They had a term for it, but Kais didn't know that at the time as Commissar Iverson Holt held the bolt pistol up against the crimson clad Tau soldier's head. 'Thunderground,' a defining moment in the life of an Arkan Confederate. A defining moment… just like this one, and then tension in the air was palpable.
"So, are you one of Abel's men?" asked the Commissar while practically dripping with spite.
Kais just stood their blinking with bewilderment while taking in the sight of the Imperial Commissar with his grill mark facial wound and shaggy dark features, "Uhhhhhhh…" he hummed, "Who?"
Iverson pressed his bolt pistol now even harder against Kais's temple while snarling, "Don't play coy with me you blue skin mo-" the Commissar suddenly paused and then padded down his chest and left leg as if remembering 'something important.' When next Iverson turned his full attention back to a very still standing and slightly scared Kais the human seemed a bit shaken.
"I remember… being shot… several times during that fight. Then…" he suddenly took a step back and looked from left to right down either side of the four-way junction to their position within the hallway. Kais could tell that this particular human was a bit… 'not all there.' Well, to be fair… the Tau Fire Caste Warrior had also just learned that his mind was in the warp while speaking to a very much 'dead' space marine brother librarian, and that all of this was some sort of grand illusion so… when you think about it abstractly… who was fit to determine 'not all there' right now?
"Something wrong?" asked Kais while raising his arms into the universally understood gesture of surrender and please don't shoot me. There would be a short pause as the Imperial Commissar's beady eyes now rife with fear scanned over their shared surroundings, "The last thing I remember was 'her.'"
"Uhhhhh…" said Kais with blatant confusion, "Her 'who?'"
Iverson suddenly snapped his full attention back to the captured Tau warrior. There was a short pause during which Kais could feel himself being squared up before Holt elaborated, "Reve. Her name is-was Reve," the human briefly ground his teeth before resuming, "And… its complicated."
The man suddenly narrowed his eyes before asking, "Now, can you give me one good reason why I shouldn't shoot you in the head?"
Kais blinked several times as if struck. To be fair, he had way more than just one good reason at this point. I mean, if Brother Librarian Delpheus was still with him right now then there would be a means of vouching for his trustworthiness, but alas… this was not to be in the moment. Instead, he just… tried to be diplomatic. "Well…" started Kais very slowly, "How about because… that thing standing right behind you right now doesn't look very friendly?"
"Do you really expect me to fa-" Commissar Iverson didn't even get to finish as a zombified hand suddenly circled around his neck from behind. Kais just bobbed his head knowingly to the human as the Commissar's face briefly light up with fright and then like a light switch being flipped then turned into righteous anger. "Unhand me you-" and once again Iverson paused mid-sentence as he spun to fight his assailant only to realize that it was the very much undead corpse of Scout Valance.
The ensuing fight between Commissar Iverson and the undead zombified corpse of an Arkhan Confederate Scout was thankfully brief and brutal. Kais crossed his arms and stood to the side, watching with a hint of bemusement, as the human struggled and eventually got his bolt pistol into Scout Valance's gaping maw before pulling the trigger. A split second later and the bolt detonated within the scouts head exploding and pulping it like a melon. With a lifeless thud the ghouls body tumbled to the ground in a flourish of flailing limbs.
"Thanks for the help…" said Iverson dully and without approval as he wiped the lingering bits of tattered tissue, meaty bits, skull fragments, and blood from his face. I mean, the zombies' detonation had occurred at point blank range after all. Kais just shrugged and replied snidely, "You're welcome human… all in a day's work…"
Iverson actually gave a bemused chuckle before spinning around with two cold eyes and a bolt pistol now lowered to his side. He seemed to… 'consider' several things before snarling and eventually putting his firearm away back into its holster. "For the record this doesn't make us friends. I still don't like you…"
"Ah, I see…" Kais uttered with harsh mocking humor, "So friendemies? Cooperate for the 'Greater-"
"Please don't finish that sentence…" replied the Commissar, already perfectly aware of where the Tau's Fire Caste Warriors political propaganda was about to take that thought. I mean, for a political officer of the Imperium of Man this was practically a given. In response, Kais made calming gestures with his hands before concluding, "Greater-Need?"
"Ah… and that need would be?" asked Iverson bluntly while gesturing between the two of them like a man who already had his answer, but nevertheless wanted hear the xenos actually say it.
"Not dying horribly in the coming moments as we search 'this place' for someone very much alive and not a shambling corpse…" Iverson glowered at that proposal and uttered three words in response, "Requiem of Virtue."
"Come again?" asked Kais with a raised brow.
"This place is the battleship 'Requiem of Virture.' Flagship of Sky Marshall Zebasteyn Kircher-" Iverson stopped mid-sentence, blinked several times, and then suddenly his eyes light up, "Oh no. Oh my God Emperor… Ohhhhh SHIT!"
"What is it?" asked Kais with a hint of sudden concern.
Iverson explained, "My last memory is of this ship entering the warp… and…" he looked to the decapitated and recently reanimated corpse of Scout Valance, "If he became one of those things then… Abel…"
Kais looked to Iverson as fear started to settle upon the Commissar's facial features. Yep, he had just figured it out. He, Kais, and everyone else on this blasted ship were now trapped in the warp being hunted by whatever happened to kill so many people aboard this 'battleship.' Still, the Fire Caste Warrior had to ask, "Sooo… whose is this Abel of whom you speak…"
Iverson slowly looked Kais up and down in a distrustful manner, and took a step back. He then held up a finger and shook it up and down as if dictating a point, "We need to get to the bridge. We need to make sure that he's 'still dead.' If he's turned into one of these things…"
This was… not an answer to Kais's question, but before the Tau Warrior could further press the point Iverson had already started into a mad dash down the corridor. Cursing, Kais followed suit while checking the corners at each bulkhead intersection.
Thankfully, the trip to the bridge would be mostly uneventful as the duo rushed down a series of winding corridors littered with broken burning debris and ominous blood stains along the walls and floors. Scorch marks from lasrifle impacts and bolt casings would also litter the floor deckplates in other areas. To be blunt, it was clear that a horrible battle had been fought for the control of this ship and that said battle had concluded with no obvious winner.
Kais would arrive to the bridge of the battleship right after Iverson who aptly spun upon his heel to look out of the viewing port past the numerous consoles contained within and towards the prow of the once mighty vessel. "My lord… what in the name of…" uttered the Commissar as saw the tattered metal hide of the battleship wrapped in black tentacles with a backdrop of spiraling rainbow madness behind it.
"The warp I presume?" asked Kais while coming up from the side. Iverson gave the Tau Warrior a nervous stare before spinning in place to look over the helm. At present they were the only two people within the chamber. The corpses of Abel, Kircher, and Por'o Dal'yth Seishin where nowhere to be found let alone the living members of the bridge crew that the Commissar distinctly remembered as having been left alive during warp transition.
"Damn-it…" cursed the human.
Kais slowly made an inspection of the room as Iverson tried to think of what in the name of that was holy could have happened. In fact, he shouldn't even be here right now. His soul should have been consumed by the foul wicked- "I got something," interrupted Kais as he picked up a data slate from the Captain's Chair. The data slate was quickly handed over to Holt to read over the gibberish that passed for language within human civilization. There was a brief series of mumblings from the Commissar as he quickly skimmed through the logs. It was some sort of final log report from the bridge crew talking about how his body had disappeared following the translation into the warp. Things, as suspected, had not gone according to planned, and there were numerous reports of demonic infestations occurring around the ship. Evidently, in a final desperate attempt to return back to the materium the bridge crew had decided to abandon the helm and make for the Enginerium.
"I have good news… I think we have a way out of this mess…" said Holt as he figured a means of escaping from this wicked mess. From the Commissar's perspective they just had to find the bridge crew in the Enginerium and get the engines back online…
However, this moment of happiness was short lived as he turned to peer at Kais, standing with his back turned, and looking out through the viewing window of the bridge. The Tau Fire Caste Warrior slowly turned towards the Commissar and took a step to the side to reveal what he had prior been glaring at, "Commissar…" asked the Tau warrior, "Care to explain?"
Outside, walking along the exterior hull of the human battleship, now being directly exposed to the worst ravages of the warp, were a series of Tau battlesuits, war torn, battered, and broken walking along the exterior hull in a slow yet steady march towards their very position. In a split second, Iverson put two and two together and uttered something unexpected, "Yeah… you're right… I really should have killed you…"
The Commissar said those words as what appeared to be a very much undead Jhi'kaara was leading her Battlesuit Squadron in a boarding action. But… how? Iverson had left the Tau bitch for dead back on Phaedra… so what was she doing here!?
Kais interjected, "I think… we should go…"
Iverson didn't miss a beat, "I think… you're right…" and with that the duo was off.
