metal, he clutched his helmet under his right arm, standing at attention in the command deck of the Star Dreadnought, the cybernetic Naval officer turned to face him.
<"Your report was...foreboding, to say the least. We cannot continue to wage a war like this in all candidness, Knight-Lieutenant."> Krieg said, referring in no doubt to The Perished that flooded the streets of New Carannia in tandem with the devastating savagery the Maw struck with into one of the breathing lungs of the Imperial state. They were, for the first time, well and truly on the back foot. They needed to re-seize the initiative in some form, in any form.
"Surely we're preparing for a counteroffensive?" Waymar inquired, all but ready to lurch into the fray weapons ready once more.
<"Not my decision to make, unfortunately...but you know the nature of our Emperor. I would not wait too much longer for that time to come. But even so, you have further duties, Knight. I'll relay further on your vessel."> Krieg said before offering a nod of dismissal. A vague command but lined in silver with the prospect of the collar of military command loosening and returning to more independent duty. Usually, his next orders were to report to further training and instruction within the mobile redoubt that was the NIV Ferrata- or to prepare his unit for the next approach, this command suggested a more subtle task, one aside the nature of tactical command that Dathrohan had been adapted to.
"Your will be done, Admiral." He said, offering a slight bow of the head in return before turning on his heel to take his leave.
<"One more thing, Knight Lieutenant-"> Wilhuff piped up only for Waymar to arch a brow as he glanced back in the direction of his superior.
<"That Witch you seized from Dathomir, 'Vollmond', she has yet to find a place within our Order, and thus- she will be accompanying you. Find a purpose for her that serves the interests of The Empire and if you can not- the Order will find one."> The Admiral stated before dismissing him again.
The concluding sentiment of Krieg was as foreboding as it was vague, but that was the nature of the man he'd come to know in the First Crusade Fleet, not too unlike a reflection of the Emperor they bent the knee in command and service of. But even so, Vollmond had proven her mettle in New Carannia in the presence of Dathrohan, but his coming endorsement of Errant Zambrano would leave the weight he carried strained. If he wanted any more favors of the knights, he would have to shoulder the burden for some time longer.
The blast door pried open to the hangar bay allotted to the Knight with a crawl of slick durasteel before giving way to the two vessels assigned to Dathrohan. An Eta 11X Crusader-class Starfighter and an XK-70 Revenant-class Light Corvette, both serving specialized purposes in Knight operations, with the latter serving as a nigh mobile abode away from this crusade dreadnought.
In the shatter of the Corvette stood the very woman he was told to collect, no doubt given the same instructions to report here with such short notice. In the wake of the nigh existential battle they'd faced not hours prior, his ingrained senses ultimately doubted that his face would be the next she'd care to see but even so, here he was.
"So it seems you are my problem a bit longer, Vollmond." He remarked, attempting to raise the demeanor of the air between them in nigh futility, still donning the battered knight battle armor only awash from the crimson ichor it was bathed in from the hordes of undead hours prior.
"You did well in New Carannia...but even still, the Knights are hesitant to integrate you into the ranks...but expects service nonetheless. So we've an assignment, of what nature...I don't know." He said, approaching the open boarding ramp of the vessel.
"I trust you well enough if it's any consolation...but even so- if they're not immediately moving to strike back at the Maw, I'd rather not get too comfortable aboard here, let's leave." He said with a motion of his hand as he moved to step aboard the vessel.
