*Present*
Voi, Kenya
Traxus Factory Complex 09
"What are you doing here?"
"No hug? I'm hurt."
"I'm serious," Ludo warned.
"Working," Malakus answered. "Undercover."
"Why should I believe you?"
Malakus just stared back at him for a moment, then holstered his mauler and walked over to pick up his carbine. Ludo grinned at his old friend. There were indeed only a few that he felt he could relate to, and here was one of them.
"Still a mouthy maverick?" he asked.
"Still a blind follower?" the proud Brute shot back.
"No brother," Ludo said just as Kobul and the other survivors burst into the parking lot from the warehouse's rear exit. "I can see through the Prophet's lies now. My eyes are unveiled to the truth."
"What in the name of Sanghelios is going on here?" Kobul suddenly interrupted.
Ludo turned to see the pilot holding Malakus at gunpoint and quickly stepped between the two.
"Lower your weapon," he warned.
"Plague? You're protecting this scum?! After what they did!"
Kobul tried to shuffle past and execute Malakus. However, before he even knew what was happening, the grandmaster shoved his carbine to the side and open palmed him in the face. The shot went wild. Kobul's head rocked back. At the same time, he felt his legs get swept out from under him. He crashed to the floor.
Kobul tried to get back up but Ludo pointed a threatening finger at him and growled, "Stay down."
The pilot seemed totally bewildered. He looked around at everyone else to see if they too were seeing this. The Marine shrugged. One of the Jackals just shook its head.
"This is an outrage..." Kobul began again.
Ludo silenced him with a subtle hand slicing motion. A new transmission from the Shipmaster was coming in.
"Plague," 'Vadum said. "Activate your transponder for pick up. The Flood has spread too far. We need to glass this entire region before the whole planet is infested."
"Understood, activating now."