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The Psyker advanced slowly, keeping his hands away from the pistol and blade attached to either side of his hips. My Gaunts and Raveners clustered around but kept their blade and guns lowered. If he tried anything they'd rip both of them apart in a matter of seconds. The gamble would be worth it if only to throw them a curveball and make me seem even more unusual. Getting to see and speak with Absalom in turn was an unexpected bonus.

This guy was far too valuable to alienate, he was willing to talk, had the clout to get the Eldar here to stand down, and had a personal connection to my hostage. That much he made unintentionally clear.

I let go of her shoulders and took a slight step back, not enough that I couldn't just reach out and grab her once more. It was to be polite mostly. He stroked her cheek and they shared a smile, chatting briefly in their language. He looked up to gaze at me, not with anger or fury but more confusion. Which I still felt was good, keeping the far smarter Eldar off balance and unable to think clearly.

Soon enough the man untied the knot and moved the cloth covering her shoulder to Look at the ruined stub. There was a sharp intake of air as he saw the burnt flesh, still crispy from the shot. She had attacked Absalom and as any court would say the shot I took could be considered self-defense. So I mostly ignored it after wrapping it up. I knew I had to say something, being the obvious cause of the damage and he cared about this woman.

"Do you happen to have any medicine to clean this properly?" It wouldn't hurt to be nice here, especially since I was counting on them returning the favor to Absalom. He nodded and made a gesture that had one of the Eldar come over.

"He needs to leave his weapon behind."

There was thankfully no argument or even snide remark. Just a curt nod and he spoke once more in his language. It was the healer that hesitated but a more firm order from the guy had the Eldar reluctantly complying. The process wasn't very long, he took one look at the damage and took out some clear liquid cream of sorts, and rubbed it into the wound. Wrapping it in a far cleaner medicinal cloth.

I instinctively rubbed the cloth on my face. I knew how burns like that felt and could somewhat sympathize with the pained looks she gave at the cream being used. I wished I could have some of that. Then an idea popped into my head, that would serve me a nice dual purpose.

"How often does this need to be changed and how much of that stuff needs to be used?" I asked and the Psyker looked up questioning before asking and then taking the materials from his reluctant companion.

"Every..." He apparently needed to mull over the wording in his head. "Few days. Only as much as you saw being used shall be necessary. If there is any green puss around the wound it shall need far better cleaning and healing."

"I shall do everything in my power to make certain that does happen and keep her comfortable." I declared far more loudly than was necessary. I paused remembering something else.

"I also have the body of one of your own... It's pretty mangled but if you like I could place it in a box- coffin and leave it outside my camp." A brow raised in a silent question. "So the family can bury it somewhere... If you guys do that here."

After a moment of consideration for my offer, he nodded slowly. "Do so and I shall come and receive it. Your kindness is appreciated and shall not go unnoticed." The sideways glance he gave Absalom as he exited some foliage was unnecessary. Yet I nodded along regardless.

"Thank you, I'll keep all this in mind as well." I mulled over my next thought before deciding there was no harm in saying it. "I'm Michael by the way."

He eyed me suspiciously before standing and dismissing the healer. Gesturing towards Absalom and wasting no time taking the lead over there. I followed just a short distance with my brood taking up staunch positions to shield me. He looked back to note me standing there, waiting for him to bring Absalom halfway. A certainly didn't trust these guys enough to just expose me to gunfire even more than I was.

Thankfully he was willing to bring Absalom forwards and I kept my Raveners close as we mentally spoke. Sure we could have done that at a distance but face to face was far better. No verbal words would be spoken, they had their language and I wanted some privacy.

"Absalom, did they hurt you in any way?" They had choked him out and then dragged him away, it was to keep me off their backs. Yet keeping him could have involved me and lengthy interrogation. I knew he'd never give up anything, so they might have tried being far more forceful.

"The Xenos filth bruised me a few times for trying to slip away, tied me to a tree soon thereafter." Mental images of him trying to break free and them striking back with bare fists. It angered me but wouldn't be an issue unless he or I made it that way for them.

"I'm working on freeing you from the Eldar but it's going to take some time..." I winced at the severe understatement, not that he seemed to mind. "For now just go along unless they're actively trying to hurt you."

"So I will." Once more no doubt, hesitation, or attempts to argue differently. Had I had an uninfested human I wondered just how xenophobia could have played into and made this so much harder. It wasn't the case because he lacked any true free will and I wanted to curse myself for almost being grateful for that.

"I need some advice... Neither party here trust the except for the fact that the Orks are a bigger problem and we have personal leverage."

"I'm going to need a lot more than that to go on Michael..."

So I explained how I was able to view the situation. Didn't know the mind's eye of the Eldar though, blind as I was he mulled over the thoughts for some time.

"I don't see how you could have handled it better, my apologies carrier."

"Don't worry about it, things are complicated, and if you have nothing that's fine. Just play nice with them and I'll see about eventually getting you back."

I could feel him pause and mulled over a few more details. "You have this man's woman or sister, and he is clearly keen on getting her back. Leverage is to be used, that is all the advice I can give you."

I thanked him and then broke our telepathic phone call but paused. I was extremely uneasy at the prospect of even considering it, I wasn't that desperate to use violence on an unarmed prisoner to get my way... was I? There was something else that bubbled up in my mind, one that I latched onto and nearly stumbled at the realization.

"Did Absalom just call me carrier?"


There were no further issues beyond that, all the Eldar maintain their composure and discipline. As I probably should have assumed they would. I didn't know if Exodites held the same level of discipline as Craftworlders and was thankfully shown they would play ball if their leader would. And that this guy was their leader or at least well respected so that would follow commands with no resistance I could note. I still had some members of my small army to lag behind and make sure they weren't trying to follow us, sure they knew where I lived but I did not like being followed by snipers with potentially a strong personal initiative.

Absalom remained fully calm and remained unquestionably confident I knew this would end well. All the while we lead our parties away from the ambush site with little parting words. I didn't even get the guy's name, but we didn't leave on hostile terms. Which was better than I dared to hope I'd accomplish there. He looked back and locked gazes with the woman, who rode the Hormagaunt with far less trepidation. I tried to find any familial resemblance between them yet saw nothing really.

They were close and I was certain he wanted to do more than cup her cheek.

"I supposed he didn't want to be too overt. I was standing right there and neither of us wanted to betray too much information."

I was riding on my own Hormagaunt deep in thought about my next move. Which I knew was finding that Ork crash site and taking it from whoever was squatting in it. A major assault would take place and I'd likely need every Tyranid and Ork available. The spawning pools would have to function in overdrive to assemble an army. It wouldn't be that I needed to capture the site but holding it to extract the resources needed. From Orks and Eldar alike, as I doubted either would be okay with me just

Then a sharp realization hit me like a dagger through the back and I groaned loudly. The woman beside me turned to eye me oddly. I had asked where it was but like a complete idiot immediately sidetracked the conversation and never got where this crash site was at! I nearly panicked but forced myself to relax.

"It's not the end of the world, I can always ask the guy when he comes to get the coffin." There was a quicker option right next to me.

"Hey," The woman turned and kept her expression neutral. "Your... friend mentioned an Ork ship crashing planetside, where exactly did that happen?"

She could have opened her mouth and given directions, she could have merely pointed or gestured vaguely. The size starships can take in this universe as that fact it crashed means I'd see it eventually. Yet she decided that being difficult was better and turned her nose up. Literally turned her head away from me and up to avoid looking at me.

"The Orks are a problem for both of us, your friend no doubt understands this..." Judging from the frustrated reaction that was a jab I should stop trying to hammer at. "Think of it this way, the more Orks I fight and kill the less your people will have to worry about later."

She turned but only gazed at me quizzically.

"Does she know that I can use Ork bodies to make troops?" No, she wouldn't be confused then. Just furious or perhaps annoyed at preceding me attempting to trick her into getting me a larger army. Perhaps she was wondering why I included helping out her people when we both darn well knew they'd turn against me at the drop of a hat?

I sighed exasperated, both were likely and sensible notions for her to have against me. But it was still annoying as I needed to get there and take the place as soon as possible! A Warhost of Eldar could arrive any day now then I'd be screwed for sure. So I'd try and convince her but I suppose I could just wait so pressuring her wasn't a priority.

"Please? I want to fight off the Orks just as much as your people do, not to their benefit of course but to my own. They know where I live and I cannot hide as easily as you guys, so I have to be aggressive. Is that enough reasoning?" It was true enough. All I wanted was the scrap there to get that ship built and I hoped the sincerity might help although it just as easily wouldn't.

I had given her pause for thought and she swung her legs over her ride and I told everyone to hold as she collected a stick from the floor. A circle, completely perfect in its form, was drawn and she tapped it and pointed in the directions we were headed.

"So it's that way?"

Her head shook and she gestured around at the Tyranids then the circle. I stared blankly wondering what they could possibly contribute to what she was talking about.

"...Oh you mean the outpost I've established?"

A curt nod from her neutral face was my answer and her gaze turned up to the sky. Every movement of her body was mesmerizing to watch, it was as if every muscle in her body moved precisely to crank her head up. The books really didn't do the reality of the Eldar justice. The lack of leaves made it easy for her to eye the position of the waning sun then scanned the opposite side her finger pointed between them.

My mind mulled this over and I saw she was looking at the east and west. "...So it's north of here."

If eyes could roll so hard they'd pop outta the sockets like nuts she made the most valiant attempt to do so. A sigh escaped her lips and the neutrality she maintained was replaced with a pained look. I had seen that look many times before from my integrated three math teacher when I didn't get the answer that was so obvious to him.

She tapped the circle, gestured at the Tyranids then jabbed the stick north once more like... Well like my high school math teacher explaining every detail of the equation trying to get me to understand. My brain reached enough of a consensus to finally grasp what she meant.

"Oh, you mean north of my outpost." She didn't bother confirming nor denying after that but kept that annoyed look. "Hey if you wanted me to get where it was then why bother with the roundabout way?! Use your voice why don't you?"

Her expression didn't change but her arms crossed and she worked her jaw for a moment before finally getting two words out.

"No... Gothic."

"No Gothic? What the heck does that even-"

"Oh!" My eyes widened at the realization, that she couldn't really speak my language. Understand it and grasp certain words but she wasn't knowledgeable to compose any meaningful sentences. The irritated expression meant that she saw my realization and was miffed that it took this long for me to get it.

I cleared my throat to focus her attention once more.

"Thank you for the information, this shall help me greatly." I extended my hand, then immediately switched it as she couldn't shake it with the corresponding limb missing.

The Eldar stared at it and her irritation turned slightly into confusion. Like I had offered her a snake to shake, she merely turned and for back onto her Hormagaunt. My polite gesture rejected I hopped onto mine. I needed to send scouts, actually, I should wait a few days to see if the ceasefire was in effect then send them out.

"I'll soon have an assault to plan but first and army to gather."


A routine soon settled at the outpost. I'd eat then feed my Eldar 'guest', check out how Tinker was doing in regards to the starship and organized the base defenses.

Drop pods had come down a bit outside the outpost. A freshly made Tyranid Warrior as a lot more Spore mines to plant in the perimeter. The barricade formed around the base was beaten into a ring of pillboxes with dirt and logs from the surrounding area. Patrols did venture far but were comprised of larger groups and didn't just have Gaunts but some Raveners as well. Gargoyles took to perching on the trees to dissuade any snipers from getting any fancy ideas.

The Eldar was left unbound in the tent. I made it clear the place was surrounded by Tyranids and if she tried leaving would be pinned and once more left restrained within. The only time she was allowed out was to empty her bowels and that was at the pit in the middle of the camp. So she couldn't try escaping nor other Eldar trying to rescue her. She kept quiet these past few days and any attempt to converse was still meant with silence or a miffed expression. I had long since stopped trying and she was thankful hadn't tried escaping or ended up being difficult.

"Unless she's trying to play the long game and good luck with that."

I had taken the liberty of using some of that cream on my wound and covering it with the same medical wraps. Just a little and I felt no adverse effects so I assumed it was safe for use and began applying a bit of it to me. My hearing was still a bit shot, and I doubted it would ever recover. Then tried to clean her wound, but she was adamant about letting me just take off the cover. Much less cleaning the burnt flesh and rubbing anything into it as left to her.

She clearly had more idea as to how this was supposed to work. So I left her be and just wrapped more of the (gauze?) then took back the wet rag I had also provided.

"Is it feeling any better?" I didn't even know if it was bad in the first place. Mostly making conversation as I handed her some canned fruit. Wild animals or any plants that bore food were long gone here, and I'd need to either send forage parties way further out. Or have the Tyranids back at the landing zone bring some to me.

"A question for later." I thought as she scooped up some of the soaking and soggy morsels. They clearly didn't taste anything like what she was used to and hesitantly took the new food into her mouth. She also pointedly didn't answer me.

"I am genuinely trying to make your stay comfortable. If you get sick on my watch I know your companion wouldn't like that, so is it getting better?"

She started at me for the longest time just chewing the soft fruit before giving m a curt nod. I mean it didn't look infected to me, not that I had much idea as to have an infected wound looked like. I'd just trust she had enough self-preservation about her to notice something wrong and mention it. So I left with my Termagant bodyguards in toe.

Tinker had hit a brick wall in terms of construction, not enough scrap left and he was enthusiastic about hearing about a crashed ship. Although I needs to stop him from trying to run off west, because he assumed north was that way, to find it.

Using Orks as my build team wasn't the best idea but I still couldn't think of anything else. Having them as a part of my military force was another thing altogether.

The primary issue with using hybridized Orks I've come to realize is that they are certianly not a long-term sustainable investment. Sure I don't need spawning pools, it deprives the Orks of new boys later, they can use scrap to make weapons and vehicles to support my armies. Plus when they die more shall grow later. Yet the issues are that not every dead Ork shall give me boyz. Gretchen and Squigs could be made and as I saw some of them had extra limbs and armored that wasn't sensible placed. They couldn't move well and were basically just food or replantable material. I also needed to feed these guys more often than my Tyranids. Hybrids did have their own personal initiative in a sense and I could feel the Orks torn from their innate desire to fight and follow my orders. It was only me being there that stopped them from just charging in last time.

Sure some Orks were working well with their limbs as if they were naturally formed. I supposed they were born with them so there really wasn't any getting used to it. And they did resist their nature but would that be true when I was always around? Cheap and tough manpower was their main contribution to my army but I was under no illusions they could become the backbone. Good cannon fodder so my more easily controlled creatures could move in unharassed.

"It's been a few days I'll send of Lictors north to find that crash site. I'll also call the Ork bands and spawned 'Nids from the landing zone, if this ceasefire hasn't worked then I'm going to need an army here."

In the back of my mind, I wondered how I was supposed to for certain know if they'd accepted my ceasefire. Or if the message had even been delivered. I could only wait a few more days, the coffin was built. As best as the Orks I had could make it. And it was better than one would imagine. For one it looked like an actual rectangular box, they'd be by to pick that up, and then I will see how the ceasefire is coming along...


Sitting around waiting for the guy whose name he wouldn't even give me felt anxious. This spontaneous attempt to get the Exodites not to attack me because we shared a common threat hinged on them being okay with me consolidating. Just because I too was fighting the Orks. I had Tyranids, which was just as worse as Orks with the only difference being the unusual event of the 'Nids having someone to negotiate with.

Them seeing it that way and that random Psyker being able to convince his peers was what I had hinged Absalom's life on. As well as our easy route off this rock. Although while I could eventually get that ship built so long as I was careful. I wouldn't be getting Absalom back, that was a life I'd lose because I wasn't careful that night...

They had come for the coffin, eight of them in the dead of night with no moon out. I couldn't see any of them through my Tyranids and getting my Warrior to investigate only caused them to pull back. It was so far away and the Eldar from before didn't come out. They just cracked open the coffin and inspected the bloody remains of their fellow. They were probably searching for some trick within.

Once satisfied I wasn't trying to pull anything they brought back what I could only describe as velociraptors. Then threw some rope around it and using lines connected to two of the rides speed off. Upon further inspection, I found they had left a basket surrounded by a bouquet of blue, red, and orange flowers arranged around the rim, its petals having dew glistening off the sides. There were loads of fruits and even some bread. I could find no explosives so I took it in and brought it to my prisoner the next morning.

She eyes me with disdain and then confusion upon noticing the basket. "Your friends came by, took the body I sealed up then left this." I took out one of the loaves, it fitting nicely into the palm of my hand, and offered it.

"It's not going to last long out here and I'd prefer it didn't all go to waste." I smiled politely and she accepted it a moment later. Although her hand did pause over it as if expecting me to yank it away. No trick though, I genuinely wanted her to have some.

"I suppose this is an acceptance or consideration of my peace offering?" My inquiry got serious consideration as she nibbled on the carbs before shrugging. I presumed it was but wanted it confirmed by one of them. They came close to the outpost and took the body with them, so that had to mean something, right? A jug of water was passed to better wash down the dry thing and she looked pointedly to the basket.

I pushed the thing over and she took some of the fruit as well. "She clearly doesn't think it could be poisoned..."

I decided to just leave her to it and if she looked fine then it really was an acceptance of peace. Or the ceasefire. Why they couldn't just way that is what left me miffed.

I mean simple fact my Lictors weren't being killed and they accepted the coffin then left with little fuss. Could silently mean that this ceasefire was in effect. Although that Psyker didn't show his face when they picked it up, perhaps he had bigger fish to fry at the moment?

"No this woman means something to him, he wouldn't just leave her here, right?"

I had sent for backup from the landing zone and I could feel them coming along just fine. Perhaps I could head out and meet them? It wasn't safe, but gamble's rarely were.

The March out was with the Tyranid Warrior and I felt safe enough with a small army of a hundred making its way towards a far larger force. Plus there weren't very many places to hide so I allowed myself to relax for a few minutes as the distance from the outpost grew. No one tried sniping me or the Synaptic creature. Although the Raveners I was cocooned in might have dissuaded any marksmen from trying it, I couldn't help but rub the cloth still on my face. The medicine I used made the stinging I used to feel was gone but the burned skin and screwed hearing still reminded me of the dangers out here.

The wind was all any Tyranid heard as they scanned for threats. No fast-moving figures in the distance, or shuriken projectiles darting over to pierce the carapace. It was a brisk stroll not too dissimilar to the ones I've done before. I enjoyed the quiet moment and the soggy dirt coating my boots. If there weren't Orks in this world I might have dismissed my bodyguards to go it alone.

"I suppose that basket really was a peace offering...?"

That Psyker didn't show as he said, I didn't know what that meant, perhaps he was being punished for breaking the ambush then they send someone else who just decided to just leave a basket? The Orks would be shifted up on my priority list, sitting about wondering if the Eldar were taking the deal would only waste valuable time. We were in a ceasefire until proven otherwise now.

"If I move fast enough I could have a starship built and then trade the woman I have for Absalom then be off this rock..."