The doomed battlefields of the Octarius Sector burn bright, and the Imperium must maintain observation of the most brutal conflicts to learn how best to keep the war away from Imperial space. The Kabal of the Edge Pledged have taken a keen interest in the sector themselves - mighty Orks and monstrous Tyranid beasts alike make fine gladiatorial fodder, but tonight they find an observation post manned by Space Marines! After a cunning ruse drew the commander away from the outpost, the Hand strikes with an aim to slaughter the superhuman soldiers!
The Hand advanced behind cover - with the enemy commander away with his cohort, the Hand felt they could take their time. Having already dispensed Hypex (a potent amphetamine fatal to humans) to the rest of the team, the Elixicant is ordered forward to plant explosives on the observation site on pain of death!
The Intercessors, now thoroughly aware of the xeno threat, signal to their battle-brothers to return to the observation post with all speed! The sergeant is first back on the scene, ready to disperse these sadistic invaders. While the Intercessors try to push past ambient interference and reach the rest of the squad, the Hand position themselves for the coming slaughter.
As the Space Marines try to reposition and block the xeno advance, the Hand's heavy gunner uses their Dark Lance to devastating effect, erasing every marine that enters their sights in a blaze of black light!
With the gunners keeping the Hand's left flank firmly under their control, the Archsybarite orders their least favorite cronies to leap from the walls onto the observation post - some perform this task better than others. The Skysplinter Assassin, unused to taking direct orders under fire, is fully unable to make the leap and takes withering fire from the furious intercessors!
The Hand's Flayer, expert in delivering pain, leapt successfully to the fuel pump even as the Crimson Duelist was blown apart by bolter fire. Perhaps invigorated by the death of their comrade, the Flayer fought an assault intercessor to a standstill, causing the marine to call for backup.
Despite the Intercessors' desperate attempts to hold back the Hand's grasp, every challenger to Commorragh's will was crushed by torrents of blacklight weapons and inventively cruel shredder guns. Though the xeno cohort's numbers were reduced to a bare third of their strength, the observation post would be destroyed - blinding the Imperium to developments on the planet and allowing the Kabal of the Edge Pledged to run rampant through the battlezone, taking the strongest of Octarius's monsters back to the Dark City.
Their task complete and appetite for slaughter sated for now, the Hand retreated to the Webway, leaving the survivors of the Intercessor squad to recover the gene-seed of their fallen. These harrowed marines will have grim news to report: The Dark Eldar are upon Octarius, and they will brook no challengers.
