into air； spinning； and slamming first one foot and then the other into the daemonette’s face。 Blades
in his boots sliced through infernal skin； spilling more steaming ichor； and the lord stepped back as
his incubi bodyguards finished the injured creatures； ripping them in two with powerful blows of
their punisher glaives。
“I come for you！” roared Marduk； his voice still that of the daemon； as he slashed a path towards
the dark eldar lord。
“It’s moving a little fast for a freighter； don’t you think？” commented Burias； looking with narrowed
eyes at the flickering vid…screens on which the positions of the fleets blinked。
The Imperial vessel that Marduk was located aboard had moved swiftly as the Infidus Diabolus
had swung towards it； altering its trajectory with a speed and manoeuvrability that seemed far
beyond that of a simple freighter； indeed it came about to a new heading with a swiftness that was
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far beyond any Imperial ship。 Despite its surprising swiftness； the sudden movement of the Infidus
Diabolus would surely allow at least one barrage upon it before it slipped out of range。
“Targeting matrices locked on；” croaked seven daemon…servitor symbiotes in unison。
“Fire；” barked Kol Badar。
A moment later； Burias felt the reverberations through the Infidus Diabolus as a full broadside
salvo was launched upon the curious Imperial freighter。
The eldar vessel veered to starboard as hundreds of cannon batteries unleashed their devastating
fusillade； displaying a speed of manoeuvrability that a strike craft a tenth of its size would have
envied。 That brutal salvo would have torn through the void shields of any Imperial ship in seconds；
and smashed apart its hull armour within moments； but the bulk of the shots went screaming past the
shadowy outline of the dark eldar ship。 Its mimic engines projected an outline that was vastly
different to its actual proportions； fooling the targeting arrays of the Infidus Diabolus； and hundreds
of tonnes of heavy duty ordnance roared past the ship； screaming wide of the mark。
Even with the naked eye； its exact position was impossible to discern thanks to it shadow fields；
all light refracting and curving around its hull so that it seemed barely there at all。
Still； the weight of cannon fire was heavy and indiscriminate； and it tore through the bladed
membranes of the back…swept vanes that rose like a ridge across the back of the dark eldar ship。
Several barrages also slammed into its hull proper； wreaking terrible damage。
Even as the ship dived away from the Infidus Diabolus； slicing through the void like a knife； it
returned fire； and stabbing lances of dark matter slammed into the Word Bearers’ strike cruiser。
A dozen broadside cannon batteries were destroyed instantly； and tens of hundreds of indentured
slaves； chained together in long worker gangs； whose sole existence was to load and prepare the
mighty weapons for firing； were dragged into the emptiness of space； where their organs imploded。
Fire blossomed across the strike cruiser as its hull was compromised in a handful of places； though
the flames almost instantly died as bulkheads isolated the crippled areas and the air within was
sucked into space。
The Astartes cruiser fired again； correcting its aim now that the mimic engines of the dark eldar
vessel had been nullified。
“Admiral！” shouted the flag…captain of the Hammer of Righteousness。
“What？” snapped Admiral Rutger Augustine。 His knuckles were white as he clenched the railing
before his view screen on the bridge of his flag…ship。
“That rogue freighter…” began his second in command； Gideon Cortez。
“What about it； Gideon？ We are fighting a damn engagement here。”
“It’s… it’s not an Imperial vessel； lord。”
“What are you talking about？”
“The scans； they’ve been wrong。 It’s a xenos vessel； sir。 Eldar。 They must have been
transmitting a false signal that’s been fooling our sensors。”
Augustine swore。 He had his hands full already with more than half his fleet engaged with the
tyranids。 The last thing he needed was for an eldar fleet to turn up。 One never knew what their
intentions were。 Were they here to fight the tyranids for their own benefit？ Or would they attack the
Imperial fleet while it was engaged with the xenos foe？
“Is its disposition hostile？” he asked。
“Negative； sir； it is moving away from the fleet。”
“Well that is something at least。 Ignore it。 I have no wish to incur the wrath of the eldar。 Not
here。”
“There is something else； Rutger；” said Gideon； and Augustine could hear the reticence in his
friend’s voice。 It must be bad； he thought with a sigh。
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“Go ahead；” he said wearily。
“The Adeptus Astartes cruiser has been identified。 Its signature has been pulled from the archive
banks of command central。 It is the Infidus Diabolus； lord。 Word Bearers Legion。”
“Traitors；” said Augustine。 He cast his gaze heavenwards； and barked a humourless laugh。
“Tyranids； eldar； and now traitor Space Marines。 Perfect。”
“There is some good news； sir；” said Gideon。
“Oh？” replied Augustine。
“It would appear that the eldar and Chaos ships are engaging each other。”
Augustine shook his head。
“The Emperor works in mysterious ways；” he said。
Eldar were one thing； as often friends as foes； but a cruiser of traitor Space Marines？ They were
the enemy； and must be eliminated。
“Order the Implacable to move up in support of the eldar vessel；” order Augustine。 “Order them
to engage and destroy the Infidus Diabolus。”
Marduk stumbled as the entire xenos ship was rocked by a second series of impacts； and he cursed。
He had to get off the ship。
He saw the female； flame…haired wych that had captured him cartwheel through the melee； her
whip crackling through the air behind her； and three of the daemonettes screamed in fury as their
earthly bodies were slain； disappearing into mist。
Another daemonette reared up behind her and rammed its claws through her slender； tattooed
body。 Marduk plunged his blade into the wych’s face； spitting her head on its length。 Face to face
with the daemonette； Marduk grinned。 The daemon licked its teeth at him in response； and ripping
its claws from the wych’s body； it spun lightly on its heel； claws singing through the air to
decapitate another eldar； sending its head flying。
Marduk whipped the blade free； spraying blood in a wide arc and spun to his right； slashing it
across the helmet of another warrior； the slender xenos limb slicing through the armour with
consummate ease。
Another barrage struck the eldar ship and Marduk stumbled again； cursing。
Darts spat into Marduk’s chest； and he hissed as debilitating pain wracked his body for a
moment； before the power of the warp within him surged； and he felt the pain recede。 One of the
dark lord’s guardians stood before him； and more darts were fired from the tip of its backwardscurving
helmet； which resembled a scorpion’s tail。
Marduk lifted a hand； the movement guided by the power of Slaanesh surging within him； and
the darts were halted in mid…air。 arduk sent them slicing off to the side；
where they took an eldar in the face。
The bodyguard darted towards Marduk； swinging its glaive with surprising swiftness； forcing
him to leap backwards to avoid being cut in two。 There was no time to launch a riposte； for the eldar
danced after him； its return blow striking towards his neck。
Marduk met the blow with one of his own； but the glaive sheared through his blade as if it were
not there； and though Marduk swayed to the side at the last moment to avoid the killing blow； the
blade smashed into his shoulder； sinking deep into his flesh。
Grabbing the blade with one hand； keeping the eldar from pulling it clear； the First Acolyte and
the eldar were momentarily locked together。 Marduk stood half a head taller than the slender
warrior； and over twice his weight； but the eldar was swift； despite its heavy armour。
The eldar’s foot snapped out； hitting Marduk squarely in the throat。 Again； the eldar snapped a
kick to his neck； but this time the Word Bearer met its force with his arm； clubbing down hard on
the leg as it rose towards him。
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The eldar gave a reptilian hiss of pain as its leg was broken； its armour crushed beneath the
blow。 Instantly； Marduk ripped the glaive from his shoulder and whirled it through the air。 He hit the
eldar in the back as it fell away from him； severing its spinal column。
The weapon was phenomenally light in his hands； and he slashed it to the right； cleaving the arm
from another of the eldar lord’s bodyguard as it despatched another daemonette。
There was no order to the battle。 The eldar were completely overrun by the daemons of
Slaanesh。 The musk had a powerful； intoxicating effect； and everything was brighter； more alive；
and more intense than in any battle Marduk had experienced before。 He heard every groan； scream
and gasp； and every splatter of blood as it struck the flooring。 The blood being spilled was the most
entrancing； vivid colour imaginable； and he felt a savage joy at the play of light across the armour of
the eldar warriors； the alluring smell of death； and the feel of the xenos weapon beneath his hands。
He saw the guards of the eldar lord fall one by one； dragged down into the mist； until the blackarmoured
figure stood alone； defiant and savage； yet hopelessly overwhelmed。 This one moved well；
and Marduk longed to test his strength against him； but it was not to be。
The daemonettes circled in around the eldar lord； snarling and hissing； closing off any chance of
escape； and Marduk had no wish to come between the daemons and their prey。
Another series of detonations rocked the eldar ship； and Marduk swung away from the doomed
eldar lord； leaving him to his fate。
“That one is mine；” said a voice； and Baranov looked up to see the Space Marine that had released
him from his imprisonment striding towards him through the pink mist； eyes blazing with
dominating power as he glared at the daemonette that held Baranov in its thrall。
The daemonette hissed in anger； but obediently spun away from Baranov； who cried out in
desire and pain as it relinquished its hold on him。 Bloody； stinging welts covered Baranov’s body；
and his eyes lingered on the fey creature as it spun away on one clawed foot and slashed its arm
across the neck of a slave； who was standing nearby； mouth agape。 Blood fountained from the
mortal wound； yet the man moaned in pleasure； and the daemonette bore it to the ground in its
embrace； the pair disappearing into the knee…high mist。
Baranov was insensible； shaking and gibbering from the horrors he had witnessed as the Space
Marine hauled him brutally to his feet。
“Take me to your ship；” growled the immense figure； eyes blazing with fury and power。
“My ship；” muttered Baranov； his sanity in tatters； but he was brought back into reality as the
Space Marine slapped him across the side of the head。 His brain was rattled inside his skull by the
force of the blow。 The immense figure grabbed Baranov by the front of his shirt and pulled him
towards his snarling； bloody face。
“Take me to you ship； or I’ll gut you here；” he growled。
Dracon Alith Drazjaer turned on the spot； his eyes darting between the en