Enemy of my Enemy
"My cousins out fighting the Tau and what do I get? Guard duty," Amos heard one of the men in the bunker complain. Amos ignored him and stared out the bunker window. He didn't mind being stationed out here. He had fought the Tau before and only barely survived. The bloodthirsty individual who wanted to fight them obviously had never fought them before. Amos wondered if the man had ever been in a firefight. There was nothing good about hiding behind a crumbling wall that was being torn apart by blue plasma bolts. He began to relive his first skirmish with the Tau, but stopped himself and resumed looking out the window.
What he saw was a dismal sight. The sky was dark with thunderclouds that spat themselves onto the earth. Argon V seemed to be in a perpetual monsoonal season. The wildlife here was green and aggressive. When the Imperial Guard first arrived here, they constantly had to beat back the forest so that they could have tidy camps, but they soon gave up their efforts and embraced the nature.
The various cities on Argon V were large enough that they need not worry about the forest, however should a war break out, the forest would reclaim the ruins mere days after the battle's end. Thus there were many ghost cities scattered across the planet, each one overrun with wildlife. The regiment had stylised their colour scheme based on the need for a camouflage that would work in a dark, forest and urban environment. Guardsmen were issued a matte black lasgun and flak armour, which they wore over a green uniform. Their tanks had jagged khaki stripes on their hulls as well. They had taken to calling themselves the Urban Tigers.
The bunker Amos was in was on the edge of a small Tigers outpost. All that was here was a communications tower, radar system and two bunkers. Three Chimeras had transported the three squads that now guarded the outpost and were neatly parked at the edge of the camp. The thirty guardsmen stationed at the outpost moved freely from bunker to bunker, the officers didn't mind who went where, so long as there were ten men in each bunker. They didn't fear any attacks. They were in Ork territory and had stifled the tribe that inhabited these parts.
The real fighting was happening kilometres away. The Tau had landed on Argon V several months ago, some rubbish about 'the greater good' on their lips. It made Amos mad to think about it. The Tigers had met their offence with an equally strong defence, but the tide of war was ever pushing in the Tau's favour.
A flash of lightning snapped Amos out of his daydreaming. He thought he saw a hooded figure in the flash and instinctively snapped his lasgun at it. The Tau? Here? He thought to himself, but the figure disappeared with the lightning leaving nothing but a pounding heart in Amos' chest. He felt a heavy hand on his shoulder.
"Bit jumpy there, eh lad?" Amos heard Boston say. The big man's voice calmed him. Boston was squad Helix's flamer-man. Huge tanks of propane were strapped to his back, which were fed to the heavy gun hanging off his arm by its strap.
"Better get that under control otherwise I'll have to take that flashlight off you. Maybe you'll kill more Tau without it!" He laughed. Boston was very proud of his flamer, and often went about degrading his squad mate's gear. "Anyway here, have some of this." He shoved a steaming mug into Amos' hands. "It'll fight off the chill this damned rains giving us. Better savour it, it'll probably be the last you'll have of it for awhile."
"What do you mean?"
"I heard Ram talking to command over the radio. Apparently the Tau moved around and claimed one of our outposts for themselves. We've the honour of helping several other squads take it back."
Sergeant Ram was squad Helix's squad leader. He'd earned his nickname when he'd killed an Ork knob and claimed its helmet for his own. Two ram-like horns sprouted from the sides of the helmet. The only commissar on the planet had yet to find out of Ram's spoils, and many of the men wondered who would be killed when he found out. Commissar Ryan was a pious, over-zealous man who had more faith than sense. Guardsmen often accused him of executing more man than the Tau had killed, but always behind his back and in hushed tones. No one would miss him should a stray plasma bolt find its way into his head. The bunker's heavy door burst open and Ram walked in, his chainsword across his back and his laspistol in its holster.
"Alright boys, we're moving out," he announced.
"I told you, I'm not a boy," Hex piped up, grinning. Amos smiled. Hex was the squad's medic. She had saved Amos more than once. She possessed a fire that few men could boast to match.
"Noted," Ram grunted. "Men, start loading the Chimera. As you eavesdroppers no doubt know," he glanced at Boston, "the Tau have flanked us and set up a bastion in one of our encampments. The unfortunate thing is that several of our high-ups were stationed there. No doubt they're using the equipment there to communicate with their main base, and they'll use their captives as leverage. It's up to us and a few other squads to clear out the Tau and get our men out. We leave in an hour." With that he turned and left the bunker.
An hour later and Amos was sitting in the Chimera's hull with the rest of squad Helix. He was sopping wet thanks to the rain, but the warmth of the tank's engine was seeping into his bones. The squad sat in silence. Dagger and Oliver armed some of the hull-mounted lasguns, scanning their environment. Amos had no doubt that they were drawing the attention of the scattered Ork clans by tearing through their lands, but there was no time for stealth.
Amos heard a guttural roar, followed by a sharp crack that turned the roar into a gurgle.
"Damned Orks have found us," Dagger spat. Squad Helix jumped up and began manning the guns. Amos manned one of the rear guns. The Orks of Argon V were bigger and darker than most other Orks. Were the planet's flora made manifest. He saw Orks charging the tank from the rear. He unleashed an onslaught of laser fire that tore through the Ork's skin. Many fell but more came. He could hear the crack of every lasguns in the Chimera. He heard the dull thud of the Chimera's multilaser and saw it tear through the Ork's ranks behind him.
But still it wasn't enough. Amos' heart dropped when he saw a pillar of flame rapidly approaching the Chimera.
"Stormboys on the rear!" he cried out.
"Stand back, lad!" Boston boomed. He stepped down from his gun and kicked open the back of the Chimera. "Let me show you what a real weapon can do!" a roar later and a tower of fire engulfed their flying pursuers. Charred Ork bodies fell to the ground; one fell into the Chimera's hull itself. The Ork's dark skin was ablaze, but the beast still managed to get to its feet…
…before getting cut down by the razor sharp teeth of Ram's chainsword. The body was kicked out of the hull. Once the stormboys had been dispatched, Boston pressed a button inside the Chimera to raise the rear door. Within minutes the Chimera had outrun the Ork foot soldiers, and had spirited squad Helix to safety.
Several hours had passed and dusk began to settle. Sergeant Ram ordered the Chimera to a halt.
"This is the Tau we're fighting, not an Ork band. There aren't many of us so we can't go in guns blazing otherwise their hostages are as good as dead. This is a covert operation," he said. "We'll make camp here for the night. Better rest up 'cause we're heading to the base before dawn. It's about a kilometre over there." He nodded in the direction. "Boston, get a fire going. That's your speciality, right? Zeal, Jon and Thomas, set up the shelter. Hex and Amos, you're going to make dinner. Dagger, Rafael and Oliver, you're on guard duty. I'm going to have a piss 'n smoke." With that, sergeant Ram disappeared into the dark.
Ram's 'piss 'n smokes' often lasted many hours. Squad Helix knew them to mean that Ram was going to scout ahead, probably while pissing and smoking, no one was sure. Amongst the rest of the Tigers, stories of Ram singlehandedly killing warbosses and Tau Shas'O were common.
The guardsmen went about their duties. The rain hadn't relented, so everyone sat in the Chimera until Zeal, Jon and Thomas had set up the shelter. It was no more than a canopy extending out of the broad side of the Chimera, but it kept the rain at bay.
"Once you get that fire going, Amos and I will start making a broth," Hex told Boston.
"Better get started now, I've almost finished," Boston said with a wink. He gathered some heat sticks from the cargo hold in the Chimera and laid them out under the shelter. With a whoosh of his flamer, the sticks lit and began crackling away merrily. The light and heat of the fire lit an ember of hope in this otherwise dismal place.
Hours had passed by the time Ram returned. He came with five stormtrooper Tigers in tow. Four were armed with hot-shot lasguns, while the fifth had a hot-shot laspistol and power sword. Amos assumed him to be the squad leader. Hex and Amos began making another broth. The portion they saved Ram wouldn't be enough for all six men. Two men had remained on guard, the rest slept. Once the broth was ready, the stormtroopers, Ram, Hex and Amos all sat around the fire.
"We were sent in to grab 'n dash with the hostages, but our Vaylkrie was gunned down half a click from the landing zone," sergeant Foxtrot explained. "We lost all communications, but continued with the mission. We found a sewerage drain that leads right into the compound, and it was there we found sergeant Ram."
"I told them of the backup they've got coming and brought them back here to redouble the assault," Ram continued. "We'll set out for the drain by morning. I've cut off our communication with the other squads sent here; I don't want the Tau learning of our passage."
"Let's just pray to the emperor that the other squads make enough of a noise for us to slip past unnoticed," said a stormtrooper by the name Trigger.
The rest of the stormtroopers, Alpha, Delta and Bravo silently maintained their weapons. Each man thanked them for their meal as they finished, before going to sleep. Two men were on watch at all times, and they cycled every hour.
Amos was roused from sleep by Oliver. The sky was black as it was still an hour from dawn.
"Get ready, we're going," he said. Amos picked up his gear. He reached for his backpack but Ram stopped him.
"Travel light. We'll be back by the end of the day," he said. "The Chimera's going to wait here for us. Wrap your gun in cloth so it doesn't make any noise."
The fourteen men and one woman set out towards their goal. Squad Helix was lead by the stormtroopers through the forest. They all stayed low, steeling their way through the underbrush.
Amos was shocked when he saw their destination. The 'outpost' they had been sent to was a bastion. Ceramite walls thirty metres tall rose up around the encampment. A huge gate was the only obvious way of entering the building. The group circled around the structure until they found the sewer entrance. Sergeant Foxtrot was the first to enter, followed by two of squad Helix then a stormtrooper. Amos was right behind Foxtrot.
Once in the pitch black of the system, Foxtrot activated his helmet's torch. It cast a dim light down the tunnel. Amos followed close behind him. The stormtrooper abruptly stopped, holding his fist up in a gesture to halt. He pointed upwards, and Amos saw above them a grill. A firewarrior stood on it. He was clad in the white armour of his sept.
Foxtrot made a 'hushing' gesture before carefully continuing. Amos followed, taking special care not to splash the small trickle of water below him. The group managed to pass under the firewarrior without arousing any attention.
They had been walking for several minutes when they reached a maintenance ladder. Foxtrot began ascending. He slowly opened the hatch at the top of the ladder, leading his exit with his pistol. Fortunately not a soul was about. The group exited in what looked to be the bastion's kitchens.
"Alright, here's the plan," Foxtrot began. "The command centre of this place will no doubt be at the top of the building. That's most likely where our targets will be. We're going to get up there, assassinate the Tau commanders and get our men out of there."
"Our allies should be arriving any time now," said Ram. "Hopefully they can cover our escape, should anything go wrong. I doubt that…" he paused. "Get down." The men dropped, hiding behind benches and stoves. Amos heard a door open and footsteps enter the room. He heard voices talking, and knew by their rough language that they weren't human.
He saw Trigger next to him quickly stand up and snap-aim towards the noises. Two cracks later and the voices stopped. Amos peeked over the bench and saw the bodies of two firewarriors; their throats burst open by Trigger's shots. They died silently.
"Let's move these bodies," Ram said. "And hope no one finds them."
They stuffed the bodies into cupboards and wiped up the blood with a towel. The group split into three groups. Foxtrot, Ram and Trigger each led a group. Amos went in Foxtrot's group with Hex, Dagger and Bravo. The three groups split up. Ram took his group to the bastion's fire escape. Trigger went to exit the main building to scout out the enemy within the complex, and Foxtrot lead his group up through the building up to the command level.
Foxtrot led his men through the kitchen and mess hall. They ran through corridors, constantly alert but never seeing anyone.
"Where is everyone?" Foxtrot asked, mostly to himself. As if in answer, they heard a distant boom. The squad exchanged glances before continuing. They followed the corridor around until they saw the security room. They could hear angry voices inside. Tau voices.
"Stand back," Foxtrot said to the squad. "Bravo, stack up." The two stormtroopers stood on either end of the door. Bravo kicked it in, stood back and lined up his first target. Almost simultaneously, Foxtrot ran in, flicking his power sword to life and slashing at a firewarrior. Two slashes and two cracks later and the four firewarriors in the room were dead. The whole process took less than three seconds.
"Those bloody bastards," Foxtrot laughed when he saw the screens. "One of the men sent here must have some friends in high places; he's brought three bloody Leman Russes with him!" The rest of the squad clambered into the room. They could see all the security footage for the entire complex. Sure enough, the bastion's front wall was being pummelled with battle cannon fire. Amos could see the massive tanks assaulting the fortifications. Guardsmen hid behind them as cover from the Tau's plasma fire. Try as they might, the firewarriors couldn't pierce the tank's front armour.
Yet even with the added firepower of three Leman Russ tanks, the bastion's main gate held strong. Amos glanced over at another screen to see five dark figures enter the bastion's courtyard. Trigger's squad? Amos thought to himself. The figures ran across the courtyard at a blistering pace. They seemed to glide across the terrain, slipping past all the firewarriors whose attention was turned towards the Imperial assault. The figures reached the gate's control panel and within seconds, the gate was opening and the figures vanished.
The tanks, seeing their opportunity, surged forwards. Already the Tau were trying to close the gates, but they had trouble working the human technology. By the time they managed to get the gates to reverse their direction, it was too late. The tanks smashed through the gates before they could close. Guardsmen filed in behind them and the bloodbath continued.
"We need to reach the command centre fast," Foxtrot said. Without argument, the squad dashed from the room and headed for the command level. They didn't fear chancing upon anyone; no one was in the building save them and their targets.
Or so they thought. As they approached the armoured door that lead to the command area, a force knocked them off their feet. Amos heard a sickening crunch and saw Dagger hit the wall head first, only to fall and not get up. Hex ran over to him. Everyone else ran for cover. Amos heard the crack of hot-shot fire and looked over to see Bravo shooting at the air.
"Stealthsuits," he explained. Amos' pricked his senses. He scanned the air around him, but couldn't see anything. Movement in the corner of the room caught his attention. He saw Ram's distinct helm enter the room, followed by his four squad members. They were greeted by a hail of burst cannon fire, and two men fell.
"Get down!" Amos shouted at them. "Stealthsuits!" In response, the pillar he was behind lit up with blue burst cannon fire. One of the rounds knocked the lasgun out of Amos' hands. He looked at the blackened scrap of metal that once was his gun. A man without his gun is as good as dead. Bravo fired three shots at the source of the assault. Amos saw them hit the suit's body, warping its distortion field enough that everyone could see the suit. Lasgun cracks echoed from various points in the room as everyone fired at the Tau. The suit fell, blood oozing from its chest.
"Launching auspex," Amos heard Ram shout. A slight shockwave passed through the room, and Amos could see two more of the suits appear as their distortion fields were deactivated. Hot-shots hit the suits instantaneously, followed by the weaker lasgun shots. The suits fell. The two squads combined again.
"Getting here was easy," said Ram.
"Too easy. I don't like it," Foxtrot replied.
"Who opened those gates?"
"I don't know. Might be Trigger, doubt it though. Humans can't run that fast."
"I know, I saw."
The two sergeant's conversation put Amos on edge. How naïve I am to only just realise there is more going on than I can see, he thought.
"We'd best get our commanders and get out of here," Ram said. "I don't like the feel of all this."
The combined squad continued towards the armoured command doors. They were shut tight.
"Damn, we need another miracle," someone said. The doors opened. The guardsmen stood aghast. Inside, they saw the Tau commanders looking down on the battle. Their human captives were tied together in the centre of the room, hoods over their heads. One of commanders turned around when he heard the door open. Seeing the humans, he shouted out, alerting the others. Several commanders drew pistols and aimed them at their human captives.
Two XV8 Crisis battlesuits smashed their ways through the command room's windows, obviously beckoned to protect their commanders. A standoff ensued. Neither side moved. The humans had their targets lined up, as did the Tau.
"Put down your weapons!" one of the Tau commanders shouted out in Gothic.
"You put down your weapons, xeno!" Ram shouted back.
"You're in no position to argue, human. Your forces are scattered. Your assault has failed."
"You lie!"
"Come and see," came the reply.
"I'll go," Amos volunteered, feeling courageous. "I've lost my gun, I'm as good as dead anyway."
He stepped forwards, feeling naked without his gun. He passed the stationary, hulking battlesuits warily. He walked towards the Tau commander who stood at the window, his arm outstretched.
What he saw horrified him.
Twisted, blackened chunks of metal sat ablaze where there had once been two proud Leman Russ tanks. Humans scrambled for cover, desperately fighting for their lives. He saw a squadron of three Broadside battlesuits pummel the last Leman Russ. At the centre of the massacre stood the biggest battlesuit he had ever seen. The pride of this sept's arsenal, the Riptide battlesuit towered over everybody. Amos looked back at his squadmates.
"He tells the truth," he said, dismayed. "It's over."
Suddenly there was a flash, and in the centre of the room Trigger appeared with Boston and a hooded figure. Another flash and five hooded figures entered the room. One of them appeared and plunged its glowing greatsword into the machine's chest, while another threw a spear through the second machine's chest from across the room. Another three of the hooded figures appeared and disarmed the commanders pointing pistols at their human captives.
"What witchcraft is this?" the Gothic-speaking commander exclaimed. The hooded figure with Trigger took off its hood… to reveal an Eldar woman. She looked around her, her beautiful features sending a thrill through Amos as her gaze passed over him. You heretic, he thought to himself.
"I come to you now with an offer, humans," she said, her voice commanding yet graceful. "The planet you fight on is home to some of the great catacombs of our people. We are too weak a force to protect them alone. You however, have a whole army at your disposal. We ask that you protect our relics, and in return we will aid you in your times of need."
"Why have you not come to us?" the Tau commander demanded. "We are a much stronger people. Look at how easily we crushed their assault!"
"And look at where you stand, commander!" the Eldar turned on him. "This group of mere men stole behind your defences and caught you. Besides, our kind has met before. You fight for the greater good. The greater good of what? The Tau? Your people are but maggots before the Imperium.
"You have no comprehension of the magnitude of the beast you irritate. What happens when you overrun this world? You think the Imperium will sit idly by while you destroy their worlds? You are fools to continue to attract the human's ire."
The commander stayed his tongue.
"We accept your offer!" One of the human captives piped up. Trigger took off the man's hood to reveal a high-ranked official. "We accept an alliance. This isn't the first time we have spoken. You spoke to the Lord General himself not a week past. Since then he has accepted your offer."
"This is heresy!" a new voice entered the fray. The voice of one of the captives. Trigger walked over and took off the man's hood.
"Commissar," Trigger said flatly.
"The Ordo Xenos will hear of this! You will all be hanged! I will personally make su-arrgh!" his rant was cut short by a hand around his throat.
"You always were a blind fool, Ryan," hissed Trigger. "Can you not see the tides of war are turning? Every day the Tau move deeper into our territory. Without a change like this, defeat is inevitable." He picked the man up by his throat and threw him on the command table. "Remember that time you had me whipped for using a Tau rifle? Did you even stop to ask how many lives I saved? How I single handily turned the fight in our favour, all thanks to the rifle I picked up after mine was shot from my grasp?
"The only thing standing between us and salvation is you. You would have us fight through the gates of hell in the honour of a rotting corpse rather than flank hell and crush it from beneath.
"I may not be the most devout human, but I have never been stupid. The Eldar hand us the war on a silver platter, and you would have us knock it from their hand. This is an offer that I mean to accept." He looked towards the group of men in the doorway. "Do my brothers back me in this?"
"I accept your offer, elf," announced Ram. All the guardsmen nodded in agreement.
"See this commissar?" Trigger tightened his grip around the man's throat. "Even the Lord General himself accepts the aid the Eldar offer us. This is help available now, damnit, not in a year when the Imperium finally sends reinforcement." He threw the commissar on the floor and began readying his gun.
"You have been holding this regiment back for far too long, commissar. I intend to free the Tigers of such tyranny, right now." He aimed his rifle at the man's head.
"You fool, Chaos take you all!"
"Ooh, mentioning Chaos?" Trigger taunted. "Heresy." Blam. The commissar fell.
"'Twas ill work, but it needed to be done," the Eldar woman said. "From henceforth, my Eldar warriors will fight with you, always in secret however, lest we draw the wrath of the Imperium."
"What now of us?" the Tau commander said. "We still outgun you, even with your newfound allies. It would be foolish to figh-ahhh!" The xeno screamed as Amos grabbed him and threw him from the window. The newfound allies took that as a sign to attack, and within seconds the Tau commanders had been felled.
"No Tau must leave this bastion," Foxtrot said. "Otherwise word of our alliance will surely spread."
"Worry not about the enemy's movement," the Eldar woman replied. "My kin will ensure that not one Tau survives nightfall."
It was dark by the time the group reached their Chimera camp. Of the fifteen that had left the campsite earlier that morning, seven returned. Dagger, Rafael, Jon, Alpha, Oliver and Thomas had all been killed. Boston and Zeal were covered in wounds that Hex was tending to.
"There's no point in lounging 'round for the night," said Ram. "We're heading back to the outpost we came from. Back to the usual, eh?"
Amos dozed off during the ride back to camp. He was tired and aching. Yet still, he felt a glimmer of hope. The galaxy seemed a little less grim with the likes of the Eldar there to aid. So long as each side kept their end of the bargain, victory was almost certain in this war against the Tau.
Jackson 9 12/05/13