CHAPTER THREE: The Games They Play.

The next day Suri returned to where the

stranger she had met vanished at the time of

the explosion the previous day. She was

mystified and dazzled by him now. Intrigued. She

wanted to know everything about him.

The market place was solemn yet on high

alert. People weren't talking much yet. The

wounds from the previous day's dramas were

still raw on the population. The war had

finally hit home. People weren't speaking much

yet were speaking volumes at the same time.

They hushed in corners and conjured up

conspiracy theories. They murmured in groups and

plotted their predictions of the future of

Lemano.

"They'll take over." Said some as fear spread

amongst the capital city.

Imperial soldiers walked the streets with laz

rifles. Security was tight.

As she had predicted, the stranger in the white

robe and green armour had been where she had last seen

him the day before. She approached him. Cautiously. Every

time she saw him her anxiety eased a little.

"I didn't get your name yesterday." She said to the

stranger.

"Captain Ariel." He replied in his deep monotone voice.

"What are you the captain of?" She asked.

"The first legion Astarte's."... Now it was confirmed. The

Astarte's were on Lemano.

As the words left his mouth the eyes of the people drew

towards him. Some stopped what they were doing. He looked

up and the glare of the sun glinted over the red of his

visor. Everyone returned about their business.

"Well, Captain Ariel." Said Suri.

"You've looked kind of lonely sitting here the past few

days and I thought you might be sad from the explosion,

so I picked this for you." She thrust a 'rosectimer'

forward for him to take.

"Thank you child." He said as he tried to take the

native plant with his giant gauntleted hand.

The rosectimer rose had yellow petals and purple pollen.

It couldn't be found anywhere else in the Imperium other

than on Lemano where they were in abundance. Perfumes made

from oils extracted from the rosectimer plant were exported

across the Imperium.

Suri put her hands behind her back and her head down and

began to pace up and down in front of the huge feet of

the Astarte's.

"Wanna play Chi Sau?" She asked.

"I haven't the time for games today little one." Replied the Astarte's.
"Sure ya do." Said Suri.
"You've been sitting here for three days doing nothing. Come on one game?" She pleaded.

The Astarte's looked at her through his visor then

nodded in agreement.

Suri jumped atop his armoured knees and attempted to lift his arm. She groaned and grunted as she tried to heave the massive forearm of the Astarte's into position.
"This is Chi-Sau?" He asked.

"No" She said, heaving. Finally the Astarte's lifted his

forearms for her.

"Put your arms like this." She said, holding out her own almost as if she was taking control of the steering mechanisms of a vehicle. The Astarte's did so.

Suri placed her right forearm on the inside of the Astarte's left and her left forearm on the outside of the Astarte's right.

"Now turn them over." She said, trying hopelessly to force the Astarte's to turn his arms over with hers in a barrel like motion.

Captain Ariel rolled his arms over as gently as he could. Too much force and he would send the little girl flying across the marketplace. They continued

to maneuver their arms top to bottom, bottom to top.

Suri asked him,

"Hey Mr. What happened to your face? Why is it like

that?"

"Like what?" Asked the Astarte's.

"The funny eyes and stuff." She said. "The pipes and hoses."

Captain Ariel understood at once what she meant and stopped

rolling with her for a moment. There was a hissing sound and some popping noises. He removed his helmet.

Suri looked upon his face. It was ragged. He had short, black hair that was reseeding a little at the front. Where it was starting to thin out a thick, metal bullet was lodged. Around it, a scar which then lead down the

side of his face, past his eye brow, down his check and finally past his lip. In a prior conflict, an Ork had shot him then tried to split his head open with a chain axe. The round hadn't made it through. The Ork had forfeited his life in his courageous attempt. The bullet had remained un removable.

Suri nodded in acceptance of the true face of Captain Ariel and returned her forearms to their previous position. They commenced rolling again.
Ariel heard a faint sound. "Tink." He looked

around, his enhanced sensors on high alert. He looked