Xenohunter Acolyte with Alacrity
England
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Captain Selko had always been a cold-blooded killer.
He had been there ever since Slate Company had stopped being a small-time Hive Gang and had started being a proper Mercenary organization.
He had killed hundreds of men, had never put himself past backstabbing, and hadn't done an honest day's work in his life.
His head was shaven bald, and one eye was replaced with a gleaming prosthetic, this alone was usually enough to keep anyone out of his way, but in case it wasn't, he always kept his axe and his Autogun handy.
He waded through the knee-deep carpeting of forest foliage that adorned most of Jurdani Tertius' forested areas this time of year, followed by a company of twenty-five other mercenaries.
While most were Slate Company, a few were freelancers or Xenos mercenaries of the Kroot, and more uncommonly, Eldar outcasts.
In fact, they only had one Eldar outcast in Selko's detachment, a snide bastard called Zil.
He was a Ranger, an expert at stealth, and he looked down his nose at the mercenaries every time he was approached.
Unfortunately, he was a sniper, which meant they needed him.
Selko halted the company as he spied a crumbling spire off through the distance.
He felt his heartbeat increase, the familiar lust for bloodshed rising.
He could taste the cold, crisp autumn air on his tongue, could hear the wind howling through the empty branches bereft of all but the very last of the year's leaves.
"Alright lads," He breathed, "The bastard we're after is called Shas...something or other, he-"
"Shas'Vre Mon'Wern'A," Zil corrected him, a look of snide pleasure on the Eldar's ageless face.
Selko sneered at him before continuing, "He's one of them Tau, which means he can blow your head off from a mile away," There was a slight shifting and whispering amongst the Mercenaries, "But, get close, and he'll cave as soon as you throw a punch."
Kneeling, Selko began to scratch in the dirt, "So, here's how things are gonna go down."
***
The Vox speakers made a loud beep before Anton Gambit's voice rang out.
"All crew, prepare for Warp extraction."
Fenton and Benjamin braced themselves, holding the metal railings that adorned every corridor on the ship, before it lurched, and the distant whining that had been a constant all through the trip cut off as the Warp engines died down.
Benjamin glanced back to the door opposite them.
"What's your obsession with that room, anyway?" Fenton asked curiously.
"Lucent always kept it locked," Benjamin started as he began to walk back to the Bridge, "Aren't you the least bit curious?"
"Well, I suppose, but it's sort of her private business, and I don't know about you, Benj, but I don't want to be messing in a dead woman's business."
"You're a little old for ghost stories, Fenton." Benjamin replied, jamming his finger against the elevator button.
"I was thinking more of what her business entailed," Fenton replied, "You know, The Beast of Solomon, Old One-Eye, M'Kar the Thrice Born..."
"You think she might've kept a Daemonhost in there?" Benjamin asked disbelievingly as they stepped into the elevator.
"Just a hunch." Fenton replied.
"I swear, Fen, you have an over-active imagination sometimes."
Fenton grinned, "Keeps me on my feet, Benj."
They stepped out onto the Bridge, a wide room with servitors working at banks of monitors and Astropaths strapped into their chairs, exhausted after guiding the ship through the perils of the Warp.
In the center of the room was the commander's Pulpit, upon which stood Bridge Admiral Anton Gambit, observing his own monitors built into the pulpit.
He glanced up as the two entered, "Imperator, but it feels good to be back on a ship."
"It's only been a few months, Anton." Benjamin pointed out.
"That's still longer than it should have been." Anton replied, "In any case, there's a Valkyrie ready to take you down, would you like an escort?"
"Escort?" Fenton raised an eyebrow quizzically.
"I can requisition some local PDF to rendezvous with you at the landing site."
Anton tapped his cane against the side of his head, "See, you two would be sitting ducks without me."
"It'd be better if we went in quietly," Benjamin replied, "Our target is already killing mercenaries and Guard alike like a cornered rat, I don't want to drop another load of soldiers on him."
"As you wish, Inquisitor." Anton inclined his head slightly, "Your Valkyrie awaits in the launch bay."
***
As the sun reached it's zenith over the forests of Jurdani Tertius' far side, a small, bulky vehicle, black as the night itself, it's two engines blazing, descended from the sleek hull of the Razor Descent, dropping like a bullet to the planet below.
The Valkyrie flew low over the forests, banking and turning on it's axis, before coming to land in a clearing barely big enough for it to land in, the exhaust from it's engines kicking up a storm of brown and yellow leaves.
A man emerged as one of the side doors opened, dropping into a crouch and scanning the treeline from left to right with his modified Lasgun.
"Clear." Fenton Muir voxed into the mic that extended from his earpiece down to just below his mouth.
Benjamin Mordecai emerged from the Valkyrie a second later, both Plasma pistols at the ready, and wearing an identical earpiece to Fenton's.
He tapped the side of the cockpit, urging the pilot to take off.
"The target is holed up in some ruins a few kliks west of your position," Anton's voice murmured through the earpiece, "I'd advise cutting around to the north and taking an indirect route around the back of the ruins."
"Why not just take the direct approach?" Fenton replied as the roar of the Valkyrie gunship's engines grew more distant.
"Mercenaries, Fen." Anton reminded him, "And there's also the chance that he'll be so preoccupied with the Mercs he won't notice two Imperial officials sneaking up on him."
"Let's hope he thinks we're the cute and cuddly kind of Imperial officials." Fenton grimaced, setting off through the knee-deep carpet of foliage with Benjamin in tow.
***
Captain Selko dived behind a fallen tree, firing off pot-shots at the ruins.
Almost half his detachment were gone; running right into tripwires or landmines that vaporized them instantly in a shower of blood and blue light.
It was undoubtedly Tau technology.
Two Gun Drones, Tau constructs with domed tops and two under-slung Pulse weapons, buzzed around overhead, picking off more of his men as they were pinned behind cover.
Crass dropped into cover beside Selko, he was missing a few fingers on one had as a result of trying to disable one of the explosives.
The nature of the explosive had sealed the wounds up almost as soon as his fingers came off, trapping bits of shrapnel beneath the skin and causing absolute agony, though he seemed to be able to ignore it.
"This filth is playing Merry Hell with us." He scowled, spitting to one side, "How can one filthy little alien have taken half our forces in under half an hour?"
"Dunno," Selko fired off another few solid rounds from his autogun at the ruins before dropping back into cover.
Almost a second later, a burst of blue pulse fire skimmed the top of the fallen tree they were bunkered behind, scorching the grass where it landed.
"Screw that Tau!" Crass roared, standing and leaping over the tree trunk.
The distant sounds of pulse fire and responding autofire sounded in the distance as the Slate Company mercs tried to hold back the Gun Drones.
Crass got about halfway across the scorched field towards the ruins before a burst of pulse fire evaporated his head.
Crass' body ran for a few more seconds, before realizing it had no head, and slumped over forwards.
Selko tapped his earpiece as a loud buzzing sounded.
He ripped the earpiece out, but the buzzing wouldn't go away.
He looked up, and saw the sleek, domed head of a drone hovering in the air above him, it's underslung pulse carbines leveling at his forehead.
In a split-second, the Gun Drone was replaced by a fiery explosion; Selko raised his arms to shield his face as the resulting heatwave washed over him.
Zil glided silently from the trees to crouch beside Selko.
"You may thank me later, Mon'Keigh." He spoke in a silky, elegant voice.
Selko looked at the Eldar with disgust, disgust for how the creature's face looked so human, yet so alien with it's tapered ears and flawless complexion.
"Bleh." He responded, watching as the Eldar reloaded it's strange rifle.
"I assume I have suddenly become a more valuable asset to you?" Zil raised an eyebrow, pulling his hood up.
"Fine, yeah, okay!" Selko growled, "Go and do your fancy ghost stuff!"
Zil smirked, standing and gliding away through the trees, strangely impervious to the Tau's line of sight.
Selko picked up his earpiece and spoke into it, "Find me that other Gun Drone, use plasma charges, grenades, anything, but bring it down!"
***
"What a mess," Fenton muttered, "Who do you reckon has to clean up the bits of mercenary after this is over?"
Benjamin chuckled a little at Fenton's grim humor.
They were sheltered behind a rock formation north-west of the ruins, watching the carnage unfold.
Occasionally, they caught flashes of a domed helmet, and a long, flat barrel poking out of the ruins, usually just before one of the mercenaries went down.
"He was expecting them." Benjamin muttered, before keying in his vox link, "Admiral, why is this Tau being hunted?"
"He's a sniper, Inquisitor, and an alien, one who's made some enemies over the years."
"Anything specific?" Benjamin asked.
"Well," Anton paused for a minute, "There's something here about him blowing up a munitions deposit belonging to a merc group known as Slate Company on Brackl."
"We'd best move quickly, before these mercenaries decide to all break cover at once." Benjamin started up the plasma cooler before jumping the rock formation and setting off towards the ruins.
Fenton followed, loading a fresh magazine into his modified Lasgun.
Unfortunately, their approach drew the attention of the mercenaries, several of which opened fire on the two as they moved.
"Drop!" Benjamin shouted, throwing himself to the floor as several rounds of autofire zipped overhead.
Fenton dropped into a crouch behind a patch of long grass, letting fly a burst of Lasfire which raked through those mercenaries still left standing.
Benjamin rose, firing from the hip to offer the two a little protection.
***
Selko watched as Pask and Vekl dropped, each with a cauterized Las wound through their chests.
They weren't dead, though Lasfire could pass through just about any organic tissue, meaning they could have anything from a ruptured lung to internal bleeding.
"gak," He breathed, glancing over the top of his cover.
Imperials, two of them, running towards the ruins and firing off bursts of suppressive fire at those of his men not busy with the remaining Gun Drone.
That was it.
Selko unclipped a melta charge from his belt, and crawled out of cover, hand over hand, towards the Gun Drone.
He felt a stabbing pain in his side as a burst of pulse fire sliced into his hip bone, but he ignored it and carried on going.
Dirt caked his hard leather vest, his trousers and his arms, but he ignored it.
He got into a crouch as he dropped in beside his pinned men, or the remnants of them.
He waited for a lapse in the Gun Drone's fire; when it came, he jammed his thumb into the charge's detonator and threw it, laughing snidely as the Drone went down in a searing explosion.
"Get up, ladies!" He roared, "Let's give them what's coming to them!"
The damned Imperials wouldn't steal Selko's glory.
***
Benjamin dropped into the ruins, to be greeted by a sleek, long barrel belonging to a Pulse Rifle, which in turn belonged to a warrior clad in alien armour, silver with a black underlay, a domed helmet with two glowing optic lenses that seemed to leer at him, and legs that bent back awkwardly below the knees to form hooves.
Fenton dropped in beside him, and received the same greeting.
"Did you insult his mother?" Fenton muttered.
"Silence, Gue'La!" The Tau said in heavily-accented Imperial Gothic.
"We're here to help," Benjamin said slowly, "We're not with the mercenaries."
"And I should believe you because..."
Benjamin removed the Inquisitorial seal from his belt pouch, showing it to the Tau.
"That's even less of a reason to trust you." The alien mercenary said flatly.
In the silence, the sounds of distant footsteps were undeniable, drawing closer.
"You can mistrust us later," Benjamin said, "Right now, there's a dozen Mercenaries who know you're not firing at them."
The Tau seemed to consider for a bit, then nodded.
"I'll be keeping an eye on you, Gue'La." He cautioned.
They ranged out along the ruins, each aiming through a different window.
As the mercenaries approached, Benjamin leveled both Plasma pistols, running the length of the corridor that sheltered them and laying down a wide arc of plasma fire as he went.
At least four of the Slate Company forces fell with their legs shot from under them, groaning in the puddles of messy pulp that were once their legs.
Fenton aimed higher, letting off less concentrated bursts, he downed a further two with Las wounds decorating their chests.
The Tau, however, was a master of accuracy.
Using quick, single-shot bursts, he killed another three with head shots that left their bodies stumbling before they fell.
They stopped to reload.
Benjamin knew they wouldn't have enough time before the rest of the mercenaries reached them.
It would come to close quarters eventually.
***
Zil loaded another crystal into the barrel of his rifle.
It was custom-grown from the Wraithbone of Craftworld Ulthwe to suit his body, and it fit like a glove.
How ironic, that a sniper should kill a sniper...
He shrugged, more humorous things had happened in his time away from the Craftworld.
Maybe one day, he would go back.
He took his time, sighting along the barrel.
He had a perfect line of sight on the Tau; a slight north-bourne wind meant he had to shift his aim slightly to one side, and the Tau himself was preoccupied with shooting Selko and his rabble.
He squeezed lightly on the trigger, readying himself for the shot, and-.
The Mon'Keigh in the ruins with the Tau paused to reload, ruining Zil's line of sight.
Zil cursed, tugging on his top-knot of pure white hair in frustration.
He pulled up his white hood, a stark contrast to the midnight-black armour he wore, which was adorned with red soul stones in several places.
He holstered the rifle over his back, drawing two combat blades from his belt.
Zil'Iath would see this Tau and his Mon'Keigh dead, and then he'd take care of Selko.
***
Benjamin Mordecai had always been an expert in knife-fighting.
He had only become more deadly since his left arm had been replaced with it's prosthetic replacement.
With his right arm, he drew his combat blade, about a hand and a half long, from it's sheath, having holstered both pistols.
Five.
Five mercenaries dropped into the ruins, a little more than Benjamin had estimated.
Three were Slate Company, judging by their hard-leather vests and the anvil tattoos on their right shoulders.
The other two were Kroot; humanoid aliens with blotchy, leather-coloured skin, bird-like beaks, tapered, predatory skulls and a ridge of spines jutting from the back of the head.
Fenton moved like a Culexus as two of the mercenaries moved to engage him, slamming the butt of his Lasgun into the first man's stomach before flipping the rifle and carving a long gouge along the man's chest with his bayonet.
He yanked the blade out, dropping as the man behind him made a clumsy punch, and spun, slashing the bayonet across the man's knees, flipping the gun over once again, and slamming the handle into the mercenary's privates, following through with a high-kick that sent the mercenary tumbling to the ground.
Benjamin snarled as the two Kroot accosted him with their primitive, bayoneted rifles.
The first thrust it's rifle towards him, he grabbed it with his prosthetic fist, yanking it and the Kroot towards him as he drew his blade in a horizontal arc to connect with the creature's throat.
He released it, watching it stagger away as it tried to breathe through it's ruptured windpipe.
The second screeched as it swung it's rifle down from behind.
He turned, glancing it to one side with his combat blade while he grabbed the creature's face with his bionic left arm, crushing it's skull in his vice grip before letting it drop to the floor.
***
Selko grinned as he came face to face with Mon'Wern, axe in hand, savouring the Tau's demise.
"Time for you to pay, you wretched Xenos." He raised his axe, advancing, "You did a good number on us when you blew up that weapons cache."
"That was Tau technology, Gue'La," The alien snarled, "I wouldn't let your filthy hands anywhere near it if you begged me!"
"Screw you!" Selko growled, swinging his axe at the creature's throat.
The Tau ducked, kicking out in a sweeping arc that made a loud snapping sound as the hard hoof connected with Selko's leg, sending him tumbling onto his back.
He watched as his axe clattered away, then turned his hate-filled gaze to the Tau as pain enveloped his leg.
"Bastard Xenos!" He spat.
"Poor you." The Tau mocked, lifting it's hoof over Selko's face, before slamming it down with a loud, resounding crack.
***
Benjamin strode over to the Tau, sparing the briefest of glances for the mercenary with the crushed skull as the last vestiges of life left him.
"I thought Tau weren't good in close combat." He frowned.
The Tau removed his domed helmet, revealing a smooth, flat and noseless face, red eyes with narrow pupils, gray leathery skin, and a black topknot which was the only suggestion of hair the creature had.
"Most of us aren't, we choose not to because it is seen as un-honorable," He looked down at the mercenary, "But, desperate times."
"Indeed," Benjamin replied, "But we haven't done introductions, I am Inquisitor Benjamin Mordecai, this is my right hand, Fenton Muir."
The Tau performed a bizarre kind of curtsy, "I am Shas'Vre Mon'Wern'A, or Fire Hero of the Deceptive Assault, in your tongue."
"Imperator, that's a handful..." Fenton muttered.
"I'm putting together a retinue, I need talented individuals like yourself." Benjamin stated, "If you need protection, I can offer it to you, in exchange for your services."
"As far as I'm concerned, Inquisitor, you've already fulfilled your end of the bargain." Mon'Wern replied.
Fenton keyed in his vox mic, "Gambit, send a Valkyrie down would you? We'll mark our location."
Benjamin frowned, seeing a hint of movement at the end of the corridor.
"Cover me." He ordered, walking forward with his combat blade in hand.
An Eldar stood at the end of the corridor, graceful, tall, his pale head shaven save for a topknot of snowy white hair, his tapered ears and flawless face were an image of what a human could only wish to be.
Even in his white cloak and black armour, Benjamin could tell the man was of a lithe build.
"Hand the Tau over, Mon'Keigh, and you may keep your existence." The Eldar was grinning.
"How about feth you?" Fenton yelled, letting loose a stream of Lasfire at the ceiling and bringing a chunk of it caving in.
The Eldar darted swiftly backwards, avoiding the collapse.
The three clambered out of the ruins, Mon'Wern running with a loping gait that could only be put down to his hooves.
Overhead, the Valkyrie that had dropped them off turned on it's axis and descended to hover a foot off the ground with it's rear hatch open.
Benjamin glanced back; the Eldar ranger was rapidly gaining on them, his superior speed and agility made it child's play.
Benjamin stopped and turned, bringing his combat blade to bear as Fenton and Mon'Wern rushed past him.
"Your loss, Mon'Keigh." The Eldar raised both his combat blades, making a horizontal swipe for the chest.
"Tusche, Xenos." Benjamin countered both blades with his prosthetic fist before forcing the Eldar back with it.
"The youngling's death means my pay, and ultimately, my survival, would not you do the same?" The Eldar darted forwards and slashed for Benjamin's face; He stumbled back, but still caught the edge of one blade on his cheek.
The Eldar stepped in for another blow, Benjamin knew it would be folly to try and avoid this one, so instead he stepped inside the blow, catching both blades on his augmented arm before elbowing the Eldar in the chest.
Despite the creature's strong build, it was built for agility, not pitched combat.
The Eldar stumbled, and Benjamin used the opportunity to draw his Plasma pistol and level it at the Eldar.
The xenos chuckled.
"Ah, truly the irony of fate knows no bounds."
"Just stay put." Benjamin warned, stepping back as the backwash from the Valkyrie's engines kicked up a swirling vortex of dead and dying leaves.
He kept walking backwards until he reached the Valkyrie's rear hatch.
The ranger snapped into motion as soon as Benjamin stowed his Plasma pistol, but too late.
The Valkyrie lifted off as Fenton and Mon'Wern hauled Benjamin into the troop compartment.
***
Zil'Iath Fleet-runner watched the Mon'Keigh ship lift off, smiling faintly at the cruelty of the gods.
The nearest major settlement was a good two-day trek from his current location.
It would take a while, but he would seek out the Tau.
After all, he had never failed a contract before.
He chuckled to himself as he began walking.
***
"And this one uses a basic binary circuit, yes?"
"Ye-...No! Get off that!" Once again, Anton Gambit thwacked Mon'Wern's hand away from one of the Servitors wired into the consoles.
"I'm only looking." The Tau replied, wandering over to another Servitor.
He began poking at the various wires trailing from the back of the Servitor's head.
"Get off that! It's complicated equipment." This time, the Bridge Admiral physically lifted Mon'Wern off the floor and carried him over to the elevator.
"It's a simple circuit, I was doing these when I was seven human cycles old."
"Meh meh myeh meh!" Anton retorted, dumping the Tau by the elevator and repeatedly mashing his finger into the down button for the lift.
Benjamin stepped up to the Mon'Wern.
"Perhaps you'd best go and familiarize yourself with the ship. I'll have an attendant show you to the Acolyte quarters."
"Of course, Inquisitor." A smile crossed Mon'Wern's noseless face as he picked himself up and got into the elevator.
Anton sighed as the doors closed.
"Next time you bring Xenos on my ship, please keep them out of the Bridge."
Overall, I was satisfied with this story.
There were a few bits, especially in combat sequences, when I floundered for a way to advance the plot.
The thing I struggled most with on this piece was the urge to put 'Eldar' every other sentence when Zil was involved.
I think I still used the word far too often, but there's only so many times I can replace it.
The close-quarters sequence at the end might have been a bit much, with Benjamin slaughtering two Kroot in the space of ten seconds,
but I really felt I needed to get across the deadly efficiency of a well-trained Inquisitor and his retinue.
I don't know if Mon'Wern would realistically become part of a retinue if he were still vying for the greater good, so I had to make him a mercenary to avoid that particular pitfall.
The story seems to focus heavily on Mercenaries, maybe Slate Company will become reoccurring villains?
Who knows?
But it's a definite start for Mordecai's retinue, and in turn, his plotline.
Please comment!
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