Chapter 1 - the first spire
"Sir it's no use, we're overrun!" the guard Sergeant spoke into his communicator. He was starting to break, starting to consider retreat till he heard something... the drone of an aircraft engine!
"This is Valkyrie JVV commencing strafing run, hold in there Sergeant" the guard sergeant looked to the skies and breathed a sigh of relief as the aircraft went over his head. The forward facing laser cannon carved a long trench in the ground making the insectoid aliens that assaulted them squeal and scream.
Up in the cockpit the gunner switched to internal com and spoke to the two collared beauties in the back "Those weapons aren't decoration, get shooting".
"Yes Master" they chorused and they let loose with a volley of rapid fire rounds tipped with dynamite. They ripped through swarms of the vile beasts.
The guard below were rallied by this and started to shoot their las guns at the creatures once more. The Valkyrie gunship turned, in a sweeping arc, and rounded for a second pass again ripping the beasts to shreds. There came a thundering roar and Bobby had to bank sharply as a globule of bio-acid was flung up at them. The beast that had fired it at them was huge, a Carnifex; a creature evolved to deal with battle tanks. "Bring that fucker down!" Inquisitor Blackthorn ordered and Bobby flicked a switch.
"Hellstrike missile hot Sir"
Inquisitor Blackthorn flicked switches and got tone.
"Girls keep shooting at that big one". There came his answer as the bolt rounds slammed into it, weakening it's scaled hide but only spilling a little of its corrosive green blood.
Inquisitor Blackthorn saw the opportunity and launched the ordinance. It went off with a mini mushroom cloud and vaporised the carifex in one blow.
"Throne yeah!" Inquisitor Blackthorn bellowed "one more missile left Bobs, let's make it count"
Bobby set the flyer back to cruising mode and they zipped off over the battle field once more.
They continued to cause havoc on the battle field till the perfect opportunity for the second missile showed itself. A spore tower; the place these vile creatures were hatched. The Hellstrike missile screamed out from under the wing and thudded into the hive stack. It went off with a muffled crump then the internal wave made it's surface ripple and at last it ruptured. It fell apart in a tide of goo.
The four person crew of the Valkyrie cheered and Bobby angled the craft off toward the air field behind the lines to rearm with more Hellstrike missiles. The gunship landed and Blackthorn hopped out. He removed his flight mask and looked to the ramp that dropped from the gunships rear where his two loyal servants skipped down the steel of the ramp, the red and purple hair of each of them swaying behind them. Violet leapt at her master and nuzzled him while the red haired Kitten nuzzled him.
Blackthorn took his servant in his arms and looked her in the eye "There is still more to come yet, both of you go get a drink and pray to the emperor".
"Yes Master" they chorused and rushed off to the cafeteria. They were always this happy; they always had been since the inquisitor took them in. They had been war orphans of some hive city on some back water world. He had brought them up to follow his every word and serve the emperor and they saw him... well he didn't really know how they saw him, it wasn't like a father nor was it like a lover... he sighed as he turned his attention back to the air vehicle as the servitors fixed the missiles to it's under wing.
He sighed and went up to the cockpit once more. He flicked the switches, calibrating the targeting lasers ready for the next jaunt out onto the battle field at the edge of the city. Pilot Bobby Xib came up and leaned in looking at the instruments.
"Good run sir" he complimented and the inquisitor nodded.
"Not bad, but could have been much better. At least that Emperor damned spire fell". The pilot nodded "True that sir... Look Samson I never had the chance to thank you for dragging me out of the regulars".
Blackthorn looked to his old friend from flight school. "Hey you were always the better pilot, I'd be mad not to". The flight control trooper gave them the signal and the girls returned to the embarkation ramp. With them all ready, the engines powered up, the canopy came down and the gunship took off and went off back toward the combat zone.