Unwelcome Visitors

Like ghosts in the night they came, unseen and unannounced. The sleepy and picturesque village of Greenwater simply didn't stand a chance. All it had taken to seal the village's fate was an insignificant mark on a tactical map, placed completely at random by uncaring hands.

The flight of four midnight black viper gunships lurched to a hover, sound bafflers working overtime to eliminate as much of the loud engine noise as possible. Dust clouds billowed out below them as they descended to the dirty ground spraying small stones like missiles in all directions. When the vipers were still a couple of feet from the ground, access hatches on the rear and sides of each aircraft opened with a hiss of hydraulics and the dark legionnaire squads they carried dropped silently to the ground. Adopting well practiced and perfectly orchestrated drills; the squads spread out to cover all arcs of fire whilst the gunships gained height once again and finally took off into the star studded sky. The vipers would remain on station for the duration of the mission to provide air superiority and also lend their considerable firepower to the slaughter when the attack commenced.

Kalhadra Vesp, archon of the eighth chapter of the dark legion, took a moment to savour the crisp and clean air as the dust cloud settled slowly around her. The ride to the target had only been short but in order to reduce the amount of aircraft they required she had ordered her squad leaders to cram as many troops into the small transport bays of the aircraft as possible. Although it was theoretically impossible that the enemy could detect the aircraft on route to the target, as each of the vipers boasted the very best stealth technology, she had not become an archon by taking unnecessary chances.

Even though this mission was tedious it was important to her superiors that they have an accurate gauge of the reaction time of the enemy. Therefore success was critical to her future career in the dark legion.

Failure due to incompetence was not taken lightly amongst her betters and reprimand was very often terminal.

Velkor, her second in command, contacted her via their personal communications link as the aircraft disappeared from view. "Archon, all troops are deployed as per your instructions. I have taken the pleasure of dispatching the forward reconnaissance parties to the designated cut off points to prevent anybody escaping. The noose has been lowered around the target and your men stand ready, what are your orders my lady?"

Truth be told, she actually liked Velkor. The veteran was an excellent soldier, feared by his subordinates, ruthlessly efficient in battle and had more active combat experience than anyone else in the chapter. What was left of his visible skin was crisscrossed with old combat scars and she knew that underneath the armour he wore, his entire body was a scorched mess caused by a plasma reactor that had detonated many years before at close range. The blast would have killed most other individuals but Velkor was clearly made of sterner stuff and he had amazingly returned to combat within a month. She had also been present when he had suffered a head shot six years ago during a skirmish with some of the loyalist forces. A random shot ripped open his mouth and cheeks, fried the muscle tissue and left him with a perpetual scowl. Even after the shot he had continued to fight on before collapsing hours later. That particular feat of determination won him acclaim amongst the common soldiery and the grudging respect of many high ranking officers in the legion. It was also enough for him to be promoted to the executive officer of the eighth chapter and as such, the second in line to her predecessor. When Kale perished, the leadership of the eighth should have passed immediately to Velkor. However the grandmaster had overridden the tradition and installed Kalhadra instead, ignoring the council of the other chapter archons. Personal insults of that severity did not fade away with time and regardless how much brainwashing Velkor had received since then, the fear of retribution was always present. Kalhadra didn't trust him but he had never had cause to doubt his loyalty, he had even saved her life on more than one occasion.

"Commence the mission Velkor, spare no-one, I want to be able to walk back to the vipers on the back of corpses and never have my feet touch the ground" she ordered.

"Understood my lady, it will be done"

Kalhadra watched as her adjutant began to deploy the squads under his command and without so much as a sound; the forty legionnaires started to move in the direction of the unsuspecting village. She nodded approvingly at their professionalism.

"Are you not going to bloody your own hands archon?" a silvery and deceptively delicious voice whispered from the darkness immediately behind her.

Kalhadra rounded on its owner, angry at the mocking undertone in the statement. "If I wanted you to speak I would have asked you"

The female assassin simply smiled as she was scolded. On anyone else it might have been considered beautiful but Kalhadra knew too well the unhinged killer instinct that resided behind the expression. It was like being smiled at by a loaded gun.

"Very well archon" Morgentha bowed mockingly.

Kalhadra hadn't been best pleased when she had been informed that the grandmaster would be attaching the best assassin in the legion to her mission. He had not provided her with reasons for doing so but she knew that refusing the 'honour' of working with the renowned assassin would have been immediately fatal not only to her career most probably her life.

All dark legionnaires, herself included, were subjected to severe psycho conditioning and emotional suppression throughout their lives and as such were all but devoid of feeling. legionnaires could be counted on to willingly undertake tasks that other troops would baulk at or simply refuse and when this detachment from the weakness of emotion was coupled with the harshest imaginable combat training since birth, the result was the very best war fighting troops to be found on Mobius, without exception.

But even amongst the emotionless masses of the dark legion, Morgentha was widely considered to be a deviant. Kalhadra had heard of the assassin within a few days of being elevated to a squad leader in the fifth chapter nearly fifteen years ago. The stories she had heard at the time seemed to be complete fantasy, small deeds clearly blown out of all proportion by idle chatter and spurted from the mouths of those which revelled in spreading rumours. However, when she had met the dark but beautiful girl for the first time shortly afterwards, it was immediately clear that Morgentha was in a totally different league and that far from being expanded, the rumours were actually true, if not diluted.

It was common knowledge that the assassin was the only legionnaire alive to have successfully engaged the guardian in close combat and lived to tell the tale. As far as most of her peers were concerned, that made her a legend.

Only the Grandmaster could deploy her, and when he did, the structure of the legion invariable shifted soon after. Since Morgentha's talent was fully recognised, more than one failed archon had been 'replaced' on the tip of her blades and the fact that she was present on this mission set Kalhadra's nerves on edge, shaking her belief of the trust that the grandmaster had in her.

She started to walk briskly after the advancing troops, catching up with them after a few long strides of her powerful legs. Almost subconsciously she drew her long barrelled sidearm, checked to make sure the magazine was seated correctly and then loosened her long sword in its sheathe. Kalhadra was only faintly aware of Morgentha following in her wake but every time she glanced around the assassin was nowhere to be seen. Whether that was a good sign or a bad one she couldn't decide.

The village loomed up ahead, dozens of the disgusting buildings the groundlings foolishly called homesteads silhouetted against the dark sky. She approached a kneeling Velkor and the older legionnaire nodded in recognition as his leader approached. "Are we ready?"

"Yes archon, the cut off squads have reported that they are now in position and the gunships are ready to start a strafing run on your command" he looked upwards to reinforce the point.

Kalhadra glanced once more at the peaceful village with its dainty little buildings and backwater constructions. There was no metal or technology of any value to be seen. It was repulsive. "Burn it down" she growled in command.

Velkor slammed his fist to his chest plate and switched to a new comms channel. Immediately the squad commanders moved forward, the troops getting into position, surrounding the closest four buildings.

They waited for only the briefest of moments before they commenced the slaughter.

The legion ground troops burst through the flimsy wooden doors with ease using either brute force or breaching charges. Once they were inside, there was no chance for the occupants to escape and the villagers were simply cut down where they stood with controlled bursts of point blank fire or bayonetted in their beds before they could wake to defend themselves.

It didn't take long for the screams of the dying to travel across the village and rouse the rest of the buildings. A few terrified individuals burst out of the doorways of their properties armed with makeshift weapons looking for the source of commotion. They were subsequently scythed down by her troops now advancing up the streets.

Overhead, a deafening roar drowned out the sounds of the rapid gunfire and screams as the flight of vipers dived steeply and let rip with their unguided rockets and multi barrelled gun pods. Explosions blossomed slowly over the roofs of the homes, bathing the legionnaires in bright light for a few moments until the sudden flash disappeared leaving behind the tell tale wisps of flames licking at the night sky. Screams and crying returned as the explosions faded.

It was like a symphony to the archons ears. She was the composer, her troops the orchestra and together they were creating a masterpiece. Kalhadra advanced with her legionnaires and drew her pistol and almost on queue a large badger that was on fire staggered out of the doorway of his house clutching a long handled blacksmiths hammer. He spotted Kalhadra and showing amazing clarity of purpose despite the flames searing away his fur and skin, charged at her with the makeshift weapon, screaming in rage.

She shot him in the chest, ducked the hammer casually, drew her sword in one fluid motion and cut off the badgers head. When she had replaced the sword she kicked the head in the direction of one of her troops. "Pick it up" she commanded him. "I want it as a trophy to remember this day"

The trooper slammed his chest plate, picked up the grisly trophy and then ran to catch up with the rest of his squad.

Kalhadra watched as the first of the squads forcefully dragged a group of screaming and pleading villagers from a large building. They forced them up against a stone wall and gunned all of them down without mercy. It was beautiful.

The archon then ran ahead with long gracious strides to where the front line of her troops were spread out, continuing the slaughter without mercy. To her right, the second squad targeted a group of wailing women and children trying to run for salvation and shot them to ribbons in the muddy street. The bodies hadn't even hit the ground before they carried on to the next set of houses.

Kalhadra walked over to the flaming skeleton of a nearby wooden house and marvelled at the heat it produced. For a few moments, the sounds of slaughter disappeared as she was lost in her own thoughts in the amber glow.

"Archon the mission is almost complete; there is just one more thing left to do before we can leave"

Something in her adjutant's voice warned her of imminent danger. She sighed. "Velkor, I always thought you were too loyal"

The grizzled legionnaire stood immobile a few paces behind her, his heavy plasma rifle aimed directly at the top of her back. Behind him, the smouldering remains of a workshop, possibly the blacksmiths that she had dispatched moments earlier, glowed brightly in the dark sky and for the first time since taking charge of the chapter, she was forced to make a threat assessment of her second in command. He was bigger, stronger and clearly more cybernetic than she was. However he was also slower, clumsier and would rely more on sheer power than finesse to overcome her if his initial shot missed its mark

Kalhadra remained still, buying time to prepare herself. "And here was me thinking that Morgentha would be one to try and kill me, how did I not see it?" she growled. "Why?"

Velkor spat on the floor in front of him and lifted the visor of his helmet so she could see his heavily scarred face and neck. "Why not?" he replied, ruined lips curling at the corners as he spoke. "I should have been promoted when you murdered Kale, not you. Just because you have a pair of tits and don't mind spreading your legs for the grandmaster you managed to snub my nose. I have a record in this chapter which is second to none and by rights it should have always have been me!" he racked the charging handle of the rifle and the sound echoed ominously. "If I am honest I actually quite like you and I will take no pleasure from this. But you know how it works…I know you do…"

She briefly thought back to the eighths previous archon, Kale, and the look of sheer hatred on his face as she watched him tumble end over end to the ground hundreds of meters below. Promotion for her had only been one quick shove away.

"Anyway, enough with the talking" he grunted and flicked the power setting of his rifle to maximum. "It's been a pleasure".

Velkor pulled the trigger.

Kalhadra managed to twist to her left quickly enough so that the high powered shot punched a clean hole though her left shoulder and not through her spine. The pain was an immediate hammer blow to the nervous system and she dropped to one knee clutching her ruined arm. The medical dispenser grafted to her lower back instantly pumped pain blockers into her blood stream but it would be long seconds before they had any kind of effect. In that time she would be dead. Kalhadra looked around frantically for assistance but Velkor had picked his time well, all of her troops were still persecuting their duties.

"Nice dodge bitch, but I wont miss a second time, sit still and lets make it quick" Velkor grinned, waiting for his plasma rifle to indicate it was recharged.

Her only chance was attack. Jumping to her feet she sprinted and used her momentum to barrel into him, forcing Velkor backward. Turning sideways to use her useless limb as shield she drew her blade with her right hand and set about him.

The older legionnaire rallied from the surprise assault and fended off the sword blows with his rifle, playfully swatting them away like deflecting the useless flailing's of a child. He let her continue to attack and lose balance, and when she did stumble, he quickly drew his sidearm and shot her in the left calf, forcing the archon to her knees. Her blade clattered to the ground as she fought to control the anger, rage and pain in which her mind was now swimming.

Velkor picked up his former leaders sword and held it out in front of him, appraising it. The red and yellow light of the nearby flames reflected from its unmarred surface beautifully. "This is a nice sword. I will keep it for when I become archon, just like you kept it when you murdered Kale"

She spat at him. It was a futile gesture but all that she could manage in her critical state. "Fuck you Velkor, just do it already, I tire of your monologue" she lowered her head and closed her eyes, ready to offer him an easy target.

Velkor raised the sword in front of him ready to bring the point down right through the back of her neck. It began to fall.

He grunted mid thrust and Kalhadra looked up believing that he was mocking her. It took a moment for her pain clouded eyes to clear enough and see the faint glint of metal protruding from the joint in the soldiers neck armour. Velkor gurgled, thick, red, oxygen rich blood bubbling over his gruesome lips and dribbling down his vembrace. He dropped the sword and clutched at his neck hopelessly. Dropping to his knees he threw off his helmet and after what seemed an age tipped forward into the muddy ground, a pool of his lifeblood seeping out under him and mixing with the dark soil and dirty water. He spasmed twice and then finally lay still, looking directly at her Kalhadra with date hate filled eyes.

"Get up" Morgentha purred as she knelt down next to the fallen legionnaire and casually removed her throwing knife from his neck. She licked the weapon clean, appearing to savour the bitter taste of Velkor's blood. "Pity" she sighed. "There was good DNA in that one; it's a crying shame to lose men of such quality"

Kalhadra looked on as the assassin replaced her knife and stood back up. The pain blockers were beginning to take effect but the agony in her shoulder and calf was still excruciating. "I thought it was you that was here to kill me, not him" she stated flatly.

"For once that isn't the case" Morgentha replied. "The grandmaster apparently values you as a bed mate, though I have no idea why he would need an unskilled hoar like you over my deliciously pleasurable skills" she kicked the dead legionnaire's sidearm away and sat down on his chest. "So for once he sent me to save an archon and not remove one" she added. "I thought I said get up? You are not fatally injured archon and I despise weakness. Get up or I might change my mind about letting you live and have you be the victim of a terrible little accident."

Kalhadra picked up her fallen blade in her still good right hand and used it to assist her as she rose to her feet once again.

"Do you want this or can I keep it?" the assassin asked over her shoulder, whilst straddling the corpse of Kalhdara's former adjutant.

"Be my guest" she replied. "I don't want to see his face again" and as she stumbled away from Morgentha she kicked Velkor's fallen helmet. It bounced a few times on the uneven ground and then disappeared in the smouldering ruins of the now gutted workshop. Behind her she could hear Morgentha cutting away at Velkor's skin with her flaying knife. It was common knowledge that the she occasionally took a victim's face, dried it out and kept it as a souvenir.

Even though she would have liked to have seen the grim face of Velkor cut from his lifeless head Kalhadra still had a mission to complete. In the burning remains of the village all around her she could make out the silent silhouettes of her troops finishing off the last of the villagers so she beckoned over to the nearest squad leader and had her call down the gunships to evacuate the legionnaires. The vipers landed just under a minute later in the village square.

As she limped towards the evacuation point accompanied by her troops, Kalhadra passed the assassin who was still concentrating on her task, ignoring the events going on around her.

She was humming a lullaby…