Author Note: This is my first attempt at writing. I intend this to be a long piece and will continue to add the new chapters over time as they are done. All feedback is welcome. These characters are entirely made up and any resemblance to anyone is purely coincidental.

Phantom Warrior

Chapter 1

Sgt Johnson ducked as the heavy stubber opened fire again. The squad had lost its cyber-mastiff to the first volley of the thing. Fortunately it had given the squad enough time to dive behind the nearby truck. Things were not going as well as Johnson had hoped. What was meant to be a simple raid on a gun warehouse had become a disaster. The gang that owned the warehouse had been in the process of rearming themselves when they arrived. Now his five man squad was pinned down by over thirty gang members. Davis had taken a round to the leg before he could get to cover. Blain tried to bandage it as best he could. The rest of the squad were returning fire as best they could, but the three heavy stubbers meant they spent far more time hiding than shooting. Wallace fired a shot out the advancing gang members, the executioner round homed in and caught one between the eyes. Ducking down to avoid the return fire he loaded another executioner round.

"I'm down to three executioner rounds, and I'll never get enough time to aim a normal shot," said Wallace grimly.

Godden fired a shot, the executioner round dropping another gang member. "That was my last executioner round."

Johnson had called for back up and they were on their way, but at this rate they would most likely be dead before they arrived. Some of the gang members were getting closer, advancing under the covering fire of the heavy stubbers. One leapt atop the cab of the truck and aimed his lasrifle at Johnson. He tried to raise his shotgun to shoot the attacker when a single shot was heard above the heavy stubber fire and the gang member was blasted apart. That could have only have been a bolter shot.

Turning to see who had fired the shot he saw a large figure hidden beneath black robes. He was holding a smoking bolter. He met Johnson's gaze for a second before turning to the gang members with heavy stubbers. With three quick shots he dropped them. The ones that had been advancing on the Adeptus Arbite enforcers turned to confront the new threat. Advancing calmly the black figure snapped off shots, every one dropping a gang member. Some got behind cover and began to return fire. Moving faster than Johnson thought possible the black figure avoided the shots. Pin point accuracy picked off any who raised their head. Now it was the gang members turn to be pinned down. Unable to get a shot the black figure slung his bolter behind his back and sprinted towards the hiding gang members. Leaping over the cover he kicked the first opponent, snapping his neck. Another rose his gun, but it was knocked aside and the black figure struck out, knocking out the gang member. One tried to stab him in the back. He dodged and grabbing the knife twisted it and rammed it into its owner stomach.

Spinning to confront a gang member who was preparing to strike him with an iron bar when the assailant dropped. Johnson had shot him. He gave Johnson a curt nod before catching another gang member's gun. Wrenching it from the gang members grasp he struck him with the butt of the rife. Swinging the rifle into a firing position he opened fire, terminating several more gang members. Discarding the weapon once the clip had been spent he drew his bolter and, after kicking aside a gang member who tried to rush him with a chain sword, began blasting apart more gang members. Faced with a seemingly unstoppable foe the gang members began to flee, but the black figure showed them no mercy and efficiently exterminated them all.

Johnson checked his squad was okay before turning to thank the black figure that had intervened, only to find he had gone. Moments later their back up arrived, amazed at the carnage in the warehouse. Johnson got the medics to Davis and the squad returned to the HQ while the other Arbite squads organised for transports to take the weapons to a secure location. Johnson's squad were silent as they headed back. All were wondering the same thing. Who was it that had saved them?

Zarlan had dispatched some men to find out what had happened at warehouse 8. They had been too long for everything was going well, all they were doing was a simple re-armament. Zarlan began running through the list of possible options. A rival gang could have claimed the warehouse and his men were fighting to reclaim it. If that were the case the men he had sent would offer assistance and hopefully be sufficient to reclaim it. If not they would send the runner back and he would send more men.

This, however, was unlikely. He could not think of any gang with the audacity to attempt to strike against his gang. The Z warriors, as his gang was known, where the most feared gang in Dakaan city and an attack of the kind needed to capture the warehouse would be enough to start a gang war. No one started a gang war with the Z warriors.

Another possibility was that the men at the warehouse were going to rebel and use the weapons to form their own gang. If this had happened then they could have ambushed and killed the men he had sent, or possibly convinced them to join them in the revolt. But this was even less likely than another gang attacking. The last people who had rebelled against him had woken up in the middle of the ash wastes.

The final option was by far the most likely. Arbites. If they were they interfering then it could be a problem. If it looked like his gang members were winning then the men he had sent would reinforce them for a swift victory. If they were losing then they would be abandoned. After all, they were expendable.

The runner of the group burst into Zarlan's throne room. Giving him a moment to catch his breath he demanded a report.

"Boss, it's horrible. Bodies, bodies everywhere."

Zarlan cut him off with a gesture. "What did you find?"

"All of them, the whole force, wiped out."

"By whom?"

"Arbites it seems, several had been killed by executioner rounds."

"Arbites!" Zarlan spit out the word. They were always interfering in his affairs, and had now cost him men and supplies.

"Boss…"

"What!" demanded Zarlan angrily.

"Most of them were killed by… bolt shells."

"Bolt shells?"

"Yes."

"Leave me, all of you."

The gang members and slaves quickly left the room. Had the Arbites put together a new force armed with bolters? He needed to know what he was up against. Pity there were no survivors, next time he would make sure there was someone who could give him a report of what happened. Zarlan sent a call to Brian.

"Brian?"

"Yeah boss?"

"Gather some of the boys. I have a job for you."

"Sure boss, name it."

"You are to take control of the Saint Janus hospital."

"Saint Janus hospital? Why?"

"Never mind why just do it. Demand whatever you want from the Arbites when they arrive."

"Sure, okay boss."

He knew Brian's methods. He was sure Brian could attract enough attention to draw this new Arbite unit into the conflict. Then he would see just what he was up against. He made another call.

"Rat, I have a job for you."

Johnson met his squad in the infirmary. Davis had his leg bandaged and was set to make a full recovery.

"How do you feel?"

"Fine," Davis smiled, "I should be back on patrol in a couple of weeks."

"Who were the gang that attacked us?" asked Blain.

"Z warriors."

"They're going to be a real trouble soon," stated Wallace, "Over 60 of incidents with gangs involve them."

"And no other gang wants to confront them," added Godden.

"Maybe the guy who saved us will slow down the Z warrior's expansion," said Davis hopefully.

"Maybe," said Johnson thoughtfully, "Come on guys, let's let him rest. We're supposed to be patrolling anyway." The squad went out to the armoury. They had received a replacement cyber-mastiff and would have to patrol as a four man team, as no replacements were available.

"Who do you think that guy was?" asked Godden.

"The one who saved us back at the warehouse?"

"Yeah, him."

"No idea," Johnson closed the locker and finished loading his automatic combat shotgun, "but we have orders to keep an eye out for him."

"And do what if we find him?" asked Wallace looking up from the new cyber-mastiff he had been programming, "Arrest him? 'Cos I for one don't want to try it."

"Although attacking people is against the law, if it's gang members we can let it slide. If he goes for citizens of the Imperium we are to stop him." The squad was now outside and about to start their patrol.

"Can we stop him?" asked Blain.

"Let's hope we don't have to find out."

Brian had begun to organise the moment he got the call. Firstly he called his two best mates who he could trust to do what he ordered with brutal efficiency, Rocko and Bruce. Brian guessed fifty men would be enough to hold Janus hospital from the Arbites providing they could dig in enough. The force was rapidly assembled and headed for warehouse 3. They began arming themselves from the ample supply of weapons. Rocko, being the big guy went straight for a heavy stubber, as did five other gang members. Bruce grabbed a triplex pattern lasgun, he like the reliability of a las weapon coupled with the triplex's ability to fire at higher energy settings. Brian went for his usual two stubbers, he thought of himself as a gunslinger, though he only had above average skill with them. The remainder of the gang grabbed a variety of las and auto guns, mainly auto guns for the noise. All also grabbed various vicious looking implements for close combat. Brian grabbed a large, two handed axe. Half a dozen vox units were handed out.

"You," said Brian pointing to one of them "are to stay with me at all times. You stick with Rocko, you with Bruce. The rest of you spread out amongst the guys so everyone can hear me."

Several trucks were waiting outside from them to provide transport to the hospital. The gang members quickly loaded themselves into the trucks and headed off to the hospital. It had not been long when Brian received a vox message. It was Rocko.

"Why exactly are we takin' the hospital Brian?"

Brian ordered his reply to be transmitted to every one. Zarlan had said he could demand what ever he wanted. "You all remember Harry right?"

"Yeah," it was Bruce, "The Arbites arrested him a month or so ago didn't they?"

"That's right," said Brian with a grin, "and today were gonna demand his release, along with Danny and Greg."

"Danny boy! Alright!" came Rocko's enthusiastic voice, "he's been inside for over a year now. It'll be good to see him again."

"That's why there is gonna be no slip ups. You all do what I say when I say and this'll work like a charm."

A large black figure silently entered an abandoned apartment building. He swiftly ascended the stairs and entered one of the few rooms which still had a door. Closing it carefully behind him he went to the bedroom. Lifting the mattress of the bed he exposed his few belongings to the light. Half a dozen bolter clips, a small medical kit and a box of rations. Replacing the spent clip he placed the remaining five in his robes. Soon he would need to acquire some more ammunition. The reason he had gone to the ware house in the first place was to look for any bolter ammunition. He had found none, but when he heard the gang arriving rather than leave he withdrew to the shadows. He had been observing the Z warriors for several days now, and it was apparent that if they continued to expand at their current rate they would be able to overwhelm the Imperial forces in the city and begin a civil war on the planet. Although it would easily be defeated the civilian casualties would be high. He would not allow that to occur.

Taking one of the nutrition bars from the ration pack he replace the mattress and sat down on the bed. As he ate the ration bar his mind wondered to how he had come to Dakaan city, and even this planet, Cypra Mundi, in the first place. He was the only one who managed to reach the hanger before the reactor overloaded. He got in a transport and initiated launch procedures. He waited for his colleagues to arrive before he took off. He saw them running through the hanger doors. They were almost at the transport when their pursuers came into view and opened fire. He watched, helpless as his friends were killed. With no reason to wait he closed the access ramp and took off. With difficulty he managed to attach himself to a freighter whilst remaining undetected. When it arrived in the Cypra sector he detached himself from the freighter and descended to the planet undetected.

Now he was on his own on a strange world. Clearing such thoughts from his mind he strengthened his resolve and finished the ration bar. Carefully checking the streets were clear he headed for the roof. Whilst he was no longer an official member of a force, he would continue to serve the Emperor while he still could.

Chapter 2 coming soon