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I took as best a headcount as I could. Being telepathically linked wasn't much help here, as feeling the void opening when they died didn't mean much. It's not like I was keeping track at the time. Still, I found out two of my Centaurs were dead and one was crippled beyond held. Its arms and even the cannon had been severely damaged and fixing it was not something I could do so having it put down by a fellow Centaur was the only route.
The Termagants were easier to replace but losing well over seventy was bad. Many weren't dead but had sustained serious injuries and would also need to be put down. There was just no time to try and reset bones and patch up bullet holes. Plus that felt like a lot of effort that wouldn't get anywhere. There were some seriously gaping wounds with ichor leaking into the mud and dirt. Killing and having the other Tyranids eat the bodies for the biomass would have to do, said carcasses were messily torn apart. Mainly by the Ork Hybrids I knew would need food more than the 'nids.
"Would I ever need to do something like this to the human hybrids that I have?" I blinked, bolting up from my causally laying position within an Ork tent. Absalom looked back equally surprised but for different reasons.
"Something wrong Micheal?" He inquired concerned.
I laid myself back down, head propped on the back of a Hormogaunt, and spoke nonchalantly. "Ah it's nothing, just thought I forgot something."
"Or rather wish I could forget something."
We didn't have any doctors, so what could I do if Absalom was hurt here? The other Hybrids abord the Bio-Cruiser are safe but what happens when that's non longer the case? I needed to get off the planet before some Eldar fleet shows up to kill us. One that's gotta be coming as the Exodites has to have done so. The only way Maiden Worlds could realistically survive is if they form a defense pact with a Craftworld. Someone with medical experience and equipment to heal anyone should be a priority...
"But getting one would either mean going to a world with a Genestealer cult and happening across a hybrid one. Or kidnapping and turning someone."
There were considerations about my and everyone else's survival. The Eldar here could make this fight difficult. Who would I be willing to kill? The Orks were so uncomplicated but in this universe, I was yearning to go back before I learn Eldar was on the planet. They weren't bad people really. Pompous and arrogant most likely but were just people seriously concerned about Tyranids or just alien life forms in generals on their planet. There was no such thing as coming in peace in 40K the Tau empire being the only outlying exception but that's just because they're still learning what kind of universe they live in.
No, their hostility was understandable which was one of the many reasons, besides their Craftworld kin coming to kill me, that made killing them morally complex.
Fortifying the place and making it a proper outpost to protect the materials I needed would be best for now. Taking it back to the landing zone would be way too time-consuming. We'd have to deal with Ork and possibly Eldar raids here but that was a bridge to cross after the trenches were dug.
Absalom was also lounging on a Hormagaunt like me. He was far more exhausted than I was. We just rode for miles and had a sudden battle. Now we were just resting in one of the tents at the edge of the camp. My clunky armor was also stewed about the place. This tent was one of few not too burned by the Spore mines and had an okay space within that fit us. Not too filthy like the rest. I smelled the air and sighed. We had some of the canned meat cooking in one of the large pots some ways outside the tent. Sure it could be eaten raw but Absalom suggested warm would be better.
"Go check on the food will you." He lazily stood up and marched out of the tent. His body slowly getting the memo that he needed to move asserted itself.
I remained still and simply stared into the tent's ceiling pondering the next move. We had nowhere to go after this. Certainly not back to Auralia, so a shot in the dark would be it. A prospect I dreaded as my fortunes sucked and this was all the proof I needed. It was time to stop thinking things were going to end up fine if I try. This situation can only get worse, assuming a Warhost of Eldar from a Craftworld isn't planetside yet. I mean at that point I might as well just shoot myself, there would be no strategy I could devise to handle that.
"Running away for the rest of my life is gonna be the only option that'll work I know-"
Immediately I snatched up the lasgun and aimed it at the entrance. A thick void had opened that only occurred when a 'nid died and search for who had fallen, my heart sank as I realized my Synaptic creature was no more. I could feel the Sargents taking control enough for me to take command rather than reassert it.
My telepathic link to a few Gaunts went dead the moment after I did so, suddenly and without warning. It couldn't have been Orks, they were always loud and proud and any of my brood would notice them lumbering in with their hulking forms running in guns blazing as they do. Literally the only other option was the Exodites, but it wasn't just them killing a few of the guards went down that had me calling for every Tyranid and hybrid Ork in the camp to run here for our assailants were definitely right here.
It was the fact that those Guards were right outside my tent that tipped me... so was Absalom!
With trepidation I made for the flap, slowly and carefully moving it with my left hand. Still aiming my rifle and having to stop myself from firing as I saw the tall, thin figure descend on the man so fast I could barely perceive the motions. They guided like clouds next to him and he had a look of surprise before I opened up full auto to prevent his death.
Red beams filled the air and one of them was stuck on their shoulder, the arm being severed off with the sword they were planning on plunging into him. They lacked much of any armor besides a few plates of Wraithbone on their chest, forearms, and legs. Nothing like the aspect warriors of the Craftworld or my shots wouldn't have done such damage. The remaining three were pulling away for some form of cover. In my panic I shouted 'Absalom run!' but the total idiot instead grabbed a small piece of metal and tried waving it around like he knew what he was doing. I held fire and fiddled to get back on semi-automatic for better control and careful aim as he was now in my line of fire.
In that time another Eldar, female from the brief glance, disarmed Absalom with little effort.
"AH! Michael!" The way he cried out my name had my blood boiling at the ones causing the distress.
She grabbed and twisted his body to face me, a powerful arm crossing over his neck to pin him as an impromptu shield and I held fire and ducked back into the tent as the two other assassins drew their own sidearms and tried returning fire now that I wasn't able to suppress them. To my right the tent was torn open by a wide curved bade of white like the rest and a shuriken pistol peaked through. I was able to stare right down that barrel, the blackened tunnel were a powerful round capable of slicing through just about anything. I would have died had it not been for the two Hormagaunts. Both leaped through the opening catching my assailant behind by surprise, there was a yelp then cries of pain as they were torn apart.
The screech of my reinforcements came moments after I knew the Gargoyles were swooping down. I sent out a quick message not to hit Absalom, especially now that he was telepathic telling me he was being dragged away...
"Wait they're kidnapping him?!" That got me off my back and bolting for the door.
The death of my Hormogaunts to the right spoke of their direction and I cautiously exited the tent and tried following them. My flyers and other Ranged units stormed behind to help me had arrived and we'd deal with these interlopers soon enough. It was no use though. I had to halt any attempt at a chase as I peeked around the corner to see them climbing over the junk wall. One held the choked-out Absalom and I had just about ordered a pursue before his sword to his neck. She was maskless and her face was almost daring me to try and stop them from leaving. They realized he was important to me, perhaps even that he was me a minute ago and now a useful shield to getaway.
I let them climb over and run off onto the creeping darkness with my friend on one of their backs. My grip was tight around the lasgun, so much so that had it been made from less sturdy stuff it would have cracked. My brood crowed around me protectively, all aimed towards the direction the assassins were running in. Hybrid Orks leveled their guns and waited, fingers twitching on the triggers but holding back from their nature for my command. It looked like a serious struggle.
I don't know how long I stood there waiting.
The many, many Tyranid bioforms growling and hissing. Poised to surge forwards the order to be unleashed was given. I waited for the moment they would either release or kill Absalom. So we might move to shield his return... Or that the hunt for the Eldar could begin in ernest. Neither event came though, instead, I turned as some of my Gaunts hissed and growled, all getting ready to devour the Eldar whose arm I blew off.
"She's still alive?" I wondered, her arm had been blown right off and her body knocked to the ground yet here we were.
Her hand came off clutching the wound as more 'nids encircled the woman. She was trying to grasp for her sidearm even as blood leaked slowly from the mostly cauterized wound.
I had them rip off her gun and dragged by the leg over to me. One of my Orks restrained her at my command, even if she was on her knees the Eldar was still able to make eye level. Making an impressive attempt at keeping her back straight and staring right at me defiantly. A warrior indeed.
"Do you understand what I'm saying?" She simply stared right back keeping her nose turned up at me, while I had contemplated clubbing her with the rifle. Another of my Tyranids came over, eager at the fresh and uninfected body here. As the Genestealer came up next to me she stiffen ever so slightly but didn't struggle like a caught animal.
She knew what this was, or held and understood that she shouldn't want it near her. Hard to tell if she was nervous but her fear at this fate was evident as the Genestealer's tongue came loose. While I moved to get a smile on my face, a grin that would promise pain or worse if she didn't acknowledge my question.
"Let me ask this again..." I leaned far closer and the Eldar kept her eyes locked on mine.
"Do you understand what I'm saying?"
The restless night came and went, and with it came the scouting and scanning of the surrounding area for any more Eldar. The likelihood of them breaching my defenses so easily like that was less so now. The next issue was my Tyranid Warrior. Its lifeless carcass held a hole through the side of its head. Those rifles the Eldar wielded were good but they wanted assassins to be up close and personal. They knew I had some sort of sway over the Horde or at least held a strong theory that I did. The fact they killed the synapse creature more than explained they knew about the link and how important severing it was in breaking a Tyranid swarm.
I scooped up some of the heated meat chunks back into its can and moved with my ring of Raveners and Termagants. The camp had steadily become more and more like a fortress the barriers were being turned into pillboxes for my Termagants and hope we're being dug to give my Centaurs some basic cover. There would be gaps my melee-oriented Tyranids would have to fill but other than that things were okay. I had no doubt that if the Eldar were to attack once more they wouldn't do so in a large obvious assault. So lining my troops along the barrier would prevent them from sneaking in.
A new Synaptic creature would be needed to better command my forces and I contemplated calling the one I had back at the landing zone. But having its trek through the jungle with a small entourage would leave the landing zone without proper leadership. Plus would make them vulnerable to being sniped by any Ranger with a functioning brain. No, if I was going to be getting any back it or would have to come via drop pods. Which meant I couldn't get my hands on very many reinforcements and strategies that required attrition on my part went out the window completely.
Eventually, I reached Tinker and the rest of the Hybrid Orks, they had a large space just off to the side of my tent in the center of camp. Taking up an entire third of the place to build the ship. All were grumbling yesterday about not getting a chance to fight. Especially when two moments had presented themselves, yet they were now hard at work building a ship. Or rather Tinker was glad many seemed to be rolling with it. Likely because there was nothing better to do now that they've bolted a few more bits of scrap to their bodies and weapons.
"At least I hoped that is what they're doing..." They had cobbled together a lot of the vehicles to make some kind of half-sphere that looks like it could fit three Orks within. It was lifted up a few feet on from one side with two logs so that Tinker could fiddle around. He seemed to be the only one who knew what he was doing though. The rest were trying to get pots of burning tar going or beating scrap into curved shapes.
I did mean beat, like hitting with clubs, the butts of their guns, and fists in an attempt to bend it. All for the reason they didn't understand but they had to help Tinker because 'da boss says so' and they didn't wanna get krumped by my shoota.
"So shat are you doing?" I said on approach to Tinker, the Ork slid himself out and sat up before answering.
"Oi boss! I'z building a rocket! Wez got da engine thing, just need more enginez." He said excitingly as his project, which looked like he only had the engine block mostly made and was already out of scrap. what Tinker did was impressive for time management but he did say more engines than the five we got was needed. So battling more Ork vehicles would be next on my list of priorities.
"Just how many engines do you think you'll need to make the rocket fly?"
Tinker paused and lost himself in thought, him being an Ork Mechboy meant he knew how to make stuff like thin naturally. Which doesn't mean the same thing as knowing how or why it works or what's the optimal method of making it. "Uhh, a few more boss."
I don't know why I expected some kind of clear answer. This was Ork technology, it didn't have to make sense to anyone other than the Orks themselves. So long as it worked and did the job I wanted I wouldn't care.
"Wez need more scrap boss!" He gestures over to the empty pile with only a few rusted pieces of metal strewed about. I nodded along, I already knew we'd need a lot more than just this place to get any loot from it.
"Well keep working, I'll see to getting you more engines and scrap later."
The meaty mush in the can have the time to cool and soon enough I looped would the came to a small tent with as much security as I had. Entering the tent, the Eldar glared at me, her remaining arm tied up and handing from a line into the ceiling. The armored plates and weapons had long since been discarded by me. Two Hormagaunts flanked her and backs away at my metal tasking.
"I brought you some food, it's meat from a can, quite good." I explained while crouching onto a knee. Her own legs were tied together and attached to in of the support posts behind her. I help up the food but she turned her nose up at me.
"I know you must be hungry, so come on now." While she was one if the assassin who tried to kill me I wasn't about to be cruel and starve her. No, apparently she wanted to do that to herself.
"Okay well, the offer shall stand as long as I'm here." I placed the can down and then turned one of the Hormagaunts into a makeshift chair. Stared back at her angry glare with neutrality.
"Come now I know you at least have a rudimentary understanding of my language." The only reason why she wasn't given the Genestealer Kiss was that she said 'yes' to my question last night. "No need to keep giving me the silent treatment, I brought you food and wrapped a blanket around you."
A blanket she then kept shaking off because I guess the woman would have preferred to become a pawn of the brood. Or be beaten senseless by me or my Gaunts. The proud nature of the Eldar was encapsulated well in this one woman. I wouldn't hurt her as I was not a monster and would not drive down to that level, especially with no good reason to do so.
I maintain the air of a good hoisted and had the line holding her arm up cut. She flexed her hand but remained on her knees still trying to keep her back straight and head up to glare at me from above. She didn't try and attack me so at least she held some sense to her and even rubbed the dressing I applied over the shoulder. The cauterized wound didn't need much to stem any bleeding. I just boiled the cleanest-looking rags I could find and then cover it, using what twin I could find to wrap around her body to hold it there.
Now was not the time to be antagonistic when Absalom's life was in danger. I could still feel that the man was alive, far off certainly and I had dual Lictors trying to keep on their trail. I hadn't lost either in them yet so perhaps it was working. He was alive but this morning they had stopped moving him and remained completely stationary. I doubted they were stupid enough to take him to their chief encampment unless they didn't know that much about the telepathic link. I was going to run off and attempt a rescue bit I would like to investigate first, with an army and a hostage of my own of course.
"From what I know you Eldar have a strong sense of kinship. Losing one is always a tragedy to the community as a whole and now I have you." I kept my smile polite as if this was a relaxed discussion between strangers. "I'm going to be taking you on a walk, now what I wanted to know is... Would any of your friends care if I brought you along?"
Her eyes darted to the side, perhaps in contemplation of just that before recentering on me and her mouth opened. No doubt to give some snarky answer as to why they wouldn't care and just kill a mon-keigh like me. But the fact her teeth slammed shut at the wide grip plastered on and her haughty exterior seemed to deflate every so slightly thinking she confirmed it with the previous action was answer enough.
"Terrific, now are you certain you don't want something to keep up your strength?"
The jungle or the desolate ruins with islands of greenery that passed as it was to be considered a hostile environment. The Eldar could literally be hiding just about anywhere and I felt like a scorched earth tactic was just about the only way to root them out.
"Which is why being here has become that much unworth it."
The force I brought was mainly Raveners, Gaunts with my previous Centaurs left with as many Sargents as I could leave to hold the construction of defense together. As much as I wanted to hunker down and just wait for another Tyranid Warrior the longer Absalom would remain with the territorial Exodites. That couldn't stand for long and I knew the general direction of where he was and held a sense that the Eldar wouldn't take him somewhere seriously important. My hostage struggled briefly as I had her arm tired around the neck of a Termagant while two more forced her to mount a Hormagaunt. She had finally settled in and remained brooding on the creature.
"At least I sincerely hope they didn't, else this situation would get even more complicated." Having a direction to move my small army and Lictors keeping an eye on things ahead of us didn't put my mind at ease. The further we moved in the more and more this started to look like a World War One recreation.
More leafless trees and churned-up mud, with the odd patches of life still barely hanging on. Large craters were also becoming an occasional sight. No carcasses or ruined vehicles though, with the nature of Orks meant they likely took all that for use. It was very likely it was Ork on Orks warfare as the Eldar turned then against one another and perhaps burned what they could. I was no expert but that felt like the only sensible way the Exodites could combat the Orks.
"I wonder just how long this war as being going on before I came here?"
It had to be a long time, the destructive attitudes of the Orks notwithstanding. This kind of ecological damage had to have taken significant time, especially when the culprits weren't intentionally trying to kill the land.
Our March trundled a line until we found a lake of green still untouched with bits of this devastation leaking in. I could really feel Absalom's presence and talk to him telepathically.
"Michael it's a trap! They knew you would come!" He cried out yet I figured as much. That had to be the reason why they'd keep him alive for this long. Realized he held significance to me and wanted to draw me into a trap. Unfortunately for them, I wasn't the idiot they likely counted on me being, which didn't mean they weren't dangerous here hence why we made very little progress into the thinned foliage before stopping. Absalom was relatively close now and although I still had no line of sight of him. My Eldar woman scanned the tree line before snapping back to the dirt when she realized I was watching her.
I kept behind my Raveners guards as two Termagants dragged the elder to the front of the brood and I called out. "Alright Eldar! I know for a fact you're all watching to stop hiding and come out. Let's have a chat!"
There was no response other than the wind, the hostage I had was still being held tight. Yet no party of Eldar approached us. No gunfire came out, nor were any of my Tyranids sensing movement. I held my ground and waited for any signs, Absalom was still here and alive. It was a trap, I knew it was and they definitely knew I did as well. They had to but remained where they were.
I shoved forwards, having a Hormagaunt chew the line connecting the arm to a Termagant off. I wrapped my own arm around the Eldar's neck to take her with me. I had carried the strap for the lasguns over my head and tossed the weapon into the jungle foliage.
"I am genuinely here to talk! You have my friend and I have your kin, so let's chat about how we're both going to solve this issue!" I cried out even more loudly, hoping that revealing myself and going into an exposing position would get some reaction. Even if it was sniper fire I didn't want this to end with death for any party involved. I waited for who knows how long before a figure finally ghosted from behind a tree to my left and began to make their wave towards me.
The figure was easily six feet, wearing minimal armor plates and I noted they were a he with had his hair in a bun. Blue paint had markings all over the guy's body creating intricate runes all over. My brood began to shift in response to his presence pulling away from the left and sliding the semi-circle around to face him. Many lined up close to me, ready to fire to charge. I also tried to keep a contingent watching the space where the trap was, in case anyone tried anything from that angle.
The guy stopped maybe five yards away before speaking. He held a high sense of superiority, his back was slightly arched but kept his gaze locked completed to him in that ethereal, almost velvet tone that Eldar always talks in. "Well?"
I waited for him to continue then blinked when he didn't. "Well, what?"
"You are the one who assaulted my ears with your animal grunts into revealing myself 'to chat' and are now perplexed?" There was a degree of snark in his tone and I had planned on speaking with them but to me they began this situation with the planned ambush. I mean okay, fair enough, I supposed this whole situation is weird and I should be glad one oven came over.
I made to reply when the woman made her move. My arm around her neck was not tight and she elbowed my side and tore out with ease. Bolting for the man briefly before she was quickly pulled down by a pair of Hormagaunts.
"Don't kill her! Pin her down!" I cried aloud mainly for his sake and when I glanced back I could feel my face pale. His eyes glowed a light blue and electricity crackled between his fingers. I yanked her up and held her kneeling by the shoulders. I tried my face neutral as the dangerous Psyker, like a warlock level cause I don't see a Seer getting into this situation.
"You have my friend and I have yours, so long as you can guarantee he's safe so will she!" I said loudly so everybody I could and couldn't see would hear.
Slowly the powers he had died down and there was a curt nod of understanding. "He has yet to be harmed and shall remain that way for the time being."
"Pleased to hear it." The no-doubt centuries-old man added with little emotion. I'd seen his gaze when we were looking at a rock formation in geology. Trying to figure out what was up with the images we saw and how did it get that way.
Perplexion was great, that meant he didn't know how to approach me and needed to just react to what I said and do. "I'm here to make a trade her for him." I pointed in Absalom's general direction.
"I see..." He followed my pointed finger and then nodded slowly as if this confirmed something. He was surprisingly composed despite a human being in control of Tyranid ms was incredibly odd. "I cannot agree to anything as I do not have the authority to relinquish him. Nor make any binding agreements."
"Are you kidding me right now?!" I couldn't tell if he was lying though. "I'd bet money he's not. The fact he's here talking to me and the way he reacted to the woman under threat means he wants to help her."
"I only came here for him and certainly not a fight. It's the Orks that mainly concern my and our safety."
"Your word alone will not convince me otherwise."
"Yeah, I doubted it would... But it seems like you have someone I care about." My hands, still on the woman's shoulders tighten slightly. "And I have her, the Greenskins however aren't ones to be negotiated with."
"Hm." He made a show of nodding and I wonder if that was as much for my benefit as our unseen audience.
"The Orks will steamroll both of us, especially if we waste time trying to root out and kill each other like this."
"Better to deal with the threat that does not stand and speak yes?" He offered, I only nodded graciously. I wasn't sure if he caught on or was actually being led one by me... Probably the former.
"I'm currently trying to gut them, tear down their camps just as much and you all are. And I'm setting myself on a much higher objective."
"So you plan to destroy their primary landing site?"
I perked up at that line. "What do you mean by primary landing site?"
"The location where their starship crashed of course." He said dryly, not getting the significance of this to me.
"That place is going to have a lot of scraps and perhaps even items needed for getting a ship up!"
"And pray tell where is this place exactly?" He noted my interest and kept his out sealed. "Such a place will have important Orks, and I think you're smart enough to know killing the big ones destabilized the horde and get them killing each other more than us."
At least that's the idea I wanted him to think on Somehow I had the feeling if they knew I was building a ship they might just try and shoot it down while in the air. This might keep them off my back, if only because they'd be counting on me wasting manpower and resource same as the Orks.
I let go of the woman and strode forward to stand a few feet from him. My Ravener bodyguards covered the sides around me. I noted the briefest motions with his hand and registered it as communication with his fellows.
"A Psyker like you would have some prestige, especially in this conflict." Which was a pretty big assumption. "If you can promise me to at least try and keep you people off my back so we can deal with the massive Ork problem. She shall be safe and I won't try and pursue a war with you guys unless provoked. As I have better things to do."
"And perhaps they would as well..."
Even while extending my hand I knew was making a serious gamble here and I wished I could include Absalom in the offer. I was presuming the Orks were a major threat and not an avoidable nuanced. That these guys didn't have a Craftworld Warhost here or days away to deal with the Greenskin problem. Or that they didn't see the Tyranids I had as a bigger threat. I mean even if they only held a rudimentary understanding of the 'nids, being a to negotiate with them was probably odd indeed.
Nevertheless, I had no intention of attacking them anyway so if he was lying or this attempt at a congressional pact fail I wasn't losing much. Except for Absalom.
His own hand came up but not to grasp mine, making a motion and I stiffened. Expecting some sort of attack yet none came, instead, my Tyranids started picking up the movement of a lot more hostiles. There had to be a small army waiting further in! The hand came down to offer one shake before breaking off. "Leave her be and I shall see what can be done."
A polite smile came over me and I nodded graciously. "Would you like to speak with her?"
He started back, with only a tick of emotion flashing before his face then disappearing. He made yet another gesture with his hand.
"Your compatriot shall be here shortly as well."
