It took a certain kind of tenacity to grow up on Necromunda. Not up in the spires mind you, but down where the sun is but a dream, and the air is fouled by pollution. That's where I'm from. God-Emperor how I miss it sometimes. ~ Tanis on her life on Necromunda
Tanis was perched on a rock, overlooking the battlefield. He long legs folded neatly beneath her in a squat. She was bored. The fighting was miles away, and that good-for-nothing know-it-all Corr had assigned her to guard duty. HER! GUARD DUTY! She seethed as she stabbed her knife into the dirt, muttering under her breath.
"Stupid... stupid... hate this job..." she hissed. "Tanis, you're on guard duty." she said, deepening her voice to imitate Corr. "Watch the depot. They may try to come around and sabotage it." With a grunt she stabbed her knife into the dirt and growled, her pink hair falling in front of her face. Even her sister Nieves wasn't held back like this. Nieves was out there in the thick of the fighting, pushing the separatists back with her girls. Tanis sighed and hung her head.
"Please... Pleeeeeeeeeeease God-Emperor... give me something to do! I'm soooooo booooooooooored..." she whined.
"I'm tellin' ya guys, we take some supplies and we can sell them to the Seps!"
Tanis lifted her head and turned in the direction of the voice.
Four men, four Chem-Dogs strode through the ammo dump, their weapons slung. They were sizing it up like a piece of meat.
"I'm not so sure we should be doing this, guys." one muttered, hanging back from the group. Tanis dropped low to the ground like a cat and snatched up her knife. Finally, something to do.
"Quit yer whinin'. Everyone's at the front. This place is ripe for the picking. We takes some guns and we sell them to the Seps in exchange for safe passage off world. Then we'll be free of Savlar and of the Navy! We can do anythin'!"
Tanis smirked. They couldn't really think that would work. The separatists were fighting a losing battle. That's why only the 66th had been deployed to deal with them. If these fools really thought that had anything that would help, they deserved what was coming to them.
The men moved over to a stack of munitorum crates with lasgun stamped into the side. One of the men, so big he could pass for a small Ogryn, bent and lifted the heavy crate over his shoulder like it was empty.
"C'mon. Grab a crate and let's go." the big man said.
"Aww, going so soon?" she purred. she leapt up and wrapped her forearm around the man at the back of the group. He shrieked and clutched at Tanis' wrist.
"Nonononono! I told you we shouldn't be here guys!" he whimpered. Tanis rolled her eyes and tightened her hold.
"Oi, grow a pair and shut it." she hissed in the man's ear. "Did I hear you correctly. Sell our kit to the Seps and try and escape off world?"
"Yeah. You heard right, girly. You want to j-" the big man started, Tanis snarled.
"You're a bunch of fools! The Fortune's Favored is in orbit! You'd never get past it!"
The two men between Tanis and the big man looked towards their leader.
"Don't listen ta her! She's in the way. Kill 'er and let's be done already!"
A wicked grin marred Tanis' features.
"So its gonna be like that? Fine, ya wanna see what I learned when I was a little girl?" she asked.
*****
Corr was exhausted, filthy and nursing a flesh las burn across his right cheek. The battle hadn't been the hardest to win, but neither did the Separtists simply roll over and accept fate. The PDF would most likely be hunting down stragglers for weeks to come, if not years. He sighed as he approached the ammo dump. The munitorum had been given the all clear, and one their way with Navy security teams to relieve the Chem-Dogs of their weapons before returning them to the ship. Now it was a waiting game. As he crested the hill to the depot he found Tanis sitting on a rock, jabbing her knife into the dirt.
"Tanis. I trust nothing happened while we were fighting." he called. Tanis looked up. She shrugged and looked back down.
"Nothin' of note." she muttered. Suddenly a disheveled looking Chem-Dog ran up from the stacks of ammunition and supplies and over to Tanis. Corr's eyebrow rose drastically as he looked over the man. His clothes were torn and smeared with mud and blood and a "T" had been carved into his forehead. But it wasn't until he spoke that Corr realized something else. The man's teeth had been knocked out.
"Miftriff Tanif..." he mumbled through a swollen mouth and fat lips. Tanis looked up at him as though she were bored.
"Yes?"
"We've finifed wif the cleaning." Corr's head slowly cocked to the side and a look of confusion swept over his features. Tanis reached out a hand towards the man who flinched and ducked away, like he was preparing for some terrible blow. Tanis simply patted his head like he was a dog.
"Good, now get the others up here. These weapons ain't gonna collect themselves, are they?"
"N-no Miftriff Tanif." the man slurred and hurriedly scampered off. Corr watched him go and then looked back at Tanis.
"Uhh..."
"So, can I be done with guard duty now?" she asked.