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Before I would think very little about the sun dipping below the horizon unless there was a test the next day. Wondering to myself just what was gonna happen if I wasn't prepared enough nor took every possible chance to get myself mentally prepared for it. That's what it felt like to stare out the mouth of the cave and see the light that lit up the sand get dimmer and dimmer. We had made zero progress towards the capital and likely only city Calderis held. Plus we had few who were prepared to move and I had my doubts that would change soon.
Leaning myself against one of the rocky walls to just relax a bit while everyone move back into the mine after the meat arrived, the water was already taken care of with a new batch coming in. But starting a bunch of fires in a tunnel, no matter how wide it was. Would be stupid. The Ork meat smelled like a wet dog as it was roasted over the campfires. We had no spits and few actual pots but we had some bayonets and rifles to hold over. It was probably unsafe to do that but it wasn't as if the trees had the sticks to fashion into spits so we made do.
"At the very least they aren't eating it raw like before." I thought trying to be thankful for something as we spent another day inside this mine.
I couldn't just say, alright everybody pack up, and let's get going! I mean I could but everyone needed to gather their strength for the long haul towards the planet's capital city. Plus I still have some Lictors looking out for the best route there and places we could hide relatively well so that we wouldn't end up being spotted during the day or get baked by the sun. This was going to be a tough exodus even if there were articles of clothing lying around that could provide protection. I was not gonna match almost two hundred people and 'nids through the desert. All it would take was one flyer noticing and having someone come out to ask who we were and what we were doing out here then we'd become a target.
Stretching my consciousness outwards I could sense that, generally, everyone was still getting their strength up. But I still had my doubts about taking everyone out there now. Haste was important, I couldn't sustain everyone on Ork meat indefinitely here. There isn't an infinite supply of Orks roaming about. Plus how long until someone decided to head over and see if they could restart this mine?
"Could I... Go ahead and see about clearing a way into the city?" The Hybrids had food and a supply of water coming in. I would need people on the inside to get everyone into the city so why not head over and do it in person? With some of the well-off and most human-looking ones and more pure strained Genestealers who'd been better-fed anyway.?
"Would it be right to leave them here? Without me to provide and protect them?" I pushed off the wall and peered over my charges. I could leave the 'nids and hybrids here with instructions to gather strength but without me directly guiding them what could happen? Tyranids could be clever creatures when under the direct influence of the Hivemind but were instinct-driven beasts without it. Could the Lictors and Tyranid Warriors manage it without me?
Could things turn out well if I didn't leave now and start trying to find a way inside the city? Yeah, I had Lictors already out there but so what? Without me there with my eyes and mind figuring things out as I did with that Ork ambush?
"No, I had to head over and try, plus it would mean I'd take the well-off Hybrids away. That way the ones still gathering strength will have more resources to do so."
I settle it with myself then, but before that, it was time to put something else into motion. Ordering my eight Tyranid Warriors to gather outside as well as the Hybrids I felt could come. Slinging the lasguns over my shoulder I spared a thought to the Spirit Stones laying mostly forgotten in a corner. I shouldn't take those with me as it was highly doubtful I'd encounter any Eldar. That aside, I rushed outside to meet the former gathering in a circle with two dozen hybrids chasing after me at various speeds and distances. The most human-looking ones collect whatever clothing they could find to best cover their bodies if the need arises. Plus as many canteens or things to hold water could get their hands on.
"Time to see if they could support me with their synaptic might." They could, like installing an amplifier I could feel my telepathic ability grow in strength and thusly range. My will reached out to the bishops in space, more specifically my flagship that would relay the rest to the fleet. Some vessels would move towards the planet just enough to where I could better communicate with less help if needs be. It was dangerous in this world with Sorcerers and Librarians but a quick and necessary risk.
"There if I can't infiltrate the city with someone, then maybe a ton of drop pods landing on the opposite side from me will be a diversion enough."
We were getting off Calderis, and saying it over and over again wasn't gonna make it true. That part was up to my efforts.
As I mounted one of the Tyranid Warriors with my entourage I chased the idea of casualties out of my mind. I would do everything possible to avoid just invading the planet to extract us, that was more than most factions would have done on my shoeless feet. And that was going to be enough for me to keep my eyes on the end goal.
Sidestepping as much of the bad road as I needed to take.
I supposed I should be grateful this is a desert feudal world where most people wouldn't be roaming around. So my decently sized group of three Tyranid Warriors, a dozen Lictors, and five hybrids with the remaining mostly being Genstealers or as close enough. Could move around rather freely with no one really wandering around. Which didn't mean it couldn't happen, just less likely. Plus the long night period of this world meant we had a black canopy of sorts. At least I was assuming it was long kinda hard to tell because I had no need sleep, and that might be covering my perspective. The only thing I knew for sure was that hours for sure had gone by and we made decent progress. The further along Hybrids we had needed far less rest than the human-looking ones.
They absolutely needed to be carried as our brood charged to make use of as much of the night and early morning as possible.
Resting in the outskirts of yet another abandoned settlement after the Lictors scopes the place for life or even tracks. It looked clear so we were gonna rest here for the day. I was hoping for a long boring journey towards the nearest Imperial Guard outpost which from what the scouts uncovered was still another day's march away. Probably longer as I was content to let everyone rest for now. There would be a tiny oasis, it was just some ways away so waiting out the worst effects of the afternoon sun would be good.
"I don't trust those desert Panchos." They provided shade but I doubted they'd cool any of them down if we left now. That didn't mean I was idle while the Hybrids lounged around me like wolves to their pack leader.
I knew we reached the first stop on our journey and knew how far the next Oasis was because of my scouts. They had already combed this area with more further away finally arriving to pitch in elsewhere in the journey. It was good to be connected to my Lictors and that they have synaptic creatures to boost our telepathic link. As they gave pretty accurate information about the canyons and the quickest and most empty-looking route. It wasn't like arranging photos though, as if their brains were just cells to mine and I experience what they did almost as if it was firsthand.
"The bonus of having an army of creatures that are just an extension of my mind." I thought grateful that I had something to work with now. I had ordered them to look over everything as soon as they found a human residence and they did just that.
There was an outpost of Imperial Guard troopers some ways away from the capital city. It was a pretty small thing. Either undermanned or there less to guard and more as an early warning station. It had a large radio tower, the kind shown in the Dawn of War 2 campaign. Plus a bunch of machine gun nests and sandbag positions form at least three rings of defenses. Twin two-story towers almost a football field length from one another were likely garrisoned too. As some Lictors kept seeing men go in and out of them and they oversaw a large open space. Either an abandoned market or perhaps just a massive open space in the middle of town
The place looked as if it had been the site of some battle in the past year as those two towers were some of the few sandstone structures still standing intact. The rest were either destroyed or in serious need of repair or risked falling apart.
After a while of trying to keep track of the conflicting numbers, the Lictors kept sending. The general number I gathered was a minimum of fifty Guardsmen. Most inside but a few patrols and a more precise number of four Chimeras and three of them were used by patrolling teams in a perimeter around the base. It was a poor one if my Lictors kept getting through without notice. But it was their patrol paths that I was most interested in learning about. They mainly went up and down just three canyon mouths to the south in a fairly consistent pattern every day and night. There was a clear gap for when they'd head down the long stretch, head back to base, then return to do it again.
"It's that pattern I can use to nab myself some unfortunate Guardsmen..." A plan began to form, I had plenty of Genestealers and just needed one Chimera to get close and stop for them to be of use...
Sergeant Merrick sighed and wiped some more of the building sweat from his brow glaring at the orange and yellow landscape of rock and sand. The Chimera rumbled through the sandy floor, almost kicking up a covering screen that stretched fairly high before raining back down. It was good everyone had the sense to keep any open-top vehicles away from Calderis. He had been deployed here along with the rest of the 85th Vendoland to help secure the sub-sector against the Orks. Next thing he knew every demos race in the galaxy seemed to be decent on every planet around. He'd made it with most of his squad intact and redeployed after the victory on Typhon.
Still to go from a buzzing hive to a warm humid jungle, then a desert world it seemed like things were getting hotter for him. At least here things were relatively quiet for the Guard reinforcements, his regiment's whole job was to fill in the gaps left in the wake of so many attacks. Being a Feudal world meant they couldn't raise regiments as other planets could. So here he was with half his squad rolling around the outskirts of the 'rural' area of this world patroling for the 'outpost' if that's really what the Captain wanted to call those tents and sandbags between those sandstone towers and clearly away from any still standing huts. At the center was a large communication hub, an ancient one if his CO was to be believed. Although why it was built so far out here and why it was so lightly guarded he failed to understand.
"Guess I lack the brains to conduct strategy."
Merrick, as well as, most of the regiment knew why the 85th had been sent here. After the battles at Angle Forge and on Typhon they lost over half their manpower and were exhausted from the fighting. So putting them on a mostly peaceful work on garrison duty was fine. Everyone was gathering strength and rebuilding. Plus reinforcements were trickling in. His platoon in particular had suffered many casualties and practically didn't exist, hence why they were out here on guard duty. As everyone was rebuilding the force and with time the Regiment was supposed to leave back to Meridian.
"Until those bloody traitors arrived," Merrick muttered angrily. When the traitors showed up such plans were shoved down the priority list as regiments already on Meridian were sent to support the Space Marines and the 85th Vendoland were forgotten about. So now they were stuck on this dust bowl engaging the occasional group of crazed heretics running at their heavy bolter positions and armored transports. It's been quiet where they were stationed for some time though.
"Yeah, as quiet as the clouds brewing before a storm. Just because we haven't been hit yet doesn't mean it's never going to happen-"
"Something straight ahead!" Came a voice through his vox bead, their driver from the sound of the voice. Merrick snapped his binoculars forwards as he was only half paying attention to his surroundings and noticed someone waving her arms around. They were closing in but the Chimera's driver had the sense to slow down and wait for Merrick to get a better look at this.
The figure in question was wearing the typical clothing of a native. A long thin coat stretched down to their ankles and cloth wrapped around their head and face to shield them from the burning sun and any sand storms. There was something on the ground next to them, it was hard to tell but Merrick believed it was someone else laying down. The clothes they wore were colored to look the same as the background, not camo per se but close enough that an under-equipped enemy would use...
"Could be someone looking for help but why would they be out here?" Pressing the bead in his ear the Sergeant spoke to everyone in the Chimera. "There seems to be someone about half a klick away. Unsure of they're hostiles or civilians needing help. Be read in case of the former."
Merrick lowed himself into the turret to where his eyes and forehead were the only things sticking out. That way he could keep an eye out for any signs of an ambush while being able to duck under and close the hatch if needed.
"Take us in slow, this is unusual." He warned.
"No need to tell me Sarge."
The pace slowed not to a near stop but enough to allow someone jogging to keep up. This was odd, but perhaps they had survived the invasion and only now made it to salvation. It was possible enough that Merrick was willing to take the chance to see if they needed help. Ten or so meters from them he realized the something next to them was another similarly dressed individual.
"Please help! He collapsed! He's dying!" Her voice was quick and thick with panic. Her cowl lowered and he could see from the facial features and tone they were a she.
Merrick lowered himself into the Chimera to speak to his squad directly. "Wryce comes with me, we got a civilian down. Gritt takes the turret, everyone else covers us."
Like the professionals they were, the 85th Vendoland Guard filtered out of the back of the transport. Lasguns leveled but not raised scanning the bare surrounding and cliff sides for the slightest signs of movement two taking up positions around the Chimera. While Merrick and Wryce approached the woman and his companion, the former looked so relieved. She beckoned them with a wave her warm smile was quite disarming as it had been a long time since any of them had seen a civilian. Much less a woman.
Once they'd closed the gap between and Wryce slung his lasgun over his shoulder. She then eagerly rushed forwards. Her arms came from under the cloak to wrap the medic in a rather tight-looking hug pinning his arms to his side. Merrick saw a wide almost manic smile on her face, he was just about to shoo her away so Wryce could help her friend. When the cloaked figure exploded to life.
It happened so fast the Sargeant didn't even have time to grunt in surprise when his lasgun was torn away. The strap broke at one of the connection points and was tossed high into the air striking the rock wall. Her friend-
"No that is not human!"
The creature grabbed at his uniform and twisted Merrick around so that his back faced the Chimera and his men. It took a second for the man to realize he'd become a human shield. Everyone seemed to shout contact and while he knew they sprang to action immediately he could hear the sand erupt as the ambush was sprung. Wryce cried out in alarm as a four-armed creature, a Genestealer from what few briefings on these Xenos to his squad.
Merrick barely registered the creature pulling at the right shoulder of their medic's armor and plunging its tongue just near the neck. His gaze was far too locked on the parody of humanity holding him. He tried with all his might to pull himself loose. Yet his thrashing did little to throw off the clawed hands. The thing was bending its knees slightly to better cover itself with Merrick's body. It had to be a few inches taller than him and its blood-red eyes glowed with intelligence. The body it held was distinctly human looking but held armored plating distinct to the alien ravagers. All grafted to the thing's flesh like a parody of clothing. Especially the plates around its hips that seemed to be the only ones covering rather than connected to its pale skin and bulb-like hairless head. Skin that would have looked sickly to anyone normal man, if that word was even applicable here. Completely free of the sweat that glistens off every true human. Even the traitorous woman did it too.
Whatever this was it made Merrick sick and furious that it even tried to look vaguely like him.
His squad had been overwhelmed in a matter of seconds. He didn't need to turn around to realize the lack of lasfire and grunts of struggling Guardsmen ending suddenly. A shout and a thud to him that Gritt had been torn out from the turret. His hesitation to shoot while his Sargeant was in the way became his downfall. They all succumbed to the pointed tongues of these beasts. There was a tearing of metal and Merrick knew Mousah, their driver would be lost shortly.
At least a few laspistol rounds ringing out shower they put up some degree of resistance.
The one holding him had yet to do anything else so Merrick grabbed at his belt and unsheathed the bayonet. "In the Emperor's name!"
Even if it was pointless, he wouldn't go down lightly, jabbing the blade into the creature's side. The blade didn't even break the skin, it absorbed the blow and the glowing eyes dimmed. And seemed to settle into his. In quick succession, he jabbed in again and again with all his might but all it succeeded in doing was get the creature to tilt its head. It seemed to study his actions and even let go of Merrick's right arm to better watch his futile attempt at hurting it.
"Great Carrier!" Merrick growled as the xenophile rushed in to grab at the blade and he twisted it around to face her. That seemed to spring the Xeno to life and it twisted him away and grabbed at the blade itself. Breaking the metal from the hilt with a sudden twitch of its wrist. The concern the Tyranid bioform seemed to express was gross, as images of what this being had done to earn such loyalty had his fist striking against its face.
"Suffer the fury of the Imperium Xenos filth! May the wraith of him on earth strike you down! The Emperor protects!"
It reacted slowly, keeping its calm, observing eyes locked to his as it seized his arm and held it tightly in the arm. The thick pointed claws never dug in nor did its teeth wrap around the man's exposed neck to finish him. No, Merrick's eyes darted to the side and saw the Genestealer creeping slowly forwards. The traitor pulled at his uniform to better expose the top of his shoulder. The Flak vest strained against the other side of his neck as it did with the now kneeling Wryce.
Merrick's eye flicked back into the red void of the creature. It was still in a moment of calculation and the Stealer stopped, hovering over him. Its warm disgusting breath flowed between them but it waited with its tongue poised to strike. The eyes of the creature holding him turned, perhaps to look at it. It seemed to be thinking, pondering the moment.
"Come on!" Merrick shouted, not believing for a second that this creature looked conflicted about this. "Do your worse Xenos trash!" He gritted out.
A few more seconds stretched on as it stared at him. Its own mouth open slightly and a short sigh came out, head inclined slightly and red eyes shut.
A sharp pain was felt in Merrick's shoulder and he could feel something being inserted within his body. In an instant, his eyesight went blurry and stature became harder to hold and he barely noted himself being lowered to his knees as the foreign substance flowed throughout his body. And his mind opened and everyone's thoughts and feelings flooded in...
The Sargeant became a statue as the taint flowed through their veins. His fellows had long since fallen as the Genstealer genetic material infested them...
"Why did I wait?"
When I pinned him in place it should have been as simple as calling the Genestealer right next to us. They were done with their medic But I let him speak, to shout out vindictive words and the usual platitudes about Xenos. It was certainly not the silent defiance like when I had that Eldar woman. He was strong but my enhanced muscles were just better. This man could speak my language and did so freely. Yet I said nothing in return. Stared directly into my pupilless eyes as if he could see into them yet I could not back. Then dared me to do my worse... Then stood straight as I exposed his shoulder and had a Genestealer close in and do just that.
Although it wasn't an alien race but another human being just like me. Displaying the human spirit for defiance in the face of oblivion. Looking more man than I should and just doing his job to protect the populace of this world from threats such as myself. Yet I never tried to communicate as I did with the Eldar woman. Never got either of their names but the alien I treated like a person, not a man I needed to become a tool. Even if that's what I had to do regardless of his struggles or my reservations.
"Would it have been better to even say anything? To try and connect myself as human with any of these men? I didn't bother with the last group... but I guessed I didn't have the option to do so with them."
It wouldn't have made this better, I decided. Wouldn't have made the dulled eyes and disorientated looks as their minds were slowly overtaken and their memories were open through the synaptic link. Memories I was about to use to overtake and subvert the outpost of their comrades. I wanted to go around this place, truly, but it was placed in just the right spot to block many canyons heading toward the capital. Even if we could circumvent it would just be a lot more dangerous, if someone spotted us it'd mean we'd be stuck between a rock and a hard place. No, the only option we- I had was to remove the obstacle in some way that wouldn't have anyone wondering why this communication's outpost wasn't responding.
"Yes, best not to have any memories of me speaking to them twisted by the taint into something good."
My eyes glossed over the damaged hull on the front of the vehicle. I didn't want to risk the driver calling this in but the open hatch was too small for a Genestealer. Plus it would have taken a moment for one to ruse into the back as they hadn't stopped where I would have liked. Having one rip the metal open to hold and distract him was the best I could do there. It was going to be a problem that needed explaining when these men went back to base. Well, we had Lictors I guess setting up a believable scene shouldn't be too hard now.
