Emperor's Will be done? Pt13

Bonus Time!!! Two pics. I had to do this because there had been a lot to write to get to the choice, and I wanted to reward you for reading. Pictures are more fun!! The choice is at the end of the next part.

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It was a close one this time.
Option 1 (run to the Guards and warn of the attack and distract while Tau get away): 26 votes
Option 2 (sneak around and hope that entity finds more unsuspecting targets): 33 votes

I want to give a shout out to for her absolutely gorgeous drawing of Xin'Vauk [link] You are AWESOME!!!!

Here we go:
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Mom, Dad….I know you are dead, but this entry is dedicated to you. I wanted to let you know I did NOT abandon you and your teachings. It is ironic that you brought me up to respect and admire the same people that decided to bombard the planet that we all grew up on. It is just that…..that…I feel that there is so much selfless sacrifice for the gain of the Emperium, and the price of lives are cheap now. I have seen more die around me than I have swatted those pesky sirion flies off our cattle back home.

I wish I knew what used to drive these Tau I have with me. Kai’Faan and his Stealth Suit bodyguard move even more sluggish than before. I wish their…Aun…uh leader (I believe she had referred to him as an Ethereal once) wasn’t killed. They had moved with purpose before. Xin’Vauk seemed like an exception. Her drive to keep me safe grows stronger still. She moves with purpose….she moves with grace...she moves like an angel….NO….I can’t think like this. I just feel that she has re-established a link again.

Xin wanted me to make a decision. I was about to give Kai’Faan my rifle, and head up to the Impact Squad, but seeing Brutus use his lasgun to club a fellow guard for moving too slow, I hesitated. This isn’t going to end well for me at all.

I looked at Xin, and shook my head. I think she looked relieved. Reading facial expressions on xeno like this is still a bit unusual. She pointed at a destination to the west of the 137th. It had looked like a clear path between a burned up library and a crumbling apartment complex. She told me to stay with the group, but stay behind Kai’Faan to make sure he keeps up. Great!!! He is going to be slowing us down. And that little drone following him around doesn’t seem like it was made for stealth. Every minute or so it would beep and whirr when it had a chance to scan. But following her steps made us pass the 137th patrol unit with ease. I hope I never see you again, Brutus.

The presence behind me was not so threatening, it seemed to focused to the squad we passed. It was almost gone from my memory when I could almost…..wait…it was my brother. I could hear him behind me, almost feel him. He moaned that he was still alive, that the Commissar’s bullet grazed his head. The patrol dumped him here, and he needs help. I would do anything to save him..ANYTHING!!!

I turned and moved towards his voice. It was so faint, but getting stronger. I really don’t think it is the daemon. I swear!!! But Xin’Vauk hadn’t heard my brother’s voice. She did; however, grab my hand and pull me back. I wanted to scream at her. Give our position away, anything to get her to let go so I can save my brother. If she cared, she would let me go and help him. The anger in me grew.

But then something peculiar happened…She tripped me up and I fell to the ground backwards. Landing on my back I was about to scream in pain, but my mouth was muffled by her hand. I wanted to get up, but she put all her weight on me, which wasn’t much, but enough to keep me prone from some on looking patrol units. I only calmed when I looked straight into her eyes, and the few seconds of seeing true empathy in her broke my focus on my brother enough to realize that the daemon grasp on me was breaking. She released her hands from my mouth, and I was silent. Mostly because I was speechless. Xin’Vauk saved me again, what DO you say. She also used this time to check my head wound from a few days ago. She got off and pulled me up. We had to move. It sounded like the patrol group had stopped and there is a heated argument and/or confrontation within the squad now. Did they even see what is or was coming?
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The choice is on the next chapter [link]