The Emperor departed.
He left Commorragh burdened by guilt toward his gene-sons—the Primarchs—and with endless concern and unfinished wishes for the fate of the Imperium of Man.
He departed with the Chaos God [Finality], the Empress of the Extraterrestrial Human Empire, the Lord of Humanity, the King of All Species—the very 'god' he had once despised and loathed most—bearing countless gifts from that being.
As a gambler who had regained a fragment of his humanity, he made, with resolute determination, the difficult choice to merge paths.
Was it the influence of that gift—the radiant diligence and ever-striving spirit of countless extragalactic beings—that swayed his decision? Or had the current state of the Imperium become so dire that delay was no longer possible, forcing him to act?
Perhaps both.
Just like a drowning man clutching at a blade of grass.
...
The Emperor's sons were left behind. The Primarchs [Leman Russ], [Jaghatai Khan], and Selene's Legion Masters, Konrad Curze and Magnus, exchanged glances. In one another's eyes, they saw astonishment—and a burning curiosity to understand more.
Russ and Jaghatai Khan had both been strictly ordered by the Emperor to remain here. They were instructed to cooperate with Konrad Curze and Magnus, and after the conclusion of the Dark Eldar's sacrificial ritual upon Commorragh, to return to realspace—to personally serve as proof, to restrain their sons and prevent conflict between the Imperium's worlds and the legions under Selene's command.
"How should we cooperate with you?"
Suppressing his emotions, Leman Russ picked up his frost axe and his Sword of Night once more. Wiping away the faint moisture at the corner of his eyes—whose cause he dared not think upon—he asked aloud.
Though the Emperor had not revealed the full scope of his dealings and plans, to see such grief and sorrow upon his face—to hear words of remorse never spoken before, and an admission of his own mistakes—was enough to dispel much of Russ's resentment and Jaghatai's doubt.
"The best cooperation," Selene replied lightly, "is for you to behave."
Her tone was casual, dismissive—pouring cold water over the Wolf King's rekindled fervor.
"In the Webway, your usefulness to he is as insignificant as a chicken rib. Your true value can only be realized in realspace."
"I chose Commorragh for My meeting with the Emperor partly because the Webway lies between realspace and the [Warp], shielding us from direct exposure to its corruption. The other reason—" Selene's lips curved into a dangerous smile, her crimson pupils gleaming with unmistakable light, like a sovereign sun gazing imperiously down upon a mere Fenrisian wolf— "is because the Webway is still faintly connected to Holy Terra's underworld. Though shattered and unstable, it is sufficient."
"The Emperor sits upon the Golden Throne to suppress the catastrophe caused by you disobedient sons ten millennia ago. Russ, you of all should understand my meaning. Control your emotions. Restrain your sons, and your worshippers."
Raising two slender fingers, Selene turned her gaze toward the furrow-browed Jaghatai Khan, her voice brooking no argument. "The Eye of Terror and Holy Terra—choose one destination each."
Though phrased as a question, Jaghatai instantly understood her intent.
He would accompany Magnus to Holy Terra.
Russ, meanwhile, would travel with Curze to the Eye of Terror.
After all, Russ and his Space Wolves hailed from Fenris, located in the Obscurus Segmentum, not far from the Cadia Gate that guarded the Eye. The Wolves' ferocity had earned them great renown across the northwest frontier of the Imperium.
By contrast, Jaghatai's homeworld Chogoris lay deep within the Imperium's heart, near the Ultima Segmentum, bordering the vast Maelstrom—another lair of Chaos. The White Scars' nomadic ways, their ghost-like speed and disdain for communication, made them ill-suited for diplomacy. In this matter, Russ's directness would prove far more effective.
"..."
Silence fell over them like a shroud.
Jaghatai Khan stared upward at the Chaos God—her projection suspended high above, wreathed in the howls of perishing Eldar souls that formed a dirge of extinction. The sight was both divine and dreadful.
She appeared gentle and beautiful, exuding a boundless tolerance at first glance—but within her truly resided an unquestionable majesty and tyrannical will. Though she seemed considerate, her every action wove an inescapable web that encompassed heaven and earth.
Her silver-white hair was combed meticulously to one side, but it was her eyes—those terrible eyes, like the extinction of the universe—that truly instilled dread. When her gaze swept across her surroundings, it radiated the aura of dominance and authority.
Her attire, as though woven from the light of galaxies and the essence of stars, spoke constantly of overwhelming power. Together, these formed the visage of one destined to rule.
A despot.
A despot who knew how to share, how to compromise and admit faults when necessary, yet understood even more deeply how to exploit human nature.
A tyrant who, in some respects, surpassed even the Emperor Himself.
"Very well. I shall accompany your warriors to Holy Terra. I will deal with whatever wraiths and phantoms dare emerge there."
After a moment's thought, Jaghatai Khan's calm, steady voice—carrying the distinct accent of Chogoris—echoed through Commorragh's air, now thick and stifling with heat.
He spoke without bravado. Jaghatai fully understood—the transaction between the Emperor and [Finality] was beyond question. He was merely the executor, neither possessing nor desiring the authority to decide the fate of all.
As for the mess created by the two tyrants' secret dealings, it would only shift from one ruin to another. Let his father bear that burden.
No matter how dire things became, could it truly be worse than those of his fallen brothers who had sold their souls and become monstrous abominations?
"Speaking with a wise man is always simple. Offer a word of advice to your brothers—their heads are harder than stone—and to the Terrans as well." Selene smiled, not bothering to pry into Jaghatai's clever inner thoughts.
"Let us begin."
With no further words, Selene turned her head slightly, her lips curling upward as she looked toward Magnus.
"At your command, my will."
Kneeling on one knee, Magnus gave a respectful bow to Selene before raising his gaze. Casting a sidelong glance at Russ—whose expression all but said what are you looking at?—he rose and lifted his curved staff high.
Bzzzzzz—
Commorragh, filled with hyperenergetic imaginary Honkai particles, seemed to cease functioning entirely. From countless spires, the black sun constructs began to wail, centering around the colossal tower named "Wandering Shadows That Tear Apart the Unwary." There, light and fury surged—radiance that burned through bone and scorched the soul.
The overloading detonation of those 'black suns' caused the multi-dimensional metropolis of endless hives to tremble violently.
An immense sense of dread seized all present.
Their schemes had failed.
The myriad cabals, slaver guilds, and syndicates that had hoped to rise once the foreigners cleansed the entrenched powers—leaving the throne vacant—now screamed in rage and terror.
Not only were their plans to seize the 'Elixir of All Souls' standard template in ruins—they now faced extinction. The invaders meant to annihilate the entire Dark Eldar race of Commorragh!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
In an instant, Commorragh blazed with light.
Countless ancient Aeldari heavy weapons unleashed an unending barrage, hurling toxic crystal shells and energy bolts into the heavens. Space-time itself twisted under the onslaught, trails of incandescent fury marking the skies—remnants of weapons from the glory days of the Aeldari Empire.
Those lines of light intertwined across light-years, forming an overwhelming tide that sought to shatter the vile sacrificial ritual threatening to destroy Commorragh.
For the first time, this city—known across the stars for its betrayal, intrigue, and sadistic cruelty—stood united.
The great cabals that had watched with black-hearted amusement as rivals faltered now moved in unison, drawing forth ancient relics long sealed away. Within the two leading cabals, even the ambitious schemers who had once sat idle now abandoned their petty infighting and fought with all they had.
This surge of struggle, this upward spirit—it was as if the ancient glory of the Aeldari Empire that had once ruled the galaxy for sixty million years had returned...
But alas, it was far too late.
With a single sweeping motion of the Chaos God from the Immaterium, all of Commorragh crumbled before Her. None could resist. Countless Dark Eldar—whether noble scions of cabals or lowborn outlaws—fell like withered wheat under the scythe. The mighty Archons struggled in vain, their bodies trembling violently with terror. Yet this extraction of the soul was irresistible—it was as if livestock were being drained of blood and scalded alive. Their moans dissolved into formless dust.
They burned away completely, becoming fuel for the present.
Just as Selene had granted the Emperor countless gifts, was She the type to give without taking in return?
Of course not. With the Emperor's silent consent—or perhaps his gift—Selene went further, usurping the very conceptual symbol of Humanity itself, the essence of the Imperium and the human race.
As for the Dark Eldar—every one of them, without exception—under the relentless pursuit of that twisted violet hermaphroditic pervert, none had survived without feasting upon the tormented souls of other intelligent beings—of humans.
Now, as the 'Mother of Humanity,' with a fierce sense of dominion, Selene decided to demand justice for those tormented human souls. For every soul you consumed, you will repay me twice over!
Only I, Selene, may oppress the Imperium. Even their souls must serve me. What are you, Eldar, to steal from my coffers?
"To deal with one's enemies, be as merciless as the harshest winter."
Seeing the flicker of unease in Russ and Jaghatai Khan's eyes—too heretical, too chaotic—Selene merely licked her lips. She extended her fingers and crushed thousands of wailing Eldar souls into dust, swallowing the torrent of purified essence whole.
"Humanity must become stronger, more wicked, more profound... and more beautiful."
Under this colossal act of near-genocidal sacrifice, Selene grinned. Her projected form shimmered, splitting into overlapping silhouettes—layer upon layer, like a kaleidoscope of shifting reflections.
"I await your performance... hahaha... it seems that Slaanesh is rather angry... come then, let's settle this together!"
As Selene's starry eyes merged with the Imaginary Vortex across the heavens—crack, crack, crack!—Her projection dissolved like scattering stardust.
...
Snow drifted through the dark city of twisted thorns, flickering lights amidst ash and flame. The silence was absolute. Commorragh had become a crackling wasteland—a dead zone, a hellish monument to the Dark Eldar's own sadistic artistry.
Until—
"What do you mean, Jaghatai's the smart one, and easy to get along with...?"
Russ's mutter shattered the stillness.
Truly, Jaghatai Khan couldn't help but shrug. Dealing with this Space Wolf was simple—if one could endure his impulsive temper and maddening 'wisdom.' Still, it wasn't unpleasant. At least Russ was straightforward—no deceit, no backstabbing, just brute honesty.
"...Russ, farewell. Try not to act rashly again. We'll meet again on Holy Terra."
Nodding toward Magnus—his two functioning eyes calm yet unreadable—Jaghatai extended a fist toward Russ.
Bang!
A half-physical shockwave burst outward, clearing the ash and dust for a hundred meters around. At its center, the Wolf King and the Warhawk's fists met.
"Haha, my wild and clever brother—see you on Holy Terra."
...
[Warp]
"You've overstepped!"
When Selene learned of Commorragh's fall and that the Elixir of All Souls standard construction template had been used as the sacrificial key—transmitted from the rift between illusion and reality into Her divine form as a Chaos God—
Crack—crash! A tumult of roars, screams, and shrieks tore through the multidimensional battlefield between [Finality] and [Nurgle].
"When loved, remain rational; when loving, open the hysterical, mad, and dreamlike door within yourself."
A low humming alternated between tension and release.
"Pain—such sweet pain! And to think that you, My dearest, My most anticipated sister, were the one to grant it to Me... oh, how it wounds Me so."
From the void emerged slender, blood-stained arms—feminine, sinuous, belonging to a form neither male nor female. The figure recoiled disdainfully from the reeking gardens of decay, as though to dance into the radiant crystalline sea of thorns nearby. Pearlescent mist poured from Her pores.
"Return what belongs to your elder sister, won't you? I shall reward My darling little sister with delights and pleasures beyond imagination... and together we shall—"
Her alluring gaze turned toward [Nurgle], whose wounded, diminished domain had rendered him the weakest of the Chaos Gods. Her voice dripped with mocking laughter.
Seeing this perverse being draw near, attempting once again to take advantage, Selene wordlessly produced the crystalline relic formed from the mass sacrifice of Commorragh's Eldar.
Under the other's burning gaze—crunch! One bite. Two bites. Three bites.
...
Gone. Not a single fragment left to share.
At once, a piercing wail tore through the Sea of Souls. "Arrogant wretch! This is an act of war—!!!"
...
Meanwhile, in realspace—
As the scale of the transdimensional war within the [Warp] expanded yet again...
"Lord Commander, we've arrived in the Macragge Five Worlds Sector."
—
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