Next to Mortan sat Brathus. The Dark Angel had joined the team only a few days ago, and this would be the first time Arkon would see him in combat. Hopefully, it would also be the first time Arkon heard him speak. So far the Dark Angel had been completely mute, simply nodding when given an order. This had worked fine back on the ship, but in combat good communication was key, and this mission depended on them finding combat. Ideally they were looking for a minimal skirmish, but with the Tyranids that was rarely an option. They would almost certainly need the medipack Brathus carried with him. He was no Apothecary, but according to his files he had received a substantial amount of training in battlefield medicine in the 250 years he had been a Space Marine. Certainly enough to make him the default choice for the team's medic, especially since Raynor had died…
It was there previous mission, a week and a half ago. They were on Charris Prime; the same hellhole of a hive planet that they were destined for now, trying to find a way to slow the Tyranid's advance. This was not an easy task. Ironically the only real thing stopping this invasion from lasting a mere handful of days was the fact that the planet had endured a failed uprising twenty years ago, and the paranoid bureaucracy still had a security force that number almost three billion, a corps that was extremely well trained and drilled. Still, the current number of troops was less than half the original force, and dropping more rapidly now than it had done at any point in the four weeks since Goliath first started raining spores down near the South Pole. Now, only six hive cities, all very northern, were still under Imperial control, and those just barely. They were all in ruins as their defenders were pushed further and further back. Most of the civilian population was either dead or gone, mostly dead, so the humans on Charris consisted almost exclusively of Guardsmen. When Arkon and his team – just himself, Kay, Mortan and Raynor – landed in the planetary capitol, Freedom, he was met by one of their commanders, General Lucian. This was the third time the Inquisitor had met Lucian, and he liked the man. Born and raised on this planet, he had worked his way up from Private, and had more battle experience than any Guard officer Arkon had met. He had over 400 confirmed kills to his name, and was now over 80% bionic. Apparently he still liked to be involved in the fighting as much as possible, though with the Tyranids this was a choice one rarely got another option for. Arkon was then led to the platoon of troops he was to be working with, who were of course already briefed and prepped, and then they headed out.
The mission was a simple scouting foray. Reports had come in from the western quarter of a new type of leader-beast, like a Tyrant but smaller and faster, seemingly to lead hormagaunts in the same way a Broodlord led Genestealers. The convoy started out completely mechanised, but soon there was too much debris for the Chimaeras to pass, so the platoon dismounted and carried on on foot. The only opposition they met were small scouting brood, and these were easily dealt with. All the corpses of the fallen, human and alien, were burnt to deny the swarm biomass.
Soon, the troops moved into the square where the new Tyranid has last been spotted. They fanned out, taking up defensive positions covering every major entrance to the square, ready for an ambush. Arkon moved to the centre, and took out a new device. Called a Synapse Scanner, it was specifically tuned to pick up on the psychic energy of Tyranid leader-beasts. He looked at the reading – no more than the usual background noise that always accompanied an invasion. The Inquisitor did a slow 360, and got the same results. He frowned, brought the device closer to his face, to check it, and in doing so pointed it up. Suddenly, he got a reading. A strong one. Then he noticed the shadow growing overhead. Looking up, he realised the cloud above him was not weather…
"INCOMING!" yelled one of the Guardsmen. The gargoyles were on them in seconds, borer beetles whizzing through the air. Above them circled six Drakes, winged warriors designed for leading lightning assaults. The Guardsmen were trying to mount a defence, but there were simply too many Tyranids. Arkon grabbed his Bolter and started shooting. He checked the rest of his squad. Raynor was in among the Guardsmen, trying to coordinate them against the Drakes. Mortan was out on the right flank, flaming gargoyles into dust. Kay was just ahead of him, where the fighting was thickest, twin swords flashing as she struck any Tyranid that got close enough, but she was mostly trying to protect troopers, using her incredible reactions to slice beetles from the air as they flew past. Arkon realised the situation was hopeless. "Fall Back!" he yelled, and the troops started to back off with well-disciplined precision. The survivors made it into a building that was more or less intact, about half of the 62 that had started the mission. Raynor was covering the last squad in, out on his own. As they made it he turned to run, but a Drake swooped in, and stabbed a single long talon through his back. He had time to yell as the tip came through his chest armour, and then he was gone, dragged off into the sky.
They were stuck in that building for half an hour before a flight of Long Sword fighters tore through the sky, blasting the gargoyles to pieces. The remainder fell back, allowing the surviving humans to escape back to base. Arkon and his two teammates climbed into their shuttle, ready to head back to the fleet. Kay was stood at the back on her own. She seemed fine, except her bottom lip was quivering almost imperceptibly. Arkon knew what was coming, and let out a sigh. The shuttle lifted off, and as her brain decided she was "safe" Kay dropped to her knees, covered her face with her hands and started to sob. This always happened when the team lost someone, but it was usually Raynor who comforted her. Mortan was a Space Marine, and Arkon was an Inquisitor, and her commanding officer. He put his hand on her shoulder, but she shrugged him off angrily and ran off to find some privacy. Arkon sighed again…
A lot had happened since that day, including the arrival of the Dark Angel. Arkon looked at Brathus again. In the message he arrived with his company master had told Arkon that the Chapter was impressed by the Inquisitor's work, and wanted to ensure it continued at pace. This sound honest enough, but Arkon knew the Space Marines were too valuable a resource to be sent to bodyguard a stranger. Suspicion came easily to an Inquisitor, but Arkon did not need much to realise that Brathus had been sent to make sure he try anything to radical. Knowing how zealous the Dark Angels were, Arkon hoped fervently that he didn't do anything the Space Marine considered heretical.