The Dark Aeldari of Commorragh never expected that they, the masters of the raid, would one day become the ones being raided.
†Nydusara, capture some Wyches to serve as test subjects.†
"By your will, Overmind. I shall execute your command."
Upon receiving the Overmind's orders, Nydusara began venturing out proactively to hunt Wyches.
As mentioned before, as one of the three foundational powers of Commorragh, the Wych Cults are formidable. These red-haired females in their provocative, skin-tight bodysuits are terrifying combatants; they require no armor, and most enemies can't even scratch their skin in a one-on-one duel.
Capturing a Wych is no easy feat. However, brute force isn't always necessary; cunning can be just as effective.
Wyches love to hunt powerful creatures alone within the vast expanse of Commorragh. The dark city is home to more than just Dark Aeldari; it harbors many beasts, some with terrifying individual strength. Wyches relish finding these formidable foes and engaging them in single combat.
And so...
"Don't run!"
A Wych was currently pursuing a strange beast. The creature looked remarkably like a Zergling, especially those scythe-like claws that would have had Abathur screaming about copyright infringement. But this wasn't a Zergling; it was a Warp creature known as an Etheric Hound. How the Dark Aeldari captured them remains a mystery.
However, this particular Etheric Hound was slightly different... it was a Changeling mimicking the hound, acting as live bait to lure this Wych.
The Wych leaped between buildings with startling agility, chasing the Changeling at extreme speeds.
"Strange. Are Etheric Hounds usually this fast?"
The Wych drew a short knife from her hip and pinned the "hound" to the ground, but then, creatures hidden in the shadows launched their attack.
A dozen spine-needles whistled through the air. Sensing the danger, the Wych kicked off the wall with immense force to dodge. The needles slammed into the spot she had occupied a second ago.
Hunter-Killers stepped out of the darkness, their bone claws gleaming.
"Oh, a bonus harvest. You must be the mysterious creatures that have been causing unrest around here lately."
The Hunter-Killers didn't bother answering; they simply launched another volley of spines. The Wych performed a series of side-flips, dodging the projectiles with incredible flexibility, her body contorting into impossible positions.
"You want to kill me? Then I'll play with you for a while."
She unsheathed her curved blade, ready to enjoy the slaughter. But these Hunter-Killers were merely more bait. The real threat—the one capable of stripping the Wych of her ability to resist—was Nydusara, hiding in the darkness.
Just as the Wych was dancing amidst the Hunter-Killers, savoring the rhythm of battle, a flash of white light erupted from the shadows. A mysterious force instantly shackled her body, leaving her unable to move a muscle.
"Psychic power?!"
The Wych was genuinely terrified by the sight of that white light. "Who dares use psychic powers in Commorragh?!"
Nydusara walked slowly out of the shadows. Simultaneously, a Hunter-Killer plunged a venomous spine into the Wych's body, injecting a neurotoxin to paralyze her.
"What... what are you?!"
Nydusara didn't answer. Instead, she used a psychic blast to knock the Wych unconscious. Even as she slipped into darkness, the Wych looked incredulous—someone had actually dared to use psychic power so brazenly in Commorragh.
Commorragh has strict limitations on psychic use. To prevent Daemons—specifically Slaaneshi Daemons—from manifesting or having their souls consumed by "She Who Thirsts," the Dark Aeldari almost never use psychic abilities. This was why the Wych was caught off guard.
Furthermore, she wasn't the first. Inside the Swarm's nest, dozens of Wyches had already been secured.
"The time is right. Send them to the Overmind."
The first batch of Wyches was delivered to Abathur's Evolution Chamber. Abathur had set aside a specific chamber to serve as a testing ground for these Aeldari.
Abathur stripped them of their clothing, giving the Overmind an accidental eyeful.
†The Aeldari truly have incredible physiques. Such long legs... though the tattoos are a bit much.†
The Overmind was quite picky. Through Abathur's vision, he watched as numerous tiny biological tubes were inserted into the Wyches' spines. These tubes were similar to an Infestor's neural parasites, allowing them to take over the Wyches' nervous systems.
Even though Abathur didn't understand the true nature of the Warp in this universe, it didn't hinder his ability to manipulate the Dark Aeldari's bodies. The scene of Abathur operating on the Aeldari was strikingly similar to a Haemonculus experimenting on a Zergling.
The first Wych soon opened her eyes. She let out a piercing scream, her eyes glowing with brilliant psychic light. Terrifying psychic energy unconsciously radiated outward, creating an impassable psychic field.
†Watching Abathur do experiments for the first time... looks painful.†
This Wych's psychic surge came fast and faded just as quickly. She soon closed her eyes and fell back into a coma.
†Next one, Abathur.†
Abathur activated the psychic potential of these Dark Aeldari one by one—powers they usually dared not touch. But when he reached the sixth Aeldari, something went wrong.
As the sixth Wych's psychic power was triggered, it wasn't colorful like the others. Her psychic hue became hauntingly monotone—a single, specific color.
[Purple.]
†!!!†
The moment the Overmind saw that purple Warp energy, he reacted instantly.
†Abathur, get out of there!!!†
He had been so focused on experimenting on the Dark Aeldari that he hadn't expected to attract that thing.
Slaanesh.
†This is only the sixth one. Usually, you'd need at least 666 of them before getting Slaanesh's attention.†
Abathur also sensed something was wrong and quickly evacuated under the escort of other Zerg units. The purple Warp energy continued to diffuse from the Wych's body, swirling like gas or an aurora. The Zerg units could hear faint, mocking laughter echoing through the air: "Hee-hee-hee, ha-ha-ha..."
The laughter sounded masculine yet feminine, old yet young. The Wych's body seemed possessed, letting out the same laughter.
†Ngh...†
Because the neural tubes were still connected to the Wych, the Overmind could actually feel what was inside her. The purple Warp energy made the Wych's body hypersensitive, and even the Overmind felt a strange, lingering influence.
†Disconnect.†
The biological neural tubes snapped, but the Wych continued to laugh, staring at the Zerg units inside the Leviathan with a playful, mocking expression.
"Interesting creatures. You are not like the others."
It was unclear if this voice came directly from Slaanesh, but the Overmind knew it was referring to the difference between the Zerg and the Tyranids. The Tyranids have the "Shadow in the Warp," making it impossible for Daemons to manifest. The Zerg, however, do not. This lack of protection allowed Slaanesh to consume the Wyches' souls and cast a portion of Her gaze here.
"Where is your leader?"
Far away on another Leviathan, the Overmind suddenly felt a chill down his spine. He was being watched.
†Damn it. Don't panic. Slaanesh isn't that bored.†
Slaanesh might not be bored, but Her Daemons certainly were. Just as the Overmind was worrying about being targeted by the Dark Prince, Slaaneshi Daemons began pouring out of the purple energy within Abathur's former testing chamber.
These Daemons were drawn by the souls of the Wyches, but they wouldn't mind causing a massive ruckus after claiming their prize.