One missing space marine wasn't something that weighed on the minds of the World Eaters as they disembarked the husk of the Sontaran War-Wheel. No warrior wanted to be left behind in the wreckage; the glee of battle was a high that needed to be continuously perpetuated. Already there were fights breaking out between impatient. Mindless berserkers were bludgeoning each other violently to the daemonic laughter of their brothers.

This was the closest to comradary that the blood god worshipers would get. War was an individual grab for glory, and if you're 'friend' was in the way, then he died with the enemy. Tarrus was more rational than most, not that the standard for sanity was hard to rise over between renegades.

Infernal Sin did not withdraw, instead it plowed forth right through the ship to guarantee it's obliteration. The greatest that scrap could ever again achieve was to join with the inevitable space hulk that would form from all the grave-ships; the most honorable of the dark gods' trash heaps. A maze for daemons and any corrupted survivor still clinging to his blazing metal home.

Dars didn't feel pity for the shipmates as he drifted away in his recon pod. They had died as any Sontaran should, in blazing glory. What angered him was the one sided slaughter that the battle had been. There were unimaginable powers in the universe, some that truly dwarfed the empire. But this had just been too quick a loss.

No. It was not a loss yet. The surprise of those 'Daemons' was waning. The fleet would have to compose itself. As insurmountable as they seemed, the creatures could be destroyed.

Destruction. Subjugation. What Sontarans were feared for. A good defensive for the soldier was an unyielding offensive.

A sudden message crackled loudly over the main speaker: "To all operational units, the attack squadrons have taken heavy damage. However, we have weakened the enemies' primary offensive. Orders are as follows; we will enter a defensive sphere with the command ship taking lead then begin moving into hostile space. Hopefully, the Rutan filth will send their fleets in response and in the chaos we can make enough time for the full armada to arrive."

"Ha! A foolish notion that Sontarans would go down so simply." Dars laughed proudly.

Victory would be seized. Sontar-HA.

Eighth Son explained in monotone to Tarrus, who's face looked close to boiling.

"This produces issue. The vessel you desire is blocked by the rest of the xeno fleet. It's doubtful even we could enter that arrangement without taking extreme damage." Eighth Son explained in monotone to Tarrus, who's face looked close to boiling.

"HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE? We utterly annihilated our first prey, why now do we have issue?"

The techpriest waved on a glitchy hologram that flickered with the movement of the ships.

"It appears that these xenos are at war with another species. We caught them by surprise when they had powered down the primary combat systems. Now that they are both coordinated and fully armed-"

"Khorne did not intend this to be easy Eighth Son. No matter their power we MUST breach this perimeter."

"And we could easily, if we moved with the other World Eater vessels."

"YOU DARE TO SUGGEST WE ARE NOT ENOUGH?"

"I state only my thoughts Lord Tartarus."

"Then heed mine. I near ascension. My blood glows red through my veins. No longer do I wait for my bounty. Consort with whatever darkness you must techmarine, but ensure we arrive first and alone."

Tarrus stormed from the bridge with an ensemble of curses, too angry to even look Eighth Son in the void where his eyes would be. There was silence, strange for the beserker ship. Eighth Son pondered, knowing that there was one option that almost guaranteed a path faster than any ship. But he would have to consult with something even the Chaos Worshipers found taboo. He reached for one of the strange charms around his neck, an iron spiderweb pendent with an eye woven into the middle. He clenched it, and instantly his mind was enveloped in a mosaic of blues and purples as his corrupted consciousness blazed through the immaterium, and into the maze of the Crystal Labyrinth.

The realm of Tzeech is ever changing, and never ending. Three dimensional space is prone to sudden changes based on the ruler's whims, and no viewer has ever survived with sanity intact save for the children of the changer of ways. Perverse science was being conducted at every twisted moment, as time itself was a maze of stretched seconds and eternities that passed before you realized your body was dust.

In an inverted tower among the sea of change was a blazing light, guiding Eighth Son's mind. He passed through many canyons of ruined cities and hordes of demons slaving at complex formula. The lighthouse hung from a fold in space where infinity curved back on itself. It was the home to something like a business partner. A mercenary of the mind, capable of distorting real space however much one could pay for. His name was Devos.

Devos operated on a trade. Specimens for his services usually, and they were never cheap. But always he came through in his promises and he had managed some truly astounding feats with his array of dark magic. Many dark princes came to beg his assistance, and failed spectacularly in a blaze of corroding blue flame reserved for people Devos found particularly irritating.

"Eight boy? Well well, hello again." Laughed the indescribable voices resounding from the tower.

"Devos the man who touched the infinite ending." The soul of Eighth Son pushed through a window at the top-bottom floor of the lighthouse.

Devos's form was once again shrouded in a cloak of shadow, obviously a bad hair day. But it's clawed hands still jutted out, fingers appearing and burning away at random, but mainly staying a steady seven digits. A fiery eye appeared before Eighth Son, giving him a fraction of attention.

"My ship is stuck behind a fleet of xenos, I need a portal straight through to the capital ship."

"Why?" The eye blinked.

"My lord Tartarus needs a way to the enemy leader."

"Tarrus? That name I know, usually hissed in death cries."

The formless cloaked creature seemed to pause in thought, then went back to his many other tasks.

"Something Tarrus has is something I've coveted for nearly three thousand years. I can do anything if he will relinquish it." The eye blinked again.

"You refer to-"

"The traveler's skull, the head of the fabled time lord! The time lords built the creature we know as the TARDIS. This is the monster's heart which I devoured while still in service to the Thousand Sons nearly five millenia ago, cursing me to this form."

"There is nothing else?"

"For him? No. He could not possibly afford the other price."

"I'll see what I can do."

"I'll keep a door open exclusively for you."

Reality faded back to the Dark Mechanicus. The moment he was able to walk he set out for the lift.

"You've a path?" Tarrus growled irritably as the techpriest approached him in what used to be the docking bay.

"...possibly. That skull, the one of the traveler."

"My crown piece. Unbelievable it's taking, a battle like no other I'd ever faced."

"You need to sacrifice is. Then Devos will sew space together for our passage."

Tartarus clenched his fist, "No. It was to be the center of my ascension, it's value is immense."

"You must have superior in worth?"

"Nothing surpasses the house of a mind that once traveled through time itself."

Eighth Son shook his head, "it will not lower the price."

"Then we blaze through them! No matter the cost, we will obliterate them and take that ship!"

"I wouldn't be here if I assumed that would work. Ships much more powerful than ours are already churning through their perimeter, they still are being resisted, but will move faster than we ever could."

"Damn! I will not lose my prize!"

"Then you forfeit princedom. That is the price."

Tartarus smashed his chainaxe through some ancient broken crates, "their species is dead! Wiped away in a great war at the edge of the end and teetering on the beginning. I'll never take another!"

Eighth Son waited patiently as his master stomped through boxes of disused ammo. Eventually, his rage subsided, though it took a number of curses and punches in the techpriest's direction to vent.

"Do it. To hell with it. Take it, and run."

With obvious reluctance, he manifested the skull in a blaze of fire contained to his hand. The skull wasn't extraordinary, it appeared little different than any number of terran skulls. It had been held in pristine condition, and shown white as ivory.

"This is it? He'll see through any tricks."

"This is it. Hurry up and get this over with."

A group of machine arms grabbed the bones with divided care. Eighth Son through the charm to the ground, and a strange maw of glowing energies roared from it. Empyrean tentacles slithered around it and yanked it back into the light house. Suddenly, the world in each World Eater's vision started to twist and crackle. Devos reached and pulled their mind as well through the portal, onto a balcony jutting from the end of his spire. Devos was working with a patchwork machine made that resembled a telescope and a multi-lensed projector.

"WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE? TAKING ME TO THIS FORSAKEN REALM WITHOUT CONSENT?!" Tarrus roared, his spirit changing to a red hue.

"Thank you kindly for the time lord skull. Be assured it is in my most gentle care." Devos's composite voice said 'warmly', "I've begun work upon the portal. Traded for this spell a long time ago, yet never needed it."

"I care not to see your damn magics at work! Return me!"

"I need to know what you want. Specifically."

Tarrus snorted, calming down slightly.

"I want to be at the bow of their lead ship so they may stare in horror at the inevitable."

"Dramatic. But done. I shall construct this bridge through the materium."

"It's completion will be when?" The techpriest asked.

"A minute will pass in your world. Enter my portal upon arrival, you alone will be allowed through it. Should other vessels attempt to use it, I shall have them diverted back to Khorne's realm."

The cloaked creature continued on his work and waved the spirits back away into realspace.