Rogue Trader Emberlyn Driftwood lay on the ground, bleeding out, alone, scared for the first time in decades. Her Kroot pup limed over to her, licking away the blood on her cheek.

“You know what they say about Rogue Traders, don’t you? We either live fast and die hard or live forever. For me… I think my time is up,” she said, pulling the pup in close.

Explosions sounded nearby, kicking up the dirt of a planet which had seen a hundred battles. She watched her voidship – The Illustrious Vexation, the chariot she rode in on, fall through the atmosphere, making an impressive explosion in the mountains hundreds of miles away.

“I had a good run though. I ran the Driftwood dynasty to perfection, I found treasures from eons ago, I fought Orks, Aeldari, Necrons, Tau and even Custodes. I flew through the stars, untethered and free. I really made use of the Warrant of Trade, huh?”

Voidships began falling out the sky, now flaming piles of scrap hit by missiles and flak cannons. They exploded like fireworks against the infinite void and sparkling stars.

“It’s always war with them isn’t it? Trying to kill each other with lasguns and warhammers,” Emberlyn said to her pup. “It’s good to tap out while I’m ahead.”

Emberlyn let go, but the pup refused to leave, choosing to stay and hope Emberlyn could take it back to the stars. Emberlyn lay on the ground, vision growing hazy as blood seeped out of her many wounds. The tableaux of war was always going to be the backdrop of her ending.

“Good pup,” Emberlyn said. “And you know what? I….”

She coughed. “I… I can’t go yet, there’s still so much to see. I want to see a Battle Bister perform a miracle. I want to kick one of those Thousand Sons in the kneecap. I want to see the look on the Inquisitor’s face when she picks up that package.”

She coughed. Blood pooled out of her mouth as she succumbed to her mortal wounds. “…I had fun,” Emberlyn said, as her arm lost the strength to pet her pup one last time.

Through the smoke and flames, a metallic figure appeared – her Servitor? He was holding some sort of exotic grenade which was glowing with energy. The fight wasn’t over yet. Emberlyn glanced at her pistol – just out of reach.

“Greg, you steel bastard, is that you?! Is this mutiny again?!”

They laughed in response. Greg specifically didn’t laugh, so who was this?

“Amusing human. You’ll make a fine addition to my collection,” the figure said in a sinister voice as he threw the device.