Chapter 6
Itami and his group were walking around the post on Alnus Hill in search for the mysterious elf. Tuka and Yao, both being elves, were particularly excited to meet her. However, their excitement soon turned sour.
"YOU, elf!" shouted one of the MPs as they approached the elf in bright reddish-purple robes.
Aralith turned and saw the group of MPs walking towards her. Itami and his group also caught her eyes. She and Kaldred's eyes both widened to see the elves, but she soon discovered using her ability that they lacked psychic presence to be her kin. Despite their looks, they were also primitive beings.
"Do you have business with the seer?" Kaldred asked in gothic tongue, shielding Araltih.
"Yeah. You two are under arrest. There are evidence to show that your people murdered ours."
Kaldred scoffed and spoke in his native language.
"As if killing your primitive species can be considered a crime."
The MPs surrounded the two. Itami's group watched from a far.
"Hand over your weapons and come with us," the MP demanded.
Kaldred set his weapon at ready when Aralith's hand guided his weapon down. With surprised eyes, Kaldred turned to the seer, who gently shook her head.
"Now is not the time, Kaldred. We must not turn these humans against us," she spoke in the Eldar language.
"We shall go with you," Aralith told the MPs, "But lay a finger on us, and you will regret it."
MPs exchanged looks with one another. Soon, the MP sergeant agreed to the terms. The two handed over their weapons and followed without resistance.
The two Eldars were brought to a dimly lit room. 1st Lieutenant Yanagida sat in the desk before them.
"Please, take a seat," Yanagida offered in gothic.
Aralith seated first, followed by Kaldred. Yanagida handed them a file. Kaldred looked surprised.
"That is..."
"Yes, it is the mark of the Dire Avenger aspect," Aralith calmly replied in Eldar language.
Yanagida ignored their incomprehensible conversation and continued.
"Around the time that you were discovered, one of our patrols discovered a pod with this marking, along with the one you bear on your robes and gear. I assume this is the mark of your people, and this one is more specific."
He held up the Craftworld mark first, followed by the aspect marking next. Kaldred scoffed.
"Not bad for a Mon-Keigh."
"You are correct," answered Aralith. Her pale facing illuminating under the light, making her appear even more dream-like.
"So do you confess that your 'kin' murdered a JSDF patrol?" Yanagida questioned.
Aralith leaned forward and began to explain, gesturing her hands as she spoke.
"It is very possible that this was an engagement between my people and yours. If I had to guess, it was probably a single warrior. But this was purely self defense, I can assure you. Your men probably did not feel a thing, let alone know what was going on."
Yanagida looked as if staggered by her statement. Aralith continued.
"As I have told your general few days ago, we are survivors of a recent battle against the Imperium. Their soldiers are equipped similarly to your men, even share the same colours and patterns. It was likely they responded with hostility and were met with force. Your men did not intend to kill, but the Imperium is not as forgiving. A moment of hesitation can mean capture or death, the former leading to torture followed by death. Would you have acted differently in that circumstance?"
Yanagida passed his turn to speak.
"I was fortunate enough to be met with hospitality rather than hostility, learning that your people do not seek to slaughter our kind for simply being different. But my kin would not have had the same hospitality. As per our agreement, I will continue to support your people in the coming battles, but if one of my kin is harmed in any way by your kind, I will seize all assistance."
Aralith made her position firm. Yanagida struggled to return an argument. Then, Aralith's eyes flashed blue. She made a mysterious smile.
"A vision, Seer?" asked Kaldred in Eldar tongue.
Before Yanagida had a chance to ask for the meaning of her smile, a JSDF soldier flung open the door, sweating from running a long distance.
"Sir! It's an attack! Several of the patrols saw fliers, carrying cargo. None of them were recognized as our own."
Yanagida jumped up from his seat. He looked at Aralith. He had so many questions, but now was not the time.
"What's our status?"
"Sir! Reports of aerial attacks from our patrols. They are firing at us with laser weaponry!"
The soldier replied.
"Hand them their weapons!" Yanagida ordered at the soldier on the other side of the reflective glass. He turned to Aralith.
"We will work with you for now, but you are not cleared of your suspicion yet," he said before running out the door.
Itami and his group were caught off guard when the alarms began to sound.
"Ambush? By the empire?" asked Tuka.
"There's no way the empire would attack the JSDF base in a frontal assault,"Lelei answered, her blue hair and blue eyes flashing under the sun.
Rory smelled the air and licked her lips, blushing as if aroused.
"I can smell the battle in the air. Aw- How lovely!" she barely held in her excitement as she swung her halberd twice her size.
Aralith and Kaldred ran out with their weapons in hand. Aralith noticed Itami and his group running towards their vehicle.
"I will go with them. They are going to be a valuable asset in the battle to come," said Aralith. Kaldred turned to go with her.
"No, you will stay back and attempt to ambush their tanks in the narrow confines of the human construct. May your wrath strike fear in their hearts with untouchable flames," Aralith commanded. Kaldred nodded in acknowledgment.
Catching up with her Eldar agility, Aralith waved at Itami's group.
"Take me with you!" Aralith called out.
The group members turned with puzzled looks.
"Uh- Have we met?" asked Lelei with a cold expression.
"No. But I can sense that you are a sorcerer. And the rest of you are exceptional warriors."
Aralith already foresaw their combat prowess in her vision, but she decided that it was best not to reveal her foresight.
Rory closed in with a curious smile. She made a sniffing motion before the seer and licked her lips. Aralith took a slightly defensive stance.
"I can tell that you are quite the warrior yourself," Rory said, folding her hands behind her back, "I'm curious to see what you can do."
"Come on, guys! We gotta move!" Itami reminded the group.
From the north-west hills, several shadows appeared, numbering a few hundred, along with armoured walkers. The men of the Imperial Guard, in green flak armour and helmet ran down the hill with their lasguns in hand. Their right shoulders showed the number 128. The walkers were also green in colour, charging down the hills at tremendous speed.
JSDF combatants prepared themselves. They mounted on vehicles and turrets and awaited their enemy to get in range of their weapon systems. However, the enemy stopped suddenly. A man in black overcoat and a distinct officer's cap emerged from the crowd of soldiers.
"People of this planet!" he spoke, his voice amplified by a strange device next to his mouth, "I am Commissar Nepos of the Astra Militarum. We come bearing the Emperor's wrath towards heretics and traitors! Hand over the alien and surrender, and you will be treated mercifully! Make haste as my offer does not stand for long!"
The JSDF personnel quietly listened as the man in black coat spoke.
"Who the hell is that?" one of the JSDF officer shouted.
"Perhaps this will help you decide!" the man yelled. From the crowd of soldiers, few men appeared, dragging captured JSDF soldiers.
Many of the JSDF watched in complete shock. Itami also stared with widened eyes, remembering the hostage situation during the events in the palace. Except this time, the enemy was out of his reach.
"These men are your people! They have admitted to their charge of treason and heresy by denouncing our holy Emperor of Mankind! Accept Him and be saved in His glory! Denounce Him and die a traitor!"
The guards brought the JSDF prisoners to a kneel. The commissar walked up behind one and pointed his bolt pistol at the prisoner's head.
"Make your peace quickly, scum," the commissar spoke to the trembling JSDF soldier.
"I... I love my daughter!"
BLAM-
The splash of human flesh and blood covered the grass as the man felt forward. From a far, it appeared at his entire head exploded. The rest of the JSDF watched in complete horror.
"Open fire..." the JSDF officer muttered.
"OPEN FIRE!" the command echoed across the JSDF lines. With a thundering crash, mortar rounds and artillery shells began to fly into the air.
"ARTILLERY!" shouted the guardsmen.
Several guardsmen flew into the air, with limbs flying in different directions. But the guardsmen held their ground.
"Fools," commissar commented, "Execute the rest and charge the enemy. For the Emperor!"
"FOR THE EMPEROR!"
With a loud cry, the guardsmen made their charge. The armoured sentinel walkers used its long legs to dashed across the battlefield, firing missiles and lasers at the JSDF defenses. The JSDF fired back with their heavy machine guns and small arms.
The yellow flash of laser hit a JSDF member in the shoulder, blowing his limb off completely. The soldier fell to the floor screaming, holding his missing arm. The JSDF continued to fire at charging enemy.
Itami and his group managed to mount on their vehicles. The seer followed into Itami's vehicle along with Lelei, Rory, and SFC Kuribayashi, who took the gun.
"They were definitely asking for you guys right?" asked SFC Shino Kuribayashi who took the turret. Aralith nodded.
"Don't worry," said Kuribayashi, "We're never giving you up to those savages."
The machine guns sprayed into the incoming guardsmen. Despite the fact that there were enough targets to hit wherever it fired, there were relatively few who actually went down.
"Shit! What the fuck are their armours made out of?" the gunner yelled.
The sound of gunfire and artillery drowned any other noises. Eventually, the JSDF began to see corpses and pieces of dead guardsmen trailing behind the charging formation. But JSDF bodies began to pile as well. Whether flesh or armour, the yellow laser from their firearm tore through JSDF personnel without difficulty. Gunners were picked off by well aimed laser fire from their lasgun. The furious charging sentinels began to crumble and fall after a few TOW missiles hit them, but not after its own missile brought down a machine gun nest. The guardsmen continued to charge, firing their lasgun from the hip.
"Do these fuckers not fear death?" one of the gunners yelled out, his finger still squeezing the trigger. The machine gun barrels became glowing red with heat. When hit, the guardsmen would be knocked back, only to rise again and charge. Even still, a considerable number of guardsmen littered the field, yet there were still plenty who continued to charge with their bayonets fixed, towards the incoming machine gun fire.
Once within range, JSDF small arms fire sent a storm of bullets at the charging guardsmen. The guardsmen began to stop and fire upon the JSDF for better accuracy. Whizzing bullet passed by as the guardsmen fired back. There were no covers to defend them, yet they seemed to show no reluctance to charge into incoming fire. There was brutal engagement for some time. Bullets pierced the arms and legs of Imperial Guard fatigue without issue, causing them to lose balance. But even as they fell, simple murmurs of prayers would inspire them to get back up and return to the fight. On the other hand, the JSDF casualties had little hope of returning. A laser fire blew off a head of a JSDF service member clean off, petrifying the soldiers standing next to him.
Itami's team was driving towards out of the North gate along with the rest of the mounted units to flank the enemy. Aralith seemed to have a different plan.
"Continue driving until you reach that hill. We can catch their artillery off guard from there!" Aralith demanded.
"Artillery? What artillery?" he asked.
"This is but testing the water before their actual attack. These men are meat shields to drain enemy ammunition for their veteran troops."
Itami felt hopeless. This was only their vanguard testing them, yet they almost penetrated their defenses. Knowing that there are more expected to attack, despair began to creep up to his mind.
"We should do as she says," said Rory, without holding back her excitement, "I can sense that she is telling the truth."
"Expect resistance on our path there," Araltih added.
"I can help as well using my magic," said Lelei, gripping her staff.
"As you wish!" shouted Itami. His vehicle whipped the vehicle and took a different route. The other vehicles wondered what Itami was planning, but Itami always seemed to receive special missions from high tier command. They imagined that this was one such case. Rory let out a strange moan in excitement.