Autumn's Last Voyage

By evolution-500

Genre: Horror/Tragedy

Disclaimer: Starbreaker is a property owned by DC Comics and "Warhammer 40K" is a property belonging to Games Workshop. I do not own any of these titles nor these characters.

WARNING: This story contains references to violence, coarse language, disturbing themes and imagery. Reader discretion is advised.

Chapter Two: Starbreaker

"O Conscience, into what abyss of fears

And horrors hast thou driven me, out of which

I find no way, from deep to deeper plunged."

- John Milton

The climb was long and arduous, far more than it had been originally anticipated.

Following the encounter with Orin, Khanzyth couldn't help reflecting on the old man's warning, along with all that he had seen up to this point.

For someone such as him to possess such strength was unfathomable to the Archon; never in all of his years had he ever encountered a being as utterly powerful as Orin, and it made him both curious and wary in equal measure.

How much stronger had the warriors on this planet been compared to Orin?

None of the Drukhari were even able to hurt him, much to his embarrassment and shame, and yet, this new "Lord" of Almerac was somehow able to overwhelm such a race?

That didn't bode well to Khanzyth, and for a moment, he considered ordering everyone back to the ship and leaving this miserable planet.

Of course, were he to do so, he reflected, it would mean losing face in front of them, which in turn would result in the crew looking down upon him, if not potentially encourage one of them to attempt to usurp him, and Khanzyth was not going to let that happen.

As he climbed up on the last step, Khanzyth and the others found themselves on a landing with a large pair of gold-colored doors of formidable size up ahead.

Approaching the doors, Khanzyth watched as they automatically opened, revealing the throne room - a large and spacious area with black walls, the throne mounted on an elevated position, bordered by a pair of gold gothic-styled arches with three sets of rings.

The rings themselves struck Khanzyth as peculiar, for they seemed to have been designed in order to evoke the rings of Saturn, but he wasn't certain if that had been the intention or not.

Over the throne, he noticed, were three blue gems that appeared to represent a planet with two small moons, but like the rings, Khanzyth wasn't certain of their significance, nor did he care.

Letting his eyes drift down to the throne itself, the Archon focused his attention on the figure seated casually within it.

Leaning his head against his knuckles, his left arm propped up on an armrest, the man's features were concealed by a thick veil of shadow. His face was strong and patrician, devoid of facial hair, with an aquiline nose and long dark wavy hair, his skin a striking red coloration, his ears long and pointed.

Based on what little could be seen, his figure seemed tall, slender, and lean, his form entirely concealed in black. Draped around his broad pauldron-clad shoulders like a shroud was a majestic long dark cape made of some unknown material, with a highly exotic, spiked and pronounced fleshy red collar, the former strangely translucent and oddly filmy like a layer of skin.

Strangely enough, parts of his outfit and cape shimmered, revealing a strikingly starry expanse and several different types of nebulas within that captured the Archon's fascination and interest.

The man's most noticeable and distinguishable feature, though, was the large white glowing star in the middle of his chest that pulsated like a heart; for every pulse, the black cloak and outfit rippled with energy.

The very air around this being was brimming with this power, so strong and potent that it flickered off him like electricity.

With each beat of his star-blazing "heart", the cape pulsated with it, as if it were alive somehow.

At first, it seemed as if the man was sleeping, but as Khanzyth approached, the figure suddenly stirred.

Letting out a sharp gasp and a deep, wheezing gurgle, the facial muscles twisting and twitching as the man's eyes slightly fluttered, before finally peeling open, revealing a pair of cold, cruel glowing yellow orbs lacking irises and pupils.

Behind the head, Khanzyth could make out a pair of slitted yellow eyes on what he had mistakenly believed to be the "cape's" high collar, watching the fleshy folds bristle and twitch like some demented Venus flytrap.

Upon seeing them, the collar, petals or mandible flared to life, the slitted eyes on the "collar" narrowing as the eyes of the "man's" head mimicked their expression, its sharp-toothed grin widening as it revealed two pairs of enormous fangs on the upper jaw, with a pair of fearsome-looking fangs on the bottom.

"Ahh," the being murmured in interest as it straightened in its seat, its voice a rich baritone and oddly layered, "it would seem that I have guests. Hail to thee, and welcome."

Wrinkling his nose beneath his warmask, Khanzyth pointed his power sword at the being. "You are the Lord of Almerac?"

"That I am, Khanzyth Mazroruin of Commorragh. Orin had informed me of your arrival just moments ago." The figure on the throne clicked his tongue. "What a pity that that one opted to take his own life - I had been hoping to have a little more fun breaking him. The despair a given species emits tastes so much better when they're broken."

Letting out a dark chuckle, the being rose from the throne, rising to his full height; by Aeldari standards, he was taller than the typically dumpy-looking humans, about six feet, yet noticeably shorter than the Drukhari, who all exchanged amused looks with one another.

Stepping down from the raised platform, the man regarded them, his yellow eyes wickedly shining as his mouth pulled into a sharp-toothed grin, his collar threateningly flaring.

"Tell me, child - do Drukhari break as easily?"

The smirk fell beneath his warmask, replaced with a snarl as Khanzyth raised his Splinter Pistol along with the others. "You won't find out."

The throne room erupted with light as every Drukhari discharged their weapons, their shots striking the figure directly.

The being remained completely still, its smile growing as it shut its eyes and reared its head back, as if relishing the sensation.

"EVERYONE, USE YOUR GRENADES!" Khanzyth shouted.

Pulling the pin, he and his subordinates flung every plasma grenade that they had at the being's direction, the detonations triggering a series of chain reactions that rippled, causing the castle itself to shake.

Black smoke filled the air as every Drukhari stood with their weapons ready, all eyes sharply focused on the veil ahead of them.

As the smoke cleared, Khanzyth's heart stopped as he caught sight of the being, its form undamaged.

Standing before them, the entity calmly lifted up a black taloned hand from beneath its "cape", casually inspecting its claws.

"I had already known that you would fail," he commented, his tone dripping with mockery and dissatisfaction. "I had been hoping that you offer more effort or creativity, but this? Tsk tsk tsk. How disappointing. And yet...it wasn't a total waste." It then spread out its pair of arms, blazenly daring the Drukhari to strike. "Care to try again?"

Snarling, Khanzyth fired his Splinter Pistol again, the shots striking right where the heart should be...only for the shot to disappear straight into its body, not even puncturing it.

Staring disbelievingly at the creature, Khanzyth looked at his weapon, then back at the entity, watching the latter as it cast its head back and let out a deep, purring growl that reverberated throughout the blackened throne room, the walls scorched, the decorations on the throne broken.

Licking its chops, the red-skinned face peeled its hateful baleful yellow eyes opened, its maddening grin still stretched. "Ahh, exquisite! Plasma and Dark Matter make for fine repast. I also appreciate the crystal shards as well - the kinetic energy alone was a stroke of genius, the neurotoxin a fine addition. Perhaps a glass of neurowine would compliment the flavor. A shame that your weapons do not seem to have higher yields, but regardless, my gratitude for the appetizers."

The Drukhari stood there, taken completely aback, looking at each other, then at their weapons.

'Higher yields?!' Khanzyth questioned, puzzled.

But that would mean-

The Archon froze, looking slowly up in realization, a cold chill running through him.

"By the Dark muses," he breathed, "you're...you're a Yngir!"

Upon hearing that exclamation, the other Drukhari looked at him in alarm before turning their eyes back to the dark-cloaked being, their forms quaking in terror.

One Kabalite Warrior, however, didn't seem to share their fear, looking somewhat confused.

"What is a Yngir?"

Snarling, Khanzyth curled his mouth as he spat, "Stupid creature! Are you Vat-born so dull as to not know of the abomination before us?! Do you not know your history?! It was they who had led the Necrons in their war against against the Old Ones before their followers turned on them and shattered them into shards!"

The Archon watched as the Kabalite Warrior tensed, his form trembling as he looked back to the caped figure.

The throne room became filled with the being's dark chuckles, the cloaked figure tossing his head back with a harsh, cold and cruel laugh, the sound akin to grating ice, its arms disappearing into its black "cape".

"I can't claim to have ever been called that before," the creature spoke, thoughtfully regarding them. "It would seem that you've had an encounter with my kind, if not some variant of it. I have been called many things throughout the vast eons by the lesser races - the Luciphage. The Devourer. The Unforgiving God. Death the Destroyer. Shatterer of Worlds. I do, though, have to admit to being somewhat partial to the name bequeathed to me by the Thanagarians."

Cold yellow eyes glowed as sharp-teeth gleamed, fangs glistening as it meaningfully uttered a single word.

"Starbreaker."

'This is bad,' Khanzyth thought as he and the others warily watched the black-clad figure.

"Now then," Starbreaker grinned, taking a threatening step toward them, "why don't you try again? I could use a laugh or two."

Swallowing, Khanzyth twisted on his heel. "FALL BACK!" He cried. "EVERYONE FALL BACK AND RETREAT!"

As the Drukhari attempted to flee, Starbreaker's eyes flashed red, firing a trail of concentrated laser-like beams from his sockets, producing a sound like a high-pitched whine and a running faucet, the beams cutting through a Kabalite Warrior instantly, splitting him vertically in half.

Seeing one of their own eviscerated in such a way, the others started to panic, scattering in different directions as they all attempted to flee back out of the throne room.

Khanzyth watched Starbreaker's sneering form as it casually followed after them, seemingly not making any effort at all in trying to catch up.

The Drukhari were close to exiting out of the throne room when a pair of beams cut them all down from ahead of them, their splitting entrails caking the floor, their dying and gurgling screams filling the air.

To Khanzyth's shock, another Starbreaker emerged, lording over the carnage that he wrought.

"There's two of them?!" Bhumar exclaimed.

The two Starbreakers laughed as one, their voices speaking at the same time. "Indeed. Like the Czarnians and Velorpians of old, I too can produce clones. Unlike them, however..." To Khanzyth's horror and fascination, the two beings approached one another and merged together, becoming a single entity instantly, "...My clones can be reabsorbed at will."

Clenching his mouth, Khanzyth swore in a mixture of Low Gothic and Aeldari Lexicon, cursing their predicament as the creature started to calmly hunt the rest of his crew.

Many of them were panicking and were firing blindly, but Starbreaker pursued them all around the throne room, toying them in a manner reminiscent of a cat with a mouse.

He moved with a slow and methodically steady deliberateness, and yet other times he moved so fast that he would vanish in a blink, reappearing elsewhere in an instant, and when he did, a Drukhari would fall.

One Kabalite Warrior ended up missing a head, another plucked of its legs.

A third shrieked as it suddenly found itself helmetless and missing a face, and when Khanzyth tried to spot the infernal creature, he found it standing just a foot away, holding the Kabalite Warrior's skinned face in its fingers.

As the Kabalite Warrior collapsed and shrieked in agony, Starbreaker mockingly waved its owner's face over at Khanzyth and the others before taking a bite out of the ripped flesh, staining his teeth red as he ate it whole.

Approaching the faceless figure, Starbreaker stretched opened his mouth, uttering a sharp, wheezing whine. On the floor, the Kabalite Warrior buckled and flailed screaming as a torrent of energy was ripped straight from his body, the stream vanishing into the entity's mouth.

To Khanzyth's horror, the warrior's screams became weaker, his frame sinking into his clothing, as if all the fat and muscle were vanishing, leaving nothing behind but a shriveled husk in a heap.

Staring at the shriveled figure on the ground, the Archon looked back up to Starbreaker, watching as its baleful yellow eyes rolled back in ecstasy, savoring its meals.

"Ahh, What a unique flavor!" He exclaimed. "I have consumed the life energies of many a species, but your kind has a very unique energy signature. It reminds me a little of Czarnian life energies, but yours are far more undiluted. I am vaguely reminded of the Murk Elves of Svartalfheim in their composition as well." Starbreaker's eyes narrowed. "I will have to savor the taste some more."

Khanzyth watched as his warriors all fell one by one, all of them shrieking in terror and agony, the once pristine floor now drenched in gore and shriveled husks.

As Starbreaker cast aside the shriveled husk of a Kabalite Warrior as if it were garbage, his collar flared while crimson lips licked themselves clean.

Of the many Drukhari warriors that had served aboard the Autumn, only Khanzyth, the Incubi twins, and Bhumar remained.

Before them, Starbreaker stood grinning, his teeth, his cape pulsating with power.

Taking a step forward, Bhumar suddenly approached the entity, taking Khanzyth by surprise.

"Bhumar?" the latter spoke. "What are you doing?"

To his disgust, Bhumar suddenly kneeled in front of the being, holding out his sword to him.

"I-I surrender!" He pleaded. "P-Please, Lord, I surrender! H-Have mercy-"

Bhumar was cut off as Starbreaker suddenly lashed out with a thin, whip-like strand of yellow-greenish energy from his fingers, slicing sword and bone alike instantly, the latter's face regarding the remains with contempt.

Starbreaker harrumphed. "Pitiful creature. You are no warrior." Looking up at the three remaining Drukhari, he sneered, "How about you? Any of you wish to kneel before me?"

Clenching their hands on their klaives, the Incubi twins raised their mighty weapons, both of them getting into fighting stances, their forms grim yet determined.

"My lord, get out of here," Yravyn warned without turning to face the Archon. "Head back to the ship as fast you can. We will fend this beast off long enough to buy you some ti-UGH!"

Jerking back, the Incubi cried out as an arm emerged from his chest, held up in the air by Starbreaker as he leered down at him.

"BROTHER!" Yrazyth screamed, watching helplessly as his corpse was flung aside. Looking back to the creature, he charged with klaive raised. "DIE, YOU FOUL CREATURE!"

Moving with swift speed, the remaining Incubi danced and twirled as he avoided Starbreaker's eyebeams, slashing and striking with all the raw skill and fury of Khaine.

However, no matter where he struck, no matter how hard he slashed, nothing on the creature's being was harmed; instead, Starbreaker remained completely and utterly still, standing there with that same maddening grin plastered on his face.

As Yrazyth attempted to decapitate the creature, he suddenly exploded, his remains coating the walls, floor and ceiling, even Khanzyth himself.

Staring in shock, Khanzyth stood shakily and looked down at his armor, watching as bits and pieces of his bodyguard's flesh peeled off of him.

Looking up, he saw Starbreaker with his arm extended in front of him, his hand and fingers spread open.

Withdrawing it back into his cape, the entity looked up, watching as pieces of Yrazyth's skeleton lifelessly swung from the ceiling, dropping in bloodied piles along the floor.

"A shame, really," Starbreaker commented. "I was starting to like this room."

As he lowered his eyes, Khanzyth found himself alone and vulnerable.

Offering a smug grin, Starbreaker chuckled. "And now...only you remain."

Clenching his jaw, Khanzyth tightened his grip on his power sword. "I will be more than enough to handle you, monster. And when I do, I will parade your corpse on the front of my ship throughout all of Commorragh!"

Letting out an enraged roar, Khanzyth charged forward, dodging the various beams and projectiles that the creature emitted from its eyes and hands, the two engaging in a deadly dance of death.

Walls crumbled and tapestries burned as they were scorched, the two opponents twirling and striking at each other.

Landing upside down on the ceiling, Starbreaker turned and fired his eyebeams from the corner of the throne room, causing Khanzyth to dodge, duck and weave, the Archon gracefully pirouetting out the way.

Once or twice the beams singed his armor, slicing through one of the horns on his warmask and burning a section of his upper arm, but Khanzyth remained unperturbed, his hatred and anger focused on the being that had cost him dearly.

"You will die here and now, beast!" Khanzyth cursed. "I will turn your fetid hide into my cape!"

Starbreaker tossed his head back and laughed. "How adrenaline makes the most delusional dream!"

Flipping down from the ceiling, the entity held out both its arms in a grand gesture, its expression mocking.

"Come, mighty Archon," he sneered. "Come show me how you intend to kill me."

Changing his grip on the handle, Khanzyth charged right toward the creature with a roar, his power sword held high as he slammed his weapon down onto its head with every ounce of strength that he could muster, watching in satisfaction as the blade cleaved straight through Starbreaker's skull.

Blood and brain matter spilled as the latter's head was split, the body slumping ever so slightly before him.

Panting heavily in exertion, Khanzyth smirked beneath his warmask panting heavily in exertion, his face warm. "How about now, beast? Was that enough for you?"

The body was still, the crimsonhead ruined and lifeless.

Planting his boot straight into the creature's chest, Khanzyth started to push against it, struggling as he attempted to pry his weapon out from its head when a strong hand suddenly grabbed him by the foot.

"WHAT?!"

Khanzyth screamed as the hand squeezed, breaking the bones in his leg.

Falling to the floor, he looked up and watched in horror as the body straightened, the hateful crimson face grinning with the blade still embedded, the yellow eyes of the "collar" shining with a wicked intelligence, looking down upon him. Grabbing onto the power sword's blade, the creature wrenched it off, resulting in the two halves of the skull to uselessly dangle.

Yellow eyes blinked while the split jaw uselessly worked, the face looking as if it were struggling to speak. Finally, the yellow eyes in the head rolled back.

"How unfortunate," the creature spoke, its voice rumbling through its whole body, causing Khanzyth to stiff and tremble all over. "I was quite fond of that head - Korugarians have such fine skin and nervous systems."

Lifting up a hand, Khanzyth watched as Starbreaker fondly caressed the crimson skin, as if in appreciation.

To the Archon's growing shock and horror, the being reached up and grabbed the top of his black hair.

Then, with a single tug, casually pulled it off from the torso, as one would a hat or a helmet, the eyes rolling lifelessly to the back of its skull as the entity held it up for inspection.

"Hm. The damage has been quite significant. I will need to have that repaired." The collar and cruel yellow eyes glanced over in Khanzyth's direction. "I wonder how you look without that helmet."

Swallowing, Khanzyth whimpered as he weakly attempted to crawl backward.