Drax Payne

Drax Payne was an  who served during the late  and the, as well as the subsequent. Hailing from the  of, Payne was drafted into the  at a young age. His skills as a were noticed by his officers, and he was recommended for Imperial Guard training. Payne managed to pass the brutal training regimen on to become a Guardsman, however, he became one of the few who was able to resist the 's  that would link him mentally with the Emperor. Payne pretended that it worked, however, and thus was able to preserve his free will despite being an Imperial Guardsman.

He took part in several battles against the and other enemies, and would later serve as a guard of the  chambers on. He reached the rank of captain during his service, and held command of Imperial forces on several worlds. Following the 's of, Payne was the captain of the guard under , who became the  following the disappearance of Vitate.