She who is to evil to name was the leader of a vast force of dark eldar. They'd descended on the planet Wroth with the intent of reaping a bitter harvest of souls and fresh bodies for torture. The pitiful defenses of the populace lasted but a day before her might. Soon the air of was filled with the cries of terror and the smell of blood. She who was to evil to name looked upon it and it was good. Though in her mind she knew no matter how adept a predator eventually they would become prey for another. It was the law of the universe. The only law she subscribed to. When her time came she would be ready.

"From this distance it looks it looks peaceful." Kal-el thought. He stood atop a asteroid watching the planet Wroth. His heart ached at the carnage that he saw. He desired to rescue the citizens but he hadn't lived this long by rushing in. Something was strange about this band of Dark Eldar.

They seemed to want his attention. Most enemies of the empire would dread such a thing. Kal-el knew as unlikely as it seemed he was about to fly into a trap.

"So be it." He said leaping from his perch.

"Mistress sector one reports renewed resistance."

"Send all units to sector one." She said

"Is that wise?" the servant asked. "How do we know this isn't a diversion?"

"Because I know it's not a diversion." She allowed the servant to leave. If all were successful she'd kill him later, if not he'd be dead any way. She examined the small box in her hand and smiled.

The Dark Eldar jet bikes swooped in on Kal-el. He stood his ground. The blades on the sleek bikes designed for dismembering were easy handholds for him. Rider's screamed as they're bikes were snatched from under them. The air came alive with splinter rifle and shrunken cannon fire. Kal-el saw the rest of the army approaching in the distance. He frowned reading him self for the grim task ahead.

She who is to evil to name sat on the balcony watching the east. Plumes of smoke rising from the forest told her it wouldn't be long now. The Sword of the Emperor was on his way. She laughed thinking of what awaited him. She'd had the last of the humans slaughtered and spread through the city. They're blood would be the red carpet welcoming him. Soon he would join his precious charges in death.

The sounds of battle roused her from her planning. In the streets below the last of her forces regrouped. The two anti-grav tanks flanking her make shift headquarters exploded.

The air whistled around her. In seconds her troops were down, each with a blade sticking out of their chest. She could only watch in as he flew up to her balcony.

Kal-el stared at her. She was covered head to toe in skintight black armor as all dark eldar were. She was sitting at a table returning his gaze through the red eyes of her helmet.

"So, you are the 'Sword of the Emperor'?" she asked breaking the silence. Kal-el had a presence about him she hadn't expected. Maybe it was the blood that dripped from his blue armor or the fact that he'd destroyed her entire army single handedly but he stirred something in her. "Why haven't you killed me yet?"

"I was studying you." He said.

"Why?" She asked taking off her helmet. She would give him the honor of seeing her face before he died.

"Because I want to know why creatures such as yourself exist." He explained. "When the Emperor would have you all live in peace."

"What care I for the Emperor of mankind?" she said. "He can not hold his own Empire together."

"You speak of the great rebellion. When the forces of Chaos set upon the empire. It is they who turned a half of the first Space Marines against the Emperor. Though the battle was hard the Emperor and those loyal to him defeated the rebels and routed them from the universe."

"I have studied your race for a long time." She said. "Your Emperor died. His rotting corpse sits on the throne."

"He may not live in the same sense as you or I," Kal-el explained, "but he is very much alive. I know for I have talked to him."

"You talked to a ghost." She said rising from the table. "All the machines hooked up to him won't let his soul return to the warp. Or maybe he's to cowardly to return."

"Why have you sought out my attention?" he asked. If he weren't above such things he would have found her beautiful. Though her evil heart twisted any loveliness she had.

"I wanted to see if you were myth or real." She said walking over to him touching the golden two-headed eagle on his chest.

"You pay for the knowledge with your life." He said removing her hand.

"Why must you kill me?" she asked. "Because a dead man told you to? Look down in the streets. Do any of them speak to you?"

"You should remember whom it is you're talking to." He said. "And speaking of."

"Do you remember a man named Lexor Luthorus?" she asked taking delight in watching his expression change.

"Yes." He said. He and Lexor were friends back on the Agri-World he lived on. "How do you know of him?"

"I found him on some sewage world I can't remember the name of." She answered. "I do remember him talking of you. He said the 'Emperor's Sword' was going to save him and his men. I'd never heard a man sound so sure I even put my people on alert. It was all for nothing you never came. He died cursing your name did you know that?"

"I couldn't answer his call." He said. "The Orks in sector...."

"I didn't ask for your excuses." She interrupted. "Why you left your friend in my loving care does not interest me. The other things he said before I silenced him did."

"Enough." Kal-el said walking toward her. "This ends now."

"I agree." She said. She met his advance holding a stone between her thumb and index finger.

Kal-el felt the strength draining from him. Each step was agony. Soon he couldn't even stand and dropped to one knee.

"Beautiful isn't it?" she asked kicking him in the face. "Deep down your friend hated you with a bitter hatred fueled by jealousy. He had found out your weakness and was all too willing to tell me. I think he died happy knowing I was going to kill you."

"You are a liar." He said. He would find the strength to over come he just needed time. "Lexor was a faithful servant of the Emperor. You used your warp magic to pry the information from his corpse!"

"You have me mixed up." She said. "I'm a Dark Eldar unlike Eldar we don't use magic."

Kal-el consolidated all his strength for one final act. He looked up into her eyes and fired his heat beams.

"My eyes!" she screamed. "What have you done?"

Kal-el didn't reply as he crawled away from her. He pulled himself up to the balcony railing and let himself tumble over. He barely felt the two hundred-foot fall to the street as his powers returned.

"Damn you I can't see!" she said. She grabbed her pistol and started shooting blindly.

"I know." Kal-el said. She thrust the stone in the direction of his voice. "Do you really think I'm stupid enough to get in range again?"

"Come face me like a true warrior" she taunted.

Kal-el laughed. "I am the Emperor's Sword." He said. "Not the Emperor's fool. I've talked to the dead men in the streets. You want to know what they called for?"

"What?" She said with what little defiance she had inside her.

"Vengeance." He answered. 

It was then that she who is to evil to name felt fear for the first and last time.