”Lord Schlachten, our strike cruisers are in orbit around planet Würfelstein. We await your command to begin our bombardment.”
   ”Good, good. Tell the gun captains to focus all firepower on the       manufactorum sector of the capital city, lieutenant. They fire at your command” Said Schlachten in his normal calm and calculating manner, almost as if he were bored.
   ”It shall be done my lord.”

   Lieutenant Lambrecht bowed and turned to the inter-ship communications array and harshly barked into it,  “Attention all gun captains! Focus all firepower on the manufactorum sector of the capital city Würfelburg! Wait for my command to fire!”.
   The communicator had barely spat out the static filled responses from each ship’s gun captain before Lambrecht once again barked into the vox, “Now! Fire first bombardment!”
* * *
   On the planet below, a group of six men stalked among the night shadows and confusion of Würfelburg. They were heading west, in the opposite direction of the manufactorum sector. One of the six tripped and stumbled over his own feet.
   ”Be careful Number 36 you idiot! If that beacon breaks this whole plan is out the window!” Whispered Number 18 harshly.
   ”Sorry, Number 18, it won’t happen again.” Returned Number 36.
   ”Shhh! Look here we are, the PDF minister’s palace! Now stop talking, we don’t want anyone to know we are here.”
   ”Yes, Number Six” chorused the other five members in a monotone as they got their equipment ready.
* * *
   ”What the hell could be taking them so long!” Bellowed Lambrecht furiously. “The PDF minister should have been drawn to the missile defense silos fifteen minutes ago! Trust a bunch of humans to mess this operation up.”
   ”Have patience, lieutenant. I have faith that our cultists will not let us down” said Schlachten with a sigh.
* * *
   ”Where are we headed again?” asked Number 36 as he removed his blade from the last of the entrance guards.
   ”To the minister’s bedchamber on the top floor, fool! Keep it straight!” Shot back Number 18.
   ”Quiet! What did I say before about talking? You don’t hear Numbers 12, 24 or 30 go yapping on! Just follow me and keep focused before the rest of the guards notice us!” berated Number 6.

   The cultists silently entered the palace and Number Six lead them down the third hallway on the left from of entrance hall without opposition. It seemed to go on forever, and the cultists were beginning to get uneasy. The looming statues of Würfelstein’s previous PDF ministers and war heros, each five times the height of a normal man, flanked the hall. Up ahead through the darkness, the six spotted a tall spiral stair.
   ”Alright, this is it. This stairway should lead directly up to the entrance to the bedchamber. Draw your weapons and prepare for a long climb” said Number Six in a hushed voice.
* * *
   ”Damn them all! It’s been over an hour now and we’ve already sustained major damage to five of our cruisers! Should I send out an order for a ground assault my lord? said Lambrecht, trying to maintain his frustration with the cultists.
   ”No! You know what the plan is as well as I do lieutenant, we can’t risk sending down a ground assault! Patience!” shouted Schlachten in a voice that matched the Chaos Lord’s massive size.
* * *
   The troop of cultists had reached the top of the stair. They had managed to remain silent for the duration of the climb. Number Six peeked left and right out of the alcove the stair lead up to. On the right was a door guarded by four soldiers. “That must be it” he thought. He signaled to Number 24 who passed him a spray bottle labeled “The Hairspray of the 42nd Millennium, Today!”. They had to make this quick. Number Six struck a match and waited, motioning to the others to be ready.
   ”Hey sarge, what’s that glowing over there?”
   ”I don’t know, go check it out Frank.”
   Right as the soldier stepped in front of the alcove, Number Six let the hairspray fly, engulfing ‘Frank’ in flames and quick as a bolt of lightning Number 12 had shoved him over the stair railing to fall down through the center of the spiral stair, screaming in his free fall all the way down.
   ”GO!” Shouted Number 6 as he hopped out of the alcove, providing cover with more flames, the rest of the troop right behind him. The flames had caught onto another guard and he dropped and rolled to try an put it out, but the other two raised their lasguns and began firing into the cultists. Number 30 fell from a shot, but before the two guards could get anymore shots off, the remaining five cultists slammed into them, hacking them down in a blurring fast display of perfect blade handling. But the trooper who had caught fire had put himself out and caught the cultists by surprise, stabbing Number 12 in the back with his bayonet, who fell with a gurgle of blood sprouting from his mouth. Number 36 turned and lifted the last guard and was about to smash his face into the wall, but Number Six shouted out, “No! Don’t kill him, we need one undamaged to be our messenger. Knock him out.” Number 36 smashed his ogryn like face into the guard’s, who slumped in Number 36’s hands. “Number 18, leave your package near our messenger. Now, to proceed to our objective.”
* * *
   ”Pull those cruisers out of missile range before they get blown to pieces! Tell them to go to the rendezvous point.” Commanded Schlachten through the inter-ship communicator. Seven of the 18 cruisers had sustained heavy damage now but Schlachten’s command ship was undamaged, in orbit just outside of the missile defense system’s range. The remaining ship’s guns had long been silent, acting as a distraction and waiting for the next phase of the plan to commence.
* * *
   ”Ok Number 36, on my order bash the door in then get out of the way so that the rest of us can get in there.” ordered Number 6.
   ”One…”
   ”Two…”
   ”NOW!”
   With a huge smash of both fists. the door was knocked clean off of its hinges and Numbers 6, 18 and 24 went in, seeking the objective.
   ”Where is sh…” Started Number 24 but was silenced as a las blast caught him in the back. Numbers 6 and 18 whirled around and saw the objective, the PDF minister’s wife, wielding a las pistol. Another las blast shot out of the pistol, aimed at Number 6 but with unearthly speed he dropped to the ground, out of the way of the lethal beam while Number 18 dashed up and knocked the pistol out of her hands.
   ”Don’t hurt her!” yelled Number Six, getting back onto his feet. “Bind her hands and gag her, quickly!.”
   The struggle was short lived, the objective managed to give the cultists a few good scratches but in the end was subdued.
   ”Number 36, get in here quick, we have her! Activate the beacon!”
* * *
   On Schlachten’s command ship, Lambrecht was becoming even more impatient with the cultists.
   ”What are they doing! Two hours late so far, have they failed? Seven cruisers have already pulled back. Are you sure this is working Lord Schlachten?”
   ”Of course I am! Don’t question me lieutenant, cruisers can be repaired and the rewards of this operation will be well worth any damages we have taken.”
   Suddenly, a red light started flashing on the communicator. “The beacon! Quick, navigator! Move the ship into bombardment range! Lieutenant, tell the cruisers to get out of there and go to the rendezvous point!” The ship lurched into range of the planet as the cruisers started their withdraw. “Bay one, this is Lord Schlachten, prepare to teleport the cultists at the beacon’s location up once in range! You there, servitor, fetch my dress uniform! It wouldn’t be polite to greet our guests wearing this armor.”
* * *
   ”Why haven’t we been teleported up yet? Did you break the beacon you plank?” accused Number 18 in an offensive tone.
   ”Stop the constant bickering!” shouted Number 6. “The beacon is not broken. Be patient!.”
   At that moment, the three cultists and the objective vanished in a flash of bright white light. Out in the hall, the last guard, the messenger, woke up.
* * *
   ”Oh man, what happened to me? It feels like an ogryn smashed my face in, but all I remember is being woken up by that bright flash of light. What’s this box next to me here? ‘Please deliver to PDF Minister Weatherby. Do not shake or drop.’ Wait a minute, it’s coming around to me now! We were attacked! I caught on fire and rolled myself out then stabbed an attacker. It doesn’t look like anybody is left alive, there are their bodies all mangled on the ground. Funny how catching on fire would save one’s life for once.” At that point, the messenger saw that the bedchamber door had been smashed in. He ran into the room calling “Miss Weatherby! Are you in here!?” He quickly scanned the room, noticing another dead attacker on the ground, but there was no sign of her. “Damn!” He thought. “I must get to Minister Weatherby and tell him what has happened! I might as well bring this package… do not shake or drop. I wonder what it could be. No time to find out though, I need to get to the missile silos, and fast!”
* * *
   ”Welcome to my ship, Miss Shaldrissa Weatherby. Untie her, cultists!” Schlachten’s voice was gentle and kind when addressing Miss Weatherby but turned short towards the cultists. Number Six quickly cut the bonds that tied Shaldrissa’s wrists and ankles together, as well as the gag, and her slender form fell to the floor. Temporarily unable to regain her feet she stood on her hands and knees, and without looking up at the massive astartes, addressed Schlachten.
   ”What do you want with me foul servant of chaos?”
   ”Now now, there is no need for that sort of tone. I assure you that we do not intend to harm you. If you’ll follow me, I’ll take you to you quarters.”
   For a moment, Shaldrissa remained on all fours. Schlachten stared down at her. Shaldrissa looked up at the pink robed giant and caught his eye for a second before looking away. Entranced by this momentary glimpse, she quickly got to her feet.
   ”That’s more like it, Shaldrissa, now if you’d please come this way, I’ll show you to your lodgings.
* * *
    PDF Minister Weatherby was looking puzzledly at the hologram of the planet. “Why had all of the ships stopped firing after destroying the manufactorum sector? And furthermore why had they all just left?” thought Weatherby to himself. “Well there is that one ship that emerged 15 minutes ago but it has just been sitting there.” He looked over at his staff and said, “Captain, any changes in that ship’s position? Any damage?”
   ”No sir, it’s coordinates haven’t changed. We haven’t been able to get anything to penetrate its defense systems so far, should we keep trying?”
   ”Hold fire until it does something. I want to be notified immediately of anything changes.” And then the bunker door burst open. A frantic looking guard came into the room, apparently unaware of the dried blood on his face.
   ”Sir! We were attacked at the palace and they took your wife and I’m the only guard left and they left this package to give to you!” Spat out the guard in one breath.
   ”What?! Who attacked you?!” yelled Weatherby in an outrage.
   ”I don’t know sir, but here’s the package. I managed to run all the way here without dropping or shaking it like it says.” The messenger held out the package and Weatherby took it, inspected it closely like a child trying to discern what his Christmas gifts are, and started to open it. Inside there was a letter, set on top of a mass of packing material which covered up a device that had a red button on it and read ‘PUSH ME’. Weatherby placed the box with the button device in it on the hologram table, took the letter and opened it. It read:
   
   Dear PDF Minister Weatherby,
   If you are reading this then it means we have secured your wife, who is being kept safely aboard the ship that is undoubtedly being displayed on your hologram as you read. We do not intend to harm her, but your actions shall determine ours. If you wish to see her unharmed, then by tomorrow at 6:00 PM you will have the entire PDF of Würfelstein embarked onto their transports and launched into orbit around the planet. To show your compliance, press the button. Further instructions will be given on condition of your cooperation.
               Sincerely,
                  Lord Schlachten, in service of Slaanesh.

   Weatherby’s mind was overwhelmed. He could not betray the Emperor, the divine ruler of mankind by whose grace the Empire of Mankind ruled the stars. But then his wife’s beautiful smile came into his mind’s eye, and he collapsed onto his knees crying madly. He could not leave his beloved and beautiful wife to be tortured and killed by these chaos minions as surely as he could not betray the Emperor. His heart, almost audibly, tore in two, divided between the two loves of his life, Shaldrissa and the Empire of Man. Regaining his feet as those around him stared, Weatherby knew what he had to do.
* * *
   Shaldrissa lay in bed, which was extremely cozy. The room Schlachten had provided her was not bad at all, other than the odd bright colors that colored the furniture and walls. Schlachten had left a communicator in the room so she could call for assistance if needed. All in all, Shaldrissa was very comfortable. And that is what she found so disturbing. She had been abducted from her home by cultists and taken hostage aboard a chaos command ship, a place where nobody but the damned traitors to the Emperor themselves walk and yet, she was calm. Her mind was clouded, she could feel it. The haze had overpowered her though, and she couldn’t muster the will to do anything about it. All she could do was lay in complete and total peace.
* * *
   The other men in the room all lay dead around Weatherby, his laspistol cast down at his feet as he stood and stared at the red ‘PUSH ME’ button. This was the decision he had made, and there was no going back now. He whispered “I love you, Shaldrissa” then, eyes closed, he pushed the button.
* * *
   An extremely loud sound rudely disturbed Shaldrissa’s nap. It had been a long night after all and she needed to catch up on some rest. But now that she was awake, she might as well figure out what happened. Her eyes looked around the room, searching for the communicator Schlachten had given her. She spotted it across the room on her desk, crawled out of under the warm covers of the bed, and walked over to it.
   ”Schlachten, are you there?” She said uncertainly into it.
   ”Yes, I’m here Miss Weatherby. What do you require?” he asked in his normal, calm tone.
   ”What was that sound? It woke me from my sleep.”
   ”That was the sound of your safety, Miss Weatherby. Sorry to have disturbed your sleep.”
   Shaldrissa didn’t quite understand Schlachten’s answer, but at the sound of his voice her mind drifted back into that familiar, hazy state. Feeling a new wave of drowsiness come over her, she set the communicator back down on the desk and climbed back into bed. The feeling of absolute peace washed over her again as she drew the blankets back over herself.
* * *
   Weatherby opened his eyes as the sensors on the hologram table beeped. The command ship in orbit had just launched a titanic missile. He fiddled with some dials and pressed a few buttons on the control panel of the hologram display. The vector of the missile appeared and with terror, he saw where it was heading. But the shock was only momentary. “My Shaldrissa is safe, that is all that matters” he muttered to himself. Then, walking over to the long range vox apparatus, he picked up the microphone. Entering in the communication code for all regiments, with an authoritative tone Weatherby commanded, “All naval units, gather your crew, be ready to launch in 12 hours. All army units, board your transports. We are going to follow these chaos assailants.” As the mass of acknowledgments spilled through the vox, he crumpled to the ground, wishing that the past night had never happened.
* * *
   As the sun dawned on Würfelburg, the residence emerged from their shelters to survey the damage to the city. Then, one last missile shot down from the sky at an impossible speed, straight at the imperial governor’s palace at the southern section of the city. The resulting explosion signaled not only Würfelstein’s break off from the Empire of Mankind, but also the chaos power’s acquisition of over twenty million soldiers, countless tanks and many imperial (now chaotic) space vessels. All because of one man’s deep love and devotion to his wife.