A/N: Thanks for all your reviews…
…now for something completely different.
Chapter 13 - …Desperate Measures
The pain of the mind is worse than the pain of the body.
- Publilius Syrus – Roman writer and poet
Slippy once again found himself returning to consciousness, only this time he found himself in a more unsettling environment. The room was pitch black except for a down light shining on him and splatters of blood on the ground below his seat. He tried to move, or even shout, but discovered to be tied to a steel chair with his hands tied behind, and a red-ball gag over his mouth. His muffled cries drew the attention of those lurking in the dark corners of the room, namely four canines clad in bluish cultist uniform with short-blades sheathed to their sides.
One of the canines had a skull rack tied to his back, which carried three other canine skulls and five other simian skulls, all arranged as an eight-pointed star of Chaos. He smiled wickedly, showing blood stained teeth, and twirled a blaster pistol in his hand. He then whistled sharply and turned to both his sides, catching glimpses of his fellow cultists.
"You still here, Sorcerer?" the canine asked, growled rather, in a daemonic-sounding tone, "What have you beamed here before us?"
The Sorcerer stepped into the light, his helmet off to reveal a emaciated, scarred and overall disturbing looking human being, where he said, "The final stages in the completion of the task set out to you by your divine masters of the Warp?"
'Divine?' Slippy thought cynically, believing that positive 'divine' to have actually been a word missing in the Chaos dictionary.
The frog then felt a steel hand slap him across the face, courtesy of the Sorcerer who looked down at him with more then enough vehemence to stop Slippy's brain patterns and thoughts. That happened when the Sorcerer said, "You think of the Dark God's with sarcasm again and that will be the last intelligent thing you will ever think."
Slippy then stopped thinking all together, convinced that this freak could look into his mind.
"Your late Christmas present is more than a bit pointless now, Sorcerer," the lead Cultist argued sharply, "Our engines are totaled and those Imperial pigs will be boarding us any second now. All because of…"
He glared over at Slippy, causing his blood and his heart to freeze a little bit more.
"…Star Fox."
The Sorcerer frowned, "I can turn the tide of this little skirmish. The Imperium forces are millions of light years way from any reliable aid and I believe I can seep into the minds of the more Warp-driven cretins among them…"
Before he could finish a Night Lord Space Marine busted into the room, meltagun in hand.
"We are being boarded!" he exclaimed, then menacingly reasoned, "And we can use your help up front, Sorcerer!"
The Sorcerer turned around and glared, "I believe I can perform better here, brother! All I need is for you to weld this door shut and leave another brother armed with a heavy bolter here to guard it."
"What do you plan to do?"
The Sorcerer smiled, "Something I thought we Sorcerers would never do in eons."
----------
From behind the controls of his Arwing hovering outside the hangar doors, Fox was startled at the sight of so many Cornerian cultists and Night Lord Chaos Space Marines waiting for them in the hangar, blaster rifles, boltguns, rocket launchers and at the ready. The tainted Cornerians, all clad either blood-splattered Cornerian army uniform or the grotesque style of cultist dress, were all growling madly and cackling with laughter, gripping their weapons tightly.
Dear God, Katt sighed over Fox's com, Those poor, poor…
She was interrupted when the enemy begun firing at the Arwings, laser and bolt mixing with each other as they hurtled towards the Arwings hovering outside their hangar, and the protective shield preventing them from being sucked into space. The Chaos Marines charged forward from the back of the hangar, boltguns blazing…
"KILL KILL KILL! WE HAVE COME FOR YOU!"
…and they all concentrated their fire on the lead Arwing just inches away from the hangar shield: Falco. The avian watched in horror as his precious Arwing was quickly covered in dings all over his. Falco cried out in shock when the canopy window cracked as a bolter round ricocheted off it and hit a Cornerian cultist square in the chest and blew it wide open.
Falco glared and gripped his laser controls, "You were saying, Katt?"
Chaos' minions all opened up with their guns, with a rocket hitting the side of Krystal's ship courtesy of a beagle with a shoulder-mounted rocket launcher, but luckily only delivering minor damage. Krystal returned fire and blew the beagle apart prompting Fox…
"ALL SHIP'S, RETURN FIRE! RETURN FIRE!"
…to follow the same pattern, pelting the entire hangar area with laser, tearing apart both cultist and Traitor Marine apart, though the power-armored heathens were more durable and each took more than three laser shots each to finally kill. One Marine aimed his large melta-gun at Krystal, who fired and took his left arm holding the weapon. He then calmly reached for it with his right and Krystal fired again, taking off both his legs, but appearing to not be fazed by the attack he crawled over to it and reached over. Sickened at the sight she fired one last time and finally killed the Marine.
Krystal then closed her eyes and tried to focus, which was interrupted by Jacques' over the com…
Secure the hangar area and we will be able to land.
To which Calgar added gleefully…
And a Tactical Dreadnought Squad with an accompanying Techmarine will be able to Deep Strike safely to your location. I believe you will need all the available support at hand.
"Yeah, thanks!" Fox exclaimed, still firing his Arwing's laser cannons and receiving additional damage in return.
The cultists and the Chaos Marines now begun to retreat, disappearing into the doors leading into the hangar and allowing the Arwings to hover into the bay and land on the floor. Upon touching down, Fox's canopy opened up and he was the first to jump out, landing on one knee with his boltpistol at the ready. Immediately a few of the cultists felt their bravery return as they stormed right back into the hangar, drawing their laspistols and pulling the triggers.
"KILL THE HEATHEN FOX!"
Fox rolled to dodge the straight beams of laser before firing his large boltpistol. He was immediately taken back by the kickback the gun produced as it fired semi-automatic, as it's large 'bullets' fired from the barrel. But nevertheless his aim was perfect as immediately two cultist went down as the bolts blasted their chests open and one received a headshot which blew out the back of his head. Fox then closed one eye and steadied his aim as he fired again, taking off both the hands of another cultists, watching him scream in agony before he fired again at his gut, the intestines spewing out from the sheer size and force of the bolt.
"FOX, LOOK OUT!" Krystal shouted as her canopy opened.
Fox turned to the side to see a canine cultist attack with a chainaxe. He swung the motorised blade and only succeeded in nicking Fox in the arm and tearing some of his uniform. Though he only received merely a cut, Fox cried out as he expected his arm to have been severed, which would have been if he hadn't stepped to the side. Fox growled and kicked the chainaxe out of the cultist's hand, before landing another kick to his chest and knocking him down. The vulpine then suddenly smiled, baring his sharp teeth, as he delivered one last kick to the cultist's chest, collapsing it and killing him instantly.
Fox turned and spat to the side as he put a hand over his cut shoulder and muttering, "Bastard."
Krystal pulled out staff out of the glove box of her Arwing while Falco and Katt still brandished their Tau plasma weaponry from earlier. They exited their Arwings, their feet touching the ground where they half-expected the enemy to regroup and charge them again, which didn't seem likely as the Shark Assault dropships now entered the large hangar bay of the tainted Cornerian battlecruiser.
Once the ships landed on either side of the Arwings, the exit ramps lowered and the two squads of twenty Karskrin barreled out, heavy weaponry at the ready. Jacques stepped out of the left dropship, Nemesis Force sword in hand and his storm bolter locked, loaded and built into his free hand. He turned his head left and right as he surveyed the scenery. As he noted how actually clean and pristine the Cornerian hangar and different technologically to his own ships' as the Karskrin sergeants orders rang out…
"First squad! Secure left flank!"
"Second squad! On the right! Secure area!"
"Area's clear, sir!"
Jacques spotted a security camera scanning peering in on the entire force from the upper corner of the area. He looked straight up at it and glared back, completely freaking out the cultists watching the screen in the security control room of the battlecruiser. Those Cornerian cultists begun shivering with fright, them not thinking that they would be fighting against Imperial force, much less a daemonhunting, furry-hating Grey Knight. One of the cultists slammed his fist on a nearby blue-glowing button.
Unauthorized presence detected in Hangar Bays 1 through 6. Countermeasures activated.
Suddenly the little voices in their heads phased out their fear as they pulled out their blasters and laspistol while brandishing shortblades, chainswords and chainaxes. They dashed out of the security room to be joined by other Cultists, whom appeared in droves as they dashed through the corridor, brandishing weapons and chanting unholy incantations which would make even a stoic Witch Hunter Inquisitor gouge out his own eardrums with a pen.
Fox reached down to the floor recovered the cultist's chainaxe, stained with his own blood. Falco noticed that he was now armed with both the chainaxe and the boltgun, both of which were Imperial human weaponry.
"Looking good, Fox," Falco quipped with a grin, "If it weren't for all that fur you'd pass as a red."
Fox frowned as Krystal approached him and took a look at his wound, which she immediately deemed an insignificant cut. Fox on the other hand felt steamed at being compared to the men in greatcoats with large hats and sabers – The dreaded Commissars. He replied, "Somehow that sounds derogatory, even for a human."
Hey, head's up, Jakob said over the coms, Chaos approaching at 12'o clock.
Jacques nodded and gripped his sword, "I can sense them moving in from the room and sectors past the hangar. All weapons live, we must hold this area."
Star Fox, the Kasrkrin and Jacques all aimed their weapons at the three large entry doors into the hangar, where any second they would open and dozens of blood-crazed fanatical Cornerian zealots, and possibly Chaos Space Marines would charge out. Their evil faith being the driving force behind their urges to charge gun only armed with knives and pistols. The Chaos' followers devotion to their false god and the evil powers hidden within the Warp were always enough to make Krystal sick, but now she felt even more ill, as she would be defending herself against the corrupted Kemono people of this system, not just fallen humans.
"Strike true, men!" the left-hand Kasrkrin cried, "Let's terminate these Chaotic dogs!"
It was nearly twenty seconds later when Fox, Falco, Katt, Krystal, Jacques and the Eden Kasrkrin realized that the doors hadn't opened to reveal attacking cultists, yet both Jacques and Krystal could sense them standing behind the closed doors. Fox appeared to be dumbstruck as he felt his right hand, which held his boltgun, begun to ache.
"They're…they're just standing there behind the doors," Krystal explained, lowering her staff a bit, "As if they are waiting for something."
A Kasrkrin standing nearby looked over at her and asked, "Waiting for what?"
His question was fatally answered when suddenly a metallic blade drove itself into his back, through his spine, and out of his chest. His scream only came out as gasp, but his blood spraying onto his fellow commandoes and Krystal were enough to catch their attention. Krystal gasped in shock while another commando…
"EMPEROR SWEET FUCKING…!" he jumbled his words.
A security combat robot had impaled the commando and was quick to pull his blade out and drop the lifeless corpse on the ground. The 'combot' was the same security detail machines that Fox had encountered back on Fichina within the Weather Control Centre. Those same damned androids that were relentless in trying to render the vulpine into pieces, or flense the fur and skin from his bones. Twenty vents built into the ceiling opened up and dozens of those bots descended, their glowing red eyes, which would freeze the blood of any normal Guardsman, only aggravated the twenty commandoes as they called upon the experiences of their hellish training regime back on the fortress world Cadia. The sergeants rallied the troops…
"READY ARMS! GRIND THESE SOULLESS MACHINES INTO SCRAP!"
…and they aimed their guns up at the bots. One of the grenade-launcher Kasrkrin lobbed a grenade up at the nearest combot and it detonated, taking out a few bots immediately. He would have fired another if they didn't get closer to the ground, where another lob and he and those around would be caught in the explosion.
The combot, which killed the first Kasrkrin, lunged towards another. Krystal acted quickly, lunging towards the machines, jumping at it and bringing her staff down on it, slicing it in half…both pieces falling at the feet of the next Kasrkrin, just as he gripped his hell-laser. He gave a nod of appreciation, before he and his comrades fired upwards at the descending combots.
Star Fox, Jacques and the Kaskrin, instead of fighting the minions of Chaos, were now fighting the reprogrammed defences that were meant to protect the Cornerian personnel on board the battlecruiser, but now served the purposes of the Dark Gods. A steady stream of red laser, blue plasma, Krystal's fire shots and Jacques' storm bolts pelted the bots, each man and two women dodging their slashes and rolling out of the way. As Fox noticed that their blasts only succeeded in hitting the bots' hand which acted as a shield…
"HIM EM' AFTER THEY TAKE A SWIPE AT YOU!" he cried out.
…which Jacques took to heart. Just as a bot attacked him and raised his arms for the attack he ducked and delivered a metal fisted punch through the combot's plating and internal system. It buzzed and clicked for a few seconds before going dead, just as Jacques' tore out his motor and it cluttered onto the ground. Jacques smiled and thought…
'Too easy.'
…and lunged at another machine, just as it raised his arms and he struck with his sword, cleaving it in half. Another combot lunged at him from behind, and Jacques thrust his free hand towards it and clinched it into a tight fist, his psychic power immediately and painfully crushing the combot into a sphere. Jacques then kicked the spheroid combot towards another combot gunning for Katt and knocking it out of the air, allowing her to discharge her plasma rifle into it's head and blast it apart.
Katt yelled out with a smile, "SCORE!"
Falco was momentarily distracted by Katt's outburst, with his back turned to an attacking combot. Falco spun around and quickly shoved the barrel of his pulse into the combot's 'head' and fired, destroying it. Another combot lunged at him from behind and before he turned around, it was shot and destroyed by one of the Kasrikin sergeants with his hellpistol.
"You missed one, birdy," the sergeant smirked. His eyes suddenly widened when Falco raised his gun to aim at his head.
The sergeant moved his pistol to aim at Falco, but the avian was the first to let loose a burst…which shot past the dumbstruck sergeant's ear and hit another bot which would have torn the human apart. Now it was Falco's time to smirk.
"You missed one, baldy."
Three combots conveniently ganged up on Fox, who still gripped his boltpistol and his new chainaxe tightly enough to break the handles. One combot raised his arms and attacked, prompting Fox to aim and fired his boltpistol into it's chest, exposing the internal system, which he then proceeded to hack forward with his chainaxe and destroy it. The two remaining combots struck together and caught Fox off guard, which one slammed itself into him and knocked him down.
"OW!"
Fox rubbed his head and fought back the effects of a concussion. He leaped back onto his feet and delivered a high kick to the attacking combot, smashing it upside the head. He stunned it momentarily, allowing him to repeatedly hit it with his chainaxe, pieces of metal flying from it. Fox closed his eyes as a piece hit him between the eyes. As soon as it was destroyed he paused to removed the piece of small metal from his forehead, leaving another cut. The third combat went for him…
"Oh, enough of this!"
…and Fox simply raised his boltpistol up at it's head and pulled the trigger, destroying it. Soon enough the floor of the hangar area was completely littered with the remains of nearly three dozen combots, with many more lying around malfunctioning. These were immediately put down by the Kasrkrin, who begun to count their own dead.
"Gimme' a sit-rep," one of the sergeant's ordered.
"1st squad, four men lost!" another of the Kasrkrin exclaimed.
"2nd squad, three men are been terminated."
'So that's seven men altogether,' Fox noted in his head, 'Wouldn't be considered a big deal in a army of thousands. But fourteen remaining commandoes plus me and the guys up against possibly hundreds…this'll take a miracle."
Star Fox? Imperials? Jakob's voice came over the com, What's going on? You weren't fighting Chaos?
"No!" Fox exclaimed back, then gritted his teeth as the doors leading out of the hangar slowly opened, which would reveal the cultists now ready to attack, "But here they come!"
"Ah, man!" Falco groaned, "Talk about loosening the trigger fingers!"
Star Fox, Jacques and the fourteen Karskrin readied themselves for the next wave, expecting upward to about a hundred of these crazed furries to rush out guns blazing. Some commandoes dove behind any available cover ranging from meat supply boxes scattered around the ground to piles of totalled combots. Jacques lowered his sword and raised his hand with the storm bolter built into it.
'For Emperor and for life,' he thought to himself, 'Smite their enemies.'
Krystal smiled as she heard Jacques' thoughts whilst taking cover behind the wind of her Arwing. She transmitted to his mind, 'And I'm with you Jacques.'
Jacques looked over at Krystal, who was some feet away from him and smiled back. He looked straight ahead as the door opened to reveal the cultists, each one smiling devilishly and gripping both their laspistol and blasters and brandishing their blades. But before they could scream out their hideous war cries and the Karskrin could begin shooting, the fluorescent hangar lights built into the sealing suddenly shorted out. Star Fox, Jacques and the commandoes immediately silenced themselves, while the cultists all cried out in surprise and shock.
"Eh…what's up with the lights?"
Fox closed his eyes as he took advantage of the suddenly confusion to focus his mind for the next attack, as did Jacques. They were interrupted when suddenly what sounded like a massive electrical current went off and the grinding sounds of storm bolters and three-barrelled assault cannons tore apart the silence in the air. The cultists' screams nearly punctured everyone's eardrums, followed by the sliding doors leading out the hangar close.
That was when the red-coloured emergency lights activated and there standing near the closed doors were a team of six Space Marines equipped in large, bulky Terminator armour with a Techmarine present. While the Terminators were indeed something to gaze at, the Techmarine to Star Fox was the real draw here – as he was equipped in modified Adeptus Astartes armour which included four massive servo-arms attached to his back, (one of which was equipped with a blowtorch). The Mechanical Skull insignia of the Cult Mechanicus was embedded in his torso and he was armed with a boltgun and a large axe with the same symbol on it. As a lesser note, his helmet was coloured red.
"Fear not, servants of the Emperor," the Techmarine chose his first words, "For we have arrived."
Katt smirked, "I hope you're referring to the guys in flak and the guy in silver, pal. There's no way we'll ever do anything in his name."
Jacques frowned over at Katt, just as one of the Terminators turned to her and took a step forward away from the group, "Were this situation any different you would be tasting bolter by now, kitty."
"Kitty?" Katt scoffed, "You leant that word just now?"
Fox crossed his arms, "Alright, if we're done demeaning each other we'll get on with clearing out this floating coffin, grab Slippy and get the hell out of dodge."
"Not so fast," the Techmarine interrupted, raising a flat hand towards him, "The Chief Librarian has ordered me to splice into the Cornerian ship's main computer so our Battle-Barge can download whatever data there is on the extent of Chaos' incursion here."
"Now that is logical, Brother Sachiel," Jacques agreed as he emptied his bolter clip and slapped in another, recognising the Techmarine's voice though it was distorted some, "But first we need to exit the hangar if we are to proceed."
The lead Terminator chuckled as he raised his massive metallic chainfist and clinched it, the blades circulating loudly and making the hairs on Fox rise, "Heh heh heh…leave that to us, Brother. Those fallen Cornerians do not have a prayer."
Once again Fox felt confused, this time over the Ultramarines referring to Jacques as 'brother,' despite being wanted as a dangerous heretic by them. He immediately deduced that they still feel some sort of affinity for him, a sense of brotherhood – no because of his standing within the Imperium but as a person. To Fox that seemed logical enough, even though they were supposed to be the unfeeling Space Marines the Cornerian military intelligence and general belief condemned them as.
With that he smiled and thought, 'Guess there's more to humanity than meets the eye.'
"Oh, before I forget," Falco called out as he walked over to the Terminator with a sly smile, "Nice effect with the light's going out in the hangar."
Techmarine Sachiel looked over at the leader Terminator, who appeared to shrug confusingly. Sachiel replied, "Our Deep Strike would not have shorted out the lights in the area, avian."
Fox's eyes lit up upon hearing that, "Huh?"
----------
Back on the Beltino Space Station discontent increased tenfold as the frightened, nervous kemono scientists and civilians still saw lasguns trained on them by equally nervous Guardsmen. General Sturnn had a white cloth held to his head he was still recovering being having fallen to the ground and knocking his head, feeling a headache across his temple. He was starting to become tired of standing around in the hangar along with Commissar Plymouth and babysitting these xeno scientists, one of which was now missing and in Chaso hand; and with a seemingly pointless rescue mission under way to recover him.
"Sturnn to search teams," he said into the com, "Respond!"
Sir yes sir.
"Secure the control room on the double and establish a link between here and the fleet," the general ordered, "We're be coming up to join you shortly."
On our way, general.
Sturnn hung up the communicator receiver on the Guardsman's back and looked over the scientists, immediately eyeing Beltino. He then looked over at Plymouth, who stared back, and nudged his head towards the elder frog.
The Commissar nodded and ordered two nearby Guardsmen, "Bring that xeno scientist before us right away."
Beltino didn't try to resist, still emotionally drained after seeing his son Slippy disappear before his eyes. Amanda gasped lightly and reached for his arms as the Guardsmen approached. Beltino looked over at her softly, imploring her silently to let him go. She hesitantly complied and could only watch as her once-prospective father-in-law was lifted up by his arms and brought before Sturnn. The general could see Beltino's look of depression and fatality as he looked down at Sturnn's feet, which insulted Sturnn.
"We're taking control of the station, director," Sturnn explained, "And I want you to lead the way to the control room."
Beltino didn't respond as he continued to face the ground. Plymouth frowned and stepped over to him, drawing his laspistol and pointing it at the side of Beltino's head. Every civilian in the room gasped in horror, with Amanda wanting to quickly leap up onto her feet and dash to his aid, not caring about the number of Imperial guns present.
"Comply, or die xeno!" Plymouth growled, his hat covering his eyes from view and making him seem all the more terrifying, "Make your choice. But I advise you do so in the last possible ten second of your misbegotten existence."
Beltino did not respond to the threat, or even flinch at feeling the barrel of an Imperial-made beam gun against his head. He did what any other good father did and continued to quietly mourn his son. Sturnn immediately knew this, and decided to draw upon the knowledge he gained upon intercepting the transmission between the Ultramarine Battle-Barge and the rebel fleet's flagship.
"In case you wanted to know, director," Sturnn said, forcing a slight smile on his ragged face, "Your friend over at Star Fox are leading an attack on the last remaining Chaos warship to bring him back alive. Mortensen is with him, who believes that little frog's life is more important than his own."
Beltino narrowed his eyes gently, 'Of course he would. No other human in the whole entire universe is as selfless as he is.'
"And we may discuss the terms of negotiating your immediate release," Sturnn added, "In exchange for the rebel leaders."
He then looked up into the equally narrowed eyes of Sturnn, breaking his silent, mournful vigil.
"In that eventuality," Beltino said, "Please follow me."
Sturnn nodded and turned to the accompanying naval officers and Commissar Plymouth. Amanda watched as they walked around the corner of the group of squatting civilians towards the door leading out of the hangar area. They were able to step through when suddenly the fluorescent ceiling lights went out. The only source of light came from the stars shining through the hangar outer doors and the protective Lylatian-made shield.
"What in the name of the Holy Emperor was that?" Sturnn queried loudly.
----------
"Aun'shi?"
The Ethereal turned to face Jakob, seeing that he was looking up at the main screen and image of the Chaos-controlled Cornerian Battlecruiser against a blue background, with data schematics etching beside it. Blotches of beeping red dotted all over the rear of the battlecruiser, each for a few seconds, before disappearing from view, leaving Jakob looking startled.
"What are we seeing Gue'vesa'Shas'la?"
"I have no idea, but they appear to be electrical currents coming from the back of the ship," Jakob explained, rubbing his chin, "And causing brief power shortages in the process…eh… what the…?"
A beeping blue light appeared on the screen, followed by an alerting beeping sound. Jakob typed at this console, which brought up and image of the Beltino station, with the same red blotches now appearing all over the station except the hangar bay areas, with the Tau scanners detecting multiple Lylatian and Imperial signals.
Jakob and Aun'shi quickly deduced in their minds what those red signal could mean. Jakob quickly came to shocked conclusion, causing sweat once again roll down the side of his head and he fought against himself to keep calm. Before he could open his mouth to speak the lights in the control room suddenly went down, the computer and terminal flickering off as well.
If one could squint, they could easily see Jakob's eyes light in the darkness as he realised what was happening, and prayed silently that it wasn't going to happen right here in this room with unarmed Earth and Air Caste civilian technicians seated and the Ethereal himself here. The light turned back on, and Jakob felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end when he saw, from the flection of his still-black screen, a blue-coloured, gold trimmed Chaos Space Marine standing behind Aun'shi with his sword drawn and ready to strike.
Jakob glared and quickly sprung into action. He put his feet forward against the side of his console and launched himself, and his chair, towards Aun'shi, the tail of his black trenchcoat acting like a cape behind him. Alarmed, Aun'shi dodged out the way and saw the Chaos Marine standing there, who was then struck with full force by Jakob and his chair, almost causing him to lose his footing. The other Tau in the room cried out in terror with seeing the enemy Space Marine as Jakob dove from his seat, drawing his suit's modified wrist blades and dashing forward, intent on skewering the fallen human.
The Chaos Marine swung his blade, prompting Jakob to jump, bending his legs in upwards to avoid the slash, and bring them against the Marine's chest, staggering him some more. Jakob then attacked with a bladed left-hook, which the Marine raised his right arm upward to counter. He then parried and used his right leg to trip Jakob, sending him falling onto his back on the ground. Jakob gasped as the Marine then raised his foot and prepared to stomp him.
The heretic then stopped what he was doing as his head jerked up to see Aun'shi rush at him armed with his honour blade, a long handled double-blade inscribed with messages in the Tau language. Jakob felt the Marine's blood spurt on his face as the Ethereal impaled the Marine and, with much strength unlike any other Ethereal, swung his blade and sent the Marine flying against a terminal and smashing against it.
"Please, let there be no more of those madmen on board," Aun'shi stated.
What the ship's announcement system blurted out next chilled both Jakob and the Ethereal's blood.
INTRUDER ALERT! UNKNOWN ORGANISMS IN DECKS ONE, SEVEN, NINE, THE ENGINE ROOM AND COMMUNICATIONS! SECURITY RESPOND IMMEDIATLY!
Suddenly the screeching of bolter fire could be heard outside the control room, the sounds of running footsteps past the door and of people screaming in distress and calling for help, with pulse and plasma fire being returned. Jakob rolled back onto his feet and rushed to the door; he opened it just in time to see a Tau Fire Warrior fall right before him, a smoking hole caused by a bolter round in his back. The helmless Tau looked up at the wide-eyed human, pain and uncertainty etched on his blue, blood soaked face, his braid also covered in blood, with the precious red liquid seeping down through the slit in his head.
"Protect…Aun'shi…" the Fire Warrior choked out, "Alliance…must survive."
Another bolter sounded off and the back of the Tau's head was blasted off messily. Jakob felt something deep within him snap, as he once again felt the adrenaline pump itself through his veins, clinching his muscles tightly and making his heart pump faster in his chest. His pupils diluted as he believed he could no longer control himself and his actions.
And that was proven when he sudden dove headlong away from the door as it closed and scooped up the fallen Fire Warrior's plasma rifle. He noticed the bodies of nearly a dozen other dead (civilian) Tau and three Chaos Marines standing in the hallway, smoking boltguns in hand. They turned to face him, finding themselves not satisfied gunning down unarmed xeno civilians. This fuelled Jakob's rage as he got on knee and took aim, noticing other T'au sept Fire Warriors rushing behind him to join the battle.
The Chaos Marine squeezed the triggers of their boltguns as Jakob fired off three separate plasma blasts, which struck each of the Marines' weapons, blasting them out of their hands and scattering them on the floor behind them. Dumbstruck, they turned around to catch a glimpse of their fallen weapons, before seeing about eight Tau guns trained on them, a singular human among them, angry as all hell.
A Shas'ui among the Tau called out, "Chaos Marines! Surrender in the name of the Greater Good!"
The Night Lord Marines laughed maniacally, drew their swords and charged the line of Fire Warriors. They met a quick, albeit predictable, death as the Tau's plasma fire tore through their armour and rendered them as plasma-smouldering lifeless tin cans. Jakob had not opened fire along with his fellow Tau, rather he had watched with curiosity, if not horror, at seeing the Chaos Marine bravely charge at them, swords against plasma weaponry.
'Those fallen Space Marines,' he thought bitterly to himself, already knowing what drives these rusted power armours on, 'Madness and pure evil drives them on. It is pure insanity.'
"Jakob?" the Shas'ui placed a hand on his shoulder and asked with concern, "Why did you relent in ending their lives?"
"Huh?" Jakob looked up at the Shas'ui, still on one knee and looking confused.
"What troubles you?"
Jakob shook his head and responded, "The sight of those Chaos Marines startled me. I lost focus, I apologise."
"No need," the Shas'ui said and gripped his carbine, "The Warp-maddened servants of those false Gods startles, if not disturbs, all of us on sight."
The alarms continued to stand all around them, realising that there were still more of those bastards still around. With determination crossing his face he stood up and held his rifle to his chest, as if standing to attention before the Shas'ui, surprising him. The rest of the Fire Warriors present all stood to attention, mimicking Jakob and awaiting further direction from the further surprised Shas'ui. He nodded and reloaded his carbine.
"To me, Shas'la!"
The nine Fire Warriors dashed to where the gunfire was the heaviest – the Infinity's laboratory section. They burst in to see Tau Earth Caste scientists taking cover under desks and benches as three Chaos Marine 'Havoc' soldiers, armed with Heavy Bolters, spewed out lead death. The bolter rounds sailed above their heads, shattering lab equipment and ornaments and towards the Fire Warriors already fighting back, supported by a few brave Earth Caste armed with plasma pistols. They were all quickly gunned down, their blood spilling out all over the clean, sterilised floors of the lab. Jakob and his compatriots dove into the room weapons blazing, finding cover with the scientists.
Jakob had his back against a counter alongside a scientist. He looked over at him and asked, "Are you injured, Fio'ui?"
The 'Fio'ui' shook his head and responded scared, "Those mont'au! They're killing everyone they see!"
Jakob nodded and glared, remembering the Tau word for 'horror', "They will pay! On my honour, mark my words!"
He looked over the counter and fired at the nearest Chaos Havoc, his plasma blasts among other Fire Warriors' stunning the eight-foot metallic madman as they slightly melted the armour. The Havoc redirected his line of sight towards him and fired. Thinking fast, Jakob grabbed the Earth Caste Scientist…
"Uh?! ARGH!"
…who screamed as Jakob dove towards cover behind a desk along with another Fire Warrior taking the scientist with him, who fell painfully face first on the floor.
"Bond brother!" the Shas'la cried out in surprise, "The mont'au hit you?"
"No!" Jakob exclaimed, then noticed the entire room was now shattered, with destroyed equipment, supplies and dead bodies everywhere, "But they have hit everything but us!"
The Shas'la nodded, grabbed his hand and placed a plasma grenade into it, "We shall cover you, bond brother!"
Jakob nodded. The Fire Warrior ducked over cover and fired away at the Chaos Havocs and allowed Jakob to roll forward towards some cover closer to the enemy. The lab in itself was quite large, with the Chaos Havocs holding their position way at the other end near the wall. They noticed the singular human ducking towards them, but were preoccupied with kneeling behind cover themselves, as the Tau's firepower grew more intense. Jakob smiled as he got close enough to actually roll the grenade towards them.
He thumbed the button on it and rolled it towards them. He then got up and exposed himself as he ran from the ensuing explosion. Before the three Chaos Marines could fire upon them the detonated and the massive plasma blast engulfed them, wearing their armour away to the point where plasma bolts could easily punch through seemingly like paper. The next wave of pulse and plasma rendered them painfully to pieces, just as Jakob got up and dusted himself off.
"Excellent save, La'Jakob!" the Shas'ui cried out near joyously, "Now we need retake the rest of the ship!"
Suddenly more screaming could be heard outside when a helmless Night Lord Chaos Champion armed with a chainsword smashed through the door, wearing both a toga made of human flesh and a cruel smile upon his balding head, which beared decaying, sharpened teeth. The Fire Warriors all gasped upon seeing him, while Jakob just stood there and slung his rifle over his shoulder and narrowed his eyes at the Traitorous Chaos Champion.
"I thought I would only need to be slaying xeno blueskins!" the Champion exclaimed happily, "But joy, now I get to hack up one of the blueskins' pets."
Jakob smirked and clinched his fists, "You poor, soulless cretin…"
His suit's blades extended from his wrists.
"…you are WAY out of your league!"
The Champion roared and swung his chainsword at the human, who stepped back and swerved his head to avoid. The Fire Warriors raised their rifles to engage the champion, but were stopped by the Shas'ui as he reached for the nearest Shas'la rifle and lowered.
"You'll hit La'Jakob. Let him settle this the way he does best!"
As Jakob heard that he won't have to fear about being shot at accidentally by his own comrades, he leapt and roundhouse kicked the Champion across the face, spilling blood and knocking teeth out which shattered against he way. Not staggered in the least the Champion swung his chainsword again. Jakob stepped to the side and shot his right-hand blade through the chainsword's blade, wrecking it's traction and stopping it's motions, rendering it completely useless.
The Champion eyes lit up in shock as Jakob swung the blade on his right hand and sliced the Champion across the throat. Blood splattered all over the floor as he dropped his wrecked chainsword and gripped his throat with both hands. Jakob stepped back some as the Fire Warriors raised their guns unleashed plasma death on the Champion, very literally blowing him back out the room. Jakob's wristblades sheathed themselves as he reached over his back and grabbed his slung rifle.
'I hope the poor Lylatian souls on the station are faring better than we are,' the Gue'vesa'Shas'la thought, 'And those Imperial bastard-kin decide to redirect their guns towards the REAL enemy here.'
----------
Trooper Vincent Schultz head jerked up as he guarded the door leading out of the nature habitat of the station, loosening his hold on his lasgun slightly as he looked up at the ceiling, seeing the lights shining down from the ceiling dim a bit. Concern crossed his face as he gripped his lasgun firmly, luckily not catching the attention of his fellow Guardsmen who patrolled the area looking for any more hiding Lylatian scientists.
Sergeant Armiel tapped his headset as he discovered he was no longer in vox communicator range of the other teams prowling around the station for both misplaced xeno and xeno technology. The latter to be destroyed, as would all alien-made weaponry, equipment and technology deemed heretical in the eyes of the Ecclesiarchy and the allied Cult Mechanicas.
"Emperor damn it all," Armiel muttered as he stepped out of bush, noticing Vincent looking up at the ceiling, almost with fear, "Trooper!"
Vincent immediately looked towards him and stood to attention.
"What are you staring at, Schultz?" Armiel asked, still tapping his headset.
The young Guardsman pointed up at the ceiling lights and replied, "The area lights, sir. They're dimming out."
Another Guardsman rolled his eyes as he stepped into view, "What do you expect from xeno-made crap, Vinnie? Sir, permission to shoot the lights out once we leave this place?"
"Granted," Armiel smirked, "Seeing as there's no more furries here. Looks like we've…"
He then saw something rustle in the bushes behind Vincent and instinctively froze, immediately surprising Vincent as his commanding officer's sudden movement and felt compelled to turn around as well. Armiel pointed his finger at Vinnie and weaved it to the side, and edged him to stand over to the side. Vincent did so and aimed his lasgun at the push. The other Guardsman readied his lasgun while Armiel pulled his laspistol out of it's holster and aimed it as well, his other right hand gripping his sabre.
"Whoever's in the bushes," Armiel begun, sounding calm and reasonable, "Came out with your hands up."
The rustling ceased, which was replaced with the sounds of heavy, panicked breathing. The unidentified eyebrows queered and he sniggered lightly, amused at how bad the person was trying to hide from them. Armiel, however, was getting impatient and wanted very much to leave this xeno garden and take a long shower to remove the stench of this alien flora from his body, and avoid the discretion of the Priests and the more xeno-hating deviants among the Guardsmen.
"We promise we won't hurt you," Armiel continued, beginning to sound sterner, "Killing civilians is the last thing the Guard want."
The breathing only quickened and loudened, which was beginning to spook the Guardsmen present, including the rest of Armiel's squad as they all rejoined. Seven other Guardsmen saw what was happening and proceeded to handle their lasguns more delicately as they confronted the bush.
"Last warning!" Armiel now growled. He gripped the handle of his pistol, instead becoming concerned was now becoming disturbed, "Come out now or we'll drag you by your tail!"
The bush suddenly tore itself apart and sent leaves, dirt and grass towards those present, some of which felt enter their eyes and they recoiled. Vincent back away quickly from the bushes to the side of Armiel, who still had his laspistol drawn and aimed at whatever was now standing where that bush to be. While the other Guardsmen, including Vincent, was immediately horrified at what was now before them, Armiel remained stoic and steadfast, glaring as he steadied his hand, looking down the sight of his laspistol.
"Emperor preserve us," Vincent muttered to himself.
"KILL! KILL! KILL!"
The figure opened up with his plasma gun and fired bolts of crimson energy. All lasguns fired upon him, with the sergeant ducking sideways and falling on the grass to avoid the blasts that burnt away the foliage behind him. His bearded face showed no fear as he cried with fury and fired his laspistol, aiming at the Night Lord Traitor Marine pale-white head and face hidden behind his osmilloic gill. The blasts burnt away the skin, but he appeared unfazed as he fired his plasma gun at one of the Guardsman.
"ARGHHH!"
The Guardsman screamed as the blast burnt through his flak armour and sent him falling onto his back, lasgun snapping in half as it cluttered on a nearby rock. The other Guardsmen continued firing at the power armoured heathen, stalling him long enough to allow Armiel to jump back up, dropping his laspitol and electing to use his sword against the monstrosity.
"COME ON, HERETIC!" Armiel growled, "USE YOU BLADE!"
"Gladly, weakling!"
The Traitor Marine dropped his gun and drew his blade, which connected with Armiel's sword. The sergeant parried and sliced forward, skimming the Marine's armour and producing sparks. The Marine attacked recoiled and swung over arm, which Armiel was about to sidestep and avoid, who then swung back, the Traitor Marine countered that as well. The rest of the squad watched as their sergeant tangled with the Warp-maddened Space Marine, daring not to pull the triggers of their weapons in case they hit him by mistake.
Armiel lunged forward with his blade; the Marine sidestepped and elbowed him sharply in the face, knocking blood and a molar of his mouth. The Guardsman sergeant gritted his teeth and sliced across, cutting a gash in the Marine's face, which he then growled in pain and raised his chainsword, and bringing it down overarm on the sergeant. Armiel parried, his blade proving strong enough to withstand the mechanised teeth of the chainsaw slash powered sword. Armiel wish he stilled had his laspistol so he could blast the Marine's exposed, angry head. Instead he did the next best thing, which was to throw a punch at the Marine's jaw and stun him long enough for him to raise his chainsword again, allowing Armiel to slash again. This time, Armiel slashed across Traitor Marine's head and rendered the top part of it off, exposing his brain to the air; the sight immediately making Vincent wanting to hurl. But for his pride's sake he kept it down, and raised his lasgun and fired at the Marine's face, finishing him off and sending his power armoured hulking body toppling over backwards on the grass, his blood and brains staining the green grass.
Armiel breathed harshly, trying to regain his breath, before turning around to face Vincent, and with a smile, "Nice shot, Schultz."
Vincent nodded eagerly, "Sir."
Armiel then bent over to recover his laspistol, then ordered loudly, "REGROUP! Report back to the boats and prepare for extractions!"
"What about…?" a Guardsman begun, then nudged towards the Night Lord Marine's body, "There's has to be more of those guys around, I know it."
"Then we'll deal with it!" Armiel growled, "Now let's move! Vincent, Frank, take point!"
"Yes sir," another Guardsman, a black haired thirty year old identified as Frank responded, as he and Vincent with their lasguns up went through the doorway leading out of the habitat first. They were relieved that there was nothing standing between them and the large service elevator leading back up to the science laboratory areas.
----------
And Sturnn though the same thing as he, Plymouth and their navy officer escorts stepped into the hallway leading out of the hangar bay, with Beltino in the lead and feeling much more secure, knowing that a rescue operation was under way to recover his only son. Plymouth noticed this and smiled gleefully, realising that a happy man is an efficient man – whether he is human or mutant amphibian xenos, or whatever the hell these things really were.
The origins of the Lylatian peoples, or according to the Imperial Xenology studies the Kemono Animalia, where always a mystery to the Imperium hierarchy including political officers such as himself. He wasn't an expert on aliens, hell he wasn't even a member of the Ordo Xenos, but these intelligent creatures were intriguing to him, believing them to be frightening humanlike. He knew that his thoughts would be considered heresy by the Inquisition and would face scrutiny by the Alien Hunters.
He ceased his thoughts when suddenly he and Sturnn heard shouting and gunfire errupt down the barely lit passage and through the door leading into the lab on the left side of the hall. The ceiling lights flickering on and off added to the tension. He upholstered his laspistol…
"That would be the search team on this level!" the Commissar exclaimed, "And no longer alone!"
Suddenly the door smash wide open and two Guardsmen were propelled out of the room and into the wall. Their flak armour was more or less painfully fused to their bodies as if they had been hit been a massive, burning heat blast. One of them was dead already, but the other struggled to breathe as he felt like he was on fire and cooking his innards. Sturnn gritted his teeth as a Chaos Marine armed with a large melta-gun stepped into view and stomped the Guardsman in the crotch. The immediate burst of pain from down there was enough to kill him from the shock.
Deciding to act before even ruminating what was happening, Sturnn sprinted forward towards the Chaos Marine, who turned and raised his melta-gun for another shot. The middle-aged General extended his wrist-mounted lightning claws and leapt into the air, bringing his claws down and through the chest of the Chaos Marine, which pierced through his lungs and spin and out the other end. The Chaos Marine tried to gasp, and very nearly did when Sturnn pushed off him with his legs, somersaulted in the air, and landed back on his feet before an amazed Beltino, impressed with the grey-haired man's strength and agility for his age.
The Chaos Marine gurgled in his own blood before toppling forward, his helmed face hitting the floor before Sturnn's feet.
"Did…did…you see that?" Beltino struggled to say, seeing the dead corpse of a Chaos Space Marine, "A real Chaos Space Marine, the antithesis of the Adeptus Ast…!"
Sir? SIR! Sturnn's communicator echoed, Is everything alright, General? We heard gunfire just outside the hangar!
"HOLD YOUR POSITIONS!" Sturnn ordered gruffly, "Guard those Shark Assault craft and the civilians. Fallen Space Marines have breached the station's walls!"
More bolter fire erupted around them, complimented with lasgun and plasma gun. Sturnn, Plymouth and their two officer escorts quickly sprung into action, weapons ready, with Beltino in tow. They burst into the nearest room, an office suite, to find two more Chaos Marines waiting for them with their swords drawn. The officers fired their autoguns at them, the flak bouncing off their armour but stalling them nonetheless. Sturnn and Plymouth both let out a battle cry…
"YAAAAHHHHH!"
…and charged the two Marines. Plymouth attacked first, swinging his sabre and decapitating one of the Marines with a single stroke, which the headless survived and comically tried to catch his head. But he was finished for good when the Commissar drove his sword through the helmed head and penetrated the brain, killing off all nerve function and putting the heretic down for good. Sturnn struck next, swinging a left hook clawed punch and striking the next Marine across the head, before jumping back and avoiding the Marine's swing. He then raised his storm bolter and sprayed lead death at the Marine, the bolts penetrating the armour and rendering the Traitor Marine into Swiss chess.
Sturnn smirked, before spinning around in his place and delivering a kick to the still standing lifeless Chaos Marine's body with his strength, sending it flying through the air and into a nearby office cubicle, smashing the desk and the walls around it and completely leaving Beltino's mouth hanging agape. He rubbed both his eyes, trying to comprehend what he just saw.
'Hmmm,' the scientific side of his him surprisingly brooded, completely forgetting about the events around him, 'He is not superhuman, only purebred, yet he can stand toe-to-toe against a corrupted Space Marine and strike a devastating killing blow…'
His smile almost startled the two naval officers through his sudden calmness.
'This would definitely make waves in the Lylatian Scientific community, as well as a series of essays – entitled: Humans: Nature's…'
He suddenly received a clout around the ears courtesy of Commissar Plymouth, treating Beltino's sudden calm, serene state with much suspicion. Beltino rubbed the back of his ears and groaned silently, where he was immediately threatened with another strike.
"As you will lead us to the control room, you march up front from here on end," Plymouth stated, raising his laspistol, "And I will make sure your feet do not get cold."
"But if more of those things attack?" Beltino tried to protest.
Sturnn retracted his lightning claws and looked over his shoulder frowning, "Then they will face the Emperor's might, director. As will you if you don't cooperate."
Overwhelmed with so many threats, Beltino sighed and shrugged, "As you wish, General."
----------
Back on board the Tainted Cornerian battlecruiser a crowd of cultists had more or less flooded the hallway outside the door leading into the hangar area. The fallen Cornerians up front looked into a video screen embedded in the wall beside the door, which projected images of the hangar area from the perspective of the security camera. They could see the two teams Imperial Karskrin spreading out and securing the area, while Team Star Fox, the Grey Knight, the Techmarine and the Terminators stood some feet outside the doors leading out of the hangars. Before each of them were four separate commandoes planting what appeared to be demolition charges on the steel doors.
But that didn't catch their eyes. What did was a certain blue avian looking up at the camera with a big smirk on his face as he flipped the viewers off before mouthing the words…
'Asshole.'
Suddenly the door exploded inwards, a massive jet of flame moving down the hallway and incinerating the packed in cultist, leaving their charred bodies lying on the ground. The survivors immediately darted through nearby other doors into different rooms, each drawing their weapons and taking cover just before the first Terminator kicked down the remaining pieces of the steel door. He stepped through with his storm bolter at the ready, his large metal foot immediately crushing a Cornerian skull with little bits of flesh still on it.
"We have breached Door number 2," the Terminator announced.
Two more explosions followed…
Door number 3 breached…Door number 1 breached. No resistance encountered..
…which was followed by the vox messages which could be heard over any compatible communication network. Then afterwards the sound of immense gunfire pierced through the air as the combined forces of Order made their move. The Terminator to first step through door 2 scanned the passage before him and found that it was deserted…
"HEY!"
…until a Rottweiler cultist ducked his head out through a door and hurled a sticky bundle of high explosives at the Terminator, which clung to his dreadnought armour tightly. The superhuman inside it immediately begun counting in his head the few seconds he has to live, and without turning around he called out to his brothers.
"Stand clear of me, my brothers!" he exclaimed, "I depart this plane to join the Emperor! Farewell!"
He then tripped himself up and fell forward onto the ground while another Terminator, three Kasrkrin, Fox, Falco and Jacques took cover, backs against the wall away from the. The resulting explosion sent a jet a flame out through the doorway, luckily not consuming anyone besides the unfortunate Terminator, who was completed swallowed up – armour, gene-seed and all, leaving only small traces of steel.
Jacques gritted his teeth, "Cowards!"
He noticed the Krystal hadn't taken cover with him and others and instead were near door 1 with a team of two Kaskrin, two Terminators and Katt. The other two members of 1st Squad were outside door 3 alongside two other Terminators and the Techmarine Brother Sachiel.
"Members of 2nd Squad," he called out, "Guard this area with your lives. We shall clear this battlecruiser room by room. Techmarine Sachiel?"
"We are ready," Sachiel called back, brandishing his axe and his boltpistol, "We shall make our way to the bridge, based on the schematics of this Cornerian cruiser."
"Krystal? Katt?"
Standing next to the sergeant of 1st Squad, she turned over to look at him. He nodded, signalling that he was ready. She called out and replied, "We're ready to go, Jacques."
Jacques turned to Fox, who was standing beside him. Fox clinched his teeth, half-expecting Jacques to call out to him. Instead, he just nodded and responded, "Let's go."
The Techmarine's squad moved in first and found through their door what appeared to be the showers and change rooms for the Cornerian pilots. Inside they already found about ten maniacal Cornerian cultists dressed in flight gear, each brandishing large knives they had used to cut the eight-pointed star in their now bloodied chests and foreheads.
"SCUM!" the Techmarine shouted and lunged forward, bringing his axe down on the nearest Cultist and cleaving his head clean in half, the blood spraying out all over his helmet, mixing in with it's already red colour.
The Terminators and the Kaskrin opened up with bolter and laser death, tearing the remaining nine cultists into pieces as they lunged forward with their knives. One cultist was severed in half, his still-laughing torso with entrails dangling flying towards the lead Terminator, who bared his free hand and clinched his fist, where he punched through the crazed Cornerian's skull and snuffed out his life.
The team led by the Techmarine stepped through into the seemingly empty, but blood-splattered change room, noticing the door at the other end leading to the forward parts of the cruiser. They begun passing by the lockers, when suddenly one of the locker doors swung open and out stepped a cultist with a large rusted cleaver. He went for the one of the Karskrin at the back of the team and before the human could defend himself his jugular was severed and he slowly bleed to death on the floor. He watched his comrades tear the Cornerian, literally, with their bare hands; the screaming and blasphemous cursing a terrible thing to hear.
His fellow Kasrkrin averted his eyes as he solemnly aimed his hellgun at his head and pulled the trigger, giving him a quicker, less suffocating death. The Kasrkrin bowed his head to the corpse briefly, before the team moved forward and left the change rooms through the door leading into a hallway. More cultists waited for them, blaster rifles, machine-guns and knives ready.
The Techmarine raised his axe and cried out, "EMPEROR DAMN YOU ALL!"
One cultist poked his head from behind the cover of an overturned desk situated in the doorway leading into what appears to be a large communications room, and called back smirkingly, "YOU FIRST, MOTHERFUCKING OVEREVOLVED APES!"
The Terminators' bolters roared to life and shredded that desk to pieces, causing the cultists in the hallway to scatter and dive towards other cover. The door leading into communications closed and locked, but didn't stop the Terminator who stepped forward and kicked it down, the door crushing an unfortunate cultist under it. As that Terminator stepped through into communications, the rest of the team pushed forward down the hallway, the Techmarine leading the charge.
The cultists fired their machine-guns at the Terminator, but doing so much as make him more zealous as well as dent his armour. He fired his storm bolter at the dozen cultists, destroying and breaking apart communication and radio equipment, taking precise aim at each one and filling each body with lead, one cultist having the side of his head blown off, the rest of his brain taking approximately ten seconds to die. One cultist charged at the Terminator, only to be backhanded into the steel wall, denting it and knocking him out.
Back in the hallway the Techmarine Sachiel charged forward and hurled his axe at the nearest cultists, embedding itself into his skull, where still charging Sachiel ripped the axe out and kicked the now-dead cultist's body to the ground. He then fired his boltpistol at more approaching cultists. Doors to the left and the right of him opened to reveal more charging cultists, these ones now clad in blood-splattered Cornerian army uniforms, with their blades raised. They were then promptly gunned down by the Kasrkrin, one of which charged forward and rifle-bashed a still standing cultist in the gut, before bringing the barrel of his hellgun under his jaw, firing and burning a hole through his head.
"Brothers!" Sachiel cried, "The shortest way to the bridge is through Operations…THIS WAY!"
----------
By this time the two other teams left the hangar area and begun their advance forward into the ship. Fox and his team went in charged through the second door on the left side of the hallway leading out of the hangar, their weapons at the ready and with Jacques in the lead, his psychically imbued Nemesis Force sword at the ready. This led to what appeared to be a large recreational area including pool table, arcade machines, pinball machine, a couple of a vending machines, a circular lounge suite. And a dozen cultists lying in wait, weapons drawn and seething madly and eager to spill blood.
Jacques focused and broadcasted a psychic shield around himself and his team as the cultists all fired wildly at them, both laser and bolter fire cracking away at them. He kept the shield up until Fox, Falco and the three Kaksrin could duck behind cover behind a soft, while he and the Kasrkrin stood their ground. Jacques let the shield drop and the enemy's laser and bullets made impact with their armour. Jacques turned to the side so that none of it struck his exposed head, gripping his sword tightly.
Just as the Terminators fired their storm bolters with Fox and Falco ducking in and out of cover and firing their respective weapons, Jacques opened with a mighty war cry…
"RAAAAAAARGGGGGHHHHHHHH!"
…which shocked the enemy cultists right down to the core (even startling Fox who felt his aim slip a bit) and charged forward with supernatural speed, his left arm blocking his head while his right held his head, which he proceeded to swing and render the pool table in half, exposing a cultist which he then swung again and sliced him across the chest, sending him falling sideways screaming.
Falco fired his plasma rifle and shot a cultist armed with a sniper rifle, singeing his headfur in the process of taking his life. Fox aimed down the sight of a his boltpistol and fired, a single shot through the neck of another cultist and tearing his throat to pieces, leaving him without much to support his canine head. The Terminators continued to fire their storm bolters, ripping cultists apart at the seam. Jacques swung his fist and sent another knife-wielding cultist flying and into a vending machine, shattering it. As cans of soda toppled out over the floor, another cultist armed with a minigun emerged out of another doorway besides the vending machines.
Immediately alarmed, Fox gripped his chainaxe and cried out, "LOOK OUT, JACQUES!"
The vulpine leapt from cover towards the cultist, as he was apart to pull the trigger and riddle the Grey Knights with holes from close range. Before Jacques could turn around to counter, Fox had already struck; taking the shocked cultist by surprise and slicing off both his hands with his chainaxe, the motorised blade whirring as Fox struck again. Quickly and painfully, he struck the cultist repeatedly in the neck with his axe, spraying blood all over, which covered both Fox and Jacques; the vulpine closing his eyes to avoid the warm red liquid from impairing his vision.
The Terminators and the Kasrkrin continued firing at the entrenched cultist, one of the purebred human pulling out a frag grenade and hurling it into the lounge suite. Jacques and Fox got to cover with the former's psychic shield up, which protected them as the frag went off and blew the remaining Cornerian cultists to pieces.
"Room secured!" one of the Kaskrin cried, "Commander, McCloud."
"Do we advance?" the Terminator queried, but not to either Fox or Jacques, "Lord Macragge?"
Proceed immediately, Brothers, came Calgar's response over the Terminators' vox.
Suddenly more cultist rushed in, this time carrying even more Cornerian heavy weaponry and causing Falco's to 'eep' quietly as he left cover, knowing there was no form of cover that would protect them from a couple of Demon launchers. Jacques turned to face them with coldness as ice that would take a firebomb to crack and melt, and which chilled these cultists hearts once again.
"AIM FOR HIM FIRST!" one of the cultists cried, "KILL…ARGH!"
Jacques closed his eyes and focused intensely, waves of psychic power stemming forth from him as he concentrated intensely, and with the cultists beginning to writhe, contort and scream in agony. Jacques then opened his eyes and mentally shot forward towards them a bombardment of pure psychic power, which was powerful enough to burn them all to a crisp, leaving their charred skeletons standing still for a few seconds before each crumpled to a heap on the ground.
Fox, Falco and the two Karskrin present felt their mouths agape in shock, while the Terminators too also felt surprised at seeing the deadly psychic attack performed before them against a team of heavy weapon carrying Cultists.
'The Holocaust power of the Grey Knights,' one of them thought, 'Only the combined power of a whole squad of Order 666 can perform such a feat and cause that much destruction amongst the Emperor's enemies.'
Jacques shook his head gently as he quickly cleared his mind and tapped himself out of the Warp, knowing that performing such a powerful, deadly technique could leave himself open to daemonic possession from the monstrosities that inhabited the Immaterium. To be honest, he completely surprised himself at knowing how to do an individual Holocaust attack with much success. He quickly deduced it would have been because of his short time unwillingly and unknowingly serving the Inquistion and instinctively remembering how to perform it.
He turned towards Fox and Falco, the both of them receiving a startled jolt at making eye contact with the now shining Grey Knight, his psychic power now flowing freely through him.
Jacques frowned, "Let us proceed. There is much work to be done."
Fox nodded quickly and nervously, "Y…yeah."
He raised his boltpistol with one hand, his other still gripping his acquisitioned chainaxe.
----------
At the same time as both Techmarine Sachiel and Jacques' teams advanced; Krystal, Katt and their Imperial escorts also advanced. The Cerinian with her staff up and the feline with her pulse carbine ready and still loaded. They had met no resistance when they breached out of the hangar into the ship and were now advancing down a corridor, the ceiling and the wall lights flickering on and off and the sounds of animal-like growling echoing down the hallway.
"Where are the Traitor Marines?" one of the Kasrkin wondered out loud, yet keeping his voice soft and directly it towards Krystal, "They should be charging forward right now."
"If they haven't gone MIA yet, soldier," Katt responded, carbine aimed down at the corridor, "And that'll make getting Toad-man out all the more easier."
Suddenly door all around them opened up and cultists swarmed in and surrounded them, aiming blasters and laspistols at the team and holding swords to their throats. The Kasrkrin felt their breathing cease with anxiety, the Terminators felt their hearts beginning to pump the adrenalin faster while Katt cursed herself for once again speaking too soon. Krystal on the other hand felt his hands squeeze her staff tightly, a mean looking frown on her face.
She felt a laspistol touch the nape of her neck and a cruel voice whisper into ear courtesy of a canine cultist, "Don't even try it, heathen."
Instead of looking worried or shocked, Krystal found herself smiling quaintly, surprising the cultist. She loosened her hold on her staff…
"You mean THIS?"
…then swung it with all her might and struck the cultist across the forehead, knocking him down on his back. Katt and the others sprung into action as well, with one of the Terminators immediately reaching for the head of the nearest cultist, causing him to drop his weapon…
"ARGHHHH!"
…as he lifted him into the air and slammed his skull into the steel wall, sending his brain slamming forward into the front of his skull and killing him instantly, blooding pouring out of his eyes, mouth and nose. Both Kasrkrin who had blaster trained at their heads quickly jerked their heads out of harms way as the cultist pulled the trigger. One of the elite commandoes raised his hellgun (with attached underslung grenade launcher) and fired into the cultist's chest, melting a large hole in him, which exposed all of his torso region and his vital organs.
"HOW D'YA LIKE THIS, WARPED FURBALL?" the Kasrkin laughed, before kicking the cultist through the door into the next room…
…which the body splattered into pieces as it hit the floor. The Kasrkin saw other cultist into the room, which appeared to be the forward pilots' barracks, and loaded up his grenade launcher and let one projectile fly, taking them all out and sending weapons, blood and body parts flying and staining the area red.
All this time Katt was giving her own attackers hell, first by having kicked on straight in the crotch and incapacitating him, before kicking him again in the windpipe and putting him down for good. Just as the other cultist swung at her, she dodged and kicked him in the hand and relieving her of his weapon. Then holding her carbine with one hand she raised it to the cultist's head and fired…with one flash of blue later there was nothing on top of the cultist's smoking neck. The body then slumped on it's knees, before falling backwards.
"Seriously," Katt cried, "I don't know how much more close-quarter combat I can take."
"Tell me about it," the other Kasrkrin groaned, looking down at the body whose arms he had atomised with his plasma gun, then turned to the two Terminators, "Perhaps you should be up at the front."
"Fair enough," one of the Terminators responded, "Make way."
Krystal, Katt and the two Kasrkrin stood aside to allow the Terminators to lead them, which was just as well as more cultists charged down the hallway. The Terminators wasted no time in opening up with their storm bolters and cutting them down to shreds, the sight of so much blood and gore working wonders on Krystal's stomach, despite not having to have a bite to eat since yesterday, and the fragility that was her spirit.
She had never seen so much blood spilled in one setting before, but then again she had never seen the full extent of the brutality humanity fought with itself – The fascist technocratic Imperium against the Warp-maddened, daemonic Forces of Chaos. Apart from a certain Grey Knight, there were hardly any humans from the Imperium that had any redeemable qualities (as far as she knew) and the humans that served Chaos were rotten to the core.
She nearly jumped when she felt a paw on her shoulder. She turned to see that it was Katt, still holding her smoking carbine with one hand. She said, "You chose a good time to start pondering again, Krys."
"Sorry," Krystal responded sheepishly, then suddenly sounding ill, "Just…so much blood…"
The Terminators overhead her saying that, one of whom turned his head to the side a bit in case she continued to speak of her discomfort for graphic violence, which she didn't.
'The Cerinians were always the peaceful warriors,' he thought, 'Peaceful, yet brutal in the stench of war.'
Krystal recuperated and gripped his staff, "Let's keep going."
"What I was going to say," one of the Kasrkrin said, "Let's g…eh?"
Suddenly Krystal screamed in pain as she suddenly felt a stinging pain slam itself into her head. She let go of her staff to grip her throbbing head, as if something was trying to burrow into her skull. She begun to breathe in and out harshly, trying to keep calm but to no avail, as the pain was so great tears were now falling from her eyes. She closed her eyes to try and stem the flow as she realised that not only was her physical body in pain…
But her mind and soul were being ravaged as well.
So much blood you say, Cerinian? Once again a cruel voice spoke in her head, Well, in the coming days of our crusade, blood will flows like rivers emptying out into a vast sea of red.
"No!" she exclaimed, having fallen down and now sitting on the ground, still gripping her head, he eyes now open but red veins now sprouting on her once beautiful blue globes.
"What's going on with her?" one of the Kasrkrin cried, looking down at her surprised, not knowing what to do.
"By the Emperor!" the other Kasrkrin shouted out loud, "She is being possessed! I've seen this before!"
He lowered his plasma gun at her forehead and prepared to fire, alarming Katt.
"We must kill her before the daemon takes hold!"
"OUTTA THE FUCKING QUESTION!"
Katt punched the Karskrin across his helmed face, stunning him. Her fist stung a bit from the impact as she she got on her knees and held Krystal by her shoulders, shaking her gently.
"Krystal, listen to me," she said quickly, "Can you fight it off? YOU HAVE TO FIGHT IT OFF, KRYSTAL?"
Krystal's eyes went blank as she suddenly lost all control of her body and slumped onto the floor like a rag doll, panicking Katt. The Terminators turned around, where if one was to look through the folds of their massive armour and elongated helmets they would see they didn't look surprised that this was happened, but were nonetheless concerned. Katt looked behind herself at the Terminators.
"What's happened to her?" she queried loudly, "Answer me!"
The Terminator stood over and looked down over them, "Her mind has been penetrated by a omnipresent psychic presence, possibly a Sorcerer. He is capable of entering the mind of anyone who has a presence within the Warp. And her species having an intimate history with the other side…"
He suddenly sounded smug, which only made Katt madder.
"…I would not be surprised."
Katt reached over and held up the now catatonic Krystal up by the shoulder, making sure she leant on him, and still glaring in anger at the Terminator over his heartless words. To the pinkish feline there was no way that Krystal, and the Cerininan race, would have anything to do with the power of Chaos. If they had made contact with the godless creatures and minions to crawl out of the Immaterium, it would have been drive them back into that Hell.
"Just…out of interest of not slowing you down," Katt seethed, "I'm taking her to the infirmary. I know the way around these Cornerian junks, it's just around the corner."
"That is a good idea to suggest," the Terminator responded, "Though I doubt she will last, as it is not her mind that is being afflicted, but her mind."
"Oh, give it a rest, will ya?" the plasma-gun carrying Karskrin scorned, before holding Krystal up by her left side so that she rested between him and Katt, "Cain, cover us will you?"
"You got it," the other Kasrkrin known as Cain responded, raising his hellgun with attached grenade launcher, then turned to the Terminators, "We'll secure the Infirmary, then catch up with you."
"By all means," the same Terminator continued, "If the Warp takes her, we best be as far away from her as possible."
'Stuff what you said up your metal backside,' Cain suddenly thought niggly, 'If one knows the Archon, he won't let his charge fall to the Ruinous Powers.'
----------
Fox keep his finger tightened on the metal trigger of his boltpistol, sending a hail of lead towards a cultist charging at him with a knife, sending him falling forward at his feet. He then kicked him across the head to finish him off before stepping forward and kicking another charging cultist, before raising his boltpistol again to score a headshot against another Cornerian cultist before he could fire his laspistol himself.
He, Jacques, Falco and the other humans with them – Kasrkrin and Terminator, fought their way through the ship towards Slippy's position, as according to Jacques who could sense him another deck up and they made their way towards a elevator or staircase. The Techmarine's team would remain on this deck as the bridge and the ship's computer were located here, and Krystal would hopefully link up with them as well. Fox mentally kicked himself as he realised he should be staying close to her, unaware that Jacques was sharing the same sentiments, but both realising that she was capable of holding her own in a fight.
Fox felt blood splatter his back courtesy of Jacques hacking down another cultist that tried to attack Fox from behind once again. Fox growled in frustration, believing that no amount of hot water and soap courtesy of a shower was going to cleanse him of all this filth. He barged into another room boltpistol blazing followed by his comrades, where they proceeded to lay waste to the cultists in the room, cutting them all down.
After their guns went dead, Jacques noted, "I figured we would be confronting Traitor Marines on this vessel. Did we not encounter them in the hangar?"
That you did, Mortensen, Calgar spoke over Jacques' vox communicator, But it would seem they have transported themselves of the ship, as we are receiving reports of skirmishes on board the Beltino station, and detecting plasma fire originating from your Tau allies' craft.
Jacques cursed out loud as they ran out of the room and continued through the ship "Damnation…!"
He paused to shoulder charge a pitbull cultist and drive his sword through his chest, before pulling it out to slice down the middle another cultist. He then brought the back of his elbow against the pitbull and dislodged his head from his neck, killing him instantly and sending him falling down.
Do not be concerned, Calgar continued, Since they are few in number, they will be dispatched soon enough.
"Yeah?" Fox barked, still firing his boltpistol as they continued to move through the ship, "But not before causing as much damage as they possibly can."
That's just their prerogative, McCloud, Sturnn now voxed to Fox through his own communicator, We've lost ten men already, but I think the traitors are realising they won't be putting up much of a fight much longer…GAH!"They could hear the sounds of lightning claws piercing through power armor, followed by the splattering of blood and the hacking of flesh and body parts. Falco's face contorted in disgust as he continued firing, realizing that soon enough they had just taken out every Tainted Cornerian cultist on the deck.
As I was saying, we're getting close to the control room, and securing the station for good.
"You do that," Fox said, "And keep your guns trained on the Chaotic bastards and not on any civvies."
We don't plan on wasting our ammo on defenseless creatures, Sturnn responded gruffly, At least until you betray us.
Falco sniggered and retorted, "Heh, hope you don't bet on the wrong horse, General."
The avian then aimed his rifle and discharged plasma into another cultists, where it bored right through him and struck the forehead of another, vaporizing the top part of his head. Disgusted that the first cultist wasn't dead, he fired again at his forehead, finishing him off. Another cultist lunged at him with his blade, which Falco gripped his rifle with two hands and used it to block the Cornerian's blow, before he rushed forward and pinned the cultist to the wall along with his hands. He then slammed his knee into his gut, knocking the wind out of the cultist, then holding the gun with one hand aimed at his face and fired, killing him.
He felt a feathered hand grab him by the shoulder and spin him around, putting his blade against his throat. Falco's angered face turned to unaccustomed horror when he found himself starting into the black, pupil less eyes of another blue eagle avian, who was dressed in black cultist robes with black lined etchings on his cheeks. The cultist avian smiled at Falco's abstract terror.
"Hello, brother," the avian grinned, "I never thought to see another avian ever again."
Falco quickly swallowed his fear, noticing the Terminator approaching from behind, "I'm not your brother, freak."
He hated himself for saying those words, and closed his eyes tightly, not wanting to see what was about to happen to his misplaced fellow avian. The Terminator fired his storm bolter and blew both avian's feet off, sending him falling backwards and staring upwards at the Terminator, who aimed his bolter at his chest and fired, blood and ribs flying upwards into the Terminator's armored face. Falco opened his eyes and refrained from looking down at the horror-stricken dead avian.
"You do not plan on thanking me?" the Terminator surprisingly asked.
Falco replied discontentedly as he raised his plasma rifle and wiped the blood from his eyes with the back of his hand, "Don't count on it."
Fox glared over at Falco and how he gave his swift retort, then noticed that Jacques with a look of pained discontent on his scarred face, holding his blood-soaked sword with both hands in the process of driving it through a cultist's chest, having stopped inches from his body. The blood in the cultist's face had drained itself out through his fear, and that both his legs were missing and were losing blood. Guessing that Jacques was going to finish him off, Fox aimed at the cultist's head and fired, giving him a more timely death. This broke Jacques from his trance, as he turned to face Fox, who eyes were narrowed in confusion.
"What's wrong? Fox asked, feeling it was safe to ask as the area was secured.
Jacques exhaled roughly, Fox swearing he could see fear in Jacques' eyes, "I…I sense a foul presence in the Warp, Fox…"
He then turned to face the avian.
"…Falco."
"Huh?" Falco reacted, "What is it now?"
"What else can you sense, brother?" one of the Terminators queried, stepping up to him.
Jacques closed his eyes and focused, shuddering roughly as he heard what appeared to be a feminine cry of agony drift along the torrents of Warp-driven energy emanating from the unseen realm of the Immaterium. He gasped out loud when he recognised the tone of voice that scream belong to, startling those around him. One of the Karskrin cried out…
"WHAT? WHAT IS IT, SIR?"
"It's Krystal!" Jacques exclaimed, eyes shot open in horror, "Her mind is being violated by a Chaotic force on board!"
Fox panicked, immediately taking Jacques' word for it, "Oh, God…Krystal!"
He immediately reached for his communicator…
"KRYSTAL, KATT!" he shouted, "PICK UP, NOW!"
I'm here! Katt exclaimed from the other line, And no need to shout for God's sake!
"What's happened to Krystal?"
I dunno, Katt responded, But tincan here suggests she's being possessed. I'm moving her to an infirmary and holding up.
Fox switched off the communicator to get down on one knee and hold his head with his left hand in distress, breathing harshly through clinched teeth. To him this wasn't happening, that the love of his life was being hurt, and that there was nothing that he could do about it. Jacques saw his look of pang and frowned, believing he should be the only person to be feeling what he does, but believing he can do something about it.
"Come on, Fox!" he exclaimed and grabbed Fox by the arms, lifting him back on his feet, "Falco, brothers…"
Falco, the Terminators and the Kaskrin followed close behind, with Fox being dragged by the arm. He regained his senses and immediately cried, "HEY! What the hell are you doing, Jacques?"
They came across another door, which Jacques immediately kicked down to reveal a square room with an elevator situated beside a twirling staircase going up a floor. Jacques smiled and let go of Fox's arm. He then proceed to grip his sword with his both his hands and point the blade at the floor, where he got down on both his knees as if about to pray.
"Jacques?" Falco asked, "What ARE you doing now?"
"Proceed upwards and rescue Slippy," Jacques instructed, "I will stay here."
"And do what?" Fox demanded, rubbing his now aching arm.
Jacques studied him closely, "I will honor my vow to the person we both hold dear, McCloud."
Fox was about to open his mouth again when one of the Terminator's stepped up and looked down at him. He proceeded to say, almost reminding, "You do realise the risks involved in psychic warfare, Brother Mortensen?"
Jacques glanced up at him and responded, "I do, Brother Terminator."
"Nevertheless," the Terminator continued, "I will stay here and see to it that if you fall, then I will quickly dispose of you."
"I concur," Jacques responded, "And to cover me should any of Chaos' minions come our way?"
"That I will do, brother."
"Hey!"
The Terminator and Jacques turned to face the slightly overwhelmed vulpine, whose eyes were crossed in confusion.
"Can I ask what you were just talking about?" Fox queried, scratching his head fur, "You lost me at both 'psychic' and 'warfare.'"
Jacques sighed, believing that this wasn't much time for explanation. He simply said, "I will defend Krystal to the end Fox McCloud…should I fall in battle and Chaos takes her away for the last time. You must go now."
Alarmed at those words, Fox cried, "But…"
"GO, NOW!" Jacques shouted, then suddenly gritted his teeth, clinched the handle of his blade tightly, and entered some sort of trance as his eyes closed slowly and he remained still in his kneeling position.
Falco grabbed his rifle and stepped up to a startled Fox, "I think we should go, Fox. Something tells me we won't like what we might see."
"The bird's right," one of the Kasrkrin said, hellgun raised with one hand, "Let's go save the frog."
"If we must," the other Terminator said, then to his brother Terminator, "Keep Mortensen safe. Lord Macragge demands it. Emperor protect you."
He then made his way up the stairs, followed by the Kasrkrin. Falco and Fox hesitantly followed, with the both of them making their way up five steps before turning around to see Jacques, still kneeling there unmoving. Fox eyes softened with concern as how as family member should feel. Even thought Jacques wasn't of his blood, he was now more like a big brother to him. Falco, through his respect for him as a member of Star Fox, silently wished he would survive.
Fox bit his lip as he eyes narrowed at the Ultramarine-turned-Grey Knight, 'You better survive, Jacques. If you don't, I'll have something to say to you in the next life.'
----------
Katt gently laid Krystal, still gripped by catatonia, on a medical gurney in the infirmary and moved the back of her hand against the vixens, hoping that she could feel it and show some proof of life apart from her ragged breathing and her twitching, yet closed eyes. She looked over to see the Kaskrin covering the doorway while massive gunfire echoed outside.
"Looks like they're up for Round 2, Monroe," the plasma-gun wielding Kasrkrin cried, gun trained on the doorway, he then looked over at Krystal and narrowed his eyes, "You won't be slapping me across the face again once the Cerinian turns on us."
Katt looked over at him and hissed, "Eyes on the door, human."
The Kaskrin gave a throaty growl, before his head turned to face the door again as it opened, and one of the Terminator stood there.
"You two stay here and hold this room," the Terminator ordered, "In case the Cerinian is taken and must be put down quickly."
Katt frowned and bitterly thought, 'Put down? Are we like beasts to you, Space Marine?'
"Fair enough," the hellgun-carrying Kasrkrin agreed.
The Terminator turned away from the door to continue firing his storm bolter down the hallway, and stepped away from view as the door closed. Both Kaskrin glimpsed at one another and exhaled with slight exhaustion. Katt looked back at the stricken vixen and wished that there was something that she could do for her, the idea of killing her tormentor immediately springing to mind. But he could be anywhere on this ship, Lylat, the universe or even sitting back somewhere in the Immaterium.
She shook her head with hints of fatalism, speaking softly, "What now?"
----------
"Uhhhhh…."
The young vixen moaned as she found herself lying on her side in what appeared to be a dark void. She moved her paw to her face to rub her eyes, trying to focus her eyes in this strange and mysterious darkness. She was immediately startled when…
"Wha…?
…she found herself to be completely stripped of her blue flight suit, revealing her beautifully trimmed physical form to the air of this place. She rubbed her forehead, realising that it was painful to touch. As she struggled to stand, she quickly recollected her thoughts and the last thing she remembered; that she and her allies had been fighting their way through the ship, silencing any Cornerian cultist that got in their way. Then suddenly something appeared to have penetrated into her mind.
Burning pain followed by abrupt silence…then transported here to this place.
When she managed to stand up on her own two feet, she immediately wrapped her arms around her bare chest, feeling the cold make her blue hair and fur stand on end. She gritted her teeth in an attempt to stop them chattering, trying to salvage some self-respect and dignity. She didn't jump or was even startled when she once again heard cruel laughter echo around her. Instead she moved her arms away from herself and clinched her fists, a look of unsure ferocity now crossing her features as she turned around to find the Night Lord Sorcerer standing some distance away, staff in hand.
"Well," the Sorcerer begun smirkingly, "You're a pretty little thing aren't you? Doubtless that the followers of Slaanesh, human and kemono, would lust over you."
Unconcerned about his eyes trailing up and down her, she hissed softly, somewhat still feeling insecure and scared, "What have you done to me, Sorcerer? Where are we"
The Sorcerer laughed, "Ha! You do not recognise where we are?"
"Should I?"
"The two of us are within the growing void of your mind, Princess," the Sorcerer explained, sounding deviously, "And here is where you will finally see the truth."
Krystal was now frustrated as well as defiant. Frustrated that they maintain that their word of death, despair, hell and Chaos was, in their eyes, most holy and the path that humanity was meant to follow; though by the end of their crusade there would possibly be nothing left.
"Truth?"
Instinctively she adapted a battle stance adapted from watching Fox's sessions in the Simulator back on the Great Fox, fists still clinched and ready to pounce.
"Your 'truth' is evil, Sorcerer!" Krystal exclaimed bitterly, "Why can't you people see that?"
"Evil?" the Sorcerer responded, startling Krystal as he sounded shocked, "What do you think you are fighting beside to save your pitiful system?"
Krystal glared, "You will not speak of Jacques like that!"
"Besides your precious Jacques, then?" the Sorcerer added, "The Imperium? Their pitiful Administratum and overbearing Inquisition will be the end of humanity. I know that you have heard of their crimes against there own people."
"And you suggest selling our souls to the Dark Gods as an alternative?"
The Sorcerer sighed, "Now you bore me with your ignorance and naivety, girl."
The Sorcerer eyes illuminated a sick purple as he stretched his arms across, staff in hand also glowing. Krystal swore she saw his frown melt through his helm as he suddenly begun to glow and distort, swirling amounts of energy surging around him, contorting and twisting his body around. The air in the area felt like it was being sucked into him as blew past her, causing her to drop her melee stance and instance as she gasped.
The Sorcerer then slowly began to transform himself into a nightmare creature. Horror crossed Krystal's face as the Sorcerer grew in length, where his two feet turned into horse hooves, what appeared to be two muscled arms with crab-like pincers erupt from his back and his head elongated and morphed into that of a pointy-eared horse with long arms. He two original arms bulged with muscle, his right arms brandishing a large daemon sword. The plating of his armour had given way and broke off due to his transformation, revealing the creature's chest and breasts.
The very sight of this purple/pinkish white androgynous abomination sent chills up Krystal's spine, as she recognised that it was a Greater Daemon of the Prince of Excess, the Chaos God of Pleasure - Slaanesh.
It was known as the Keeper of Secrets, the creature – like it's namesake – could know anyone's most sensuous desires, and use it against them.
Krystal attempted to step away, only to somehow trip and fall on her back. The Keeper growled and trampled forward, claws nipping and snapping away instinctively and swinging his sword arm. The Cerinian felt her strength and her bravery fade away as the Sorcerer, masquerading as the Keeper, begun to pry deeper into her mind, feeding off her negative emotions of helplessness and sadness; as well as the knowledge that nobody would be coming to save her now.
Krystal felt tears sting her eyes, which fuelled the Sorcerer's glee. He chuckled, speaking directly into her mind from within his burrowed daemonic form, "Do not cry, dear Cerninian…"
The Keeper raised it's sword.
"…it will all be over soon."
Suddenly the Keeper was struck upside the head by an spinning, airborne force which came at it from behind, leaving a massive scar at the side of it's head. It screamed in pain and recoiled away from the helpless Krystal was amazed at what was now standing before her, panting gently as he was consumed with rage which shown through his narrowed, green eyes.
Krystal recognised this new combatant as a Cerinian Royal Guard, which can be only be described as a creature of pure beauty on par with Krystal herself. A male of her race, he looked almost the same as her with the identical tribal tattoos on his arms and on his left leg. But unlike her he had more masculine body features – A slightly longer snout, his muscular yet athletic exterior including tightly-muscled chest, arms and six-pack abs; his slightly larger height and the fact there was only his loincloth that covered his manly 'extremities'. In other terms of clothing he wore gold-encrusted shoulder and arm guards and a blue, a gold-coloured cape lined with red, fastened with a gold brooch around his neck, leaving his well-shaped torso exposed. And he was armed with a staff identical to Krystal's.
The mysterious Cerinian warrior looked over his shoulder at Krystal, not bothered about the fact she was completely naked, allowing her to look up at him and into his vulpine green eyes. She immediately calmed down and breathed easier, which it was then she recognised the male Cerinian's presence in the Warp and was once again amazed and also alarmed at whom had managed to also step into her mind.
"Jacques!"
He nodded apologetically and his eyes softened as he said, "I am sorry to have breached into your mind like this, Krystal."
He then looked back at the Sorcerer masquerading as the Greater Daemon Keeper of Secrets and glared daggers at the abomination, where one could see nearly see deadly fire brewing in his eyes. He then twirled his staff around with his left hand, before moving it over to his right and spun it faster, then passed it back over to his left hand and gripped the weapon and held it tightly and stopped it's movements. Then holding the staff with both hands, he thrust his hands forward with a grunt. Finally with one hand he drove the blunt point into the ground and putting his free hand against his right hip. He then growled loudly like the fox he imagined himself to be, as if to intimidate his much larger foe.
Krystal remembered those manoeuvres as part of how a Cerinian male warrior challenges his rival to mortal combat, a little war dance to initiate a battle akin to that of a duel. Reasons for doing so would be over the martial pride and honour of that warrior's clan, and always during these duels only one man would emerge as both the victor and the survivor. While Cerinians fight only when they have to and always for honour with the highest of courage, the men have always fought more brutally than the women have.
The Sorcerer/Keeper snorted and chuckled deeply, "I will assume that is you, Jacques Mortensen, pretending to be something lower than yourself: A Cerinian male. The same men who failed to protect their women and children during the Ork's cleansing of that world."
'Jacques' bared his sharp vulpine teeth as he seethed, barely keeping his anger in check upon hearing him curse the Cerinian name. He said softly and rather calmly, "I will make you regret those words, Sorcerer."
He then roared with intense rage, where Krystal swore she saw his eyes glow red for a second…
"BUT I WILL MAKE YOU SUFFER FOR WHAT YOU HAVE DONE TO MY KRYSTAL! MARK MY WORDS, YOU WILL SUFFER"
The Sorcerer flexed his four arms, his pincer arms poised to strike while he held his Chaos blade with both hands. He then charged forward and brought his sword down on both 'Jacques' and Krystal. The Grey Knight/Cerinian grabbed Krystal's wrist and dove out of the way, the feeling of the 'daemon's' blade hitting the ground of her mind giving her a sudden jolt and removing all traces of delirium and helplessness.
Both Cerinians hopped back onto their feet, with Krystal imagining herself armed with her own staff and dressed in her traditional tribal gear – Bikini, loincloth, arm and shoulder guards. 'Jacques' immediately saw her somewhat fully clothed and armed with her staff and immediately reasoned she had regained control of her mind. Now all they had to do was to get rid of this intruder.
Krystal gripped her staff firmly and growled menacingly, "Get out of my mind, Sorcerer!"
She swore she saw the Sorcerer/Keeper's horse-like face twist itself into a grin, "Not until I bring you back down to your knees…"
He then turned to 'Jacques'.
"…and destroy your mind within the depths of your beloved."
'Jacques' charged forward crying out…
"YOU WILL NOT, HERETIC!"
…and leapt into the air, delivering another staff strike to the side of the Sorcerer/Keeper's face, while Krystal fired off a volley of flame shot directly into his chest, stunning the Sorcerer and allowing Krystal go at it melee, she jumped forward, leapt off the 'daemon's knee and severed his left arm off. The arm cluttered to the ground and immediately dissipated as atomised blood.
The Sorcerer/Keeper spat out a litany of unintelligible curses and decked Krystal's with his fist holding his sword. She fell flat on her back down on the ground. The 'daemon' then put his foot out to stomp her when 'Jacques' struck again, throwing his own weight against the Sorcerer/Keeper to knock it off balance and allowing Krystal to get back up. The Sorcerer shot forward with his larger pincer at the 'Cerinian male', who parried with his staff against the abomination and fired his ice blaster at it's left leg and turning it into a block of ice.
The 'daemon' quickly and violently shattered the ice with his right pincer, surprising 'Jacques' immensely. He then swung his staff and sliced the 'daemon' across the chest, which retaliated by smacking the 'Cerinian make' with the stump that used to be his left sword arm, sending him recoiling backwards and effectively knocking the stars out of him.
"Jacques!" Krystal exclaimed distressfully as rejoined the fight and charged.
The Sorcerer/Keeper swung his sword at her, but she bent her torso back to dodge the blow, the blade skimming across her chest and head. She then drove her staff point into the beast's belly, and it let out a fierce holler. He swung his free pincer hand as she pulled her staff out, she then performed a cartwheel backward to avoid his counter-attack. 'Jacques' was on the attack again as he came at the 'daemon' from behind and leapt up onto his back, where he drove his staff into the 'daemon's' back, and where his spine should be.
Instead of screaming out in pain, the Sorcerer masquerading as the daemon sniggered, "You are a very quick, little thing Jacques. I suppose that is why you chose to imagine yourself as a nubile Royal Guard against a Greater Daemon like myself."
"You supposed right, heretic," 'Jacques' smirked, showing his sharp fangs, "Now you will face your death here, and in the material reality at the same time!"
Krystal saw the exchange between then as she recovered herself and aimed her staff at 'daemon', preparing to fire off a energy blast as soon as 'Jacques' got off the monster's back. But suddenly the 'daemon' smiled widely and immediately disappeared in a puff of grey smoke, revealing the Night Lord Sorcerer standing in his place, with 'Jacques' still floating in the air above him.
The Sorcerer suddenly spun around and fired crimson warp lightning from his hands, which engulfed 'Jacques', who cried out in pain as he felt like his whole body was set on fire as what little clothing he had on was seared off and turned into ash. He fell back down to the ground naked and on his back, his arms stretched out, but still clutching his staff. Krystal quickly fired a blast of blue energy at the Sorcerer, who parried with his own Bedlam staff and deflected the blast back at Krystal, who swerved her body to the side to avoid it, before she saw the Sorcerer lash out at her with his staff.
She swung her staff and blocked his melee attack, catching a glimpse of a barely conscious 'Jacques' who attempted to get back up. She tried her best to not be distracted by his imaginary Cerinian form's nakedness, as this was the first time she had seen another one of her kind for almost an eternity, despite this whole setting taking place in her mind.
"My, the handsome male is something to gaze at, eh?" the Sorcerer mocked as he stretched his foot out to kick Krystal in the gut and knock her down once again.
He brought the Eye of his staff down at her. She gritted her teeth as she rolled out of harm's way of the Eye's harmful rays of Chaos energy, before thrusting her staff forward and driving her staff through his chest, where it protruded out the other end of his back. The Sorcerer felt his own smirk disappear, as anger took hold of him as he stepped backwards away from Krystal, the staff still lodged in his chest. As Krystal got back up, she saw 'Jacques' getting back onto his feet, immediately suppressing a blush as she saw him naked as a male Cerinian.
'Jacques' stepped forward towards the Sorcerer just as he turned around to face him. He reached forward to grab the staff still protruding out of the Sorcerer and yanked it out. The Sorcerer didn't have time to recuperate, as suddenly the Grey Knight/Cerinian male drove both staffs he carried through the Sorcerer's head, splattering brain and blood all over.
Krystal turned away from the hideous sight, horrified…
----------
…just as in real life the Sorcerer's mind, as well as his head, exploded; the matter splattering the small room and the Cornerian cultists present. Slippy would have freaked out as he felt pieces of brain hit him smack in the forehead, if he hadn't been smiling outwardly, believing that the Sorcerer had been defeated in his own little mind war with Krystal.
One of the cultists after wiping the blood of his face saw Slippy smiling and immediately smacked the poor frog across the face, wiping the smirk off. He then drew a blaster and aimed it at the frog's forehead.
"If we're not gettin' off this tub alive," the canine cultist seethed, "Neither are you, heathen fro…"
The sound of a heavy bolter letting loose was heard outside and stopped the cultist's motions as all eyes turned to the door. Outside a Chaos Marine Havoc gripped his heavy bolter tightly and held the trigger down the second he saw a wily vulpine dash up it. Fox had dove through the nearest door into another small bloodstained room, the corpse of it's previous canine prisoner sprawled out on the floor, having bled out from the stumps that used to be his arms and legs.
Fox ignored the sight and the smell and gripped his boltpistol. He stuck his head out from the doorway looking down the hall towards the Chaos Marine and the steel door he was guarding. He quickly fired his pistol, the bolt piercing through the Marine's hand, which held the large high-calibre gun. He dropped the heavy bolter and was rendered defenceless as the Terminator now appeared from the staircase and fired, his storm bolts filling the Chaos Marine Havoc's head full of hulls.
Fox broke cover…
'Here I come, Slippy…'
…and charged down the hallway just as the Chaos Marine toppled backwards into the doorway and bringing it, his corpse laying on top of it on the floor. Fox McCloud dove forward into the room, boltgun still drawn. When he landed on knee he was shocked to see Slippy, his face bruised, tied to a chair with four cultists hanging around, one of which had a blaster trained on Slippy's head. And the still standing body of a headless Sorcerer, comically still holding his staff.
Giving into his instincts, Fox fired his boltpistol semi-automatic and riddled the cultist's with holes, the armed cultist feeling his gun-hand get blown off before being shot in the crutch and dying ten seconds later from the shock. Fox was now exhaling loudly, just as the Terminator present spoke into his vox communicator.
"We have found the amphibian," the Terminator reported, "Secondary objective accomplished."
Fox stood up and found Slippy was smiling at him oddly. Fox queered his eyebrows as he ejected the emoty clip from his boltpistol.
"H…hey Fox," Slippy had to greet, "Nice of you to drop by."
Fox smiled back as he stepped behind Fox to untie him, nonchalantly replying, "Figured it was about time we paid a visit."
Slippy rubbed his wrists, quickly asking alarmed, "My dad? Amanda?"
They're fine, Toad, Sturnn reported over Fox's communicator, Tigerius, have you hacked into the ship's computer yet?
Brother Sachiel is splicing the computer as we speak, General, the Chief Librarian responded, We will soon have every detail of the Despoiler's involvement here in Lylat, and then we will blow this hulk to the Kemono's scorching hell.
"Nicely said," Fox noted annoyed, "Now. About Jacques and Krystal?"
----------
Krystal, with her back still turned to 'Jacques' and the splattered corpse of the Sorcerer, moved her arms around herself as she closed her eyes and begun to sob quietly, feeling the cold and discontent return to her with full force. She felt like was about to completely lose her senses in this strange place, which the Sorcerer had referred to it as her mind being slowly corrupted by the Warp. She never thought she would ever go face to face with another Greater Daemon, and with it being a figment of the Sorcerer's imagination and within her own damn mind was just too much to bear.
"Krystal?"
Her eyes shot open as she felt two furry paws grasp her shoulders in a comforting matter, feeling hot breath against the back of her neck. She turned her head to the side to see that it was Jacques still as the Cerinian male Royal Guard and that he was smiling gently, his staff sheathed on his back. Krystal moved her right hand to her left shoulder to grasp his hand and squeezing it gently.
"Your mind is clear now," 'Jacques' stated, "The Night Lord Sorcerer can not harm you, or anyone else ever again."
Krystal nodded and turned to face him fully, seeing his face and torso covered in the Sorcerer's blood; suppressing a blush as she forced herself to look only into his eyes and now on his nakedness. This time she wasn't turned off by the sight, rather it relieved her to see that her protector was all right and had removed the intruder from her consciousness. 'Jacques' removed his staff from his back and tossed it aside, where it turned into atomised fragments and dissipated.
"It is time we both returned to reality," Jacques added, letting go of her hand.
Krystal eyes still softened, "How do we do that?"
He smiled warmly and peered in close, whispering gently into her ear, "Close your eyes."
That Krystal did…
----------
…and found herself returned to reality, lying on her side on the cold, steel floor of the battlecruiser's medical centre, with Katt standing by her side with her blaster drawn and trained on the door. Krystal moved her hands, finding out she still had her staff in her hand, and moaned gently, which caught Katt's annoyed, yet joyously relieved attention.
"Oh!" she exclaimed with mock annoyance, looking down at her and away from the door, "Did you enjoy your nap?"
The door suddenly opened and a axe-wielding cultist rushed in. Krystal raised her staff and projected a fire at him, setting him on fire and flying back out into the hallway to hastily burn to death. Krystal narrowed her eyes and used her staff as leverage to help herself up on to her feet.
She sighed, "It could have been better. Where's Fox and the others?"
I'm here, Krys, Fox said over the com, which greatly relieved Krystal, And we've got Slippy here.
"Is he alright?"
Yep, apart from a bruised face courtesy of an ironhanded bitch slap, I'm all right, Slippy interrupted and squealed happily.Krystal smiled, glad to hear that annoying, yet friendly voice, "Slippy."
Hi Krystal, don't mean to sound chirpy in a heckhole like this, but it's good to hear your voice again."Likewise, Slippy. Where are you now?"
Fox spoke again, We're on our way to the bridge. The Marines, OUR Marines, have it under control. We just need to take care of the remaining cultists and we'll be on easy street from here on out.
"I understand, Fox," Krystal complied, then added with eyes downcast, "We should pray it will be a good 'out.'"
Meanwhile Jacques was still kneeling with his head bowed and the point of his sword still embedded in the floor. The Terminator still watched him quietly, still in his trance unmoving. The Terminator's vox beeped, causing him to lower his storm bolter.
Brother Terminator, came Tiberius over the vox, What of Brother Mortensen?
Jacques exhaled loudly and opened his eyes, before standing up and revealing his grim, yet determined face, still gripping his Nemesis Force sword. The Terminator Marine's eyes widened, somewhat speechless of him waking himself up right on time when asked for a status report. The Terminator however wasn't fazed for long.
"He has woken, Brother Librarian," the Terminator responded to the vox, before addressing Jacques, "Have you preserved the Cerininan?"
"I have," Jacques responded, "Now we must…"
"Get back to Krystal!"
Jacques and the Terminator turned to find Fox, Slippy and their team trailing down the staircase, Fox having called out to them. When Jacques was in Slippy's eyeshot, the frog comically shrieked out upon seeing him clad no longer in his familiar Ultramarine power armor but in Grey Knight Aegis Power armor, whose shining visage nearly blinded the poor frog.
"Jacques?" Slippy cried out, shielding his eyes as his armor shined brightly for a brief second.
Jacques smiled, "Slippy."
"You…you can't be Jacques," Slippy stuttered in disbelief which caused Jacques to drop his smile, observing him closely, the next thing that caught his eye was the '7' shaped scar on the side of his face. He suddenly became angry as he clinched his fists and blurted, "What have you done with Jacques?"
Fox was alarmed and backed away from the fuming frog, "Slippy? What's wrong with you?"
"Hey, is Slippy being angry?" Falco called out as he ran down the stairs into view, "Slippy?"Jacques stepped forward towards the stairs where Fox, Slippy and Falco stood; then suddenly Slippy snatched Fox's boltpistol from his hand and aimed it at Jacques' head, his finger immediately skimming the pistol's trigger, getting a feel for the human-made metal. Fox felt his heart pound painfully in his chest as he saw, of all people, Slippy threatening Jacques. Falco looked at his friend and teammate with disbelief as well, while the Terminators and the Kasrkrin all trained their weapons at the frog, preparing to put him down should he dare pull the trigger.
Slippy glared, "What the hell are you, human? Why do you look like Jacques Mortensen? WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH HIM?"
Jacques looked at Slippy softly, a trace of sadness crossing his face; not expecting someone formally so high-spirited, uplifting and somewhat docile to act like this. Somehow he couldn't blame him, but then again who would? Especially if Slippy had heard of the Inquisition's indiscretions towards both aliens and humans in the past, which should be pointed out that Jacques never discussed the topic of the Imperial Inquisition with Slippy.
What's going on over there? Sturnn's voice came over Fox's communicator, Situation?
Still standing beside Slippy, Fox answered his communicator with one word, "Complicated."
----------
Sturnn's look surprised as he was given his answer, completely forgetting about the gunfire around him as he took cover behind a corner along with Plymouth and Beltino, the Commissar looking confused as well. He and Sturnn turned to each other and glanced questioningly.
"Complicated?" they both questioned.
----------
Jakob's communicator picked that last transmission up as well, as he and his fellow warriors traversed through the ship towards the engineering level of the Infinity. One of his guns in hand, his other had been holstered so that he could tap his communicator earpiece.
'Complicated?' he thought, 'Whatever could the vulpine mean?'
----------
"Complicated? It figures. Would you have expected the amphibian anthropomorphic to lash out at a friend, let alone point a weapon directly between his eyes?"
"If the Farseer is true to her words, then this is one of those times where he drops his docility in favour for behaviour typical to the mon'keigh."
"It is saddening that the peoples of Lylat are learning so much from the humans."
"And yet they will need each other by the end."
The two elf-like Eldar sat in the cockpit of their sleek, shiny and sharp-looking scout shuttle miles away from the battle at the Beltino Research Station. Safely hidden behind a holofield conviently disguising them as a large asteroid and themselves clad in black and white robes typical of Craftworld Ulthwe fielded Rangers. Though their masks were off, their hoods were up and obscured their heads and faces from view, it could be heard that one of them was a female.
The Ranger sitting on the left chair in the cockpit turned to the other, and spoke in a feminine voice, "Delanos, an alliance between the Lylatians and the Imperials will now come to fruition, on part thanks to the Archon."
Still looking out the crystalline frontal windows, the other Ranger known as Delanos responded, "But we have yet to see if it will last throughout the duration of this terrible war, Shira?"
"That is yet to be seen by our own eyes, Delanos my love," Shira responded, smiling gently as she pulled back her hood some in order for him to see it, letting some of her long reddish hair hang out. "Only the Farseer's eyes can look beyond the events playing out before us."
Delanos moved his hands forward to grab control of the mechanical reins that served as the ship's controls, "Then we must return back to the Wraith ship and alert her of her discoveries, where afterwards the Warhost will be assembled. Then we will take the next appropriate step."
Shira nodded, then queried, "When do you believe that we will reveal ourselves to this alliance?"
"When the Warhost dictates so. And even then it will be at the right time."
"But before then the Archon would have sensed our presence."
"And his other, the Winged Fox?"
"The Farseer said his time will come."
"And should we have faith in him?"
"We are yet to decide."
"What about the words of the Dreamer of Ulthwe?"
Shira was silent for a moment, realising he had just brought up the subject of her Taldeer and her 'visions', and what had happened ten years before. She turned back to Delanos and put a delicate hand over his own equally slender, yet masculine hand, "I…I can not be sure, and that makes me fearful."
Delanos looked at his partner gently, into her reddish orbs and could see and tell by her wavering voice that she was frightened, despite her confident exterior. He gave her a smile that mirrored that one she had given him and replied, "Do not be afraid. She can not fail again."
He then narrowed his eyes, as he felt discontented.
"The Archon and his retinue will see to that."
The Eldar scout shuttle dropped it's holofield and about turned and accelerated forward away into the blackness of space. If one were to travel to their position, either tapped into the Warp or not, they would vaguely hear echoes of their conversation, and could sense the strands of intelligence, determination and sadness that held those words together.
But since no one would be able to fly past the space leading towards Aquas and the Beltino Research Station in a long time that would never come to be.