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HA! You guys crack me up.

As for updates. We shall see. Not only do I have my kid to keep me busy but Adepticon is beginning to travel to the front of my thoughts.

In the meantime, good luck with your addictions. I hope you don't loose hope......

I like this very much.

 The Obsidian King wrote:
I like this very much.

Which part? The conversation about addictions or my story?

Thanks for commenting, by the way!

 IceAngel wrote:

 The Obsidian King wrote:
I like this very much.

Which part? The conversation about addictions or my story?

Thanks for commenting, by the way!

Im gonna say both as far as I am concerned...

Plus as Prime said I am NOT addicted, I can stop anytime I want!!! Its not that I see a post from you and I rush to see whats the new update!!!!

So how fast did you guys rush here to read this post?

This fast

Turned computer on...connected to wireless...checked dakka...saw post here... disappointment

First thread I checked when I logged onto Dakka.

Son, I am disappoint.

Tease!

Grrrrrrrr

Darn you!!!Office break...check dakka see post...got disappointed :(

Ha! Sorry guys, I know that was mean, but messing with peoples addictions is just so much fun. It was hard to resist.

Don't worry though, Ice has some stuff in the works that you should enjoy. Expect it this weekend sometime.

Have a wonderful Wednesday everybody.

Dammit, you did it again.

The sound of another approaching vessel forced Inushi to slightly lean back. His head sunk back further into the shadows between rocky outcroppings. His arms and legs were tiring from his held position six meters above the road. Despite his injuries he stayed motionless as a small ork trukk rumbled past, a half dozen greenskins screamed in excitement from its open bed.

“Lightly armored truck with six orks,” Inushi voxed up to Cyaxeres and Philosir. That was the ninth vehicle to pass his position. Inushi didn’t know what the tech marine had planned at the top of the crater but thanklessly he continued to report in with details of any ork vessels speeding up the lone mountain pass.

Sun light poured down over the top of the crater mountain and for miles Inushi could see the orks plummet from the sky. When not reporting ork movement on the mountain pass he stared up at the disorganized shower of vessels, half of which plummeted to their deaths.

Some of the ships were overloaded planes that disgorged scores of orks upon landing; others were drop ships that housed all manner of tanks, walkers, boars, and squigs. One particularly large vessel was held aloft by dozens of bloated giant squigs used has balloons. Inushi was observing the vessels lazy approach when missiles from a storm raven ignited the gas filled squigs which sent the gondola crashing towards the valley floor.

Inushi twitched as his weakened body requested he move from his position. The drugs coursing through his genetically altered physique gave him a small degree of comfort but the internal damage still aggravated him. Inushi took a deep breath and tried to calm his body. For the eleventh time he listed the damage to his body.

“Chest wound, damaged secondary heart, sliced biscopea, side wound, ruptured preomnor, shredded Oolitic kidney,” he began. The words filled his thoughts and he began the mental journey to find his inner peace. For several minutes he calmed himself and forced himself to relax. The familiar mental exercise taught by his chapter before he had become a full battle brother began to give him more relief then the drugs in his veins.

Another engine growl made him stop his wound tally. He waited for the next ork vehicle to approach. The engine was distant yet louder than any other that had passed his position. The thumping of massive cylinders and the grind of metal on stone continued to crescendo. The rocks around him began to shake as the entire mountain side seemed to tremble at the approach of the vehicle. Inushi used the small wiry tree in front of him as a focal point as he tried to maintain his motionless state. Even as the tree swayed before him he still held his position, his Mantis Warrior training in stealth telling him to trust the shadows.

The shaking and engine noise continued to increase. The sound was astounding. Inushi couldn’t imagine how anyone could ride such a vehicle into battle without becoming deafened by the sound. The boulder to Inushi’s left began to loosen and shift as the ork vehicle finally came into view. Pebbles from above, fell onto his armored shoulders and back. The few leaves on the wiry tree shook off. Inushi watched the last one fall as static filled his vox.

From his right came the immense tracked vehicle. Each metal link in the tread was as wide as his chest and protected by multiple layers of metal plating. A plethora of squat cannons huddled together on the front of the slow moving tank. Behind the wall of guns was a compartment topped with barricades. Dozens of orks stood about waiting for a target to fire their large caliber guns at. Yet as the orks scanned the road ahead and the mountain from above him, none noticed the motionless space marine hidden within arms reach of their side armor.

As it passed, Inushi could feel the power field the metal behemoth emitted. His vox was useless at the time being and Inushi did nothing but wait as the tank climbed the mountain path only feet from his position. The stench of engine oil and leaking plasma assailed his nostrils with every breath.

Suddenly the boulder to his left loosened and he nearly fell from his position. The wiry tree toppled as a side sponson from the tank knocked it over. The tank finished passing his position and Inushi saw the truth of the slow moving vehicle. It was the engine to an ork land train. The next car held a similarly tall barricaded platform but on it were turrets of different shapes and sizes. The next car rumbled into view and he saw a row of looted basilisk cannons pointing up into the sky. The fourth car was the largest by far and as the engine sounds lessened the sound of shifting stone took over.

Inushi dared to adjust his position to look further around the rock to his right and when he did he saw the fourth car was wider than the others, so wide that it was scraping the side of the mountain. Without hesitating he released from his position mere seconds before the wide platform dislodged the stone and sent it rolling after him.

The six meter slide turned into a tumble and only his super human reflexes kept him from being crushed under tracks or between the twin boulders chasing him down the short drop. In order to avoid the boulders he scampered forward near the front of the fourth train. His bulk forced him to move side ways as the room between the vehicle and the rock face wasn’t wide enough. After a few frantic moments of keeping his feet on top of the tracks he grabbed a handhold on the armor over the tracks. The mountain wall and falling debris filled the air with dust and grit. Inushi’s emerald green armor quickly became gravel gray.

Without warning the car titled drastically away from the mountain, the other side of the fourth car clearly hanging over the edge of the road. Inushi found himself ten feet off the ground and very exposed. Shouts of thrown orks and dislodged machinery filled the air. Inushi debated about letting go but as he looked ahead he saw the train ahead was still on both tracks and the next car was the last. The treads beneath him continued churning and the train moved forward and as quickly as it tilted up it slammed back onto the mountain road.

The motion proved too much for Inushi’s precarious grip. He fell off the armored side and crashed into the mountain wall. His innards screamed in pain at the impact as he slid to the ground next to the tracks but soon under the wider midsection of the fourth car. As the train trundled over him Inushi looked around to see what was next. The instant the fourth car was past he vaulted up and got in front of the fifth car. The two cars were an arm span apart from one another and connected by a massive metal joint surrounded by chains.

Inushi lightly jogged between the two cars, easily keeping pace with the slow moving train. He was studying the connection between the two cars when a gun shot rang out from above. Peering down from the platform several levels above him was a grot with a sawed off revolver. His eyes were wide with either glee, or terror, Inushi couldn’t decide. Nevertheless Inushi didn’t need to hear the small greenskin to know he was shouting for the others.

As quickly as he could Inushi pulled himself onto a small platform protruding from the fourth car. With his left he drew his plasma pistol and with his right he threw open the heavy metal door.

Bullets slammed into the platform behind him as he stepped inside the red lit compartment. His super human sight adjusted in a millisecond and he thanked the Emperor for that, yet he cursed his luck as the room’s contents filled his vision. Surrounding a single row of belching machinery stood a mob of well armed, angry greenskins.

The greenskins bellowed their greeting as Inushi responded with plasma bolts into the two nearest orks. Before their corpses hit the floor he was moving towards the machinery, with his plasma pistol spewing death and his power katana lit with the Emperor’s wrath.

Oooh, I can't wait to read how Inushi disables this behemoth of a machine... or does he?

Cool... land train. I like! Edits forthcoming.

Very nice indeed

Anyway, Ice found the below

For the eleventh time he listed the damaged to his body.

I think you are missing the word parts or areas there.

Edits on the way!

Thanks guys. I edited the sentence Bobakos found.

I have finally caught up with the story and have enjoyed every part of it. I look forward to the next instalment.

Though in hindsight, giving Desai a jetpack might have been a bad idea.

Thanks Mr. Nobody! I'm glad you've enjoyed the read. I thought about that aspect of Desai at that moment in the story but I couldn't get the satisfying death that I felt he deserved without him having a jump pack. I had actually determined how that scene was going to play out probably a year ago or so and when you have replayed a scene in your head over and over again, it's really hard to change it to anything else. The one thing that did change was that in the original adaptation, Inushi didn't survive. As I wrote more and more about Inushi though, I realized I can't kill him quite yet. I've grown to like him too much.

You did it again Ice...



Anyway, maybe because you like him so much, then you need to kill him (sorry Gits) but make it a glorious one (as the last part shows ) To be honest I do not expect him to survive the encounter, unless a miracle happens...

The step through the black curtain wasn’t at all what Razzik anticipated. He felt as if he needed to concentrate on moving each part of his body. His mind focused on the simple task of moving forward, but his legs and arms felt no real resistance. On the eve of feeling concerned he exited the strange black substance and found himself standing in an expansive vaulted room. His HUD went blank as it began a rebooting process. Before the first stage had completed Razzik had visually located his marines. Vetov stood forty yards ahead of him by banks of smooth black pillars. The two units of Ice Angels had spread around the strange room awaiting orders.

Slowly icons from Ice Angels in the room appeared in his HUD again and his maps adjusted to what lay before him. The long room had several dozen galleries branching off from its sides and the only door appeared to be off to his left in the center gallery.

Dark purple ambient light reflected off well polished xenos equipment and architecture all around him. Sets of tracks lined the floor away from the black portal. Bundles of cords snaked throughout the tracks towards the walls like serpents towards prey. As Razzik examined his surroundings he noticed many of the marines were cautiously aiming their weapons up. Dangling from the ceiling were scores or more of mangled corpses. They hung from hooks and chains, some were upside down others were speared through their sides. They all seemed humanoid in shape but their bodies were disproportionate and battered, their faces all covered in metal masks. Above the bodies, a multi-leveled honeycomb ceiling loomed.

Witnessing the bodies spurred Razzik into action. The list of tactical unknowns was growing faster then he wanted and he knew the longer they lingered in this place the longer the rest of his company would be fighting the hordes of orks.

“Rimsin open that door. Kujara, confirm we’re alone in this room.” He ordered as he moved towards Vetov. The ancient stench of death seeped through his filtration system as he propelled himself forward.

His first few steps felt lighter then he expected. Razzik checked the pressure setting on his power armor. The gravity was lighter then the other side of the curtain. It was lighter then a standard Imperial vessel. The blackness was some sort of portal, and it was becoming blatantly obvious they weren’t on Glossinai any more.

In front of him Vetov was studying the pillars intently and Razzik could see why. Massive bundles of cables exited the honeycombed ceiling and into the pillars. Bizarre crystalline panels protruded from the smooth black pillars. With a side glance Razzik watched as squad Rimsin moved towards the only noticeable door. A flock of servo skulls hovered above their heads waiting for an escape so they could begin to explore once again.

“Definitely xenos Captain,” Vetov spoke as he neared. “I don’t see a way to activate it.”

Razzik scanned the pillars as sounds of the opening door echoed throughout the room. The servo skulls sped through the opening, Razzik’s HUD map immediately began to expand as they hovered in every direction.

Faster then a running astartes the skulls spread. Shar-Takazz and Squad Rimsin held their position outside door waiting for targets. Razzik ceased staring at the pillars to examine the growing map of the structure they had entered.

The third tactical unit, Squad Plafwu, silently breached the black curtain to Razzik’s left when the sound of shattering glass echoed from his right. The yellow sword icon appeared in Razzik’s HUD indicating movement.

Vetov and Razzik ran towards the source. When they reached the side gallery they saw Brother Kuri standing before a shattered wall panel. His combat knife was held back defensively and his bolter almost casually pointed at a body embedded in the wall. The frail tortured form of a middle aged woman hung on hooks. Scars covered her body with an almost artistic design. A handful of tubes connected her back to the wall. A lone purple cord drooped down and plugged into a silver laced skull cap.

Vetov examined the woman. Razzik examined the cage. As they stared at her, her body twitched, her left arm flailing out like a startled child. Memories of Dark Eldar captivity flooded Vetov’s thoughts. Without activating his powerfist he punched the next panel, then the next. Around the gallery he went shattering black glass and filling the room with echoes from the shards bouncing across the floor.

Each shattered panel revealed another human, old, young, male, female, there was no pattern to who was captured, yet all of them were dead,. All of them except the one twitching in front of Captain Razzik.

Another wonderful installment, Ice! As always, I'm excited for more

The plot thickens...

Lets see what she has to say...

Awesome addition Ice! Keep it up m8!

aaaaaaaaawwww yeah, this is awesome, I'm definitely liking where its heading, perhaps more Dark Eldar, perhaps there might be machinations of chaos at work.. who know....

Ice knows, and he wont tell...

Just yet.

I like it Ice, very well written. Full of suspense.

@ prime12357, Bobakos, Knightley, and Gitsplitta - thanks guys. I like where this is going too!

Great installment Ice, keep it coming.

Razzik’s HUD map continued to expand as he examined the incapacitated woman. The servo skulls split off at each intersection and explored each open room as they passed, but the skulls were beginning to miss areas as the number of rooms and corridors continued to rise exponentially. If there was any sort of pattern to the growing map it was beyond Razzik’s comprehension.

As the illuminated map continued to shrink to scale the immensity of the complex began to sink in. Scenarios and tactical options begin to run through his mind at a mid battle pace. When Razzik’s focus changed from the HUD back to the woman he found himself staring at the silver mesh skull cap.

With haste way points were set on the map with simple eye clicks, squads Rimsin and Kujara flew into motion moving to their given tasks. No enemies had been spotted but he still considered this place very hostile.

Razzik checked his timer. It had been 129 seconds since Brother Kuri shattered the first panel.

Vetov quickly walked up to Razzik and stood close, his chest mere inches from Razzik’s left shoulder pad. “All of this death is recent.” He whispered, “some of these corpses still drip with warm blood.”

A thought coursed through his brain and an image flashed in his consciousness. A dying avian quadruped came to mind. Without a word he stormed past Vetov into the large center room, the black curtain dominated the far end. Squad Plafwu was positioned near the wall, spread out in pairs. Far up the wall of darkness the other half of the crystal he had walked under pulsed with the same eerie light.

”Brother Grax, go back through the wall between those two tracks. Give Squad Rah-Apsu an update then end of the life of the wounded bird in the nearest cage. Report back immediately.” Razzik commanded as he pointed to the tracks he was referring to.

Brother Grax and another marine dashed through the wall as Razzik turned back to Vetov and the woman in the wall.

“Why kill it now?” Vetov began as the woman buckled in intense pain. Her closed eyes clamped even harder as if they could squeeze the pain away. Her entire body trembled while she screamed out. The pain seemed to climax as she thrashed within her broken wall panel.

The screams of pain and the sounds of death were not foreign to any of the marines there, yet neither Vetov nor Razzik moved as she was overwhelmed with pain. Razzik could tell Vetov wanted to intervene yet he didn’t.

In Razzik’s HUD Brother Grax returned, a task complete icon flashing over Squad Plafwu.

Finally Razzik stepped forward to end the woman’s suffering. He reached with his white powerfist when her thrashing ceased. Blood slowly dripped from her eyes, nose, ears, and mouth. The pain had been so intense it alone had killed her.

Razzik gave Vetov a side glare before storming off, “all of these people were wired into the creatures we were killing.”

Vetov looked around, and then back to the deceased woman, “they felt all of their pain……” He trailed off. “We killed them.”

Vetov snapped to attention before jogging after Razzik his powerfist crackled as he activated it once again. “This is disgusting! By the Emperor” he began to get louder with each word before Razzik held up his fist to cut him off.

Captain Razzik had stopped moving near the door exiting the gallery; his attention once again was back on the mini map in his helmet, except this time a new icon was blinking. One of the servo skulls had located a faint astartes beacon several floors up.

The blinking icon gave Razzik a faint smile. No one could see it under his helmet but for the first time in his captaincy Razzik felt as if the Emperor may have turned to look upon him. All of the running and shadow chasing, all of the grasping at weak clues may just have truly led to something.

“Sergeant Maranu, notify squad Rah-Apsu. Send word to Cyaxeres to bring in the Rage.” Captain Razzik commanded, “Venthu, Grax, and Benquanli with me.”

Waypoints were adjusted for squad Rimsin and Kujara, their icons on his HUD moving towards the beacon.

“Come Vetov, let us see what else this place may hide for us.” Razzik spoke as he hefted his shield and moved towards the gallery exit, Venthu, Grax, Benquanli, and Vetov close behind.