Yes, I said I will focus on the Stargate: Galactic Imperium, but I just spent 12 hours straight writing this chapter, so I couldn't just let it go to waste.

Now, this is supposed to be EPISODE 3, but since these are EPISODES are only vaguely linear in timeline, I decided to just post it.

So, EPISODE 2 is now Hadrian & Judanus, and our Lord of Spyling Blood Master is forced to appear in EPISODE 3.

I hope you enjoy the chapter, and don't forget to shout either 'SSSSSSIIIIINNNNNDDDRRRRRIIII!' or 'You treasonous dog! NO!' at the end.


Chapter 54 – Intermission Episodes 2

Segmentum Pacificus

Riax Sector

Istandor Subsector

Istandor II- Subsector Capital

Matriarch Kheller shrieked in incoherent rage and pain as bolter rounds exploded against the hardened carapace of her belly. Yet, her attackers did not relent. With her shield drained from the precision artillery shot from a distance beyond the immediate theater of war, she could only rely on her own considerable constitution and few remaining bodyguard units.

Two Hydralisks poised themselves to fire another set of spines at the Deathwatch Scouts who quickly hide back behind the massive metal crates that dotted the wide open pier of the space dock. The very same place that had protected the Matriarch from the augurs of the Imperial air crafts had become her tomb. Unwittingly, she was forced to flee from the crippling air strikes of absolute fidelity without the understanding that it was not the powerful augur array still held by the Imperials but the silent steps of the Deathwatch Scouts led by Sergeant Cyrus who had caused her so much grief.

Although her armies and the armies of her fellow Matriarchs and Patriarchs still overwhelmed the Imperial forces, Istandor had not been such a pushover. Every move she had made came to fail, as the Imperials somehow detected every ambush and every feint. The ambush at the town of Hallonhall was turned around on the Hydralisks and Infesters in waiting as waves of Earthshaker barrages tore them apart before the Hellhounds rolled in. Baiting the Baneblade 'Sign of Brutality' had been successful only until sixteen Valkyries and Vultures rained down explosions and Stormtroopers carrying Melta weaponry.

Despite winning two or three battles for each of such setbacks, she had felt herself hounded by the relentless chase given by the revving Chainswords of the Deathwatch Space Marines. She had to evacuate her Hive Clusters thrice, and each escape was too narrow for comfort. Still, she had so many Zerglings in her army, so she sent them onward to victory. Relieved at the acknowledged safety of the abandoned spaceport 'Istandor Port 4', the Matriarch slowly turned the vast cavernous structure into a new Hive Cluster.

Yet, it had all been a trap all along. A dastardly plan by Sergeant Cyrus had driven the Zerg Matriarch into a desperate corner before beguiling her into settling into a trap. The Matriarch was furious, but she was too blind to see the real danger. With two of her Hunter Killers losing their heads to sniper fire, she was quickly confronted by Cyrus, who had once left a deep gouge across her face at the beginning of Istandor's fall.

Humans had been backed into three remaining Hive Cities, with the rest of the planet now in the Zerg's firm grasp. Other two Matriarchs and the Patriarch in command fought against the deadly arrays of various Imperial firepower, but she had to kill Cyrus. He made it personal for her. Had she been pure Zerg, there would not be such sentiment, but a Matriarch or a Patriarch is not simply born. They are made. Their souls and flesh were forged in the crackling chambers of the Overmind's lair, and there the Zerg brain was merged with the psyker brains of the human slaves.

Kheller knew that her Zerg brain had been merged with two female psyker brains purged of almost everything about the humans. The last vestige of their humanity manifested itself through most minor emotional responses, and it had become her doom. Enraged at seeing her foe, she drove her bodyguards and herself at the former Blood Raven. Explosions and falling crates erupted their flesh into tiny bloody pieces. Still, she chased him.

Now, here she was amid the stacks of huge metal containers, with her quarry hidden from her sights. The moment she had entered the open air, she was struck by the artillery shells and mortar shells fell around her. The escape was cut as the gate back to the spaceport was crumbled into a thick barricade of rubble while her bodyguards had become too few. Six Hydralisks and three Roaches were not going to be enough when she had counted at least five Scouts including Cyrus, and at least a full squad of Tactical Marines of an unrecognized Chapter.

"Show yourself, Cyrus. I shall carve your face like you've done to mine!" screamed the Matriarch, thinking such taunt could draw the human out.

The response came with a bolter round, and she had to turn her torso to evade it going for her chest. Instead, it exploded around her left shoulder.

"So, you know my name," replied Cyrus from nowhere.

"Where are you? I will tear your flesh!"

"Here."

The Matriarch turned, only to see a Scout jumped down from a crate behind a Hydralisk and firing his shotgun into the creature's back. The explosive shotgun munition knocked the snake-like creature forward, where another Scout promptly appeared from behind another crate and stuck a short metal spike to the back of the Hydralisk's head, with a grenade attached to the spike.

BOOM! Splat!

Another of her Hydralisks died as an inglorious splatter on the ground. Kheller turned and rushed toward the two Scouts trying to return to hiding. She fired her spines, only to have a falling debris scattering the spines. She looked up, and Cyrus was there on top of a three-crates stack and kicking down large chunks of clay on her. Her claws made short work of them, slashing and hacking.

Why did he throw lumps of clay at her? She wondered momentarily before the plastic explosives ignited. She screamed as her carapace finally broken and her softer flesh now exposed and torn. Bleeding and half-blind by the brightness of the sudden fire, the Matriarch stumbled back and forth, crashing into more crates that fell on her. One of her rear legs was crushed by a rolling fragments of a broken crate, while one of her claws was sheared off by the glowing-hot shard of a metal sheet falling upon her.

"I am here. You have sought for me, bug bitch."

Kheller turned to where the voice came from. Though her hearing was almost gone, she could feel him standing before her. She charged, her mouth roaring in rage. Cyrus sought to raise his bolter, but the Matriarch was too fast in her wounded ire. Cyrus had barely enough time to grab the wrist of Kheller's remaining claw that came within an inch of the Blood Raven's throat. The stump of the broken claw limb pushed against the carapace.

The pressure was incredible and Cyrus groaned as the fumbled for his combat knife. The Matriarch opened her jaw to bite into the Space Marine, but the Scout Sergeant was not having it. He struck the knife deep into the side of her head right into the large gash in the Matriarch's facial carapace. The sharp blade of the adamantium coated combat knife drove through into the brain of the Zerg Matriarch.

"Now you die, xeno."

Cyrus twisted. Kheller twitched before the immense pure psionic explosion swept through the air, crackling through the reality. For a moment, Cyrus could feel every Zerg creature surrounding the spaceport, and they were reeling. The moment passed, and the body of the Matriarch went limp. Then with a tremendous effort, Cyrus tore out her skull, exposing the brain.

"Sergeant," spoke a Scout who gathered around Cyrus.

"We must be careful. These creatures have evolved since our first encounter. They now have acid pouches inside their brain to deny us of information," said Cyrus, not paying attention to anything else but his careful surgery of the Matriarch's brain.

The combat knife carefully lifted the thick membrane around the frontal cortex of the brain, and wedged between the four segments of the Zerg's brain were a small green orb that began to pulsate.

"Damn it!"

Swearing, Cyrus cut and tore out a large chunk of the brain just as the green orb exploded in a small shower of acid that instantly turned the rest of the brain into goo.

"Here is the container, sergeant."

Cyrus carefully placed the piece of the brain he had saved into the metal container with various psychic warding etched on its exterior.

"We leave now, Initiate. What is the ETA of the Thunderhawk?"

"Twelve minutes, Sergeant Cyrus."

Cyrus growled. His Scouts were gathering around him but he knew that the Zerg were not far behind. Though he had collapsed the main gate from the spaceport, there were other ways to reaching the pier 3.

"Sniper rifles on the two highest stacks, and shotguns nearby for cover. We are going to have Zerglings all over this place," ordered Cyrus as he picked up his bolter.

"They are here!" shouted a Scout who had positioned himself on a two-crate stack with a bolter.

Cyrus turned and saw half dozen Zerglings crawling out from the holes in the debris that blocked the gate. Two sniper shots shattered two heads but more were coming. Cyrus turned his bolter at them.


-Well done, Cyrus. Your defeat of the Matriarch has driven back the Zergs from assailing the Bridge 32-7 and slaughtering the civilian refugee columns. I could feel the psychic backlash from all the way over here, and it has affected other Zerg commanders also, making them cautious and commit mistakes,- spoke Hadrian through the visual communicator.

"It is not going to be enough. Just to take down the creature, we have sacrificed over two hundred men over the last fortnight, and six towns were given up. I still think it was too high a price just to destroy one creature," replied Cyrus, his voice ever cynical.

-It was worth every one of those lost lives, Cyrus, now that we understand more about the Zerg. In the last five weeks since the Zerg had followed us to Istandor, we've come to understand more about them than ever before. We now know to take the fight to them when they are vulnerable, and more importantly, we now know when they are most vulnerable during an invasion.-

Cyrus sighed. Hadrian was right. They now knew that the Zerg took some time before they began attacking the settlements. They now knew that a Zerg colony would take about a week to function properly. They now knew that the Zerg forces were unable to reinforce their front line troops in their normal overwhelming numbers during that gestation period.

"The planet is still under dire strain no matter what we've found out about the Zerg. The window was the first week, and we are well past that."

-Still, your victory has allowed four more transports full of civilians to flee from the planet. That's forty thousand souls you've saved today,- answered Hadrian with a weak smile.

"What of your task, Inquisitor?"

Hadrian shook his head in shame at Cyrus' question.

-The Hyphidian Gates have fallen. We've retreated sixteen kilometers to Orlian Hive, but Orlian Hive had been assaulted three times this week, and it would not hold against another such attack.-

"You've been holding the Hyphidian Gates for three weeks, Inquisitor. No one would claim that you've failed in your task. Holding that gate had been a major setback for the Zerg since they could not pass through to the remaining Hive Cities," said Cyrus.

-Tell that to the six thousand PDF soldiers and eight hundred Imperial Guards we've lost just today. Also, we've lost the Baneblade 'Insidious Bloodshed' to the Ultralisks,- muttered Hadrian, exhaustion clear in his face. -The crew of the Baneblade was brave, Cyrus. They fought to their dying moment, and took out three Ultralisks with their guns and obliterated their killer with a final shot of the Demolisher Cannon.-

"May their souls sit on the right side of the Emperor," whispered Cyrus with respect.

-Unfortunately, I've got more bad news, Cyrus.-

Cyrus frowned. There were not that many battle fronts that the Imperials were fighting to have so many bad news to keep flowing.

"Don't tell me... Titus?"

-Indeed. We've officially lost the Tertiary Telephatica Matrix. Titus and Harax had held their ground for four hours but they were forced to retreat after our forces suffered over 90% casualty rate. We estimate that the Telephatica Choir tied to the Matrix has been slaughtered. Titus and Harax have suffered grave wounds also.-

"Why do the Zerg continue to hound that place?"

-I do not know. That's why I've asked you to collect the brain of the Matriarch rather than simply killing her.-

"I've got the brain... but..."

-In any case, Titus led the Guardsmen in defense of the Matrix. The battle seemed to have been extremely intense. Titus and Harax had waded through thousands of Zerg creatures in their truly heroic feat, but they had lost and recaptured the Primary Access Shrine over seventeen times in the four-hour period.-

"Did... Did Harax manage to get a message off the planet?"

Hadrian's expression darkened.

-We cannot be sure. He claimed that he managed to send it off, but even as he fired it off, he felt the same eerie silence we've felt during our journey here, and it grows ever deeper and wider across the sector. The turbulence of the Warp may be growing silent, but it does bode well for us either. Even the bright beacon of the Emperor's light wanes in this dark silence.-

Cyrus nodded. He had heard of this during their escape from Argol Secondus. The journey to Vanron System had been slow, but their second jump to Istandor System had been painstakingly long and too quiet. Damaged during the fight with the Zerg fleet that had chased them to Vanron System, the Black Ship had suffered. More than once did the Geller Field wavered, and knowing the treacheries of the Warp, the passengers of the Black Ship prepared to fight off the daemons, yet none came.

Navigators were at a loss to explain how the Warp seemed to grow calmer and quieter. Usually of radiant display of insanity painted in color and screams became sickly dark purple hue that seemed to carpet out the endless sea of nothingness. Only the distant light of the Astronomicon and the growling hate that seemed from major Warp Storms such as the Eye of Terror and the Maelstrom seemed to function in that silence. As they traveled, their speed slowed despite pushing the engines to their maximum capacity.

Like swimming in mud, the fleet almost ground to halt just before exiting the Warp on the very edge of the Istandor System. Hadrian and Harax had aided the Navigators with their considerable psychic gifts but even they looked haunted when they stumbled out from the Navigators' chambers.

-The Silence, as the Navigators began to call it, stifles not only our Warp travels but even the light of the Astronomicon began to cloud under its oppressive presence. Still, given the modifications we may be able to resume Warp travel, albeit at slower pace,- muttered Hadrian.

"So, we've lost the Telephatica Matrix, and we are being pushed back again."

-We are on full retreat. The moon of Ishal is also under siege, and they would not hold for long. You need to return to Istan Hive City. The planetary capital and its spaceport will allow the civilian ships to evacuate as many as they can before we can leave.-

Sighing deeply, Cyrus looked at the wavering hologram of Hadrian.

"We cannot fight the Zerg with such large refugee fleet tagging along. You are an Inquisitor, I'd thought you would be more pragmatic."

Hadrian's eyes narrowed.

-Do not think that every Inqusitor would ignore collateral damage, Sergeant. I will save as many as I can, and would act without remorse if that situation demands but never for my convenience,- growled Hadrian in displeasure. -Do you understand me? I may be willing to commit Exterminatus to the whole subsector, but not before trying to save it.-

Cyrus nodded, for he knew it was a hard decision to abandon hundreds of thousands fleeing for their lives.

"We will divert our course to Istan Hive City. I will bring the brain."

-See you soon, Sergeant.-


Segmentum Pacificus

Riax Sector

Sitron Subsector

Sitron Prime - Subsector Capital

-WARNING: WARP STORM [2911.3 'Maw of Kali']-

"I do not know how you have pulled this off, my lord. You have not only managed to evade the Zerg in the Warp, knowing their presence is so oppressing, but you have somehow connected a stable Warp Portal to a Daemon World inside a Warp Storm. It is no easy feat," said Lilgath as he turned his gaze from the crackling Warp Portal that poured out hundreds of soldiers and warriors.

Mulling over his glass of wine mixed with fresh blood, Judanus chuckled at the amazement of his minion.

"For a Khornate, you seem to know much about the sorcerous methods that I use. I assure you, I have my ways, Lilgath. I am sure a Khornate warrior such as yourself would not care how you've got to a battlefield as long as you get to spill blood on that field," said Judanus in dark glee. "But we have very little time to be idle."

Lilgath looked down at the cadre of Khorne Berserkers rolling out from the Warp Portal with remains of corpses in their hands dripping blood. To sate the bloodlust, Cultists and slaves were regularly sacrificed to the Berserkers.

"So, we are on this Daemon World not because we simply wish to evade the Zerg?" asked Lilgath as a new set of soldiers appeared from the portal.

Judanus had come next to him, the horribly corrupted and Warp-tained Terminator Armor sizzling the very air around him. For a moment, the two watched as the Cultists clad in the ancient yet frail-looking Power Armors from the depth of the Argol Secondus' capital fortress-city. Leading the ninety-strong force of armored soldiers was the former Governor-Militant of Argo Secondus, the General Vegin, now branded a traitor.

"If I wanted to escape, we would have gone back to our fleet. Yet, here we are. I have deals to be made, and tasks that need to be done."

"You have a mission for me, lord?" asked Lilgath, seemingly interested.

Judanus paused with a knowing smile.

"There is a facility not far from his abandoned township. It is an Astropathica Array, containing all the trappings and technology of a Tertiary Telephathica Matrix, now crewed by the Horrors of Tzeentch instead of Astropaths," explained Judanus so casually. "It needs to be taken, and this crystal installed in its heart."

The Chaos Lord produced a small glowing purple crystal from a rune-covered leather pouch. Immediately, the thick energy-filled air of a Daemon World thinned around the object and made it crackling with energy. Judanus handed it to the former Apothecary.

"What is that? It feels... like Zerg," muttered Lilgath.

Judanus chuckled.

"I would not disregard their connection, but it is a bait for the Zerg. I wish to know if the Zerg can deal with a full fledged Daemon World."

Lilgath narrowed his eyes.

"Why the Telepathica Matrix? Why not just leave it out?"

"Its signal needs a boost, and what better way than to use an Imperial facility for it?" asked Judanus. "Besides, I need to show my strength here. I need to deal with the Daemon Prince, and if I cannot show my powers to be sufficient, we are going to be devoured whole."

The Chaos Lord paused and gestured at the creatures gathering below.

"Take your Berserkers and our new recruits to take the facility. I shall visit the Daemon Prince in the meantime."

"What of the rest of your army?" questioned Lilgath.

"My sorcerers will keep them in line. Now, go!"

"Yes, Lord Judanus."

Judanus watched as Lilgath left the watchtower. His expressions darkened as he narrowed his eyes. His thoughts were unreadable. Once he saw Lilgath back on the ground floor and gathering up his troops, Judanus ran his forked tongue over his cracked lips.

"Lilgath... how long will you keep up that charades? Hmm... Does not matter though... None shall know my endgame," whispered the Chaos Lord.


The Citadel of Black Pyre stood where the Hive City of Sitrosia once stood. The ancient cityscape that had withstood the test of over eight thousand years had been ground into dust and raised into a single massive temple to terrors of the Warp. The whole structure was a giant city in itself, and forged by the billion souls of the Hive City and carved into the onyx stones with bones of the tortured, the Citadel was both a monument of the Daemon Prince's success as well as a symbol of his power.

Here, the great Daemon Prince Nar'heskor the Strangler sat in his throne of charred spines and drank the souls of the slaves. Attended by the ten thousand Daemons of all four Ruinous Powers, the Daemon Prince of Chaos Undivided had once been a Chapter Master of a Renegade Chapter, whose names had long been lost. He had thrown his lot with the Ruinous Powers, and with the aid and support of none other than Lorgar himself, Nar'heskor had committed so many terrible deeds in the name of the Dark Gods.

Made famous for slaying the Chapter Masters of three Space Marine Chapters by strangling them with his bare hands, the fallen Champion had led the horribly corrupted members of his Renegade Chapter across the galaxy, often working as a mercenary to Greater Daemons and other powerful players. His ascension came when he had recovered an item that once belonged to Horus, and presented it to Abaddon the Despoiler. Abaddon gave him a blessing of a thousand Black Legion Chaos Marines to conquer a holy Shrine World on the edge of the Segmentum Solar.

Nar'heskor conquered, pillaged and burned the whole sector before plunging into that Shrine World, and captured the bones of an Imperial Saint, and took the preserved head of the Saint's body. Drinking the preserved brain and burning the head until only a charred skull remained, he committed himself in an obscene ritual with the whole planet as his sacrifice. A billion souls were drained and poured into him as his physical body cracked and tore open into the Immaterium.

Despite the unendurable pain, he had survived the process and his body was filled with the power of the Warp and the Dark Gods who reveled in the desecration of an Imperial Saint. The reality-warping powers of the Dark Gods seeped into him, and every atom of his body phased into the Warp, and his was cast into a new Daemon Prince. The new Daemon Prince led his warriors into the Warp and had stayed away for a thousand years before returning to reality and carving a bloody path through many Imperial worlds.

The most recent of his conquest had been the Subsector Sitron, and it had fallen so quickly. He used up most of planet Sitron's population as a sacrifice to spark a Warp Storm that engulfed most of the Sitron Subsector and Iduras Subsector and several other worlds beyond the Riax Sector iself. Now he sat on his dark throne in silent contemplation as a newcomer came visiting.

~I have heard of you, Judanus the Mercenary.~

"You flatter me, lord Nar'heskor. To have one of such unholy defilement as yourself to even hear of little old me, is an honor in itself," replied Judanus, kneeling in his Terminator Armor before the Daemon Prince.

~You speak well for a sell-sword, Judanus. You intrigue me... You are a sorcerer yet you possess no natural psychic talents. Still, you wield fearsome sorcery, and your ability to bind daemons into various artifacts have impressed M'kar to no end. I also have heard your name from the Black Legion, as their sorcerers whisper of a 'false psyker' who dared to presume a seat among the cabals,~ said the Daemon Prince.

Judanus chuckled.

"My deeds are but that of a mewling infant to your greatness. There is no need to be impressed by my minor feats, my lord."

The Daemon Prince stared at the Chaos Lord with his five burning eyes. The gaze itself was like searing fire, and Judanus could feel the heat rising.

~Now, why have you come to my world uninvited and seek a counsel with me? What mischief have you brought to my doors?~

"There is a foe."

~Hmm?~

"It is a powerful foe, from which Ahriman himself was defeated and fled from."

Now that had gotten the attention of the Daemon Prince.

~I have not heard of any misgiving whispers about that great sorcerer Ahriman of the Thousand Sons having trouble. I hear that he now seeks the Black Library, a feat that only the insane or the most powerful would attempt, but I have not heard of his defeat,~ muttered Nar'heskor, before returning his gaze back upon Judanus. ~I have not survived and thrived to this day without knowing nothing. I hear much, Judanus, and Ahriman is not a figure so easy to defeat. More than one Greater Daemon or a Daemon Prince has challenged the Arch Sorcerer, and I have yet to hear of Ahriman's skull on anyone's trophy rack.~

Judanus opened his palm and a spell of images exploded in his hand to reveal a Hydralisk.

"A xeno species call the 'Zerg' has emerged in the dark corners of the galaxy, and they have a gestalt mind that forms into something called the 'Overmind', and it has conflicted with Ahriman in a duel of minds," explained Judanus. "I was there when Ahriman hurriedly retreated back through the portal that he has opened for my escape from the swarm."

Suddenly, the Daemon Prince burst into laughter.

~Ahriman has been defeated thus? Hahaha!~

Judanus waited until Nar'heskor was done with laughter and resumed his burning stare at the Chaos Lord.

~It still does not shed a light on what you want from me, sorcerer. Speak your mind, and I shall deal fairly with you...~

Judanus nodded.

"I have few men, my lord. A modest force of ragtag warriors, a handful of Cultists and slaves bred for war. What I need more than anything is to fill my ranks with decent hands. Daemons could be coaxed from the Immaterium with sacrifices, but Astartes are not so easily gained."

~Ah... You want a Warband to challenge,~ mused the Daemon Prince. ~I do have several here who are not so worthy to stand with me, but I have yet to whittle them down.~

"All I ask is an introduction, my lord. A good acquaintance is hard to come by," replied Judanus with a wicked smile.

~I like your thinking, Judanus,~ said Nar'heskor before turning to one of his own sorcerers. ~Nsh'kov, I think we shall use the gladiatorial pit again this day. Prepare it for a match, and summon Shatras and his Warband.~

"Yes, lord," answered the sorcerer who quickly vanished in a puff of warp smoke.

"Shatras?" asked Judanus.

~He is technically a Champion of Slaanesh, but he dabbles with Tzeentchian sorcery and Nurglite weapons, and he leads a modest group of ragtag warriors. I believe his defeat could provide you with more than a handful of Chaos Marines that you desperately need,~ replied the Daemon Prince.

"A most gracious thanks should be paid to you, my lord. I assure you that I shall come running for whatever and whenever your next great conquest entails. You may depend on my unending support for your greatness," said Judanus as he bowed again.


Shatras swallowed a heavy breath as he deftly dodged the swing of the Hellblade wielded by Judanus. Even so, the daemonic fire that burned the air drove him back, his own daemon weapons howling for satisfaction. Judanus moved so fast despite the bulk of his daemon-bound Terminator Armor, and it had such great stubbornness against the attacks of the Slaanesh Champion.

Growling, Shatras thrust his sword into the chest of the offending Chaos Lord only to have the sword that burned in lustful pink flames bounce off the sudden explosion of blue Warpfire. Already bleeding in places, Shatras jumped back just as the daemon axe that Judanus held in his left hand came crashing down on his head. Both Champions of Chaos could hear the satisfied gurgle of the daemon's delight as the axe made a chink on the chest plate of Shatras' armor, who retaliated by sending forth a wave of sonic pulse made up of deafening noises that would have driven a mortal insane in its troubled lyrics alone.

Yet, Judanus was no ordinary creature, and with a swing of his Hellblade, he had forged himself a shield of bloody mist, calling for the power of Khorne, the sworn enemy of Slaanesh. The sound wave exploded against the wall of blood and Judanus throw his daemon axe at the Slaanesh Champion, letting it bounce off the right shoulder pauldron. It had struck hard enough to made a deep gash in the armor but in bouncing off, it had made the Champion stumble.

A swift strike of the Hellblade brought Shatras to one knee as the two daemon swords clashed against each other. The daemon blade forged from the bones and illogical intestines of a Daemonette sizzled against the Hellblade where the original owner of the sword was forcibly bound into then intentionally driven mad. Using the last of his strength, Shatras forced Judanus back and attacked him with an incredible flurry of swordplay.

Judanus could barely block half the attacks, but the Terminator Armor held and the daemon inside screamed in pain and misery, only feeding Judanus with glee. A moment of hesitation and doubt clouded Shatras before the Hellblade loped off the right arm of the Slaanesh Champion. Then Judanus' visor glowed in unearthly blue glow and his left hand grabbed the handle of his true Daemon Sword Ga'huld.

The horns of his helmet crackled as purple and blue lightnings of terrible Warp magic coursed through between them. Then a pouring of teal fire narrowed into a single beam fired from between the horns at the Slaanesh Champion. The beam struck the middle of Shatras' chest, and bright cracks appeared and spread throughout.

BOOM!

Shatras exploded and only skeleton remained intact, bound by the terrible spell that Judanus had cast. Judanus was not going let Shatras die so easily. He wanted to torment the creature, and he pulled out Ga'huld and sank it into the skull of the glowing skeleton, and a horrid scream of Shatras echoed. Ga'uld burst into fire and lighting and spray of eerie aura that delighted in its rare sustenance. The soul was devoured and Ga'huld was sate for a moment.

Clap! Clap! Clap!

The booming clap of the Daemon Prince shook the moment, and Judanus, retrieving his weapons with a single gesture, bowed to the powerful Daemon Prince. Nar'heskor stood up from his seat, standing twice as tall as the Chaos Marines around him.

~WITNESS! A new Champion of the Dark Gods has risen! He has defeated Shatras and now he has the right to enforce his will upon more souls! Let the Warp rejoice at the violence and evil we have committed here this day!~

Judanus was not done. Even as his bodyguard of his former brothers in Rubric form gathered around him, he marched to the members of Shatras' Warband who now stood with some uncertainty.

"You are now mine to command!" roared Judanus at the gathered warriors.

He gazed at them, seeking any challenger to strike down in a moment. Two full squads of Slaanesh -aligned Chaos Marines in their bright purple armor lined with gold and pink stood with their helmet-less faces covered in dried human face skins, while two unaligned Chaos Marine squads gathered from various renegade elements bowed before their new lord.

The five Havocs with their heavy weapons bowed down next, while the Warpsmith and five Noise Marines hesitated. When Judanus placed his hand over Ga'huld and his body immolated into a ball of sorcerous Warpfire, they too bowed. Judanus relented, and now satisfied that he gained the tentative allegiance of fifty-one Chaos Marines and how many hundreds of Cultists and Traitor Guardsmen Shatras had once commanded, he returned to his own camp.

After speaking more praises to the Daemon Prince, Judanus returned to the abandoned town he had set up shop, now turned into decent fortification by the works of his sorcerers.

"My lord Judanus," bowed one of the five Chaos Sorcerers that he commanded.

"Synth'r, you've done well with this place. It looks decent enough," commented Judanus as he gestured his new warriors into the town.

"You've gained some more men, my lord. It is a good omen."

Judanus growled and his eyes flashed. The Sorcerer was suddenly gripped with powerful telekinetic force that bound every fiber of his muscles. As the pressure mounted, Judanus warned the Sorcerer.

"Do not presume to speak of things that you do not understand. These are but pitiful rabbles that I would use as bait. They are nothing, and I should not be congratulated on a nothing."

Released, the Sorcerer knelt before the Chaos Lord.

"I have meant no disrespect, lord," huffed the Sorcerer, frightened of Judanus' powers.

"Have Lilgath returned?"

"Yes, my lord. The Apothecary has returned, and the casualty was not so high. However..." murmured the Sorcerer.

"Do not mumble, Sorcerer! Speak what you have in your mind."

The Sorcerer stood back up, and gestured toward the tower.

"Your Apothecary, while supposedly serving Lord Khorne, there is something about him," answered the Sorcerer.

"What misgivings have you got on Lilgath?" asked Judanus.

"I have a unique mutation, my lord. I smell someone's soul. I have lived a long time, my lord, and I have met many Champions of Khorne. They feel like muck. Like mind blocked by walls of blood, and they stink of it," said Synth'r. "Yet, your Apothecary does not smell like that. In fact, I smell... fire."

"Fire?"

Judanus paused for a moment. He then smiled.

"So, you've felt that too... Come with me... This place is too open to talk of this," gestured Judanus.

The two turned the corner to hide behind the wall, and just as the Sorcerer turned around to talk, the Hellblade plunged into the Sorcerer's chest.

"I already know about Lilgath, but your mouth seem so insecure about important things that you should be silent about, Synth'r."

Daemon Sword Ga'huld was fed again a moment later.

"What happened to Synth'r, my lord? Why is he dead?" asked Lilgath when Judanus returned to the watchtower overlooking the fortified town.

"You were watching," said Judanus without his expression breaking.

"Of course, I was watching. I was here, and this place overlooks the whole town."

Judanus chuckled.

"Would you believe me if I tell you that Synth'r was making a bid for your spot beside me?" questioned Judanus, watching Lilgath carefully.

Lilgath laughed out aloud.

"That moron thought he could best me, by fibbing on me?"

"Laughable, isn't it? I was not in the mood for politics, and I had decided to make it simple."

Lilgath made a little disrespectful bow in thanks.

"I am sure I could have dealt with him, but thanks anyway."

Judanus chuckled before gesturing toward distant something.

"Your mission?"

"Your mysterious crystal has been installed within the machine, and I have left the Horrors trapped within the machinery to work. Whatever that is, it is shooting a powerful signal into the galaxy."

Judanus smiled.

"Excellent. Now, we only need to wait for it."

Lilgath cocked his head.

"Wait for what?"

"The Zerg."


Within days, the Swarm descended upon the Daemon World.

Even as the Swarm fought the Imperial defenders across the Riax Sector, forcing the Inquisitorial forces off Istandor and sent them running, they had opened up smaller Wormholes. The Wormhole on the edge of Muran, Irox and Iduras Subsectors crippled the Imperial defenders there. Though the worlds of those three Subsectors had their own enemies to fight, they did not expect the Zerg Swarm.

The Imperial forces on Muron, Mita, Irox, Vincan Systems and the Fortress World of Nanis Septimus on the edge of Riax Sector proper were all on war-footing as the 'Waaagh! Tuffang' pushed on slowly but relentlessly. Having their defending fleets crippled by the Zerg was bad for these worlds in defending against the Roks that Orks had thrown at them every once a while, but the Roks quickly become the least of their problems when Zerg forces began to land en mass.

Iduras Subsector was half swallowed by the Warp Storm, and two of its four system held strong. With the defensive fleet gathered around Iduras System, the Imperials were successfully defending the remaining systems from the Chaos Daemons, while the remaining two systems of Sitron Subsector were not having such luck. As for the Chaos problem, the appearance of the Zerg Swarm eased the tension, only to be replaced by an alien-invasion problem instead.

However, even the seemingly endless Zerg Swarm was limited, and they had to prioritize. So, they moved according to their own plans, unknown to the Imperials, Orks or the Chaos forces. When the Zerg Swarm appeared over the Sitron Prime, the Chaos fleet of the Daemon Prince was rather surprised.


~This is the enemy that you've spoken of, Judanus?~ asked Nar'heskor as the skies darkened with the thousands of Drop Sacs falling from the sky.

"Yes, my lord. I have fought them before, and now they are everywhere. I have been around the galaxy, and the edges of the Imperium suffers from the presences of these xeno infestation. Some sectors have been under siege for more than half a year, and others had suffered a full conquest within months or even weeks," answered Judanus as scores of Drop Sacs exploded under the Daemonic anti-air weapons of the Citadel. "And yet the Imperium knows too little about them."

For a moment, the Daemon Prince wondered if Judanus had somehow brought these creatures, but then cast the thought aside.

~I shall taste battle once more... and it had been such a long time.~

However, Judanus was playing a good adviser.

"I would advise against tackling the xeno forces head on. They are quite ferocious, and I would hate to see you... humbled."

The Daemon Prince roared in anger, and his massive hand pinned the Terminator-clad Chaos Lord to the wall.

~You dare question my strength? Have I given you such leniency to speak such blasphemy? I am Nar'heskor! I am a Daemon Prince! I rule this world and a million denizens of the Warp! These rabbles shall be swept aside in my wake!~

Judanus coughed.

"Forgive my cowardice, my lord Nar'heskor. After all, I have sworn to stand by your side, and that is why I do not wish your presence in the front lines of this war," answered Judanus. "However, if you do, I shall be your right hand... for a price."

~Always a maker of deals, Judanus? That's what I like about you, whelp. You are a good mercenary. Your experiences with these creatures would prove valuable, and I am a fair god. What do you want from me?~

"I have always desired for a Power Claw of some ancient powers that I can bind a powerful daemon into it. I have heard that you possess a Power Claw forged from the horns of a Bloodthirster, adorned by the adamantium claws and powered by an Eldar Spirit Stone entangled in a spell wrought with the blood of a Herald of Tzeentch."

The five eyes of the Daemon Prince widened in surprise.

~You are truly a bold one to ask that of me, young one. Three mighty warriors of Chaos sought to claim the 'Hand of Soulrend', and each have died an agonizing death at my hand, and the skull of one sit right there. His soul still burns in flames of damnation.~

Judanus looked at the iron-coated skull of an Astartes with fire writhing inside. Nar'heskor looked at Judanus for a while even as the distant horizon showed a thin line of Zerg creatures.

~Yet, none has asked for it so... well. You have seized the moment perfectly, Judanus. I sense that these Zerg xenos are powerful, and I would hate to lose your good services. I am quite a realist, a contradiction coming from a lord of unreality, but my pragmatism has served me well thus far.~

"Is it a deal, my lord?"

~You have yourself a deal, Judanus. Until the end of this invasion, and to the end of the Zerg.~

It was Judanus' turn to hesitate.

"To the end of Zerg... You drive a hard bargain, my lord. I suppose a single Power Claw is not enough for an eternity of service."

Nar'heskor chuckled.

~Do not fear, little Judanus. I am a gracious master... if you serve me well.~

"I suppose, taking my place as your right hand doesn't sound too bad."

~Hahahaha... Indeed, whelp. Now, to battle! GLORIOUS BATTLE!~


The first confrontation was a titanic one.

The Hierarch Zasz had known about Sitron Prime being a Daemon World, and he had sent a bulk of his forces to the planet. This was nothing like the little skirmish that happened on Argol II with a few million unupgraded creatures. This was a full blown war.

Thousands of Drop Sacs exploded upon the ground and released so many creatures and so much Creep that massive areas were covered in the thick ooze within minutes. Creatures of every echelon of Zerg Swarm gathered in their full glories. Led by a Patriarch named Serbon led the war.

The theater of war was massive. The first battle was not small at all. This was an apocalyptic scale and both sides delighted in war. The Zerg pushed forward from their landing spots. From seven landing locations came the Zerg armies.

The main force of the Zerg army made up of many elite creatures was led by Serbon himself, and moved against the former Hive City of Sitris, the third largest Hive City where it had been given over to the worship of Slaanesh, and its inhabitants turned into slaves of the three Slaanesh Warbands that controlled it. Commanded by the uncompromising will of the Daemon Prince who ruled the Daemon World, the Warbands of Sitris marshaled to war.

The second force of the Zerg army, mainly of Raptors and other fast-moving creatures including massive gaggles of Mutalisks, marched on toward the Shadow Barrens, the nesting ground for the Nurglite creatures. The once barren toxic swamps where six Hive Cities poured out their sewerage turned into the perfect breeding ground for many of Nurgle's little creatures. In the middle of this wide area stood the Rot Keep, a fortification made of decaying materials of nearby towns and cities. Here a Warband split from the Death Guard Legion held their ground, their mighty Sorcerer Lord calling forth myriad of creatures from the Garden of Nurgle.

A heavy and tough creatures formed the fourth section of the Zerg invaders. Made up of significant number of Ultralisks and even Zerglings with mutations that allowed for tougher constitution, the fourth army moved against the Forest of Blackfire, a realm given over to the ever-changing nature of Tzeentch. A cabal of Sorcerers led their warriors and a large army of Horrors came pouring out from their strange forest to do battle.

The fifth task force of the Zerg Swarm was the artillery troop mixed with tens of thousands of Baneling families. Aiding the sixth and the largest of the Zerg war group, they sought to assail the Citadel of Black Pyre, the former capital Hive Sitrosia. Against this, the Daemon Prince Nar'heskor the Strangler brought forth his massive daemonic armies and his mortal warriors to do battle. Huge Daemon Engines numbered in scores while Chaos Marines of various colors came running in thirst of battle. Hundreds of thousands daemons appeared from nowhere to do slaughter upon the invaders.


Deep red blood of a Zergling splattered upon the shoulder pauldron of the Chaos Marine. The bright orange and the hot magenta painted upon the Chaos Marine of the Child of Convulsion Warband could not be seen after the eighteenth Zergling that splattered against the Chaos Marine. The horribly corrupted bolter decorated with human skin was running out of ammunition, but there was no moment to reload. Their enemy gave them no respite, not even a single minute.

Every warrior of Sitris came out to defend their shrine to the pleasure and pain. One hundred sixty four Chaos Marines of Slaanesh, twenty two Noise Marines, five Slaanesh Sorcerers, twelve Leman Russ stolen from the Imperials, six Chaos Dreadnoughts led by two Hellbrutes and fourteen thousand Traitor Guardsmen stood their grounds. An assortment of four Basilisks and two Manticores as well as fifteen Chimeras also aided the forces of Slaanesh Warbands. However, the Zerg knew the real threat came from the three thousand Daemonettes and scores of daemonic War Chariots of Slaanesh.

From the first salvo from the defenders, over two thousand Zerglings melted into pools of blood and guts, but there were always more where they came from. Five thousand Zerglings ran headlong into the enemy lines. Just prior to landing, they had been mutated to have the Plasma Shield for durability and Metabolic Boost for movement speed, allowing them to close in faster against their enemies.

Behind the first wave of Zergling came Raptors and Roaches. Roaches strains formed powerful and tough armored lines. Beetles, the heavy-armored evolution of Roaches were given Superlative Carapace and Adaptive Plating, extending their durability to maximum. Bolt rounds and autocannon shells barely made dents against the thick and powerful armor of the Beetles, and distracted by the waves of Zerglings, the line of Beetles protected the Raptors hiding behind the larger creatures.

As soon as they got within a certain distance, squadrons of Raptors suddenly leaped into the air, and using their Communal Gliding mutation, they buzzed their wings together and glided gracefully through the air. Surprised at the sudden attack from above, the Traitor Guards turned their lasguns and autoguns at the Raptors landing around them. Then came the Ultralisks exploding out from the ground below.

Even as the battle just outside the walls of the Hive Sitris intensified, the war finally entered the inside the wall. Zerg knew that the key to this battle was to defeat the endless number of Daemonettes was to stifle the energy signature they detected within the walls of the Hive City. Patriarch led his elite units and used his considerable psionic power and the special equipment given to him by Zasz to teleport his team to the city. By fusing the Blink ability of the Protoss Dark Templars and the Recall technology, the Zerg had created a short-range teleportation, though it had drained Serbon of a significant psionic energy.

Serbon found himself and his retinue across the street from the defenders who used the knowledge of the local terrain to secure themselves, while the low watchtower could be seen just beyond where he felt the energy of the Warp pouring out. Two Hydralisk squads, one Smoker/Roach squad, two Raptor squads and an Ultralisk was all he could teleport, but he knew his enemies were not too numerous either.

First move was that of the Zerg. As they moved forward between the buildings, the Hunter leading one of the elite Hydralisk squads sensed enemies. It had been an assassin's acute sense that allowed the Hunter to hear the enemy. The squad of fourteen Hydralisks led by a Hunter fired their spines at the squad of Traitor Guardsmen who turned the corner from a former PDF armory. Eight of the Traitor Guards died while their hasty retaliation of lasgun and bolt pistol did nothing but wound a Hydralisk to a minor degree.

A Raptor squad was not so lucky. The shot from a Blastmaster struck the Raptor Alpha right in the face, and the creature exploded, along with three other Raptors around it. Raptors quickly found themselves faced with a squad of five Noise Marines, four of whom carried Sonic Blaster that sprayed the Raptors with mind-shattering screams and terrifying music. Of the remaining twenty-six Raptors, eleven of them died instantly, their brains exploding. Others quickly launched themselves at the Noise Marines.

The Smoker and Roach squad moved directly toward the watchtower, blowing thick smog of toxic gas, allowing the squad to reach the offending Chaos Marine squad hiding behind a stack of rubble. A deadly melee ensued as the Roaches and Smokers drove their claws into the Chaos Marines, who fought back hard with their own combat knives and Chainswords. Still, surprised by the Roaches exploding out from the ground and the toxic gas that seeped in even through their helmets took their toll and the three remaining Chaos Marines were forced to retreat while killing only four Roaches out of fifteen.

Even as the lone Ultralisk engaged the Hellbrute with the aid of Raptors, the remaining Hydralisk squad peppered the unsuspecting Havoc squad from behind, using their burrow-move ability that was now a standard mutation for almost every Zerg ground creature. Taking down the Havoc easily, the Hydralisk squad turned their attention to the Traitor Guards on the roof of one of the buildings. Despite the stinging shots of autoguns and lasguns, only two Hydralisks died by the time they had taken the rooftop and engaged the Traitor Guards in melee.

Meanwhile, the Patriarch had Blinked right into the middle of a Chaos Marine squad on the roof near the watchtower, and using his four Warp Blade Claws to shred the Chaos Marines into pieces. Not even their Warp-corrupted Power Armors could handle the Power of the Void held within the modified Psi-Blade now used by the Zerg who are ironically the sworn enemy of the Protoss race. Cutting off limbs and heads with ease, the Patriarch quickly located his target, but guarded by a squad of five Chaos Terminators and the Slaanesh Champion.

Gathering to him the surviving Hydralisks and Roaches, Serbon charged into the defenders. Short but bloody battle was engaged. Claws clad in glowing Warp Blade slashed against the Daemon Weapons and Power Weapons of the Chaos forces, while the spines and acid spits were exchanged for bolter rounds. Yet, even the might of the Terminators could not hold against the Patriarch and his immense combat power. Four Terminators were quickly dispatched while Serbon did lost most of his shield, then he moved to tear apart the Slaanesh Champion.

With defenders gone, Serbon climbed the tower and shattered the statue of Slaanesh and devoured the 999 sacrificed souls that burned to fuel the summoning of daemons. Serbon's victorious roar shook the Sitris, and soon the Slaanesh forces were crushed under.


In the next few days, similar thing happened to the Forest of Blackfire as the Tzeetchian Warbands were melted down by the endless acid that followed the stampede of Ultralisks over the Horrors of Tzeentch, whose daemonic fires could not fell a fully upgraded Ultralisks so easily. The Shadow Barrens and their Nurglite defenders also suffered ignoble end as the fast hit-and-run tactics eventually wore down the tough but slow Plague Marines, and while the numerous Battle Flies, Rot Flies and Blight Drones sought hunt down the numerous Raptors, they too were countered by the Mutalisks and Gattlisks as well as several swarms of Scourges.

The fifth and sixth Zerg invader groups, however, suffered a different end. Even as they flooded the fields before the Citadel of the Daemon Prince himself, the battle was not so easy. Each moment that a section of Chaos forces may come close to crumbling, the Daemon Prince Nar'heskor the Strangler would swoop in and waded through the ranks of Zerg creatures. Dozens of Slayers with powerful mutation to lead troops were found and slain by Judanus even as the Chaos Defilers rained down artillery of death upon the Zerg forces.

However, the Daemon Prince made a strategic mistake of venturing out. After four days of defending against the two massive Zerg armies that resulted in the near obliteration of the sixth army and the retreat of Baneling/Banelord group, Nar'heskor sought to reclaim lost territories. Shadow Barrens was retaken by the Daemon Prince though the value of that region had plummeted, requiring sacrifices of millions to return it to its former sickly glory. The Daemon Prince used his significant powers to raise mounds of diseased insect nests to resume the summoning of Plague Bearers and Nurglings, but as he wasted three days and elite forces on the Shadow Barrens, the Zerg returned to the Citadel, laying siege.

Nar'heskor quickly returned to break the siege but the citadel was already covered in powerful acid everywhere as the Banelings and Banelords relentlessly bombarded the city and its defenders. With over two hundred thousand Cultists and Traitor Guards dissolved into goo and others all wounded, the Daemon Prince screamed in impotent rage. Judanus riled him up, and together they assailed the Hive City of Sitris, retaking it only to find every one its slave-population consumed by the Zerg. Disappointed, the Daemon Prince returned to the Citadel to find the city under siege once again, and though curious as to how the Zerg replenished the troops so easily and quickly, the Daemon Prince cleared away his enemies yet again.

Another week passed and while under heavy assault every day, the Daemon Prince found his grip on the Daemon Worlds slowly slipping away. He summoned forth more energy from the Empyrean and surged the world with his energy, and found large parts of the planet where his powers were silenced and sapped. He now understood that the armies of Zerg he had defeated had been but a small part of the whole. Not only did the Zerg come with such numbers and power that they had utterly distracted him from the bigger picture, they had nearly wrecked the capital city as well.

It was at this time that Judanus came up with a news. He had located the leader of the Zerg army on Sitron. Nar'heskor marshaled his forces to slay the Patriarch.


~Impossible! I am Nar'heskor the Strangler, the Daemon Prince of immense power, and here I am forced to flee!~ roared the Daemon Prince as he swept his sword and shattered six Hydralisks that blocked his path.

Behind him was Judanus and Lilgath with a handful of remaining Chaos Marines. The Daemon Prince had lost much of his army this day, and he was not about to lose his faithful followers. Even as a wave of Raptors and Zerglings hounded Judanus, the Daemon Prince turned and roared. Spikes of bone and Warpfire exploded out from the ground and skewered a dozen Raptors and Zerglings.

~Come, Judanus... We will have to revisit this with a vengeance,~ growled the Daemon Prince as he opened up a portal to his Citadel. ~Quickly, these wounds that they have inflicted are not so ignorable.~

"Yes, my lord," answered Judanus as he and his followers entered through the portal.

~You, the xeno commander! I remember your scent now. I will come for you again, one day...~ shouted the Daemon Prince as he began to shrink himself to enter the portal.

Being forced to create a portal with limited energy, he made it smaller than usual, and he was forced to shrink to the size just shy of a Dreadnought, and he squeezed himself into the portal.

~I will have vengeance even if it takes a thousand years! These foul xeno will not escape my wrath!~

"I'm afraid not."

~Huh?~

Blam!

It sounded like a cannon's blast, but it was a Power Claw punching and digging into his chest. Chains wrapped around the Daemon Prince's arms and legs, and Lilgath sank a massive over-sized axe into Nar'heskor's face horizontally, blinding two of the five eyes.

~Judanus! You dare betray me? I am a god among mortals! Your soul is mine! I shall eat your soul!~ screamed the wounded Daemon Prince as he flailed helplessly even as Judanus dug in deeper with the Power Claw that Nar'heskor had gifted him.

Blinded and his flesh bound, the Daemon Prince's agony did not stop nor could he break free. There was something about the weapon that Judanus had used. The Power Claw was something else now. It weakened him and it shook his very soul. It made the Daemon Prince afraid.

"I have found your heart, and with it your corrupted and deformed soul turned into that of a daemon. This is your Essence. Without this, your flesh dies here, and you will be cast into the winds of the Immaterium, but with this Power Claw lined with the Zerg crystals, I can capture your soul and drain it," whispered Judanus. "And I shall purge you of all memory and consciousness, and you shall remain only as a pure energy that I can wield in any form."

The Daemon Prince was incoherent now. The agony of this daemonic soul ripped from his flesh was too much, and the very real fear of losing the immortality that he had gained through so much sacrifice and difficulties was a scary thought.

The thought ended when Judanus pulled out the glowing heart. It sizzled with power and crackled with insanity. After gazing at it for a moment, Judanus placed it in a secure warded container, before shattering the ash-turned body of the Daemon Prince.

"We are all dust and ashes, and you will not be remembered," muttered Judanus the Betrayer, the name that only Lilgath now remembered.

"Are we done now?" asked Lilgath.

"Yes, we are. Let us depart this wretched world. With this daemon heart, I can fuel the machine of war that will bring down the galaxy," smiled Judanus.


END OF CHAPTER 54