Chapter 16: Can't Stand the Heat
"Recent reports collected from Outpost Icewake have revealed more about the surrounding area. Freezing temperatures are the normal standard, with most Guardsmen being appropriately equipped. Wildlife is marginally hostile, but not of true importance. Data gathered within the proximity of Outpost Icewake suggests… corruptive properties similar to warp presences. Missionary Davis has been sent to investigate, purify, and oversee construction of a temple to the Emperor of Mankind and the Omnissiah. There is a current 66.66% repeating chance Daemons are nearby. I pray that I am wrong." —TE-61's voxlog to Rho-Q.
Compared to most places, Faust didn't exactly have a preference to the possibilities of where he could explore. From perilous snowy wastelands to the deepest crevices of a Hive world. Even xenos worlds, as dangerous as they could be, at least had certain extravagant or impressive views—even for aliens.
But there was one environment Faust despised to the point he avoided it when he could.
Faust looked out into the sea of pale-orange dunes as he stood on a platform. His right eye twitched at the mere fact he was in this desert. Despite his armor keeping him cool, this experience was bound to be unpleasant. Rulk stood next to him, equally in agreement, with his arms behind his back. They equally despised the way grains would build up in the crevices of their armor, making it uncomfortable to move around.
Even while Faust had been looking forward to a second expedition on Tellus, his mind had prioritized the more positive aspects—before having realized it wouldn't have been many. But he had a mission of higher precedence that didn't allow for complaints.
If legends told of a previous daemonic presence being extinguished within the area, he had to know why. Stories always come from somewhere, and whether the word of mouth was wrong didn't matter. There had to be more in this terrible sand.
"Are we done gazing now, Lord-Captain?" Rulk rasped, a slight ire in his voice.
"Do you think maybe we should send someone else out there?" Faust asked, muttering an excuse. "Perhaps we could probably send skitarii out there. They like deserts, right?
"That is an excuse and one that doesn't work. I already assume you've read the datalogs and listened through the voxlogs. Surely, you already know that would be an issue."
Faust winced internally, remembering the story of the last team that ventured into the desert had suffered mass casualties. A tech-priest and a group of servitors had initially gone out to map out the area. The problem was that only two servitors and a heavily burned tech-priest—who collapsed upon reaching the outpost—had returned. Luckily, the admech garrisoned here had transferred the dead tech-priests' valuable knowledge of the heat rays within the dunes. Heat waves were the more accurate description, but the tech-priest had sworn they could see rays of concentrated sun scorching the lands into glass as they turned back.
That didn't exactly put Faust in a good mood. But neither did the current situation currently at his doorstep.
Faust turned his attention to the tents in the distance, blending into the natural waves of the desert sea. The logs had stated that locals set up tents nearby, never interacting, but watching. Waiting. Warriors were within those camps, some less than human. Reports of reptiles that could stand were within those encampments, just the same as humans with reptilian traits. And while Katya had said they were human, Archosauria to be precise, Faust dismissed that notion easily. The line between abhuman and human hadn't just been blurred here, but was completely gone for these individuals. They just weren't human-like at all and were more comparable to xenos. So then, were they a separate species who had developed alongside humanity on Tellus, or was it a result of disgusting mutations that Katya had stated?
…Such useless thoughts. This is a job for Delta to determine, Faust thought to himself.
Still, they had deliberately invaded the land near them, likely documenting their presence and actions to a higher up. Then again, Faust also didn't exactly know if the land they were on was owned by someone, and thus, he couldn't exactly argue his point on that matter.
It added tensity to the surrounding environment. Faust could feel it just from how the nearby guardsmen presented themselves. Stiffer, more paranoid, and slightly more tired.
Not that this issue really mattered in the end, as a number of choices remained for Faust to do. Doing nothing was the obvious one and the one he had chosen. As long as these potential enemies stayed in their lane, then he wouldn't need to decide anything. There were other, less-likely approaches to the matter as well. The pragmatic one would not only gather stronger information and perhaps even a diplomatic agreement, but give more insights into Tellus. However, past encounters using that method usually resulted in a firefight and proved to be a waste of time. The other, more aggressive one, was to make them leave, establishing dominance just as much as likely making a true enemy out of them. He wouldn't take that approach unless absolutely necessary, but it was slightly tempting because of their ominous presence.
Whichever the case, he would resolve it later. Faust grabbed his helmet from under his arm as he put it on. "Let's go find the others."
"As you command, Lord-Captain."
But before he could turn around, he was approached by an officer of the guardsmen.
"Lord-Captain!" The Officer saluted, his helmet bandaged in white strips of cloth. Faust couldn't look him in the eyes, so he settled on his goggles.
"...Yes?" Faust hesitantly asked. What was it this time?
"Milord, we have some… unexpected guests."
Faust cocked his head.
"The, uh, the encampment on the outskirts has sent a… delegation."
Faust shut his eyes with a frustrated frown, repressing a slight bit of rising anger. Okay. Fine. He would deal with it now, but Throne be petrified if he let it interfere in the expedition.
Faust immediately spied for Katya, seeing her with a lucky glance, already at the front gates yelling at the other party from a distance. She was one of the only two methods of communication, and this time, Katya was more important than her translating device. A native always had a better chance at negotiations.
Faust walked down the stairs, paying no mind to the Guardsmen who saluted or straightened up. He stepped down onto the desert sand, slightly irked, and made his way towards the last sight of the group.
They were just outside the gates, a line of guardsmen at the top of the ferrocrete rampart aiming down sights, making sure they would be barred from entering at a comfortable distance. The stationed multilaser was especially imposing and equally effective at keeping them there, even if the opposing faction didn't know what it was.
As Faust finally approached Katya as she yelled to them words of the Tellus natives. Faust could recognize it was a different tongue from her native one, yet also one that Katya didn't seem to have spoken regularly. Victorian was what she called the language, but it bore an odd resemblance to Low Gothic—less in structure and more in sounds. Fine, yet not as smooth as humanity's best language. She was doing a good job so far, or so it seemed.
Faust came to a stop, with the rest of his entourage appearing from their own distinctive places. Brogg was already there with Katya, being an extra measure of protection as hidden under the shade of the gate. Otto, per usual, had popped up from nowhere, while Delta had slithered her way over to see what the commotion was about.
"Must we always have something going on when you arrive someplace, Faustie?"
"Unfortunately, if we didn't, I'm afraid I'd have lost all my fame." Faust turned away from Delta and stopped right next to Katya. "What do they want?"
As the opposing group finished their yelling, Katya turned towards Faust. "A delegation, Faust. They're concerned about your presence in this area, since it's in their territory and the Foehn Hotlands." Katya also crossed her arms as she looked at Faust. "They also want to speak in person, but…"
"But we don't have information on their capabilities and if they have casters, are ready to backstab, or what their intentions may be." Faust stroked the chin of his helmet.
"Yeah, that, but they're also part of a, uh… lord's delegation."
Faust's eye twitched under his helmet. Nobles. Well, that complicated some things and simplified others. Buying his way out could be a useful method, at least. Still, it only added a slight bit more stress, since it had to be dealt with.
Faust turned to the others in his group, seeking advice and insight in the matter. "I seek answers to this predicament, and I trust all of your judgment. Now would be the time to speak your minds. Katya, you first should you have any."
"M-Me? Uh…" Katya twiddled with her armor. "I've got no idea how things work in Sargon, but… it might be worth hearing them out. Plus, I'm pretty sure Rulk or Otto could put down casters before they even get the chance to attack."
Otto eyed the group in the sands, placing a thumb down. He was against it, which was… unusual. That gave Faust all the insight he needed for them to be labeled as dangerous opponents.
Delta whirred, slightly leaning on her Omnisian-Axe, tapping a finger impatiently. "New Tellus specimens are among their group, to which I highly advise inspecting them closely to gather new data. Whether dead or alive is not my concern. I am for whatever you decide, Faustie."
"Rulk?"
"I do not enjoy this interruption, much the same as you, yet I know it is for a different reason. For what possible goal could they possess to deny our claim in this region? There is nothing but the idle wastes of orange between us and them, and far beyond that still. It is… wasteful of our time. I imagine nothing good."
"Might jus' be 'cause we're on their land."
"A simple answer, Slab, yet one I would not be surprised to hear come true."
Faust turned his attention away from the Navigator and towards the Ogryn. Brogg did the same, trying to maintain what could be perceived as brooding. It instead looked more as if he was staring vacantly at the sands.
Finally, Brogg spoke after some seconds had passed. "We let 'em in. Then, we can mash 'em up real good if they try thinkin' o' som'thin' funny."
Two against it, two for it, and Delta, which meant… he had to decide on the split. Great. Faust grabbed at the Aquila Piece inside his left pocket, flipping it in the air and catching it. Heads.
Faust sighed. "Alright, Katya, tell them we'll allow this… party to come in. But, should they decide to betray this small favor, they will know the wrath of House Decimbrus," Faust firmly stated, placing his hands behind himself. "I trust you'll get the point across, so I shall leave you to it."
Katya barely nodded as she continued speaking with them, allowing Faust to present himself in the best manner possible now. He walked from the gatehouse, Rulk, Brogg, and Delta in tow.
He pointed at a handful of guardsmen here. "You five will escort our 'guests' to the main tent and stand outside. Is that clear?"
"Yes, milord!" the new leader of the group shouted. "Alright you lot, hands off the trigger but at the ready!"
Faust nodded to himself as he opened the main tent, entered inside, and made his way to the nearby table. It wasn't opulent or fanciful, but it would do the job. He sat at the head of the table, Brogg standing perfectly still right behind him. Delta settled on the left side, moving the original chair away to sit on her tail, while Rulk had sat himself down on the right side. Faust hadn't expected Otto to have come along as well—now lurking within the shadow of the tent's corner.
Faust took his helmet off, placing it gently on the table. He straightened himself before melding into a dickish charm. The Lord-Captain despised taking such an action, yet if he wanted to look the part, acting it was just as necessary—especially to other possible Nobles. Delta had taken notice, mimicking her own version of a serious and haughty expression with a frown, an up-tilted head, and crossed arms. Rulk remained himself, while Brogg knew to just stay quiet.
A moment later, Katya entered the tent with three of their faction members and two guardsmen. The guardsmen left the tent just as quickly as they entered it and stood outside to continue their jobs.
Immediately, the most off-putting member of the party now here was the one in robes carrying a staff. Their face was mostly concealed except for a reptilian snout breaching the covers. Faust's previous thoughts on this species were removed after giving it more thought. Clearly, if this xenos, mutant, or whatever it was, wasn't hostile towards humanity, then perhaps it was a rare case of a sanctioned xenos species or an abhuman—though abhuman was clearly strained here. Then again, it's not like Faust was anywhere close to the Imperium, so it would be useless to care for Imperial rules to the letter. For now, at least.
The second member was equally disturbing, but for a different reason. They were clad in sand-like robes but with a more armored appearance, having bits of plate metal on them. They had a completely sand-colored mask, resembling an assassin's with two slits for eyes. The most grotesque part of them was their tail, a humongous black stinger, arched but idle that lagged behind them. This person was dangerous, that much was certain.
At the forefront of the delegation party, likely the leader of the group, was a woman in delicate clothes, bearing some exposed tan skin, yet in a way that flaunted elegance. She had brown hair with specks of white in them, with feathers loosely flowing down her short hair. Her blue eyes were examining Faust and his entourage, much the same as he was examining her. Except, her eyes revealed an aversion to his presence compared to his own hidden and practiced demeanor.
The delegate spoke to Faust in Victorian, to which the words simply bounced right off him. The stoic expression on her face gave the impression that she possessed a certain degree of seriousness, trying to make her point across. Faust looked at Katya, who understood what she needed to do without a word. The Ursus politely cut the feathered lady off mid-sentence, likely speaking on how Faust didn't understand Victorian at all. That seemed to confuse the entire other party, as they looked at each other with perplexed looks, before the woman spoke again. Faust was unaware of the exchange happening, but it seemed to reach a conclusion.
Katya turned towards Faust. "You speak with Alara of the local Lord Amir's territory. She says Amir Zara has noticed your claim on her territory near the Foehn Hotlands, and wishes to know why Columbians would trespass on her land and violate. Well, at least initially. They mistook you for Columbians, but I cleared that up. Though… now they're just wondering who you are, and why you violate the law of this land." Faust nodded, slowly standing up to look as noble as possible. He waved his hand at Katya. "If you would introduce me, please."
Faust posed himself to look like one of the Emperor's finest, being the sole representation of the Imperium. He stood the entire time the talk was happening, with Katya finishing on a few words, adding a small last few, before closing off her statement.
Faust glanced towards Delta. "How much longer until you finish calibrating the Elucidator?"
"A few more seconds, and… done. Inputting them into the table cogitator and vox-caster now."
Delta lowered herself as her silent mechadendrites extended into the table, hooking the translation device to be compatible.
Alara's words were translated at the same time she spoke, "–So a Lord has trespassed into…" She stopped mid sentence as she looked at the table speaking Low Gothic at the same time. "How is that table speaking?"
"It is a translating device," Delta spoke in perfect posh Victorian, as her own internal database had probably compiled and solved how to speak the entire lexicon. The table, humorously, also translated Delta's words for Faust to understand. "So that the Lord-Captain may understand you better. Unless, of course, you would prefer to have Katya do it for you?"
Alara seemed mildly surprised and slightly annoyed at the statement. Faust waved his hands to the chairs near them.
"Please, sit down. If we are to speak on terms, then I would much prefer us to not stand. But that is up to you." Faust sat down with practiced accuracy, clasping his hands together.
Each of the three eyed the table suspiciously before taking their own seats. The delegate leaned forward. "Lord-Captain Faust, is it? You have taken land that rightfully belongs to my Lord Amir's territory. You should know that you spark the kindling to war."
"My apologies," Faust scoffed, "I was under the impression this inhospitable region would have no one dare to live in it. Thus, I claimed it for myself under the assumption that not a single soul would mind our presence here. Yet, I see otherwise now that you have arrived on the outskirts of our camp. I understand that territory is a touchy subject. I have experienced such a dilemma before, but I don't see the purpose of holding onto this place. Perhaps we could reach an agreement on the usage of your land, or you could make me more aware as to why I should leave?"
"...You don't deny the accusation of trespassing, and are now bartering for it?" Alara spoke with aghast surprise. "Are you taking my Lord Amir's threat easily, or are you just this foolhardy?"
Delta shifted uncomfortably from the insult, but a slight nudge from Faust under the table stopped her from reacting further. Faust maintained the face he had presented. "I am not unfamiliar with war, if that is what you ask. But I am not offering war, I am offering a price. Let me present to you with what I see. I see sands that stretch past the horizon, and not a single sign of civilization on the trip here. I ask what is it you seek in this exchange? A mere warning will not change my mind when the importance of this place is of a higher priority to me and my compatriots."
"My Lord Amir wishes for you to leave, and that is reason enough to obey! And if this place is inhospitable, as you say, then what is the point of you staying here? This is not an exchange, do you understand!"
Delta growled, her Omnisian-Axe tapping the ground, "Speak of impoliteness once more to my dear Lord-Captain and I will discover exactly why your brain would resort to unreasonable actions through dissection!"
Faust raised his hands towards the angered tech-priest, who had incidentally riled up the assassin as their barbed tail quivered. Alara and the priestly looking reptile had cowered slightly at the entire form of Delta, who had raised herself imposingly high.
"Delta…"
Delta slowly lowered herself to be smaller, grumbling and giving deathly glares at Alara.
Faust coughed awkwardly, "Ahem, forgive my companion she is… averse to threats or insults made towards me. And, I do understand, truly. But this place is strategically important towards the goals of finding what lies beyond the Foehn Hotlands. It is why I am not so easily dismissive of retreating from this area."
The priest cleared her throat—which Faust had not expected it to be a womanly rasp—and looked directly at Faust. She was completely blind under her cloak, yet her eyes bore wisdom in them. "You seek a dangerous claim. The Hotlands are nothing more than a fool's gambit. I do not mean that at the expense of you; many have tried, all have failed. You would have a better time seeking treasures in the sands than in the previous battlefield of legends past."
"All claims have risk to them," Faust stated calmly, with much more interest in the reptile. "Your name, if I may have it?"
"Elya Sobeka."
"Elya, I seek the truth in legends, and much more than that. I seek the reasoning behind the Collapsals' disappearance here, so that I might do a similar task in the far north."
"An impossible task," Elya shook her snout. "And one that would do more damage than good. The legends you seek caused the Foehn Hotlands to appear. The trace of Collapsals are gone. You will only harm yourself in this exchange, for the sun shall burn through your spirits just as it would your hides."
"Wise words," Rulk rasped. "Words that would dissuade the less brave. The less adventurous. The less experienced. Unfortunately, the Lord-Captain is none of those. He has ventured throughout many places that could kill him, yet he has conquered those trials nonetheless. Adventure only excites him." Rulk turned towards Alara. "You. Heed my words carefully," Rulk said with an accidental snarl. "Tell your Lord Amir that the Lord-Captain will not vacate until he is finished. However, an exchange could be had, one that could benefit your Lord Amir greatly. You are being given the option to negotiate. Do not revoke its claim lest you invoke the House Decimbrus' ire."
Alara stood up, "You! How dare–"
Rulk slammed his staff in the ground as he cut her off. "How dare YOU waste our time with such… pettiness! If you ask for war, say so! You will face those who have fought countless enemies from across the cosmos! You will be besieged by soldiers, vehicles, and machines of war who would die to take an inch of ground! You will watch as I rend you and your little bodyguard's flesh from the bone with a mere snapshot of the immaterium!"
The assassin had lowered himself to strike only to hear the click of a Long-las switching off safety from Otto's position. He wouldn't miss the shot. The assassin clicked his tongue, but stayed in his position, looking straight at the nearest target, Katya.
"You do not have a cool mind to be a delegate. Leave. Do not return. If your Lord Amir wishes to negotiate, he will send someone with a cooler mind, such as your priestly Archosauria."
"You will regret this disrespect." Alara glared one final time as she backed away, retreating with her bodyguard out of the tent. Elya had yet to move out, allowing Faust a quick sentence.
"Elya," Faust asked for a moment. "I hope that next we meet, it will not be in battle. If it is, do surrender. It would be shameful to have your talent in history wasted."
Elya chuckled with a small, toothy smile. "I shall keep this in mind. Good day, Sir Faust. May the sands protect your venture into the seas of glass."
As soon as they were gone, Katya deflated as if her soul left her body. "I thought I was about to get punctured."
Otto grunted as he came out of his shadow, shaking his head with a reassuring smile. He clicked his Long-las back into safety.
"Rulk."
"Yes, Lord-Captain."
"Please, explain your outburst."
"They were wasting our time. The currents hinted at daylight being eaten to delay your journey and dissuade our duty. I will not have someone so… terribly stubborn at negotiating be at your table. Otherworldly gains were within their grasp, yet she was blinded by loyalty."
Faust chuckled at that, Delta being slightly uncomfortable for her own reasons.
"...Yes, yes, I see the irony in such a statement. But loyalty without reasonable question is foolishness to partake in."
Faust sighed deeply. "While I appreciate your decision on my behalf, you may have just complicated things for the future. Though… it seems that was already the likely outcome no matter which way I asked, as per usual... I'll overlook this aggression but temper yourself next time."
"Of course, Lord-Captain."
"Katya, do you think this outpost will hold without my supervision as we venture into the sands?"
"I don't know…"
Faust hummed, "Then I suppose we'll cross that bridge when we get there. Ready yourselves and gather your things. We're finally leaving."
The departure from the Outpost went smoothly, with not a minute wasted to get the Melior up in the air. Faust had ordered for the contingent to be on high-alert and at the ready for any attacks or infiltrations that may happen in the time they're gone. Hopefully, they'd defend it in time for them to be back.
The travel past the wasteland sands was very… boring. Not boring in the sense that Faust had nothing to do—even if that part was true—but there was nothing to see but seas of pale-orange and outcroppings of Originium. The Auspex was deathly silent, with not a beep of other technology in their vicinity.
And so, they continued to fly through lands unimpeded. The desert heat wouldn't slow down the Melior at all. The worrying part was that the external temperatures were dangerously high. It was terrible conditions, and while uninhabitable surroundings were the apt description for the outpost, these were severe. Faust wagered not even the Orks would survive in this place.
Inside the seating area, Delta had brought along with her three skitarii and two tech-priests from Rho-Q's division. They could discern more of the technology should they find any. She also brought a servitor, mainly to hold on to ecological data that they come across or just be an extra hand. Octavia was also hanging close by, only this time the servo-skull was in Delta's seat since the Magos herself had crawled into the upper hull.
Faust got up from his seat. He was tired of waiting in his seat for a few hours, and with nothing to do, it began to drain his patience rapidly. The best course of action would be to see the outside world, if for a brief moment.
He climbed the stairs as he left his entourage behind, before clambering into One-O's cockpit. The first thing he saw from the windows was the harsh sun bearing down on them. From his point of view, it seemed like it wanted to melt them for existing in the heat, but luckily, they were in a vehicle.
As he got closer to the window, he saw a strange sight. Some of the desert had been transformed into glass, as the glossiness was reflected off the sunlight. Now he remembered why Elya had mentioned the "seas of glass."
"One-O, how much closer do you think our destination will be?"
One-O barely twitched from his seat, completely focused on doing his job. "My calculation perimeters state an unknown period between 12.24 hours and 11.41 days. Current variable is that we are running off legends and word of mouth. Incredibly inefficient to search parameters. Additionally, external temperatures are abnormally high at this altitude. Without proper ground equipment, human life will not sustain itself for an hour."
"Hm… anything else I should be aware of?"
"My right eye itches. Bad luck is imminent. 42% chance we will encounter something detrimental."
"I didn't know you skitarii believed in luck."
"This skitarii does. It is an immeasurable variable, yet not an unguessable one. I have learned much in my time as your pilot."
"...Do you think you will be a tech-priest?"
"I would prefer my current role. Ultimate goal is that of knowledge. Titles bear no meaning to this one when I shall stay your pilot. Unit Rho-Q has instructed this one the proper means to keeping Melior Quam Ambulatio's systems in top condition. Such knowledge transferring to a skitarii is… unconventional. I do not complain. My duty is to care for this ship. I shall continue to care for this ship."
Faust leaned on the backside of the pilot's chair, trying to position himself in the shade. The glare of the sunlight was becoming annoying. He could've sworn it was increasing by the minute. "I've never heard of a skitarii rejecting that type of position."
"Probability of becoming a tech-priest: Astronomically low among skitarii cohorts. Probability of continued learning as your pilot: Exponentially higher each solar year. Conclusion: remain as a pilot. This one also enjoys the skill of flying."
One-O scratched at his eye lens. "Irritating. Auspex diagnostics indicate an increased level of solar activity. I request to increase promethium usage in response."
"Granted."
Faust could barely feel it, but he could see through the glass that the Melior had sped up. Wait…
What… is that?
Faust looked in slight concern as they passed a bright, shining light. It was like a beam had suddenly appeared, falling from the sky far away. It closely resembled a meltagun's heat-ray, only much, much larger—something close to a meltacannon's orbital strike. Faust turned his head away from the sight only to see more of the phenomenon become much more frequent.
"One-O?"
"Ye–"
The Melior suddenly lurched downward with a blinding flash before regaining balance. The systems in the cockpit blared, warning they had just taken a hit.
"Gah!" shouted Faust as he wearily blinked through the sudden light that had shone through the cockpit, clinging onto One-O's seat. He was glad his armor had responded to the change, having activated the magnetic locks on his boots.
"We have received damage!" One-O cried out. "Servitor 12-663-91 has sustained fatal wounds and is inoperable."
Faust regained his vision, seeing the scorched remains of the servitor. No, the word scorched wasn't a good way to put it. The servitor's ash clung onto the burned bones and wiring in his slumped form, with the wind whipping through the melted spacescreen.
Had Faust been standing behind the Servitor, he would have surely taken the hit as well. It left a large lump in his throat, as his armor was not equipped to fight off being roasted by the power of a concentrated sun blast.
It would seem the deserts of Tellus had more than just heatwaves, as beams of concentrated heat were a natural phenomenon here. Because… of course they would. Faust, once more, regretted going to the desert.
"FLY US OUT OF HERE!" Faust commanded immediately, gripping the seat as he manually made sure his armor activated magnetic locks. He wasn't about to be tossed around the Melior.
"Compliance!" One-O responded with a hum, leaning forward as he swerved the controls. The Melior responded easily, weaving around another solar beam that popped up from seemingly out of nowhere.
Faust could see as the beams of light left pure glass in the ground as they dissipated. They seemed to be completely random in sequence, simply appearing and disappearing at will. An interestingly dangerous phenomenon, no doubt.
"Problem: Auspex implies backtracking would be troublesome!"
"What do you mean!" Faust shouted, leaning over as they sped past another beam. That one nearly hit Melior head on.
Faust's comm-link crackled to life, Delta's voice speaking through his helmet. "I just tapped into our Auspex to see what had hit us. Much more of these concentrated solar beams are in that area. My recommended course of action is to push through!"
"Chances of survival?" Faust worriedly asked.
"44%. The scanners also show a Catastrophe storm in the coming area is forming! We'd have a higher chance of surviving if we moved under the storm!"
Faust blanked, before shaking himself out of it. Now was not the time. "Follow Delta's orders One-O—to the letter! I want us to make it out alive!"
"Compliance statement!" One-O replied, shifting the controls to dodge another beam.
"I'll make any repairs that I can, but I am limited in resources," Delta said. "I do not believe we'll survive in this area for five more minutes!"
Faust clung onto the seat as One-O made a barrel roll, causing him to hold up his hand from the searing laser they barely touched. He was thankful his boots could keep him latched onto the floor.
The Lord-Captain made his way towards the servitor's previous seat and was about to shove the corpse out of the way. Before he could do that, he realized the effort was futile. The seat was completely destroyed; the controls were fried beyond repair, and the general area was nothing but burnt remains. He was amazed the hull at least withstood the heat, but he was unsure it could take another blast—at least in the same area.
The Melior screamed another warning as it was suddenly tilted sideways, causing Faust to nearly stumble over his locked boots.
"Another hit to the left wing. Hull integrity is lower than expected at that location. Approaching Catastrophe."
As soon as they dove under the storm, the skies suddenly darkened, similar to a hallway of candles being snuffed out at once. The rumbling storm was better than the glaring sun, or so he had hoped.
Red lightning brewed in the sky, while his helmet's air filters had switched towards its internal oxygen supply. That was worrying.
Suddenly, the Melior was hit by a lightning strike, causing another warning to be screamed out. Delta coughed through his comm-link, giving him some slight unease. "Faust… I think I'm going to crawl down into the seating area now…"
"Delta?"
"I'm fine… the Melior's right engines absorbed most of the blow. I am, however, in no condition to be doing repairs. Half of my mechadendrites are unresponsive to the sudden intake of electricity. Also, the right engine system is highly damaged…" Delta suddenly gasped. "Auspex systems are malfunctioning, but data is relaying an unknown variable near a massive crevice in the ground."
That was better than anything they'd get hanging out in the storm. "Send it to One-O. Better there than up here."
A tense second passed before One-O spoke. "Compliance."
The Melior was flying through at top speed, the wind and storm whistling through the glass. They were also beginning to see Originium shards fall from the sky, hitting the ground.
One-O maneuvered around a shard, dodging the hit before approaching the crevice. Faust looked at the Auspex, which was detecting an incredibly faint electrical ping.
As the Melior slowed its approach, they could see it. A massive structure on tracks that dwarfed a few of Humanity's smaller titans—maybe even the size of an escort class ship. Only, this structure was in ruins as the very bottom, torn in half, with not a single other signal being detected. Faust couldn't see any other signs of life either, just the ghost town on each of the structure's surface.
An explosion rocked the Melior, causing a sudden downward jolt as they descended. One-O regained the controls before they completely crashed into the landscape. "We've completely lost engine two. Approaching makeshift landing sight."
The Melior flew unsteadily into the broken half of the superstructure, finding a suitable place to land in its torn hull. As the landing gears opened, Faust let out a sigh of relief.
"We have landed. Probable hypothesis suggests three days of repairs. Will begin working on engine two immediately."
One-O began to unhook himself while Faust walked into the seating area. Upon opening the door, he could see everyone be slightly jostled and wary about what had just happened, Katya especially.
"Lord-Captain," Rulk greeted. "Please, warn us next time we go through something like that again."
"I didn't know that would happen!" Faust replied, slightly frustrated.
Katya rose out of her seat, her hair frayed by stress. "Where did we land?"
"I am not sure. I've never seen a vehicle like it before. Truly massive for what it might be."
"Vehicle? Wait…"
Katya hurried towards the bay doors, quickly hitting the switch, causing them to lower slowly. The interior ruins greeted them first, darkness casting a safe shadow from the outside, and was accompanied by the thunderous roar of the Catastrophe overhead. Immediately, most of the admech got up from their seats, lighting up in fascination and slight awe.
"We're in a landship…" Katya said slowly, looking at the other sight of the torn landship. "How… and whose?"
Delta crashed from the ceiling in front of Faust, hitting the floor with a startling thump—her tail trailing behind. "Ow…"
Faust immediately went to help her up. She was in a terrible condition, her snow-white hair and flawless skin blackened by soot and smoke. Her mechanical parts were in an awful state too, scorched by whatever she was doing up there after taking the hit.
"Thank you, Delta. Your help was appreciated."
Delta resorted to a lighthearted hum for a response, taking Faust's hand enthusiastically—as much as she could in her state. She leaned on him, sleepily closing her eyes as she leaned on his support.
"I'm not sure whose… 'landship' this is—if that is the vehicle's terminology—but we'll be stuck here for a few days until repairs are completed. Make yourselves comfortable and don't stray too far from the Melior. I'm not sure what exactly is in this structure and why it's at the bottom of this chasm."
With that, most of the admech's took off, scanning the surroundings for data or going to repair the Melior. Brogg approached Faust.
"You thinkin' this'll be a good place to rest, Sah?"
"It's the only one we'll get."
Faust stared at the other half of the destroyed landship. Hopefully… they wouldn't encounter anything here. Hopefully.
AN: Hey, hey, sorry all for the late chapter. Had a bit of stuff going on in my life and stress was a little piled up. I should be back to a normal-ish upload schedule, though two weeks is pretty tempting. Definitely won't do more than that though. My brain felt annoyed I couldn't pick at it because of it. Also... I am so broke for this new event. I'll have to write a side story for luck because of it. I did get banshee boy though, but I want W'alter. Badly.
Lt Gate: Good question. Whose to say I haven't done that already? Twice now if you count the first side story chapter. May wanna start reading about Kjeragandr or Sami next. As for other Feranmuts... it'll depend on if they're truly needed or not, but I'm more against it since the direction of the story isn't going that way. For example, I don't think any of the Sui siblings will be needed in this story, or they'll show up in a future side story should I feel like it.
...I'm also currently debating two things. Crossposting to Ao3 and making a discord server for y'all. Nearly at 100 follows, and that's a bit of a surprise–without counting views and visitors. Thoughts? Do let me know. Anyways, next time'll be a side story in celebration of the anniversary event (and presumably 100 follows) and then continuing the story again. Good luck on your pulls to the AK players. Roseblade out.