Slayer's Vengeance

by Jago-Dakari

A meeting between a yautja huntress and a human marine turned vengefull slayer will shake the very foundation of both races in this story of adventure, love and loss.

34. Chapter 33

Merry Christmas to you all!

I hope you all are having a great day, lots of gifts and the jovial gathering of the family.

anyway, here is my Christmas present to you all. Now, I tried to get two chapters done for this but unfortunately due to obligations for the holidays I cold only focus on this one. But don't worry the big reunion is on the way, which some have been pestering me for a long time now. Ever since the near lemon scene way back in chapter twelve. God, the amount of PMs i got for a lemon is beyond me. So, and I know i'm going to regret this, how would you like to PM me ideas for lemons taken out as unrelated one shots or something and please be reasonable. Or even better, how about YOU WRITE SOMETHING!

slaps face to calm self down

So anyway, in this chapter, Alaric and co finally leave the planet but not before they encounter their superiors. if you have been reading my lore series, you'll know who it is.

So read away and enjoy yourselves on this festive day.

---

Chapter 33-Homeward bound.

Indeed their was a way and that was good old hard work with a healthy helping of elbow grease. Or to be more accurate, mechanical grease.

It had taken hours of continuous work with the whole fleet of mining craft, going on well into the cold night, but dwarves never tire when there is a job to do. In what could only be described as a giant lobster on a silver platter, the dwarves had carved up the entire Primarch, each limb and extremity neatly stacked to maximise use of space, and had been carefully arranged in a compact block on the massive platform by bulldozers and dropships with dangling chains. Even so it was going to be a tight fit and that took more hours of continuous labour.

But dwarves, owing to their dedication to their work, never stop until the job was done. As long as enough ale was available that is.

As they watched, Hicks and Dubois were taking notes on the Primarch's physiology, getting essentially a unique anatomy lesson about ancient xenomorphs. Sergei jokingly commented that the dwarves had to have been playing Tetris fanatically for this feat to happen. He was then surprised when he found that the dwarves actually did have a variation of Tetris called Khaz'kro'med, when translated roughly means 'Joining of Stones'. The engineer Krags, who was overseeing the operation, was in fact the Karak's resident champion at the game. He was even moving the pieces himself on the largest bulldozer in use. Sergei made a mental note to challenge the dwarf at a later date.

And while the business of accommodating the monolithic trophy was going on, and after watching the show for ninety minutes, Alaric and co were in the mess hall along with some very relieved and shaken colonists, getting some much need sustenance. Alaric himself was ravenous as the number of soup steins littered around him had doubled from his last feeding.

Slaying a demigod xenomorph the size of a mountain was hungry work.

The Archangels, their helmets off and placed on the table, had a jug of warm milk and a large platter slab of bread, dried sausage of various varieties and cheese, were merely content with the fact that they were finally able to go home for some long overdue rest. After what was undoubtedly their toughest mission yet.

"Slava bogu, we can finally go home." Sergei said, muffled from his head in his arms against the tabletop.

"Something we can all agree with." Andrzej agreed, biting into some cheese and coughing from the intense flavour of it. "Strong stuff!" he coughed.

Sarah on the other hand was enjoying it. The french medic enjoyed the intensity erupting on her tongue. Just like on her father's estate before she joined the Legion.

"Command is gong to shit the bed when we give our report." Hicks said, rapidly sketching renditions of the xenomorphs on a sheet of paper.

His sharper memory proved vital in recalling many of their finer details, aside from the characteristic toothy grin that many a survivor would have nightmares about. As such, he was able to make a sizable pile of sketches with close ups of claws, tails, legs and other defining traits that made normal xenomorphs look like gnats by comparison.

Hicks had also done several sketches of Kenneth's hybrid form, highlighting the melded human/xenomorph physic. No doubt this would be of great value to scientists studying the mutagenic aspects of the xenomorphs. Like the egg-morphing on that camera feed he showed earlier.

Alaric finished his current helping of soup with a loud gulp, before slapping the stein down with a loud clatter of tumbling cups. Several steins rolled about on the table before clattering to the deck. He wiped his mouth and let out a content sigh as he sagged in his bench into a sated stupor.

"Had enough, Alaric?" Karl joked, biting into a piece of bread and sausage.

Alaric counted the number of steins around him, numbering a dozen this time, and nodded.

"Yeah, this is definitely over my limit." Alaric confirmed with a full tone. "Any more and I'll blow."

"Yeah and you'll take this ship with you as well." Karl added. "I know I would."

"And that's the last time you have Arcturian Goulash." Sarah reminded. "You damn near killed us last time."

The squad suppressed some laughs as they remembered that time on leave on Arcturus Prime when they tried some Arcturian cuisine. Karl had a larger helping then advised on that occasion and paid the price for it. As the story goes, he was up all night dealing with the unenviable side effects while the squad dealt with the aftermath.

"Oh yeah, I was half expecting Extremists to kidnap you and then dump you on Hellas as a bioweapon." Mac hinted.

"Good luck with that." Karl scoffed. "Nothing can crack Hellas."

Hellas is a fortress world of the Core Systems that is located in the Epsilon Eridani star system 10.5 light years from the Sol System. The mountainous and archipelago riddled planet was terraformed 2102 and settled in 2107 by primarily Greek colonists, and the resulting biosphere is comparable to Greece and other Mediterranean nations, influenceing much of the naming and culture of the planet. Because of it's strategic location as the gateway to Earth, it is often nicknamed Thermopylae, as a reference to the real-life location and battle during the Greco-Persian wars. Only this time, the Federation has no intention of following it's historical namesake. As such, it is among the most fortified colonies in the whole of human space, protected by ODIN defences and sizeable garrisons from all branches of the UEFDF.

Any force of considerable size would have to get past Hellas before reaching Earth. And on Hellas, there are millions of able soldiers to fight through. Excluding a Xeno Extremist insurgency in 2229, Hellas had never been attacked. And any attacker would be mercilessly crushed if they tried.

Alaric was roused from his stupor when he heard an avian call. Looking behind, his eyes widened as he saw Aegis flying towards him. And Aegis, much to the difference of logic regarding his horrific injuries, was looking completely unscathed. Not one bone was out of place and his plumage was as pristine as ever, barring his slightly dull scar naturally.

Quite a difference from the utterly twisted state he was in just hours before.

"Aegis?!" Alaric exclaimed as the hawk landed on his shoulder.

Aegis cocked his head in response to Alaric's surprise, as a remark that fears for his health were unjustified. Alaric laughed as Aegis hopped onto his other shoulder to show his opposite side.

"Cholera, that's a change!" Andrzej pointed out.

"That's amazing."Sarah said, getting a closer look at the hawk. "Look at that, not even a scratch him."

The rest of the squad gave murmurs of amazement and questions on how such a rapid recovery was possible. Even Alaric would need a few weeks to recover from damage extensive enough to cripple him.

"How is that even possible?" Alaric asked, amazed by Aegis' recovery himself.

"Gnarlroot can heal anything and anyone." a familiar voice was heard.

Kila came walking up, carrying her tray as she approached with a smile on her face. She placed her tray on the table as she began to gather up Alaric's empty steins.

"My my, you certainly were hungry." She said, deftly piling them up on her tray.

Alaric simply shrugged at her observation as Aegis hopped down onto the table towards her. Kila paused her gathering to give the hawk a scratch behind the neck.

"Gnarlroot?" Sarah asked, not familiar with the name. "Is that a herb or medicine of some sort?"

"Herb? Don't let him hear you say that." Kila warned with a laugh as she resumed gather the empty steins.

"So, he's a healer?" Sarah asked. "A surgeon of some skill I imagine."

"In a way, when he's not sleeping that is. He's quite old, you see." Kila explained, finishing her pyramid of steins. "That doesn't look to bad does it?" she asked like an artist admiring her masterpiece.

Karl looked at the pyramid before he remembered something.

"Ever made a pillar before?" Karl asked.

"A pillar?" Kila asked at the mention of a craft she did not practice. "I'm not a mason. What do you mean?"

"Well, if you been having a six pack or twelve, you can make a support pillar out of them. A little party trick to show much had been drunk." Karl explained. "Try and get a closest fit as possible."

Kila looked at the steins on her tray and then looked up at the ceiling as she visualised the sight of tankards stacked together to form a pillar. She held her hands up, forming a frame with her fingers like an artist. She then smirked as the pillar formed in her mind.

"I reckon we can make a fine and sturdy pillar." she declared. "Only need a few hundred to do it. And it shouldn't take more then a dozen of us to build it."

And by building, she meant getting absolutely smashed while doing so.

Varlin at that point came walking into the mess hall, leaving a trail of smoke behind him as he puffed on his pipe. Dwarves greeted him with fists on their chests as the thane passed, tapping his pipe in recognition. He arrived at the table and was about to open his mouth before his eyes went wide when he saw the remnants of Alaric's meal neatly stacked on Kila's tray.

"By my beard, that's a new record!" he exclaimed, pulling his pipe from his mouth.

Alaric suppressed a chuckle as Aegis jumped over to the tray.

"Impressed?" Alaric quipped.

Varlin counted the number of empty steins that Kila had arranged on her tray with his pipe and made a comparison with a certain dwarf on board.

"I know Treval can be a glutton at times, but this puts him to shame." he admitted. "At this level, he would be face down on the deck in a food coma. Or in a drunken stupor singing a song about goblins."

"Then thank god I can burn it faster then it can build up." Alaric praised laconically. "I don't fancy being the first overweight slayer."

A brief reminiscence of some of his binges played in his mind. Usually after a punishing training session or during a combat operation when food was not always available. In fact, one time during his teens, he got so hungry that he had actually ransacked an entire supply depot that had been taken by a Xeno Extremist cell. After he had massacred them first. He was found surrounded by a mountain of empty food cans, in a sated stupor and his axes dug in on a pile of dead extremists.

A new unwritten rule was made that day: Never stand in the way of Alaric and his grub.

Varlin put his pipe in his mouth as he remembered the reason for his visit.

"But anyway, we have finally got your trophy stowed on board." he reported. "We're ready to leave as soon as you want as soon as everyone is accounted for.

Alaric got up from his seat, pulling his helmet up and under his arm. Aegis jumped up onto his shoulder with a flap of his wings. He looked to Varlin as a thought suddenly occurred in his head.

"Before we leave, can you get a shuttle ready?" he asked.

"By all means, yes. Why, may I ask?" Varlin questioned.

Alaric then walked out of the mess hall as everyone watched him.

"Almost forgot someone." Alaric revealed.

---

The shuttle rumbled high over the snowdrifts, glittering under the light of the ice world's moon. Everything was calm and eerily quiet as the planet slumbered, free from the ravaging storms and blizzards that had plagued it for thousands of years. The looming shadow of the Karak stayed in it's snowy berth, highlighted by it's hull lights and the few vehicles still roaming outside.

As the shuttle flew on it's course, it's quad engines roaring with power and leaving a trail of superheated air in it's wake, searchlights located near it's cockpit scanned the snow plains, searching for something among the fields of glittering white.

Alaric was standing in the cockpit, behind the pilots and Aegis on his shoulder, keeping his eyes open for a landmark to show him were they were. Kra'vyx and his friends were in the passenger compartment, going over what they were going to do when they got to their destination. Fel'tak made a snide remark about this endeavour being a waste of time, only to be smacked across the head by Mal'fax for the lack of respect the initiate was showing. Ly'enta was equally annoyed by that remark as she scolded him.

Alaric ignored the rambling as he focused on his current task, scanning the surroundings that were becoming gradually familiar as it turned into a massive snow plain, permeated with islands of dark rock. And he soon found their objective.

"There." He said, pointing to what looked like a small hillock in the middle of the snow plain.

"I see it." The pilot said, tapping buttons and pulling levers. "Bringing us down."

The pilots brought the shuttle down into a landing vector, focusing the lights onto the mound. Alaric walked down into the passenger compartment, slipping on his helmet and telling the initiates to get ready as he opened the side hatch.

The shuttle touched down five metres from the hillock, the draft from it's VTOL thrusters blowing off snow in great plumes. And as the snow was brushed off of the mound, curved panels of metal with tribal motifs was revealed beneath. And also bearing the scars of a punishing impact. And the more snow that was blown off, the more the damage was seen.

It was the initiates' shuttle.

Alaric hopped out of the open hatch, followed by Kra'vyx and the initiates as Aegis took flight, his plumage lighting up. They landed in the billowing snow, carrying shovels and a collapsible stretcher. The pilots kept the engines running hot as the group waded through the billowing snow towards the wrecked craft. Alaric worked his way to the bow, where the cockpit was and gauging how deep the snow was. The draft from the shuttle's engine quad blew much of the surface snow away so digging was not an problem. After the first few shovels of snow, they found the ruined console that was deeply encrusted with ice. Several more found the door to the passenger compartment and a couple more cleared the way.

Getting through the doorway, Aegis swooping in and lighting up the interior, they found the last and regrettably posthumous member of their group. The pilot was still where they left him, covered in his rudimentary shroud and thankfully out of reach of the snowdrift. Mal'fax and Fel'tak brought up the stretcher as Alaric and Kra'vyx carefully picked the pilot up as the stretcher was held up. The pilot had ample time to freeze solid and they took care not to snap any extremities off.

"He has a right to be buried where he came from." Alaric said as they respectfully put him on the stretcher. "It's the least we could do."

He was answered with a few nods.

They then began to carry the deceased pilot from the wrecked shuttle, taking their time considering their delicate cargo. Aegis swooped out first, hovering like a beacon as Kra'vyx and Ly'enta climbed out as Mal'fax handed his end of the stretcher to them. They took hold of each handle as he clambered up on the console and held the weight as Alaric moved up to help him and Fel'tak pushed with his end. Mal'fax caught the end and took Fel'tak's place as the initiate climbed up.

Taking care not to stumble and drop him into the now, they carried the pilot back to the shuttle and repeating their procedure again as they boarded. Kravyx stumbled as he climbed up but avoided knocking into Ly'enta as she hefted up her end to him. They slid the stretcher on board before securing it on a rack. Alaric gave a thump on the shuttle's hull as a signal and shut the hatch as the jets flared up.

The shuttle lifted up, blowing snow out in great gusts as it gained altitude before pivoting in the direction of the Karak and with a blast of jets, the shuttle soared back to the ship.

Now they would be able to give him a proper burial.

---

While the initiates were busy with the funerary practice of the yautja, Alaric with Aegis on his shoulder arrived on the bridge, seeing that the Archangels had already been waiting for him, loitering around the front railing and looking out of the canopy as they waited. Varlin was in his seat and Kazrik was standing next to him. The thane pivoted his seat towards Alaric and held his pipe up in greeting.

"My lord, have you finished your retrieval?" Varlin asked.

Alaric removed his helmet and held it under his arm as he approached.

"Yes, he's in the morgue." Alaric answered, stopping at his throne. "The others are busy tending to him."

Running footsteps were heard and Kra'vyx came running into the bridge, stopping behind Alaric.

"Well, nearly all of them." Alaric corrected. "Kra'vyx wouldn't miss this for the world."

"No harm in that." Varlin said, puffing a smoke ring from his mouth "Can't have your honoured dead as a block of ice when we arrive."

"Well, he is well preserved at least." Alaric added, though somewhat mad at himself for making a joke like that. "I shouldn't have said that." he scolded to himself.

Sometimes, Alaric's black sense of humour caused him to make inappropriate responses, often when his life was on the line. Just force of habit considering everything he had faced during the years. Humour was just one of many ways a soldier copes with the harsh realities of war.

Varlin's brow frowned in disapproval to Alaric's joke.

"Thane, final preparations are completed. We're ready for launch." a dwarf called out.

Kazrik gestured to Alaric to take his throne.

"My lord, take your seat." Kazrik gestured.

Alaric walked to the throne as Aegis took flight and sat down, his armour shifting and clicking, interfacing with the seat as it raised up. Kra'vyx followed him up to the throne and standing behind as Aegis landing on the decorated back. Varlin pivoted back to the fore, puffing on his pipe.

"Jari, get us off this world." Varlin commanded.

"At once, Thane." Jari answered. "Right lads, as one."

Jari and his co-pilots pulled and pushed levers, pressed buttons and pulled on their sticks. A thunderous rumble hummed through the Karak as the engines resonated with power. After several seconds, everyone felt the deck lurch as the Karak began to rise. As the karak rose into the air, the landing struts retracted, trailing snow and rubble behind that tumbled back down like a waterfall. After reaching an altitude of a hundred meters, the bow began to veer up into the starry night sky as manoeuvring thrusters flared, the canopy projecting a flight path before a surge of power was heard as the main thrusters ignited with the buzz of accelerating ions. And with that, the Karak rocketed up into the sky, trailing particles of energy in its wake and leaving a massive plume of snow and rock in it's wake.

On the bridge, feeling the tug of g-forces, the Archangel's grabbed hold of the rails and Kra'vyx to Alaric's throne. Stonefather Kazrik was riding it out with his usual stoicism. Everyone watched the canopy's holographic screens projecting on the canopy, outside cameras showing the shrinking terrain as the mighty snow capped mountains below became hills, then into hillocks until they became no more then tiny irregular mounds. Through clouds they soared until they broke through the cloud line into the clear sky.

The Karak punched through the planet's atmosphere, the gravity-matrix countering the planet's magnetic pull and allowing a smooth exit not found on human ships. The night sky gave way with wisps of cooling air trailing from the hull, giving way to the vast glittering void of space as the Karak broke free from the planet, slowing down and taking position at a low orbit.

High above, they could take in the planet that proved to be nearly the death of them. With no diabolical storms blocking the view, the could see majestic mountains and their chains like trees and their roots, stretching across plains of white. They could make out inland seas of ice and even an island chain within a vast ocean of pack ice.

They could only imagine what this planet may have been before the ice and snow buried it. It could have been an a planet much like earth.

Kra'vyx was mesmerised by the sight of the planet that had very nearly been his grave many times in the span of this botched hunt. His friends were missing out on this momentous occasion.

Alaric looked up at him with a smirk as Aegis hopped onto his lap.

"Look at that." he said in yautjan. "Hard to believe we were fighting for survival down there."

Kra'vyx could only nod in agreement. The Archangels were also thinking the same thing, considering that they had been stuck on the planet longer then the initiates.

"What a sight." Hicks said in wonder. "Come to think to it, the planet is beautiful. At this distance anyway."

"That's what they say about Mawlings." Sergei reminded. "Beneath a cute fluffy exterior resides the cold beating heart of a ruthless sadistic predator."

Mawlings are a species of mammal vaguely resembling oversized hamsters crossed with a corgi dog, essentially a rotund ball of fur with little legs poking out. The name comes the hidden danger that this supposedly cute creature possesses. And that is they can open their bodies up, in some bastardised manner similar to the game character of Pacman, to reveal a gaping maw lined with vicious razor sharp teeth. Quite often a mistake not realised until the victim is fawning over the creature, only to have their face bitten off in a feeding frenzy. The deadliest breed of Mawlings are in fact more similar to a rabbit that prefers going for the throat, often decapitating the target with one pounce.

As such, only the most daring, or suicidal depending on point of view, would keep them as pets. Or as a unusual form of execution for the most macho of death row inmates.

Imagine the irony of psychotic serial killer being horribly mauled by a cute fluffy animal?

"You got a point." Hicks admitted, looking back towards Alaric. "Hey Alaric, didn't you pet one once?"

"Oh yeah, managed to get a belly rub in before it had a mood swing." Alaric joked. "Almost lost a hand but it was worth it. Softest fur I've felt yet."

"Until it's drenched in someone's blood after ripping their throat out." Sergei added.

Varlin checked his pipe and saw he had used up his current load. Knocking the ash out with his hand, he began filling it up again.

"Now the next step." he declared, stuffing tobacco into the bowl "Preparing for Gate Travel."

"How long will that take?" Alaric asked.

On human ships in the past, it could take hours to prepare a ship for lightspeed. Multiple factors include locking down exterior entrances and systems, preparing the cryopods for hibernation, regulating power systems to account for the lack of active personnel and enabling the artificial intelligence to navigate the ship while the crew slept. Today, such steps are no longer necessary due to recent advances in technology, although it still take preperation to ensure that no accidents happen while the crew were in stasis.

"We'll need to prep the Gate Core and that will take time. About half an hour." Varlin calculated, rapping his fingers on his armrest. "Then we'll need coordinates to provide to Korrina before opening a Gate. So we'll be leaving within the hour, if we start now."

"Sounds good to me." Karl said with enthusiasm.

The rest of the squad agreed with him, eager to get home quickly. Kra'vyx however was concerned about this as he and his friends were just as anxious to get home too. And the idea of being deep in human space was a troubling thought.

What would happen to them if things went wrong?

"We need to return the colonists back to Federation space." Andrzej reminded. "We can provide coordinates to the nearest frontier world."

But before they could even begin preparations, they suddenly had another issue to deal with.

A holoscreen blipped onto the canopy. Valandys was on the line as her colleague Oleg pivoted and rotated around their central holographic display in his suspended chair. A projection of the planet was manifested with an image of the Karak in low orbit. And from the way he was waving his gloved hands over the image, he was highlighting something.

"Valandys, report." Varin ordered, striking a match on a broach.

"Thane, we're detecting incoming energy signatures." Valandys reported. "Not Yautja."

"How far out?" Varlin asked, lighting his pipe and puffing on it.

A screen blipped on the canopy, projecting an image of the planet and the Karak's current orbit. The image revolved around clockwise by a third until three blips were highlighted. These blips were flashing and had a neutral appearance to reflect the unknown identity of the signatures.

"Thirty metriks and closing." Valandys relayed. " Approaching from the other side of the planet."

Metrik is an abbreviation for Metric Kilometer, which is measured as a hundred kilometres in length. So in this case, the signals were three thousand kilometres away.

As the signals came into visual range from the other side of the planet and long range sensors brought up a screen on the canopy, Andrezj and the Archangels let out a sigh of relief as he recognised the shapes of their hulls. One big and two small and a forest of antennae on each prow.

"It's the Federation." he praised as the human warships drew closer.

The largest ship in question was a Mjolnir-Class heavy cruiser. And it was an awesome sight, just over half the size of the Karak but not as tall. Like the hammer of the norse god of thunder, the Mjolnir class was designed with heavy firepower in mind and the metres thick alloyed composite armour to back it up. Keeping with the modularity of human ships, the overall shape was angular and vaguely cubic to allow a myriad of configurations while still keeping the basic chassis. This manner of construction allowed for cheap mass production and ease of repair, allowing the Colonial Navy to build it's numbers quickly following the end of the Infestation of Earth. Its armaments consisted of multiple twin barrelled railgun turrets on it vertical axis, the best that had yet been developed, 50mm point defence turrets at strategic points for dispatching enemy strike craft, EMP particle cannons to knock out enemy electronics and complemented with missile batteries and tactical nukes for the most persistent of threats.

As many a ship-watcher had described military ships, it's like a gun with rockets strapped to it.

The bridge was located in the middle section of the ship on the highest point, in an armoured alcove that allowed increased protection while also allowing maximum visibility to the fore and sides. This was also complimented by deployable armoured canopies for added protection.

And on the side of the hull was it's insignia, one that was instantly familiar to Alaric and the Archangels. A pyramid with a Djed Column in the middle with the planet Earth on it's plinth. And underneath was it's designation: Argos.

It was an OSIRIS vessel.

And flanking it were two Vanguard-Class destroyer escorts. These sleek craft, larger then corvettes, were designed for attack and defence against smaller craft, often being the first into the fight. As such, they were equipped with a main ventral railgun, twin missile batteries and quad 30mm autocannon turrets for dispatching incoming projectiles and fighters. As to their classification as an escort, they relied primarily on working in conjunction with other ships, often the ships they're escorting, for maximum effectiveness. Vanguards however are used in a more offensive roll as a screening unit in the same way as skirmishers would disrupt enemy lines in ancient warfare.

Despite this show of military might, the dwarves were not easily impressed.

"Well, you humans aren't totally deficient in space combat." Varlin praised dryly.

"Then again we haven't been space faring as long as some." Hick countered. "But, we adapt to adversity quickly."

"And it's OSIRIS." Andzrej added. "Our commanding unit."

OSIRIS is the common name for The Office of Strategic Intelligence and Research Initiatives. The main intelligence agency of the United Earth Federation. The Archangels are but one of many Spec Ops squads as part of OSIRIS' military arm, Special Operations Division, and also answer directly to FEDCOM for OSIRIS. And OSIRIS is considered the most well equipped of humanity's armed forces, packing the latest conventional and experimental technology developed. Either internally or reverse-engineered from alien technology.

The main purpose of OSIRIS was the development and acquisition of intelligence and technology for the defence of Earth and her colonies. By any means.

An indicator blipped on the canopy, signalling a hailing action from the OSIRIS vessel.

"They're hailing us." a dwarf called out. "Open a channel, Thane?"

Varlin nodded and gestured with his pipe.

This was going to be interesting. The rescue party were not likely expecting to find a ship two kilometres long at their destination. But, the worst case scenario is they'll mistake them as hostiles. And it would be OSIRIS that would come off worse if the Karak used it's phase-lances on it.

A comm channel was opened between the Karak and the Argos as an audio wavelength indicator blipped on the canopy. The OSIRIS symbol blipped on screen.

"Unidentified craft, this is the OSIRIS vessel: Argos." the captain of the Argos hailed quick and to the point. "State your species and purpose in this sector."

Varlin pulled his pipe from his mouth and cleared his throat loudly as he put on his most welcoming posture.

"Greetings, Children of Gaia." he greeted heartily. "Nice to see you mastering the stars."

There was a slight pause before he got a reply.

"I repeat: State your species and purpose in this sector." the captain said, ignoring the previous greeting. "Until we can deduce your nature, we have to consider you a threat."

Varlin's beard drooped at the response he got. Not the sort of welcome he was expecting. Then again, as shown by the Archangels and the colonists, the humans today have no recollection of their previous relations.

"Not ones for formality are they." Jari quipped.

Alaric shrugged at the dwarf's comment, as did the Archangels. OSIRIS is not known for warm greetings when on a mission. But then again, in a galaxy that was increasingly proving to be inimical to humans, it could not be helped. Aside from the Arcturians from the Arcturus system, most encounters with alien races often ended badly due to an innocent but fatal misunderstanding.

"I think you better talk to them." Varlin decided, pointing to Andrzej.

Andrzej stepped forward to the railing to signify his taking of the microphone so to speak.

"Argos, this is Archangel's Captain Andrzej Kabowski, serial number OS/01-48273." Andrzej hailed. "We are currently on this vessel, the Karak, and we have the surviving colonists on board for extraction. Please respond."

There was a pause before an answer was heard.

"Captain Kabowski?" the Argos captain said, before his attention was diverted to someone else. "Sir, the Archangels are on the line. They're onboard that ship and they have survivors."

There was another pause before the captain's superior came on the line.

"Archangels, when you failed to report in days ago, we thought something was amiss." a gruff voice, laced with experience and a history of command, said.

Alaric straightened in his seat as he recognised the owner of the voice.

"Amiss? Colonel Helborg, if you've been through what we had you wouldn't say 'Amiss'." Karl said. "You'd say 'Fuck me, we're about to die!'"

"Thank you, Messenger." Helborg tersely replied, referring to Karl's codename. "Captain Kabowski, you and the squad survived. I'm assuming your mission was either a success or an unlikely withdrawal on board a commandeered alien ship."

The Colonel was not that far off from that assumption.

"Colonel, things had taken a drastic and unexpected turn these last few days." Andrzej reported. "The colony is gone and most of the colonists and marine contingent are KIA."

there a momentary pause as the Colonel processed what the captain had told him.

"I see. What is the state of the survivors and infrastructure?" Helborg asked.

"The colony is completely destroyed, the refinery too with no chance of salvage." Andrzej continued. "And only two dozen colonists are left, most are walking wounded."

"So another total loss." Helborg summed up. "Just once, I'd like colonies free from xenomorph or hunter presence. Then again, they had no idea this remote rock even had a hunter temple."

Speaking of hunters, Andrzej broke the news about their survival.

"Sir, there has also been a significant and totally unpredicated development." he added.

"How so?" Helborg asked.

Andrzej gestured to Alaric to surprise the Colonel. Alaric took a breath as he was about to speak to the Colonel.

"Colonel Helborg, we have much to discuss." Alaric greeted. "And for the sake of simplicity, it might be better if you came aboard."

---

Alaric and the Archangels assembled in the hanger bay as they waited for the Colonel to arrive. Varlin and Kazrik were with them as well, along with a squad of dwarf warriors to compliment the welcoming party. Kra'vyx and his friends were staying out of sight in case things go awry. The last thing they needed was an all too common misunderstanding.

The humans were standing in line at front while the dwarfs were behind them in view. They all stood at ease for the moment, busy straightening their uniforms under the armour they were wearing. Alaric, standing next to Andzrej was polishing his helmet's lambda crown with a cloak edge, pausing to examine his work before resuming.

Outside the hanger, they could see the illuminated bulk of the Argos and her two escorts, having taken a stationary position along side the Karak, ten kilometres away. They had considered linking an umbilical to the Karak but opted for a conventional docking for a designated dropship. Less chance for a boarding action to occur should things go belly up.

"How do you reckon the Colonel, or FEDCOM, is going to react to our report?" Hicks asked, counting the pile of papers in his hands.

"I reckon it will be the usual." Karl predicted. "The old 'you've done the Federation a great service' routine. With an enquiry on a kill count."

"That would be directed at me." Alaric pointed out, letting his cloak drop.

"Then again, you're still counted as AWOL." Hicks pointed out, fishing out a sketch and double checking it. "I dread to think of the disciplinary action." he added, making a minute adjustment to a xenomorph's tail.

Alaric scoffed loudly at that. It was not the first time he got disciplinary punishments, as his method of operation and his Rage often resulted in unwanted collateral damage. In fact, using the APC as a battering ram during the skirmish at the refinery would have earned him a gross misconduct charge. Then again, the tribunal issuing it had never set foot in the field and thus had not seen Alaric's valid reasons for his actions. His squad had been called in as witnesses in nearly every trial.

But that was the regular military and as far as OSIRIS, but more specifically Colonel Helborg, was concerned, as long as Alaric fulfilled his mission then he was free to use whatever means necessary. Within reason of course.

"Here they are." Andrzej pointed out with a finger.

Spotlights outside highlighted the incoming vessel as it came closer. The OSISIS dropship, highlighted by spotlights on the Karak's hull, was now visible behind the energy field as it came into a landing approach. The tractor beam emitters activated, enveloping the ship in a slight haze and guided the dropship into the hanger bay, landing on the pad in front of the assembled welcoming party. A briefing beforehand ensured that they would not interpret it the wrong way.

OSIRIS dropships was considerably more advanced then the standard UD-6B cheyanne dropship used by the colonial marines. It was more streamlined and designed with stealth in mind. It's armour plating was a composite of materials that could absorb radar waves and mask heat signatures while also dissipating impacts from plasma weaponry and other thermal based weaponry. Something that would allow OSIRIS to get the jump on yautja on occasions. Despite it's intentions as a stealth ship, it packs enough armour and firepower to hold it's own in a fight, be it dropping off troops behind enemy lines or retrieving them when things went to hell.

And in OSIRIS operations, that was almost the norm. Especially if a hive of very pissed off xenomorphs was swarming after them.

The dropship lowered it's ramp with the whining of servos, ringing loud on the stone decking as it connected. Steps were heard and a squad of Spec Ops marines in full combat gear came marching out. Visually, they resembled the Archangels, or indeed any Spec Ops trooper, in the traditional sense of armaments and equipment but there were notable differences. Firstly, they were equipped with a heavier enclosed armour variant, intended for heavy assault in adverse environments, as shown by their greaves and pauldrons. Their pulse rifles were also a different variant, featuring longer barrels and instead of grenade launchers they had flamethrower attachments and other CQC implements, including retractable fourteen inch bayonets. Another was that their helmets were also different, a fully enclosed variant of the M12 helmet that resembled corinthian helmets.

Also, adding to this theme of antiquity, they had emblems on their breastplates. Those of a Lambda with a xiphos sword with the blade pointing up with the tip joining with the lambda's peak. And also, they were younger then the Archangels, either in their late teens or early twenties.

These marines were Spartan Corps.

Soldiers who, like Alaric, were trained from a young age to be part of an elite unit. And Alaric was the inspiration for this project to be founded upon. Their 'founding father' so to speak. And given that, they were given under the same rigorous training regimen that he went through, or created depending on stories. Usually, they were recruited from vengeful orphans of the colonies, often those that had survived raids from yautja hunters or xenomorph infestations. And such survivors are welcome recruits for an elite unit. Other times, they were recruited directly from orphanages or runaways on the streets. People that won't be missed too much.

However, unlike their historical counterparts, no one is euthanized if they don't live up to the exacting standards as OSIRIS considers it a pointless waste of manpower, aside from those who died giving their all in training. Rather, candidates were divided up into 3 divisions based on their progress in training. Spartiates are the main fighting force made up of those who passed or excelled the exhaustive genetic testing, such as endurance and pain tolerance to name a few. Perioeci, or Perioikoi, are the main support troops made up from those who lack the specific genetic requirements for Spartiate designation but are still highly trained fighters. The last are the Helots formed from the less able but more intelligent amongst them and they are trained primarily as combat engineers and medics. Despite their lowly status among the corps, they are the cogs that keep the machine running much like their historical counterparts.

The squad before them were undoubtedly Spartiates, but considering what Alaric and everyone on the Karak had been through in the last few days, even these troops would have been meat for the grinder. As was seen many times during Alaric and co's ordeal on the planet, their OSIRIS issued weapons would not make even a scratch against the xenomorph's hardened carapace and their armour would be nothing but tin foil against their claws.

The dwarves on the other hand were intrigued by this display of military might.

"Spartans?" Varlin questioned before looking up at Alaric for comparison. "After all this time, they're still going?"

"Spiritual successors, technically." Andrzej corrected. "Real Spartans died off long ago." he looked to Alaric. "No offence, Alaric."

"None taken." Alaric curtly replied with a smirk.

"Lysandros will have to be the judge of that." Varlin stated, looking back at the spartiates.

"Officer on the deck!" the spartan sergeant shouted, before they all stood to attention with flawless timing, weapons raised.

Varlin's brow raised with surprise at the timing of the steps, of which not one was out of place. Maybe Lysandros would not be as disappointed as he first thought.

Steps were heard and the commanding officer of the Spartan Corps was revealed.

Colonel Helborg came walking down the ramp, in full uniform and insignia. The old officer, in his late seventies with slate grey hair and white streaks, wore a peaked cap that bore the Earth Federation symbol coupled with wings that spread around the cap. He was clad in an armoured greatcoat, with a synthetic fur lining and articulated armour plating with the Spartan Corp symbol on his right sleeve,the OSIRIS symbol on the left and his pips and insignias on his chest. A customised magnum revolver in a holster sat on his belt, partnered with a combat knife. He also wore armoured boots and gloves as well.

The Colonel bore the marks of a seasoned veteran. An Infestation Veteran to be precise. His right eye was replaced by a cybernetic replacement, a more advanced version that mimicked the human eye, instead of a simple camera lens, with the iris glowing a vibrant blue to match his remaining eye. Crossing vertically down the eye, as a grisly reminder of how it was lost, was a long ragged scar that stretched from hairline to jaw, through his cheekbone and nearly joining his lips before slicing down his chin. The memento of a xenomorph's tail during a failed ambush.

The colonel walked up to the Archangels as they stood to attention, stopping a meter from them. He surveyed each of them in quick time, getting a look at the dwarven armour they were wearing. His cybernetics's iris widened as he saw Alaric in his armour, notably different from the rest.

"Archangels." he greeted.

They stood to attention and saluted with flawless timing.

"Sir." They responded in sync.

The colonel saluted in response before they briskly brought their hands down. Helborg looked to Alaric and he cracked a rare grin.

"Alaric. I knew I'd be seeing you again." he praised lightly.

"Colonel." Alaric greeted.

Helborg walked up and gave Alaric a once-over. A brow raised as the officer looked at Alaric's armour in close detail, seeing all the ornamentation decorating it with contrasting metals. He gave Alaric a firm pat on the shoulder, feeling how sturdy the suit was.

"I must say, you have been doing well for yourself while AWOL." he pointed out. "Especially in the arms and armour department."

"You could say that, sir." Alaric answered.

Helborg then held out his hand. Alaric took it and, much to the dwarves' surprise, they embraced like a father and son. Aside from Lieutenant Razeal whom he considered a father, Helborg was the only person Alaric ever came close to, as a mentor and a confidant. It was Helborg who kept Alaric in the armed forces following Razeal's death. And it was him who forged Alaric into the warrior he was today.

"I knew my protégé was too stubborn to die." he praised, in what could be described as fatherly compassion.

"I don't know, sir." Alaric chuckled. "I came pretty close though."

"Witness." Sergei called out, holding a hand up.

Helborg released Alaric, giving him another solid pat on the shoulder, and then looked to Varlin and Kazrik. Both dwarves nodded their heads in acknowledgement.

"And these are the 'Dwarves' you have mentioned." he asked, gesturing to them.

"Yes, sir." Alaric confirmed, gesturing to each in turn. "This is Thane Varlin Ironbeard, the captain of the Karak. And this is Stonefather Kazrik, one of their priesthood."

Colonel Helborg walked up to Varlin and Kazrik before holding his right hand out in greeting. Varlin took his pipe from his mouth and nodded his head.

"Colonel, a pleasure to meet you." he greeted.

"Handshakes acceptable?" Helborg asked, unsure how the Khazdryn greeted each other.

"By all means." Varlin said, extending his hand. "I don't know if you could withstand a traditional greeting."

He was no doubt referring to the customary head butt between family or close friends. As Alaric had learned, such a greeting would likely crack a human skull open like a walnut.

Varlin took hold of the Colonel's hand and gave him a firm shake of the usual dwarf grip. Helborg however did not even wince as he returned the gesture with a crushing grip of own. Enough to make the dwarf wince. When they released, Varlin withdrew his hand gingerly.

"For a manling, you got a strong grip." Varlin said, flexing his fingers with audible popping.

"You can thank the xenomorphs for that." Helborg quipped, pulling his sleeve up to show the reason.

When the skin was exposed, Varlin saw that the colonel's wrist was interlaced with cybernetic lattice in his muscles like a metallic tribal tattoo just under the skin. The normal treatment involved when xenomorph acid came into play. Filling in the gaps in the flesh that the acid burned to slag for the worst of cases.

"Cybernetics?" Varlin said, getting a closer look. "Intertwined with your muscle structure? Impressive."

"From shoulder to fingertips." Helborg elaborated, pointing to his glowing eye. "Same one that took my eye during the Infestation. Returned the favour with a shotgun lobotomy. Gave me something to remember it by. An acid shower."

Stonefather Kazris stepped over, tapping his staff's pommel on the stone decking and bowing his head in greeting.

"Colonel, I welcome you aboard the Karak." the priest greeted, raising his head up.

Helborg pulled his sleeve back down and tidied it up.

"Much obliged." he greeted back. "Are the colonists ready for transfer?"

"Yes. All survivors are accounted for but some will require... assistance." Kazrik confirmed.

"I see." Helborg said, reaching for his ear piece. "Medics to the fore." he ordered on the comms.

A helot medical team, clad in full medical and hazmat gear, was seen walking down the ramp in quick time, trundling a gurney with them loaded with medical supplies and other gear of a healing nature.

"You came prepared." Varlin said in modest surprise.

"We had an inkling there there would be casualties." Helborg replied. "To think otherwise merely leads to disappointment."

"Something that happens on a daily basis in our line of work." Andrzej added. "The last few days was proof of that."

Colonel Helborg looked to the spartan squad.

"Spartans, ensure that the transfer goes smoothly." he commanded.

"Yes, Colonel." The sergeant answered.

With a barked order, the spartans moved out to oversee the transfer of the colonists, accompanying the helots. Varlin gave orders to his warriors to escort the spartans and gather the colonists in groups to the hangers. Helborg in the meantime contacted the Argos via the dropship to begin sending more ships for retrieval in a steady chain. The crew of the dropship came walking down the ramp, checking the ship as some of the dwarf ground crew approached.

"I will be expected to be briefed in detail as to the exact course of events that have happened to this moment." Helborg said to the squad.

"In which case, you better come with us." Andrzej offered. "But sir, you might want to brace yourself for this."

---

Suffice to say, Colonel Helborg was sceptical of the xenomorphs that the Archangels described. Until he saw the evidence first hand. First, they began with the skulls that the initiates had claimed. The colonel was surprised to see yautja on the ship, though things went smoothly with Alaric there as interpreter. And he made sure that they offered Helborg great respect, as in yautja terms he would be considered an Elder. Helborg saw the size of the skulls' crowns and he compared it to Praetorians that Spec Ops were accustomed to fighting on an assassination run. He was then informed of the Praetorian that virtually thwarted their earlier escape attempt. While they had no skull to verify it's existence, Hicks was able to present his sketches of the xenomorphs and several still images from the ambush before their helmets cams were rendered... inoperable.

The colonel was very intrigued as to what evolutionary path that these xenomorphs had taken compared to their common kin.

But the real clincher of the deal was when Helborg was led to the cargo hold. And when he beheld the Primarch's gargantuan but extremely compacted corpse, he was silent. And when he spoke, he made a joke about the size of the facehugger to make it and a certain monster needed as the host. Mac once again voiced his objections to the comparisons.

Helborg was also present at the medical deck for when Kenneth was being transferred from the medical wing by the helots, still in a comatose state and followed by his family. He noted, after seeing the images and sketches provided by Hicks, that he had seen some afflictions like this when encountering some of the more fanatical Extremist cells. Those that practice the frowned upon field of gene-splicing.

Helborg was also briefed on the yautja that had attack them. The 'Xel'khala' as the dwarves called them. Helborg made mention that they knew of no such clan or group by that name, though giving the vastness of the galaxy and how little of it was explored by humanity, he did not rule out the possibility of encountering them before under a different guise. Conversing with the initiates about known clans, those known to Lai'kairis, added more evidence to the latter.

And all time, through the colonel was carefully recording their testimonies using a data recorder and a notebook of his own for future inquires back at OSIRIS HQ. He kept cross-referencing between each of their testimonies to ascertain the validity.

Colonel Helborg was then given a brief tour of the Karak, in that only the places visited by the Archangels were allowed. And the colonel was impressed with the way the dwarf crew operated. Smoothly and efficiently that would put even the most crack human crew to shame. He was also and impressed with the quality of the building of the Karak, noting how there were no rough marks, no loose joins, nothing that would make the most observant inspector suspicious. Varlin had said proudly that all the finishing touches had been done extensively by hand.

There was also an encounter with Lysandros and Cyrus, of whom Helborg was not expecting to see ancient humans aboard. Having received word of the Spartan Corps soldiers, Lysandros was curious to see how they lived up to their namesakes. How they lived up to him. An impromptu dual was quickly arranged in one of the halls, bare fists with no weaponry or killing blows allowed, between Lysandros and the spartan sergeant. Lysandros used the ancient martial art of Pankration, a combination of boxing and wrestling, while the spartan sergeant utilised mixed martial arts like Alaric. Though the dual lasted for a few minutes, with the odds continually shifting, Lysandros won the match owing to his decades of experience. The spartan sergeant, on the other hand, had the advantage of youthful vigour. The old spartan was grudgingly impressed with the quality of these spiritual successors, though he openly said he had to see them fighting to be assured that they were not for show.

It was when the group were being led from the bridge, and marvelling at the level of technology it boasted, that Colonel Helborg made his move.

"As you can see, the Karak is a fine ship." Varlin praised, pride beaming off him like light from a sun. "One of finest ever crafted by the Khazdryn. Rivals even those laid down by the First Clans in the Age of Founding."

Helborg finished jotting something down in his notebook before putting it into an inner coat pocket.

"Ahh." he said distractedly as he closed the flap.

Varlin paused mid step at the sound of the colonel's answer. The tone of indifference struck a cord as his pipe drooped in his mouth when he turned to the colonel.

"Ahh?" he said, as if mildly insulted. "I tell you that and all you could say is 'Ahh'? What are you, blind?!"

Helborg had unwittingly stumbled onto the delicate issue of dwarven pride. Dwarves take great pride of their work and to dismiss it in an off-putting manner was considered insulting. Not only to them but also to their ancestors from whom they had learned their craft.

"I meant no offence." Helborg apologised. "Really, its a lovely ship, puts ours to shame. Rather, I had something else on my mind."

Varling's mood changed instantly from being offended to curious.

"Oh, and what is that?" he asked questioningly, pulling up his pipe.

"Thane, is there a place where I can speak to the squad in private?" he asked. "I want to go over a few things with them."

Varling blew smoke through his beard, obscuring his face as he thought about the Colonel's request. He blew the smoke from his vicinity as he came to a conclusion.

"Yes, one of the common rooms should be ample." Varlin said, before calling out down the corridor. "Igneous, can you lead them please?"

There was a pause, with only his voice echoing down the stone lined passage. A few seconds passed before the thane grumbled and tried again.

"Igneous?" he called out again with more urgency.

"I'm coming if you'll get off my case!" was the irate answer that echoed down the corridor. "I had others things going on at the moment!"

"Quite the welcoming sort, isn't he?" Sergei joked.

Alaric turned to his mentor as a slight rhythmic humming was heard coming from the floor and reverberating from the walls.

"Igneous is their ship's construct." Alaric said to Helborg. "Not the most sociable of people."

"Synthetic?" the colonel asked.

"Not exactly." Alaric corrected. "More... stony."

Thundering pacing was heard as Igneous came lumbering into view, making the deck vibrate with each step. Helborg's eyes went wide as he saw the golem approaching him. A moving eight foot tall statue with each shoulder a meter wide like one would see in a film of mythology, only this one was all too real as was the grimace on it's stony face.

"Oh, don't worry." Varlin assured. "He's not as dour as he looks."

Igneous stopped in front of them, the floor vibrating under his feet, looking down at them like he found something unpleasant that an animal left behind after urges compelled it to do it's business.

"More manlings?" Igneous said with barely disguised ire. "I thought they were getting off the ship, not on it."

"Igneous, this is our lord's mentor." Varling tersely reprimanded. "Show him some respect."

Igneous stooped down and looked at the colonel. He blinked as he took in Helborg's cybernetic eye and the scar that ran down half of his face.

"So he's the one who taught him to dive into a giant's mouth?" Igneous said, tilting his head. "Looks like he missed the mark more then once."

He was remarkably blunt with that comment. So much so that the squad went silent with dread. Colonel Helborg, like a few other veterans of the Infestation, wore his scars with pride. A reminder that he put more into reclaiming Earth then anyone hiding on the colonies had ever done.

Helborg blinked before his cybernetics's iris shrank into a piercing dot before walking right up to the golem, face to face.

"Listen, block-head." he said, clearly and with irritation setting in. "I have an important matter to discuss with my soldiers. They had been fighting while you just stayed on the ship bitching and moaning like a moody child. So, why don't you just suck it up, take it like a man and get to it?"

Igneous said nothing as they just glowered unblinkingly at each other. Evidently, the colonel was not intimidated by the golem's size and Igneous was not intimidated by the colonel's authoritative demeanour. The staring contest stretched for several tense seconds as both refused to bow to the other.

"Igneous, please escort them to one of the common rooms, please." Varlin firmly ordered.

Igneous blinked as he heard the thane's command. He grumbled loudly as he straightened up.

"Aye thane." Igneous grumbled before lumbering off, the floor vibrating from his stomping. "This way, little manlings."

The golem led them down the corridor from the bridge, muttering a stony grumble under his breath that was muffled by the thumping of his feet. Varlin walked back to the bridge, filling his pipe with tobacco as the Archangels were led off. Igneous led them down for almost a minute before stopping at a door.

Igneous prodded the button with a stony finger, thankfully not hard enough to break it, and the door slid up with a smooth whine of servos. On the other side, the room in question was a small living area, complete with an large table and chairs. No doubt this room could serve as an impromptu meeting place or a recreational room for off duty bridge personnel should the need arise.

"Here you go." he grumbled. "And no conspiring while you're in there."

Alaric stepped in first, followed by colonel Helborg. Andrzej was next, followed by the rest of the squad. Karl was the last one to step inside when he stopped next to Igneous.

"Who said we're conspiring?" Karl asked.

"Because my original gripe is considered poor taste." Igneous replied. "And inappropriate."

"Oh great. Insinuations from a misanthropic golem." Karl said, walking into the room. "Gets your rocks off, I bet."

"Gets my rocks off?" Igneous queried before he realised. "What filthy minds you manlings have!" he cursed, thumping the button.

The door slid down barely an inch behind Karl, who jumped at the sound of the door sealing behind him with a notable slam. The dense thumps of Igneous walking off were heard from the other side as the golem went about his business. And by business, that was griping about any little thing that annoyed him.

"Well, he's just as jolly as ever." Karl said, jabbing a thumb behind him.

The squad merely agreed with a few shrugs and gestures as Helborg turned to Alaric.

"Is that construct always like that?" Helborg asked him.

"Better then a paranoid android." Alaric joked. "At least, he doesn't despise doors."

"Bloody door's too small!" Igneous could be heard through the door and down the corridor as he hunched down to get through.

"At least, he doesn't have the brain the size of a planet." Alaric corrected, as some of the Archangels chuckled at the joke.

"Enough joking." Helborg curtly ordered. "We have affairs to take care of."

The Colonel walked up to the head of the table and and sat down before gesturing to the rest. The Archangels sat down and Helborg began their little meeting. The colonel took off his cap, showing off his greying hair which still had streaks of brown permeating through the grey.

"Well, this whole ordeal has turned into quite a venture." Helborg said "A simple colonist retrieval turned into a grand affair involving a new race."

"Well, not exactly new." Hicks interjected, referring to the cryotubes aboard. "Rediscovered is the better word."

Helborg nodded dismissively at Hicks' clarifacation.

"But, your mission is a success, although a pyrrhic success at that." he clarified. "The surviving colonists are safe, despite the loss of life, the refinery and the colony. Out of the two hundred, only two dozen survived. Less if any of the wounded pass on. Then again, we had no way of knowing what was buried on that planet."

"It was all a set up."Alaric said. "Luring settlers to establish a colony to provide the hosts for an infestation. Only it wasn't corporate dealings this time."

The squad agreed with that, owing to the amount of times the marines had to be called in whenever one of Weyland-Yutani's 'endeavours' went on a rampage.

"However, I would say that this outweighs the negatives." Helborg concluded, gesturing to the room they were in, referring to the Karak in general. "You have made contact with a friendly race."

That was considered quite an achievement in a galaxy where most living things proved to be inimical to humans. The Arcturians from the Arcturus system were one of the few that openly greeted humans with welcome arms. On the other hand, a barbaric xenophobic race known as the Kul'Savur have been known to skin humans alive the moment they set eyes on them. But the Trade Confederation is known to humanity via the Arcturians and from them the Federation had some contact with other races affiliated with Confed.

"And that brings us to this next issue." Helborg concluded. "Archangels, I have a mission that High Command been trying to initiate for a while. And I believe this is the best opportunity to initiate it."

The Archangels were notably surprised by this mention of a new mission. They had only just completed this retrieval by the skin of their teeth. Granted the Karak was a gamechanger, the last battle still took them beyond their limit.

"What is that, Colonel?" Andrzej asked.

"Interaction with yautja culture." Helborg revealed "And by interaction, peaceful interaction. Or as peaceful as humanly possible."

Suffice to say, this was not something that the Archangels were expecting to hear. So much so, that even Alaric was taken aback by this when his gauntleted hands dropped on the table.

"Colonel, with respect, you can't be serious?" Karl objected.

Colonel Helborg simply gave the Archangel a deadly serious look. Karl thumped his head audibly on the desk in response, muttering in Norwegian. The rest of his squad had more puzzled reactions at the mention of interacting a race that they clashed with on more then one occasion. Interaction that did not involving bloodshed. Or at least they hoped no bloodshed. Such a thing was rarely heard of if at all.

Unless there was a common enemy at hand.

"Interaction?" Andrzej questioned.

"A cultural exchange?" Hicks summarised.

"Precisely" Helborg confirmed. "We have evidence of humans joining or at least conversing with a yautja clan. Machiko Noguchi being the most prominent example. And Alaric here is also proof of that."

Machiko Noguchi is considered legendary for her interactions with the yautja during and after the Ryushi incident, having lived with one clan until futures events caused her to return to humanity. During a conflict with the Black Yautja, of which they were known as Killers among the Yautja, she proved instrumental in providing assistance to defeat them. In the present day, Machiko heads a renowned hunting lodge and runs a safari for fellow hunters in the Frontier Worlds.

"However, the accounts are too few and isolated to give us a precise view on yautja culture." Helborg continued. "As such, we have limited intel on yautja clans on a much broader scale. This is an opportunity too good to pass up."

Hicks was in agreement with that, adding that the best way to understand a culture was to live with it. On hands research. Karl on the other hand was sceptical at the idea of things running smoothly if they were trying to find a clan that would take them in. Indeed, elite troops of the Federation were considered tempting prey by yautja hunters. Often when it involved a three-way fight such as the incident that happened on LV-1201 in 2231.

But, owing that Alaric was now officially part of one clan, with the initiates to back him up, the idea was now more plausible of success. But then again, it was only individuals that joined in the past, not groups. Those on record anyway.

"And I take it this is a diplomatic issue as well?" Alaric questioned, in regard to the effects that Yautja hunts had on human held worlds in the Frontier Worlds.

"Correct." Helborg confirmed. "Hopefully, the Federation could come to some agreement with them. Maybe to exclude our colonies from their hunts. Or maybe a mutual agreement for trade and defence. That would certainly ease up tensions along the borders, what with Xenomorph Cults being a festering thorn in our sides."

His cyber-eye's iris then narrowed into a piercing dot.

"But, and this is perfectly clear from OSIRIS and FEDCOM, the last thing we want is a war with the Yautja." he stated. "Considering the Infestation is not even a century ago, we do not want Earth being at risk again. So, no espionage or sabotage and attack only in self defence."

Alaric rapped his fingers when the mention of self defence was heard, owing to what he had been through when he first arrived. Having to beat several yautja to a pulp on the first day and having almost killed another during his rite of entry.

"I honestly don't know how that is going to turn out." Alaric cautioned. "Even I didn't have an easy time integrating. Ended up having to break a few bones on the first day to prove my worth. And this initiation hunt hadn't exactly gone to plan."

"Gone to plan?" Helborg asked., his iris dilating back to normal.

Alaric looked to the squad before he revealed the truth about his presence on that planet.

"Strictly speaking, I wasn't even suppose to be here." Alaric explained. "The shuttle was sabotaged by those yautja and we ended up crashing here. They intended us to be bug bait but then everything went FUBAR for them following the failed hostage taking."

"In which case, a coincidental circumstance." Helborg concluded. "Very fortunate for the Archangels to have their Buzz Saw back."

Buzz Saw was a nickname for Alaric's predisposition to carve his way through the enemy with his axes, cutting down targets left and right with a well aimed swing. The nickname stuck after he had hacked his way through an armoured suicide truck to stop the driver from destroying a blast door.

Helborg then relaxed his tone into a more fatherly and caring one.

"However, because you have been through so much in this incident, I won't be forcing any of you into this." Helborg made clear. "If you want to volunteer the mission, it is up to you. But, I doubt if we'll ever get another chance at this."

The Archangels quietly discussed this between each other, giving their own pros and cons about the proposition. Issues such as first impressions came up, whether or not that the yautja would try to make trophies out of them the first chance they get. Dubois was intrigued to learn more about yautja medical science and biology, outside seeing cadavers recovered after a battle. Hicks was keen to learn more about Yautja technology and history. The rest had a mixed assemblage of reasons such as customs or even cuisine.

Considering that yautja were primarily carvnivores, would nutrition be a problem?

They asked Alaric for his input and experience on some of the more crucial issues, such as first impressions and customs so as not to insult or offend. But, they noticed that Alaric was withholding some details. His explanation for some of the questions was to simply experience it for themselves.

After some tense deliberation, with pros and cons on both sides, a choice had been made.

"We'll do it." Andzrej decided. "We could use a vacation anyway."

"Vacation." Karl muttered, his head still face down on the table. "Apt word."

The Colonel however was pleased that the Archangels would carry out this historic mission.

"Excellent." Helborg said, clapping his hands together. "We can begin preparations at once."

The colonel's earpiece beeped loudly and the light on the antenna blipped with light. He was being hailed by the Argos via the Karak. Helborg held a hand to it as he answered.

"Report." He ordered.

"Colonel, all the surviving colonists are accounted for on the Argos." the captain of the Argos hailed. "We're ready to leave on your command."

"I'll be there shortly." Helborg relayed. "Prepare the Argos for departure and requisition some supplies for the Archangels. Operation: Integration is a go."

He lowered his hand and addressed the squad as he sighed.

"It is time to leave. This briefing is over." he concluded.

The Archangels got up from their seats as Helborg placed his cap back on. Alaric hefted his helmet up and placed it on his head, the visor retracting to show his face.

"And one last thing, in regards to your current kit." Helborg added.

He was of course referring to the dwarven armour that the squad wore. He had been informed of the superiority of Khazdryn weaponry and armour. Even from a demonstration with a shot from his magnum revolver bouncing off of Hicks' breastplate.

"Is it yours to keep?" he questioned.

That was a good question as the armour the Archangels were wearing was technically provided for them by the dwarves for the battle with the Primarch. There was no mention of them actually owning it.

"Well, it's on loan as far as we know." Andrzej answered. "And Alaric's is virtually grafted to him."

"Come to think of it, how do you get that armour off?" Hicks asked Alaric.

Alaric's brows furrowed as he pondered the same thing. Considering what happened when he put on the armour, almost getting crushed before it accepted him, he had now idea if he would suddenly spring out of shape as a result. But, the armour was a part of him as Gri'nyr had told him, so he should be able to take it off without a problem.

"I'm working on it." Alaric hesitantly answered.

"No problem, I'm sure you get souvenirs once you arrive." Helborg assured.

"In other words, any technology or artifacts." Alaric quickly realised. "If that's the case, it has to be earned. Thievery is not tolerated, and I don't mean that they simply chop your hand off."

Yautja law, compared to other cultures, is simple and direct. And fleeing before judgement is made was considered unforgivable and bad blood status is the punishment. However, exiles are given the chance for redemption by their clan by undertaking suicidal errands to prove themselves. Be it retrieving stolen technology or hunting down a legendary creature. And such errands were rarely successful.

And some of the lucky humans who had survived a hunt, either by aiding the Yautja against xenomorphs or even killed a yautja in single combat, had been gifted with a token as a sign of respect. Usually a mask, or a combi-stick or even a trophy from a yautja's previous hunt. It was often a way to obtain a rare antique weapon such as an 18th century flintlock pistol or a Feudal Era Japanese katana.

"I'm certain that you'll be able to handle any situation that might arise." Helborg assured as he got up from his chair. "After all, you have got one big bargaining chip."

---

After a last farewell and a good luck on their new mission, Colonel Helborg departed from the Karak on his dropship back to the Argos. All the colonists and surviving marines were now on board and ready to be shipped back to Federation space. Or to the nearest OSIRIS outpost in the case of Kenneth. His current state meant he was now an asset for research.

Helborg had also taken the opportunity to dump off duffel bags for each the squad that contained fresh BDUs and other necessities for the trip, including items from their homelands for a little piece of comfort in a foreign land. Their ruined armour was taken back as it was no longer needed. Sergei almost gave into the temptation of slugging down the half dozen bottles of vodka then and there, but decided against it as there was no guarantee he could find more once they arrived at Lai'kairis. Alaric was thankful that he now had a clean uniform to replace the one he had lost, surprised that they still had his measurements after his disappearance. Though he was certain he had lost some mass from his time of Floria VII.

Slim pickings happened more then once.

Alaric and the Archangels dumped their newly acquired provisions in the rooms that they had been assigned to. Alaric had the luxury of a massive suite level that was used for guests of honour, complete with everything that a lord would need, including a trophy room and a small library. The Archangels had a whole barracks to themselves, complete with bedrooms, communal bathroom and a recreational area.

There was plenty of space available to choose from on the Karak as current crew and personnel took up only one third of the Karak's total capacity, which can house over three thousand if filled to the absolute brink. Two thousand was the standard compliment for a ship of the Karak's size in terms of crew and personnel but, owing to it's unique class and more advanced systems, fewer crew were needed for operating the ship

They barely had time to settle in when they were called to the bridge.

Alaric and the Archangels arrived on the bridge to see the Argos and it's escorts beginning to depart. A holoscreen was up on the canopy with Colonel Helborg on the line, discussing some final details with Varlin. Mostly about their security. Kazrik was standing next to him, holding his staff close and his silver eyes glowing as he stood in a trance. Aegis was perched on Alaric's command throne.

He was in no doubt communing with Korrina as he had done earlier.

"Oh don't worry, we'll make sure they don't get in too much trouble." Varlin assured the Colonel.

"I am sure of that." Heborg said. "You have enough firepower to make anything think twice."

He then noticed Alaric and the Archangels approaching the Thane.

"Archangels, good luck on your mission." he farewelled. "OSIRIS and the Federation is counting on you. Good luck and Godspeed."

The squad saluted him and he saluted back before the screen blipped out as communications ceased.

The Argos and it's destroyer escorts' positional thrusters flared up and they pivoted on the spot into the right direction. Making a full turn, they initiated light-speed. The ships' engines flared as their Hyperion Hyperdrives activated causing a rippling effect over their hulls and they shot off into the void of space, leaving trails of ions in their wake.

"There they go." Karl said with dejection, waving his hand. "Off home."

The dwarves on the bridge however made an observation.

"Well, you got light-speed right without ripping your ships apart." Jari said.

"Means less time in the freezer as well."Andrzej added. "Still, at least it only takes weeks, not months, to travel now."

"Freezers never agreed with me." Sergei commented, loitering next to Alaric's throne. "Spend the mornings puking my guts out."

"Having alcohol makes hibernation sickness worse." Sarah reminded. "But when has that ever stopped you?"

Sergei simply shrugged indifferently as an answer. It was true that drinking alcohol before going into cryostasis was a fundamental error as it could lead to an increased probability of more acute nausea and dehydration, coupled with a severe hangover. However, that fact seemed to be non existent to the Khazdryn as their habitual consumption of alcohol became quickly apparent to the humans.

In fact, Sergei and Karl were envious of that.

Alaric sat back in his throne as Aegis hopped on his shoulder, his armour interfacing as it rose. Kra'vyx and his friends arrived on the bridge at that moment. They had evidently finished the pilot's internment in the morgue. Most of which was done by Ly'enta, giving the mortuary rites and preparing his body for the journey back home while Mal'fax and Fel'tak bore witness as tradition dictated.

"Is everything alright?" Alaric asked in yautjan.

"Yes, he's all boxed up." Fel'tak replied.

Mal'fax gave him a firm whack over the head for that blunt answer, accompanied by a leer.

"Sorry, interred." Fel'tak corrected with a grumble, rubbing his head.

Varlin puffed on his pipe as he hummed in approval at his punishment. Disrespecting the dead was highly frowned upon in Khazdryn society, where ancestor worship is prevalent. Disrespecting the ancestors was thought to bring about bad luck.

Ly'enta walked up to Varlin in his seat and lightly bowed her head.

"Are you sure we can get home, Thane?" Ly'enta asked Varlin, anxiously anticipating an answer.

"Don't worry youngling, we have extensive star charts" Varlin assured her in her tongue. "All we need is the planet or system and we can get there."

"Well, I do know the star system." Mal'fax offered, holding a finger up. "I can point it out if you want."

"By all means." Varlin answered, pressing a button on his armrest.

A holographic projection of the galaxy appeared in front of them. Varlin pressed some more buttons and the image zoomed in the to star system they were in, highlighting the planet. Then the neighbouring star systems were highlighted. Mal'fax wracked his brains as he tried to recognise the star systems as he was taught. Given they had no way of accurately identifying while in the shuttle on their way here, Mal'fax instead used the time it took to get to the planet as a guide.

He was able to narrow the search down, and recognised the neighbouring system to Lai'kairis. A binary star system that was nicknamed The Home Beacon for wayfaring hunters.

"There." he pointed out with a talon.

The map focused in on the system closest to the Beacon and sure enough, there was a runic icon of Lai'kairis orbiting the planet it was situated.

"Ah yes, we do have that system in our records." Varlin said, as another screen was projected. "There it is."

It was in fact a navigational star chart that indeed had Lai'kairis' position, although it was evidently a much archaic chart as many more worlds were colonised in this day and age. The ice planet, in a very remote system, was highlighted and on the other end of the route was Lai'kairis. The distance between them was the amount that the shuttle could have made if running on fumes.

"What a moment?" Mal'fax said when he realised something about their current position "This system we're in. It's restricted."

He had remembered looking at star charts before at the academy's archives and was told after questioning about it that the system was a forbidden system since the end of the Dark Times. None were permitted to enter it and that was all Mal'fax had been told.

"Well, that explains why no one has ever bothered to look for us!" Fel'tak ranted. "Going in there, we might as well be classified as dead!"

Alaric lashed out with a chain from his wrist and it coiled around Fel'tak's neck before he yanked the initiate over to him with a choking gasp. He brought up Fel'tak face to face with him by the before narrowing his eyes.

"well, we're not dead,are we?" he bluntly pointed out. "And, considering we survived everything that planet threw at us, be thankful for it."

Alaric let go of Fel'tak and let the initiate walk off, rubbing his neck.

"How long until we get there?" Alaric asked Varlin.

Varlin looked at the map, puffing his pipe as he made a quick calculation as to the travel time. He then casually shrugged.

"Oh, ten minutes." Varlin guessed. "Fifteen if we run into turbulence."

"If Treval doesn't let one off, that is." Jari joked.

"I heard that!" Treval yelled from below.

The estimated time of travel brought questions up from the most observant amongst them.

"Minutes?" Hicks questioned "I thought you bragged it could be done in seconds?"

"If it was to simply travel to the other side of the planet, yes." Varlin elaborated. "For travelling to a different star system, it takes more then simply opening a door. It's opening the right door. I mean, would you want to end up in the middle of a sun on the other side or even slap bang into an asteroid field?"

"In that case, a delay is not a back thing." Alaric said, resting back in his throne. "Gives us time to think about how to make a good impression."

Kazrik woke from his trance, the glow turning lambent in his eyes as he turned to Varlin.

"Thane, Korrina is ready to open the gate." he reported.

"Very well, inform her to begin." Varlin ordered. "Destination: Lai'kairis."

Kazrik's eyes glowed more brightly as Jari relinquished control as he reclined his seat back in anticipation of the coming show, resting his hands behind his head and propping his feet up. He wasn't needed for this perticualr method of transport.

"Ready for this." Jari called out. "You're about to be introduced to Gate Travel."

---

In the Keeper's Chamber as the heart of the Karak, in a ring of standing stones marked with symbols and glyphs of Precursor origin, Korrina was at that moment practising her ancient craft.

Seated on a high throne sculpted like a tree that had branches reaching up into the high ceiling, clad in loose flowing robes and her skin interlaced with metallic roots like the cryopods, she sat silent and unmoving in what could be seen as a deep meditative slumber. Tendrils of light coursed and arced around her, drifting through the air before fading into nothing. The silvery tattoos that marked her body glowed with a warm light of lambent power.

If one were to see her, they might think she was an Oracle of legend. Though her power ventured further then mere soothsaying.

In front of her, in a manner like a fortune teller's crystal ball, was a box. A box that resembled geological sphere with many rune inscribed faces, resting on a root-like plinth. The light of the standing stones cast it with a mirror-like glow.

Light flickered behind her closed eyes as she received a message from her fellow Aethyreal. A set of coordinates.

"Yes, Stonefather." she whispered, her lips unmoving.

The symbols on the standing stones began to glow and emanate power, creating a shimmering field of energy as streams of energy began to swirl around the stones like water around an island. The roots entwining her body began to quiver and twist as if reacting to her aethyric presence. Glyphs began to form around her, hovering in place and dripping embers before beginning to arc around her tree-like throne.

The box at that moment slowly levitated into the air up to her eye level. It's decorated faces rose up by a few centimetres, leaving a skeletal framework beneath. Contain within this frame was what could only be described as 'inner workings'. A combination of mechanical parts, inscribed with runes and glyphs, and pure energy in the form of crystals. The faces of the box begin to shift positions, rotating and pivoting along the frames. Creating new shapes. The box's frame began to change now, shifting around in conjunction with the plates like a Rubik Cube.

This arcane apparatus is the key to Gate Travel. The tool used by Keepers to open Gates.

A Gate Core.

An aura of silver light began to emanate from Korrina as she began to leave this world. The aura was not like flame but a second skin. A second body. Her mind unbound from her physical form, she transcended to the Aethyreal Plane.

Opening her eyes, she found her ethereal self in the void of space, her robes wafting as if in a breeze that should not be there, clasping over her figure and showing of every curve. A glowing aura of white light encircled her as she surveyed the stars surrounding her, sensing worlds near and far. Her hair wafted and swayed, trailing light from her aura like crafting a nebulae.

The box too was present in her vision, constantly shifting its runes and it's frame

Holding a hand out, generating glyphs of ancient power, she focused her mind to one particular star, itself flashing brighter then the rest. A projection of that sun manifested over her palm, where slowly the planets orbited around it. Her eyes glimmered as the sun and planets faded away, except for one lonely planet. An ice planet. The planet that the Karak was even now orbiting.

The box's frame locked into position as the first navigational point was locked in.

Korrina turned her attention to her other hand as she held it towards another star. Focussing her mind, it flashed bright and another sun manifested over her palm, accompanied by the planets that accompanied it. These in turn faded until one planet had taken precedence. That planet had a moon. An artificial moon.

Lai'kairis.

The box's rune plates slotted into their final position and the whole apparatus glowed as brightly as any sun. Runes and symbols projected out and began to orbit around the box. It floated towards her, stopping at her waist. Two streams of energy surged from the box, connecting to her hands and spreading light through her tattoos up her arms to her shoulders.

Looking at the two worlds in her hands, Korrina focussed her mind as she began to chant. Facing forwards and shutting her eyes, her hands glowed as tendrils of energy coursed between her fingers. She opened her eyes as she continued to chant, her eyes glowing brightly as the stars around her. The energy streams began to trail from her fingers, slowly reaching towards each other. The streams joined with a bright symphony of cascading light that spread throughout the entire stream. It then began to twist and swirl like a tornado, creating a tunnel-like structure. The strands began to twist and coil at an increasing rate until it formed one homogeneous tunnel of one uniform shade.

"It is done." Korrina whispered.

---

On the bridge, everyone present witnessed the marvel of travel that was a Gate.

First, it appeared as a bright ball of light in front of the Karak. Then it grew into a rippling disk of shimmering blue energy, large enough to envelop the Karak as flames of light burned and embers drifted. The rim was glowing brightest, a barrier between the planes that held the gate open. The body of the gate was like water or liquid metal of many bright shades of blue.

The gate stayed in place for the moment, likely so that those on the bridge could witness it's structure more closely.

Jari nonchalantly nodded with satisfaction at the sight as he check his terminal's readings.

"The gate is stable." he called out "Phase-shields are optimal."

While phase-shields were not technically required for traversing a stable Gate such as this, it never hurts to take precautions. In the highly unlikely event of Gate failure.

The Archangels were in awe at the sight of this technological marvel. Never in their dreams, outside the realms of fantasy, would they have ever thought to see anything like this. The initiates' eyes went so wide that their eyes may very well pop if anything more amazing were to happen.

"Now that is a sight to behold." Andrzej declared in awe.

To Hicks, this was like a dream come to him. Ever since he had read the Dune novels when he was a child, he had dreamed of this moment to occur in his lifetime. So much so that he rushed up to the railing, looking up at every inch of the Gate with a feverish obession.

"Amazing." Hicks said, his eyes wide and his mouth curling into a happy smile. "A breach between dimensions."

"Folding space to be exact." Kazrik clarified, his eyes bereft of their glow as he walked next to him.

Hicks turned to the priest.

"Folding space?" he asked before it dawned on him. "You mean this like a black hole?" he asked pointing at the gate.

"Not entirely. Black holes are simply anomalies in the fabric of this plane." Kazrik clarified. "Gates such as this merely bends space like if one was to fold paper. Some technology creates Gates, others punch holes to their destinations and some exploit natural fissures such as wormholes. We chose the former. More stable with less chance of failure."

Failure being the loose term if anything did not happen according to plan.

"Meaning?" Hicks asked, anticipating a horror story to be told.

"One incident involved the front half of a ship being sent to one end of the galaxy and the rear half to another." Jari recalled. "Sort of like hitting a fork in a road. Or an axe splitting a log."

"And that was one of the lucky ones." Varlin added. "Sometimes, ships can get ripped apart by turbulence into their constituent parts, and come out as a floating scrapyard of dust."

"At any rate, this certainly beats FTL. Beats it down the stairs and takes it's lunch money." Alaric said.

Kazrik turned back to the fore as he pointed with his staff at the gate. The gate began to glimmer and the flaming rim began to spin in both clockwise and anti clockwise directions, creating a cascading effect that rippled like a whirlpool.

"It begins." he preached.

"Here we go." Jari called out. "Commencing Gate Travel."

The gate then began to move towards the Karak as everyone watched. When it touched the bow of the Karak, the ship vanished into the portal like sinking into water, light rippling across the surface as hull met Gate. On the other side of the disk, nothing came out. The Karak was passing from this plane and into the next. The disk continued to travel onwards reaching the bridge as more of the Karak vanished within it.

"Travelling without moving." Hicks whispered.

The disk enveloped the bridge, casting everyone in rippling light as they bore witness to the dimension within. A dimension of light and energy, beyond the material plane. The Archangels wondered if this was the Great Beyond. Kra'vyx and his friends were likely thinking the same thing, especially Ly'enta who thought she may even catch a glimpse of the Gods themselves.

To Kazrik, and those of Aethyric learning, he saw shapes within the light. Shapes that echoed many thoughts and many feelings from times long past, dissolved into the Aethyr. Feelings that he had to force aside since he joined the ranks of the priesthood of Khazdryk

Sometimes, he envied those who lacked the Gift.

Alaric was also seeing something with his eyes. Something that made him seal his helmet's visor to block it out. That did not work as he clenched his eyes shut but the result was already burned into his mind.

It was the faces of Sam and Ares, his wife and son stolen from him. Another shape was that of his unborn child, genderless and blank And he could make out the faces of Razeal and his squad, those who died protecting him when he was a child. Those that he was not able to save that brought up gut wrenching feelings of remorse and guilt in his mind.

Aegis hopped onto his lap when he saw Alaric's head quiver as he tried to force the images away. Concern was evident in his diamond eyes as he nestled under Alaric's arm, of which Alaric instinctively drew his hand over Aegis' plumage. The presence of the Shield-hawk did help to calm Alaric's nerves as the faces began to fade when he focussed his mind. Not on what he was seeing now, but what would be waiting on the other side of the gate.

Another image filled his mind among the background of light. A feminine figure with violet eyes, waist length dreadlocks and tiger stripes on her lithe figure.

Ja'anya.

Alaric's resolve grew as he remembered that Ja'anya was at the other side of the gate, his hand reaching to clasp Aegis closer to him. So close now to fulfilling what he had sworn to her. What he had almost died for many times.

We'll make it back Ja'anya, Alaric thought as he remembered his pledge. That's a promise.

The Gate had now passed over the Karak's thrusters, fully enveloping the ship within it's shimmering confines. After that, the Gate promptly shrank back down into a sphere before fading into nothing.

And now with that last action, the planet was once more abandoned. But this time, it was now at peace.

---

On the bridge of the cruiser that had taken an observational position in the shelter of another mountain chain, Mal'kah had been observing everything that had happened from his command throne. Surrounding him was a slew of holoscreens that projected what was beeing streamed back by the drones he had deployed.

And he had his head in his hand once again, rubbing his eye plate as the phantom itch nagged him.

Despite losing most of them when the mountain exploded, several were still operational enough for him to monitor the resulting battle. And more had been smashed out from the sky by wayward flying boulders or fried by arcing lightning as both sides clashed.

Despite the increasing interference from the resulting storms and the Primarch's 'influence', he was able to observe the key moments of the battle. A battle that he was certain, though had innate doubt, Alaric would lose. He was certain that Alaric would have been crushed under the Primarch's claws, incinerated by It's acid flame breath like a dragon roasting a knight in his armour or the Primarch's influence would render his mind into mush. But the human descendant of Gri'nyr proved to be both tenacious and inventive.

Mal'kah himself was genuinely surprised by Alaric's feigned kamikaze run right into the Primarch's maw and out through it's chest. He could feel the irony of the chestbursting's effectiveness. Not many races could survive a xenomorph's birth.

But his feelings of surprise eroded into exhasperation.

"Just as I thought things could not get any worse." Mal'kah muttered. "Alaric had finished what his ancestor started and slew the Primarch."

He sighed as he lowered his hand, the itch leaving him for now.

"Guess they're not so godlike after all." he mused "But it made him pay heavily."

He was no doubt referring to the weeping of blood as the Primarch's influence was taking it's toll on Alaric. And, despite watching the Primarch on the screen, he was certain he was starting to hear the whispers too. So much so that he erred on the side of caution and focussed of the Khazdryn ships being swatted about like hovering metal tennis balls. He kept up the observations on Alaric during the key moments of the battle.

When Alaric had unleashed the power that was residing in his axe, Spellbreaker as he had now named it, Mal'kah could only watch with wide eyes as the Primarch was reduced to dust from the inside out. It was then that the last of the drones was wiped out from the resulting backlash of energy, forcing him to send a few hunters to set up a forward observation post closer to the action. He made sure that they had their cloaking fields on maximum to avoid detection.

And as a final insult to injury, the dwarves went about carving up the Primarch and then packing it into their ship's cargo hold.

So instead of death as his Lord had hoped, all he gave Alaric was the biggest trophy in existence. Which would make his acceptance to Lai'kairis virtually guaranteed now.

It was only after they were certain that the Karak had left the planet, and after the human ships had departed from orbit back to their own space, did Mal'kah make plans to move. And also to make plans regarding their arrival back home.

His mission, what should have been a simple assassination and extermination run, had been almost a complete and utter failure. He had lost an entire warband, slaughtered by the Slayer at the human refinery. He had failed to kill Alaric himself owing to Qul'dan's reckless arrogance. And it cost the brawler deeply after he pushed Alaric too far, costing him the use of his arms. The Primarch's kin proved a formidable obstacle at first but after Alaric acquired his ancestor's armour, they became nothing but grist for the grindstone. The Primarch itself was the most formidable, even overpowering Alaric and his allies. But then, for reasons he could only surmise, Alaric was able to resist long enough to kill it.

After everything that had been unleashed, Alaric still survived. But he not only survived, he had become stronger.

But, as Mal'kah had learned, like many in the Dominion, he had more to fear from his Lord then the enemy.

"Looks Qul'dan is going to have to try and appeal to our Lord's sense of mercy after all." Mal'kah said with feigned resignation. "Hopefully, he's in a good mood."

He rapped his fingers on the armrest as he remembered about Qul'dan's current comatose state.

"Might be best if we let him sleep it off a bit longer." Mal'kah decided. "He'll need the strength. And maybe have a stim-shot just before the proverbial shit hits the fan. As oomans would say."

He checked his terminal's screen for a status report on his ship and he was satisfied that his observers were now back on board with their findings. Now was the time to leave.

"Helmsman, set a course back to the throne world." he commanded. "It is time to... break the news to our Lord."

The helmsman nodded in acknowledgement and, hesitantly and with reluctance, began to press buttons as the rest of the bridge crew complied in the same manner. It was apparent to them that they would all be punished for Qul'dan's failure too. The bridge began to rumble as the engines began to power up. Within seconds, the ship began to lift from it perch. Located deep in a cave high up in the mountain chain, the cruiser slowly hovered out of the darkness and into the moonlit night.

Like all yautja craft, it was tribal and avian-like, with sloping curves, the prow like the beak of a predatory bird and blade-like wings curved like scimitars. Nothing like the lumbering blocks of metal that humans call ships. Instead of loud rumbling engines like a giant hoarsely bellowing a mating call, yautja plasma drives were more refined and smooth, barely louder then a rushing river.

This cruiser was a Talon-Class vessel, a popular variant among hunter parties that favour more bold tactics. Designed as a fast attack variant, it's purpose was to speed in and deliver a crippling blow against it's target, like how a bird of prey would catch it's prey in it's talons before killing it. It got it's name Talon among humans on account of their tendencies to rake their wings across ships' hulls like razors, slicing deeply in and causing hull breaches. Essentially crippling the vessel for easy boarding.

But against a vessel such as the Karak, it would not have made even a small nick. As demonstrated by the combat footage, a Talon-Class cruiser would be blasted into smoking wreckage before it got within striking distance.

The cruiser hovered silently over the mountains and snow plains as the crew plotted their course back to their planet. The engines flared up and, in a more quieter fashion then the Karak, shot up into the sky and into the void, becoming a flashing blip as the hyperdrive activated, leaving a swirling hole in the atmosphere that was soon shrank seamlessly.

Now the planet was well and truly left alone.