Rayandanel's heart was pounding as he dashed across the corridor, his splinter rifle grasped in his hands. Another volley of fire hummed past him in his wake, and he ducked his head as he reached the safety of the portal opposite. Layria was pressed up against the frame of the portal, pistol aimed back towards the source of the fire. She snapped off a pair of shots and Rayandanel heard one of them strike home. Layria looked up at him, her black hair plastered to her face with sweat. "How did they get into the fortress?" she demanded. Rayandanel did not have an answer for her. He simply kept his mind on what he was doing. He peeked his head around the corner into the corridor and glimpsed the red-armored forms of the Bloodknife Kabal's warriors creeping forwards. He almost lost an eye for his trouble, barely pulling his head back in time before a splinter hit the wall, chipping the stone surface. He shoot his head. "No doubt they have been planning this for some time." He whispered. Layria shook her head and scowled, fingers gripping the handle of her serrated blade until her knuckles became purple. It had scarcely been minutes since the attack had begun, but it felt like hours. The Bloodknife Kabal had breached the Fortress' defenses and invaded with complete surprise. The Rokea's standing among the Kabals of Comorragh had fallen again since Ferruul'eth'el'adriel. The Biel-Tan had been waiting for them on the Maiden World, and Nathel had barely escaped with only part of her starting forces left intact. Rayandanel did not remember that day with much pleasure. Though Nathel herself had made the Biel-Tan pay in blood for their ambush, it had been too costly a venture. The Rokea's Reaver jetbike forces had been annihilated and the Naked Blade Cult of Wyches had abandoned the Kabal. The Rokea Kabal's enemies sensed weakness, and the Bloodknife were the third to attempt to finish them off. They were succeeding, it appeared. Rayandanel and Layria had been dodging the Bloodknife warriors in the corridors of the fortress, but they sought some indication that resistance was being mounted. The perimeter guards had been slaughtered when Mandrakes infiltrated and pounced, supported by a direct assault by Warriors and Wyches. The Bloodknife Archon would no doubt be in deep debt after hiring them, but the bounty he stood to aquire would more than pay for his outlay. "Rayandanel!" hissed Layria, and he realized that he had been distracted by his thoughts. The Sybarite's warning saved him from having his head cut off. He dropped to the ground as a shadow detached itself from the wall. The Mandrake's blade whistled through the air and caught him a glancing blow to the forehead. Pain spread through him as he fell, but at least he was alive. Layria lunged into action, first firing a splinter round at the assassin, which he dodged easily, but left his manouvering room severely limited, which the Sybarite took advantage of. She hissed and leapt, serrated blade flasing as it darted in at the Mandrake. Monomolecular metal met monomolecular metal in a shower of sparks and sound. Layria winced as the Mandrake's weapon slashed her shoulder, but she fought on. The pure ferocity of her attack won out, and the Mandrake crashed into the wall, his strength leaving him. He slumped to the floor, blood trickling from a number of superficial wounds. Layria's blade was poisoned, and it worked efficiently to end the combat early and in her favour. "Come on," she hissed. "We have to keep moving." She reached down and grabbed Rayandanel by the arm. He blinked away the blood seeping into his eyes as he was hauled to his feet. Still dazed, he nevertheless saw another figure apporaching from the side corridor and he raised his rifle even as he was being pulled up by Layria. "Hold!" called the figure. Rayandanel squinted and recognized the blue-grey armor of a Rokea warrior. "Come! Nathel is rallying the Rokea in the hangar." He told them. Layria glanced at Rayandanel, her coal-black eyes glinting with fury. "We go, Layria, because the alternative is worse." Rayandanel said. Layria was not a big fan of Nathel's leadership, but no member of the Rokea would escape slavery and death if the Bloodknife prevailed. Layria grimaced with suppressed anger and nodded to the warrior, who continued past the pair in search of more Rokea warriors to gather. The Sybarite and her lover continued through the dark corridors, their senses alive to every sound and shifting shadow around them, their imaginations afire to the possibility of further attacks from the darkness, but their transit was uneventful. By the time they reached the hangar, they had regained their strength and much of their wits. The hangar was a massive chamber where the Kabal gathered to depart on their raids. Raider transports and Ravager tanks rested in their cradles, while the warp gate stood majestically like a massive ring of obsidian. Crowds of Rokea warriors buzzed about the hall, setting up barricades at the exits against the inevitable assault. This chamber would be an essential one to take or to hold. Layria seperated herself from Rayandanel when she saw a gathering of her fellow Sybarites near the gate. She strode over, collecting her self-presence so that she could maintain at least the semblance of command. She managed it, despite her bare feet, her wild hair, bloody arm and her near total lack of clothing - barely. The other Sybarites looked her over critically, but nodded their acknowledgement of her. She joined the circle as they whispered about what was to be done. Rayandanel, now left alone among the groups of Warriors, seached the hall for more members of Layria's Coterie. He paused in his search, for he had located the white-haired form of Nathel the Betrayer, the Archon of the Rokea Kabal. Nathel was not unusual for a Dark Eldar in most respects but she almost seemed to think differently than others of her kind, and her features often attracted comment. Her eyes were a startling green and her hair a stark white, though she possessed the body and face of a young woman. Rayandanel did not know how old she was - very few Dark Eldar did. Her mode of dress was somewhat unusual as well. Her armor was glossy black, with a blood-red gold-edged tabard. The armor's most striking feature was the wings that stretched out from its back, containing the shadow field generator and the trophies of Eldar spirit stones and wraithbone that she was so obsessed with. In her hand, in place of the usual Agonizer or poisoned blades or Punisher of other Archons, Nathel carried an Eldar Singing Spear she had taken from an Ulthwe Farseer, and that had been altered and corrupted by her Haemunculus into a weapon of evil. The Haemunculus stood beside her now, a twisted, withered old man called Philliam the Tormentor. Face long since gone, he wore the face of his latest victim in its place, flesh stretched and stapled to the sides of his skull. He was whispering to Nathel as they stood on the deck of her personal Raider alongside her bodyguard and Philliam's assistants. The vehicle was powering up, and as Rayandanel watched, the warp gate began to come to life behind them. Power rippled up the outer ring of the portal, the air inside seeming to solidify and fragment into crystalline facets. The whole Kabal paused for an instant and looked up at the awesome sight. Rayandanel could see Layria look up in surprise and consternation, and he realized what would happen next. Nathel had decided to flee Comorragh… * * * Rayandanel, now dressed in his armor and wearing his helmet over his wounded face, stepped through the warp gate onto the springy moss-covered surface of a forest on some unnamed world. His Splinter Rifle in his hand, he and the rest of his Coterie were the first through the gate. He glanced over at Layria, now also armored in her accustomed black and bone armor, practically vibrated with fury as she led her warriors. He looked away from her. No words from him would be appreciated now. Following them were several other Coteries, all led by Sybarites. They fanned out in all directions, securing the area against any threats that might present themselves. Soon they reported evidence of Mon'Keigh inhabitants, but no immediate threats. Shortly after, the Raiders and Ravagers began to transit through the gate, their forms appearing first as kaleidoscopic shards, and then emerging with a flash of violet light. More troops on foot were followed by the larger bulk transports, carrying supplies and equipment, some of it belonging to Philliam. A trio of Talos flanked a transport guarded by Incubi, and after it came Nathel's own Raider. She stood on the bow of the skimmer as it turned to face the gate, her hair whipping in the unnatural wind created by the displacement of the gate. She was carrying something in her hand, one of the artifacts she had captured in previous raids. Rayandanel frowned, wondering what purpose it served - he was about to find out. Nathel raised the device towards the gate, and the air was suddenly filled with a shrill whining sound. The ground beneath the Raider began to buckle, causing the warriors on foot to scramble away from the gate, much to the amusement of the mounted troops who jeered down from their Raiders. Stretching out to the sides of the gate, something began to rise from the troubled earth. Two long horns of wraithbone struggled free of the rocks and vegetation, rising to frame the warp gate. Rayandanel and the others watched in awe as the wraithbone began to leech power off the active gate, causing massive energy crystals on its surface to light up, perhaps for the first time in millennia. Nathel smiled, and in the next moment, the gate seemed to invert itself. A deafening boom resounded in the air and a blinding flash of violet light followed. When the afterimage had faded from his eyes, Rayandanel looked up, and to his astonishment, the warp gate apparatus from Comorragh had transited the gate as well and fused itself to the ancient Eldar construct here. Nathel turned, placing the artifact in her hands into a secure compartment on her Raider. She gazed down upon her warriors with a smile on her lips. "We have a planet to raid. The Bloodknife now have possession of an empty fortress, for all the good it will do them." She said, her voice amplified by devices on board her Raider. "We have a working warp gate here on this side, so prepare defenses and camouflage to protect it from the Mon'Keigh that inhabit this world. We shall raid them for supplies and slaves, and when we are ready, and the Bloodknife is not prepared, we shall return to our fortress and purge them from our halls!" A cheer erupted from the Rokea, if a somewhat bemused one. This was an unheard of situation, raiding a planet from its very surface. Rayandanel glanced at Layria. Much of the Sybarite's fury was gone, replaced with an intense curiosity. Obviously Nathel knew much that was hidden to the rest of her Kabal. Rayandanel shook his head. This was unknown territory, fooling with ancient Eldar relics and mounting a campaign from outside Comorragh. The dangers were numerous and unknown. * * * The first couple weeks went well. The humans were caught completely unaware, and the Rokea were able to avoid the planet's hastily deployed defenders. The bulk transports were soon full of supplies and slaves, some of whom became victims of Philliam's tinkering. The Rokea's ranks were soon added to by two dozen Grotesques. But the good times could not last forever, and the Rokea were about to be visited by some of the Mon'Keigh's elite warriors. A strike cruiser loaded with Black Templars Space Marines had responded to the planet's call for help. The first encounter came soon. Dark Eldar raiding parties began to spot drop pods and Thunderhawks descending onto the planet. Nathel called back all raiders and planned to deal with these reinforcements before they could threaten the gate. An area near the Templar landing zone was chosen, and a force of Dark Eldar was assembled to cleanse the area. Layria's Coterie of sixteen warriors, including two Dark Lances, was chosen to accompany Nathel herself, along with her bodyguard on their Raider. Philliam insisted on coming as well, and he joined up with the Raider squad of Drucha'la. Another Raider squad, led by Jumai and a Ravager rounded out the attack force. They departed early, and day was already well underway when they encountered their foes. Four crude black-hulled vehicles, all containing Black Templars, appeared on the sensors of the Dark Eldar, and soon they were in view. Two Razorbacks and two Rhinos, engines belching fumes and smoke were driving in formation nearby. The Ravager led the Dark Eldar convoy, followed by Jumai's Raider and then by Nathel's. Layria's Coterie and Drucha'la's Raider held the right flank. Nathel ordered the attack, and the Dark Eldar got the jump on their foes… battle was joined. The Ravager drifted sideways from behind a stand of trees and opened fire on the lead Razorback. The twin Dark Lances bored a hole through the hull of the Marine vehicle and four of the six passengers stumbled out, only to be subjected to fire from Jumai's squad from the deck of their Raider. Two more Mon'Keigh fell, and Rayandanel smiled as the fanatical Marines surged forward instead of retreating under fire. "They would save the Rokea the trouble of hunting them down." he thought. To his right, Drucha'la's Raider arced out from behind some trees and opened fire on the other Razorback with its Dark Lance, the shot barely missing. Layria then ordered her squad forward. The Mon'Keigh were going to attempt to sweep along their left flank, and the Coterie's Dark Lances would be needed. They moved swiftly over the rough ground, leaving the forest and dashing into the open. Layria unsheathed her blades, anticipating using them. Rayandanel did not feel so optimistic. Their Coterie usually found itself relegated to fire support… The Marines moved forward with speed. One Rhino rumbled around the wreck of the first Razorback and into the open. The second Rhino reversed and drove around a rock outcrop into the center while the other Razorback lurched forward on the right to get a shot at the Rokea Raiders. Twin Lascannon beams flashed out from the Razorback and Drucha'la's Raider was struck. The gunner and his weapon were annihilated in a bright plume of vapourised metal. On the other flank, the surviving Marines from the first Razorback stood their ground and unleashed a missile and a plasma blast at the Ravager. Rayandanel smirked as the missile missed and the plasma splashed off the Ravager's armor plates. The vehicle was charmed, for sure - it was reknowned for surviving direct hits from all manner of weaponry. The Marines inside the first Rhino leapt from their vehicle and subjected Jumai's Raider to a storm of Bolt Pistol fire. A lucky shot clipped the skimmer's stabilizers and the Raider dropped from the air and crashed into the earth. Seven warriors emerged from the wreck. Drucha'la's Raider then swerved sideways to avoid the Razorback that had just destroyed their primary armament. Nathel's Raider then slipped alongside, using its Dark Lance to tear the Rhino in the center in half. By some supreme stroke of luck, none of the Marines aboard were killed. But they would not be safe from fire for long. With a shriek, the Horrorfex aboard Drucha'la's Raider launched a grenade into the tightly packed squad of Marines, and the hallucinatory effect left them pinned and unable to move. Splinter cannon fire from Nathel's Raider then killed two more Marines. On the left, Jumai's squad - now on foot - and the Ravager backed away from the squad of Marines heading their way. Layria then ordered her Coterie to open fire. One Dark Lance shot struck home, killing a Marine in a sudden implosion of matter, while Splinter Rifle and Cannon fire from Layria's and Jumai's squads killed one more. The Ravager then opened fire with its complement of weapons, but with abyssmal accuracy. Only one more Marine was killed by a Dark Lance shot. The Marines then continued their advance. But they were marching right into the hands of the Dark Eldar. Another missile was loosed at the Ravager, but once again it failed to harm the resilient Dark Eldar tank. Bolt Pistol fire from the dwindling Marine squad on the left killed another two warriors from Jumai's squad, but their resolve held. The Razorback advanced further, taking it into sight of Drucha'la's Raider. The twin Lascannon scythed through the skimmer's hull like it was paper, and the Dark Eldar aboard were forced to leap clear. Five Warriors didn't make it, but Drucha'la herself and Philliam survived. The Dark Eldar were suffering losses, but the noose was tightening around the necks of the Mon'Keigh. The Ravager began by annihilating the remaining two Marines that were launching missiles at it, while the Marine squad on foot was reduced to four members by further Splinter fire. The Dark Lance on Nathel's Raider obliterated another Black Templar, but its Horrorfex missed, the psychically charged projectile detonating out of range of the Marines. Splinter Cannon fire also proved ineffective. The engagement was becoming more desperate, and the Marines took the opportunity to advance all their forces towards the Raider containing Nathel and her bodyguard. A Lascannon from the Razorback struck the vehicle in the aft section, dropping it into some trees. Numerous shots from the surviving Marines killed three warriors and an Incubi from Nathel's bodyguard, but she remained unharmed. Now the Dark Eldar pounced. Layria lifted her blade into the air and ordered her Coterie forward. Rayandanel smiled, "Perhaps I was wrong, we may see battle after all!" he exclaimed, lowering his rifle and running forward alongside Layria. Elsewhere, Nathel and his surviving bodyguard and Philliam advanced as well. Philliam raised his Destructor, and a vile stream of acid gushed forth into the Marines. Two Neophates were converted into cellular residue, and not even the Marshall of the Black Templars escaped, suffering a wound from the potent acids. Fire from Nathel's retinue cut down another Initiate, and the time came to attack. Three Marines, including the Marshall remained in the Marshall's squad, and Nathel tore into them with a furious vengeance. The Marshall leapt to confront Nathel, but there was no way he could compete with her speed. Her spear caved in his chestplate like an eggshell and she spared not a moment for him after pulling her blade free. She swung back into the second Marine, slicing his head off and executed a full spin, carving out the intestines of the third. The battle was over even before the rest of the bodyguard arrived. Nathel grinned viciously as she collected a trophy from the Marshall and led her Bodyguard in a sweeping advance into the lone figure of the Emperor's Champion. Layria and Rayandanel pounced on the last three Black Templars on the left flank. The first Marine managed to fend off Layria's attack, and only one of the Initiates fell to the swarm of Dark Eldar blades. In return, the Bolt Pistols of the Templars smashed two Dark Eldar to the ground with close-range fire. The Dark Eldar held their ground, howling for blood. Rayandanel felt good, it was too long since he was last able to taste battle. The Marines were all but finished. The Razorback continued up the right flank, its lascannons missing the Ravager. The squad within unloaded and opened fire on Drucha'la's squad. The explosive bolts left Drucha'la standing by herself among the shattered limbs and sprayed viscera of her squad. On the left, the Rhino that still survived raced into Jumai's squad, gunning one of the warriors down with its storm-bolter. Jumai turned and ran, barely avoiding getting crushed under the tank's treads. Nathel's weapon was swift, but the Emperor's Champion proved to have a defense against it. A bubble of energy snapped into place, preventing most of her attacks from getting through. Wounded, he fought back, slicing two Incubi down as they struck. The weight of their blows proved more than enough, and the Marine Champion's luck ended, his body bisected by the blade of a Punisher. Nathel and Philliam, with the remains of her bodyguard - now only one Incubi and two warriors carrying Splinter Cannons - turned to advance on the Marines that had gunned down Drucha'la's squad. A spectacular fireball announced the destruction of the Razorback under the guns of the Ravager, and another told of the Rhino's demise from a Blaster carried by the fleeing members of Jumai's squad. The assault of Nathel and Drucha'la left only one Marine on the right flank, surrounded by Dark Eldar. He vowed to fight to the death, but Philliam stepped forward with another plan. His Destructor belched paralyzing ichor, and the Black Templar fell twitching to the ground. Rayandanel grinned viciously as he fought by Layria's side. The two Marines left alive fought with insane fury, but the Dark Eldar were simply too fast and too precise to defeat. Layria's serrated blades flashed in the sunlight, dazzling the Initiate before her so that he never saw the thrust to the stomach that killed him. He pitched over gurgling as the poison destroyed his cardio-vascular system, turning blood to water. Layria howled in triumph and kicked the Black Templar's body over, not aware that the last survivor, a Neophyte, was raising his pistol to fire at the Sybarite. Terror and fury in his eyes, he prepared to kill Layria, but he never got the opportunity. Rayandanel stepped in, bringing his bayonet slicing down into the Neophyte's wrist. The pistol dropped to the ground even as the rest of the Dark Eldar skewered him with their blades. When the bloody deed was complete, Layria stood alongside Rayandanel among the corpses of the Black Templars. Wisps of greasy smoke announced the presence of the wrecks and the site of the battle. It would be time to fade away. This area had been cleansed of Black Templars to the man. Reserve Raiders swept into the area to pick up the victors while one of the bulk transports arrived to collect the wrecks of the Dark Eldar vehicles destroyed in the battle. Rayandanel and Layria, along with their comrades, climbed aboard and rode in giddy triumph back to the Warp Gate. * * * The captive had proven difficult to persuade, but in the end, Philliam had succeeded. Wearing a new face, the old torturer emerged from his makeshift workshop with the information Nathel required. He chuckled dryly as two Grotesques moved to accompany him. Their eyes had been fused shut, but they had been given the acute senses of a beast. They followed their master with eagerness. Such was the craft of a master Haemunculus. Nathel stood nearby, reviewing the maps the raiding parties had put together. She looked up, her green eyes narrowing as she correctly surmised that Philliam had got the Black Templar to talk. "You have a new face." She said without emotion as he walked up, his Grotesques hanging back, shuffling their feet and snuffling unhappily about being left behind. "The Mon'Keigh was a pleasant challenge." He rasped, dessicated fingers touching the still soft flesh that now decorated his face. "But he eventually gave me what you asked for." Philliam reached down and touched his finger to the holomap, even as he inserted a data crystal into the display. A graphic of the Black Templar base camp appeared along with approximate numbers and types of troops stationed there. Nathel gazed at the display and then looked over at one of her Sybarites. The other woman nodded. "Thank you Philliam. We now have confirmation of our next target." She said with a thin smile. Behind her, the Warp Gate fired up and a transport disappeared into it. "We should have some further assistance soon." She added. "Once the slavers have received our first shipment." Nathel laughed. A dry humourless sound. Nathel had seen much in her life that had convinced her that humour was a lie. She laughed because she knew no other way to express the horrible things she was about to do to the Mon'Keigh who stood in her way. If you'd like to read the other installments, see: Part 1: My Glass is Half Empty Part 2: The Key to the Fury of the Stars Part 4: Unwelcome Saviour By Jesse, December 11, 2001