Tales of the Amber Viper Chapter 55

Kerubim extended his gauntlet slowly, placing it on the trunk of a tree. It was barely higher than his head and less thick than his torso, a strange thing on this planet of kilometre high trees. Its bark was mottled and grey, withered and sickening. It was clinging to life by a thread and it was not alone. As far as the eye could see stunted, withered things slumped, their diseased branches covered in mould and grey fungi. The ground underfoot was dusty, like it had not rained here in a century and clouds of grit flew up with every step. No animals chittered here, no birds sang or insects buzzed. It was like the planet had rejected this location, excising it from the ecosystem, trying to cut it out like cancer.

"Keep moving," Battle-Captain Ferrac barked as he stomped past. Kerbuim frowned as a piece of bark came away in his hands and he shook his wrist to brush off the debris. The leader of this expedition was marching with his axe-rake and sledgehammer gun in hand, while the thrusters of his jet pack bled heat from the turbines. He was followed by ten assault marines of Excelsium squad, all holding their motley collection of arms ready for the first sign of danger. Kerubim stepped back from the tree and fell in, followed doggedly by Bane whose rotor cannons were sweeping the path ahead for threats. Through the broken trees could be seen a rising series of hills, a good vantage point to scry the land and locate their target. The Amber Vipers had marched from the dig-site to this location, seeing the forest growing sicker with every step. It was a troubling sign and Kerubim did not like the implications, there were only so many things that could cause such an effect, none of them good.

As he walked Kerubim lifted his auspex and swept it before him, adjusting the dials to narrow the scan frequency. As he expected the device began clicking rapidly, the Machine Spirit singing out a warning of toxicity in the atmosphere. Kerubim spent a second checking for clear areas but found nothing then called out, "Battle-Captain, I am detecting alarming levels of radiation and toxic build-ups in the ground soil. We are entering a contaminated area."

Ferrac's response was a curt, "Helms on, enact biological-attack protocols."

"Oh sacred Machine Spirit I beseech you to protect my flesh," Kerubim intoned as he fitted his helm, "May your mechanisms be girded against malfunction as my soul is against impurity." A rad-counter appeared in the corner of his vision and he hastily set his respirator to screen out toxic particles from the atmosphere. Power armour was a self-contained spacesuit, they could run on internal air but their supplies weren't limitless, they couldn't risk using up all their store should it be needed in extremis. Anyway Astartes physiology was robust and hardened against all manner of dangers, between their plate and their implanted organs contaminants should have no effect on them: in theory.

At his side Brother Vardat muttered, "Fang-rot, I hate bio-protocols."

Brother Kregulf retorted, "Better to be safe, at least in the short-term."

Vardat scoffed, "That's not the problem, I hate the decontamination rituals at the other end. Hours spent soaking in cleansing pools and scrubbing every inch of our skin off with wire brushes."

Another Brother named Holdas interjected, "It's that or contaminate all the mortals when we get back to the ship."

Vardat replied, "Easy for you to say, I've been working on a fine beard, I'll have to shave it off."

"Enough idle chatter," Ferrac barked, "Kerubim, any idea what's causing this?"

Kerubim deflected, "I am reluctant to speculate without factual evidence."

"Do it anyway," Ferrac snapped.

Kerubim drew in a breath and said, "The highest probability is radiation and chemical leakage coming from the lost ship."

Sergeant Excelsuim mused, "Perhaps a reactor breached?"

"The probability of that is low," Kerubim said, "The reactors have been sitting cold for twenty to thirty thousand years. The half-life of any known fuel elements would have rendered them inert by now. There is a possibility that the ship used an archeotech fuel source unknown to Imperial Science…"

"You don't sound convinced," Excelsium mused, "What else could it be?"

"Nothing good," Kerubim muttered.

Their conversation was cut off as the series of hills loomed before them, bare and denuded of trees. Their rising and falling crests made for a steep climb but Ferrac marched up the slope without pause. The squad followed, swiftly ascending the hill. Kerubim strode confidently up the loose grit, marching with his head held high, until a patch of scree gave way beneath his boot. He stumbled to the ground, slamming his palms into the dirt. Bane paused by his side, head cocking as it scanned for danger. Kerubim hastily pushed himself upright and felt a surge of embarrassment as he glanced to see if the others had noticed, but if they had seen they gave no sign. Kerubim brushed dirt from his gauntlets and hurried to catch up, taking a great deal more care where he put his feet this time.

In a few minutes they reached the top, about half-way along the line of hills and Kerubim surveyed the horizon, expecting to see the lost starship. To his surprise there was nothing, only the scraggly forest stretching away from the hills, the sickly trees spreading out for kilometres, until they reached the edge of the diseased area and once more became kilometre high giants. Kerubim was standing in the centre of a bowl of decayed vegetation, but of the starship there was no sign.

"Where is it?" Kerubim gasped.

Excelsium sounded equally baffled as he said, "We should be able to see it from here."

Kerubim mused, "Maybe we missed it."

Excelsium snapped, "How do you miss something as big as a starship? It should stick out like an Ork at an Opera house."

Kerubim picked up his auspex and fiddled with the dials muttering, "Definite energy readings, we're at the epicentre of the contamination. It has to be here but I can't see it, why can't I see it?"

Everybody examined the horizon but then Ferrac snorted loudly, "You can't see it because you fools are standing on it."

Kerubim blinked in shock and cast his gaze about. The hill he was standing on was sharp and came to a narrow peak, standing proud of the landscape. It took him a second to realise that there were no other hills nearby, no natural formations to explain this contouring of the land. It was unnatural, almost like the earth had been deliberately piled high to bury something. As his perspective shifted he saw clearly; they were standing on a mid-deck protrusion, approximately the place a Battle-barge would have its dorsal Bombardment cannons. Several kilometres in one direction a larger hill loomed over them, surely where the bridge would have been. In the other direction was a flatter hillock, where the bow should have terminated. Kerubim's knees went weak as the truth was revealed, the sheer scale of what he was seeing rendering him speechless. Perceptions of size in the void were deceptive, the distances and lack of reference points involved making enormous starships seem small. Yet on the ground they had a frame of reference and the true size of a starship was laid bare, it was humbling to behold, like being a fly on the back of a Captiol Imperialis.

"It's so big," Kerubim gasped lamely.

"Why is it buried?" Excelsium mused, "This can't be natural, maybe the Eldar tried to hide it."

"It doesn't matter," Ferrac admonished, "Spread out and find a way in, we have to seek out its mysteries. I shall contact the Chapter Master."

Ferrac opened the vox but before he could speak a harsh blurt of static roared forth, made distorted and broken by radiation-interference. Kerubim tried to discern words but all got was a blare of white noise as Ferrac yelled, "Repeat transmission, we did not receive your message."

Static washed over them, then it cleared for a moment and Coluber's voice came in, "Beware, we… …er… Eldar… ywhere. I say ag…ldar… attack our pos… They h …helming numbers!"

Kerubim started in surprise at hearing the Eldar had returned. Shock and confusion rose within the squad but they remained Astartes and all eyes snapped to the horizon, searching for threats. Kerubim saw a wave of disturbance washing through the diseased trees, their sickly branches thrashing as something came from the direction of the dig-site. Ferrac cried, "Squad form up and present arms!"

Instantly the Amber Vipers lined up, bolt pistols and melee weapons held in tight grips as they awaited the oncoming foe. Kerubim took up his bolt pistol and cog-toothed wrench as he saw they held the high ground but lacked for decent ranged weaponry, any fight would certainly come to melee combat. It seemed Ferrac agreed for he barked, "Amber Vipers, sound off."

One by one the squad reported, "Excelsium aye. Kregulf, aye. Mossir ready. Paneyr aye. Radfal aye. Vardat set. Seyda aye. Berio prepared. Holdas ready. Ultua aye. Kerubim and Bane, aye."

Ferrac lifted his axe-rake high and cried, "This is a blessed day for the Emperor has sent us a worthy foe. Cherish the coming fight and give thanks for this chance to spill Xenos blood in righteous combat. Here they come!"

The line of diseased trees, shivered madly and then the shadows exploded into bulky forms, a line of beasts running straight at them. First came a wave of two-legged animals, bounding forward with Eldar upon their backs, bearing lances like knights of proto-history. Behind them came larger beasts with great tusks, moving more slowly but each far more powerful. Then there was a sole beast in a massive shell, bringing up the rear but looking nearly impregnable in its thick plates. Kerubim had a moment to wonder how the Eldar had known they were here, before Ferrac shouted, "Fire!"

The bolt pistols barked sending mass-reactive round hurtling at the Eldar then Kerubim commanded, "Bane: attack!"

The Vorax's rotor cannons spun until they blurred then they let rip. A hammering beat of gunfire rung out, accompanied by searing tracers like whips of fire. The Eldar riders should have been blown apart by the fusillade but they moved with preternatural speeds, bounding left and right as they charged, dodging the salvo in a manner no human could ever have achieved. Bullets flew away into the air but they were many and the Eldar could not dodge every single one. One, two three riders fell in gory heaps and Ferrac cried, "More!"

Kerubim was shooting with his own bolt pistol; he fired half a clip at an Eldar but hit nothing save air. Hurriedly he switched to full-auto and emptied the clip and was rewarded with the sight of a painted rider falling, his shoulder blown off. Bane was sweeping the air with bullet-fire, scything the angles down. Alone the Vorax took down two more Eldar but the distance was shrinking and the aliens were bounding up the hill with astonishing speed.

Kerubim reached for a fresh clip but as he did so they reached melee range and slammed into the Amber Vipers in a thunderous charge. Kerubim threw himself aside as a glimmering lance thrust at him, missing by inches. The rider was a sneering Eldar, painted with woad and covered by leather armour. He spun his weapon about and tried to stab again but Kerubim darted in and slammed his wrench into the mount's leg. He had expected the beast to topple over with a shattered knee but to his shock the animal merely snarled and lashed out with a kick to his chest. His breastplate was torn by wicked talons, leaving long rents over his hearts and Kerubim staggered back, stunned by its strength. A moment later a maw filled with vicious teeth came at him and he was forced to duck, lest it take his head off. He swung his wrench upwards and managed to knock the head back but his blow was nothing more than irritating.

The Eldar stabbed once more with his lance and shrieked, "Filthy Mon-keigh, you die now!"

Kerubim's heart surged with hate at the condescending Xeno and cried, "Bane: Kill!"

The Vorax's rotor cannons were still firing into the packed mass but its top-mounted melta-gun immediately swung about and discharged, hitting the Eldar with a stream of sub-fusion fire. The Eldar was caught in the back and its flesh disintegrated, boiling to vapour in seconds. One second the alien was there, the next it was a cloud of steaming blood, leaving the animal it was riding with a huge hole blown out of its spine.

Kerubim exulted at seeing his enemy defeated but there was no time to celebrate for the battle yet raged. Everywhere Amber Vipers fought tooth and nail with mounted Eldar, hacking and stabbing with all their might. Here Ferrac swung his axe-rake at a snapping beast, tearing chunks out of its hide. There Brother Holdas died, speared through the hearts by a glimmering lance that punched through his spine and left him flopping helplessly as his lifeblood poured out. Beyond Sergeant Excelsium stabbed his trident into the flank of a beast, tearing its guts out while Brother Kregulf was kicked to the ground by a taloned foot. His life was saved by Ferrac who spun about and fired his gun at the rider; the kinetic round caught the Eldar and sent the alien flying, the corpse folding up as its spine shattered. Kregulf staggered back to his feet only to be set upon by another rider, left to defend himself from a frantic flurry of blows.

Kerubim saw the battle hung on a knife's edge, the Amber Vipers were barely holding back the mounted Eldar, then the second wave hit. A thunderous roar heralded the arrival of the larger beasts and they piled in, tusks and claws flashing as the riders let fly with arrows and spears. Kerubim's saw the odds turn inexorably against the Amber Vipers, but his only response was to grip his weapon tighter and snarl, "Bane: follow me in. If we're going down we're taking some of them with us!"