Do not ask why you serve, only ask how.
That is what the diviner said to me on the Inquisitor's ship.
I have taken it to heart.
The boarding craft shakes as it docks onto the orbital station.
The squad of men behind me is visibly nervous.
Not because of the danger beyond the door, but the danger right next to me.
A psyker…
He is barely fifteen standard years, and pallid as chalk. I am only calm because I know he will be of use here. Malicious xenos wait for us on this station, but we have an objective: rescue a Techpriest.
"Don't be afraid of me," the boy says "Be afraid of your own thoughts,"
He cackles and a man behind me noticeably shivers.
A clank alerts me to the ramp beginning to open.
I arm my laspistol, and draw the sword that was used to end the war. Behind me the men rack their shotguns.
"Everyone split up and rendezvous with the station's security force! Protect as many innocents as possible!" I shout toward the men.
They slap the butts of their shotguns in response.
WHAM!
The ramp is down and the men rush past me down the hall.
"They won't survive," the psyker says "They weren't meant to,"
"Shut up Jerrod," I snap back.
He shrugs and begins walking down the hall.
He carries a metal staff with the Imperial Aquila on the top of it. The icon isn't decorative, it's razor sharp on the edges. He also has a laspistol holstered, but he only carries it because the Inquisitor asks him to. He doesn't need it at all really. I've seen his psychic powers before, and they are vast.
I follow him for a distance.
We don't encounter much in the halls. Just silence for a long time. As we leave a room and walk into what was the cafeteria we get our first look at what we are up against.
The cafeteria is littered with dismembered corpses of men and women and children.
Jerrod stops me as we enter.
"We are not alone," he states.
I would say he scans the room, but he lacks the eyes to do so. Instead a metal band stretches over his eye sockets.
He lifts the staff up and thumps it against the tile. Cold air permeates my boots up to the ankle.
"There you are," he says aloud.
In the corners across from us two figures appear. They are garbed in tight fitting cloth and have barbed blades strapped to their wrists. Upon appearing they howl and run at us.
I aim at one and pump a few las-rounds into him, but it doesn't slow him down.
They get a few feet from us before a massive wave of cold throws them back against the wall opposite us.
Psykers are wonderful sometimes.
I charge forward, pumping more rounds into the same xeno as before. As soon as I get into range I swing my sword at him.
He parries with the wrist blade and throws a punch at my midsection.
My armor absorbs the blow and I swing for his legs.
He jumps over the blade, and thrusts toward my head.
I dodge to the side, and thrust my sword into his exposed gut.
He howls as it slides effortlessly into him.
I silence him with the barrel of my pistol.
I look over toward Jerrod and see the armless corpse of the other xeno at his feet. He turns and smiles at me.
"I expected a Dark Eldar to be more of a fight honestly," he quips.
I just give him a nod.
"Well, let's keep moving," he says as he goes toward the exit.
I grunt in agreement and follow him down more bloodstained hallways. We walk for what seems like hours before he suddenly stops again.
"The security teams are falling back. They are losing badly," he states "We must hurry. Their Archon will be here shortly,"
'Archon?' I wonder.
"Leader," Jerrod replies as if I had spoken aloud.
I say nothing and follow him as we begin to run through the halls. It doesn't take us long to get to the "bridge" of the station. Basically, it's an auditorium where they have set up a medical station and have barricaded the main doors. As we enter I immediately notice our target. He is turned away from us, but you tend to notice a Techpriest by their red robes, and how they fuss over the damn technology.
Wait…. It's a she?
The Techpriest is a female. She is about 5' 8" and has flowing scarlet hair, and big green eyes.
"Don't touch that!" she shouts at a security guard "I haven't blessed it yet!"
"Well hurry the frak up!" he shouts back.
We move into the room and come up behind her. She turns to us and I notice just how beautiful she is. Her skin is pale from living on a ship for so long and it contrasts with the hair color. Her eyes are soft, and curious. Her face is almost oval, and her nose is small.
I am struck.
Too struck to say anything, but Jerrod intervenes.
"Techpriest Sadira Mrin?" he asks.
She moves to respond, but Jerrod cuts her off.
"I already know. We need to leave," he states.
She begins to argue, but an explosion cuts everything off.
"The Archon!" Jerrod hisses.
I bring my pistol around to see what this "Archon" is.
Horrifying is a good word to describe it.
It wears the flesh of kills on barbs mounted on its back, and heads of victims still bearing the looks of anguish. Its armor is black as night and vaguely insect-like, but what draws attention is its left hand.
It's a massive-ass claw.
It reminds me off the gauntlet of a Space Marine, but more barbed and twisted.
Jerrod screams in pain and people begin screaming and running in fear.
I don't.
For some reason the only things in my mind are what the diviner said, and the look on the Tau Ethereal's face before I left him.
I step toward him and draw my sword, holstering my pistol in the process.
He looks at me and smirks, saying something in his language.
I respond with a steeled look of determination.
He works off fear; if I show no fear he is no stronger than me.
He starts running at me.
I charge at him as well.
I duck his swing at my head, and shoulder-butt him backwards.
He reels back from the hit and swings for my stomach.
I rear back and his claws rake my armor leaving deep scars in the molding.
I thrust toward his head, and he deflects the strike.
The blade slices his shoulder; causing him to howl in pain.
He punches me, and sends me stumbling back onto the floor.
His comes down on me with the claw, but I roll away and punch him in the face.
He shouts something I can't understand, and lashes out with a kick to my hip.
I step back, and thrust my sword toward his stomach.
My thrust connects and he shrieks as the blade goes into him.
Before I can pull out he kicks me again, connecting this time.
I stumble backwards, and nearly catch his claws to my face.
I fall backwards, pulling my pistol out as I go, and shoot him dead between his eyes.
His body slumps down with a smoking hole, and a look of astonishment.
I accept Jerrod's hand, and get up from the floor.
"Now can we leave?" I ask Sadira.