Wanted to give a little shout out to for his sweet sketch of Xin'Vauk [link]
BTW: From several notes and a few comments, I have had requests to draw the scene where Xin'Vauk is laying her head on Randall while she sleeps. While I had fun drawing these previous scenes, I had truely enjoyed the artwork of all you fine deviantartists. So, if any of you would like to draw this particular scene, or any other fan-art, by all means, make some great art out there. If I have some time, I can try to draw something in return.
The votes are in: 23 voted to stay and build morale 18 voted to keep moving with broken morale
Awesome, so now we continue, and thanks for beeing patient: ----------------------------------------------------------------------- I cant deal with this right now. Maybe this is the Will of the Emperor. I abandoned the righteous path, and I am being punished for it. Looking back at boot camp, receiving my Imperial helmet with the winged-skull crest on it, I couldn't help but think if this was a boast....or a prediction. I cant go back to the way things use to be. No matter how hard I want to, I decided this for myself with my OWN will.
The Daemon is out, no one will help this poor Godless race. No amount of prayers, incantations or purity seals will finish this mission they set out to do. DAMMIT, grow a spine, Randall. Get yourself together. They have to come with. But with this strange link they had with their leader now severed, the motivation for that .uh Greater Good might be all but lost ..with the exception of the Steath Suit Guard. I cant tell from the helmet, but he looks a bit more "recovered" than the other two. It seems these soldiers are trained to work more independently than I thought.
Im no leader. I wasnt even a good soldier. But Id be damned if I was brought down by these three. The battlefield between the Orks and the 137th is very close now. The smell of smoke and the noise of war is more prominent, now that I had time to slow down and rest. Sh#t we're getting close.
I needed to know if the drone located the search party that trailed behind us. But getting info from Kai-Faan and Xin was like pulling teeth.
Xin wasnt even listening to me. She looked like she was becoming more furious by the second. Her pathetic sorrow was turning to anger now. XinVauk told me she wanted to head back and kill the daemon herself. I grabbed her face, and forced her to look straight at me. Believe me when I tell you this, but looking straight into a xenos eyes can chill you. Just a few days ago, I only read about these godless creatures and witnessed battle vids with Tau present. Now I am looking straight into ones deep redish grey eyes. I never realized they carry the same emotions that us humans have. It was perplexing. I could tell her mind was not focused at all.
Whatever confidence I had left was mustered up and got her attention by looking straight into her eyes with an intensity I never knew existed. I cant recall what I said to her word for word, but making her realize that millions of her own kind will die unless we focus on the gathering of these subterranean plants and seeds. I cant tell you how hard it is to talk about hope WITHOUT using words like the Emperor, or His Will, or just stating higher beings at all. I was brought up that way in the Imperium after all. I think I saw a positive change of focus and confidence in her eyes when I said I wouldn't leave her side, and would finish their mission myself, or die trying. Commissar Setorius has it easy. He uses a laspistol for killing younger brothers to build morale.
After an hour of "cheering up" I finally got some intel from the Fio after speaking with Xin. Apparently, the drone located 3 of the five search parties. These parties seemed to suffer from the same emotional state as my team, but just like the Stealth Suit Guard with us, these parties recovered and continued. It did buy me time.....I thought.
A blip on the holomap Kai-Faan had displayed showed that one of the groups picked up our trail and headed straight for us. That isn't what worried me; they were still 3km away. It was what the scientist's drone found on the way back to us that got me nervous.
There was something heading in our direction ahead of the Tau search party. The drone couldn't identify it, but tagged it on Kai-Faan's holomap. I asked him how many it tagged and when they will be on us...He turned to me with a frightened look and said, "Myen-rodec" Upon hearing this, the Stealth Suit Guard powered up his weapon and activated his cloak. Xin repeated Fio'ui's message to me in Low Gothic, "One subject...about 12 terran minutes"
What should I do (I can't wait any longer here, we have to move now or more elite Tau groups will be upon us soon): 1) The Stealth Suit Guard seems like he wants to protect us from whatever is coming our way, so I can leave him be while we make our push forward to the caves. At least I know this way, he can slow down or even stop whoever or WHATEVER is pursuing us. He's not the target...I am.
2) Bring him along. We can't lose such firepower and skill. But whatever is coming at us will be right behind us, and there will be no rest until we get to the caves. Morale is better, but still shaken. ----------------------------------------------------------------------
They know what's behind them. Nobody knows what might be ahead. I'd take all the firepower I can get. Plus, we have yet to see our little Stealthy (my nickname lol) in action.
ooohh.. awesome. Wait, was the drone destroyed? If not, then they could use that to draw the threat away.. but I'm going with 2. The Stealthsuit is more valuable with the group
Therefore, HE KILLED HIS YOUNGER BROTHER! lolololol
They know what's behind them. Nobody knows what might be ahead. I'd take all the firepower I can get. Plus, we have yet to see our little Stealthy (my nickname lol) in action.
Wait, was the drone destroyed?
If not, then they could use that to draw the threat away.. but I'm going with 2. The Stealthsuit is more valuable with the group
The next chapter is up. [link] I hope you will continue reading and help with the story by voting.
I been waiting for quite sometime. I really am enjoying this story. On top of that you have created a fan base here.
The populous demands kindly more of this awesome story.
Creation cannot be manifested without thought
Berlion