Reynolds watched as Nova and Tempest moved forward, covering each other expertly. Knoff and Adams were bringing up the rear, with Reynolds and Ephassus in the middle.
"We've bypassed the patrol," Ephassus said.
"Good," Reynolds replied, "Anything else I should no about."
"There are a number of other patrols out there, but none close enough to be a threat to us," Ephassus reported.
"How are you 2 holding up?" Reynolds asked Knoff and Adams.
For possibly the first time in his life, Knoff said nothing.
"We're fine commissar," Adams said. Knoff looked at Adams with a look of total fear on his face, then he looked at Reynolds. Reynolds just smirked and continued on.
Ephassus cast his mind into the warp, like a raft left on a stormy seas. An image flashed into his mind of an oceanic moon he had visited years before. Then he focused on the search. First he looked for anything in the immediate area, nothing. Then he cast his mind further into the distance. There were a few small pinpricks of light, blunts. Probably search parties out looking for his team and the other 2. None were of any danger, one, a beacon, brighter than the rest. Daemons of the warp, they were engaged with the squad led by major Torch, one of their member was down. He looked into the future of the downed man. He saw a flash, a scene. One of the daemons, slicing through the man with strong talons, ripping him to ribbons. Ephassus quickly reached out with his mind, and found the daemon with the specific warp signature, and crushed its presence in the material world. Suddenly he felt nauseated. A pulse of raw warp power, a strong psyker was out on the prow. It had probably been alerted by Ephassus' constant travels into the warp, and the use of his power just now probably clinched it. Ephassus was ready to fight this psyker, and might even win, but this was not the time for a psyker battle, so he quickly retreated his mind from the warp.
Reynolds watched as the crystal shards of ice slowly fell off Ephassus' body.
"So?" Reynolds asked.
"Nothing of any note, however there is a psyker out there," Ephassus said.
Reynolds groaned, "Anyway, we'll deal with that when we get to it. Lets move on."

Torch sliced through another daemon, there were a few dozen by his count. It was only there poor discipline and combat technique that prevented his team from being shredded immediately. Torch raised his left lightning claw to parry another daemon's claws, the power field allowing the momentum of the talon to slice itself off the daemon's arm. The daemon howled with rage and jabbed out with its other talon but I quick stab finished off the daemon. Then Torch found Zariel, lying in a small crater, his las pistol out and blasting at anything he saw. A daemon leapt at him but collapsed before it finished its jump. It was unharmed, it had simply died. Torch shrugged and slashed another daemon that had been trying to sneak up from behind.
Ryan and Sturm were back to back, bearing the brunt of the daemon charge with a flurry of blows coming from their weapons, while avoid the returning talons. One launched itself at Sturm, it was armless and its legs were flailing in the air, trying to knock one of its enemies down. But, now Zariel had a clear target he unloaded five las shots into it, killing it before it even landed. Then the daemon packs seemed to ebb as their numbers dwindled. They'd got through it alive. Sturm studied Zariel's injury, a talon wound to the abdomen. Sturm hastily tried to patch Zariel up.
"It'll last hopefully until we link up with Todd, just try not to pull it," Sturm said.
Torch grunted, satisfied, "Ryan, you're on point now, Sturm, cover him. Zariel, you're with me."
"I can do … it," Zariel said, straining as he gt bac to his feet.
"No," Torch said simply, "Now lets get moving again."
"Yes sir," Sturm said. Ryan was already moving ahead.
Zariel reached for his needle rifle, straining to bend over, before Torch grabbed it.
"Thank you," Zariel said, taking his weapon.
Torch nodded and they both followed Sturm.

Grade glanced at his chronometer. It had been about 2 hours since they'd jumped. They had landed approximately half a click from their designated drop off point. He flicked through some calculations in his mind, they were about 45 standard minutes behind schedule and they'd have to definitely pick up the pace if they were going to get back on track.
He heard a tap on his micro bead. Hector must have spotted something, he detected the slight sound of knife work, then two taps, clear.
"What's the situation?" Grade asked.
"Must have been a scout," Hector replied.
"Dam, that means there'll be more of them," Grade said.
His micro bead tapped again.
"How many?" Grade asked.
There were eight taps.
Grade cursed.
"We can take them," came Hector's whisper.
"What?" Grade said.
"They're in a very loose formation but we can curl round behind them and take them out," Hector reported.
"You sure?" Grade said.
"Certain," Hector responded.
"Ok, stay in position. Todd, Todd, dam it where are you man!" Grade said.
"Here," came Todd's voice.
"You, Garius and Cassie, close in on Hector's location, now," Grade said.
"If you say so," Todd said.
"I do say so, move!" Grade turned off his micro bead.