Archon Slacus never imagined things would escalate to this point.
The expeditionary force he sent out had failed to secure victory, and worse, a deluge of Slaaneshi daemons began pouring out of the Webway gate. Before these daemons, even the strongest Dark Aeldari felt as fragile as infants. Merely standing in their presence, the Aeldari could feel their souls being slowly siphoned away—that sensation of the soul being peeled from the body was an exercise in pure agony.
There was little they could do. Only the non-Aeldari mercenary units within their ranks could resist this spiritual siphoning. But at a time like this, "type advantages" didn't matter as much as raw power—and why would those mercenaries throw their lives away fighting Slaaneshi daemons for the Archon?
"Daemons! Where did all these daemons come from? I don't recall daemons ever having the capability to open a Webway gate!!!"
Archon Slacus was already in the process of fleeing. What a joke—he would much rather face the legendary wrath of Asdrubael Vect than the eternal torment of the Prince of Pleasure. That was the nightmare of every Aeldari.
The Slaaneshi daemons themselves couldn't believe their luck—an all-you-can-eat buffet in Commorragh! The Slaaneshi Daemon Prince was reveling in the feast; with every Aeldari soul he consumed, his power swelled.
"A pity Fulgrim isn't here. Such a grand occasion, and he's missing it."
The Daemon Prince effortlessly cleaved through a Pain Engine charging his way. Only these Haemonculus constructs posed even a slight threat; the rest were mere chaff. "Kill! Incorporate this Commorragh into the domain of the Prince of Pleasure!!!"
The Daemon Prince's ambition was grand, but the Overmind knew they would only be arrogant for a short while. Slaanesh might have a massive advantage over the Dark Aeldari, but what then?
Commorragh possessed far too much "black technology." For instance, when the Chosen of Ynnead appeared, a Warp rift identical to the one in the Imperial Webway on Holy Terra had opened in Commorragh, letting in a flood of daemons. And yet, Vect had found a way to seal it.
Yes, that is official lore. If the Emperor could move, he would undoubtedly negotiate with Vect just to learn how to plug the leak in the Imperial Webway. The cost? The price the Imperium has paid over the last ten thousand years is high enough that the Emperor would pay anything to seal that rift.
As for the daemons that came with the rift, Vect never spared a thought for such "trash." Even Slaaneshi daemons—unless the entire circle of Slaanesh was emptied into the city—didn't scare him if it was just a planet's worth of them.
Vect was already well aware of the daemons' arrival. He reclined lazily on his throne, saying nonchalantly, "How nostalgic. It reminds me of the wretched state of Emperor El'Uriaq of Shaa-dom back in 984.M37."
A Haemonculus stood behind him like an elegant butler. "The scale this time is not as grand as that one, my Lord. That time, you dropped a burning Imperial battleship onto Shaa-dom, opening a Warp rift a hundred times larger than this. That kingdom was obliterated in a single week."
"Poor Slacus. He can't even protect his own territory. Has he not sent a plea for aid yet?"
"He has not."
"Oho, quite the backbone he has."
"Our spies say he is currently preparing to evacuate with his fleet."
"Fine, I take it back. He's a coward. Since Slacus has abandoned his domain, we shall simply reclaim it."
Vect snapped his fingers. The Haemonculus understood immediately, receding into the shadows behind the throne to carry out the Supreme Overlord's command.
No matter how high the throughput of a Webway gate, it might deliver a dozen Daemonettes per second—roughly six or seven hundred per minute, thirty thousand per hour, and less than a million a day. It was enough to be an annoyance to Commorragh, but "annihilate" it? It would take ten thousand years for a Daemonette just to run from one end of the city to the other.
Archon Slacus soon arrived at his fleet. He planned to lead his ships far away and become a pirate rather than face the daemons. But the moment he entered the command bridge, a curved blade was pressed against his throat. He hadn't even sensed the intruder's arrival.
"Archon Slacus, where do you think you're going?"
Hearing that sweet, seductive voice behind him, Slacus's hair stood on end. "Lelith... did Vect send you?"
Lelith Hesperax, leader of the Cult of Strife and the Queen of the Commorragh Arenas. She had been the Queen of the Arena since the days when Vect was still a slave and before the Emperor had even launched the Great Crusade. Don't be fooled by her daily gear—just daggers, barbed hair ties, an athletic top, stockings, and a thong. She nearly captured High Marshal Helbrecht of the Black Templars—not killed, captured—and it took the Emperor's Legion of the Damned to save him.
"Slacus, you know the rules of Commorragh. You abandoned your territory. Your title is hereby stripped in the name of the Supreme Overlord. You are no longer an Archon."
"To hell with the title! Let me leave! I would rather be a pirate in realspace than face the lapdogs of the Prince of Pleasure!!!" Slacus didn't even dare utter the name Slaanesh. Rumor had it that if a Dark Aeldari even whispered the name, their soul would be snatched away instantly. Of course, rumors were just rumors.
"That won't do. Not only can you not leave, but you must stay to watch a grand show."
"What show?"
"Witnessing how the Overlord of Commorragh deals with his enemies."
Slacus shuddered. He walked with Lelith to the observation window of the command bridge. Below lay his kingdom—ah, his former kingdom—now a ruin engulfed in war. He could almost hear the screams of the Dark Aeldari civilians and children; they truly had no way to fight back against Slaaneshi daemons. The Kabalite warriors were still resisting, but the enemies were endless, and their own numbers had been depleted in the fight against the Swarm.
Then, Slacus saw a point of collapse appear in the center of the city.
Nydusara also saw the collapse point immediately. Her biological instincts and commander's experience screamed at her: "RETREAT!!!"
The point of collapse expanded at a visible rate. This wasn't some simulated black hole; it was a genuine singularity. Whether it was a Slaaneshi daemon or anything else, the moment they were sucked in, they were annihilated.
The daemons began to flee in terror, but they were too close—there was no escape. Even the Slaaneshi Daemon Prince, upon seeing this, dropped the Aeldari in his hand and turned to run with undignified, giant strides. But no matter how fast he was, how could he outrun the collapse of a singularity? He was swallowed into the black hole along with the surrounding architecture.
Nydusara had to abandon the Hive, scurrying into a Webway gate in a disheveled state. With a small group of elite Zerg and a large number of Drones, she instantly moved to a different corner of Commorragh. This place was far from the battlefield; she didn't have to worry about the singularity consuming her.
Vect watched it all silently, elegant Aeldari music echoing in his ears. The scene before him was so aesthetically pleasing that he couldn't help but hum along.
"So beautiful."
"So terrifying," Slacus whispered.