Chapter Summaries

Su Ming used the battle against the Orks to impress the Space Wolves and Dark Angels while repeatedly rescuing Efferal as she struggled to keep up. After they escaped the greenskin horde together, Efferal agreed to help Su Ming in exchange for his promise to find her enemies and help her take revenge.

• Su Ming fought through the greenskin horde and turned back repeatedly to rescue Efferal, who could not keep pace with him.
• After Su Ming charged through the greenskins seven times, he and Efferal escaped on a stolen Ork motorcycle.
• Efferal accused Su Ming of using warp magic, and they agreed to keep each other's secrets.
• Efferal misunderstood Su Ming's offer to take their relationship further as a proposal, but he clarified that he wanted to make a deal.
• Efferal agreed to follow Su Ming's arrangements, and Su Ming swore in the Emperor's name to help her find her enemies and avenge her Sisters.

Su Ming and Efferal rode through a massive greenskin horde while searching for its warboss, whom Su Ming suspected was a Big Mek. Efferal used her Psionic sight to locate him near the city cathedral, but Su Ming warned that the route might be trapped.

• Su Ming searched the greenskin tide for its warboss while he and Efferal fought off attackers on a ramshackle motorcycle.
• Su Ming explained that the unusual number of Mekboyz and flyboyz suggested that a Big Mek led the WAAAGH!.
• Su Ming told Efferal to use her Psionic sight to sense the warboss's WAAAGH! field, and she cautiously activated her ability.
• Efferal located the warboss near the city cathedral, behind the battlefield.
• Su Ming slowed the motorcycle and warned Efferal that the cunning greenskins might have laid landmines along their route.

Su Ming used the minefield and hidden turrets to lure the Greenskins into sending Gretchin out to repair their defenses. While Efferal took cover, he began silently killing the Gretchin with Strangle, hoping to draw out the Big Mek.

• Su Ming found a hidden grenade trap in the ruins and warned Efferal that the Greenskins had laid traps beyond the obvious minefield.
• He crossed the minefield under fire from concealed turrets, using his resilience to provoke the enemy into investigating the noise.
• Su Ming hid in roadside garbage and signaled Efferal to take cover as Gretchin arrived to repair the minefield and reload the turrets.
• He used Strangle to snare and devour a Gretchin, then sent it after another Gretchin reloading a turret.

Wolf Lord Gunnar and Dark Angels Chaplain Orpheus argued and shoved their way toward the warrior they both wanted to find. They reached the scene and saw him standing atop a mound of greenskin corpses, displaying an enormous severed head to the Battle Sister.

• Gunnar followed the scent of blood and gunpowder through the flames, eager to learn whether the yellow-and-black-armored warrior had survived.
• Orpheus shot the last greenskin before Gunnar could kill it, provoking Gunnar to accuse him of stealing his prey.
• Gunnar and Orpheus bickered over the warrior, his possible identity, and which Chapter had a claim to the system.
• The two Astartes shoved each other as they ran through the flames toward the warrior.
• Gunnar and Orpheus turned the corner and saw the warrior standing atop enemy corpses with an enormous head raised before the Battle Sister.

Su Ming, calling himself Deathstroke, met the Space Wolves Gunnar and Chaplain Orpheus after defeating the greenskins and explained that his distress signal had been sent to share his glory, not seek help. He agreed to accompany them to the Relay Station, where he and Efferal could rest while the Space Marines continued the battle.

• Su Ming tossed the Mekboy's head to Efferal and exchanged Imperial praise with Chaplain Orpheus and Gunnar.
• Su Ming said he had sent the distress signal so others could witness his victory, and Gunnar admired his confidence.
• Gunnar called the Emperor the Allfather, but Efferal ignored the remark while examining the greenskin's technological eyepiece.
• Su Ming introduced himself as Deathstroke as the surviving Orcs began to fall into disorder after their leader's death.
• Chaplain Orpheus invited Su Ming to join the fight, and Su Ming agreed to go with him to the Relay Station with Efferal.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Su Ming (Deathstroke) and Sister Efferal take refuge in a candlelit room after the Orcs' defeat.
• Su Ming reveals he doesn't need support in combat, aiming to maintain his pride and authority among Space Marines.
• They share snacks, with Su Ming explaining the chocolate's composition to Efferal.
• Su Ming hints at the upcoming battle and the need for Space Marine assistance to investigate the Necron threat.

Character Developments

• Su Ming: Shows his strategic thinking and desire for ancient technology, while maintaining his pride and authority.
• Sister Efferal: Demonstrates her curiosity and adaptability, learning about new food and Su Ming's past.

Significant Themes

• Power dynamics and pride: Su Ming's desire to maintain his image and authority.
• Trust and understanding: The growing bond between Su Ming and Efferal, as they share secrets and learn about each other.
• Ancient technology: Su Ming's interest in Necron weapons and their potential use.

Character Interactions

• Su Ming and Efferal: They share a moment of camaraderie, with Su Ming teaching Efferal about the snacks and Efferal sharing her past.
• Su Ming hints at his true identity as a Primarch, but Efferal misunderstands, thinking he's a Bounty Hunter turned Mercenary.
• Efferal offers to keep Su Ming's plan to take Necron weapons a secret, showing her trust in him.

Su Ming shared a conversation about music and Chaos corruption with Efferal before leaving to relieve himself. Elsewhere in the relay tower, a shadowy creature killed a Dark Angels recruit and took his memories and genes for study.

• Efferal described how her former friend had been corrupted by Slaanesh and warned that music could expose people to Chaos.
• Efferal explained that Battle Sisters sang hymns to resist Noise Marines, and Su Ming offered to teach her a song that could overwhelm them.
• Su Ming began singing, prompting Efferal to cover her ears, then gave her the snacks and left to answer nature's call.
• A Dark Angels recruit burned greenskin remains while clearing the relay tower and heard a Squeaky Squig in a nearby corridor.
• The recruit found a Squig trapped in a jar, but a shadow dropped from the ceiling and crushed and consumed him.
• The shadow ordered his memories and genes extracted for comparison with those of a Space Wolf, then disappeared with the Squig jar.

Su Ming discussed the disappearance of one recruit from each Space Marine Chapter with Gunnar and Orpheus, then suggested that an enemy might have entered the relay tower from its rooftop. He joined the search while Efferal stayed behind to guard the prayer room door.

• Gunnar and Orpheus asked Su Ming and Efferal whether they had seen the two missing recruits, and Su Ming said he had heard Space Marines enter the tower.
• Gunnar explained that one recruit from each side had vanished on the seventeenth floor after a brief shout over the comm channel.
• Orpheus worried that the Chapters might lose the recruits’ mature Gene-Seeds, which could not be replaced easily.
• Su Ming told Gunnar that an enemy might have entered through the tower’s rooftop terrace, since the first-floor hall was clear.
• Gunnar agreed that an aerial threat was likely, and Su Ming offered to help search while telling Efferal to guard the door.

Su Ming proposed a contest between the Space Marine Chapters to hunt down their enemies across the world, persuading Gunnar to agree after arranging for Necron intelligence. The chapter ended with a hooded figure confronting Su Ming about why he wanted the information.

• After the search for missing Space Marines failed, Gunnar mourned the loss with Su Ming and vowed to avenge his fallen brothers.
• Gunnar invited Su Ming and Efferal to fight alongside the Space Wolves, but Su Ming declined and suggested strategic cooperation instead.
• Su Ming proposed that the Wolves hunt Chaos and Eldar, the Dark Angels fight Greenskins and bugs, and he and Efferal take on the Necrons.
• Gunnar agreed to compete once Su Ming pointed out that he and Efferal needed Necron intelligence to make the contest fair.
• Gunnar left to obtain records from Mars, and a hooded figure emerged from the darkness to ask Su Ming what he intended to do with the intelligence.

Su Ming convinced Orpheus that he was the Emperor’s hidden twenty-first Primarch by offering a genetic test and revealing knowledge of the Dark Angels’ secrets. After Orpheus accepted the evidence, Su Ming offered to protect the Chapter’s past in exchange for a deal.

• Su Ming told Orpheus that he was the unknown twenty-first Primarch, created by the Emperor and hidden from the Traitors.
• Orpheus demanded proof, and Su Ming allowed an Inner Circle Apothecary to analyze his blood and genes.
• The Apothecary confirmed that Su Ming was wholly human and possessed extraordinary cellular strength, with genetic sequences resembling the Dark Angels’ Gene-Seed.
• Su Ming cited Lion’s whereabouts, Luthor, and the Inner Circle to convince Orpheus that he knew the Chapter’s secrets.
• Orpheus was overwhelmed by the revelations and wanted to contact the Grand Master and convene the Inner Circle.
• Su Ming promised to keep the Dark Angels’ secret and offered to join the Inner Circle as an outside member if Orpheus heard his terms.

With Imperial fleets temporarily absent, Deathstroke and the Space Marines defended the Relay Station from repeated attacks while he waited for other factions to act on his plans. After about a week, the Wolf Lord came to Deathstroke with a request.

• Deathstroke explained that the Dark Angels and Space Wolves had temporarily moved their fleets elsewhere, leaving the defenders without reinforcements or supplies for several days.
• Efferal asked whether she might find the Mutant Lord, and Deathstroke promised to help hunt her enemy after she helped him raid the tomb.
• Deathstroke argued that the Adeptus Mechanicus would share intelligence if it needed the Space Marines to reach the technology beneath the planet.
• Greenskins, Necrons, and other enemies repeatedly attacked the Relay Station, but the Space Marines held the defensive position.
• Deathstroke proposed repairing the Relay Station's Void Shield and mounting automatic weapons on its tower, easing the defenders' pressure.
• About a week later, the Wolf Lord approached Deathstroke on the city wall and made a request.

Su Ming and Gunnar discussed the Space Marines’ dwindling supplies and decided to raid a neighboring force for provisions. Gunnar agreed to coordinate with the Dark Angels, leaving the group preparing for a nostalgic raid on the Eldar.

• Gunnar told Su Ming that the Space Wolves had run out of medical supplies and alcohol, while the Dark Angels were also low on ammunition.
• Su Ming explained that he could not supply both companies but asked Gunnar what he would do if his tribe’s island ran out of food before winter.
• Gunnar recalled leading Fenrisian tribesmen on dangerous Sea Monster hunts and said he would raid a neighboring tribe that had grain.
• Su Ming suggested stealing food from the Eldar, and Efferal silently tolerated the plan while whistling a hymn to the Emperor.
• Gunnar agreed to discuss the operation with the Angels and gather the Space Wolves.

Su Ming joined Gunnar and the Space Wolves on a nighttime raid into Eldar territory, after studying the planet’s factions and agreeing to split the spoils with the angels guarding their base. The group attacked an Eldar patrol, with more Rangers waiting behind the ruins.

• Gunnar explained why the Space Wolves feared neither the Inquisition nor the prospect of using Eldar supplies, and said he wanted to test Su Ming’s attitude.
• Su Ming, Efferal, Gunnar, and several Wolf Guard flew toward Eldar territory in a Longfang Predator while Su Ming reflected on the warzones he had surveyed around the city.
• The Wolf Guard pilot detected Netherblade Swordsmen near some building ruins, and Gunnar decided the squad would begin its raid there.
• Gunnar invited Su Ming to stay aboard, but Su Ming insisted on joining the assault and said they should move quickly before the nearby Tyranids became a threat.
• Gunnar leaped from the Predator and charged the Eldar; Su Ming and Efferal followed, while the pilot stayed behind with a piece of milk candy.
• Su Ming and the Space Wolves engaged the Eldar squad and found two more squads of Rangers behind the walkers.

Su Ming and the Space Wolves wiped out an Eldar patrol without alerting the surrounding forces, then planned a concealed route to an Eldar supply depot. The group set off to raid it, hoping to take whatever supplies they could find.

• Su Ming charged through the Eldar Rangers’ shuriken fire and smashed them apart before destroying a squad of Netherblade Swordsmen.
• Efferal joined Su Ming as he examined a mech’s sword, and he explained that their rapid, quiet attack counted as perfect infiltration.
• Su Ming used a Servo-Skull’s map to mark a covered route to the supply depot, explaining that he had spotted Eldar vehicles traveling there from the relay tower.
• Gunnar agreed to the route and ordered the group to follow it and prepare to loot the depot.

Deathstroke and the Wolf Lord raided an Eldar outpost, but found little useful intelligence before preparing to withdraw. Deathstroke discovered Efferal using her psychic abilities to read a Necron relic that recorded a Tyrant’s past.

• Deathstroke slaughtered the Eldar garrison and interrogated a Prophet, but learned nothing before killing her.
• The Wolf Lord reported that his men had taken Eldar rations and carbon compounds, and asked how Deathstroke knew the Eldar language.
• Deathstroke concealed Strangle’s role in learning the language and ordered the group to withdraw before the Eldar main force arrived.
• The Wolf Lord pointed Deathstroke toward a nearby house where Efferal was using her Psionics.
• Efferal showed Deathstroke a Necron relic she had deciphered, and he told her to look for anything else before they discussed it after returning.

Su Ming and the Sister returned to the Relay Station with a blackstone slab that recorded part of an ancient Eldar epic about a powerful dynasty, possibly tied to a vast Necron tomb beneath the world. The Sister said more fragments would be needed to interpret the account, and Su Ming ended the conversation by suggesting a game of Gwent.

• Gunnar offered Su Ming first pick of the raid’s spoils, but Su Ming took two flatbreads and left the rest to the Space Wolves.
• Su Ming took the Sister to their room at the Relay Station and asked what she had learned from the slab.
• The Sister said the slab described a powerful dynasty that had once ruled the world, and Su Ming speculated that billions of Necrons might lie beneath them.
• The Sister described a Mutant Lord that had disguised itself as a Sister before revealing itself as a gigantic, two-headed raven.
• Su Ming examined the slab and recognized its shifting molecular structure and Deviant energy as blackstone, while the Sister said she needed more fragments to interpret the epic.
• The Sister refused to explain how her psychic powers read Necron writing, and Su Ming proposed teaching her Gwent.

As the Tyranid swarm attacked the Relay Station, Su Ming shot down a flying Brood Tyrant with God Metal Gauss. He then caught a metal object near the Sister, wondering whether the fallen Tyrant had somehow sent his bullet back at him.

• The Tyranid swarm descended on the Relay Station, and Su Ming spotted a winged Brood Tyrant in the distance.
• The Sister worried that the Relay Station’s Void Shield would not withstand the Brood Tyrant and its guards, but Su Ming said he would stop them from reaching it.
• Su Ming fired God Metal Gauss and precisely struck the base of the Brood Tyrant’s wing, sending it and its guards crashing to the ground.
• Su Ming put away his gun and guessed that the Broodmind would retreat to assess the unfamiliar attack.
• Su Ming grabbed a piece of metal in the air near the Sister and realized it was not his bullet returning from the Brood Tyrant.

Deathstroke caught an assassin’s bullet aimed at Efferal and learned that the Inquisition had branded her a heretic because she had entered the Eldar Black Library. He decided to protect her and prepare to take her away, recognizing that the Library’s knowledge made her extraordinarily valuable.

• Deathstroke caught a sacred, Imperial-style bullet meant for Efferal, and the assassin fled.
• Efferal told Deathstroke that she had fallen out with the Inquisition and admitted she had entered the Black Library.
• Deathstroke promised to protect Efferal and realized that her access to the Library made her a valuable target.
• Deathstroke decided to abduct Efferal, notify Sepulk’s side, and prepare Plan B.
• Deathstroke considered how Efferal had apparently been chosen by Cegorach to enter the Black Library.

Efferal told Su Ming how the Harlequins forced her into the Black Library, where she gained immense psychic power and forbidden knowledge, leaving her hunted by the Inquisition. Su Ming promised to protect her for now and offered her a place at his side, while asking for the bullet so he could identify its shooter.

• Efferal revealed that she belonged to the Martyred Lady and had hidden her identity after the Harlequins took her to the Black Library.
• Efferal described how she spent an unknown time reading forbidden books, developed powerful psychic abilities, and was returned to the material world by the Harlequins.
• Efferal explained that she crashed onto the planet after her ship was struck by Chaos forces, then met Su Ming while suppressing her unstable powers.
• Su Ming concluded that the Inquisition would hunt Efferal for the knowledge in her head, but said his arrangements with the Dark Angels and Space Wolves could protect her temporarily.
• Su Ming joked that Efferal should serve him forever, then asked her to give him the bullet because he needed to find its shooter.

After the Broodmind withdrew its swarm, Su Ming showed Orpheus and Gunnar a bullet he had found and argued that an Imperial assassin had killed the missing Space Marines. He left them with the possibility that the bodies had been taken to conceal further evidence.

• The Broodmind pulled back its main force and used Ripper Swarms to cover its retreat while it assessed the Space Marines’ unknown weapon.
• Su Ming showed Orpheus and Gunnar a warped bullet and connected it to the two missing brothers.
• Gunnar smelled holy water and sacred oil on the bullet, which Su Ming and the others associated with the Officio Assassinorum.
• Su Ming explained that the missing warrior might have been killed on another floor while his helmet was used to fake his location on the seventeenth floor.
• Su Ming said he found the bullet lodged in a machine in the communications room on the top floor.
• Su Ming suggested that the assassins had removed the bodies to hide clues left by Space Marine biology, including the Larraman’s Organ and Omophage.