This is what they had trained for. The secret teleportation circle, hidden underneath the Inquisitors rug, lit up with blue hues of the warp – a stark contrast to the flashing red alarms blaring on the entire deck. Inquisitor Stella, now clad in her carapace armour, touched the glowing runes on the ground, surrounded by the hulking Grey Knight Terminators she had requisitioned.

“Brother-captain Brüther. I hereby grant you the rites of teleportation. May your weapons eviscerate the heads of the arch-enemy,” Stella recited. “May the light of the Emperor guide our way and help us close this chaos incursion.”

“We will smite them,” Brother-captain Brüther growled, hefting his Force Staff over his considerably-sized shoulder pauldron.

The six of them were violently shunted through space-time, landing upon the embers of scorched earth mere moments later. The location of a diabolical ritual of dark pacts. A daunting and huge figure emerged in the distance, through the smoke and flames. Oh no – they were too late. Every civilian had become a twisted corpse. Chaos space marines with skills adorning their armour roamed the area, supported by a towering War Dog Karnivore and Forgefiend. 

Brother-captain Brüther stood in awe. “Is that-”

“Yes,” Inquisitor Stella said, voice pure but shaken. “Marduk the Beast, recently ascended Daemon Prince of the Word Bearers Legion. This is worse than I thought. We don’t have nearly enough firepower to engage.”

“Shame,” Dead-eye Duncan, Vindicare Assassin Extraordinaire, said as he loaded a Micro-Melta shieldbreaker round, capable of felling tanks and dreadnoughts, into his rifle.

“Vindicare, your appearance is warranted and timely as usual,” Stella responded. “Please tell me you brought the other assassins with you.”

Dead-eye Duncan pointed down towards the bridge that bridged both sides of the town. An Imperial Rhino was gunning it across, firing a Hunter Killer Missile, on a collision course with the War Dog Karnivore. 

Before the two vehicles could clash, dozens of Esoteric Explosives triggered, the call sign of Vio’yo, the Tau Culexus Assassin.

As that happened, Emberlyn Driftwood (what was she doing here?!) dashed underneath the bridge to the cover of some cargo containers. The Rogue Trader was hauling a sack full of relics from the town’s Archeo-museum, like a common thief in the night.

More explosions popped off on the bridge, a distraction from the sound of flapping, leathery wings high above. Marduk the Beast, ascended Daemon Prince, soared towards Emberlyn’s location.

Inquisitor Stella put her fingers to her ear-piece. “All assassins, converge on sector C-15, engage Marduk the Beast.”

Brother-captain Brüther pointed at the chaos space marines flooding the burning streets below: chainsword wielding legionnaires intend on leaving no survivors.

“Inquisitor, we should buy the Rogue Trader some time,” the Grey Knight said.

Down below, Marduk the Beast, bearing the mark of Slaanesh, towered over the ruined building where Emberlyn resided. The Daemon Prince wiped out half a dozen voidsmen in a single swipe. I’m

Emberlyn’s pupils dilated as this pinnacled chosen warrior of chaos, flapped his wings and chains through the smoke, lashing his tongue over bloody fangs.

Birdie, the Callidus Assassin appeared from the shadows, backed up by Vior’yo, the Culexus. They stood defiantly between the two warlords, Emberlyn and Marduk. The Daemon Prince raised his weapon – it would only take one strike to eviscerate even the strongest of soldiers. Even the mightiest of war machines would not withstand such a powerful display of voilence. 

Best not to let the Daemon get a hit in then. Dead-Eye Duncan chose that moment to fire his Exitus Rifle.

It all happened fast – Micro-Melta bullets, Esoteric explosives, glowing phase swords and poison blades. Even an Imperial Rhino, which came crashing the wall, into the Winged Daemon Prince. When the smoke cleared, Emberlyn walked over to the wounded Marduk.

“Well hello there, Mister Demon Prince,” Emberlyn said to her wounded foe. “Fascinating to meet you, Arch-enemy of mankind. However, I’m afraid I must abscond. I have an important matter to attend to.”

Marduk growled and laughed as he became enveloped in warp-fuelled flames. Returning to a place from whence he came.

“Death is never permanent for my kind, flesh bag. Listen for me in the darkness,” he responded in a cruel tone.

The Rogue Trader leaned in with unearned confidence, unafraid of the warpflames or the Daemon.

“Okay, but I listen to white noise at night so you’ll have to pipe up,” Emberlyn said, blowing him a kiss as the Daemon Prince incinerated itself back into the immaterium, to fight another day.

Inquisitor Stella rounded the corner, her armour barely holding together, her bodyguard Grey Knight Terminators felled by a Forgefiend and Predator Destructor Tank – which were still encroaching on their position.

“Emberlyn, I- wait, where is Marduk the Beast?” Stella asked.

“Assassinated. Now let us return to the ship, I have what I came for,” Emberlyn replied, hauling her sack of treasure over her shoulder. 

“As have I,” Stella said to the Marduk’s burnt silhouette, patting the nearest assassin on the back.