Razorwing Jetfighters took the lead, streaking through the void in a dazzling array of engine trails. Their mission was to conduct harassing runs and further dismantle the already crippled air defense systems of the Song of Farewell, clearing a path for the heavier bombers.
Four Voidraven Bombers, split into two wings under the cover of the Razorwings, headed straight for two key strategic objectives: the void shield generators atop the hull and the main propulsion engine array at the stern.
The bomb bays on the bellies of the Voidravens slid open. One after another, armor-piercing void-mine missiles, painted in a ghastly, bone-white hue, were unleashed. They struck their targets with pinpoint accuracy, causing the massive frame of the transport ship to shudder violently.
The colossal vessel groaned to a halt, transformed into a paralyzed beast drifting in the void, now entirely at the mercy of the bloodthirsty pirates.
From the bridge of the Howling Corridor, Pirate Lord Valak watched the display screens with sadistic amusement.
"Switch teams! Deploy the boarding parties!" He commanded, his voice a cold rasp. "Remember what I told you: the more vivid the victim's memory, the longer and more delicious the harvest of pain will be."
Several Intruder-class assault craft, their twisted hulls resembling the segmented torsos of giant insects, were ejected from the pirate ship. They spewed eerie green plasma trails, moving with such velocity that they appeared as mere blurs on the sensors.
The craft slammed directly into the hull of the Song of Farewell. Thermoelectric cutters at their bows worked frantically, melting through the thick plates until glowing, red-hot molten metal oozed from the breaches.
The Drukhari mobile forces launched the first wave of the assault. Ten Reavers on jetbikes glided at high speeds along the massive outer surface of the ship, harassing and gunning down any crew members near the deck who were attempting to organize external defenses. Simultaneously, they used sophisticated scanners to tag key internal passages for the following boarding parties.
Twenty Hellions, riding anti-gravity skyboards as if soaring on the winds of death, were the first to swarm through the gaps opened by the Intruder craft. They split into two groups: one roared as it charged the Astra Militarum defensive lines established in the main cargo hold passages, while the other dispersed to terrorize the secondary corridors and cabins guarded by Kerry's private security.
The core of Hellion tactics was speed and chaos. They never lingered in a duel, relying on the incredible maneuverability of their skyboards to navigate narrow hallways. They would launch lightning-fast strikes with splinter pistols and poisoned hellglaives before disengaging into the shadows. Panic spread to every corner of the ship.
Immediately following them, fifty fully armed Kabalite Warriors boarded from the Intruder craft. Well-trained and ruthless, one detachment used splinter rifles to suppress the Astra Militarum companies, securing a safe beachhead. Another group formed assault squads to push deeper into the ship, following the trails blazed by the Hellions.
The neurotoxin crystals fired from their splinter rifles did not kill instantly; instead, they caused excruciating agony, as if the victim's nerves were being shredded. The rounds rendered the hit targets helpless in a sea of pain, turning them into lambs for the slaughter.
These pirates were the most perverted and fanatical sadists in the entire Warhammer universe. Their entire lives were dedicated to tormenting other living beings to sate the hunger of their souls. Many of their attacks were deliberately non-lethal, designed only to maximize suffering so they could haul away a vast number of living slaves.
For those who fell into their hands, a dark fate awaited. They would face endless torture and degradation before finally being flayed. One could only pray the Drukhari performed those acts in that specific order.
At that moment, the most chilling hunters made their appearance: a small circle of Wracks—fanatical pain-worshippers and sadistic "artists" under Valak's command. Like shadows merging with the darkness, they moved rapidly through the mid-levels of the ship. Their targets were specific: isolated guards, communications officers, or engineers attempting to repair the systems.
Any attempt to flee or reinforce a position was met with deadly traps. The crew members, once familiar with every path of their ship, now found those same corridors turned into lethal labyrinths.
An elite squad of Kabalites, led by an adjutant personally appointed by Valak, set their sights on the bridge—the nominal command center of the vessel. The passageway to the bridge became a bloody meat grinder. Kerry's expensive private guards, clad in ornate power armor, fought desperately alongside combat servitors released by the Tech-Priests.
Las-beams clashed with poison shards, and chainswords collided with jagged blades. People fell every second. The Drukhari warriors were ruthless and efficient; it was only a matter of time before they breached the final barrier.
While most of the ship's attention was diverted to the battle for the bridge, more Kabalites, supported by Hellion and Reaver squads, launched a massive assault on the Astra Militarum positions. The main cargo hold held more than just supplies; it was the living quarters for thousands of servants and thralls.
The Imperial soldiers displayed the characteristic grit of the Astra Militarum, launching fierce counterattacks from behind makeshift fortifications. Even a small squad of Battle Sisters, originally aboard to maintain the spiritual purity of the crew, joined the fray. Without hesitation, they took up their bolters and charged into the fray, their voices rising in holy oaths to the Emperor.
The Sisters' fervent faith and superior combat prowess temporarily blunted the Drukhari offensive. However, under the unrelenting fire coming from all directions, the Imperial defenses—lacking unified command and fighting in isolation—slowly began to disintegrate.
Just as the line was about to buckle and the Drukhari were poised to seize the main hold, even worse news reached the bridge.
"Bridge! Bridge! This is the lower cargo hold monitoring station!"
"Something terrible has happened! There's a cell of Chaos traitors in the lower hold! They've used the chaos to perform an unholy ritual!"
"A monster has been summoned..."
Kerry slumped into the captain's chair, his face turning ghostly pale. Isud grabbed the communicator, his voice shrill with panic.
"Chaos? A summoning? Explain yourself! What exactly is happening down there?!"
A terrified, distorted voice screamed from the other end: "It's... it's blue horrors! Dozens of them! Twisted, screeching, shifting blue demons! And sorcerers in robes wielding balefire! They are followers of the Lord of Change!"
"Tzeentch..." Isud felt a wave of vertigo and had to steady himself against the console. The Drukhari raid was already a nightmare; the arrival of Warp demons was a death sentence. How much more misfortune could this ship endure?
Kerry, grasping at straws, cried out hoarsely, "Demons? Shouldn't the demons be attacking the Eldar? Aren't they mortal enemies?!"
As if mocking his naive hope, another report broke through the vox. This time, the voice was filled with a hint of hysterical relief.
"Captain! Good news! The imprisoned Ogryns somehow broke their cages! They've started brawling with the Chaos traitors and those blue monsters!"
The Ogryns' raw strength was giving them the upper hand. Their simple minds made them resistant to the demons' tricks, and they were busy smashing the warp-spawned horrors to pieces with their bare hands.
"Good! Let them fight!" Kerry wept with joy, shouting incoherently.
Otto added with an obsequious nod, "Your Excellency is wise! Those Ogryns are too dim-witted for the devil's sorcery to work on them!"
However, the relief lasted only minutes. Before Kerry could even take a full breath, the final, most devastating report arrived from a collapsing outpost near the lower decks. The reporter's voice was hollow with despair.
"It's over, Captain... Genestealers. A massive swarm of Genestealers has emerged on the lower decks!"