Dawn of War: Destiny War

by Big Boss Pugh

In the 40th millennium, there is nothing but war. Now, on the edge of the halo zone in the Segmentum Pacificus region, a new threat is coming. Follow the story of the imperial guard led by Max Johnson and Lucas Turner as they face orks and chaos worshippers of Slaanesh. Though they stand alone, alliances must be made if they are to survive the horrors.

11. Chapter 11

Dawn of War: Destiny War

(The choices we make alter our destiny. Fate will always be what it should be. In the end, everything comes full circle. The Force of Chaos must be stopped; the Imperium of Man will thrive through change and the Eldar won't repeat the same mistakes. This is not the end.)

Chapter 11: Section 11 – 1

The forces of Rela are broken and all companies of Vance are scattered. Many would call this a win; however, the wise ones will say it is a sign of fate. Only a few will see this as a sign that change will come and shake the galaxy at its core. From the rise of the Emperor of Mankind to the Horus Heresy, the change brings about unforeseen events. From the Fall of Cadia by Abaddon the Despoiler to the rebirth of Primarch Roboute Guiliman, the future of the galaxy will forever be changed by the hands of the extraordinary. On Saneesh, a new change will occur. The ground is stained with blood; it covers the area in sections as many bleed out and die from wounds. The dead of man, woman, eldar, and ork rot. Every single body causes the air to smell of death and decay. The pleasure of seeing the pain is exquisite. A small flow of blood is exciting. Every sensation is unbearable to resist. The satisfaction of toying with the enemy sings wonderfully to the depraved.

In the center of the imperial fortress, only such a view can be seen, heard, and felt. Max falls to the ground hurt from his wounds. He stands back up only to see his end coming to him. Despite the power of his blank abilities, Commander Vance endures the void feeling of cold and dark. He raises his sword and tries to deal the death blow. As he brings his arm down, a light blue blade clashes into his sword. The impact throws his arm away from Max; Vance curses the attacker for stopping his chance to end one of the problems he has.

Max looks over to see her burn beautifully. Kayleth leaps away as a daemon weapon nearly cuts her down; she lands safely away from her foe and retrieves her blade with warp power. Her opponent hisses at her with such delight; the heat of battle is invigorating to Rela. Vance reaches for his side arm; however, Max tackles him to the ground. The impact of his fist causes Vance's head to rock back and forward; both eldar fighters leap away from each other to see the brawl of Max and Vance. Rela looks to see the mon-keigh struggle to damage each other. She breathes heavily as the ecstasy of battle excites her; the dark eldar tries to leap at both men. Though she is powerful and dangerous, Kayleth crashes into her with a heavy hit. Max becomes distracted by the fight. It allows Vance to retaliate and knock him back. The two eldar of light and dark move with lighting speed around the area as Max reaches for his sword. Vance pushes up from the ground and holds his weapon high. The power of the eldar warriors is massive with every warp power stretching out. Every sword contact sends out waves of warp energy. Though they are strong and fast, Max and Vance stand ready to end their conflict. The two men engage once again and strike their swords against each other. They duel for five bouts before moving away from each other

Vance says, "You should have just died long ago on this damn planet. You will bring nothing but death to us all; you are soulless. I have to stop you. You will never be an imperial guard officer in this life."

Max replies strongly, "The only death I have seen is the one you bring. You have led your men to die foolishly in a pointless war to gain power you are not meant to have; I may be a blank, but you have to be stopped."

They charge at each other ready to strike. Kayleth takes notice after her last strike. With her speed heighten, the eldar autarch sprints towards the humans. Rela recovers and watches her opponent.

Her thoughts cry, "Why am I saving him?"

Kayleth grabs ahold of him and leaps away to safety. Max didn't understand why she did it; she only risked injuring herself more from being too close to him. They fall to the soil; Max recovers easily, but Kayleth is more weaker from her fight with Rela. As they stand on their feet, he helps her up from the ground. They turn and face the enemy again. Rela joins Vance at his side; the urge to finish each other is greatly anticipated by both sides. She smiles with her crimson eyes focusing on what she sees. Were it not for Max using his blank powers to nullify the warp so much, Rela would enjoy her torture of Kayleth.

Rela seductively says, "I didn't know that a mon-keigh can mean so much to you. Then again, they do have their potential."

Kayleth unleashes her rage with the power of Khaine flowing from her; she nearly charges at Rela until Max gets her attention.

He says, "You must not give into her taunts. She is only trying to get under your skin."

A bolter gun is fired by Vance. Kayleth uses her warp shield to block the bullet from cracking Max's head.

She struggles to stay standing and says, "The only one who is under my skin is you, Max. I can hold my own against her."

Rela laughs and Vance taunts them; Max does what he can to endure his own pain until it comes to him. The idea of who they are fighting helps him understand how they will win.

He takes notice of Vance first and looks at Rela second. Max looks to both of them and allows his anti-warp power to stretch over the area as best as he knows how; the cold feeling comes to everyone as Rela shrieks at him. Kayleth stand firmly away from him until Max looks to Kayleth. He walks over to her and slowly lets his powers disappear. Once close, he assures Kayleth that they will win. Before she can question his words of victory, Max apologizes for his next method. He slaps her rear and grips her firmly. Kayleth erupts in complete shock and rage. Her power of Khaine burns brightly and Kayleth nearly losses focus on the enemy. As Max charges at Rela this time, he lets his own abilities force her to retreat in horror. The dark eldar moves back and swings her daemon weapon at Max. The warp energy passes through him; he sprints at Rela with unnatural speed as he tries to strike at her. Vance didn't understand how this is possible, but he didn't have much time to think with Kayleth now attacking him. The daemon weapon cries out in pain and jerks away. It carries Rela to the other side of the field. Max runs towards her as the warp powers slowly disappear from the area. Before she can react, he manages to cut at her leg to slow her movement down. Rela howls in agony and leaps away only for Max to keep following her. As long as the warp keeps pouring out from Rela and her weapon, Max allows the warp to pass through him to go faster. Vance tries to fire his bolter at him; however, he can barely focus on his target due to Kayleth's warp power.

Kayleth sprints towards Vance and puts him on the defense. Though Max did touch her inappropriately during the fight, she unleashes her rage on Vance that forces him to deploy his counter measures. Vance clicks a small device and sets off a group of smoke bombs to blind the landscape. The technique works greatly in his favor; he moves away and calls to Rela. She refuses his call for aid and leaps through a warp portal. Once the area clears up, Max and Kayleth are left alone. They check their surroundings to see no sign of the enemy.

Max says, "There is no way it is that easy. Watch your back. And, sorry for doing that in front of them. I figured it would help you focus."

Kayleth uses her warp powers to check the area. Once she looks towards Max, Kayleth leaps at his direction to strike. Max turns to her; she stops in front of him. He looks down to see the blade go under his arm and through the side of someone. Turning off his cloaking device, Commander Vance staggers backwards bleeding from his side. The attack on him damages him greatly; he moves back.

She says, "You really need to pay more attention to your surroundings. I am more focused on the battle unlike you. Or did you lose your senses when you touched me?"

Max almost gives her a smile, but replies, "It was an easy idea. Plus, fighting them was obvious since you and Rela can use the warp with ease. Vance had no chance against you, but he did come close to killing me twice. So, I had to fight her than keep fighting him."

She backs off and looks over his shoulder to see Vance has disappeared; the laughter of Rela fills the area. They both look around to try and find her. She reappears before them holding Vance by his harness. The weaken Commander falls to the ground on his knees. Rela stabs him once more through the torso. It would seem the battle is about to end quickly. Max and Kayleth back off to witness the betrayal.

Rela says, "Thank you for providing me with the last bit of prey for my plans. I was going to use both of you, but Kayleth made it easy after she wound Vance."

Max and Kayleth stand shoulder to shoulder and question the mad succubus.

She says, "Oh, it is all easy to understand. This whole time I have been using this war to obtain what I need for my ascension to daemon hood. Once this foolish mon-keigh bleeds out enough, I will be able to keep my soul intact from Slaanesh forever. It has been my life long quest to not only experience every pleasure possible but to be free from the claws of the eldar creation. Thanks to the orks of Bone Snappa coming here and ruthlessness of Commander Vance, the amount of sacrifice to Slaanesh has been worth it to keep my own soul safe. And thanks to your own efforts, you made all my planning very successful. Now, it is time to complete the ritual here and now."

Max curses her, "You are a bigger fool than anyone in the galaxy. You really believe that your soul will be safe after this? A daemon makes false promises to stab you in the back. Every daemon only seeks to further their own plans. You are only damning yourself to oblivion through pain and suffering. Your ritual will not work; you will die."

Kayleth agrees, "You may die by my hands and end up suffering worse once She claims your soul; you best choice is to throw away your plan to keep yourself safe. Surrender Rela, your plan won't save you."

Rela shrieks proudly, "I am of the dark eldar! My life and soul are mines alone! With this ritual, I will surpass any fate that comes to me! THIS IS MY DESTINY! YOU BOTH SHALL DIE!"

She lifts the blade in the air and begins to speak the words of the dark ritual; the ground beneath her sinks in. The warp opens a massive portal under her feet. A gush of dark liquid comes out from the ground around her. As it spreads on the ground, more gushes of the same liquid spew upward. Max and Kayleth see the ground become tainted by the liquid. They run from the sink hole. Rela stays in the center as she feels every sensation possible. Vance looks on and watches in horror. The dark liquid stops under her shins. Rela stops and looks down; she roars in frustration. Kayleth and Max look on and wonder what is happening.

Rela curses and howls in agony, "Why?! Why didn't it work?!"

She gasps; Rela can't believe or understand it. Max and Kayleth can't believe it either nor did not see it coming. This comes to all of them as a surprise. As the two look at the dark eldar, they see more of her blood leak out from her stomach. A blade pushes through her torso as she gasps in pain. She drops the daemon weapon; the pain is no longer sensational. Rela feels hurt and weaker than ever.

A voice says, "It didn't work because you are unworthy. You are a fool. Like the eldar and humanity, you believe in what you think you control. The truth of your reality is you control nothing but the words that escape from your lips."

Rela sees the blade push through her more as the pain increases. As she spits out blood, it cause the dark liquid to change into crimson red. Kayleth backs further away; she and Rela shriek in horror as they hear a horrifying voice. Max looks at the person behind Rela and didn't understand who this person is. Vance looks up despite his weaken condition; he can't believe his own eyes. The blade is taken from the ground as Rela falls next to her deceiving partner. They both still have a hard time comprehending who they see. All they can do is question the reason for this sudden surprise.

Vance asks, "Why are you betraying me? You were my servant."

Rela hisses, "How could you do this to me? You are not worthy of the scarfice."

The informer says, "You both have done what I needed you both to do. It has taken me too long to gain what I desire from the dark one you called She Who Thirsts; I did what I must to gain my reward. I gained two popular individuals to follow my words and led them down the path of damnation. In return, they both slaughtered the enemies around them and sent their own to die. Even these two foolish ones that fight against you only added to the real plan. Now, I can finally reveal myself and allow the true purpose of the ritual to finish. Slaanesh will bless me with power beyond my wildest thoughts; it will be beautiful and painful."

The informer unlatches his cloth from his shoulder. As his robe falls, the sight is beyond inhuman and horrifying. The informer stands naked and scarred; every part of his body is an abomination. The limbs are stitched at various areas. The skin changes color at various spots. They see colors of black, white, red, pink, and purple skin. The hands are white; the color changes to black and green on the arms. The legs are blue and red. The face is purple and orange. Both irises are colored differently; he has no hair on his head. A section of his brain is exposed in a glass. The inhuman person is looked upon by all; his appearance is horrifying in every sense of the word. Yet, he smiles with a face of hope and happiness. Rela and Vance damn the informer for misleading them. Max and Kayleth stand ready to strike. As the informer raises the daemon-infused weapon above his head, he looks down on his deceived pawns. He looks at Vance struggle to move; he glances at Rela to see her weakened from her wound.

He says, "You look gorgeous."

Vance cries, "Damn you to the warp. You have brought this upon me."

Rela growls at her enemy, "My kin will kill you. They will hunt you down until you die at their hands."

The informer smirks with a bloody grin and says, "Your kin have left you for dead and what is left of them is inside the fortress soil. Your storm troopers have died for a foolish battle, so you will not have the power you deserve. As for the two of you, I want you both to witness MY ascension to power. It will be magnificent and a blessing from Him."

As they brace themselves for any surprise, the informer looks up at the daemon weapon he holds. He calls to the blade and it answers. The words of the daemon weapon speak ominously.

It says, "Holder…of…the…sword. Promise…me…"

Max, Rela, Kayleth, and Vance can't believe the sword speaks with such a pure-like voice. The daemon inside the weapon sounds full of joy.

It continues, "You…have…done well. Your sacrifice…your pain…. and your desire will be…a reality. Your flesh…will be joined with mine… Now promise…"

Max calls to Kayleth for her to get back. The informer smiles and says, "I accept…I want it all."

The sword flashes and shines a bright light. As the remaining guardsmen and eldar join in the final push, an inhuman scream shatters the sky. The eldar all jump back and howl at the noise. On the ice world, the eldar scream in horror as they too hear the cry. It is a cry that reminds them all of the horror they once unleashed upon the galaxy; Kayleth falls to her knees and begs the noise to stop. Max looks back to see light flash from the sword. A bright light flashes in between the scars on the informer's body. His body locks as the light swirls around inside him. The eyes change to the darkness of space. After the light quiets down, the informer takes the blade in both hands. With a strong grip, the informer stabs himself with the daemon blade. The same bright light flashes inside his body; the thick dark liquid changes to purple. The informer looks at everyone with such happiness from the pain he endures. His body twitches violently as it locks up. Vance and Rela are slowly consumed by the purple liquid; the liquid slowly covers the informer. He feels every sensation of pain and pleasure as it engulfs him. Max looks to Kayleth to see her suffer more with each passing moment. He rushes to her side and lifts her over his shoulder; he hauls her away from the terror. Max looks at the ground to see the dead orks, humans, and dark eldar dissolve into the same purple substance. Many more of the dead bodies are pulled underground by the mysterious liquid as it tears through the soil seeking only the dead. Max makes it to a safe distance. He and Kayleth encounter their allies along the way. The eldar see to the needs of Kayleth; Max orders everyone to be ready for anything.

As the shock wave of warp energy causes the fortress to shake, everyone feels the ground rumble. The sky changes colors. Many people want to run, but Max orders them to stand their ground. As everyone looks up, they see streams of purple warp energy soar into the center of the imperial fortress. Once the warp energy disappears, a second shock wave throws everyone back save only Max. The land stops shaking and the sky clears up; the fortress is silent. No noise is heard. The uncomfortable silence sends a chill down the spine of everyone. Kayleth recovers and looks around to see everyone confused and puzzled. Max orders the army to watch the area as he begins walking back to the center. Kayleth touches his shoulder.

She says, "I will go with you. I must see if the danger is over."

Max agrees as they leave behind their allies to see the results; they pass back through the gate to see the ground clear of the dead. The air is fresh and light shines in the center as they come closer. They walk pass the last opening and see the center of the land shine with a bright light. Max steps forward only to see Kayleth squeeze her spirit stone; he sees her shake with fear. Max waits as the light slowly dies down and looks to the center of the sink hole. The sight is unbelievable. The ground where the informer stood at is a deep crevasse stretching into the planet. They both look at the ground to see the same daemon weapon less threatening. Max didn't understand why the sword is still there. Kayleth shakes slightly more as she sees the worse come forth. A hand of pure blue grips the weapon. Before Max can shoot it, the hand takes the blade and disappears upward. Max looks up to see what has caused so much fear in Kayleth. He didn't know what he sees; the form before them shines in the bright light. As the new being steps forward, they see dark purple and dark blue for skin. There is a set of horns stretching to the sky. With every step the being takes on air, the purple blue skin swirls around in circles. A pair of wings extend out as the being looks upon itself. Several areas of the scars still show only to reform and change. The bone structure within its body cracks and resets every chance it gets. Lastly, they both look at the face of the being. It is smooth yet cracks at many points. Every crack and tear in the flesh causes the skin to heal itself. The fangs are sharp like swords and eyes as black as the void. It is the face of a thousand pleasures yet a face of absolute pain. The informer is no more. Like Rela and Vance, they met their end only to awaken a terror from within. A Daemon Prince of Slaanesh is born. The daemon looks down on the human and eldar as it draws in breath.

It says, "Thank you."

Chapter 11: Section 11 – 2

The Ork War Boss Bone Snappa failed in his attempt to bring war against all of the imperium of man. Though his orks were many and greatly powerful, the war chiefs didn't help him prevail. He tried so hard to keep his orks in line. The reward for his Waaagh ended with his body destroyed. The dark eldar Rela mislead the ork psykers and used them to achieve her plans. Though pain and pleasure were her rewards, she didn't understand how far she had fallen. Ultimately, she failed to see the truth until it was too late. Commander Vance the Bright wanted to wield power beyond imagination. In his own delusion of grandiose and victory, power led to his demise. Now, the brave Noble One Max Johnson and Eldar Autarch Kayleth face a being born from the sacrifice and achievements of a person once dubbed the Informer. He successfully manipulated the imperial commander and dark eldar succubus. For his reward after achieving the impossible, the ascension to daemon hood by Slaanesh's blessing . As the daemon looks at Max and Kayleth, it speaks to them both.

It says, "Thank you."

Kayleth backs away slowly full of fear, but Max stands his ground, "What do you mean, creature?"

It continues, "Thank you for helping the informer release me from my shell. This pitiful weapon was my prison for over five thousand years. Now, I can discard it. Because of you, I have a new home from which to thrive from. The dark eldar did her tasks well and the foolish human followed her without worry. And all the fighting brought me so much pleasure to experience and enjoy. You have given me freedom. For that, I will not kill you human, but the eldar must die."

Max looks to see Kayleth roar in fear. He steps in front of her, "I will protect you."

The daemon adds, "Your devotion to her is foolish. If you wish to die alongside her, you shall be given a death fitting of you. I seek only to fulfill the desire of my dark master. She craves the souls of all eldar; they belong to her and her alone. This eldar autarch will serve as the first of many to come. Your efforts to protect her will only give me more pleasure to see you suffer and die."

As the being reaches for them, Max proudly roars at the beast. As he runs at the daemon, Kayleth calls to him. Suddenly, the daemon jerks back in shock; Kayleth didn't believe it. Max steps to the daemon again and it slowly moves back. Max looks at the monstrous being and shouts at it; Kayleth looks on to see an unusual man stand before a daemon of terrible power. He is without fear and ready to stop the monster.

Max says, "You will not have her. She is mine until the end of time itself; I am giving you one chance. Flee back to your master with this message: I offer peace only once. Begging does help."

The daemon roars loudly at Max without taking a step forward. Kayleth moves away and braces herself. As the waves of warp energy travel all over the area, Max is not bothered by any of it. The armies of the two retreat further away from the fortress. Once the daemon calms down, Max asks for its name.

The daemon smirks with rage, "I am the Daemon of Pleasure and Pain. My name is of no concern to you. You merely are prolonging what is your fate. I will leave you this world. Know this, human. I will return to claim the souls here. Your effort to struggle will be beautiful. The horrors you will receive are joyful; I look forward to seeing you all experience the pain and pleasure I feel every moment for the rest of eternity. Farewell for now. Your destiny for death is certain."

The daemon floats into the air and is engulfed in warp energy. With one last smile, it disappears from the area leaving the last words for them to remember.

"Your destiny for death is certain."

The words still send chills down the spine of Kayleth. Max turns to see her shake in fear; he walks up and holds her softly. Once the fear leaves, she nearly strikes him. As they both look around, Max radios back to the others. Once he ends his chatter, Kayleth looks to him with a serious look.

She says, "My people and I will not be with you when that daemon returns. The monster will bring doom to us all. Once we collected our dead, we will take our leave. We have to warn our craft world of the approaching danger that has been unleashed."

As she walks away, Max damns her for being a coward, "So, that is it? A daemon from the warp is brought into this world and escape is what you want? You would run from it in fear than fight to keep your craft world safe? You are unworthy to be an eldar of your craft world."

She stops in her footsteps and the flame of Khaine bursts from within her body. Kayleth turns around and charges at Max with a hard punch to his chest. Instead of stumbling backwards, he stops her attack with just one hand. Infuriated by his words and action, Kayleth allows the flame of Khaine to be unleashed from within. Despite being stronger than before, Max shows that he can still match her power.

He says, "I can't believe this is who I liked for a moment or more; you eldar are all the same. Quick to use others for your wars and ready to flee once the real fight begins. For you to be an eldar of your own craft is a shame. Your very long deceased allies and ancestors would curse you for this act, Kayleth."

She slows her breathing down. In her moment of rage, she wishes to not hear his voice or reasons. With no want to continue the fight against him, she let her warp power disappear.

Kayleth asks, "How can you expect to win against that? I see no other way."

Max replies, "The creature, though strong in power, is afraid of me. You saw that it moves away from me because of fear. It fears what I will do and can do. I may not have your belief that this is a losing battle; however, I refuse to back down from this."

As he moves towards her, Max keeps her fear from rising high, "You know that retreating is not worth taking. Even if you run, where will you go? This daemon is fixed on destroying you, your kin, and any other eldar in the galaxy. You can run as far as the web ways reach and hide deep inside it; the result will be as it is now. A daemon will be hunting you in Her name."

Kayleth wants to raise her hand to strike Max. Instead, he looks into her eyes unafraid; her wrath quiets down. She thinks hard about what Max believes.

Max tries to caress her face, but Kayleth pulls away to hide her want.

He adds, "We will stop the daemon together. That you can believe will happen, but it will only happen if we work together. So, don't run away. Stand with us and fight."

As he walks back to the exit, Kayleth calls to him, "Did you really mean what you said? Before the daemon tried to reach for me, did you really mean that or was it said in a fit of rage?"

Max smirks at her and continues his walk. Instead of getting mad, she feels her heart flutter rapidly. She shakes off the sensation and returns to her kin. Once the two arrive back at camp, they inform the others of what danger they will face soon if not later. The armies leave the fortress empty and deserted; they walk back to their camp. The journey is a long quiet one. Max looks to the soldiers and see them worry. The eldar go their separate ways as they too think of what evil they will face and how it caused them pain. Once they return to camp, Max issues orders for the entire camp.

He says, "All guardsmen here and now. We will face a threat that is unlike any other. The dark eldar are gone and defeated. Every traitor under Commander Vance is dead. Even the great Commander Vance the Bright is no longer among the living. Now, we have the chance to get ready for next battle; this will not be an easy win. We don't know what we will face or see. For now, what we will do is prepare for battle. There can be no retreat. So, make yourself ready, eat hearty, and get your sleep. Soon, we face a daemon of the warp. And we will win."

With his orders issued, the men and women begin to do what they can to strengthen their base. As the inner workings of the base improve, more surprising events occur outside the base. As Max journeys to the front of the base, he finds quite a surprise before him. A company of storm troopers approach the base and keep a healthy distance. Behind their back, five scores of storm troopers stand ready. Max alerts the base to be ready as he walks forward to meet with them. As one of the acting officers reaches into his pouch, Max aims a gun at them with a harsh warning. The officer produces a letter for him; Max takes the letter and watches the officer bow before him. The other officers do the same as Max backs up.

The first officer says, "Our leader is dead. We have no reason to fight against you after what we have seen happen. We only did our duty. We did not know that our Commander had fallen so far."

The second officer adds, "You have defeated him in fair combat despite the disadvantage you had against him. For that, you deserve not to be called an enemy. You are the one who can show us what we will face and who we must fight."

The third officer rises up, "Let us join you. We served the wrong leader for our regiment. The fault lies with us. Now, we beg that you allow us to redeem ourselves in your eyes. Where you go, we shall fight. Who you face, we obliterate. Let us be your strike force."

The last officer extends his hand, "We still have a mission to do. Please, Commander Max. Give us this honor to die for what is truly righteous."

Max drops the letter and shoots it to pieces. He says, "I am not your commander. I am just someone who refuses to give up. You did what you believe was right. Now, it is my turn to show you why we will win. You are all welcomed here. For now, get yourself settled in. Improve where you can."

The officers thank Max constantly. He turns to the guardsmen on the towers and signals them for the all clear. As the storm troopers walk in, a few moments of mistrust flare up. Before the worse happens, Max steps in and soothes the companies. He reminds everyone that the time to fight each other is over. As the people help where they can, many reports still come in for Max. The reports of small ork bands in the west come in as they should. Though Max did destroy the host in the coastal area, many more still thrive elsewhere on the planet. At the eldar camp, Kayleth keeps her warriors on stand-by until she hears from her warlock Veldoran. Though the future is showing a clear message, her thoughts keep coming back to Max.

She thought, "He is so certain and has no thoughts of doubt. Though he stood before a daemon, he didn't let it frighten him. He boldly went up to a daemon of Slaanesh and showed no hesitation. He was fearless and anxious. He is so…"

Before the next thought comes to mind, she shakes it off. As she heads out into the wild to slay more orks, a loud sound shakes the sky. The eldar look up and see two massive openings appear. Out from the warp, the Faded Light comes shooting out. The eldar vessel returned to Saneesh intact. The War Harbinger proudly flies out from the second gap and begins broadcasting its message to the forces on the ground; Max and the imperial army looks up to see the same results. No one didn't think they would see the War Harbinger come flying above. It didn't take both armies long to reconnect with their allies. The news of their arrival spark questions of how, why, and what. The War Harbinger floats over the imperial camp; the Faded Light journeys to the eldar base of operation. Both sides regroup and share what they know. At the eldar camp, Veldoran and Kayleth boost their numbers; however, the warlock brings much more grave news. Upon its escape from prison, the daemon let out a shriek that leaves the eldar more vulnerable than ever. They become more sensitive to the land, air, and surroundings than they were before the daemon was out. Some eldar fall to the soil passing out. This new sense of danger puts them on uneven terms. Kayleth and Veldoran stand alone in a private tent unable to decide which path to take.

Veldoran retells the meaning of the words farseer Elenwe once said: "The future of the damn remains unclear. The eldar will always be in a constant state of change. Though they fight against chaos like the humans do, the fate of the eldar is not to die any time soon in the future. An individual of your enemy will create a change. From the interference of Max Johnson, Kayleth achieved great power from the Eldar War God Khaine. Though no avatar of the War God, Khaine has given her the power she will need to burn his message in the stars and beyond. You will discover an ally and experience a wondrous power. Power is in your spirit more than ever. The wondrous power comes from an unexpected source that you must be willing to accept as a change. The path will save your craft world from the Great Evil. The return of the Great Evil will be in the form of one of its daemons. It will show signs of threat; however, the craft world of Alaitoc will be safe from She Who Thirsts."

He adds, "Though the message is slightly unclear at one or more part, it still shows that our fate is not to die. We can still achieve what we intend to do. The only choice now is simple: What are your orders?"

Kayleth is silent for the time. Before she can respond, the spirit stone of farseer Elenwe shoots out from her attire. It flies from the tent and slams into the Faded Light. The spirit stone is absorbed by the ship. Many eldar look up to see the ship glow brightly and shine light on the ground. In mere minutes, a Wraithseer floats down to the surface. As the eldar all gather around, they witness the return of the farseer, only stronger than before. The warp power of Elenwe sends energy through the ancient vessel. As power bursts from the Wraithseer, it slowly moves as it takes the first steps out from stasis. The eldar of Alaitoc can't believe their eyes. The wondrous farseer Elenwe of the craft world has return. As she takes her spear in hand, Elenwe delivers the message:

"Hear my voice again, my kin. The time for us to begin our battle is drawing close. I, farseer Elenwe, have return to help you in battle against our foes. The daemon from the warp will return, but we will not face it alone. I stand before you not afraid. You will be not afraid either. We have the power we need. And I shall show you where our true path begins. Rise up, my kin. Take up your weapons of battle. We will have our victory for craft world Alaitoc."

The message makes the eldar cheer and howl for the promise of victory. Even Kayleth proudly lets her voice ring as loudly as she can. The eldar agree to follow the words of their farseer; they return to the Faded Light to begin preparation for the final battle. At the imperial camp, everyone did their best to fortify the base. They work non-stop day and night to secure the area. Max, Lucas, and Lina take in the news of what each have discovered.

Lucas says, "I can't believe he did that. Not only was he not on the ice world, but Commander Vance did side with the dark eldar against us. I guess even the best of us can allow corruption to turn us down the wrong road; we easily stopped his war ship and eliminated every able bodied person on the last world. Anyone else alive was taken in custody by us; the only reason we got here so fast is from using the FLT drive and the remains of the warp drive from the Champion of Men ship. The journey here fried all our circuits out for space travel. So, until they are fully repaired, we have to stay on Saneesh for now."

Lina reports: "The repairs may take at least a year, but for now, the ship is fully combat ready. We have to count our total number of able body troops on hand."

As the three went around addressing each company captain or officer, they are provided with the intel on the fighting strength. Every single gun, tank, man, woman, and non-human is taken into account. It nearly takes them a whole day to fully get an accurate count. Lina reads the reports out loud as they each enter their report through the system.

"For the imperial guard count, we have the strength of five million accounted. At least two million for men, two million for women, two hundred fifty thousand for ogryns, two hundred fifty thousand for Skitarii gunners, and two hundred fifty thousand storm troopers, recruit, and conscripts; the recruits and conscripts make up the bulk of the soldiers. The vehicle and aircraft count is at least five hundred for tanks. There are one hundred battle tanks, one hundred hell hounds, one hundred transporters, one hundred shuttle ships on the War Harbinger, fifty Valkyries, and fifty fighter bomber pilots. Overall, our military strength is high, but chances of success are even."

Before they can begin discussing battle plans and strategy, an alert is sent all over the base. The troopers grab what weapons they can and journey to the front of the base. Lucas orders his men to be ready; Max keeps his rowdy bunch in line. Lina organizes her legions of skitarii to take aim. As everyone looks out into the open, they see an ancient eldar Wraithseer and eldar autarch slowly walk in range of fire. Before an order is given, Lucas takes a company out with him; Lina follows closely behind him. Max takes three squads of veteran soldiers with him. They lead the march to their allies. As they halt their groups back, the three human leaders meet with their eldar allies. Veldoran appears alongside his close allies. The three able body leaders of the eldar and imperial army stand facing each other.

Veldoran says, "It is good that your ship was fortunate to survive the trip through the warp jump with an FTL drive active. I am humble to see you again."

Lucas replies, "I am glad to see that you made it through as well. And why do you approach us with a giant spear wielder?"

Farseer Elenwe answers, "I am of the craft world Alaitoc. I have returned to support my kin in battle as the second blade against the dangers they face. I am farseer Elenwe of the Wraith Lord."

Lina marvels at her size, "It is amazing to see you here in person. I only heard so little about what a Wraith Lord is. I just know that you are terrifying to fight against. It is an honor to see a wise warrior here."

Kayleth interrupts the peaceful greeting, "There will be a time for our meetings later. Right now, time is of the essence. We must know of your plan if we are to join you in combat against the enemy."

Max steps forward towards her as she glares in his direction, "The least you can do is say how much you enjoyed our time together as allies."

She quickly answers, "The only thing I did enjoy is staying away from your insufferable ego."

Max coldly smirks and says, "Among other things you enjoyed when you have me alone with you."

Elenwe and Veldoran look at Kayleth as she masks her blush with rage; Lucas and Lina look to Max as they wish to inquire about the phrase "Among other things".

He says, "There will be a time for questions and answers about that later. For now, here is what I will share with you. We stand strong with five million people accounted for battle. Our vehicle and aircraft count is also high. We are on even footing with the enemy. The only part now is will you stand with us. Can we count on your help?"

Kayleth reveals to them, "Our count is slightly less than yours. We stand at five hundred thousand for ground forces. We have one hundred thousand howling banshees, one hundred thousand dire avengers, one hundred thousand guardians, fifty thousand rangers, fifty thousand warp spiders, fifty thousand fire dragons, and fifty thousand guardians. We have our own way of dealing with the enemy; however, we would like to know how you operate."

Lucas, Max, and Lina look to each and agree that more is better for the chances of success. Without any pause, they persuade the eldar to join them inside the imperial base. With a nod, they agree. The guardsmen from a distance welcome their allies once again. A few eldar guardians and warlocks respond in good faith. Though the greetings are similar, the guardsmen of old and new feel more at ease with their eldar allies. The storm troopers keep their distance from the groups for fear of xeno contamination. Once the eldar settle inside the imperial base, the eldar vessel comes into view. The Faded Light vessel floats alongside the War Harbinger ship. The scouts and rangers take their usual areas of interest; many stand silently on high areas. The other groups of eldar hold various areas of the fortress. Though the eldar are calm around their allies and group, several banshee warriors keep their weapons drawn should the storm troopers attack. As the groups stand ready to fight, one particular guardsman remembers the fair banshee he encountered before. Carl recognizes Shelia without her mask on. He boldly steps in between the groups and begs for cooperation. The two groups back away and keep the peace going. Carl calls to her.

Carl says, "Hi, I am glad you made it this far."

Shelia turns to him, "I see you are hurt. How did this happen?"

Carl nervously replies, "Well, I did get hit in the leg and arm a few times back when we landed on the warp world Ragnar. Those damn orks left their marks on me greatly."

Shelia walks to him and examines his wounds. She says, "You need to be more careful if you are to ever see any more sun rises."

Though Carl and Shelia were the first to be friends of battle, many other eldar and imperial guard soldiers easily relax around the each other as best they know how. The guardsmen and eldar exchange stories of what they know, how they fought, and what is to come. At the center of the armies, the six able leaders stand ready to push on. Farseer Elenwe and Lina keep the defenses strong. Lucas and Veldoran organize their parties; Kayleth and Max go over tactics of battle. They each set their armies in motion to be ready for the enemy. As the days go by, the alliance of the imperial guard and eldar grow slightly closer. Reports come in from scouts that the orks are advancing. It didn't surprise any of them that the orks return. Everyone gears up for battle. The three leaders of the eldar and imperial guard meet.

Lucas says, "The orks are many, but we can challenge their strength. Veldoran and I will advance from the west and hit their camps. It is a good idea we cut down their means of reinforcements."

Veldoran adds, "As we slow down their reinforcements, this will give you all the time to counter and advance on them."

The two leave and head for the western territory with their army at their back.

Farseer Elenwe says, "The ork vehicles must be disabled before they become a problem for our forces. Lina and I shall see to the destruction of them in the east."

Lina replies, "Once we take down their means of transportation, the rest will fall to you to deliver the crippling blow. They should have calculated their chances for a victory."

After the other two leave, Max and Kayleth stand alone in the tent. They look at each other as though they are just meant to be alone as always. Max shakes off the confusion and shows her the battle plan.

He says, "Looks like we will advance from the south and stop any advances on our partners."

Before he says another word, Kayleth approaches him, "Are you certain of the coming battles? There can be no room for doubt, Max."

Max looks to her and smirks. Knowing she will get mad, he answers, "We are ready. Though everything we do is against the imperium rules and regulations, we have no choice. The daemon will still come back at any time. I rather have a reliable ally than a treacherous friend. Stop overthinking about what is to come. Plus, we will get more time alone."

As Max heads out to rally his troops, Kayleth feels herself being pulled by an unexplainable need to follow him. She disregards his use of words to annoy her. It didn't take long for the alliance to fight against the orks once more. Lucas leads the squad through the land spilling blood and blasting gun shells; Veldoran burns his foes with warp fire. Lina guides her skitarii legion with cold calculations; Elenwe uses her warp powers and spear to shatter the ork transports. At the front of their own line, Max and Kayleth boldly rush in among orks. They stab and fire in various directions. They cover each other's back. With every successful ambush and strike against any ork, the alliance greatly improves. The eldar cover their allies retreat as they jump in and slaughter the orks; the guardsmen hold the line as eldar warp spiders lead orks into traps. The alliance stands strong and proud. No casualty reports and no loss of battle tanks. The morale of both the eldar and imperial guard soars high above the sky. For seven days and seven nights, the alliance gains victory after victory. Once the orks flee from the area, the men sing songs of imperial glory; the women gossip to eldar banshee on how easy men are to tame with alluring features. Though the banshee warriors remark on such tasteless tactics, Shelia pays attention with great detail as to how. The morale is high for now. The true evil has yet to appear.

Chapter 11: Section 11 – 3

Once they arrive back at camp, the army takes this moment to enjoy their victory. Lucas and Lina share a drink with their friends; Veldoran and Elenwe dig deeper into the future of what is now a reality. Max stands on a hill top and watches the commotion from below. He takes in the sound of peace and silence surrounding him. With war and conflict always around, he enjoys the moment of happiness he sees; he looks to the distant land of where the imperial fortress is at. The darkness slowly forms over the area. The unknown energy from the warp flashes purple lighting over the sky. It wouldn't be long before the danger returns soon. He turns away from the sight to go inform the others. He feels a barrier of warp power circle around his body. He smiles slightly and calls her name. Kayleth stops using her warp power and reveals herself; Max is expecting her to ask a variety of questions. Instead, she shows sadness; Kayleth looks pass him and scans the horizon.

He says, "You are usually ready to inform me of battle plans or ask me questions. Why the sad look?"

Kayleth replies, "I fear the worse will happen to us before we achieve victory. Though the future is clear for the eldar, I only wonder what will happen for us to reach that end."

Max scratches his head, "You are right about that; I am still nervous about it. The unknowns of the future can change at any given time."

She turns her sight to him with a serious look. Kayleth asks him, "Are you ready to finish this? Once the daemon returns, we will have to be ready."

He answers, "Right now, I am nervous and eager. I am nervous about how the rest of my life will be once we are done fighting the current enemy here; I can never go back to the imperium of man unless they require a rogue trader to help them or need a blank to use. The guide lines are clear since I have been around your kind for far too long. As for my eagerness, that is rather high right now. We faced orks, dark eldar, and even corruption so I wonder what else will we face. There may be daemons that come from the warp when we face the beast again."

Though Max jokes about the matter, she replies, "Being your associate was never the plan; however, becoming your associate has proven useful for me. And I no longer see the future blacken by words of death and destruction."

Max turns to her with wonder and asks, "What about you trying to love me? Was that not apart of your future? Maybe even friendship?"

Kayleth annoyingly answers, "There are other reasons why I didn't want to work with you any longer. The future that Elenwe told me of shows too much happening to me. I rather face it as a warrior than be too weak to endure it. Even after everything I said or did, you show me too much time and care. And to answer your question, no. There will never be a love for you to have or share with me. Friendship is still possible."

Max approaches her. Kayleth turns away to hide her blush and keeps her mind alert should; she looks back into his eyes with a furious gaze. Max nearly laughs at her; however, he doesn't push the issue.

She thought: "Why? Why does he look at me in such a way?"

Max places his hands on hers only to see her blade ready to cut him down. Her heart rate beats faster. Instead of making her feel aggressive or too afraid, Max nods his head and backs off from her. He whispers words that were once told to him a long time ago.

He says, "I finally found you."

As Max pulls away from her, Kayleth feels her heart rate rise again. The unusual feeling for her is somewhat familiar; however, she ignores it. Max uses his radio com to communicate with his friends.

Lucas reports in: "Hey, I hope you enjoyed as much as you can; I believe it is time for us to get ready. Warp activity from the imperial fortress is climbing."

Max walks towards the base and turns to Kayleth, "I will want more of your time once this is over; I hope it is not too much of a burden for you to do so."

Kayleth assures him, "When this is over, the only time I will share with you is how to fight better."

They journey back the camp and more of the warp powers light up the sky. The journey back to the camp leaves them wondering what is going to come. They encounter small bands of orks along the way and eliminate them; the warp powers in the sky urge them to hurry back to base. Once they arrive, the situation becomes more severe than before. The scans of the landscape at the imperial fortress shows a massive amount of warp energy gathering together. As many troops and eldar at the front base look to the direction of the imperial fortress, they witness the horror unleash. A massive black portal opens up above the imperial fortress. Suddenly, a bright object comes from the portal and shines brightly. As everyone looks on, they witness daemons fall from the sky. They carry the symbol of Slaanesh proudly and let their voices ring loudly as they touch the surface. The bright object shines atop of the fortress in the center. Once the light clears, the daemon stands before all in pain; the skin color changes to blue and purple. All daemons, corrupt followers, and inhuman companions marvel at how beautiful their daemon lord is. As the followers of Slaanesh stand at the front of the command central, the daemon speaks of the promises to come.

It says, "We have come to spread the promises of pain to all. We are here to give thanks to She Who Thirsts for the eldar souls. It is by her name that all others shall experience the pleasure we know. It will be our hands that slay the eldar, convert the weak, and purge the land. Our pain will be a blessing. The pleasurable offerings will be given to all to experience the greatest perfection. Go forth! In the name of Slaanesh, go and show the mortals what true perfection is! Glory to the Prince of Pain! Victory for the Princess of Pleasure. For Chaos!"

They screech for pain; the war cry of pleasure sings loudly. Every corrupt human, mad xeno, and crazed being looks to the direction of those not tainted. The promises they wish to show everyone drives them on. As they stomp the ground and crack their voices, the army of She Who Thirsts moves to the enemy.

Chapter 11: Section 11 – 4

The lasfire from the rifles break through their bodies. The sky falls on them as artillery shells break the soil. Men, women, eldar, ogryn, orks, and xenos of the warp slaughter each other; many fight to stay alive. Others seek the thrill of the battle. The war against the daemon lord has begun. The enemy seems endless with the warp portal open above the fortress. Yet, they all fight on and push forward; Lucas is at the front battling daemon beings of Slaanesh with steel and courage. He stabs corrupt men and guns down the approaching others; he sees monsters push in everywhere from the front. A blaze of warp fire rushes over the enemy in waves. As the enemy smiles upon their end, Veldoran leaps forward and joins Lucas. They both combat the enemy and watch out for surprises together. The guardsmen and eldar warlocks join their leaders as they help them push back the enemy. Even at the rear of the base, more able body leaders take the fight to the enemy. Linda effectively keeps the enemy in check with her legions of skitarii gun squads. Though they try to push in for the kill, a set of land mines go off. Pit holes with spikes take the lives of many that fall in. Every skitarii fighter holds their rifle and take down the enemy carefully with accurate shots to the head. The mad xeno beings close in from the rear entrance; however, a massive spear carrier slaughters the waves with a single swing. Though no longer in her original form, farseer Elenwe uses her warp powers from within the Wraithseer to obliterate their foes. Warp spiders teleport in the middle of battle to strike. They disappears again as more guardsmen gun down any survivors; the rear gate is cleared.

In the heat of battle, he uses all that he has at his reach. He fires a shot at an ork. Before he is taken down, he stabs at the enemy in their throat. Max twists his body to avoid every tackle and shot coming at him. As more of the enemy falls on him, the unnatural feeling comes to the xeno filth. The cold void of Max frightens them back; they all shriek at him in horror only to be cut down by her quick movement. Every stab burns the daemon and xeno monsters back to the warp. Once she lands beside him, her rage builds as she burns away the foes with eldritch flames. Kayleth recovers Max and turns to him with some concern.

She says, "Do not risk yourself like that. Your abilities must be careful guarded to ensure victory."

He says, "Well, you better follow your own words."

Kayleth hides her concern for him; the two fall back with their allies and rejoin everyone back at the base. Once at the base, commotion is everywhere. The wounded are carried to safety; the dead are buried. Officers are coordinating the areas of value for strategic positions that must be held. Each set of reinforcements come to solidify an area. The situation looks grim. As Kayleth and Max join their allies in the center, they all begin to discuss plans to assault the enemy and gather in strengthen near the fortress.

Max says, "We need to push the front area back as hard as we can. They used up a lot of their troops to try and get in. Lucas and Veldoran easily held them back. Maybe your teams can help us find a weak point to expose."

Kayleth replies, "It is impossible. There is too much warp energy in the area for us to advance. You will do well to take the lead and push forward. The enemy is thinking ahead of us for once this time."

Lucas and Veldoran enter the tent. They add what they know based on the events that unfold at the front.

Lucas says, "The enemy actually gave me a scare. We crippled their assault for now, but Veldoran needs time to rest up. Somehow, there is too much warp energy circling around the area up ahead. The imperial guard can go in, but the only issue is how it causes the troops to react. Some claim to be hearing voices. Other nearly gave into the voices; I had to put down a few men. They were good soldiers."

Veldoran falls to his knee as his warlock acolytes hold him up. He says, "There is something in the area that is causing too much warp to pass through me. I can only do so much until it is cleared."

Farseer Elenwe roars loudly in the center of the camp. Everyone looks to her as she stabs the ground with her spear.

She cries, "None will pass through the veil of protection! For we are protected by the ancestors of old!"

The Wraithseer raises her hands high and conjurers a warp shield over the entire base. The shield is stronger than the average warp barrier. The enemies close in and easily get thrown back into the dirt. The few that pass through the shield are shot. Lina calls to the others as they gather around Elenwe. The farseer speaks to all about what she can hear and see.

She proclaims: "The daemon lord is upon the planet. It is using the portal to bring forth the army of Slaanesh. Only one person can stop him."

Elenwe looks to Max; everyone looks to him.

He says, "She is right. I am unaffected by the warp powers. I will go alone. If I can stop the warp portal and seal it up, we will have a chance."

As Max heads to the front, the others go over their plan about what they will do when the portal is down. Lucas and Lina will boost the defense. Veldoran is recovering and Elenwe is using as much warp powers as she can; Kayleth escorts Max to the gate as she watches him get ready. She feels worried about him. Before leaving out of the shield, she speaks with him longer.

Kayleth says, "I need you to survive this if we are to win this."

Max replies, "And I want you to say it before I go. If not, save the concern for when I return."

Kayleth pauses in her words to speak what she has yet to understand. She grips her spirit stone tightly before she allows him go. Max smiles at her with one last look and promises her that he will return; Kayleth rallies her kin to be ready for battle. Max passes through the protected shield and heads into dangerous territory. He scurries pass the bushes and trees. He guns down anyone that is corrupt and knows that he faces the unknown evils of the warp; however, it seems nothing frightens him. No amount of fear or horror shakes him from his duty. The journey is nearly two miles going back to the fortress. As he encounters daemons and xenos along the way, each beast shrieks in horror as his unnatural blank abilities nullify the powers of the warp the enemy uses. The warp begins to flood through his body. A large, massive amount pours through him but Max doesn't feel hurt, pain, or damage by any of it.

He thought, "The enemy is many, but I can still stop them. The warp is around me; I can feel it and nothing happens to me. Every single daemon hates me. The corrupt men run from me and the fools of damnation curse me. Yet, I feel no fear; they all see me. I feel no worry. The only person I worry about is…her?"

Max stops in his tracks and sees her. The same face of the one who has his heart. He looks forward to see a daemon rider of Slaanesh stand before him. The creature roars until it senses the void come from Max. The beast backs away; Max touches his heart and smiles knowing now whom he is fighting for. With the warp power going through him, Max sprints at the monster and stabs the rider. He jumps on the beast and guides the frighten animal towards a herd of men. The monster stabs, stomps, and tramples down any in its way. Max fires his laspistol several times in the head of the beast before he hops off. The warp continues to pass through Max giving him speed, strength and powers unlike any ever seen. The battles guide him to more ruins of Saneesh; Max looks around to see old structures crumble to the ground. He turns to his left and sees a dark blue sphere. The warp energy flows from it all around his head. He fires his laspistol at it. No damage is done to it; he goes to it. The sphere shrinks slightly. The closer he goes to it, the smaller it becomes. Once he is close enough, the sphere is small enough to fit inside his pocket. He grips it only to hear roaring monsters in the area. Max turns and faces them. Before they can attack him, a wave of bullets take down the foes. From behind his back, the eldar rangers and imperial scouts approach bringing him news from the base.

The scout says, "We got lost from our convoy. The sphere you got seems to prevent us from making any contact. I don't know what you did, but we got wounded allies here."

Max says, "Head back this way. The path is cleared. Radio the others once you are in range.

As the few leave Max to return to base, he continues moving forward into the unknown. Most of the warp continues being drained into his body and his blank abilities are still being used by some of his reflex. He reaches back into his pocket to see that the warp energy from the sphere is completely gone. Back at the imperial base, Elenwe senses a change in the warp. Veldoran rises up and alert. Many other warlocks feel the sudden change too; it is as if the warp itself is being lifted. Elenwe looks to the massive shield bubble around the camp. The strength of it is weaker than before. A few corrupt humans push in to attack the camp. They break through the shield, but they are slaughtered by Kayleth who leaps into action. Elenwe joins her.

She says, "What is this, Elenwe? The enemy easily broke through. The warp is unbalanced right now."

Farseer Elenwe replies, "The warp on this planet has been altered. We can advance now safely. Our warlocks and I must stay behind."

Kayleth sprints out the entrance. Though many try to follow her, she is long gone out of sight. She follows the same path that Max. She uses her warp power to find his footsteps in the soil; the warp powers enhance her eye sight. Kayleth easily finds Max's foot prints of where he went. Once she is far enough, she slows her sprinting down. The use of her abilities powered by the warp energy cause her some discomfort. Kayleth presses on and slays more xenos of Slaanesh. She burns the corrupt followers of She Who Thirsts with her burning blade. Kayleth pauses and feels more of the warp energy being lifted. More of her abilities are easier to use and last longer. As she continues to catch up where Max is at, she hears his screams from a mile away. Kayleth risks further injury as she allows the flame of Khaine to burst from her body. She leaps to a new area. Once she touches down, Kayleth finds Max stabbed in the leg and shoulder. He guns down the final enemy as Kayleth rushes to him and slays any left standing.

Max looks to her, "I see you are now able to join me. It is still dangerous for you to be here."

Kayleth pulls her sword from the enemy's head, "And I told you to be more careful. I can't have you risk yourself so foolishly."

The pair turns and face more corrupt men rushing at them. They fire their guns and swing their swords. As many as the enemy is, they cut down any who approach them. Kayleth feels the flame of Khaine charge through her body as the area around her burns. Max lets the warp power flow through him as he leaps into the enemy; they clear the area. Max pulls out two small spheres. Kayleth gasps upon seeing them; she knocks them from his hand destroys them with warp power.

She says, "Those are chaotic warp spheres that cause the warp to flow through the land freely. Why didn't you destroy them sooner? As long as they are here, the warp becomes unbearable for some of us to focus."

He replies, "I didn't know that was the source of the trouble. It is a good thing you helped me get rid of two of them. Now it is easier for us to advance."

The destruction of the warp spheres sent a terrible aftershock to the area around the fortress. The warp portal above the center of the fortress decreases in size as no more beings come from with. The daemon lord roars in agony as the plans for domination are put on hold. His message is sent to all others that remain on the ground.

"Our offerings to Slaanesh have been taken from us. The warp portal is weakened. Recover the last spheres in the land and bring them to the fortress. We shall not let the enemy bring ruin to what we have to offer."

Max and Kayleth receive word of the enemy retreating. Many begin to pack up supplies and head for the new location of the forward base. Kayleth and Max advance to find several groups of chaos followers searching around the area. They quickly slay them and interrogate the last survivor.

She says, "This world will belong to Slaanesh. By our hands, the spheres will allow us to convert the land into a wonderful paradise of pleasure and pain. Will you be our first witnesses to what She brings?"

Kayleth ends the woman's life. She says, "These spheres must be found and destroyed."

Max says, "Agreed. We can't let the enemy have even a single one."

As the two come to the next area of ruins, Kayleth shrieks in pain; Max helps her up. She points to one of the structures as it falls over. A sphere is revealed and taken by a follower of chaos. The two chase him down and slay him. Max tries to grab the object only to be tackled to the ground. A woman picks up the sphere and runs into Kayleth. The mad woman throws the sphere at Kayleth; she dodges the chaotic warp sphere as it devours a tree. Max shoots the mad woman in the head and recovers the sphere. He tells Kayleth to wait until its power drains away. As Max holds the sphere with his bare hands, the warp power from it slowly drains away and fades. Corrupt xenos and mad followers of Slaanesh come from all around to attack. Kayleth sprints around and slays the enemies close to Max. He puts down the sphere and fires his laspistol into any approaching enemy. Max sees Kayleth go down. He rushes to her aid and abandons the sphere. As the enemy claim the sphere, Max guns down the foes holding Kayleth.

She says, "You should not have saved me. Now they have what they need."

Max replies, "I didn't want you to be taken from me. They won this time, but we still have a chance. Let's get back to the others."

They rush over as fast as they can; they encounter allies along the way in transports. They bring them to the forward camp. At the forward camp, many defenses are setup. Eldar rangers and scouts hold the front line as they take turns firing. Storm Troopers and dire avengers unleash a barrage of fire that none can withstand. Lucas and Veldoran keep the front line together and hold the enemy back. Lina coordinates with the ground forces and sends data to the ships above. Wraithseer Elenwe uses her warp powers to drive back waves of the enemy. It didn't take Max and Kayleth long to arrive and witness the amazing teamwork both sides show. Where a man lays wounded, an eldar seeks to heal him. Where a craft world warrior bleeds, a man patches up the cut. The final assault will begin on the daemon lord. There is only one question that continues to haunt the leaders of the alliance.

"Are we going to live to tell the tale?"

Chapter 11: Section 11 – 5

The corrupt men gather in strength and reinforce their numbers by the entrance of the imperial fortress. Xeno heretics of She Who Thirsts climb on high towers and scream in delight. Everyone that smiles, they think of the pleasure they wish to offer. Though the outer walls of the fortress stand ready, the center is full of pain, suffering, and ecstasy. The women experience every sensation possible. Be it pleasure of the flesh or pain of the damage done to them, all are truly satisfied by what they feel. Some sink so low in their activities that no humanity is left of them. In the hands of three women, they each hold a sphere. Each sphere is a chaotic sphere from a daemon of chaos. The daemon lord that stands before the women happily accepts all three spheres. As the daemon lord looks at the spheres, it screams in agony that excites everyone around it.

It says, "This will not do. There is only one way for now."

The daemon lord tosses all three into the sky. Each sphere shoots in a different direction. One sphere stops at the top of the imperial fortress. The other two are moved to the front of the forward bases in the east and west. The warp energy pulls from two of the spheres. The power flows to the sphere at the center of the imperial fortress. Every living being inside the fortress thrives off the sensations they feel. It sings to them perfectly; the daemon lord takes it place by the central command base. It sends a message to all that can hear its cry: Bring yourself pain and pleasure.

At the imperial camp, everyone looks to see entrance of the base. They see men and women running towards them ripping off their clothes to expose their symbols of their master. Some men become too scared and try to run. Lucas fires his gun in the air and keeps the men focused.

He says, "This is what awaits you if you run. Do not give into fear. Those men and women are doom and will suffer."

A Preacher comes forth and adds, "You are men and women of the imperial guard. They are the damned and crazed of the fallen. We will give them a merciful death."

Max and Lina join Lucas at the front; they did not wish to see the crazed groups of people and xeno suffering in agony. The corrupt people shake off their wonderful yet painful sensations. Once they focus on the enemy in front of them, they scream for a joyous death as they rush to them.

Max shouts, "We will live pass this day! They have come to die! Follow me into battle again!"

As Max leaps ahead of everyone, he rushes as fast as he can to meet the enemy head on. Lina and Lucas follow closely as they join their ally in battle. Consumed by what he hates, Max didn't let any thoughts or emotions stop the swing of his sword. He gives the enemy a taste of his anger. As he closes in, the unchecked blank powers of Max frighten the army of corrupt men and women. They stop their advance as they look at Max rush at them. They scream in pain as the void approaches them from a person not of this world. Max easily slays handfuls of people in front of him as his allies join him in the conflict despiute the void feeling. The enemy easily falls to the ground in pain; the guardsmen fire their lasrifles. They let the bolter machine guns rip apart groups of the crazed. As they advance through the waves of enemy troops, more allies come to the front to advance the line. As the first enemy line crumbles, the enemy brings forth reinforcements to assistant. Suddenly, warp flames burn the damned alive and turn them to burnt corpses. As they appear from the trees and bushes, the eldar led by Wraithseer Elenwe come to aid their allies. Dire avengers and storm troopers rush in firing their rifles at any being not pure. Howling banshees led by Kayleth swing their swords and cut down their foes. Veldoran and warlocks burn the ground in a blaze of warp flames. The battle goes in the favor of the alliance; Kayleth and her warriors make their way to Max and his company. The two leaders quicken their pace as they slaughter the foes by the many.

Max says, "I hope this is not how you want to spend more time, Kayleth. I could have improved on this."

Kayleth runs her sword in the face of two opponents, "If I want your time, I know how to get it, Max. I rather we send these mad followers and damn daemons back to the warp. There will be no more time once we are done here."

As the aggressive leaders push up the front lines, the defensive roles fall to Lina and Elenwe.

Lina says, "It is good that you used strategy and clever tricks here. Perhaps, we will compare notes when this is over?"

Elenwe answers proudly, "I can offer you very little for you have your own; however, it does always help to remember what you know."

Lucas and Veldoran join the center with the Preachers to keep the morale steady.

Veldoran says, "You do know that those two have become closer than ever? How often does this happen?"

Lucas laughs and orders his men to the front lines, "I already have my own thoughts that he wants to be close to her. I just don't want to know what else they do in their private time. For now, we stay on course to the fortress."

It didn't take the alliance of the human and eldar long before they reach the front entrance of the fort. They easily set up camp as their enemy retreats in fear. The War Harbinger ship and Faded Light vessel stand-by for orders of where to fire. Shuttles fly from the War Harbinger with supplies for ground forces. Additional eldar bone singers teleport to the surface and construct stronger web way gates. Lina sends targeting locations to the War Harbinger to fire on. As the first sector of the imperial fortress is secure, many more sectors are heavily fortified by chaos followers. After the alliance is secure, the able body leaders host a war council in the center. Lucas, Elenwe, Max, Veldoran, Lina, and Kayleth all compare notes on what they have been told and know. The reports are interesting. The followers of Slaanesh hold the areas that each sphere is at.

Elenwe says, "The enemy is strong here. Even with two spheres destroyed, the warp has given our enemies an advantage over us. If we destroy the other chaotic spheres, they will weaken."

Max agrees, "And in doing so, we can advance on them with ease."

Lucas points to a particular area on the map, "We must go in from this area. A surprise attack here will draw the enemy away from the sphere. I will lead the raid. Once I do, Veldoran and his warlocks can destroy the sphere."

Kayleth adds, "My team will go in from the opposite side of the area. A distraction here will cause the same reaction. Lina and her skitarii legion can move in and blast the other sphere."

It didn't take them long to agree that the sources of trouble must be stopped. Before the alliance can mobilize, reports come in that the orks are attacking from the areas of interests. The allies rejoice at the news and use the green muscle beasts to complete their task. Lucas and Veldoran head to the east. Wraithseer Elenwe and Lina go to the west. Kayleth and Max march to the front of the lines and look out into the danger coming.

He says, "No matter what happens, I am glad to have met you."

Kayleth happily answers, "And I am fortunate to see you."

With the orks successfully distracting the dark forces of chaos, the alliance moves in and eliminates scores of the enemy. Be the foe an ork or a dark follower, no one is spared. Each sphere is successfully eliminated in the west and east. Lucas radios to Max and Elenwe telepathically alerts Kayleth; the two leaders take the charge to the enemy as they welcome their assault with the promise of pain. Kayleth unleashes her warp power as the flame of Khaine rallies her howling banshees to join her. Max roars fiercely at the enemy with the company of guardsmen following closely behind him. The enemy puts up a tough defense as many warriors on both sides clash swords and fire weapons; the enemy is taken by surprise from the east. Two able body leaders rush in as they fire into the enemy ranks with bolter fire. Warp fire from the warlocks burn away the souls of many corrupt men as they experience a fury like no other. Lucas runs in and guns down several xenos of chaos. Closely at his side, Veldoran scatters the enemy away. Though the enemy is still holding their own, a second surprise occurs in the west. Skitarii squads gun down commanding officer of corruption; a rush of warp energy lifts the enemy into the air. Wraithseer Elenwe walks into a group and swings her spear in every direction. Battle tanks roll in and blast the ground away as Lina gives them targeting areas ahead of the group. The enemy is caught holding back three armies of the alliance. The eldar of Alaitoc fight bravely against the hordes of chaos alongside the 20th regiment of the imperial guard.

Every move they make against the enemy sent sensations down the spines of the daemon lord. It moans with pleasure as each kill gives it more than just a taste of what is to come. The creature flies to the top of the command center; it takes the last sphere in its hand and utters the words of promise.

It says, "Now, I take the souls of many and you give me what I truly desire. In your name, I shall be stronger than ever."

Elenwe, Kayleth, and Veldoran sense the coming threat. Veldoran joins his warp powers with Elenwe. Together, they shield the alliance from a massive warp power that reaches out. From the sphere at the center in the hands of the daemon lord, warp energy latches onto the enemy. Every warp line pulls the body and soul of any being back into the sphere. The more it gathers, the more the daemon lord feels exhilarated. The feeling is so strong that the creature moans happily. Suddenly, the monster cries out in pain and calls to its master. Every dark follower is sacrificed to the sphere. The warp energy is too strong for anyone to get near. As everyone makes sure they are in the warp barrier, they all witness a miracle of horror. The daemon lord howls and smiles upon its new victims. Max, Lucas, Lina, Veldoran, Elenwe, and Kayleth look on at the horror that is now standing high above their head.

"Can we stop this daemon and be saved from damnation?"