Chapter 8
"Sir, all life has been eradicated on the planet. Save some small groups of orks whom survived in imperial bunkers. " Torquemadis acknowledged him wearily. "Anything else?" "Well our sensors indicated that a shuttle managed to leave the atmosphere." He explained. "Well what are you waiting for? Shoot it down it can't have gotten far!" He gulped. "Um this leads to the other thing. A Space-hulk has er materialised near us, it's sucking the shuttle into it. If the crash doesn't kill them the likely genestealers on the space-hulk or other creatures will slaughter them so there's really no need to-" The voices were growing stronger, he spoke through gritted teeth. "Thank you Sheel, now fetch Captain Ezekiel and leave me." Sheel bowed and then left. As soon as he was out he injected himself once more and begun to clean his weapon. Chanting under his breath as he went; "Shepherd, shepherd, shepherd."
The doors opened and Captain Ezekiel strode in. "You sent for me?" Torquemadis smiled as he looked up. "Select your finest and prepare for a mission." Ezekiel frowned. "Might I ask what this mission might be for? I mean all there is to do is clean up the rest of the orks but I hardly think it requires a strike team of this caliber." He responded. "You're going to follow the 'Fugitives' into the space-hulk, and make sure of their 'purging'." Ezekiel was an Astartes, a high ranking one at that, and he did not fear anyone or thing. However he did have a sense of logic and he did not fear Torquemadis. "With all due respect sir it seems senseless to send marines to near certain death when the ork scum will most assuredly meet their ends in there anyhow." He Replied. "The greenskins escaped under our noses and I view it as somewhat our duty that we see that they perish." Ezekiel nodded in acceptance of the situation. "I understand, I will notify my men." He turned and left.
The voices had turned into an almost indistinguishable hiss. Aggressive, intrusive. And he knew that his warying psyche couldn't take much more. He slumped against the mirror and gazed into his own time warred face. Just as he was about to head back to his throne and his pistol, he noticed a growing crosshatch of black/red lines growing up his neck. He dismissed it, went back to his throne, and began to clean once more.
It was dark. Very, very dark. Zagnut felt around for something to hold. He was bleeding from a large cut in his head and a big piece of was sticking out of his arm, he decided to leave it. He heard the sound of something knocking over a pile of scrap metal and headed in that general direction. He saw some sparks that illuminated an ork survivor for a second. Then, a final flicker and through the electric glow of his 'kustom force field' Kogtoof's bruised and battered face was illuminated. "Kogtoof your alive!"
"Sure am."
"What a ride owd we even survive dis den?"
"Dunno but my force field probably helped. Ere let me get dat for ya."
Kogtoof ripped the piece of metal out of Zagnut's arm. "Oy don't do da." Kogtoof laughed which turned into a cough and splattered blood all over Zagnut's face. He wiped the blood off insouciantly. "So ya fink anyone else survived?" Kogtoof shrugged and started sifting through the wreckage of the shuttle. It suddenly occurred that him that his prized pet may have been killed in the crash, but seeing as they survived he couldn't think how the Hulk might have died. Really he didn't care much now, he was an ork but a smart one at that and he knew that they were probably going to die in here.
At that moment The Hulk strode out of the darkness dragging the unconscious form of Dugmuk behind him. He plonked down the incognizant ork and then sat by the wall viewing the other orks with seeming interest. "So, what now?" Spoke Kogtoof. "Well." Zagnut suggested; "Why don't we go for a wonder?" And they did just that. They strode off looking for Gork knows what in Mork knows where, the Hulk dragging Dugmuk behind him and killing a path of genestealers for the party. And sure enough, they found something.