Boom baby boom, we have some unknown crap going on here ladies and gents, but not to worry, I have it all planned out. For the emperor is with me, along with his forty billion dollar paycheck :-)
Chapter 9: The Harvesting
Eric walked inside the mine. He saw one whole devastator squad inside, mainly fixed on the door, but some were pointed elsewhere, the roof, a wall. Eric continued on with the rest of his squad, and finally saw what they had come to protect. The crystal glowed an iridescent pink. It looked like a knife with points coming out of the wall. Servitors gathered them up, and put them in a bag. Granger then came forward, and looked at the rest of the space marines.
"This is what we have come to protect brothers! We do not know what this mineral is, but by our readings, if we got this into one of our weapons, it would be more powerful then a titan's deathstrike cannon!"
No one said a word, but Eric could tell that his brothers were marveled at what this mineral could possibly do. Granger continued.
"The servitors will be done in in a short time, until then, this is your home stay brothers! Some other servitors are building a HQ outside; there you will find munitions, food, and your well deserved rest! Eat, drink, and be merry brothers, for tomorrow we fight again!"
With that, Granger walked outside, leaving the others to think over their thoughts. Eric then went to V.
"Brother Sergeant! Permission to head to the HQ!"
"Sure, go ahead brother; we will be with you shortly, just make sure you're there when we need you!'
"Yes V"
Eric then headed outside, and saw the brother captain talking to a man. He was adorned in golden armor, and a helmet with wires connecting to his head. He had a force weapon in one hand, his left, and had an aura around him. Eric immediately recognized this man; he was the chapter's head librarian. Eric got close enough to hear.
"I tell you brother Granger, danger is approaching; it will be here before the day is over." The librarian said.
"If so, then where are they attacking from?"
"I do not know brother, they must have either a psyker or sorcerer with them, and he is clouding my vision."
"Then, if so, can't you tell where the interference is coming from?"
"It would take longer than a day to pinpoint their precise location, and by the time I do, it will be too late."
"I will go warn my men, they should know of this."
"Why not let that brother space marine do it?" The librarian said, pointing over to Eric's hiding place. Eric felt foolish, but stepped out of his hiding spot, and Granger walked over to him.
"Why were you spying on us brother?"
"Merely gathering intelligence on further attacks my lord."
Granger smiled at Eric, and then got an idea.
"If you want to gather Intel for us so bad, why don't you do it for real?"
Granger motioned Eric over to the armory that had been set up. Granger then got a sniper of the wall, and handed it to Eric.
"I trust you won't break this one?"
"No, my lord, as you see it now, is the way it will be returned, save a couple of rounds."
"Go to the top of the hill, if you spot anything, get back here, we can't risk open transmissions here, if there isn't, continue forward. I will warn the men."
Eric nodded, and walked out of the armory, taking a side glance at the librarian on his way by.
Eric made his way to the top of the hill, took out the sniper, and looked through the scope. He could see nothing, not normal nothing, as in too much nothing. The entire area was plain, no grass, just dirt, no trees, no pot holes, no craters, too much nothing. Eric looked even closer, and saw the air waver off to the side. Eric dived to the side, the sniper round catching a chink in his armor, and forcing him to roll sideways. He looked through the scope. The wavering air was gone now, but Eric knew what was going to happen now. He rushed back to the brother captain.
Eric reached the brother captain, who was rallying the troops, and waited for him to finish. Granger then stepped away from the rest of the brothers, and started walking towards Eric.
"What do you have for me Brother Eric?"
"Eldar are right on the other side of the hill sir, using cloaking, and snipers as lookouts."
Granger thought this over, then motioned for Eric to follow him. Eric followed him into the sacred artifact building. There they found the librarian looking over books, and making notes. He didn't look up, but instead said, "So, eldar are right over the hill huh?"
Eric was a bit shocked by him knowing this, but then regained his composure and answered.
"Yes, brother librarian, they are ready to attack at a moments notice."
"And you want to have a small strike force go in there, and eliminate the farseer."
"Yes sir."
The librarian then looked up, and walked over to Eric.
"I don't think we have been introduced. My name is Bernard Gortesk, head librarian for the dark watch, and I have heard things about you war killer."
"Yes sir that time I killed the war boss was a fluke."
"There are no such things as flukes, just fate and destiny, and your fate and destiny has yet to unravel."
Bernard then looked at Granger.
"I think a small task force would be sufficient enough, considering we have the best of the best go."
"Done, Eric, you, V, and Nathan will go, may the emperor be with you."
Eric made his way towards where they were supposed to meet. V and Nathan were already there, cleaning their gear and knives. Nathan looked up to see Eric coming, and then went back to what he was doing. V walked forward to meet with Eric.
"So, you have us lined up for a suicide mission huh?"
"Yeah, pretty much V"
"Well about time, when do we go brother?"
"Anytime with in the next ten minutes."
"Alright, I have to grab some clips, and then we'll go, alright?"
"Fine with me V, I'm already packed."
Eric then looked over to Nathan, who was now just adding a fuel cell into his flamer. Nathan then stood up, and walked over, and stood beside Eric. They waited silently for the brother sergeant to return. When he did, they went around the hill, instead of over it. About after 5 minutes of rounding the hill, V signaled for everyone to stop. He then pointed at what looked like nothing, but Eric looked closer, and could see the air shimmer. Eric aimed his rifle, but then V lowered it, and crouch walked forward. He grabbed the shimmering figure, and slit its throat, holding the wound so the blood wouldn't give them away.
"Ranger" Nathan said, and continued on.
They walked on, and only encountered one other ranger, which they dealt with the same way as the other one. Eric finally found a good vantage point, and set himself up.
"One problem V…how are we going to be able to spot our target?"
"Like so…"
V charged forward, firing blindly. As he shot, however, Eric could now tell where the buildings were, and some guardians, who were now returning fire. Then Eric saw his target. The eldar farseer, she was standing next to what would have to pass as a HQ. She charged forward at V, almost with in staff range. V then started backpedaling like crazy, and the Farseer saw his bluff and started pulling back…too late. Eric shot, but by either luck, or honor, or something unknown, one of the seer council jumped in front of the farseer right when Eric shot, and took the hit dead on in the chest.
"Damn it!" Eric yelled, reloading his rifle, but the eldar were making their way towards them. Eric made a forward motion with his finger, and Nathan started lighting the place up. What few trees there were, immediately started fire, also keeping the eldar back for the moment. V finally made his way back up to them.
"Ok, that was a bust, but at least you got one of them seer council idiots!"
Eric made ready for another shot.
"What are you doing, there is absolutely no way you can get her now!"
"Watch"
Eric focused on the injured seer council member. He was still alive, and when another guardian squad came by to get him out, Eric capped him in the head.
That's a message to not piss with the space marines!
"Let's go, we have a war to fight!" Eric said, shouldering his rifle.
"Amen to that brother, Nathan, let's go."
Nathan stopped spraying, and popped another fuel cell in. Suddenly his armor burst outwards, and he hit the ground.
"Sniper!" V yelled.
"Come on, we have to get him out of here!" Eric yelled, pointing to Nathan, who was writhing in pain on the ground. V and Eric both grabbed a shoulder, and dragged him the five minute trip around the hill. When they got back, another fellow space marine noticed them, and called for an apothecary. The apothecary came by and took Nathan from Eric and V's grasp, and carried him off to the stronghold. Granger then came by.
"Status?"
"Afraid not my lord, a seer council member jumped in front of her, and took the shot, he didn't live." Eric replied.
Granger sighed, and scratched his head with a huge armored hand.
"Well, we at least know where they are, we will attack in three hours, make ready brothers."
"Yes my lord!" Eric and V yelled in unison. They wanted to make sure they paid for what they did to their kin.